Ghosts See Me, But I See You: Brothers Book One

Chapter Four: More Discoveries

Chapter 4

    BY THE TIME it was daylight, Matthew had gone back to his house, showered, and put on suitable clothes, and headed back to work with Tansy's drawing. 

    All the while mentally kicking himself.

    He'd gone and kissed her. Then, basically told her he wanted to have s*x with her. Which had scared her a bit. He hadn't meant to go that fast. 

    But, apparently he did not scare her away, because at breakfast, she talked openly about things and even made jokes. 

    It was true, he had noticed her tiny pajama shorts.

    And the shirt.... Damn... that shirt... He figured that shirt had to do with her own humor at people staying away from her. . 

    He had to have a private conversation with his p***s.

    But, what he had noticed was her anxiety over the appearance of another missing boy. He also saw the sadness, and, as they ate their breakfast, he'd asked her about that. She explained that sometimes she felt the emotions of the deceased. He couldn't imagine dealing with the emotional baggage of the spirit, but somehow she managed.

    It proved to him just that much more that she was an amazing person.

    He wondered what she'd think if he told her about things he believed. Or saw.

    He entered the building, greeted some of the other officers as he made his way toward Cal's desk. "Got another missing."

    Cal whipped his head around, eyes wide. "What now?"

    Matthew opened the scanner/copier again and placed the drawing on the plate. "Yep. But not one of the original three."

    Cal clicked the mouse and prompted the scanner. "Jesus, Mary and Joseph." He looked at the picture as it came up onto the screen. "Are ye fekking with me? Yer lass see this one, too?"

    Matthew wanted to correct him about Tansy, but nodded. "Yes. And she thinks this one has been dead longer than Timothy."

    Cal nodded and tapped the screen. "Well, we don't need t' run facial on him. His name is Pedro Rivas, who went missing in 2014 with Tyler Harris and Marcos Quintanilla."

    Matthew had been removing the drawing from the plate when he stopped. "Excuse me? Two years before Timothy and his friends?"

    ."Aye," he replied. "Ye airn't gonna like any of this." He stood up and beckoned Matthew to follow  him "I had th' programs running all night, then aboot seven in th' AM, we got some hits." He led him into the incident room where a wall had been lined with the pictures of six young men between the ages of seventeen and nineteen. 

    "s**t, f**k and damn," Matthew grumbled. "Six of them?" He looked back at Cal.

    "So far," said Lieutenant Detective Philip Ortega. "Cal is having the computer search for 2015 and since  Seems we have a serial killer on our hands."

    "A serial killer who is a s****l predator as well." Matthew rubbed his eyes and heaved a sigh "So, we have six teenage boys missing." He went to the wall. Scrutinized it. He picked up a pad of sticky notes and a pen and scribbling on it, put one on Antonio's picture. "Make that five missing, as Antonio's body was found.  So, who are our boys?"

     Cal walked over to the wall and pointed to the first three pictures. "Marcus Quintanilla, Tyler Harris, and Pedro Rivas, all aged eighteen, missing since 2014. They were supposed t' be leaving on a summer trip t' Florida t' celebrate their graduating high school."  He then went to the pictures of Timothy and his two friends.  "Timothy Vigil, Lucas Somerset, and Antonio Mora, aged nineteen, missing since 2016. They were last seen at the skate park near Tingley Beach."

    Matthew's teeth clenched. Those boys had been taken away from any life that they may have had. "Okay, we know who they are, now we need to know who took them." 

    "That's the problem," Philip said next "Since we have no bodies, we have no DNA. No DNA..."

    Matthew nodded "No hits on suspects." He looked back at Cal. "The two boys we recognize had ligature marks on their necks and their tongues are removed, just like Antonio Mora."  

    Cal c****d his head to the side. "So, whoever th' fek is doing this is cutting tongues out?" he shook his head.  "Am I to guess why?"

    Philip tapped the nearby table. "To keep them from making noise."

    Cal looked at him "Bloody hell..." he mumbled. 

    Matthew c****d an eyebrow. "I agree, on both counts. Whoever took them, cut their tongues out to keep them from making noise, screaming. Which tells me our kidnapper takes them to an area that is populated or has neighbors." 

    "So, who's taking them?" came Joshua's voice.

    Matthew  shrugged, turning to face the Captain. "I don't know."

    "Your psychic doesn't know?"

    Cal excused himself from the room, dipping his head, and Philip just turned and focused on the wall of pictures. 

    Matthew gave Joshua a look of tolerance. "No, her gift doesn't work that way."

    Joshua said, stared at the Sergeant. "I see."  

    He stared at his Captain. Okay... He had never known Joshua to be so... impertinent. "Can I ask you something?" he said, still staring at him.

    Joshua just stared back. "What?"

    "Are you being rude on purpose? Or do you really dislike her that much?"

    "I don't dislike her," Joshua replied. "I just dislike her snowing you." He pointed at the wall of photos. 

    "She knows as much as we do," Matthew snapped. "You want me to look into these disappearances? Then, let her help. And give her some respect."

    Joshua narrowed his eyes at him. "Fine. But I am still keeping my eyes on her." Then he turned and left the room.

