by Ashlyn Chase
“Yes, much better,” Dawn replied.
“You’ll be good as new after you try Ma’s soup,” Gabe said with a grin.
Dawn couldn’t help smiling back. How could she not? Surrounded by three kind men. Apparently, all first responders.
A delicious aroma wafted from the kitchen, and a few moments later, Gabriella walked in with a tray. Setting it on the table, she lifted a steaming soup bowl and placed it in front of Dawn, along with a side plate with a thick slice of Italian bread drizzled with olive oil. Dawn inhaled appreciatively, closing her eyes.
“This looks and smells like heaven,” she breathed.
“Thank you. Pardon my asking, but have you eaten recently?”
“Ma!” Luca warned.
Gabriella shrugged. “She’s just so skinny.”
“I have a very fast metabolism. Some people can’t lose weight. I can’t gain it.”
“I wish I had that problem,” Gabriella said.
Personally, Dawn thought she had a lovely figure. Maybe she just struggled to keep it that way.
Antonio chuckled. “She’s always complaining about a few extra pounds.”
Gabriella whapped Antonio’s arm with the back of her hand, and he laughed. “Now, dig in, Dawn,” she said. “The soup will make you feel much better.”
Dawn blushed, glancing around. “I’m the only one eating?”
“Don’t worry about us,” Antonio piped up. “We’ll eat later, but you need to get your strength back.”
“It’s okay, Dawn.” Luca placed his hand over hers, which only made her blush even more. “Mom’s soup cures everything.”
Dawn lifted the heavy, silver spoon and scooped up a spoonful of broth and meatballs mixed with spinach and some kind of small pasta. She tasted it and sighed in pleasure. She dipped her spoon again and made an appreciative mmm sound. “This is so good, Mrs. Fierro.”
“I’m glad you like it, Dawn, and please call me Gabriella.”
“Thank you, Gabriella.”
The older woman beamed and sat on the arm of her husband’s chair. His arm automatically snuck around her waist, holding her close. Dawn swallowed a sudden lump in her throat. It sure would be nice to have that kind of easy loving relationship. Her glance strayed to Luca, who was smiling encouragingly at her.
“Eat up,” he said, gesturing to the bowl.
Dawn tasted another spoonful of the delicious soup. She was feeling almost herself again, thanks to these good people. She wondered if maybe her involvement with Karma Cleaners was already starting to pay off. She’d never had anyone do anything nice for her except her grandmother, and Annette was family.
“Is this the first time you’ve had a fainting spell, dear?” Gabriella asked.
“No, I’ve had them before.” Dawn felt her face flush again. She didn’t want to seem like a weakling. That was far from the truth. She hadn’t had a fainting spell in a while, but since she’d met Luca, she’d had two—correction, three. She’d had a quick addendum to the vision with Luca. He lay on the ground in front of thick black bars…like a prison. She’d have to figure this out. She couldn’t keep fainting every time she had a vision.
“So what do you do for a living, Dawn?” Gabe asked just as Dawn filled her mouth with a big bite of bread.
“She works for ScholarTech, at the Pru,” Luca jumped in. “She’s really smart.”
He really thinks I’m smart? She suddenly felt like she was floating on a cloud. “I just run the help desk,” Dawn replied.
“I’ve heard of them,” Gabe said. “They do software for students, right?”
“Yes, to help with their studying and term papers. SAT prep. All kinds of career testing. It’s really cool and very useful.”
“Well, that is a wonderful thing you do…helping students,” Gabriella said with a nod.
“So is Dawn the one helping you with a case?” asked Antonio.
“I was just asking her a few questions, Dad.”
“Son, what’s this all about? What are you keeping from us?” Gabriella asked.
Luca blew out a breath. “Patricia Richardson, who lives around the corner, was found dead yesterday. It looks like her car had been run off the road. Her little girl, Mandy, was in the back seat. When they found the car, the little girl was missing.”
