Haunting Whispers (16 page)

“What makes you think that?” Rae’s answer was nonresponsive, but she didn’t identify crime victims. It seemed the least she could do to help them maintain some sort of dignity.

“Something in her eyes. She was cut, probably with a very specific type of knife.” Audrey stood so abruptly she caught Rae by surprise.

“How—” Before she could finish the question, Audrey was gone. Specialized forensic pathologists and criminalists had studied the victims’ cuts and been unable to definitively determine if the weapon used was a scalpel or knife. The wounds were so smooth and the skin so elastic they had preliminarily thought it to be a scalpel. Why did Audrey think it was a knife?

The nerves in the pit of Rae’s stomach tightened, the gut feeling she got when things went very wrong. Her experience taught her that only suspects or those with intimate knowledge of the crime possessed these kinds of details. If that was true, why would Audrey implicate herself by divulging this information? Rae couldn’t wrap her mind around the possibility.

No matter how many ways she considered the facts, none of them produced Audrey as a reasonable suspect. The person she knew and was attracted to could not do such a horrible thing. Besides, the victims were all certain the assailant was a man. That didn’t mean Audrey couldn’t have been an accomplice, an accessory after the fact, or be acquainted with the suspect. Rae simply didn’t want to believe it. Audrey couldn’t drop information like that and not expect questions. But at the moment another victim was waiting to be interviewed.

*

Audrey fled the canteen so fast she nearly plowed over a man exiting the elevator. When she’d gazed into the decimated eyes of the woman with Rae, she’d felt her pain and despair. It was as if they were connected somehow. Then the flashes began: the bits of information she didn’t want, blurry images, stomach-turning smells, and haunting sounds. The only clear pictures were of a very sharp, menacing knife and the clothing she’d dreamed about. And without thinking, she’d blurted the information about the knife to Rae, only to regret it seconds later.

Now Rae probably thought she was either a mental case or a criminal. Either way, Audrey couldn’t face her again because she couldn’t explain what she’d seen without lying or telling the truth. Once again she was trapped between her past and the present with no clear escape. Could she ever tell Rae the truth about being a psychic?

How could she explain to a woman who lived and breathed facts and logic that she saw, felt, and knew things other people didn’t? It wasn’t like she’d developed a marketable skill or aptitude through the years. She’d been born with this ability and had tried to ignore and deny it since she was a child. Ironically, denial became increasingly harder. The more things she saw or predicted, the more pronounced her gift became. She still hoped it would eventually disappear like neon clothing or mood rings.

Today she’d abandoned caution in the face of overwhelming grief and injustice. She found it impossible to remain silent when another human being had been so violated. This recurring theme had always haunted her.

Her mother often said that Audrey’s gift came with great responsibility. What she did next would mark the course of her life forward. Her conscience pulled her one way, her sense of self-preservation another.

The remainder of the day Audrey shuffled the mayor’s schedule, wrote mundane speeches, and grappled with her choices. If she hoped to have even a friendship with Rae, she’d have to tell her who and what she was. She couldn’t base their relationship on anything except honesty. Tonight she’d tell Rae the truth, or at least part of it, and face the consequences.

When a light tap sounded at her office door, Audrey was startled to see Rae framed in her doorway wearing an unusually wide smile. She looked delectable in faded jeans and a snug green cashmere V-neck sweater. “What are you doing here?” The question sounded more accusatory than Audrey intended.

“I was wondering if you’d like to go for a drink…and maybe talk afterward.”

It wasn’t exactly what Audrey had planned, but perhaps a little socialization and a bit of lubrication before the heavy conversation would make what she had to say go down easier. “That’s a good idea.”

On their short walk to the corner bar, they chatted about the routine details of their days without saying anything important. Audrey wished for something substantial that would reveal more about Rae. At the same time, she dreaded the connection that would establish. Maybe she wasn’t ready for the inevitable exchange of histories, trust building, and intimacy an actual relationship required.

