Page 21 of Dark Visions (Strange Gifts #1)

Adam sat in the leather chair across from Aislinn and Kane, listening to what had transpired over the last few days. He was glad that she was feeling better, and he was very happy that Kane had run into Flip. He worried about his friend and hoped that he would reach out soon.

“Why don’t you send an anonymous e-mail to the police?” he asked.

“That’s actually a good idea,” said Kane. “The only problem is that they can trace everything these days. We would really need to have a computer whiz that could set up a dummy account and bounce off several servers. Even then, I’m not sure they would believe it. I mean, a respected emergency room doctor killing people sounds crazy, even to me.”

Aislinn nodded and stood to grab a bottle of water from the refrigerator. Walking back toward the sofa, she stopped cold in her tracks staring at the television. Kane turned to see her ghostly white face and followed her eyes to the screen.

“Turn it up!” he yelled at Adam. Adam grabbed the television remote and turned up the volume.

Once again, police are faced with a gruesome and grizzly double homicide, this time in the upscale neighborhood of Hidden Cove. Carla and George Stuart, both retired, were found in an upstairs bedroom, butchered and mutilated. The couple had a private room that leads detectives to believe they were into an S&M, bondage-type of lifestyle, but it’s unclear if that has any bearing on the murders.

Neighbors say the couple lived in the townhome for nearly ten years. They were quiet, friendly, and kept to themselves. Mr. Stuart is a retired government official, having previously been with the Internal Revenue Service. Mrs. Stuart is a retired high school principal. The victims have one son in San Francisco, who we are told is on his way to identify the bodies.

Carol, back to you.

“It happened. What we saw, it actually happened,” she whispered, gripping the back of the sofa.

“Aislinn, baby, look at me,” said Kane. Aislinn looked up from the television and stared into Kane’s green eyes. “There is nothing we can do now. Nothing. It’s going to be okay.” She nodded and fell into his arms.

Adam watched the scene, turning the volume down but following the story. It was unbelievable that she was able to see the visions days before they would happen. No one would ever believe her, no one. They had to stop this madness, though.

“I think we need to find someone to send the anonymous note,” he said, looking at Kane and Aislinn.

“I think you’re right, but I have an idea. I want to call and see if Dr. Krauss was working the night of the murders.” Adam nodded at his friend, watching him dial his cell phone.

“Yes, could you tell me if Dr. Krauss was on duty Monday evening?” He waited, staring at Adam over the top of Aislinn’s head. “I see. Right. Okay, thank you.”

“He was working until three a.m. when his shift ended. We need to wait to find out the time of death.” Adam nodded again.

“I can find that out pretty quick. I’m friends with the coroner. Let me call Spook about the e-mail.”

“Spook? Our Spook?” said Kane with a grin.

“One and the same, brother. He set up the security system and computer systems in my office. The dude is amazing.” Kane nodded as Adam dialed the phone.

“Brother! Yea, I’m good, man. Hey, I need a favor, and it’s going to take some explaining. Are you good to listen now?”

Adam explained what was happening, and even Kane could hear the expletives coming from the phone line. Spook had been their comms wizard in the field and was now working as consultant for a tech company. He lived a quiet, unassuming life in one of the trendier neighborhoods downtown, keeping to himself. Adam hung up his phone.

“He’ll do it. He’s going to make a fake account and route it so that no one will ever know where it came from, delaying the delivery just a bit. He said the police should receive the e-mail by sometime tomorrow morning. Now, all we do is wait.”

“Wait,” whispered Aislinn. “What if we wait too long and someone else dies? I mean, why is this guy killing people? Isn’t that what we should find out?”

“We will, baby, I promise. But we need to stop him or at least put a scare in him.”

“What if he runs?” she asked.

Adam pecked away at the computer and looked up from the screen, suddenly aware that Aislinn could be right. Krauss might frighten and leave the city or even the country.

“I’m going to head down to the coroner’s and see if my friend can give me any information about how these two died. If we can link anything to the previous murders, we can start to gather theory and help the cops do their jobs.”

“I think we need to go to the emergency room,” said Aislinn.

“What? Why? Are you sick?” said Kane, touching her arms and head.

“No. No, I’m not sick, but if I touch him again, maybe we can see more. Maybe, we can see something else,” she said softly.

“No! No fucking way! Aislinn, are you crazy, honey? That shit made you so sick you couldn’t lift your head!”

“I know, Kane, but if we don’t do this and someone else dies, I’ll feel even worse. Please, we can just say we need him to check something, vision problems because of my headaches, anything. I just need him to touch me.”

“Christ! Woman, you’re asking a lot of me!”

“Kane,” said Adam calmly, “I think she’s right. I could go with you and maybe tell him I wanted a second opinion or something.”

“No, we aren’t going to involve you anymore than I already have!”

“Brother, I’m in this to the end. You know that.”

“I know,” he said, grimacing. “There has to be another way.”

He pulled Aislinn into his arms and held her tight. Touching Krauss again meant she would expose herself to all his demented torture once more. What would happen if she couldn’t find her way out of this vision? What would happen if he couldn’t help her find her way out?

“Alright, we’ll go if he’s working this evening. But I do the talking, not you. Adam? Can you wait for us in the car? If we don’t come out in twenty minutes, you come in.”

“Done. I could call Flip,” he said hesitantly.

“I don’t think he’d come,” said Kane. “We need to give him some space to figure out what’s going on with him.”

Adam nodded as they finished their meal. A few hours and they would be right back where this nightmare began. In the hands of Krauss.