Chapter 12 #4
“You know damn well who I am. And you know I’m the one who ‘saw’ the wreck in a vision because Chief Watts told you.
And neither you nor the chief want to write shit in your reports about a psychic finding the human trafficker you were looking for, or want to accept that it was me telling Watts to contact Missing Persons in Shreveport because I knew that little boy did not belong to the driver of the car that wrecked.
I also know you’d rather try to link me to a human trafficker and accuse me of abetting a monster than accept the truth.
And when you write those reports, they better be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
I’ve spent the better part of my nineteen years explaining and apologizing for what I was born knowing, and I’m over it.
Feel free to suck up that attitude now, and if that’s not enough validation for you, then you probably need to know that your wife knows all about Bridgett, whoever she is, and you’re gonna catch hell about it when you get home. ”
Tate walked back into the room and shut the door, leaving Juneau in the hall, in shock and with a growing knot in his gut. That was more than irrefutable proof that Tate Bandy knew shit he shouldn’t know, and had just given Juneau a warning that his own world was about to explode.
* * *
Dan and Paula Stennett were ecstatic, and kept passing Trevor from mother to father and back again. Trevor was rattled by their questions and didn’t know how to answer, so when Tate reentered the room, Trevor gave him a panicked look.
Tate read it and once again went to the boy’s rescue. “Mr. and Mrs. Stennett, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I know you must be relieved beyond measure. I feel certain you’re going to make sure Trevor gets psychological care to help him understand how to deal with what he went through.”
Paula Stennett frowned. “So, he told you what—”
Tate shook his head. “No, ma’am. He didn’t tell me anything. When I touched him at the wreck site, I saw it all…in my head. But I do know he’s very brave, and I promised him I’d stay with him until you arrived, didn’t I, Trevor?”
Trevor nodded.
“Okay now…let’s hug it out, and then I’m going to go home to my mom and dad, and you’re going home with your parents too. But you get to fly. I’m just driving to the other side of town.”
Trevor went from his dad’s arms to Tate’s and buried his face against Tate’s neck as they hugged, then Tate eased him back down on the bed.
“Doctor Joe will come tell you goodbye too so you can check out. Chief Watts will help you do all that.”
Watts was so intent on what Tate was saying that he didn’t realize Juneau was gone until he looked around the room. “Where’s Special Agent Juneau?” Watts asked.
“If he knows what’s good for him…minding his own business,” Tate muttered.
Watts blinked. “Uh… I’ll go see if Doctor Joe can sign the boy’s release papers.”
Dan Stennett was stunned. “I’m just now realizing who you are. You’re the young man who had a vision about his girlfriend during the recent tornado here. And you’re also the one who warned that reporter from St. Louis about her stalker and saved her life.”
Tate nodded. “Yes, sir, that was me. Take good care of that little guy. He’s very brave.” He started to leave.
“Wait! Wait! You can’t leave yet,” Dan said, and followed Tate out into the hall and took out his wallet. “There was a ten-thousand-dollar reward for information leading to the safe return of our son. I made out the check on the way here. It’s yours.”
Tate shook his head and backed up. “No, sir, I can’t take your money. I was just happy I could—”
Dan grabbed Tate’s hand and put the check in his palm.
“Yes, you will take it,” he said. “This reward was advertised all over the country. I’ll be paying a doctor for Trevor’s healing.
I pay insurance companies when we have car or home issues.
Our son is worth everything to us, and your gift is just as precious as a doctor’s ability to heal.
You can find what’s lost, but I’ll bet it drains you emotionally… am I right?”
Tate shrugged. “It can get stressful.”
“Then that’s that,” Dan said.
Tate looked down at the check and then put it in his wallet. If he was going to make this his life’s work, then he would be charging for the services.
“One more thing, Mr. Stennett. Trevor doesn’t know how to tell you what happened to him because he doesn’t have words for all of it.
I know they were grooming him for a buyer, and that’s an ugly aspect all its own.
But I’m pretty sure he also saw someone being killed.
It might be something traffickers do to control their captives.
Don’t push him. Get him to a psychiatrist ASAP.
I think he’ll talk when he’s ready. When he’s not afraid they’ll come back and get him again.
When he’s sure they won’t kill you and his mom, because that’s part of their threat system.
Do as I say, or we’ll kill your parents, kind of thing. ”
Stennett’s face lost all color. “Oh. My. God. I didn’t…” He took a deep, shaky breath. “Thank you, Tate Bandy, for being who you are.”
They shook hands, and then Tate was gone.
When he got to the parking lot, he saw Special Agent Juneau sitting in his car, clearly having a stressful phone call with someone, whether the wife or the mistress, but it had nothing to do with him. He got in the car and drove home.