Page 24 of Dark Visions (Strange Gifts #1)
“So, he’s doing okay?” asked Kane, looking across the table at his friend.
“Yea, man,” said Adam. “He’s got some special shit happening in his brain like the rest of us, but he’s doing okay. He said he’d be around if we needed him. I have to say. It was pretty impressive. His ability, his power, or whatever you want to call it, is pretty fucking impressive.”
“Flip. It’s hard to imagine and yet easy to imagine. The dude was fucking amazing in the field. He was the strongest fucker I’d ever been around in the gym. Massive son-of-a-bitch. I hope we see more of him.” Adam nodded, seated across from Kane at the diner. Aislinn was across the street buying groceries.
“Spook sent the e-mail last night. We’ll see if it gets any attention today.”
“We can only hope,” said Kane. “Aislinn had another vision last night, but it was different. Like seriously different. I think Krauss lost someone he loved to violence.”
“Well, that’s easy to check,” said Adam, pulling out his laptop. He punched in a few keys and brought up obituaries from the last year.
“Hmmm, nothing in the last twelve months. Let me check further back. Bingo!” he said, turning the laptop. “Elizabeth Krauss and Thomas Krauss, wife and son of Dr. Michael Krauss, were killed in a hit-and-run accident.”
“Damn! That’s pretty fucked up. Did they ever catch the driver?” asked Kane.
“I’m looking,” he said, tapping away on the keys once more. “Jesus, no, but the car was pulling out of a club known as a swingers’ club. The club doesn’t have security cameras for obvious reasons, so nothing was caught on tape. Elizabeth and Thomas were walking home from his piano lessons.”
“That would make any man crazy,” said Kane under his breath.
“I can’t even imagine, dude. But it makes sense now. He’s killing people who are in that lifestyle.”
“What about the blonde?” asked Kane, more to himself than to Adam. Adam shrugged his shoulder. “Maybe she’s just someone who was willing to help. In the dreams, man, in the dreams, she is one fucked-up bitch.”
“Well, it makes a bit more sense now, but we still have to find a way to prove it.”
“We? Adam, I don’t want you involved in this. It could ruin your career,” said Kane.
“Fuck you, asshole! We’re brothers first. You hear me? I’m involved whether you like it or not.”
Kane smiled up at his friend and nodded one more time. Catching a glimpse of something familiar in the window, Kane looked across the street to see Aislinn with two shopping totes filled with food. She looked up and smiled, then looked both ways and stepped into the street.
Without warning, without so much as a screeching tire, a garbage truck sped around the corner headed straight for her. Kane’s heart stopped in that moment. He knew he would never make it in time. He was going to lose her.
Aislinn stopped. She felt the terror gripping her chest and knew that it was Kane’s terror as well. Standing stock still, she waited for the impact of the truck. Except it never came. At the last moment, the truck swerved to a stop, turning crossways in the street. The crowds of people stared, unsure of what had just occurred.
Kane, followed by Adam, stormed out of the café, racing towards Aislinn. She fell into his open arms, shaking from the shock of what almost occurred. Looking around the street, she knew he was there. She could feel it. Standing outside the café, just to the right of the windows in a small opening where he was unseen, Flip.
Aislinn ran across the street, dropping the bags on the sidewalk. She stopped in front of Flip and then hugged his waist, her face buried in his huge chest.
“I knew you were here. I could feel you,” she said, crying.
“Hey, hey, don’t cry, Aislinn. It’s okay,” he said quietly. Flip wasn’t sure what to do. He looked over her head at Kane and Adam, their shock-filled grins telling him that it really was okay. He placed one large hand on Aislinn’s back and rubbed small circles. “It’s okay.”
“You saved me,” she whispered.
Flip couldn’t help but smile at the little woman hugging him. She was so small, and Kane was nearly as big him. Kane reached out a hand, and Flip gripped his friend’s palm.
“Thank you, Flip. Thank you. I…” Kane swallowed.
