Summary: Jarod helps a musician who has lost her sight, while Miss Parker faces a new threat.
Timeline: After Flesh and Blood.
Categories: Season 3 Characters: Brigitte, Broots, Jarod, Lyle, Miss Parker, Mr Parker, Mr Raines, Original Character, Other Non-Centre Related Character, Sydney
Genres: Romance
Warnings: None
Challenges: None
Series: None
Chapters: 2
Completed: Yes
Word count: 8226
Read: 3342
Published: 28/05/05
Updated: 28/05/05
1. Part 1 by KB
2. Part 2 by KB
Flying Blind
Part 1
The audience rose as one and, as the pianist rose to take her bows, her eyes glistened with tears. Although the concert had been going for more than three hours the audience appeared to be in no hurry to leave. Cries for an encore rose from various parts of the room, to be swiftly taken up by more and more people until, nodding her head in acquiescence, the musician again took her place and notes rippled through the room.
Kerri sat upright in bed, her chest heaving with sobs. The blackness that stared back at her was a continual and tortuous reminder of the horrific accident in which she had lost her precious sight. A hand came out of nowhere and began to release her hand from its tight grip on the bed-sheets.
"It's okay, Kerri. You're all right now."
The girl clung to the arm as one might the mast of a sinking ship and, her face wet with tears, gasped as she fought to regain her breath. The nurse, murmuring softly, helped the girl to lie down and smoothed the blankets.
"Would you like the radio on?"
"What time is it?"
The seemingly irrelevant question brought a smile to the nurse’s face, although it went unseen by the patient.
"A quarter before seven. That concert should be starting in about five minutes. Shall I turn it on for you?"
A nod of the now listless head was the only answer, but the understanding nurse switched on the radio and, almost immediately, the room was filled with the sweeping sounds of the classical music the girl loved.
* * * *
Miss Parker, her frustration about the turns her personal life and that of her family were taking, was in no mood for Jarod's toys and her response to his latest present was to fling it across the room. As Broots entered the black satin hit him in the face and then slipped through his fingers and fell to the floor.
"An eye mask? Who sent this?"
"Who do think? Jarod, of course!"
"What do you think it means?"
"How the hell should I know? Do I look like a mind-reader?"
As Broots continued to turn the mask and study it, Miss Parker's frustration turned finally to anger and she exploded.
"Did you want anything in particular Broots? If not then get out!"
"Well, actually, there was a sighting..."
"Put a sweeper team on it!"
"But..."
"Now!"
Broots shuffled back through the doorway, muttering apologies and explanations under his breath, all of which were too soft for Miss Parker to hear and merely added to her frustration.
* * * *
Kerri felt to way to the front door and, after several frustrating attempts to locate the correct key, let herself in. After bumping painfully into the corner of the hall table she was finally able to remove her jacket and found a vacant peg on which to hang it. She shuffled down the hallway, trying to recall the exact position of her furniture, in order to avoid any more painful collisions. Reaching the living area, she sat down on the couch, having first checked to see that her cat, Peter, wasn't in the way. With a sigh she leant momentarily back against the cushions before reaching forward to find the tape her friend, Elli, had supposedly left on the table.
A careless sweep of her hand sent the cassette crashing to the floor and, cursing under her breath, Kerri bent to pick it up. In frustration she felt her fingertips send it progressively further away and, with her head under the table, she let herself yell out loud, just once. As the sound echoed in her ears, a knock at the front door made her sharply raise her head and the crack of bone against wood made the visitor wince and then smile slightly and sadly as he heard the voice's owner curse again. The smile, however, disappeared from his face as he watched, through the half-open door, the faltering figure move down the hall. He pushed the small red notebook through which he had been looking deeper into his pocket and cleared his throat.
"Excuse me, Miss Stevenson. My name is Jarod Rorschach. I'm your occupational therapist. The hospital gave me your address. I was meaning to come and visit you before you were discharged, but time got away from me."
Kerri frowned slightly as she moved slowly forward. "I'm not sure that I remember anyone at the hospital saying anything about an occupational therapist."
"It's standard procedure. They might well have mentioned it and you forgot. I dare say you’ve had a lot on your mind. We like to make sure that you can manage on your own, give you things to help you along, that sort of thing."
There was a pause that Jarod did not want to break before Kerri spoke again. "I'm sorry, where are my manners? Would you like to come in?"
"Thank-you." Jarod stepped over the threshold and watched as Kerri, unsure about his exact location, tried to shuffle out of the way and almost tripped over the small table. He reached out and grabbed her elbow, preventing her from completely falling.
* * * *
Miss Parker's absorption in her mother's picture was disturbed by a squeaking of wheels entering her office and she was not surprised, when she looked up, to see Mr Raines in the doorway.
"Any sign?" The deep voice echoed through the room.