Rae held the door for her, and as they entered, the place exploded in a chorus of greetings. When her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, Audrey located the source of their welcome. Three women at a table in the back waved their arms and shouted, “Over here, Officer.”

“Great,” Rae mumbled. “I’m sorry about this, but I have to say hello. Those are my best friends. I’d like to introduce you to them, if you’re okay with that.”

Audrey considered the backhanded invitation. Maybe they would give her some insight into how to approach their conversation later. “I’d like that…if it won’t put you in a spot.”

“They’ll just rag me forever about you, that’s all.”

Rae introduced Audrey to Deb, Stephanie, and Ronni. She felt only slightly uncomfortable as they greeted her warmly and offered her a seat. Meeting Rae’s best friends all at once was daunting. Audrey held her breath for their version of the Inquisition. If she introduced a woman to Yasi, the questions would go on for hours. But these women were gentle. They ordered drinks and checked out the other women in the club, all while throwing in an occasional question to include Audrey in the chatter.

Pretty soon she was relaxed and engaged with the cordial banter, watching Rae transform from police officer to a cheerful and much-kidded friend. Her genuine belly laughs filled their corner of the room, one of the most beautiful sounds Audrey had ever heard. Her gaze caught and held Rae’s, her emerald eyes danced and sparked. Neither of them seemed willing to look away. Any doubt about being attracted to Rae evaporated in that instant.

“Excuse me. Who are
you
?”

Audrey almost jerked at the shrill and unfriendly tone coming from a woman standing over her. “I—”

“She’s our friend,” Deb answered, pulling Audrey closer to her side.

“
Whose
friend?”

“Don’t do this, Janet.” Rae stood and tried to steer the obviously unhappy woman away from their table.

“I’m not doing anything except asking a simple question. Is she mute?”

Audrey didn’t know Janet but already didn’t like her. She stood to face her inquisitor. “No, I’m not mute. I’m quite capable of speaking for myself when addressed civilly.” The snickers from the women behind her indicated she’d scored points with Rae’s friends.

Rae intervened. “Janet, let’s talk somewhere else. Don’t make a scene.”

“We can talk while we dance.” Janet took Rae’s arm and pulled her to the dance floor.

Audrey watched in amazement as Rae allowed herself to be womanhandled. “The ex, I presume?”

Stephanie said, “What was your first clue, the razor-sharp fangs or the green skin tone?”

“What’s she like when she’s not foaming at the mouth?” Audrey asked.

Deb got to the point. “You mean what were she and Rae like as a couple, don’t you?”

She nodded because that was exactly what she wanted to know. She could care less about Janet the ex, but she was very interested in what Rae Butler was like in a relationship—her kind of woman, what she liked, disliked, how she felt, everything.

“Great chemistry, not much in common. They tried to make it work for five years until Rae caught her cheating.”

Audrey was beginning to understand Rae’s distrust and insistence on honesty. Her family’s rejection of her lifestyle at an early age and a cheating spouse had left scars. “Are they still in love?”

“No.” Ronni’s answer was emphatic. It was the first time the dark-haired woman had spoken since Janet crashed their table. “Janet was never in love, and Rae can’t forgive her deception.”

But Rae could still be in love with her, Audrey thought, as the two women danced. They made a striking couple with Rae’s auburn hair and fair complexion and Janet’s Italian features. Rae’s lean body fit nicely against the voluptuous curves of Janet’s breasts and thighs. They danced awfully close for two people who didn’t care any more. Audrey felt an uncomfortable prickle of emotion as Janet maneuvered her leg between Rae’s. Her uneasiness increased when Rae didn’t move away.

“I should be getting home.” Audrey stood to leave. “It was nice meeting all of you. I hope to see you again.”

The women tried to convince Audrey to stay, but she’d seen enough. As she walked home, the thoughts of telling Rae the truth about herself seemed less clear. If Audrey allowed Rae’s ex-girlfriend to stop her from helping people in need, what did that say about her? Rae’s personal situation shouldn’t influence her decision to do the right thing. Her logic sounded good but felt awful.

