Page 11 of A Touch of Murder (Touched #1)

Barret was worried about that. When he'd gone to talk to the Wilsons, he'd seen the bracelet on the mother's wrist. It wasn't a fancy bracelet. Just one with brown beads, maybe stones, tiger's eye perhaps, that stretched over the hand and didn't have any clasp.

"Laughter, I think that's Trina. Smell of popcorn.

More laughing. She plays with the bracelet a lot, rolling it up and down her arm.

I can feel fear, darkness, hard to see. One scream, then can't breathe.

Struggling, wrestling, trying to get away.

Boot, work boot, not cowboy. Black, scuffed, thick sole.

The word pro on the boot, red letters. Smell cigarettes, bad breath, popcorn again.

He's pulling on her arm, drawing the bracelet over her hand.

His hands are gloved, black gloves, more like driving gloves than for weather, maybe like a batting glove, no, not sure can't tell.

I'll research that. Hands are large, bigger than mine. "

Barret looked at Adam's hands. They were average sized for a man. Did that mean the attacker was bigger than Adam?

"Hard to breathe, something over her mouth, I think. A lot of fear, crying. But she's fighting. She fights hard, kicking, punching. He has her almost out of the car. The bracelet falls to the floor of the car. She's gone." Adam stayed silent, his eyes still closed.

Barret didn't know whether he should say something or if Adam was still doing his thing. He'd gotten a lot of new information this time. If only he trusted it.

"Someone's coming back, leaning into the car.

It's a man. Beard, light brown, gray throughout it.

Baseball cap. Mariners. It's old, dirty, brim torn and threadbare.

Thick lips, almost look swollen. Eyes are too narrow to see color, smell cigarettes, body odor.

He's heavy, overweight. Breathing hard. Different.

No gloves, tattoo on arm, green color, can't tell…

" Adam shook his head. "He's going. Bracelet is on the floor, quiet.

Can't hear anything, see anything. It's black.

" Adam slowly opened his eyes and took in a gasping breath. Then another.

"You okay?" Barret was worried.

"Will be. I felt like I had someone's hand over my mouth through all of that. It was hard to breathe. Couldn't get air." He quickly pulled his glove back on, twisted the cap off a water bottle and downed it all, then reached for the next bottle. "Sorry, give me a second."

"Can I do anything?" Barret wondered if he should call Jacey in. Adam was still trying to catch his breath and was paler than he had been when they'd started.

"More water." Adam gestured to the fridge. "Two please. And candy, top drawer, grab me one more."

Barret hurried across the room and opened the small fridge, finding it filled with water bottles, then he opened the top drawer of the desk and was stunned when he found it full of Hershey Bars.

There had to be at least fifty of them in there.

He grabbed one and hurried back over to the table.

He twisted the cap off one bottle and handed it over as Adam shoved the last of his first candy bar into his mouth.

"Thanks. Sorry, I pushed harder on that one than I usually do. Stayed with it longer than I did before, but it paid off. I hadn't seen the man last time." Adam tore open the second candy bar.

"Did you see him well enough to sit down with a sketch artist?" Barret asked.

Adam nodded as he chewed, then swallowed.

"I think so. I also want to research the glove I saw.

I think there were two men. One grabbed her from the car, then another searched the car after.

I can't confirm that, but there were gloves on the first guy I saw, then not on the other. Both about the same size."

"This is good. It gives us a lot more than we had." Barret stared at the notes he'd made. He'd only gotten maybe half of what Adam had said. He was glad they recorded it. "Could you feel anything from the men? Would you feel it if they were someone you knew?"

"Maybe, not always. I don't think I knew them. I didn't feel anything from them. No fear, no adrenaline rush, no anger. Emotions were all from Trina. The fear was extreme and not being able to breathe. I got the feeling she was almost blacking out at some points."

"No way to make out the tattoo?" Barret asked.

"No, nothing more than the color. I can look up shades of green online and tell you the color. Arm was thick, twice the size of mine. Hairy, but just light brown hair like the beard."

"Full beard or short?" Barret asked.

"Full. Covered his whole face. Cheeks looked red but I can't be sure. That could be the weird haze I'm looking through when I do these sometimes."

"Red?"

"Yeah, like some alcoholics." Adam touched his cheeks. "I wish I could have seen their vehicle or a license plate. Anything that might have helped."

"You gave us a ton to help. I know we can't use any of this in court, but if it leads us to her killer, or killers, I don't care what I have to do to back up our investigation in court.

All I want is to be able to look the Wilsons in the eye and tell them we caught their daughter's killer.

" Barret ran his hand through his hair. "Sorry, I just get so mad that someone would go after one of the teens in the area.