    "Sonofa--" Matthew swore.

    "He hates things he doesn't understand," Philip said, to soothe Matthew's feathers.

    Matthew just rolled his eyes, as Cal walked back in. "Got an address for Lucas' father," the Scot  said.

    Matthew nodded. "Good. Phil, shall we?" And he headed toward his office.

    Philip shrugged. "Yeah, sure."

    TANSY pulled her clothes on, glancing at herself in the mirror. 

    Detective Matthew Apodaca kissed her. With a passion she had not known before.

    Then he made it clear that kissing wasn't all he wanted to do.

    She eyed herself as her cheeks reddened to almost the same shade as her hair. She turned away from the mirror and started out of the bedroom. Get a grip.

    One whole day around the man, and she was seriously contemplating what it would be like to sleep with him. To know what it felt like to feel that body...

    Tansy shook her head as she entered the kitchen. Oh, for damned sake! Curb it, lady!

    The comment she'd made about having men in her life was true. It was also true that most left rather quickly when they found out about her gift. In two cases, after they had s*x with her. Those two instances had made her feel cheap, sleazy and used. 

    So, until Matthew Apodaca, she had stayed away from most men.

    Basically, she stayed away from people.

    Too many times in her life people had either treated her like she belonged in the mental ward or they were a little too fascinated with her ability. Very rarely did she come across someone who treated her like a person.

    Huh. Matthew, it seemed, was the one who saw her differently.  

    But what about after this is over? When we recover the boys' remains? Is he going to want me then?

    A pang shot her heart at the thought.  She wanted the handsome detective to be genuinely interested in her. But past experience had taught her not to give in so quickly.

    She was about to see if the neighborhood stray cats were waiting by the back door for some kitty kibble when the doorbell rang.

    Walking back through the living room, she opened the door to find Matthew standing there with the other detective she'd seen the other day. "Matthew?"  She was a bit stunned to be seeing him so soon. Especially after she'd been thinking so intently about him. She felt heat in her cheeks as he smiled at her. "Uh..."

    That sense of affection from him hit her again.

    A grin quirked his mouth. "Wanna go with us?"

    "Go where?"

    "To talk to Lucas' father. We thought you might like to go?" he offered.

    Tansy's eyes widened, took a step back. "Uh, no." She stepped back, shaking her head. "T-That's not a good idea."

    Matthew stepped over to her. She was a bit embarrassed when he took her hand, right there in front of his partner. He then shut the door. "Tansy,  we don't have to let Mr. Somerset know what it is you can do."

    She was shaking her head again before he finished his sentence. "That's... not the problem."

    "What is it?" His eyes searched hers. "Tell me?" He seemed worried.

    Tansy shifted her gaze to the other man standing there in the room.  

    "This is Philip Ortega, my partner. He's okay, and understands." Matthew replied to her questioning gaze.

    "I... I can't go with you."  She said quietly. "Because of the energies I'll feel." 

    Matthew kept searching her eyes. "Energies? Yours?" 

    "No," she breathed in a trembling tone. "Lucas' energies. He may not be there, but his aura still lingers."

    "I thought the aura would linger where he died?" Philip asked curiously, with a touch of innocence.

    Tansy shook her head yet again, wishing it was just her and Matthew having this discussion. "Only part of his aura is where his death occurred. The peaceful part of his aura, the one of family and home, lingers in the house he lived in."  She pulled her hand from Matthew's, wrapped her arms around herself. "So, no, I can't go with you."

    Matthew sighed. "Ah, I see," he said softly. His voice was warm, tender.

    She didn’t know why, but she hated that he was disappointed. Now, she felt like a horrible person for refusing his request. "I don't want to refuse you," she said quietly, knowing she’d upset him somehow. "But, I am afraid I'll be a basket case." 

    Philip walked back to the door. "If you don't think you'll be able to, then we won't force you." He looked pointedly at Matthew. "Will we?"

    Matthew smiled at her. "No," he said in a soft tone. "We won't." He took her hand again. "I'll see you later, yeah?" His eyes glittered with his warmth.

    Tansy watched his face: Yes, she had definitely disappointed him.

     She squeezed his hand in.  "You sure will."

    He didn't let go right away, but squeezed her hand as well. "You'll be okay?" he asked opening the door. Philip stepped out onto the front stoop as Matthew looked at her in earnest. When she nodded, he smiled that cute smile of his and let go of her hand. And then they walked out to the Rubicon.

    She watched them go to the vehicle. Oh, for... Buck up, lady! Don't be a wimp all your life! 

    "Shit..." On the one hand, she was afraid to go with them. Afraid of the sensations she'd pick up on in the presence of the boy's family. But on the other hand, she knew she couldn't back away, let it go. She had started this, went to Matthew with that drawing, and she shouldn't run away from any help she could offer. She had to see it through, see it finished.

    You're running from it.... again. Are you going to keep hiding? Avoid more people? 

    She was forever running from her clairvoyance. Perhaps it was time to stop. 

    Or is it Matthew you're running from?  Because he sparked desire in you?

    A gigantic sigh escaped her. Put your big girl panties on, and go with them. Help them the best you can. Time to stop running.