"Of course not. You would know. Is there anything going on in this place - except for the reason that we're all here, of course - that you actually miss?"
"Watch it. We're all expendable, you know. After all, what's one person to a corporation as big and powerful as the Centre?"
"Is that a threat Raines - or a prediction?"
"A threat - no. Just think of it as...an incentive."
* * * *
Jarod guided Kerri into the living room and, steering her around the furniture, led her back to the chair she had been using. Having sat her down, Jarod bent and picked up the cassette, placing it in her hand.
"Frustrating isn't it, to drop something and not be able to pick it up?"
"There's got to be an easier way!"
"Oh yes, there is. Let me show you."
Jarod took the cassette out of her hand again and then laid it on the floor. He then encouraged her to kneel down and showed her the best way to find it.
"The thing you should do is avoid using the flat of your hand, sweeping along the floor, because that will only knock it further out of your reach. Instead act as if you're mopping up a spilt drink, only move your hand around as you dab. Eventually you'll touch it and then bring your hand slowly down until you can feel it's outline with your fingers and palm. Then you can grasp it firmly. Yes, just like that. Good. Well done."
Kerri looked up, her face slightly flushed and with a smile on her lips and the cassette in her hand.
"How about getting around? I mean not just within the house, but outside as well, in restaurants and places like that."
"For walking around you have several options. Some people like the use of a stick to prevent them from walking into someone. Others use a guide dog. It's really up to you."
"And with other people?"
"For them to help you, do you mean? Unfortunately people are going to think that the best way is for them to forcibly propel you forward and you're going to end up pretty bruised when they do. The best way is to take them by the elbow - yes, I know it sounds funny - but like this. They can either bend their elbow to about ninety degrees or keep it straight. A grip like this makes it easy for you to know where they're going and they're not likely to walk you into things. If you teach your friends and the people that you're going to rely on most to do this, then you'll find life a lot easier."
Kerri's face had clouded at the idea of having to rely on others and she continued to look despondent as Peter entered the room. The cat rubbed itself against her legs and then went over to where Jarod was offering his hand for the small tabby to sniff. In no time the cat was curled up on his lap and purring while he continued to talk.
"I know that there are quite a few adjustments for you to make to your life, the least of which will, of course, be your music."
At the word Kerri looked away and suppressed the urge to cry. He voice was hard and full of resentment. "I suppose I'll have plenty to adjust to without that."
"But it would be such a shame to give up a wonderful gift like yours."
"You've heard me play?" The interest in her voice was unmistakable.
"Several times. I like good music too and yours is some of the best I've ever heard. You shouldn't throw something like that away."
Kerri's sightless eyes turned automatically to her hands and, the interest gone from her voice and face, she sadly shook her head. "What's the use? I can't do it anyway. So why bother?"
Jarod stood, came over and sat next to her. She turned around slightly until he could see her face and it seemed that one of the worst things he had seen was the tears brimming in eyes which saw nothing but dark.
"You shouldn't let a tragedy like that happen. There are ways, you know."
"How?" Despite herself, interest crept back into Kerri's face and she looked at him with eagerness.
"Have you heard of the Suzuki method?"
"Of course. It's how child geniuses succeed when they can't read a note." Her voice was scornful and full of bitterness.
"But for you it's a way to actually keep learning new music, wouldn't you say? You could borrow CDs from your local library and learn from them. There are plenty of people who could teach you the technique and you wouldn't need to give up. When I saw you there wasn't a sheet of music in sight, but you played as though there was. Why should there be a difference?"
Kerri's eyes were more eager, but there was still a slight reservation. "Can I be as good as I was?"
"Why not? Beethoven was deaf and he was one of the most brilliant composers of all time. Why shouldn't you succeed, just because you can't see the keys? You can hear the notes and play the keyboard. So why not?"
* * * *
Sydney fingered the letter for the thousandth time and, finally, laid it on the desk in front of him. Nicholas wrote weekly reports to tell him how the teaching was going and, for Sydney, they gave him something to think about. On the desk next to the letter lay the blindfold Miss Parker had thrown at Broots earlier. For some reason Sydney felt that this had more significance than other occasions when Jarod's clues had only led them to his most recently abandoned lair and Sydney wondered again what it meant. Sydney's eyes wandered to the two photos on his desk. Jarod in one frame and himself, Michelle and Nicholas in the other.
* * * *
Nicholas closed the book and chased the small boy with whom he had been working out into the sunshine that had replaced the earlier rain. As he turned back, a noise in the doorway made him turn and he was confronted by a man who he could remember as having been involved in that strange affair with Mr Lyle and his own kidnapping.
"Nicholas? My name is Jarod. We met once before."
Nicholas made no move towards the figure but responded. "I remember. You were going to kill Mr Lyle. Why didn't you?"