The image of Rae in the clutches of her ex annoyed Audrey on her walk home, but she wasn’t sure why. Maybe because the day before, Rae had held her, only a breath away from a kiss. She wanted to be in Rae’s arms again, to finish what had almost happened…and couldn’t believe she wanted it.
She pushed the idea aside, along with all its disturbing feelings.

As Audrey neared her apartment, it sounded like a party was going on in the parking lot. The upbeat music filled her with a déjà vu feeling of familiarity and warmth. She danced the last block, ready to join the revelry as she opened the gate to her complex and stopped.

“Surprise!” Her seven closest friends smiled and ran toward her like Cheshire cats gone mad. She mentally identified each one as she’d first seen them years ago: the Romanians Melvin and Tony; the Chinese girls Grace, Hope, and Charity; the Kenyan Sam; and the Moroccan Yasi.

“What are you doing here?” The question didn’t relay the surprising sense of joy and gratitude she felt. “I mean…it’s great to see you. Why are you here?”

“I told you we were coming this way. I didn’t realize we’d be so close,” Yasi said. “When I told everybody you lived in Kramer, they had to come. And we brought our own refreshments.” They held up bags and bottles as peace offerings for showing up unannounced and in the hopes of an old-fashioned party.

Audrey greeted the friends she hadn’t seen for too long. Each one held a special place in her memory and in her heart. They had helped her adjust to a life she didn’t understand and didn’t want at the time. Melvin and Tony, with bodies like Greek gods, had taught her that strength and flexibility aren’t mutually exclusive. Grace, Hope, and Charity epitomized inner peace and instructed her in meditation. Sam, her dark-skinned sidekick for years, demonstrated how to play and not take herself too seriously. And Yasi had always been her foundation, her stability. When Audrey bounced around emotionally like a windswept balloon, Yasi calmed her and helped her work through the madness. It seemed that since she’d lost contact with her friends, she’d forgotten all she’d learned. Seeing them now, she realized how much she’d missed everyone.

“I’m so glad you’re here. I have something to tell you.”

Audrey ushered them inside and introduced them to Cannonball. The little ball of fur seemed disturbed by all the excitement and refused to come out of her protective crate. Her friends gushed over the addition to her family, made themselves at home with snacks and drinks, and settled in for an update on her life. No one spoke as they waited for her to begin what would be one of the most difficult discussions of her life.

“I guess you’re wondering why I left so suddenly.”

Yasi was the first to answer. Though she’d known months after the incident, she’d never shared Audrey’s ordeal with anyone. “Sweetie, you don’t have to do this.” Everyone else nodded in agreement.

“Yes, I do. All of you were…and still are…my family, and I couldn’t share what happened to me that night when we were supposed to meet. I still can’t because I don’t remember. You do know I was hurt, and that’s about all I know. I didn’t leave because I couldn’t trust you. I was afraid…of everything and needed a fresh start.

“This year I’ve tried to put it behind me, to keep the past and the present separated. It isn’t working. Things are starting to come back in bits and pieces. I miss all of you terribly.” What Audrey didn’t say was that the time had come to remember and to deal with the events of last summer. Her friends couldn’t help with that. She’d have to tackle that task alone—or with Rae’s assistance, if they were still speaking after tonight.

“We miss you,” Sam said. “We worried when you didn’t show that night. All of us, we looked, but didn’t know where you’d gone. It was strange. We always handled things together.”

Audrey placed her hand on Sam’s broad shoulder. “I know.”

“How can we help now?” Hope asked. “Anything, we will do.”

“Your being here is exactly what I need.” It wasn’t what they wanted to hear. They
had
always worked through each other’s problems together. Being left out would feel like another slight. “I’m sorry for leaving so suddenly and not getting in touch. Can you ever forgive me?”