with the impression that she’d been here once before.
“Juliana, I’m so grateful for what you’re doing.” Andrea
attempted a smile, despite the tears glimmering in her eyes. Eyes that looked
exactly like Alex’s.
She gently squeezed Andrea’s hand. “I’ll do what I can to
help find Lisette.”
Alex coughed, impatiently clearing his throat. “Juliana. Do
whatever you need to do.”
She nodded and breathed deep. The foreboding had moved into
the pit of her stomach, and the pounding in her head increased.
What was happening to her? Off-key didn’t begin to describe
the odd sensations.
Juliana followed Alex down the short hallway to Lisette’s
bedroom, with Andrea bringing up the rear. The closer she came to the room, the
more Juliana’s apprehension increased. Perspiration broke out on her forehead
and she felt feverish.
Alex stepped through the second doorway on the right at the back
of the condo. He said unnecessarily, “Lisette’s room.”
Juliana pressed past him, her hand brushing his thigh. Heat
flared up her arm, shaking her already jittery nervous system.
Alex jerked away and leaned against the closet door. He
yanked his notebook and pen out of the back pocket of his jeans, avoiding eye
contact with her.
Hooking a tendril of loose hair behind her ear, she scanned
the room, taking it all in. She neared the bed in the middle of the small room,
her dream crystallizing in her mind. Smiling sunflowers patterned the comforter
in jewel-tone colors, just as she’d pictured in her dream. She leaned over the
twin bed and lifted the stuffed penguin from atop the pillow.
A sharp pain shot through her temple, and the stuffed animal
dropped to the floor. Suddenly, a wave of nausea convulsed her and she
instinctively clutched her stomach. Her mind’s eye glimpsed the kidnapper
flipping the penguin away from Lisette’s face before he covered Lisette’s mouth
with his hand.
Juliana jerked upright as if yanked by a marionette string.
“Jewel, you okay?”
Alex’s strong arm snaked around her waist, and she leaned
into his warm body.
He gently coaxed her to sit beside him on the end of the bed.
“You don’t have to do this right now,” he said tenderly.
Concern paled his handsome bronzed face, and her heart
melted. “I’ve never experienced touch telepathy. I think it just happened.”
Excitement touched her voice. The euphoria overpowered her,
masking the pain in her head. She had just reached a new level of psychic
ability, a talent that had always eluded her. It was little wonder she’d been
feeling strange since she’d arrived.
Alex carefully withdrew his arm from around her waist and
stood up. The loss of his touch left her confusingly bereft.
He stared at her as if he’d seen an apparition and resumed
his stance in front of the closet. “Can you continue?”
“I think so.”
Andrea lowered plaintive eyes to Juliana from her position
in the doorway. “What did you see?”
Juliana focused on her vision. “The kidnapper pushed the
penguin aside while he covered Lisette’s mouth with his other hand.”
Alex smoothed the chaotic spikes in his hair and threw her a
guarded look. “You didn’t mention the penguin earlier.”
“I told you everything I remembered.” Juliana gave him a
measured stare. “It’s no different than you waking up in the morning and
remembering bits of dreams you’d had that night.” She fingered her braid, then
flipped it over her shoulder. “That’s why I’m here,” she added, defending
herself.
She glanced at the toy penguin lying on the plush carpet. “The
stuffed animal evoked my memory. Touch telepathy works when you touch an item
someone else has touched. Or touch a person. You see visions surrounding that
person.”
Juliana sat for a moment and regained her composure, cleared
her mind. Once steady, she wandered around the room, searching for other memory
triggers. Peering out the window, she glimpsed the wooden box the kidnapper
stood
“Juliana, I’m so grateful for what you’re doing.” Andrea
attempted a smile, despite the tears glimmering in her eyes. Eyes that looked
exactly like Alex’s.
She gently squeezed Andrea’s hand. “I’ll do what I can to
help find Lisette.”
Alex coughed, impatiently clearing his throat. “Juliana. Do
whatever you need to do.”
She nodded and breathed deep. The foreboding had moved into
the pit of her stomach, and the pounding in her head increased.
What was happening to her? Off-key didn’t begin to describe
the odd sensations.
Juliana followed Alex down the short hallway to Lisette’s
bedroom, with Andrea bringing up the rear. The closer she came to the room, the
more Juliana’s apprehension increased. Perspiration broke out on her forehead
and she felt feverish.
Alex stepped through the second doorway on the right at the back
of the condo. He said unnecessarily, “Lisette’s room.”
Juliana pressed past him, her hand brushing his thigh. Heat
flared up her arm, shaking her already jittery nervous system.
Alex jerked away and leaned against the closet door. He
yanked his notebook and pen out of the back pocket of his jeans, avoiding eye
contact with her.
Hooking a tendril of loose hair behind her ear, she scanned
the room, taking it all in. She neared the bed in the middle of the small room,
her dream crystallizing in her mind. Smiling sunflowers patterned the comforter
in jewel-tone colors, just as she’d pictured in her dream. She leaned over the
twin bed and lifted the stuffed penguin from atop the pillow.
A sharp pain shot through her temple, and the stuffed animal
dropped to the floor. Suddenly, a wave of nausea convulsed her and she
instinctively clutched her stomach. Her mind’s eye glimpsed the kidnapper
flipping the penguin away from Lisette’s face before he covered Lisette’s mouth
with his hand.
Juliana jerked upright as if yanked by a marionette string.
“Jewel, you okay?”
Alex’s strong arm snaked around her waist, and she leaned
into his warm body.
He gently coaxed her to sit beside him on the end of the bed.
“You don’t have to do this right now,” he said tenderly.
Concern paled his handsome bronzed face, and her heart
melted. “I’ve never experienced touch telepathy. I think it just happened.”
Excitement touched her voice. The euphoria overpowered her,
masking the pain in her head. She had just reached a new level of psychic
ability, a talent that had always eluded her. It was little wonder she’d been
feeling strange since she’d arrived.
Alex carefully withdrew his arm from around her waist and
stood up. The loss of his touch left her confusingly bereft.
He stared at her as if he’d seen an apparition and resumed
his stance in front of the closet. “Can you continue?”
“I think so.”
Andrea lowered plaintive eyes to Juliana from her position
in the doorway. “What did you see?”
Juliana focused on her vision. “The kidnapper pushed the
penguin aside while he covered Lisette’s mouth with his other hand.”
Alex smoothed the chaotic spikes in his hair and threw her a
guarded look. “You didn’t mention the penguin earlier.”
“I told you everything I remembered.” Juliana gave him a
measured stare. “It’s no different than you waking up in the morning and
remembering bits of dreams you’d had that night.” She fingered her braid, then
flipped it over her shoulder. “That’s why I’m here,” she added, defending
herself.
She glanced at the toy penguin lying on the plush carpet. “The
stuffed animal evoked my memory. Touch telepathy works when you touch an item
someone else has touched. Or touch a person. You see visions surrounding that
person.”
Juliana sat for a moment and regained her composure, cleared
her mind. Once steady, she wandered around the room, searching for other memory
triggers. Peering out the window, she glimpsed the wooden box the kidnapper
stood
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