It makes me fear for all the others out there. "

"I get it." Adam was now sipping water instead of gulping it and his color was back to normal.

Again, Barret thought about how attractive the man was with his solid build, deep green eyes, and dark brown hair.

"Let me recover a bit, then I'll look at gloves online and find the one like I saw.

The color of the tattoo as well. I'll email it along with the audio over to you if you just leave me an email. "

"I'll do that, and I'd like to set up a time for you to meet with our sketch artist. It's just a local lady who we use when needed.

She'll be happy to come here so you don't have to come into the station.

We'll see if anyone recognizes the man you saw once that's done.

" Barret hesitated, unsure if he should ask what he wanted to.

"Trina's body is being returned in the next couple of days.

I hate to ask this of you, but if she has any of her clothing with her, could you—would you be willing to…

" He let his words trail off. He was asking a lot of Adam.

Who knew what the guy might see by touching the things she might have been wearing when she died?

"For sure. I'll do whatever I can to help.

It's not my first murder investigation. I know I might see things I'll never get out of my head, but if it brings her killer to justice, I'll do anything.

Even better, and this has to be up to you and Trina's family.

If I could touch the body, I could probably tell you more.

God, I know how gruesome that sounds, but I'd just need to touch a finger, a few strands of hair, even a toe. I don't need to see all of her."

Barret was stunned at the offer. "I'd need to clear it with the family and my captain, but if they're okay with it, so am I. Just be sure that's what you want to do. I spoke to the medical examiner in Utah, and it sounds like Trina suffered a lot."

"I've done it before. I know what I might be getting myself into.

If I do it, I'll need Jacey with me for that.

I won't be able to drive myself home after.

Touching a body is a lot harder on me than just touching an object.

Jacey will know how to help me recover after and get me back home so I can sleep for a few hours.

" Adam took another drink. "I'd rather the family not be there if I do that.

They don't need to hear what I might see. "

"I agree with you on that. I'll tell them up front it won't happen if they're in the room with you.

Hell, just the stuff you told me today is more than any parent should have to hear.

" Barret wondered if Adam kept things back when dealing with families.

Things that he saw that might upset them more than they already were.

"Thanks." Adam smiled. "I have to say, today went much better than the last time I did a reading for you."

Barret met his stare across the table. "About that, I'm sorry for calling you names and freaking out the way I did.

I was in shock. I knew you'd seen something it was impossible for you to know.

Grandma died when I was fifteen. You couldn't have known her smell or about her apron.

I was being smug, thinking I'd trick you with unused cuffs, then you go and tell me something completely personal like that.

I didn't know how to accept that. I was angry, trying to figure out how you'd learned things only Becky and I could know.

I was going to ask her today if she'd talked to you about Grandma, but you were already in the bakery.

I admit, I'm struggling a bit with all this, but I can't find any way to deny what you do. "

"I'm okay with you not fully believing as long as you listen to what I say and give it consideration.

In time, I hope you accept it for what it is.

I'm only here to help. I don't go looking for work.

I let it come to me. I want our town safe, and that means we find Trina's killer, or killers I'm starting to think.

" Adam stood and went over to grab another candy bar.

"How do you not weigh seven-hundred pounds?" Barret grinned as Adam tore the candy wrapper open.

"I have no idea. Some days I have ten of these. I run a bit and do some simple workouts throughout the week, but honestly, I think what I do just burns the calories. I'm more worried about my teeth. I'm constantly brushing them." Adam pulled another bar out. "Want one?"

Barret held up his hand. "No, that apple fritter did me in for the morning.

" He stood. "I need to get back to the station.

Vance will think I've taken the day off and left him to do all the work.

" He nodded to the bracelet on the table.

"Can I ask you to put that back in the bag so I don't have to pull out my gloves? "

"Sure." Adam walked over and quickly dropped the beads into the bag and sealed it before handing it to Barret.

"Thanks." Barret offered his hand. "I'm not sure what you do or how you do it, but you've been an amazing help.

We wouldn't have found her body in Utah had you not pushed us to search harder.

It could have taken a lot longer. I might not seem to appreciate what you do completely, but it has gotten us answers, and for that, I'm grateful. "

Adam shook his hand. "Anytime. I mean that. I'm used to unbelievers and doubters. It doesn't stop me from doing what needs to be done. Give me a call if you want me to read the body. Just give me a little notice so I can let Jacey know and close the shop for the rest of the day."

"Of course." Barret smiled. "And you email me that recording and if you figure out the gloves you saw."

"I'm on that now." Adam took a seat behind his desk and gave Barret a wave.

Barret walked out of the office and saw Jacey talking to two women over by one of the displays. He gave him a nod, then left the store, his mind racing with all the information he'd learned and hoping that they could trust it.