Page 30 of A Touch of Murder (Touched #1)

Barret was dragging. He should just go home and go to bed, but he was hungry, and ever since Adam had tempted him with chili, his mouth had been watering. Despite being exhausted, he was going to drop by for dinner and some good company.

He'd spent the day talking to people around town, and while most had been nice, he knew they were always impatient to get back to what they were doing instead of talking to him. He hadn't found anything new, and that made him feel defeated.

He parked in the small area behind Adam's shop, then headed up the steps to the apartment.

He rang the doorbell as he looked out across the street to see his sister was still working inside her shop despite it being way past closing time.

He wondered what she was baking and debated on running over there to get Adam and him dessert.

Adam opened the door. "Evening."

"That offer for dinner still good?" Barret asked, taking in the comfortable sweatpants and long-sleeved t-shirt Adam wore. He wished he could be as comfortable.

"It sure is. I was just about to get a bowl. Come on in." Adam stepped aside.

"Thanks. God, that smells good." Barret headed straight for the kitchen.

"I know. I walked in after work and almost went for food first. I've got some cornbread I made last night to go with it. Want tea, water, or soda?"

"Water sounds good," Barret said. "Can I use your bathroom first?"

"You know where it is. I'll serve this up so it can be cooling."

Barret made his way down the hallway, feeling oddly comfortable in the apartment after spending time there when he'd brought Adam home from Trina's reading. He quickly used the bathroom, then washed his hands, ignoring how haggard he looked as he glanced in the mirror.

"So how did your afternoon go? Any luck finding more information?" Adam asked as Barret took a seat at the table.

"No. I was hoping someone else would have seen these men around, but it looks like they limited their visits to the burger joint and hardware store. This case is going to be the death of me." Barret took a drink of water.

"Don't die on me now. I finally found someone to share dinners with." Adam set two steaming bowls of chili down, then put a slice of cornbread on a plate and set it beside Barret's bowl. "Butter and sour cream are on the table already."

"Ah, this is perfect. I swear I feel spoiled. I might have to buy me a crockpot and have you share your recipes. I'm always so tired when I get home, but if I start it when I leave for work, I could come home to a hot meal."

Adam nodded. "You're always welcome. I sometimes have leftovers. Like tomorrow will be more chili, but I make something new every few days." Adam stirred his chili, then took a bite.

"I keep hoping one of these days I'll get off work by three like I'm supposed to, but it never happens. I couldn't tell you the last time I didn't put in at least ten to twelve hours. Captain Russel is hiring two more positions, but not everyone wants to work for a small-town police force."

"Are you ever getting a new chief?" Adam asked.

"Not as long as Captain Russel gets his way.

For now, the town council and mayor are content to leave things as they are, but eventually they'll need to appoint a new chief.

It will probably be Captain Russel when it happens.

Officially being chief would make him more accountable, and I think that makes him nervous.

He'd be a great chief and we'd all back him if he decided to step up. "

"It would be a pay raise, I'd think."

Barret nodded. "A nice one, but it would also mean more accountability and work.

I've given up trying to figure out what Russel is thinking.

For now, I say don't break what's working.

We're all happy with the way things are going.

Other than needing a few more officers in the afternoon, things run smoothly.

And a lot of us don't mind working overtime to cover the afternoon.

Vance and I often stay late and there's a couple night shift guys who come in early. "

"Did you always want to be a cop?" Adam asked between bites.

"You mean once I got past the point of wanting to be a superhero?

Yeah, I actually thought I'd go on to the F.B.I.

or something like that, but after my short stint in Seattle, I realized that I didn't like the politics of a large police force and figured a government agency like the F.B.I.

would be even worse. This is where I'm happy.

I love being close to Becky, and the job, and well, if you don't count weeks like this one, it is enjoyable.

" Barret buttered a piece of cornbread. "What about you? Did you have different plans?"

"Not really. My youth was complicated. My ability was evident at a young age.