“Oh my God!” Gabriella exclaimed.
“Man, Jack must be going crazy right now,” Gabe said, glancing at his parents. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to check on my wife and son.” Gabe’s face had blanched with what could only be the fear of a young husband and father when they heard about such a tragedy. He stood up and, with a polite nod at Dawn, said, “Nice to meet you, Dawn. Take care of yourself.”
“Thanks. You too.”
Gabriella stood up and hugged her son. “It’s okay, Gabe. They’re safe here.”
He glanced at his dad again, who nodded at him, and then he turned and left the dining room.
Gabriella sat in Gabe’s empty chair and heaved a deep sigh. “Every time I hear about this kind of tragedy, I just can’t help but wonder who these animals are who prey upon innocent people.”
Antonio reached out and grasped his wife’s hand. As he stroked it with his thumb, he asked, “What does Dawn have to do with it?”
Luca hesitated, glancing at Dawn. She for one didn’t mind if his parents knew about her. They seemed like good, open-minded people.
“I’m a psychic,” she blurted.
Gabriella and Antonio didn’t look shocked at all. In fact, if not for Antonio’s slightly raised eyebrow, you’d think she had just told him it was going to rain.
Antonio turned to Luca. “Are you investigating Patricia’s death and Mandy’s disappearance?”
“Technically, I’m not on the case, but the entire squad was briefed this morning. We’re all on the lookout.”
“And that’s why you contacted Dawn?” Gabriella asked.
“Yes,” Luca said. “I asked Dawn to walk by the Richardson place to see if she could get any vibes, then I met up with her for coffee to discuss any leads she may have found.”
“And then I fainted,” Dawn finished. “Sorry about that.”
Gabriella glanced at her husband, concern etched on her face.
“Did you have a vision of the missing girl?” Antonio asked.
“Yes,” Dawn replied. At Luca’s nod, she told them everything she’d seen—except their son covered in blood. “Then at the end, I just saw blackness and I felt her confusion, but I think she’s okay, unharmed.”
“Is that why you fainted?” Gabriella asked. “Does it take a lot out of you?”
“Uh…” Dawn glanced at Luca and then back at his parents. “Sometimes.”
* * *
“You’ve been up all night, and it’s already past eleven a.m.,” Gabriella said to Luca. “Why don’t we take Dawn home so you can get some sleep?”
“Thanks, but I want to drive her home.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Dawn piped up. “I’ll just hop on the subway.”
“No, we can’t let you do that,” Gabriella said. “You just came out of a dead faint, and Luca said it happened in the middle of the street. I’ll drive you home.”
“Ma, I can drive Dawn home.” Luca raised his eyebrows at his mother, giving her a look that meant he wanted to talk to Dawn.
“Okay, okay.” She swiveled enough to smile at Antonio.
“Thank you for the soup and…everything,” Dawn said to Antonio and Gabriella. “I really appreciate your kindness.”
Gabriella hugged Dawn and whispered in her ear. Luca couldn’t hear what she said, but he was sure it had something to do with him.
“I’ll be back soon.” Luca escorted Dawn out to his car parked on the street.
“I’m sorry I caused such a fuss,” Dawn began as Lu
ca held the door for her. “Your parents are such good people. I saw blood in a vision, and you know what happens then…”
“You faint.” Luca blew out a breath. “It’s okay. Thanks for not telling them anything about seeing blood.”
“Uh-huh.” When he hopped into the driver’s seat, she said, “Luca?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t freak out, but I think the blood was yours.”
“Whoa. I’m really glad you didn’t say anything back there. It’s not exactly news that my parents—heck, my entire family—disapproves of me going into law enforcement.” He turned to her. “Are you sure you saw me covered in blood?”
“Yes, but I don’t think there was a bullet wound, so there is that.”
He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, there is that. Did you see anything else besides the blood?”
