I shouldn’t be here, Kate told herself for the millionth time. She had no idea what possessed her to come to the detective’s apartment. Weariness had set in after driving around for hours with intermittent crying spells. As it grew later and stores closed, she had the inspiration to head over and provide an explanation to Jared on the reasoning behind her lies. She had been shocked when he answered the door shirtless. If she wasn’t such a damn head case at the moment, she might have tried to jump him right then and there. He was perfectly built with lean and hard muscles. She imagined throwing herself against his chest and him wrapping his strong arms around her. I really need a boyfriend, she lamented silently.

He returned wearing a t-shirt and khakis. “Where’s your girlfriend?” she blurted hoping the reminder of his other half would prevent her from slipping into a frenzied state of lust again.

“She’s staying at her parents. Why don’t you sit down?” he motioned to a chair at the kitchen table.

She did a quick survey of the apartment. Instantly, it became obvious his girlfriend did most of the decorating. A modern white leather sofa set was situated in the living room while the kitchen had this sort of country chic thing going on. A small eat-in area was outfitted with a table for two complemented with a lace tablecloth and white French chairs. The apartment had an open floor plan with the living room, dining room and kitchen all connected with open doorways. It looked as though a master bedroom and a spare bedroom were situated down the hallway.

After they had both settled into their chairs, he questioned, “How did you find out where I lived?”

She gave him an incredulous look. “I’m psychic, remember?”

He looked uncomfortable. “Oh.”                                                  

She rolled her eyes at him. “Jeez, you’re gullible. I put your name in Google and got your address,” she answered. “By the way, for a detective, that’s a pretty dumb move not to have your listing private. Any random psycho could show up at your door in the middle of the night.”

“Well, you have the dubious honor of being my first late night Google stalker,” he answered.

“Awesome,” she sighed. Kate felt drained at the moment and the speech she had rehearsed in the car on the way here escaped her. “It’s been a long day.”

“Are you ok? Sorry about creating a wedge between you and your mother. I never meant to complicate things for you. Have you spoken to her yet?” He was watching her closely.

“No, I need a little space. I’m not going home tonight.” His disapproval was written clearly across his face. “Don’t give me that look. I need a day to process things. If I talk to her now, I doubt I’ll be rational.”

“I don’t know. I think you should at least call her…” he started.

She gave him a sharp look. “I’m not asking you, Detective Corbett, I’m telling you. I’m spending the night at my friend Julie’s house. After I leave, you could phone my mom and pass the information along if you want. Seems as though you’ve become besties overnight.” She swallowed hard. “Anyway, I’m not here to discuss my mom. I want to tell you about the vision I had about Cori.”

He nodded and she described everything she saw in the dream in excruciating detail. Stopping only to answer a few questions he had during her recital, she could sense his disappointment over the vague description of the kidnapper. The words about the fall down the stairs were stuck in her throat and it took a few tries for her to force them out.

“I’m sorry I don’t have more to tell you. Physically, he was tall and wiry with dark eyes. The ski mask and his clothing hid any other distinguishing features. I wish I did see his face because I got the impression he was somehow connected to the family.”

“Why do you say that?”

“He mentioned her father. The way he said ‘your rich daddy’ with such malice made me feel like the break-in was a personal attack against him.”

His eyes were intense and serious as Jared asked, “Do you think she’s…dead?”

She closed her eyes and felt an overwhelming sadness. “I can’t tell you for sure. I’m sorry. The fall was probably not hard enough to kill her and most likely she only lost consciousness for a short period of time. I’m guessing she was alive last night though. My visions don’t normally fit into a pattern. One night I might dream about an abduction, the next I could see my parents on a date as teenagers.

However, a few things have been pretty consistent. For one, I don’t seem to receive visions from the dead. If Cori had been killed, it’s not likely I would’ve been able to see how she was abducted.”

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