Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

J ed, Neely Kate, and Daisy arrived at the soccer game ten minutes before it started. Hope hugged her cousin, acting like she hadn't seen her for weeks. I'd texted Jed that morning, asking if he could arrange for me to talk to Austin. I was hoping he'd have news for me.

We set up our lawn chairs away from the other parents. Hope and Daisy started picking clover flowers about ten feet away, while Ashley tied them together to make bracelets, necklaces, and crowns. It was Liam's naptime, so he sat on my lap and snuggled against me as he fought sleep.

Once we were settled, Neely Kate turned to me with an accusatory look. "Why didn't you tell me there was another murder?"

I shook my head in confusion. "What are you talking about? You were there when Austin told us about it."

Her eyes narrowed, then widened as she gasped. "Wait. You don't know?"

My stomach twisted. "Know what?"

"Rose, there was another murder yesterday."

My vision tunneled, and I held Liam tighter. "One that's different than the one that Austin saw?"

Neely Kate nodded.

I felt like I was going to be sick. "Was it a woman?" Joe had told me it wasn't, but what if he'd only said that to make me feel better? What if the dream had come to me as it happened ?

"No, a man." She narrowed her eyes. "Why did you ask if it was a woman?" Her eyes widened. "Oh. Your vision."

I shot a look at Jed, but he didn't look surprised, which meant Neely Kate must have told him. I'd tell them both about my dreams later. "How do you know it's not the same murder as the one Austin saw? They could have moved the body if they found him somewhere other than Adkins."

"Because Austin saw the guy shot in the head," Jed said. "The guy they found was shot in the back."

I took several breaths, trying to ground myself. The vision I'd had of Austin popped into my head. "It wasn't Austin's friend, was it? I think they shot Austin in the back in my vision." I knew they would have told me differently, had it been Austin.

"No," Jed assured me. "Dermot picked the kid up, and he's hangin' out with Austin at a safe house."

"Did Dermot learn anything else about the murder?" When I realized that wasn't specific enough, I added, "I mean the one Austin witnessed, but I guess I should expand that to any of them."

Jed frowned. "No. He hasn't learned a thing, and I don't like it."

My stomach lurched. "Do you think Dermot had anything to do with the murders?"

"I don't have any proof that he did," Jed said pointedly.

Which meant he wasn't ruling it out. "Do you think Austin and his friend are safe with him?"

"Yes," he grunted. "They wouldn't be there if I thought otherwise."

I had to trust that Jed was right. "Have you heard back about me talking to him? Even if it's on the phone?"

"I haven't heard back yet, but I'll let you know as soon as I do."

"Thank you."

"Joe didn't tell you there was another murder?" Neely Kate asked me with a frown.

"He told me he was workin' on a murder investigation, but I figured it was for the one Austin witnessed." I made a face. "Two murders within a day or two is a lot. But three…?" I shuddered.

"I take it Dermot talked to Austin's friend, Justin?" I asked. "Did he say how he knew about Bruce Wayne being a source to find Lady? That shouldn't be common knowledge."

"He's been oddly quiet about that," Jed said. "Part of the reason Dermot has him hanging out with Austin is because he wants to keep an eye on them. He thinks Austin knows more than he's lettin' on. He's hoping the kid will start to trust him and share more."

"I take it someone checked for a freshly dug grave out at Adkins?"

"Dermot did," Jed said. "And I did too. There was evidence of digging, but no body."

"If Dermot thinks the kid is holding information back, then how do we know he was telling the truth about how the guy was shot? Maybe the investigation Joe is working on is the one Austin saw."

And maybe it was wishful thinking on my part, just like Joe had done last night.

Jed shook his head. "We checked out the warehouse too. There was blood on the floor, Rose." He grimaced. "And a few pieces of—" He stopped when Hope and Daisy ran straight to us.

I swallowed bile. I knew that he was about to say pieces of brain matter, proof that Austin had seen the guy take a headshot.

"Mommy, Mommy!" Hope cried out with excitement. "Look, I'm a princess! Ashy made me a crown."

Sure enough, she was decked out with a clover flower crown, along with multiple necklaces, bracelets, and rings. Daisy was adorned in just as many.

"Am I pretty, Momma?" Daisy asked Neely Kate, standing serenely in front of her.

"You're absolutely beautiful," Neely Kate said, beaming. She absently placed her hand on her belly.

A quick glance at Jed proved he'd seen it too.

The game started, and the girls stuck around while we cheered for Mikey. Thankfully, Liam, who had been born into a noisy household and was used to chaos, slept right through it. Mikey scored another goal, and after he ran over to us, glowing from it, I suggested we get ice cream before we headed home.

