28 #2
“I’ve heard of that case. It was way before my time, in 1999. It’s cold. We have a long-standing warrant out for McKenna. We haven’t had any calls or hits on him in any databases.”
Detective Brennan interjected, “You have no idea of the number of fugitives walking around, every day. People evade arrest warrants, bench warrants. We don’t have the manpower to chase them down. We have to rely on other jurisdictions. It’s not like on TV.”
Julia couldn’t let it go. “Glushenko told us there was a file in the archives. Maybe you could look into that?”
“That’s not what’s concerning us right now.
” Detective Kowalski folded his arms. “What’s concerning me is that there’s no evidence substantiating Ms. Horan’s story, and after the discovery of the murder weapon, we find her unworthy of belief.
There’s no other witness or any other corroboration, and without it, her word is worthless. ”
“There’s me,” Julia blurted out, not knowing where she was going. “I could be a witness for her. I was on FaceTime with Courtney when she found Kay in the living room.”
“You’re her friend, so you’re impeachable.”
“I saw the killer’s face.”
Courtney looked over, confused.
“How?” Detective Kowalski asked. “You weren’t there at the time of the murder, were you?”
“No, but I saw him, in my mind,” Julia answered, hiding her nervousness. “Today, when Courtney was saying her final goodbye, I saw who killed Kay.”
“You did?” Courtney gasped. “You had a vision, a real vision? I knew it! I knew you could do it!”
Julia cringed. “I wasn’t trying. It just happened.”
“Was it Grandma Kay, sending you a message?”
“I don’t know,” Julia answered, feeling exposed in front of the detectives, who were watching them in disbelief. “And I felt a pain in my chest, right where she was shot, too. It still hurts. It was horrible.”
“Oh my God!” Courtney’s bloodshot eyes flared wide open.
Detective Kowalski threw up his hands. “What the hell are you two up to? Is this a joke?”
Detective Brennan started laughing. “Are you both crazy?”
“No, I think I have psychic abilities.” Julia heard herself say, realizing she was speaking her truth. She knew she hadn’t imagined the vision or dreamed it this time. “I saw Kay’s killer in a vision, but I couldn’t see his face clearly.”
“In a vision? What does that even mean?”
“I saw his face in front of me. I saw darkness and shadows, like black shards—”
“So he’s Black?”
“No, I think he’s white but I couldn’t see his features well enough to give you a description.” Julia went on, despite their reaction. “Some people do have psychic abilities, you know. My mentor was a medium who worked with Scotland Yard.”
“You have a medium mentor?” Detective Kowalski asked with a smirk.
Julia ignored it. “Yes. Helen Davenport.”
“Can we call her, to substantiate this?”
“No, she passed away.”
“How convenient,” Detective Kowalski wisecracked.
Detective Brennan snorted. “Call her on the psychic hotline.”
Julia let that go, too. “Google her. She was prominent.”
“We’ll get right on that,” Detective Kowalski said dryly.
Detective Brennan snickered, turning to Julia. “If you think you’re helping your friend right now, you’re doing the exact opposite.”
“But it’s true.” Julia bore down. “I realized I had these abilities when my first husband was killed, in that case you read about in the papers.”
Detective Kowalski arched an eyebrow. “It didn’t say so online.”
“They kept it out, on purpose. The Italian police didn’t want the press to know I helped solve the crime.”
Detective Kowalski suppressed a smile. “Why didn’t Ms. Horan mention it in her statement then?”
“I didn’t think I had to,” Courtney interjected, sniffling.
“There was no way in the world I thought you would suspect me of killing my grandmother. I loved her!” She moved to wipe her eyes, but the handcuffs stopped her.
“You disrespected her funeral! It would break her heart to see what you’re doing and—”
“Detectives, this interview is over.” Julia interrupted her, for her own good. “We’re not going to talk to you anymore. I need to speak with Courtney alone about how to proceed with her grandmother’s funeral.”
“Fine, but make it quick.”
“Thank you.” Julia and Courtney exchanged glances as Detective Kowalski rose and Detective Brennan left the room. Only when the door was safely shut did Julia hug Courtney, who broke down.
“What do we… do…” Courtney couldn’t hug her back, handcuffed. “I’m in jail… you can’t bail me out… what about Paul… and work… What if I’m here… for good… I could get… a life sentence…”
“I’m so sorry, honey. We have a great lawyer now. We have to have hope.”
“Jules… listen… you had a vision…” Courtney hiccupped a sob, then met Julia’s gaze directly, her eyes reddish and filled with tears. “You saw who killed her… you felt the gunshot…”
“I know, I didn’t get a chance to tell you before, I’m sorry.”
“So that means you can… solve this… you can use your power… you can get me out of here…”
Julia gasped, stricken when she realized what Courtney was asking her to do. “Courtney, hold on, I want to, but I don’t know if I can.”
“Why not… of course you can… you got a vision… it’s for sure now…”
“But I didn’t know I was going to get that vision. I don’t know why she didn’t show me the whole face. It doesn’t make any sense—”
“You have to… believe in yourself… you have to figure it out…”
“No, I can’t, it’s not like that—”
“Yes… it is…” Courtney’s eyes burned with desperation, and Julia tried to figure it out on the fly, just as desperate.
“But there’s so many things I got no vision of, no premonition of. I didn’t know the cops were going to search our rooms, plant a gun, or arrest you. I didn’t even know about the pictures in Samuel’s cabin. I didn’t know any of it. I had no warning whatsoever—”
“Still… you got a vision today… and you have to make yourself… keep them coming… communicate… with Grandma Kay… find out who killed her… and get me out of here…”
“Courtney, I can’t summon her, I can’t conjure her, I can only allow—”
“I know I said… I didn’t want you… to help… but I need you now… Jules, if you don’t… I could be here forever… I don’t need a lawyer… I need a psychic…”
“Okay, okay, I’ll try, I swear—”
“Please…”
“I will, I’ll try, I promise.”
Just then the cop opened the door, motioning them apart. “That’s it, ladies! Time to go, Miss Pritzker. Break it up.”
“One last thing, sir.” Julia released Courtney, trying to collect her thoughts.
The cop nodded curtly. “Make it fast!”
“Courtney, the funeral home needs to know if they can go ahead with the funeral. What do you want them to do?”
“Yes, I guess… all those people… she deserves that… but now I can’t go…” Courtney couldn’t wipe her eyes, so Julia brushed a tear from her cheek.
“I think it’s the right choice, and—”
“She wanted me to… scatter her ashes… in her garden…”
“We’ll scatter them when you get out.”
“Okay.” Courtney tried to rally, straightening. “Jules… get me out.”