String of Tears, page 11
“Great,” he murmured. “Is Jewel one of them? Or is she slated to become one of them?”
“I don’t know. I just know that to have had this many victims, … it’s been going on for a very long time.”
He gave a broken laugh. “How is it that these guys continue to operate, and we only barely scratch the surface of who’s out there and who’s capable of doing this?”
“I don’t know,” she murmured, her voice equally soft, gentle. “We can only deal with the ones who we know about.”
“Yes, but, as you mentioned earlier, with this one, it’s very strange. Something’s off about all of it.”
“There always is,” she agreed. “That’s one of the things that I came to understand. Always something is off about these cases. We’ll never solve them if we try to fit them into the boxes that we already know.”
“How about new boxes?” he asked, a note of humor entering his voice.
“Wouldn’t that be nice? At least that would mean something we had a box for. I don’t think we do in this case.”
Stefan sighed. “Are we really suggesting that some madman has killed these women and somehow captured their souls inside these artifacts?”
“That in itself isn’t terribly new, unfortunately. Yet it’s the energy tucked just behind the veil in Jewel that has me worried because I can’t get any clarity on it.”
“Right,” he whispered.
“You need to rest,” she said. “Disconnect and go spend time with Celina.”
“That’s the plan,” he replied, his voice gaining in strength. “I just came out of this and wanted to show you right away.”
“Thanks,” she said, with a note of humor. “Now my nightmares are yours.” Just before she hung up, she added, “You need to send that to Hurricane. We don’t know, but it’s possible that somehow those images might yet save her life.”
“What about her soul?” Stefan asked softly.
“I’m not sure. I’m worried it has already been acquired in a way.”
“Then he can damn well unacquire it,” Stefan declared, his voice gaining in volume.
“I agree with you, but we have to figure out how.” And, with that, she hung up.
Chapter 10
The fact that Jewel could give Hurricane the address and the name of her favorite breakfast spot revealed a lot. Yet it didn’t say very much about her life, and the difference was just enough to keep her quiet the whole trip.
“Are you bothered by the holes in your memory?” he asked her.
“Wouldn’t you be?”
“Yes. Absolutely. I would be making myself crazy, trying to figure out what happened. I know that’s what you’re doing, but still you have no guarantee that doing that will bring you the answers you’re looking for.”
“There aren’t any guarantees here at all,” she snapped, with a passion that went deeper than she was expecting. “I … just feel like something’s very wrong.”
He pulled into the restaurant parking lot, parked, and turned to look at her. “That’s the first time you’ve said that.”
Confused, she shrugged. “I don’t know what I’m saying.”
She hopped out, and, ignoring him, walked at a fast pace toward the front door of the restaurant. Inside, she knew there would be little privacy for the questions that were still on his tongue. Only so much she could handle right now, and she was quickly reaching her limit. Thankfully he didn’t push, and, when they were inside, she grabbed a seat by a window and waited for the waitress.
When the waitress showed up, she beamed at Jewel. “There you are. I’ve missed you the last couple days.”
Jewel looked at her, glanced over at Hurricane, and gave an almost imperceptible nod of her head. She hoped he would pick up on the meaning, and almost immediately it seemed that he did.
“She had an accident,” he offered. “And now … she still has some partial amnesia.”
The waitress stared at her, horrified. “Oh no, I am so sorry to hear that.” She shook her head. “That’s just terrible.”
“Anything you can tell me about my life and routine would help. Such as how often I came here and things like that,” she said, with a note of humor. “Obviously I remember this place, since I came here like a homing pigeon.”
The waitress laughed. “Absolutely. You’re here, I would say, three out of five weekday mornings, if not more, and usually you have a stack of flapjacks, with bacon and eggs on the side. And coffee, lots and lots of coffee. A couple times when we’ve spoken, you’ve mentioned that you tend to get caught up in your work, forgetting about food, and then, when you resurface, it’s like you’re starving and need to be topped up.”
She nodded. “That’s exactly how I feel right now too.”
“Good. I will head into the kitchen and place your order.” She turned toward Hurricane and asked, “What would you like?”
“I’ll have exactly the same as Jewel here.” When the waitress took off, Hurricane leaned forward and noted, “You’ve never told me that before.”
“Told you what?” she asked in confusion.
“About how you end up here so often.”
“No, and I didn’t know that about the artist work either,” she murmured. “Does it matter?”
He nodded slowly. “It matters.”
She glared at him. “Now you have to tell me why.”
“Maybe, but I don’t know that I have an answer yet.”
“If you don’t have an answer, then it doesn’t matter,” she muttered, glaring at him even more. “Getting no answers is very irritating. So I will add still another item to my list of all the things I don’t know.”
He smiled at her. “But every moment we’re picking up bits and pieces, and, no matter what, they are important. So keep them coming.”
“What’s so unusual about the fact that I would have been coming here for breakfast after a night of work?”
“Nothing,” he replied.
She stared at him, shook her head, and asked, “Are you trying to make me crazy?”
