The Power of Faith: Science Fiction Faith Ferguson Series Book 3

by Andrea M. White

  “Anyone else have a problem with Claire?” Paul asked.

  “Not that night, and I only met her that one time. Bella had told me that she wasn’t very nice, but you meet all kinds in the theatre.”

  “Did Bella have a problem with Claire?” Paul asked.

  “Nah, Bella’s a total doll. I can’t imagine anyone having a problem with her.”

  “Thanks, Susan,” Ed said.

  “No problem. Are you coming to opening night?”

  “You know,” Paul said, “I just might. Are there still tickets available?”

  “A few, I think.”

  “Well, if I can,” Paul said, “I will. After Susan left, Paul said, “So, I guess that wasn’t a total waste, huh?”

  “No,” Ed said it wasn’t, but I don’t think Devin Nance would have killed Claire because – he – dumped her. More the other way around, don’t you think?”

  “Yes, but he never told us that they were in a relationship. And somebody drove his car to her apartment the next day. Could have gone there for him,” Paul said.

  “Let’s go see if he’s here.”

  He was, and while not happy about it, accompanied the detectives backstage.

  “What is it, now?” Devin asked obviously exasperated as he sat down.

  “We want to talk to you about your relationship with Claire,” Paul replied.

  “There was no relationship other than cast member,” Devin said, beginning to anger.

  “Really?” Ed said. “You’re sticking to that?”

  “What are you talking about?” Devin asked.

  “An extremely loud argument between you and a woman that you’ve just described as a fellow cast member. Apparently, she thought that you used her. What was that about?” Ed asked.

  Devin sighed.

  “Yes,” Ed said, “we know about that.”

  “It meant nothing. We had sex. I was very clear with her that it was just sex, but she wanted more. Actually, I think what she really wanted was to attach herself to my career.”

  “Is your career that good?” Paul asked.

  “You have my resume. I’m not bounding toward superstardom, but I am a working actor in film, TV, and theatre. She was not. At least not in this country.”

  “Why did you lie to us?” Ed asked.

  “I didn’t. I hardly knew her. We hooked up after about a week of rehearsal, had some fun for a couple of weeks, and then I moved on. She was furious when I dropped her. Threatened to get me fired. Like I cared. This was just a chance to get another theatre credit.”

  “You didn’t happen to remember Tanya’s last name?” Paul asked looking at his notes from their initial interview.

  “I’m not even positive about her first name, but I don’t need an alibi. There is absolutely no reason that I would have slit Claire’s throat. If I murdered every woman who was pissed off when I stopped calling, I’d be a serial killer.”

  “Kind of an arrogant little shit, aren’t you?” Paul said surprising his partner.

  “And you’re just typical,” Devin shot back.

  “Typical?” Paul asked.

  “Hanging on the black guy.”

  “Oh, don’t, just don’t,” Paul said. “If you killed her, you’ll be arrested. If you didn’t, you won’t. For now, we’re done,” Paul said.

  “If we ever do talk again,” Devin said, “it’ll be with my lawyer.”

  Devin walked out, and after he was gone, Ed said, “Maybe he had some trouble with cops when he was a kid.”

  “Maybe, I don’t know, but what I do know is that he treats women like crap. A lot of the women at Bourne Street were abused like that,” Paul said.

  “Abused?”

  “Women have feelings. You can’t just go around using them and not expect them to be upset.”

  “He said he told her it was casual.”

  “Told her – yes – but I bet that, at first, he acted as if he really liked her. That would let her think that he’d be different with her. Karen says that emotional abuse is usually a warning sign of worse things to come.”

  “Do you think he’s our murderer?”

  “Not if that’s all it was,” Paul said, “but he did lie to us, and that’s never a good sign.”

  “Before we go, we need corral any of the crew and support staff we haven’t talked to,” Ed said.

  “Right, let’s get that over with.”