Jarod ignored the question. "I see you remember. Can I come in?"
Nicholas nodded and indicated a chair pulled up at the table, taking the other himself.
"Nicholas, I need your help."
* * * *
Kerri leant over and played the sequence of music again. Faultlessly she imitated the sounds she had heard, slowly at first but then faster until she was playing at the same speed as the recording. A tap at the window made her jump and she leapt up and, using the new tricks she had been taught, reached the aperture safely.
"Hi, Kerri."
"Jarod, are you early?" As she spoke, Kerri felt the Braille watch Jarod had given her and had painstakingly taught her to use. The man laughed.
"No. You were so wrapped up in your music that I think you forgot about the time. Can I come in?"
"Of course. Just a sec."
Kerri hurried to the door and opened it. She was astonished to hear an extra pair of feet crossing the threshold of her apartment and she stepped back slightly in surprise.
"You brought someone else to visit me?" Her voice was full of nervousness and slightly hard, as though she resented Jarod putting her in the difficult situation of having to meet and get to know somebody else.
"Someone who's been wanting to meet you for a while now."
As the party moved into the living room Kerri heard Jarod and the unknown person sit down and, checking that Peter was not in the way, she sat as well. Her action caused Jarod to laugh.
"It's okay. Peter's on my shoulder. He met us at the gate. Nicholas, this is Kerri Stevenson. Kerri, this is Nicholas Stamatis. Nicholas attended some of your concerts and wanted to meet you."
Kerri felt a firm hand take hers and she was delighted to find that he treated her quite normally. The life came back into her voice as she replied to his polite questions. Jarod sat quietly as they exchanged pleasantries but, as the conversation began to languish, stepped in.
"Kerri, I've got someone to teach you Braille."
"Who?"
"His name's Sydney. He's a friend of mine. He also happens to be Nicholas' father. I hope you don't mind but I asked him to come here this afternoon."
Nicholas interrupted before Kerri could speak. "But he'll be working today."
"Believe me, he'll come!"
In the car Sydney sat and looked at the card in his hand. He ran his fingers over the various Braille letters and wondered how Jarod had become involved in this way. Although the card was not signed, Sydney was well aware who had sent it and he smiled as he pocketed it and, picking up a pile of papers from the seat beside him, exited the car.
Kerri and Nicholas were discussing some of the music that they enjoyed when the doorbell rang. Jarod jumped out of his seat.
"Nicholas, will you get that? I'll be right back."
The young man moved to the door but, as he left, was amazed to see that Jarod had, apparently, disappeared.
Sydney's eyebrows rose as he saw the person who had opened the door. "Nicholas? Surely you didn't send me that card?"
"No, I didn't. But I think I know who did."
Sydney moved into the living room and Nicholas introduced him to Kerri. Jarod's voice could be heard also, although he could still not be seen.
"Well, Sydney?"
"Yes, Jarod. It's a safe enough refuge now."
Jarod strolled back into the room and took his seat again, Peter still apparent on his shoulder.
"You've taken a liking to cats now?" the psychiatrist smiled.
"Actually, I think they've taken a liking to me."
Kerri laughed and Jarod explained to Sydney why he had sent for him. While the two began their first lesson, Nicholas and Jarod continued the discussion they had started when Jarod had appeared in Nicholas' room.
"So you want me to take her out every so often?"
"I just want her to try to get used to society again. I'm afraid it's going to take some work. She's still resentful of her current situation and it'll take a lot of persuasion to let her go out. She's finding it difficult to get used to society again and I thought it might be good if she could get some practice with someone who isn't her therapist, otherwise she might become too dependent. I don't want to force you into it but..."
* * * *
Miss Parker shoved against the door to Sydney's office, expecting it to give. When it failed to do so, she kicked it and recoiled in pain as her toe met the solid door. A chortle from behind made her spin around and, as her eyes beheld Brigitte, still sucking one of her infernal lollipops, Miss Parker's eyes narrowed.
"What do you want?" she spat the words, hoping that Brigitte might actually be intimidated, but her hopes were short-lived.
"Daddy wants to see his Angel - now! I was sent to fetch you." The words, spoken in Brigitte's most sickeningly sweet tones, made Miss Parker's blood boil.
"Oh, really. Well then I guess he can just come and get me himself. That was always good enough before and it'll have to be good enough now, won't it?" Miss Parker spun on her heel and walked off, trying not to hear Brigitte's voice calling her back. As she entered her office, Miss Parker was disgusted to find Broots there, waiting for her.
"And what do you want? I suppose you've got a message from my father for me too, huh?"
Broots cast an anxious look at her before deciding that the sooner he delivered the message, the sooner he could escape. He thrust a piece of paper onto the desk. "Sweepers came up empty again. Just so you know." He shuffled backwards and fled, almost knocking over Mr Parker as he left.