“Sometimes I’ll just get a quick flash of something. I saw bars, like maybe you were at a prison. The second vision—the one that happened in the middle of Mass. Ave.—confirmed the bars and you lying on the ground beside them. I might get another vision. If I do, I’ll call you.”
“Yeah. After you wake up,” he teased. “So what did my mom whisper in your ear?”
Dawn blushed and plucked at the backpack on her lap. “She just said she appreciates me helping you.”
“Hmm…” he said, glancing at her pink face. I bet there was more to it than that.
“So if everyone in your family is a firefighter, why did you decide to become a cop?” Dawn was clearly trying to change the subject.
Luca put the car in drive and maneuvered out of the tight space. “Like I said, it has to do with my ex.”
“Seriously? She was the whole reason?”
Luca glanced at Dawn. “Lisa’s dad is on the force. He’s a sergeant.”
“That must make it tough at work. Is he harder on you than the other cops?”
“Remember, he’s not supposed to know I was dating his daughter.” Luca kept his eyes on the road. “So let’s keep that little secret between us.”
“Sure, I understand—I think. Why did you never tell your parents? From what I can tell, they seem understanding.”
Luca glanced at her and then back at the road. “It’s kind of complicated. We started dating when we were in college, pretty young. So we kept it quiet, because we were both living at home, and she said her dad was an overprotective hard-ass.” He hesitated, thinking back on his relationship with Lisa. Maybe it was for the best that he hadn’t told his parents. His mother might have had them halfway to the altar by now.
“Oh, I haven’t given you my address. But you’re headed in the right direction anyway.” She told him her address on North Street.
He already knew where she lived. Damn. He hoped she couldn’t read minds too.
“Why are relationships so complicated?” Luca asked, changing the topic.
“I don’t know. But what I do know is if you can’t tell your family about someone you’re dating, then that’s kind of a warning sign, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. Hey, how come we’re always talking about me?” He turned to her with a grin. “What about you? Are you dating anyone?”
Dawn shook her head. “Nope.”
“That’s all you’re going to say on the subject?”
“Yep.”
He laughed. “C’mon, there’s no one you like? No up-and-coming financial whiz or tech guy you see on the elevator every day? Maybe an old boyfriend you’d like to have back?”
“Ugh. No.” She crossed her arms and stared out the window.
He’d obviously hit a sore spot. Maybe she was just getting over a bad breakup too. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”
Dawn turned back to him. “I’m sorry to snap at you.” She hesitated. “I used to hang out with this guy who was in a gang. It wasn’t a healthy relationship, but I didn’t really have a role model for what one of those might look like. He gave me a hard time when I started turning my life around. I bumped into him the other night. Or rather he was waiting for me. Told me he wanted to get back together—or something. Guys in gangs don’t exactly date.”
Luca was quiet for a moment. “Do you?”
“Do I what?”
“Do you want to get back together with him?”
“Hell no. I never did have deep feelings for him. I’m glad I’m not with him anymore. And the gang… Holy shit. I don’t know what I was thinking. I guess I just liked feeling like I belonged—somewhere.”
He smiled at her. “I’m glad you’re not dating a guy in a gang.”
A few minutes later, Luca pulled up front of the old colonial duplex she’d directed him to.
He got out of the car and escorted her up the steps. “Hey, would you be interested in going out sometime?”
He liked Dawn. She was interesting and easy to talk to. Maybe they could become friends. Hell, he could use a good friend. It was hard to share stuff with his family. They meant well, but sometimes he just wanted someone to listen and not lecture.
“You mean to discuss the case?”
“No, I mean to discuss the merits of pepperoni versus Italian sausage pizza.”
She laughed. A small dimple appeared in her right cheek. And it didn’t hurt that she was really cute.
“Okay, but I draw the line at anchovies.”
“Don’t tell my mother, but I consider anchovies on pizza an abomination. I always take them off. You’re a woman after my own heart.”
* * *
“Whew!”
Dawn leaned against the inside of her door. She placed her hand over her racing heart.