"That sounds good," Jed said, picking up Daisy. "What do you say, Daisy? Want ice cream too?"

I gave Jed a pointed look. It wasn't unusual for the Carlisle family to hang out with us, but I suspected Jed and Neely Kate planned to spend the entire day with me and the kids.

I wasn't wrong.

After we got ice cream, we headed back to the farm. The sky started spitting rain on the way home, so Neely Kate and I decided we'd rope the kids into making sugar cookies. We'd mixed the dough and had just put it in the fridge when a knock landed at the front door.

Jed was sitting at the kitchen table, and his head jerked up. He stood and looked me in the eye. "I'll get it."

I didn't argue with him. My stomach was in knots as he headed for the front door. The farmhouse was out of the way, and we didn't get many unannounced visitors.

A few seconds later, Jed was standing in the kitchen doorway with a grim look. "I have a guy on your front porch who claims he's a sketch artist. He says he's here to make a couple of drawings."

"Oh!" I exclaimed, dusting flour off my hands. "Joe said he was going to send one out, but I didn't think it would happen so fast." I started to walk past him, but Jed blocked my path.

His gaze pierced mine. "Why do you need a sketch artist?"

"It's a long story, which I'll share with you after he leaves." I brushed past him and went to the door.

"Sorry Jed made you wait outside," I said, stepping aside so the artist could come in. "I forgot to tell him you were coming."

"I'm Tony Baskins, the sketch artist for the sheriff's department. Your husband asked me to drop by to make some drawings for you." He shot a glance at Jed, who stood a few feet away, his arms crossed over his chest. "But I can come back if this is a bad time."

"No, it's a perfect time," I said, eager to get images of the man in my vision so Joe could hopefully find out who he was. I was less hopeful a sketch of the woman would help, but it was worth a shot. "How about we go into the dining room, and Jed can stay in the kitchen?"

The kids were excited to have a visitor, so they followed us. Tony sat at the side of the table, while I sat at the head. He pulled out a large iPad and an electronic pencil, as well as several books.

"Sheriff Simmons said you have two people for me to draw?" he asked as he pulled up a form on his tablet.

"That's correct," I said, feeling uneasy. The kids were beyond curious why a strange man was sitting with me in the dining room, let alone why he was drawing people, and they weren't shy about asking questions. Thankfully, Tony kept his answers vague. Then again, I suspected Joe hadn't told him much. Neely Kate stood behind them, giving me a questioning look.

"Neely Kate, why don't you and the kids finish the cookies?"

"Not a chance," she said, plopping down in a chair on the other side of the table from Tony, with Liam on her lap. "It's not every day you get to see a sketch artist at work."

The kids all took seats too, except for Mikey, who stood behind Tony and watched him in awe.

"I've never met a real artist before," he gushed.

"I'm sure Tony doesn't need an audience," I said. "We don't want to distract him."

"I don't mind if they stay," Tony said. "If they get distracting, I'll let you know."

Neely Kate gave me a smug grin, and I knew I'd have a lot of explaining to do once Tony left.

Tony turned his attention back to me. "First, I'll have you to describe the first person as best you can, any details you can remember, then I'll have you go through the books and pick out features that remind you of them."

"We can start with the man," I said. "He had black hair and dark eyes. Heavy eyebrows."

"That's good," Tony said, typing on his pad's detachable keyboard. "What else do you remember?"

"He had a pointy chin and sharp cheekbones. And he had a light mustache, not thick, and no beard."

Neely Kate gave Jed, who was still in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe, a piercing look. We didn't know anyone who fit that description.

I continued giving Tony details, such as the man's widow's peak hairline and deep-set eyes. Then he had me go through his books and pick out features.

The little girls and Ashley got bored and went into the living room to watch TV. Mikey stayed behind Tony's shoulder, observing in fascination, and Neely Kate remained in her chair, holding Liam, who was busy eating cheerios out of a bowl.

After I picked out enough photos to satisfy Tony, he began sketching on his tablet, pausing to show me the face width and length, the length of the nose, and the width of his eyes until I was satisfied with his result.

I shuddered as I stared at the cold eyes on the tablet. He'd definitely gotten the dark stare right.

"Okay," Tony said. "Onto the next."

"The second one is a woman," I said. And we repeated the same process we'd been through with the first sketch.

Tony started drawing her, and when he finished, Mikey gasped.

"She looks like you, Aunt Rose!"