He burst out laughing. “No, I’m not trying to.”
“Well, that’s … that’s good. You obviously have a talent for doing it naturally then, because your answers just make no sense. They sound like more questions.”
“I’m not trying to not make sense,” he told her, as if speaking slowly and trying to pace his words. “Obviously we have a lot going on here, and the more information we get, the more I can find some clarity in this.”
“Sounds like you’re just looking for excuses,” she muttered.
“For what though?” he asked, looking at her in astonishment. “No excuses needed. Something happened to you, and we need every little bit of information, so we can find something to explain what is happening. Let’s keep it simple.”
“Sounds normal, sounds rational, feels off.”
Just then the waitress returned with coffee. When she went to put cream and sugar down in front of her, Jewel looked at her and frowned. “Do I really take cream and sugar in my coffee?”
She stared at her and nodded. “Yes.”
“Oh. Okay, I wasn’t going to add it this time.”
“Maybe don’t add it at all then.”
As soon as the waitress left, Jewel leaned forward and asked in a harsh whisper, “Why would I no longer take cream and sugar in my coffee?”
He shrugged. “I don’t want to say anything, and I certainly don’t want you upset,” he murmured. “However, it appears you’re changing.”
“But what am I changing into? Or better yet, … who?”
*
“I don’t have an answer for that either,” Hurricane replied, “but things are obviously different, so just go with it.”
She glared at him but picked up her coffee, tasted it cautiously, shrugged. “It tastes good black, so why would I change it?”
“I don’t know. I’m not sure how much you’ve changed either.” He glanced back at the waitress, frowned, and added, “Before our food comes, I’ll go to the bathroom.”
He got up, headed to the washroom and used the facilities. On his way back, he waylaid the waitress. “Hey, I wanted to ask a couple questions without Jewel around, so she doesn’t get upset.”
The waitress immediately nodded in sympathy. “I can’t imagine what she’s been through. She’s been here so often, she’s definitely somebody I know.”
“You know for sure that she took milk and sugar in her coffee?”
“Absolutely,” she replied, “but that’s only been just recently. Before that she had it black, so it’s almost as if she’s just reverting back.”
He stared at her cautiously. “How long has it been? The addition of the cream and sugar?”
She stared at him. “A little while ago. Weeks, I guess. She told me that she was tired and needed the extra sugar, which made perfect sense to me.”
“It does make perfect sense,” he agreed, with a nod.
She sighed with relief. “I’m really sorry that anything happened to her.”
“Tell me if you notice any other changes.”
“She’s definitely looking more tired,” she said instantly. “Which, that’s saying something because she was always tired. She was always working hard, but she still had kind of a glow around her. Now she just looks really worn out, but then I imagine what she’s been through has been pretty hard.”
“It has been,” he noted. He smiled, thanked her, and headed back to his table.
As soon as he sat down, Jewel looked at him. “Did she have anything else to add?”
“Only that the cream and sugar has been a recent addition.”
She stared at him. “What?”
He nodded. “Apparently you mentioned something about always being tired and about you needed the extra oomph from the sugar.”
“Huh.” She pondered that. “That almost makes sense.”
“It does,” he agreed. “Almost.”
She glanced at him. “Do you really think something energy-related is going on right now?”
He stared at her. “I’m not sure, but I certainly wouldn’t rule it out.”
She didn’t say anything to that.
The waitress returned a few minutes later with two plates heaped high.
Immediately he sniffed and grinned. “Now this looks awesome.”
“Good.” The waitress wore a big smile, as she placed the food down in front of them. “Because a lot of food is here.” She looked over at Jewel. “Now, if you want your usual doggie bag, just let me know.”
“Do I take a doggie bag home?” she asked, as she looked down at the plateful.
“You do. Often you have a big appetite, then, all of a sudden, you don’t have any appetite at all,” she shared. “Of course that’s a recent change too.” At that, she bounced off again.
Jewel looked over at him, frowning.
He shrugged. “Let’s not judge. Let’s just go forward and see how many other changes there are.”
“Any change like this is scary,” she muttered.
He grinned at her. “Absolutely, but it’s also fascinating, don’t you think?”
She took a couple bites, closed her eyes, and muttered, “Why does the food taste so awesome?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “In what way does it taste awesome?”
Fearing yet another trick question, she glared at him.
He shrugged. “I mean, a lot of your tastes have obviously changed, whether they’re changing back or have just changed differently yet again, I can’t say. However, the food is great here, so, if you’re really enjoying it, that’s even better.”
“I am,” she murmured. “I’m not sure why it feels like it’s all different and new. Maybe I haven’t had it like this before, which is kind of how it feels, but I have to admit it tastes really good today.”
She dug in and didn’t even surface until the plate was half gone. Then she sat back, looked down at the food, and muttered, “I can see why she mentioned the doggie bag.”
“Maybe. Just let it sit in front of you for a bit, and, when you’ve had a chance to settle some of that food you scarfed down so fast, you might find you want a bit more.”
She shrugged. “Maybe, but, at the same time, it is a lot of food.”
