Don't Touch by Elise VanCise Read Free Book Online Page B

know
what we found?”
     
    They sat at the table. “You found something?”
Jackson explained it to him and Thomas sat back trying to process
it. “You touched the image and got this vision? How accurate are
your visions?”
     
    Not taking any offense Ryan pulled her hair
from the ponytail twisting the scrunchy. “I don’t know. This is the
first time I’ve willingly used it.”
     
    Thomas gave her and Jackson the once over.
“Then let’s test it a few times. Then we know for sure how accurate
you are.” He pulled his keys from his pocket and set them on the
table.
     
    Jackson started to protest but she had
already picked them up. There was another reason he was so late
getting back. “Silvia is lovely, she wears cherry lip gloss.”
     
    Licking his lips and pointing at his partner.
“You told her.”
    “Nope, even if I did, how would I know about
her cherry lip gloss, lover boy?” Jackson pulled out his cash then
slid the money clip off and set it down.
     
    Ryan grinned. “I’d rather have the other
stuff. On second thought you really don’t want to know where some
of those bills have been.” The clip was simple brass with an eagle
stamped into the metal. She saw an older man beaming with
pride.
     
    He gave Jackson a small wrapped box. The
money clip was inside. Her heart warmed with the memory he had
shared with her. “Your dad gave this to you the day you graduated
from the academy. He was so proud of you.”
     
    Jackson shifted a bit uncomfortable. He
wanted her to see something pleasant. Every time he pulled that
clip from his pocket he thought of that moment and the happiness
his father had expressed. “Spot on. Two for two.”
     
    Ryan retrieved one of the files. Jackson
waved his finger. “We’ve been over that.”
     
    “We didn’t finish the argument, I win.” She
opened it to the fourth victim Sarah Green. Carefully she found the
one with the knife. Before she could change her mind she touched
the image.
     
    Once again she saw the work gloves, and the
careful placement. Repeating the act with the others she got the
same thing. On the first victim she touched another piece of the
photo. A flash of forest and a tiny lake. When her vision cleared
she looked at what she had touched. It was Sara Green’s Face.
     
    “Whoa.” Waving them silent for a moment she
quickly repeated the reading on the other photos. “There’s a small
lake in the woods. The women saw it.”
    For another hour they tried different parts
of the photographs but nothing else significant came from it.
Jackson saw how it was wearing on her. “Let’s stop for now. You’re
pushing too hard.”
     
    She leaned back rubbing her eyes. “You’re
right. I’m more likely to screw up.” They gathered up the files and
she walked them to the end of the porch. Thomas was already in the
car. Jackson wrote on the back of a card and laid it on the porch
rail.
     
    “That’s all numbers. I don’t sleep
much either so if you need to talk call. Okay?” She nodded and he
got in the car. Watching them pull out she felt good for the first
time in a long time.
     
    Thomas watched Jackson out of the corner of
his eye. “Have a nice time did we?”
     
    “You’re not funny man. She’s in trouble, we
can help, simple as that.”
     
    Tom knew his friend better than that. Jackson
always pulled for the underdog but there was something more. He
could see it in his partner’s face as Ryan read the photos. For
some reason Prince was investing in this poor woman. “Nothing is
ever simple as that, Jack. Not for us anyway.”

Chapter 6
     
    A couple of days went by and Ryan hadn’t
heard from the detectives. After they had left that evening she
called Barbara and told her about her experiences. The other woman
seemed genuinely happy for her. Ryan had to admit it felt good
knowing they had uncovered something that may be helpful in
stopping a killer. She continued to practice with the box of items
that had been left in her home.