“Dawnie, is that you?” Her grandmother’s voice floated down the stairs.
“Yes, Gram, it’s me. I’ll be right there.”
Dawn hung up her jacket and purse, then jogged up the stairs to her grandmother’s bedroom. “Hi, Gram.” She gave her grandmother a kiss on the check. The older woman was in her rocking chair, knitting woolen mittens. She was always knitting for the homeless and usually made a few dozen scarves and mittens every fall and winter and donated them to the local shelter. If that alone could change your karma, Annette should have five gold stars by now or whatever system Karma Cleaners used. She’d have to ask Lynda.
“Honey, why are you home from work? Are you okay?”
Dawn sat on the edge of her grandmother’s bed. “Yes, just feeling a bit dizzy, so I came home early.”
Annette gave her one of her shrewd I ain’t buyin’ what ye’re sellin’ looks. “What’s this really about?”
“I’m helping a guy look for a missing girl.” Dawn tapped her phone, searching for a news article. She found it and handed her phone to her grandma.
“Oh no,” Annette said with a shake of her head. “What a terrible tragedy. But who is this guy you’re helping? The father?”
“No, he’s a cop who knows the family.”
Annette’s eyebrows shot up at that.
“Yeah, I know. But I just met him by accident, and we had coffee this morning and he took me to the girl’s house, which happens to be in his neighborhood.”
“Did you see where she is?”
“Sort of, but it was kind of vague. I could sense the little girl, but all I could see was darkness. Maybe she’s in a dark room?”
“Did you get dizzy after that? You came home in a car.”
“Yes, Luca, the cop I met with, took me to his parents’ house, and they were home and gave me some soup. They were very kind.”
“But there’s more to this…” Annette reached for Dawn’s hand. Her eyes widened, as she seemed to sense what Dawn had been through. “You had another vision, didn’t you? About the young man.”
“Yes, I saw him covered in blood.”
Annette nodded. She’d seen enough bad stuff in her lifetime; Dawn knew that for a fa
ct. Nothing shocked her grandmother anymore.
“You get into bed and get some rest. I’ll wake you when it’s dinner time. I’m making a casserole for dinner.”
“Grandma, what am I going to do? I can’t miss work every time I have a psychic vision.”
“You need to figure out how to keep the visions from affecting your heart, mind, and body. You can still help people without making yourself sick. You need to train your body to do that.”
“How? How do I do that?”
“Practice, sweetie. When you get a vision, write it down and date it. Don’t hang onto it emotionally like it’s part of you. That vision doesn’t belong to you. It’s not about you. You’re like a radio transmitter or a TV set. And you have to learn to step back and allow it to come through and then record it and move on. That’s what I was told to do.”
“Did you faint?”
“Not really. I’d get dizzy sometimes. But right now, I want you to get some rest. We’ll talk more about it later over dinner, and I’ll tell you some tricks you can use to keep yourself grounded.”
Dawn hugged her grandmother and went to her room. She wished she’d told Annette about her abilities years ago. Her grandmother had probably figured it out anyway but had waited for Dawn to come forward. Annette was like that. She’d learned not to interfere, just to offer wisdom when asked. Dawn hoped Gram could help her through this inner turmoil she felt every time she had a vision, especially one involving blood.
Chapter 5
Thursday night—or was it Friday morning? Luca was having a hard time keeping his days straight, because he left for work on one day and returned home the next, even though it was just an eight-hour shift.
He and Joe were getting breakfast before the commuters began clogging up the fast-food lines. He took a bite of his breakfast sandwich and dropped the rest of it onto its paper wrapper. All this grease wasn’t doing his stomach any favors.
“You okay, kid?” Joe asked.
Luca thought about that. Was he okay? Police work wasn’t what he’d thought it would be, but something else was bugging him. Something important was missing.
He shrugged. “I guess.”
“You’ve been quiet all night. What’s eating you?”