Sharon Sala - For Her Eyes Only Part 2

Jessica stood, and then pulled off her gloves and tossed them on the front porch step. Waving a hello, she tried hard to smile, but her chin quivered instead. Moments later, she was in Brenda’s arms.

“Oh, honey.” It was all Brenda could think to say.

“Stone called you, didn’t he?”

Brenda stepped back and cupped her little sister’s face with her hands.

“Yes, thank goodness, but it should have been you. Why didn’t you tell me, Jessie? I shouldn’t have had to hear this from him.”

Jessica led her up the steps to the porch swing. “Want something to drink?” she asked as Brenda plopped down in the swing.

Brenda caught her by the hand and pulled her down beside her in the seat.

“I want you to talk to me.”

Jessica sat down in a slump, staring at a swirl in the wood beneath her feet.

“I already told you what I saw. You didn’t believe me then, why believe me now?”

Guilt fell hard on Brenda Hanson’s shoulders as she looked at her baby sister’s face. The gamine features. The ragamuffin hair. That smudge of dirt on the side of her face. Mentally, she knew Jessie was a grown woman, but in her heart, she would forever see her sister as younger, and weaker, and waiting for someone to carry her over the rough spots in the road.

“Be reasonable, Jessie. Would you have believed me if the situation had been reversed?”

Jessica sighed, then looked up, grinning an apology. “Probably not.”

“Then, am I forgiven?”

Jessica threw her arms around her sister’s neck. “Of course, and I’m really glad you’re here.”

Brenda returned the hug. “Get dressed. I’m taking you out to dinner.”

Instinctively, Jessica’s hand went to her hair. “Oh, I don’t know. I’m pretty tired. Maybe we could just—”

Brenda grinned. “Stuff the excuses, baby sister, and quit worrying about your hair. You know…in an odd, disheveled sort of manner, it suits you.”

Jessica made a face and got up. “Where are you taking me?”

“You get to pick,” Brenda said.

“Oh, good. I’ve been hungry for Mexican food for days.”

Brenda rolled her eyes. “Just what I need! You know I can’t resist that stuff, and those cheese enchiladas go straight to my thighs.”

“You can diet tomorrow,” Jessica said, and headed for the house. “Make yourself at home. I won’t be long.”

Brenda followed her inside, thankful that their relationship was back on level ground.

* * *

The autopsy report was in a folder near Stone’s left hand. The conference he and Jack Stryker had just had with the chief was still ringing in his ears. He’d already read the report. Not once, but twice. And even though he’d more or less prepared himself for the positive results, what Noah Howell told him had stunned him.

Potassium. Olivia Stuart had been murdered with potassium. Enough to induce immediate cardiac arrest. They were guessing at least forty milliliters. And tracing it was going to be next to impossible, because it wasn’t a controlled drug. Hospitals didn’t even keep the stuff under lock and key.

He kept staring at the folder, knowing he was going to have to give Jessie a call. This changed everything. He could no longer ignore the truth. Olivia Stuart had been murdered. And, as of fifteen minutes ago, there was an official investigation under way.

Stone looked up as Stryker came out of the washroom, drying his hands. He glanced at Chang, who was on the phone at a nearby desk. Stryker had all the facts as Stone knew them, but Chang was a wild card in this mess. Jessie had talked to him first. Stone had to make sure that there had been no inadvertent leaks to the media about Jessica Hanson’s so-called powers. He waited until Chang hung up, and then walked over to his desk and tossed the folder containing the autopsy report in front of him.

When the folder landed between his hands, Chang looked up, startled by the abrupt interruption to his work.

“What’s the big deal?” he asked.

Stone pointed. “See for yourself.”

Chang opened the folder and started to read. Halfway down the page, he stiffened. When he had finished, he handed the file back to Stone.

“Son of a gun! Who would have thought?” And then an odd, startled expression crossed his face.

Stone tensed. Chang had remembered.

“I want you to keep quiet about what you know,” Stone said.

Chang stood up. “She was right, wasn’t she? But how could that be? How did she—?”

“I don’t know,” Stone said. “And for that matter, neither does she. However, the fact remains that a woman was murdered, and, for all intents and purposes, Jessica Hanson is a witness.” He lowered his voice. “Which means…we keep quiet about how we found out. What matters now is finding out who did it—and why.”

Chang shook his head. “I just didn’t believe her. It was such a far-fetched—”

Stone interrupted. “Stryker and I have the case. I’d appreciate it if, for the time being, you forget everything Jessica Hanson told you. The less said about what’s happened, the better. We’ve already lost our mayor. We don’t need to put any more people in unnecessary danger, right?”

Chang kept shaking his head as he dropped back in his chair. “I can’t believe it. Who would have thought?” And then he slapped the side of his head and groaned. “Oh, man!”

“What’s wrong?” Stone asked.

“This morning, I was at the doughnut shop, and Canfield and I were talking about all the weird things that have been happening since the storm.”

Stone braced himself. Already, he knew what Chang was going to say. “Damn it, Erik. Tell me you didn’t blab it all over the place.”

Chang’s shoulders slumped. “It was so far-fetched. How could I have known she was telling the truth?” He looked up. “I never said her name. I swear. All I said was some woman.”

“Son of a—” Stone pivoted, resisting the urge to hit out, yet in a way, he also understood Chang’s reaction. He’d known Jessie Hanson for years. Hell, he’d even made love to her. And he’d doubted her, too. Well, the fat was in the fire, so to speak, and someone had to let Jessie know.

“Hey, Stryker.”

Jack looked up.

“Want to take a ride?”

Understanding dawned. “You going to see her?”

Stone nodded.

A slight smile crossed Stryker’s face. “Something tells me she’d rather hear it from you. Besides, I’m going to swing by the mayor’s house on my way home. They’ve already taped it off as a crime scene, although I hate to think of what valuable clues have been lost. I just hope to hell her cleaning lady was as delayed by the blackout as we’ve been.”

Relieved that he was going to see Jessie alone, Stone added, “I’ll meet you there as soon as I’ve talked to Jessie.”

Jack grinned. “I won’t hold my breath.”

* * *

“Well, for goodness’ sake,” Brenda said as they pulled into the driveway of Jessica’s home from their evening out. “Look! Someone’s here.”

Stone’s wine-colored car looked black under the streetlights, but Jessica recognized it just the same. And when she saw him get up from her porch swing and start down the steps to meet them, she started to panic.

“Why, isn’t that Stone Richardson?” Brenda asked.

When Jessica didn’t answer, Brenda turned to tease. But the thought died as she saw Jessie’s expression.

“Honey, what’s wrong?”

Jessica undid her seat belt and got out of the car without answering. Stone met her halfway.

“It’s bad, isn’t it?” she asked.

Stone nodded.

Jessica covered her face with her hands and moaned. Brenda was there within moments, her voice trembling as she took Jessica in her arms.