Page 41 of A Touch of Murder
"Maybe a bit of both, but mostly to protect their privacy. No one wants someone to see everything about them. We all have secrets."
"You did tell me once that if you touched something enough that the visions slowed or even stopped, right?"
"Yeah, but with a person… That could take a while. There's a lot there to read, and new memories are always being made." Adam cleared his throat. "Want more water?" He stood and went to the fridge.
"No, I'm good." Barret could tell the conversation made Adam nervous. He decided to let the topic drop for now. "Is it safe to leave a crockpot all day while I go to work? I'm seriously thinking about getting one."
"I haven't had a problem and know a lot of people do it. I'm sure there's a slight risk, but I think you'd be okay. There are millions of recipes online. You could try them on your days off just to get used to how it works and see if you like it." Adam set an apple fritter in front of Barret. "I ran over to the bakery after work to get us dessert." He sat down, placing another one in front of himself.
"Thank you. I love these things. It's the one thing Beck makes that I can't resist. I've always liked apple pie, but when she gave me one of her fritters, I was hooked." Barret was touched that Adam would go out of his way to get them dessertand remember what he liked. Then again, maybe Becky told him what to get.
"Got to have dessert and I was tired of ice cream." Adam shrugged.
"Ice cream is never bad."
"I usually have a bowl at night while I watch TV or read. Tonight, I wanted something different."
They ate in silence and Barret felt better than he had all day. He was tired, but the food and company had taken his mind off work for a while. He would still spend the night tossing and turning thinking about the case, but this break had been needed. When he was done, he offered to help Adam with the dishes.
"I've got them. Go home and get some sleep. I can see how tired you are. This case is really getting to you." Adam set his bowl in the sink and rinsed it.
"It is, but it should. I want these men arrested and locked away."
"That's nicer than what I want for them."
Barret smiled. "Yeah, I'd be the first flip the switch on them, but having them off the streets would be enough. I go to bed every night fearing another girl will go missing and it will be all my fault."
"This isn't on you. You can't rid the world of all evil. The town has been warned. The kids know to be careful, and they are. I heard some talking the other day about how they don't go anywhere alone and walk one another to their cars after work now. You're closer than ever to identifying these men. Think of where you were with the case a week ago. Don't be hard on yourself."
Barret knew Adam was right, but it was still hard. "I'm just tired."
"Want to take some chili home with you?" Adam asked as he leaned against the counter.
"Thanks, but no. I appreciate the offer, but I'm going to shower and hit the bed, then be back at it by seven in the morning. There's no guarantee that I'd get around to eating it. At least here, you know it won't go to waste." Barret stepped closer to Adam. "I want you to think about something." He prayed he wasn't about to make a huge mistake. He reached out and traced his fingertip down Adam's cheek. "Not everyone is afraid of your touch." He pulled his finger back and started for the door. "Thanks for dinner. I'll talk to you soon." With that done, he quickly left the apartment, hoping he'd just given Adam a ton to think about.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Adam yawned as he downed his second cup of coffee. He'd tossed and turned all night thinking about that simple touch from Barret and the words he'd left with it. What the hell did he mean? Was he really saying that he'd be willing to let Adam touch him without worrying about what he might see? Did he realize what touching him would mean? Barret wouldn't have any secrets left. In time, Adam would see everything about him.
He touched his cheek in the same spot that Barret had and sighed. He couldn't think about this. He'd gone nearly his whole life without dating and he wasn't going to let one small interaction spark hope that it could change.
"Morning." Jacey walked into the shop. "I've got a dentist appointment at two. I hope that's okay. We didn't have anything scheduled for today last I looked." He set his bag down at his desk and then went over to pour himself a cup of coffee.
"That's fine. There's still nothing scheduled. I'm going to inventory the essential oils and put in an order for whatever we're low on. I've been trying to think of fun items to add for summer, but I'm not sure what fits with our store." Adam sipped at his coffee, glad for the distraction.
"I was thinking maybe stock some holistic stuff like healthy sunscreen or bug spray. The regular stuff is full of nasty, dangerous stuff. People heading to Yellowstone or even hiking to the waterfalls might want something natural. And I found a new site that does promotional printing, but they have so much more than just t-shirts and pens. This site has umbrellas, socks, and all kinds of stuff we could add. We could do something like, 'I was Touched in Hidden Falls', if that doesn't sound too dirty for you." Jacey grinned.
That comment had Adam thinking about Barret simple touch. God, he had to get his head straight. "Um, that might be a bit too much, but we can play around with wording and see what we can come up with. I'll give that site a look later. I like the idea of holistic items. A lot of our oils will work for bug repellent, but having other options is good." Adam looked up as the door opened and three older women walked in. "Good morning, ladies."
"Morning, you two." One of the older women led the other two inside. All three looked to be well into their seventies or maybe eighties. Adam couldn't tell. Each carried a purse and a small bag with them. "We came to have you look at some items we have. I guess I mean touch the items. That's how you do what you do, right?"
Adam nodded. "Yes, Ma'am. I'm able to see the history of an item by touching it. This is Jacey, he'll show you the contract and talk about the fees."
"Oh, we know Jacey." One of the women stepped forward.
"Hello, Mrs. Jensen," Jacey told her, then glanced at Adam. "They go to church with us."
Adam nodded.