  ******

  It being Tuesday meant that Faith was at home working on her next book. She was in the midst of plastering post-it notes all over the wall next to her desk when her phone rang. Without glancing at her caller ID, Faith knew that the call was from her mother. Her parents lived in New York but were in South America. Her father spent considerable time there researching ancient civilizations and their use of herbs in spells and potions.

  “Mom,” Faith said, “I’ve been dying to talk to you.”

  “That’s why I called. I sensed your unease. What’s going on?”

  “That’s just it. I don’t know. It’s just a feeling of dread … Oh, and for no perceivable reason, I had a vision about one of Ed’s cases.”

  “That is odd,” Hope Ferguson said. “Our visions are usually related to family or at least someone we know. But you are Fáidh. Maybe you have broader powers. I’ll talk to your dad, see what he thinks.”

  “Where is he?”

  “In the rain forest. That’s just far too much nature for me. So, I’m in Lima.”

  “You love nature.”

  “Not that much nature; snakes, bugs, and no place to go to the bathroom? No thank you.”

  Faith laughed and said, “Finn’s bummed that you’re not going to be here for his opening.”

  “So am I. We’ll come up next time he’s in Boston.”

  “I’ll tell him.”

  “Is Padraig coming over for the opening.”

  “Oh, yes, I don’t think that Finn would be too pleased if he didn’t show.”

  “No, I don’t imagine that would go over too well. I’ll call you after I talk to your father,” Hope said.

  “Good. I’ve got to figure out why I have this eerie feeling.”

  As Faith finished her call, Finn came downstairs and asked, “Ed coming over tonight?”

  “I think so. His hours are always kind of crazy right after a murder,” Faith said.

  “I’ll assume he’s coming, along with the others,” Finn said and went into the kitchen.

  Faith sat on a stool by her counter watching him.

  As he set to his work, Faith said, “You really love to cook, don’t you.”

  “I do.”

  “But now that you own three places, you’re more of an owner than chef.”

  “Oh, no. I cook almost every night. Just not at the same place.”

  “Are you going to open any more?”

  “I’d say three’s it, but I thought two was it until I decided to open this one.”

  “And,” she said with a grin, “you’re opening this because?”

  “I love you very much,” he said, in a somewhat surprising sincere moment.

  “Right back at you,” Faith said. “So, how often will you be here now?”

  “I’ll be here for a month, this time. I want it up and running on all cylinders before I go. After that, it’ll be three months a year.”

  “Cool,” Faith said.

  “My father’s here,” Finn said.

  “Mm-hmm,” Faith said.

  ******

  As Padraig Ferguson got out of a car in front of Faith’s building, he saw Beth Harris and her husband Ted coming toward him.

  “I assume you knew that I was on my way,” he said to Beth.

  She just smiled, gave him a hug and said, “Not because I’m clairvoyant, Faith told me you were arriving today. Who’s minding the store?”

  “The council.”

  “What’s left of them,” Beth said.

  “May I remind you that your parents are familiars.”


  “I know, but from what I hear Braden Druce has taken over An Dubh, and he’s ruthless,” Beth said.

  “He’s a black soul,” Padraig said. “I have to admit that I miss his brother Gavin. We lived so close. I can’t tell you how many nights I walked down the road to his cottage, and we’d enjoy a drink. He’d often talk about how sad he was about Braden. I guess that was all a lie.”

  “Thank goodness for Mia, huh?” Beth said with a gleam in her eye.

  Mia was Buidseach, and also a doctor in Scotland with whom Padraig had found love.

  He smiled broadly and said, “Aye, she’s a keeper. And don’t forget Mairi is there with them,” Padraig said referencing Faith’s maternal grandmother.

  “True enough,” Beth said.

  Beth entered the security code and the three, along with Padraig’s old and oversized valise, squeezed into Faith’s convenient but less than spacious conveyance. When the doors opened, Padraig saw his son working in the kitchen and smiled.

  “Dad,” Finn said with a broad smile, and walking out to give him a hug, “you should have called, I would have picked you up.”