* * * *
The next day, when Jarod approached Kerri's house for their session, he received no answer to his knock. Knowing by the open windows, and the fresh flowers evident through them, that she was home, Jarod loudly called her name and was stunned to see Nicholas' head peep around a nearby corner.
"Jarod, she's around here. We were enjoying the weather."
"You're kidding, right?"
"No, why?"
"I hate to point this out, Nicholas, but it's been raining all morning! In case you hadn't noticed." He added sarcastically as he wiped the drops off his face.
"Liquid sunshine!" In response Jarod snorted loudly and buried his hands in the pockets of his jacket as he followed Nicholas around the side of the building.
"You have a cold."
The words made Jarod pause and, as he looked around for the voice, he couldn't help contrasting the current tone with the despondency he had noted when he and Kerri had first met. The next minute he burst into laughter as he saw Kerri sitting on a love seat, which had been covered with a clear plastic sheet.
"You're right but I don't know how you heard me sniffing through all the noise." Jarod followed Nicholas into the homemade tent and cursed as, having knocked the cover with the top of his head, he received a cold shower-bath down the back of his neck.
Nicholas burst into laughter and Kerri, after having had the scene described in detail by Nicholas, suggested that they go inside so that Jarod could dry off. As she and Nicholas led the way, Kerri responded to Jarod's comments.
"It wasn't just the sniffing. You're voice tone changed because you're nose is blocked and I could also hear a rasp in your throat."
Jarod tried to respond but a burst of coughing prevented it and Kerri moved over to a cupboard and, extracting a towel, threw it at him.
"Go on up to the bathroom and dry off before it develops into pneumonia. Only your top should be wet and you can leave that off. It's not like I'm going to be able to see you." Jarod glanced sharply at her but could find no trace of bitterness or envy in her voice or face, a state very different from when they had first met, more than three weeks earlier.
* * * *
"Sweetheart, you have to get used to doing what Bridgie asks you to. After all, she is your mommy now!"
Miss Parker was torn between the desire to wrap her fingers around the neck of the woman smirking at her and getting sick from her father's tone.
"Daddy, if you wanted to speak to me, all you had to was come and tell me - yourself!"
"Angel, I was busy. I had no idea that you would by so defiant about this! You know," he moved around the desk and sat down in the chair. Brigitte moved her chair closer to him and, with another sickly smile, took his hand. "Raines was saying that you haven't been able to find a trace of Jarod lately. I was thinking that, after almost three years of failure, maybe you're a little burned out. It was suggested to me that perhaps Lyle should take over for a while. Of course, when you feel ready to come back..."
"You...you're going to give me some time away from the Centre?" Miss Parker could hardly comprehend the information she was receiving and her thoughts flashed immediately to Thomas.
"No, sweetie. We - your father and I - thought you might like some relief from the pressure of being in charge - just for a while."
From between her clenched teeth, Miss Parker finally spoke. "And what does Lyle think about this?" Before any of the occupants could answer, the windows of the spacious office were shattered and glass flew across the room.
* * * *
Jarod walked in among the mess of clothes all over the hall of Kerri's house.
"Busy?"
"Jarod, hi! No, just packing some last-minute things before we head off to the Guide Dog Centre. I can't believe that soon I'm going to be really independent! It's great!"
"The flowers are beautiful! Who are they from?"
"Oh, Nicholas and Sydney send them. A good luck present."
"Well, are you nearly ready to go?"
"Almost. You're a little early, though, aren't you? I thought we agreed that we didn't need to leave until at least eleven and it's barely ten o'clock now!"
"I thought you might like a little hand with the last few things."
"Great. Could you just grab - there should be a pile of CDs lying aaround somewhere and I can't find them. I wanted to take them because you said there was a piano there."
"Two, actually. There's a concert hall associated with the centre and they agreed that you could practice for a few hours each day if you felt like it."
"Great! I was a little worried that I could fall behind in my practising!"
* * * *
"Sydney, what's going on?"
"After the spate of shootings at the Centre they're installing a new type of security system. It's intended that, should anyone within the Centre ever fire a shot, the power and any connections with the outside world will immediately go off in that area of the building, thus preventing them from killing anyone or being able to successfully escape."
Miss Parker snorted. "Which idiot thought that one up?"
"Actually, your father."
"Oh, I see."
Sydney waited to see if she was going to speak further before changing the subject. "Have you seen Lyle lately? It seems the minute he's put at the head of this...chase... he up and disappears."
"The longer, the better, as far as I'm concerned."
"Do I detect a note of bitterness there, Parker?"
"Syd, I've been chasing Jarod for almost three years and now, because his former love interest is married to my father, I get shoved out of the way like a used shoe. Everything I've done for the Centre is just forgotten and the man who's almost destroyed the place more often than Jarod's stolen from it is given the opportunity to actually succeed!"