“They certainly haven’t spared any effort, and that’s always nice to see in a restaurant because, too often, the portions are small.”
“And then again,” she said, with a laugh, “too often the portions are way too big, and we eat them anyway.”
“That’s the American way,” he noted, with a grin.
He had absolutely no problem finishing his plate, she noted. And, by the time he put down his fork, she was tackling another pancake. Signaling the waitress for more coffee for both of them, he just sat here and waited for Jewel to work her way through more food.
When she put down her fork for the second time, she said, “This time I am done for sure.”
“You didn’t leave much,” he noted, looking down at her plate. “Barely enough to pack up.”
She stared down at the plate and nodded. “I’m really surprised.”
“I’m not. You didn’t eat much beforehand, and yesterday’s events were stressful for you. Seeing that you have a good appetite is something that makes me happy.”
She laughed. “If I keep eating like this, I’ll need to go home and have a nap again.”
“You can do that,” he agreed. “With everything you’ve been through, your body needs time to heal, and, in order to heal, it needs rest—and sustenance.”
She shrugged. “That also feels like a cop-out.”
“I don’t know why it would,” he said.
“Because I think I work all the time,” she muttered, staring off in the distance. “I think my friends would call me a workaholic.”
He nodded. “And that wouldn’t surprise me because a lot of entrepreneurs with their own businesses, particularly artists, tend to be workaholics. You get caught up in your own joy of what you’re creating, and you forget about everything else going on around you.”
“Apparently that’s happened here a time or two,” she murmured, as she stared around her. “According to the waitress, at least.”
“If you’ve come in hungry and looking for something to replenish yourself, that’s a good thing. It’s only a concern if you stay home and don’t fill the void of food and even social connections,” he stated.
“I don’t think I have any problems that way. At least Charles and Lucas made it seem like I’m a social person.”
“Absolutely.” Hurricane smiled. “And that’s good. We need balance in life.”
“Yeah, so how much balance do you get?” she asked, challenging him.
He grinned. “Not as much as I should. I spend too much time traveling the world, dealing with some odd scenarios.”
“Do you go wherever Stefan sends you?”
“I go wherever Stefan asks me to go, when and if I can,” he corrected. “I’m not on his payroll, and I’m certainly not indebted to him, but we’re both involved in this energy work. Realizing just how dangerous some of these artifacts are, I do what I can because there aren’t that many options. If I say no, who else will do it?”
She stared at him, fascinated. “I’m not even exactly sure what you do, but it sounds fascinating.”
“It’s certainly taken me to some interesting corners of the world, and I’ve met some incredible people,” he murmured. “In a way, that’s an education you can’t get anywhere else, and, once you get hooked into this field, you really don’t ever want to leave.”
“Says you,” she quipped, with a laugh. “I’m not even into it, and I already want out.”
“But do you really?” he asked, looking up at her. “Or is that just the answer you think I’m expecting to hear?”
She winced. “I don’t know. I mean, if it got me into the situation I’m in right now, I want nothing to do with it.”
Just then the waitress returned, checked their coffees, and left a bill. He picked it up, looked at the amount, and nodded. “That’s reasonable too.”
The waitress returned a moment later, having been just a few tables over, then lowered her voice and said, “Jewel gets a discount because she comes here so often.”
“Oh, I’m glad to hear that,” he replied, looking up at the waitress with a friendly smile. “The food was excellent and abundant, and the service was equally lovely. Thank you.”
She flushed and, with a pleased smile, disappeared.
“Wow.” Jewel stared at him. “You’re quite the smooth talker, when you want to be.”
“No, not at all. But it doesn’t hurt to be friendly in this world, particularly in a service industry, where they have to deal with an awful lot of unhappy people and not many happy ones.”
“True enough.” She stood and pointed. “My turn in the washroom.”
He nodded. “I’ll pay the bill and meet you outside?” He raised an eyebrow in question.
She smiled and agreed.
Jewel headed to the bathroom, one she’d used many times she was sure, and, as she stood here in front of the mirror, she stared at the woman who even now was looking so foreign to her, what with the alabaster skin and the jet-black hair, wrinkles around her eyes, deepened by the focus of her attention. As she washed her hands, the door opened, and the waitress stepped inside.
“Hey. Are you all right?”
“Absolutely. At least I’m getting there,” Jewel said, not at all sure what relationship she had with this woman.
“You’re scaring me,” the waitress replied, looking at her. She made no attempt to go to the bathroom or to wash her hands. “I just came in here because I guess I want to know if everything’s all right.”
“It’s fine,” Jewel replied, startled. “The accident shook me up, and obviously I need to fill in a few holes in my memory, but I’m getting there.”
The waitress nodded slowly. “Good, okay then.” But she remained, awkward, as if she didn’t seem to know how to leave.
At that, Jewel added, “Thanks for breakfast.”
The waitress just nodded and didn’t say anything.
Finally Jewel stepped to the doorway, looked back at her, and asked, “Is there something you want to add?”
