Page 6 of A Touch of Murder
"Oh, come on, Cap. You can't be serious. You seriously believe that someone can hold an object and tell you something about its past?" Barret rolled his eyes, but even as he did, he recalled what Adam had told him about the handcuffs. "It's some kind of hocus pocus."
"I don't think so. Kyle from Fish and Game drops by all the time with things he finds. Just last week he told me he took in a bike they'd found lying along one of the trails. Adam Wrecker told them to talk to Sally down at the feed store. Sure enough, it was her son's bike. Had been stolen from their storage shed about a week before. Adam hadn't known who it belonged to, but he saw the feed store in whatever visions he gets and knew to send Kyle there. Bike was returned and the kid is happy." Captain Russel shrugged. "I don't know how it works, but somehow, that Wrecker guy knows things. If he said she's dead, then I'm betting she is."
"After all this time, it's a safe bet. I don't think any of us think she's alive after two weeks." Barret wasn't ready to believe that there was something real to Adam's visions.
"All I know is people in this town respect him. He's helped a lot of this community when they've gone to see him. Everyone agrees that what he does doesn't make a bit of sense, but they can't deny the results." Captain Russel stood. "I'm headed home. You boys do the same. Whatever you're looking up can wait until tomorrow."
Barret gave him a wave, then glanced over at Vance. "He's right. Even if we find her tonight, we can't do much until morning. I'm just going to fill out a quick report on our jail run, then I'm headed home. Go ahead and go. It's been a long ass day."
Vance nodded. "I didn't realize how many Jane Doe listings are put up each week. It's going to take some digging even with the database search." He powered off his computer. "I'll see you in the morning and we can start with fresh eyes."
Barret smiled. "Sounds good."
Vance walked over and stood beside Barret's desk. "You sure you don't want to talk about whatever happened when Wrecker touched your handcuffs?"
Barret shook his head. "Nothing happened. They're brand new cuffs. Never used. Whatever he thought he saw, he didn't."
Vance shook his head. "You don't react like that when it's nothing. Something he said got to you. I'm here if you ever want to talk about it." Vance pounded his fist gently on Barret's desk. "Don't stay late. Something tells me tomorrow's going to be a busy one."
"I'll be out the door in ten," Barret promised.
The office was empty once Vance left and Barret finished his report. Once done, he sat there for a moment, going back over what had happened early with Adam Wrecker. He couldn't explain it. No matter how he tried to wrap his mind around it, there was no way Adam could have known the things he'd seen. Even doing deep research on Barret wouldn't have come up with some of the stuff. It was just impossible. He smiled as he remembered things about his grandmother that he'd forgotten over the years. He'd forgotten, but somehow Adam had known.
Barret pushed up from his desk and headed for the parking lot. After waving goodnight to Jules, the dispatcher on duty, he made his way to his car. It was after eight and he was tired. The small town was quiet as he made his way home, trying hard not to think about the day's events and what he was going to do if somehow, Adam was right, and Trina Wilson really was dead.
CHAPTER FOUR
Adam glanced at the clock and saw it was five minutes to ten. It was a few minutes early, but it wasn't like he had people lined up outside to come in. He unlocked the door to the shop and turned the sign to open. He sipped his coffee as he stared out the window, watching people walk in and out of Whitestone Bakery. He longed to join them, craving one of Becky's famous cinnamon rolls, but he resisted the urge. Not only was he unable to leave the shop until Jacey got in, but he also had enough sweets with the candy bars he ate after every viewing he did. He was good about keeping his weight under control, but he could do without a sweet roll every morning.
He was lucky. He wasn't sure if it was something in the viewing that burned calories for him or if his body was good at burning off calories, but he'd never had to worry too badly about weight gain. He ran several days a week and often went hiking on the weekends when the weather permitted. For the winter months when he couldn't get out, he had the makeshift gym in his spare room upstairs.
"Morning," Jacey called as he stepped through the front door.
"Morning." Adam grinned at his assistant.
Jacey was twenty-two and had been working for Adam since he'd been seventeen. He'd come in to Touched, the name of the shop Adam owned, one day after high school. He'd found a diamond ring lying on the ground in the school parking lot and had wanted to return it to its owner. He'd asked at the school and around town, but no one knew anyone missing a ring. Hoping Adam could help, he'd come in begging for help despite not having any money to pay Adam. Jacey had promised Adam that if he'd help find the owner, Jacey would come in and helphim with basic tasks a few days after school. Of course, Adam had agreed. That had been four years ago, and Jacey was now Adam's only employee and one of his most trusted friends.
Adam had found the owner of the ring through his vision and Lanny Crenshaw, a local rancher, had given Jacey a hundred-dollar reward for returning the ring to him after his wife had lost it while picking their grandson up from school one afternoon.
Jacey had offered to share the money with Adam, but he refused. Jacey had earned the money by caring enough to seek out the owner. Their friendship grew as Jacey came and helped stock shelves and clean. He'd never questioned Adam's ability, despite the teasing Adam knew Jacey had faced from some of his friends and others in the community for working for him.
"How'd things go yesterday? I hope you weren't too busy." Jacey moved his desk toward the back of the main room.
"It wasn't bad. I had a few walk-ins, and a surprise visit from the police, but nothing I couldn't handle." Adam set his coffee down on Jacey's desk and turned to straighten a shelf of books that had fallen out of place.
"The police? What did they want?" Jacey sounded worried.
"It was about the Wilson case. I guess the Wilsons thought that I meant the police here had their daughter's body and went in causing a scene. I explained what happened, but I'm not sure the officers believed me. Well, one of them at least." Adam turned and shrugged. "I'm sure they'll be back with more questions."
"I always miss the good stuff." Jacey frowned.
Adam went on to tell Jacey about Mrs. Anderson and how it had led to Howie's arrest.
"So, since you had all that excitement yesterday, that means today will be slow?" Jacey started putting contracts onclipboards so they were ready to grab should any customers come in.
"Maybe, but I did get a box in the mail yesterday. I haven't opened it yet, but it's from that lady in Oregon who wants me to see if I can tell her anything about her birth parents. They left her a letter and a necklace when they put her up for adoption and the adoptive parents gave it to her when she turned eighteen. She's hoping that something I see while holding the letter or necklace will tell her something about her birth parents. Ideally, where she might find them. I'll need you to record that viewing."
"I love doing those. I feel like I'm filming a television show." Jacey grinned. "No appointments today?"