* * * *
Jarod turned the car around and drove down the gravel driveway with Peter curled up and purring on his lap. With one hand he reached down and scratched the feline's head before turning up the radio. He considered the information he had recently learnt - that Lyle was actually in charge of his pursuit now. The anger he felt at what had occurred between the two of them had been somewhat dissipated by the scene during Nicholas' kidnapping, but he was unable to help feeling sorry for Miss Parker, Sydney and the others of whom Lyle, viewing them as a threat to himself, would quickly dispose. Still, it could be interesting to see if there would be a difference in the methods used to capture him. Jarod grinned as he turned the car onto a highway and turned up the radio.
He stopped outside a white terrace house and gently beeped the horn. Michelle came out and walked over to the car, bending down so that the two people were on the same eye-level.
"He won't be too long, Jarod. He was putting together the last few things just as you pulled up. You know," she continued conversationally, "I haven't seen him this excited for weeks. I think he's missed the company."
"Well, I think he'll see a change in her now. When I went to visit her last week, she was a very different person."
The conversation ceased as Nicholas ran down the path and jumped into the car, almost knocking his mother over. As the vehicle pulled away from the curb, Nicholas yelled apologies to his mother through the open window, to which she replied with a wave and laugh.
"How was she on Sunday?"
"Disappointed that you didn't come, I think. She's been waiting to introduce her dog to you for a while."
"Ah well, gotta make a living."
* * * *
Miss Parker stared vacantly out of the window but was startled out her thoughts by footsteps behind her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her father hesitatingly approaching and she studiously focused on the scene in front of her.
"Angel, we only did what we thought was best for you." The long silence seemed to make Mr Parker uncomfortable but his daughter had no intention of breaking it.
"Sweetheart, Raines asked me to suggest that you might like to consider reinstatement - as a sweeper."
"No!"
Mr Parker waited to be sure that his daughter was not going to speak further before her left the room. Miss Parker reached around and unfastened her gun holster, which she dropped on her desk as she left her office.
* * * *
Jarod sat, silent, as the two younger people chatted during the drive home. When they pulled into the driveway Peter appeared on the path. As Kerri and her guide dog, Paul, got out, the cat's back arched and his hair stood on end. With a violent hiss, he leapt onto Jarod's shoulder and, from that perch, glared down at the cat. Jarod winced as the claws cut into his skin through the jacket and shirt he wore but Paul, true to his training, refused to be distracted and stood at attention, his head pointed straight ahead.
* * * *
Miss Parker walked into Sydney's office.
"Syd, I have to talk..." her voice trailed off as she saw both Sydney and Broots sitting behind the desk, the eyes fixed on a point behind her. Turning, she saw Lyle sitting on a table, his gun pointed at her face.
"Why, Miss Parker, how nice of you to join us!"
Wide-eyed, she recognised the object swinging from his other hand. It was her loaded gun-holster. Putting it down on the desk, he reached across and flicked a switch beside the door, electronically locking the door from the inside.
* * * *
Jarod carried the tray into the living room, Peter purring on his shoulder. It had taken some coaxing to get the two animals to meet but, almost at once, the resentment of the small cat had disappeared and a strong friendship appeared to grow at once between the two. Nicholas made up a coffee for both himself and Kerri.
"Where's mine?"
Kerri laughed at the pretend hurt in Jarod's voice and Nicholas held out an empty cup. "Go right ahead. No-one's going to stop you!"
Jarod was still laughing when he and Nicholas left the house, although the topic had changed many times during the course of the conversations. After he left Nicholas at home and reached his own lair, he picked up the phone.
"This is Sydney." The older man felt a bead of sweat slide down his face as he felt Lyle's gun pressed to the back of his neck but, with his eyes, he signalled at Miss Parker to keep her distance and, nodding imperceptibly, she obeyed.
"You're doing great work!"
"Jarod!...Jarod, this is not a great time..." Lyle snatched the phone from Sydney's hand and put the phone onto speaker.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Wonderboy himself!"
"Gee, Lyle. It's been a while. How are you holding up? I hope you haven't developed any nervous habits as a result of our last little...meeting."
Miss Parker couldn't help sniggering slightly, remembering the lies which Lyle had told her just after her picked himself up off the floor and, at the sound, Lyle spun around.
"Shut up! There's going to be a few changes around here!" He laid the phone down on the desk and beckoned Miss Parker closer to him as he pointed the gun at her head. "Listen here, Jarod. The order's changed now and I run things a bit differently!" He aimed the gun and pulled the trigger. Instantly everything went black...