  “I would have, but I met this really nice lass on the plane who gave me a ride.”

  “You’ve still got it,” Finn said

  Padraig was, in fact, a strong, broad, man with dashing good looks. Like all his kind, looked decades younger than his chronological age of seventy-seven.

  “That,” Padraig said, “is true.”

  “I wish you could stay with us,” Faith said, but my spare room is occupied.”

  “Your spare room is now to be referred to as Finn’s bedroom,” Finn said without turning around from the oven where he was placing his masterpiece.

  “Duly noted,” Faith said.

  Finn pulled a couple of bottles out of Faith’s fridge and waved for them to follow him.

  Once ensconced in her living room, Padraig said, “God, it feels good to be here at last.”

  “It’s a journey,” Faith said.

  “It is, but I’m also glad to be here for you,” Padraig said to Faith.

  “Her?” Finn asked taking obvious affront.

  “I was coming for your opening, anyway, but Faith is going through something that we also have to figure out. And you,” he said to Finn, “really need to grow up.”

  “All right,” Finn said.

  “What’s going on?” Ted asked.

  In previous years, he’d been left out of the more candid family discussions, but Faith and Ed weren’t the only ones who’d had an epiphany over the summer. Beth finally told her beloved husband that there was more to her than he had known. He, true to his nature, had taken the news relatively in stride, and, at the Battle of Unst, using the skills he’d honed as a member of US special forces, stood side by side with the Buidseach as they fought An Dubh.

  Faith once again related the story of her premonition, communion with the Divine, and generalized feeling of concern. With Finn, going back and forth to the kitchen, Padraig told Faith that visions always related to their family or closest acquaintances.

  “We can’t predict wars, or meteors unless they’re going to have a fairly direct effect on us.”

  “What about the whole Fáidh thing. Does that change anything?” Faith asked.

  “Maybe. It does translate to Seer, but I’ve never heard of anyone with random premonitions.”

  “You know any Fáidhs?”

  “No. Did you ask the Divine?” Padraig asked.

  “Yes,” Faith said, “He said that I was a seer and that if I saw something, it was because I needed to know.”

  “Why so vague?” Ted asked.

  “I know, right? That’s what I asked him.”

  “You asked God, why so vague?” Padraig asked giving her a look of total disbelief.

  “I was polite, sort of,” Faith said.

  “And what did God say,” Padraig asked.

  “I had to figure it out. He wasn’t going to live my life for me.”

  Faith’s condominium was perfect for one or two people, but with five currently in her small living room area, it was a bit cramped.

  Sitting on her floor taking it all in, Ted finally asked, “So, what’s he like? Oh, and is he a he?”

  “Nice, and the other day, for the first time, he appeared as an entity. That freaked me out, so he switched back into the image of a young man. I don’t know if God really has a gender.” Faith suddenly burst out laughing and looking at her grandfather said, “I’ll ask.”

  “I’m sure you will,” Padraig said.

  Returning to Ted’s original question, Faith said, “He seems kind, caring, and strong. You wouldn’t want to mess with him. I’m not basing that on anything concrete. When he first appeared to me in what I suspect is his true visage, I sensed power and a mind-blowing intellect.”

  “Interesting,” Ted said.

  “Since you left,” Padraig said, “I’ve been doing research about being a Fáidh. There are some enhanced powers. For instance, you can travel with your mind.

  Faith sat up in rapt attention.

  “It said that you can see remotely, and your spirit can travel anywhere around the globe or galaxy.”

  “That makes sense, I suppose. I travel to the other realm.”

  “Have you tried remote seeing?” Beth asked.

  Faith shook her head.

  “Well, for the most part, being Fáidh relates to your ability to spend time in the other realm. You can go there as much as you want. That’s why Fáidhs are thought of as prophets. They speak directly to God. In the past, they’ve brought back messages but, mostly, it’s simply an exalted status.”

