A Timely Vision

I’ve noticed that people can be incredibly devious when it comes to getting what they want. Take Martha Segall, for instance. She wanted the town to clean up a drainage ditch for storm water behind her house. It had been created by the city then storms had dropped debris and branches into it. The town council’s position was that the ditch was on her private property and, therefore, was her responsibility. Martha blocked the ditch with a load of sand. When the water backed up on the street, she argued that the property obviously belonged to the town since it caused problems with the street, so the town should take care of it.

Other nearby property owners affected by the water (mosquitoes build up fast) demanded the town do something. The town council voted to clean out the ditch but only after voting to fine Martha. It was only a twenty-five-dollar fine. Martha won the battle, since cleaning up the ditch would’ve been a thousand dollars.

I mention this because I felt the same way when I looked up and saw Kevin and Shayla standing next to our table at the Rib Shack. We hadn’t even had a chance to order yet. I didn’t have to be psychic to know why they were here: Kevin wanted me to find the missing key for him sooner rather than later.

“Kevin!” Tim got up and shook his hand. “Hi, Shayla.”

Shayla rolled her eyes and didn’t say anything. She wasn’t part of or happy with this plan.

“Hey, it’s good to see you guys! Mind if we join you?” Kevin didn’t wait for a response as he grabbed two chairs for him and Shayla.

I scooted over closer to the window as Kevin came in next to me. “What a surprise,” I said. “Imagine seeing the two of you here tonight.”

“Yeah, well, it wasn’t my idea.” Shayla pouted.

“We were here anyway,” Kevin said. “Might as well have dinner together.”

“You’re right.” Tim grinned at me. He didn’t care. He’d proposed once in front of the whole town council.

After we’d ordered, the men started talking about police procedures, the SBI and Miss Elizabeth. Shayla and I excused ourselves to go to the bathroom. “You can’t have Kevin, Dae,” Shayla stated flatly when we were standing in front of the wide bathroom mirror.

“I don’t want Kevin.” I smoothed my hair down and put on a little more lipstick. “What makes you think I do?”

“He came in here looking for you. As soon as he saw you, he made a beeline right for your table. I don’t think he wanted to talk to Tim, do you?” She spritzed on some exotic perfume.

“I know what he wants. He lost a key to a room in the Blue Whale. He suggested we go over there tonight. I said no. I guess he doesn’t take no for an answer.”

“He wants to go over there?” Shayla’s eyes got brighter. “I like that idea. I haven’t been over there in a hundred years.”

“That was your previous life, right?”

“Don’t sound so skeptical. You know what you know. I know what I know.”

“Whatever that means.”

“It means I like the Rib Shack, and I’m willing to go look for an old key, even if it is with you.”

And that was that. We went back to the table where Kevin had cleverly engaged Tim in the hunt for the old key. Everyone looked at me as the last holdout. “All right,” I said, giving in. “But you better be there at eight A.M. tomorrow when the SBI comes to interrogate me.”

“I’ll be there,” Kevin said. “I got your message.”

“But it won’t be an interrogation.” Tim took a gulp of his beer and lounged back in his chair. “They want to corroborate a few things. That’s all.”

“Like whether or not I’m psychic.” I glanced at Kevin. “Chief Michaels said I shouldn’t offer that information.”

Kevin’s eyes narrowed, and his face took on a different personality. I guessed this was his professional law enforcement face. “Why would he say that?”

“I’m sure you didn’t understand what he meant,” Tim said. “The chief would never tell you to lie.”

“He didn’t tell me to lie,” I clarified. “He told me not to go into any explanation about finding Miss Mildred’s watch on her dead sister. He said to tell them I was out looking for her like everyone else.”

“I’m sorry, Dae,” Kevin said. “But they already know. Believe me, it’s not as big a thing as the chief is making it out to be. Maybe he’s afraid it will call into question his investigation skills. No one in local law enforcement likes it when the state or federal government comes in on a case like this.”

That didn’t make me feel any better. “I don’t know what to say now.”

He put his hand on mine where it rested on the red and white checkered tablecloth. “Just tell them the truth. You didn’t do anything wrong. You have nothing to hide.”

The contact lingered and I felt my mind clouding over, exactly as it had when I saw Miss Mildred’s watch. If a person isn’t concentrating on looking for something in particular, I don’t see anything. In this case, Kevin had the key in the forefront of his mind. I saw where it was right away. “It’s in the drawer behind the cash register,” I blurted out.