Flying Blind
Part 2
Jarod threw the mobile phone down onto his bed as he passed and stared out of the window, seeing nothing of what passed before him. Moving over to the kitchenette, he reached into the fridge and withdrew a can of Dr Pepper. The ringing of the phone sent the can onto the floor, where it sat, gently rocking, as Jarod leapt for the receiver.
"Sydney? Is that you?"
"Jarod? No. It¡¦s me, Nicholas. Why? What¡¦s going on?"
"Sydney should¡Koh, never mind. It¡¦s not...What¡¦s up?"
"Did I leave my wallet in your car? I haven¡¦t been able to find it since I got home."
"I¡¦ll have a look and call you back."
"Okay, sure. Take your time. It¡¦s not that important but I¡¦d like to know where it is."
"Sure thing."
Jarod hurriedly disconnected the call and tried Sydney¡¦s number again. A sigh of relief broke from his lips as the dial tone switched to a ringing sound in his ear, and he resumed his pacing as he waited for the call to be answered.
„Q
* * * *
Miss Parker stretched out her hand in the dark and, as she made contact with another figure, she hastily withdrew. Trying to rise, she heard the crack of her head on the underside of Sydney¡¦s desk, where she had flung herself only an instant before Lyle had pulled the trigger, and then she felt the pain the knock caused her and swore under her breath. Wriggling to the side, she stood up and tried to perceive anything through the black, silent room. The artificial windows, which only let in artificial light and which had also gone off when the power was cut, were no help. With a frustrated groan, she gave up and tried to work out if she had been injured by Lyle¡¦s gunshots. Realising that she was physically all right, she felt her way around the walls of the room until she reached the door and pulled it open. The darkness of the hallway merged with the darkness of the office and made no difference.
Sydney picked himself up from the corner of the room where he had flung himself when Lyle had moved the muzzle away from him and had aimed it at Miss Parker¡¦s head. Stretching out his left arm, Sydney was able to reach the small, portable, battery-operated lamp that stood on the table near him and carefully switched it on. Instantly a small, yellow glow filled the room and Sydney, who had used his right hand to remove a small pistol from his trouser pocket, looked around to try to find Lyle. An open vent clearly showed the method used by Lyle during his escape and Sydney realised, as he pocketed the pistol, that he could do nothing more about that. Instead he turned to look for Broots and Miss Parker.
Broots stood and, blinking in the dim light, he too stared around for Miss Parker. She had disappeared into the hallway in search, Sydney guessed, of someone she could blame for everything which had happened and Sydney hoped, fervently that she wouldn¡¦t meet¡Koops! Judging by the yelling, Miss Parker had met her new stepmother first of all! He grinned ruefully at Broots, who had taken out his hanky and was mopping the beads of sweat from his face and head. As Sydney was about to say something consoling, the overhead lights flickered once and switched themselves on. At the same time, the alarm system was set off, making speech impossible, so Sydney merely clapped Broots on the shoulder and sent him out into the hall, thus stopping the younger man from realising how much Sydney was still suffering from the activities of the past few minutes. Then he sat at his desk and, one finger stuffed in his right ear to block out the noise, reached over for the phone, which had started to ring when the lights went on.
"This is Sydney."
"Finally!"
"Jarod? I¡¦ve never heard you this concerned!"
"Well, actually, I was more worried that my phone wasn¡¦t working. Are you okay?"
"We all are. Luckily, as soon as Lyle pulled the trigger¡K"
"¡Kthe power went off. I know." Sydney shook his head, amazed again that Jarod somehow always knew what was occurring. In the stunning silence, which came as the sirens were switched off, Sydney was able to concentrate more on what Jarod was saying.
"Is Lyle gone?"
"Do you really think he¡¦d be able to stay around after that? No, he used your favourite method of escape. So I guess things can finally go back to normal."
"I guess so."
When Sydney heard the dial tone in his ear, he hung up the phone.
„Q
* * * *
Miss Parker sat behind her desk and openly gloated. In her first forty-eight hours back in charge of the search for Jarod she had uncovered five strong leads on his whereabouts, more than Lyle had done in his whole time on top. She glanced through the mail at her right hand and pulled out a small package. As Sydney entered her office she waved it in his direction and rummaged in her desk for her paper knife.
"What¡¦s in it?"
"How should I know? Does it look as though I¡¦ve opened it?" She ripped it open and shook out a parcel wrapped in tissue paper. With a vigorous movement, she ripped the paper off and stared at the pair of dark-rimmed glasses as they sat on her desk, gently rocking.
"Damn it! These puzzles are getting more frustrating the longer he¡¦s out there!" She glared at Sydney, who was still looking with a curious expression at the spectacles. "Well, what is it, Syd?"
"This." He picked up the frames and looked at Miss Parker. "Do you happen to remember what he sent in the last parcel?"
