information pointed to success or love. Another article, written by a self-proclaimed psychic, suggested whatever had been the greatest conflict in the life—during the first time phase—would return repeatedly.
Through all of Ian’s life, nothing had happened more than once.
“As they say, lightning doesn’t strike twice in one spot.”
Ian continued his search, having only half-believed the man he’d talked to before, but that niggle in the back of his mind made him want to know if any truth could be hidden between the crazy-assed psychic mumbo-jumbo and reality. Somewhere in there, he’d find the details. He just needed to reach the right person.
After two hours, he’d come up with nothing new, and a mounting frustration.
• • •
Flat against her mattress again, Taylor stared at the ceiling. She reached out, touched the concrete slab above her and let the pads of her fingertips run across the bumpy texture. As the panic set in, she bit it back, digging her teeth into her lip. Her body tensed. Her stomach curdled. With the exception of the first morning, she had managed to keep the closed-in feeling that came from four people in a room the size of a tin can at bay.
Just a touch of claustrophobia , her pediatrician, family doctor and therapist had all said. There is no rationale to many of the mind’s inner workings , they’d added. Taylor’s list of issues had grown enough that she hadn’t been the girl her mother always dreamed of having. Instead, she’d fought off her problems by diving into a career that kept her busy from sunrise to sunset, seven days a week.
She flipped to her side and heaved a breath. I can get through this. I will get through this.
“You doin’ okay up there?” Tanya’s voice carried in the near silence. With the exception of Tanya, Taylor’s bunk mates had been replaced again.
Murderers, whether suspected or not, seemed to get priority in one area only—not being moved.
“I’m okay. Thanks.” At the edge of the bed, Taylor twisted a loose screw until she tightened it enough that her fingers wouldn’t make it go further. If she didn’t get something useful and productive to do soon, her head would self-combust from pure boredom.
“You know.” Tanya broke the unending silence. “That lawyer of yours is hot.”
Taylor chuckled. She and Tanya had built up a trust in each other, to the point Taylor knew Tanya’s choice to kill her boyfriend, while wrong, seemed justified. That she’d pled guilty kept her in the local facility—though for how long she’d stay, neither Taylor nor Tanya knew. Overcrowding meant moving to other facilities, but Tanya’s sentence had yet to be given.
“My lawyer’s married.”
“She hot like him?”
Another small laugh bubbled up in Taylor. “She’s beautiful.” Taylor worked to secure the screw again.
“When they gettin’ you outta here?” Squeaking came from the bunk below.
Taylor’s arraignment hadn’t even happened yet, she had no idea. Delayed, they’d said. Three days. Three times. “I wish I knew.”
7
“A million dollars? Who do they think she killed?” Ian stood with Lexi in the hole-in-the-wall barber shop that also took care of bail bonds, check cashing, and sold cigarettes at outlet prices. “I’m gonna lose twenty percent doing it this way. Why can’t I just put up the money on my own?” The whine of his own voice forced Ian to take a breath and stop.
“Tripp told you it’s safer to go through a bondsman than paying it direct anyway.” Lexi, in her heels and professional suit, leaned a hip into the front counter. “And, it’s not like you don’t have it, Ian. Geez. You and Tripp have been at this partnership long enough that he wouldn’t ask you if it were more than a drop in the bucket.”
She had a point. Didn’t mean he had to like it. The man behind the counter continued filling out a legal-sized document by hand as if he hadn’t heard a word. Ian thumped the front panel with
Through all of Ian’s life, nothing had happened more than once.
“As they say, lightning doesn’t strike twice in one spot.”
Ian continued his search, having only half-believed the man he’d talked to before, but that niggle in the back of his mind made him want to know if any truth could be hidden between the crazy-assed psychic mumbo-jumbo and reality. Somewhere in there, he’d find the details. He just needed to reach the right person.
After two hours, he’d come up with nothing new, and a mounting frustration.
• • •
Flat against her mattress again, Taylor stared at the ceiling. She reached out, touched the concrete slab above her and let the pads of her fingertips run across the bumpy texture. As the panic set in, she bit it back, digging her teeth into her lip. Her body tensed. Her stomach curdled. With the exception of the first morning, she had managed to keep the closed-in feeling that came from four people in a room the size of a tin can at bay.
Just a touch of claustrophobia , her pediatrician, family doctor and therapist had all said. There is no rationale to many of the mind’s inner workings , they’d added. Taylor’s list of issues had grown enough that she hadn’t been the girl her mother always dreamed of having. Instead, she’d fought off her problems by diving into a career that kept her busy from sunrise to sunset, seven days a week.
She flipped to her side and heaved a breath. I can get through this. I will get through this.
“You doin’ okay up there?” Tanya’s voice carried in the near silence. With the exception of Tanya, Taylor’s bunk mates had been replaced again.
Murderers, whether suspected or not, seemed to get priority in one area only—not being moved.
“I’m okay. Thanks.” At the edge of the bed, Taylor twisted a loose screw until she tightened it enough that her fingers wouldn’t make it go further. If she didn’t get something useful and productive to do soon, her head would self-combust from pure boredom.
“You know.” Tanya broke the unending silence. “That lawyer of yours is hot.”
Taylor chuckled. She and Tanya had built up a trust in each other, to the point Taylor knew Tanya’s choice to kill her boyfriend, while wrong, seemed justified. That she’d pled guilty kept her in the local facility—though for how long she’d stay, neither Taylor nor Tanya knew. Overcrowding meant moving to other facilities, but Tanya’s sentence had yet to be given.
“My lawyer’s married.”
“She hot like him?”
Another small laugh bubbled up in Taylor. “She’s beautiful.” Taylor worked to secure the screw again.
“When they gettin’ you outta here?” Squeaking came from the bunk below.
Taylor’s arraignment hadn’t even happened yet, she had no idea. Delayed, they’d said. Three days. Three times. “I wish I knew.”
7
“A million dollars? Who do they think she killed?” Ian stood with Lexi in the hole-in-the-wall barber shop that also took care of bail bonds, check cashing, and sold cigarettes at outlet prices. “I’m gonna lose twenty percent doing it this way. Why can’t I just put up the money on my own?” The whine of his own voice forced Ian to take a breath and stop.
“Tripp told you it’s safer to go through a bondsman than paying it direct anyway.” Lexi, in her heels and professional suit, leaned a hip into the front counter. “And, it’s not like you don’t have it, Ian. Geez. You and Tripp have been at this partnership long enough that he wouldn’t ask you if it were more than a drop in the bucket.”
She had a point. Didn’t mean he had to like it. The man behind the counter continued filling out a legal-sized document by hand as if he hadn’t heard a word. Ian thumped the front panel with
Similar Books