As soon as I could talk, I started telling my parents about things I'd see.

I'd tell my mom about things that happened in her past and she was freaked out, not understanding how I could know these things.

Same with dad, but instead of being interested or even concerned, he withdrew.

While Mom would drag me from doctor to doctor, Dad would drink more and stay away.

Dad ended up dying when I was six after he ran his car into the side of a building.

They said it was drunk driving, but…" Adam hesitated.

"You touched his body, didn't you?" Barret wasn't sure how he knew, but he somehow could read Adam's expression.

"Yeah, at the funeral I touched him. He was drunk, but he knew what he was doing. I blamed myself for a lot of years. Figured he couldn't handle having a freak as a son."

"You're not a freak." Barret started to reach out and put a hand on Adam's arm, but pulled back, unsure if the touch would be wanted.

Despite the long-sleeved shirt Adam wore, touch was personal for Adam and Barret didn't want to intrude on that right now.

Not during a serious conversation like this.

"Thanks. I know that now, but at six years old, I struggled.

Mom already had me in counseling because of the stories I would tell her.

It took time, but I came to realize my dad's suicide wasn't my fault.

He had a lot of problems. Having a strange kid was only one of them.

Anyway, Mom and I managed to get by. Around that same time, I came to understand that my visions came from touch.

I was careful about what I would touch and wouldn't. I withdrew from physical touching like hugs and stuff because it got so overwhelming.

But that just made my mother worry about me more.

It wasn't until I was a little older and able to get online and do some research that I found out about psychometry.

For the first time in my life, I understood and didn't feel like I was some mentally ill child.

There were others like me out there, though they were rare and most weren't taken seriously. " Adam paused to take a bite.

"How old were you then?" Barret asked.

"Maybe ten or so. I contacted a lady I found on some chat board and started to talk to her.

She lived in California, and she walked me through everything, helping me understand what I did and what it meant.

I guess I'm stronger than a lot of others.

Beth, the woman I talked to, she could turn it on and off.

She said she had to concentrate on an object to get a reading, where for me, a simple touch brought a vision on.

She's the one that suggested I wear gloves and see if that helped stop the onslaught of visions I'd get just from touching a doorknob. "

"It obviously worked since you're still wearing gloves." Barret tried not to seem as fascinated as he was. The truth was, he was very interested in what Adam did. He wanted to know everything about it.

"Yeah, but it also drew attention to me.

I'd always been the weird kid in school, but the gloves just made it worse.

I was bullied and teased non-stop. I got in a lot of trouble because my revenge for being picked on was to touch the person, then reveal some big secret I'd seen about them that they didn't want anyone to know.

You can imagine the mess that caused." Adam smiled.

"The teasing eased off a bit in high school, but I was still the weird kid.

Teachers would try and tell me I couldn't wear gloves in class.

Mom had talked to the school counselor, and she had to let the teachers know I had permission to wear them due to a medical issue.

Rumors of a medical issue flew around the school, and I became even more of a loner. I had a couple friends, but not many."

"And after school? Did you go to college?" Barret asked.

Adam shook his head. "No, but you're getting ahead of things.

My sophomore year, I was almost sixteen, Mom met a man she was dating.

I didn't like him. I couldn't tell you why.

I never touched him to see his past. In fact, I stayed as far away from him as I could.

He just had that aura around him. Not like an actual aura I could see, but that feeling you get when you're around someone that isn't nice. I'm sure you know what I mean."

Barret nodded. He'd met a lot of people like that in his career. People that just gave you an uneasy feeling. "I know the type."

"Well, I came home one day and found my mother beaten and dead on the living room floor.

It was horrible. The side of her head was smashed in.

There was blood everywhere. It was way worse than Trina.

I called for help, but I knew she was gone.

I'd pulled off my gloves and witnessed what had happened to her.

It was then I realized the different feeling from the living and the dead, but that's getting off topic. " Adam took a long drink of water.

Barret stayed silent, allowing Adam to collect himself.