* * * *
"Nicholas? I¡¦m sorry but I couldn¡¦t find your wallet. Are you sure you didn¡¦t leave it somewhere else?"
"I don¡¦t know." The young man stood and walked to the edge of the porch, looking out over the garden. A grin broke over his face as he saw Kerri coming up the path towards him.
"Hi!"
"Hi Nick."
"I didn¡¦t, by any chance, leave my wallet at your place, did I?"
"No, you would have put it on the bench in your kitchen and I¡¦ll bet you knocked it off when you were looking for something else." As Kerri sat down and began chatting to Jarod, Nicholas went into the house, only to reappear seconds later with the wallet in his hand and an amazed expression on his face. "How did you know that? Are you psychic or something?"
"Of course not. I just know you by now, that¡¦s all."
Jarod looked confused. "Psychic? That sounds like something footballer players do."
"No, Jarod." Kerri laughed. "Psychic people have the ability to read people¡¦s minds. There was something about that in the paper that Nick read to me yesterday. Do you have it here?" she queried and Nicholas went inside the house and re-emerged with the paper. He opened the pages to the classified section and showed Jarod the relevant ad.
"Here, see. People pay them a certain sum of money and they tell them what¡¦s going to happen in their lives."
"Load of crap!"
"What?" The two men turned and stared at Kerri, who grinned again as she answered. "Well it is. I mean, find your star sign, Jarod, and just tell me how accurate it is."
"My¡Kwhat?"
"Your star sign. It depends on when you were born - I mean the month and the date." A pained look passed across Jarod¡¦s face briefly but he hid it. "Your star sign for that day or week or whatever will tell you something about what is happening or what¡¦s going to happen. Here¡Kyou were born in¡K?"
"In? Um¡KSeptember."
"Early or late?"
"Oh¡Kearly."
"Okay, Virgo. ¡¥People are depending on you every which way you turn lately, and it¡¦s important not to lose sight of the bigger picture. For the next few weeks attempts to ignore those needy people around you and decide which steps need to be taken to take you to the next level.¡¦ See? Stupid. Vague as all get out and not even any real use. As though anyone is going to turn away from people who really need them. Especially not you."
"What¡¦s wrong with someone just trying to make a little money by fooling gullible people? ¡¥A fool and his money¡K¡¦ you know the saying."
"Because they don¡¦t make little money. They make a lot of money. After I first got out of hospital, I had calls all the time from all over the country about people who would come and tell my fortune, and all I had to do was to send such and such an amount of money to this address and come to this place with this much and make a section in my will to leave this much. It was as though I was stupid as well as blind."
"You mean that they cheat people out their money by pretending to know stuff about them? But why do people believe them?"
"These people are usually pretty convincing. They say things that can be interpreted in different ways. And most of the things that they do say are phrased like questions and people inadvertently answer them and tell the psychics more than they mean to. Mostly, though, psychics are just people with a little bit more understanding than the rest of us. They can guess by body language or expressions what¡¦s right or wrong. And a few decades ago they were burned as witches because of having special powers that scared people. So I guess they¡¦re trying to make up for it now!"
Jarod turned a startled face to her angry one. "And they get away with this?"
"Every day of the week."
* * * *
Sydney turned over the glasses and mask in his hand and stared out of the now-glassless window in his office. A series of attacks on the Centre, for which everyone suspected Lyle or some of his accomplices, were making everyone edgy. Miss Parker, frustrated from being unable to understand what the latest clue from Jarod was trying to suggest, was an additional pressure.
"Nicholas? Hi, it¡¦s me."
"Dad! How are you?"
"I¡¦m really well. Listen, I really rang to find out about Kerri. I haven¡¦t seen her for a few days and I thought I¡¦d get in touch again, but I¡¦ve lost her number."
"She¡¦s really well. With Paul¡¦s help she¡¦s becoming really independent."
"That¡¦s wonderful. She¡Kthere¡¦s no hope for her to regain her sight, I suppose?"
"Well, not the last time she went to the doctor there wasn¡¦t."
"I see. Oh, I nearly forgot. Do you and your mother want to come around for dinner tomorrow night?"
* * * *
Jarod left Nicholas¡¦ house with a firm determination to change things but without really knowing how to go about it. He had an instinctive feeling that this was one situation into which he would not be able to slip easily. Psychic powers and abilities were not something which with he had had any connection during his time in the Centre and he had no idea of the approach he should use. However, as he walked, a plan formed in his mind. If, of course, she was willing to help, Jarod knew that he could make a ripple in the psychic community, which would have very far-reaching consequences.
* * * *
Miss Parker slammed the phone down on the cradle and paced the room angrily, muttering to herself under her breath.
"Come on, Syd. Where are you? Damn it!"
She threw herself into a chair, which creaked in protest, and reached out for the phone again. Under her hand it began to ring.
"What?"