I took a longer look at the face on the screen, and it hit me that he was right. I'd thought she looked familiar, and now that he'd pointed it out, there was no denying that she strongly resembled me. We had different chins and hairlines, but we shared the same eyes and nose.

To my surprise, Tony didn't ask any follow-up questions. Instead, he began to pack up his things. "If you give me your email address, I'll send a copy of each of these to you and Sheriff Simmons."

I gave him the information and followed him to the door. "Thank you again, Tony. Do I need to pay you now, or will you settle up with Joe?"

"He's already taken care of it, ma'am," he said with a head bob, then studied me. "Joe said this was personal, but if you need me to send these sketches to a detective, be sure to let me know. You don't have to wait for your husband to do it. Especially since he has his hands full with both murders."

"Thanks again, Tony," I said. "I'll be sure to let you know if I need help."

I shut the door behind him, and Tony hadn't even had a chance to go down the steps before Neely Kate pounced on me.

"What was that all about?"

I cast a glance at the girls, who were on the sofa, totally engrossed in the children's show on the television, while Ashley read a book on the love seat. I knew I should redirect them to do something else, but better to keep them occupied while I explained everything to Neely Kate and Jed.

"That was so cool, Aunt Rose!" Mikey exclaimed. "I want to draw people when I grow up!"

"You could practice by drawing your sisters and your cousins," Jed said from next to the love seat. "How about I get you some paper to practice on."

Mikey jumped up and down. "Okay!"

"There's some printer paper in Joe's office," I said, motioning to the French doors on the far living room wall. "And also some pencils."

Jed and Mikey headed for the office, while Neely Kate followed me back into the kitchen.

"What was that all about?" she demanded in a hushed tone.

"Let's wait until Jed comes in so I don't have to repeat it."

Jed appeared in the doorway a few moments later, wearing a somber expression. "What haven't you told us, Rose? Has someone been poking around the farm? And why does that woman look like you?"

"No one's been here," I assured him. "It was from my vision."

"The one of you dying ?" Neely Kate whispered.

"I had another vision last night, but I had it while I was asleep, and no one was around." I filled them in on what had happened and what I'd seen, along with the first dream vision I'd had.

Neely Kate's forehead wrinkled. "You had dream visions of yourself?"

"No, I'm certain it wasn't me. Plus, I heard her speak, and she was definitely someone else."

"Someone who looks like you?" Jed pressed.

"Apparently," I said, taking a seat at the kitchen table. "But this is the first time I've ever had a vision of someone who wasn't close to me, so I have no idea how I had it."

"And you're sure it wasn't just a garden variety nightmare?" Jed asked.

"Joe suggested the same thing, but I'll tell you what I told him. No. Besides, it was too similar to the vision I had at Piney Rest. I know it was a vision."

Jed nodded. "Okay. I believe you."

I sighed in relief that I didn't have to convince him. "Joe sent the sketch artist over because he figured he could run the faces through whatever system he uses to see if anything comes up."

"We need to run all of this by Dermot."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"What's that mean?" Neely Kate asked in confusion.

I hesitated before saying, "If he had something to do with the murders…"

"We don't know that he did," Jed insisted. "And he might recognize the people you just described. Especially the man."

He had a point. "Agreed." I got up and grabbed my phone off the counter and saw the email from Tony. "I'll text him the images."

Dermot, I had a vision with these two people in it. The man murdered the woman. Do either of them look familiar? Also, have you ever heard of a woman named Selena?

I sent the text, uploaded the images, and pressed send.

He responded about thirty seconds later. I have questions .

I relayed his message to Jed and Neely Kate.

"I think he needs to come over," I said, not sure it was a good idea even though I suggested it. Especially since Joe was planning to bring him in for questioning that very day.

Jed pressed his lips into a firm line. "We could meet him somewhere."

"And what do we do with the kids?" I asked. "Because we both know Neely Kate won't agree to be left behind, nor should she. She's part of this." I ran my hand over my head. "We could ask Maeve to watch them, but she'll wonder what we're up to, and I don't want to lie."

"Not to mention, I don't want her to be alone with the kids," Jed said. "Not without protection."

"Maeve is out," Neely Kate said, then pushed out sigh. "And I'll stay with the kids."

"No," I said. "When we questioned Austin, I had a vision of Dermot sitting at my kitchen table. I say we invite him here and ask him to be discreet." I turned to Jed for his reaction.

He took a moment, then nodded. "Okay. Make it happen."

This seems like an in-person conversation. Can you discreetly come over?

He answered within seconds. Give me a half-hour