  “I’m exalted,” Faith said to Finn, who’d just come back from the kitchen area to join them.

  “I’m a demi-god.”

  “You need to put that away. You don’t want to go mentioning that one time too many,” Padraig said.

  Finn gestured at their surroundings.

  “I know. It’s fine here but be careful.”

  “I am.”

  “How’s it going at the restaurant?” Padraig asked.

  “Really well. She’s a beauty. Since I won’t be here all that often, I needed a first-class chef, and I stole one from the best restaurant, other than mine, in London.

  “I can’t wait for you to see it. It’s quintessential Scottish, in historic Boston architecture, with a totally modern vibe.”

  “Think you’ll get good reviews?” Padraig asked.

  “I do, but, Dad, speaking of reviews, funny thing, one of the food critics here is Buidseach.

  “Really, who?” Faith asked.

  “Olivia Ross.”

  “Huh, I read her column, but I had no idea,” Faith said.

  “She came over to see the place, and I gave her a tour. I got a weird vibe but nothing dangerous.”

  “Weird how?” Padraig asked.

  “Like a femme fatal, not An Dubh.”

  “Could she be cloaked?”

  “I didn’t try and read her. Not really my thing. Besides, that’s bad form without good reason. And, I want a good review.”

  “Bad form or not, if she’s at the opening, I’ll read her. Shouldn’t reflect on you, unless she knows we’re cousins,” Faith said.

  “She might be able to read you, back,” Padraig said.

  “Mm-hmm, something to think about,” Faith said.

  “I say wait. Your Fáidh, I’m dia, Beth and Ed are familiars,” Finn said.

  “And I was special forces,” Ted said not wanting to be left out.

  Beth beamed at him and said, “That you are.”

  “You were a huge part of our force in the Battle,” Padraig added with sincere admiration.

  It was true, and Ted was pleased at the acknowledgment.

  “Right enough,” Finn said, “and what I was saying was, we’re the A-Team. One little Buidseach isn’t really a threat to us.”

  “Don’t get too cocky,” Padraig said. “But you’re right, I think
we can let it alone for now.”

  “Unless she’s the cause of my angst,” Faith said.

  “We’ll play it by ear, then,” Padraig said. “How’s the roast coming?”

  “Just another few minutes,” Finn said.

  “That’ll be grand. I’m starving,” Padraig said.

  ******

  It had been a long day for Detective Ed Sinclair, and he didn’t get to Faith’s until nine p.m., by which time Finn was at his restaurant, and Padraig had gone home with Beth and Ted. Ed and Faith rummaged around in her kitchen and managed a nice meal for him made up of Finn’s leftovers.

  “I’m really going to miss him,” Ed said as he basically inhaled his dinner.

  “Me too,” Faith said.

  “Anything new on the case?” she asked.

  “There isn’t much direct evidence, so we spent the day interviewing the last of the cast members, crew and support staff at the theatre. Didn’t learn much, but they did corroborate the fact that Claire was unpleasant. We did find out about a fight she’d had with a cast member with whom she’d had an affair.”

  “Is he a suspect?”

  Ed sighed.

  “You think he did it?”

  “It’s possible, but so far we’ve got no real motive and nothing to prove it. We’re running a criminal check on him. Maybe that’ll tell us something.”

  After Ed finished eating, they adjourned to the living room and

  sat nestled on Faith’s couch watching the local news. As they were going to a commercial, the reporter teased breaking news regarding a shooting in Boston.

  “I wonder what that’s about,” Ed said.

  “Well, I haven’t had any visions, so that, at least, is a good thing.”

  Ed smiled, pulled her to him. Moments later they learned that a young man, as yet unidentified, had been killed in an alley off Harrison Avenue. The couple looked at each other, and Ed called to find out who’d been shot. Faith listened as he found out the victim’s identity and condition.

  “Devin Nance?” he said. The next call he made was to his captain to let him know that this was part of his case.

  Ending that call, Ed called his partner who was already in bed and told him the latest development.