“What the fuck?!” said Adam. “How did you know?”
“I didn’t know, not really,” he said shyly. “I just felt something. I don’t know. I felt like I should be at this spot this morning. I don’t know why.”
“Well, I, for one, am eternally grateful, brother,” said Kane. The garbage truck had already moved along, the crowds dispersing at the spectacle that none could believe. “Let us at least buy you breakfast, brother.” Flip nodded.
“Okay. I think we need to talk anyway,” he said softly. “I think you all might be in trouble.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
The desk clerk was busy trying to enter the data of an elderly patient, his head scanning the messy handwriting when five police officers in uniform and one in a suit walked into the emergency room. It wasn’t unusual, but it also wasn’t necessarily a daily occurrence.
The suit stepped up to the desk, flashing a very official badge and identification.
“I’m Detective Barnes. I’d like to speak with Dr. Krauss,” he said calmly.
“Dr. Krauss is up on the third floor in radiology,” said the desk agent.
“Would you please page him to come down? Unless you’d prefer we go up to the third floor,” grinned the detective.
“No, no, that won’t be necessary. I’ll page him.”
A few moments later, the desk clerk’s voice could be heard on the paging system. He led the officers and detective to a patient conference room, where they waited patiently.
The door opened and a tall, dark-haired man entered the room. Flashes of silver could be seen mixed with the darkness, his skin color was good, but he was starting to show signs of age. Fine lines around his eyes and mouth, just a hint of wrinkles across his forehead. He appeared to be in good physical condition, other than just the hint of a small belly.
“Dr. Krauss? I’m Detective Barnes,” he said, offering his hand.
“Detective,” he said, shaking the hand. “To what do I owe this entourage from our city’s finest?”
“Dr. Krauss, we received an anonymous tip this morning that you may know something about the grisly murders of the Wascoms and the Stuarts.”
“The couples who were killed in their homes?” he asked. “Why would I know anything about those people? They weren’t even brought to the hospital, that I’m aware.” Confusion filled his face, his heart beating faster, small beads of sweat lining his forehead.
“No, sir, they weren’t. The letter indicated that you might, in fact, be the murderer.” He waited, watching the doctor’s reaction. Twenty years in law enforcement taught you a few things about people and their ability to lie. The first was there was always something that would give them away. A twitch, a movement in their eyes, a shift of their feet, something. The second was unless you were a psychopath, no one could keep up the lies forever.
“That’s preposterous! I’m a physician, for God’s sake! I try to help people, not kill them!” he yelled.
“Doctor, let’s not make a scene here. If you would just agree to come down to the police station with us, we’d like to ask you a few questions. It can all be cleared up easily.”
“Fine, but I’m calling my lawyer,” he barked.
“Do you need a lawyer, Dr. Krauss?” smiled the detective.
“Don’t give me your television cop psycho-babble detective. I know my rights, and I’m calling my attorney to have him present during questioning. I’ll answer your questions and prove how absurd this whole thing is.”
Krauss made the call and then followed the detectives out of the hospital. They agreed to forego the handcuffs in light of his cooperation, for which he was eternally grateful. By the time they reached the station, his attorney was waiting dutifully on the steps.
Led to a small conference room with a two-way mirror, Krauss sat next to his attorney while Detective Barnes and two other officers asked him questions. Their original ploy of trying to shock him with photos of the victims proved useless.
“I’m a doctor, detective. I’ve seen bodies in worse condition than this.” Barnes frowned and nodded, putting the photos back into their folder.
“Detective, this entire line of questioning is absurd. My client was working at the hospital on the evening of both murders. If you’d just check the records, you’ll see that he was on duty and seeing patients.”
“Alright, Dr. Krauss, we’re done for now. Please don’t leave town. I may need to ask you a few more questions before we’re through.” Krauss nodded and pushed back in his chair. Leaving the building, he stepped into the cool afternoon air. Rain was coming again, always rain.