"Ah, nice to see nothing¡¦s changed!"
"What do you want, Jarod?"
"Oh, I just thought a cosy chat on a night like this¡K" Miss Parker snorted and Jarod laughed. "Oh, come on, Miss Parker. Do you mean to tell me you never get lonely?"
"What, with you to keep me entertained with all of your little ¡¥presents¡¦? How could I?" Her eyes followed a small, white object around the room and, although her voice didn¡¦t change, the expression on her face showed that she had not found all of Jarod¡¦s ¡¥presents¡¦ annoying.
"So why the call, Jarod? Got another mystic clue for me to follow?"
He laughed again. "Not quite. I just suggest you keep your eyes and ears open."
"Jarod? Jarod - wait."
* * * *
Jarod pressed the small remote control and the figures on the screen froze, with Kerri in the act of passing over several banknotes to the psychic sitting in front of her.
"Well, at least we¡¦ve got the evidence we need to expose these people. Have you still got all of the other letters?"
"Which ones?"
"You know. The ones that say ¡¥I obtained your address and I wondered if you¡¦d be interested in my services¡¦. We can get them on charges of sharing your address without your permission as well as fraud and working without a license."
"They¡¦re in that envelope on the table. I figured we could also fit the tape in the same package."
"Great idea. Okay, so is everything organised?"
"I think so. I¡¦ve arranged my next visit for Thursday, which, I thought, gave us time to set everything up."
"Oh, sure. But have you also arranged an at-home visit, so I can put the camera into her office?"
"For the day after tomorrow, at two o¡¦clock. And she¡¦s also really prompt."
"Okay, great. Then we can properly get this done."
* * * *
Miss Parker threw open the door to Sydney¡¦s office and sat down in a chair as he continued to write a report . She glared at Sydney until he finished his last word, capped the pen and then looked up at her.
"Well?"
"Well, what?"
"Where were you last night? I spent the whole night trying to call you!"
"I was at home, why? Nicholas and Michelle came around for dinner."
"Why didn¡¦t you answer the phone then?"
"Because it never rang. You must have dialled the wrong number."
She gave him a withering look. "Oh, please! After four years you think I¡¦d just forget the number now, all of a sudden. You¡¦ll have to do better than that."
"I¡¦m afraid I don¡¦t have a better explanation. And now, if you don¡¦t mind, I have a lot of work to do."
* * * *
Madame Sabian opened the door and graciously ushered in her next customer, carefully avoiding eye contact with, and attempting to conceal her terror of, the dog as it moved past her into the room. Taking her accustomed seat opposite her customer, Madame Sabian looked briefly at Kerri.
"Well, shall we begin?"
"Of course." Kerri handed over a small, tied bundle, which Madame Sabian dropped into a small slot beside her. A small sound, like a muffled thud, made Paul prick up his ears, but, true to his training, he remained at his mistress¡¦ side.
"I see that your relationship with your boyfriend will begin to fail. He will leave you for someone who has more to offer him¡K"
As Madame Sabian continued, Kerri smiled to herself. The predictions had begun well but, over recent days, had begun to be more negative. The soundproof room prevented her from hearing anyone outside but she felt the vibrations of approaching footsteps and, shocking though it was to the psychic, she herself felt no surprise when the door was wrenched open.
* * * *
Jarod stood in front of the confused psychic and, it must be admitted, gloated. He always enjoyed moments like this.
"You know, for someone who professes to know the future, you look quite startled."
The woman opposite took several seconds to regain her composure. "Not at all. I simply expected you to enter through that door." She pointed to the entry behind her.
"Now, it¡¦s strange that you should mention that door because I have a little question for you. Actually its more in the way of a test. You see, my friend here" she indicated Kerri who received a glance from Madame Sabian but which had no effect "has informed me that there are few little illegalities in regards to the¡K business¡K that you run here. For instance," Jarod pulled a small piece of paper out of his pocket, "I have evidence that, although the job you do is legal, you perform it without a licence, which is not. Equally you pass on the private details of your prospective clients to others in your field - without the consent of the aforementioned clients." He looked over at the face opposite, which was blank in dismay, before continuing. "Now, I have to admit that I¡¦m something of a sceptic about this whole psychic thing. But, I always like people to have a chance to prove themselves. Therefore I¡¦m going to give you a little test. Now, don¡¦t look so scared. It¡¦s quite simple. I have the information that will convict you. I also have several police waiting to arrest you. The information is behind one door, police behind the other. Which will you choose?"
* * * *
Jarod and Nicholas watched and described to Kerri the process of Madame Sabian being arrested and led to a waiting police car.
"But how did you know Madame Sabian would pick that door?
"Two ways. She saw me appear from the other door and so assumed that if I could come in that way, so could the police. Equally she had no idea that I knew where the other door led, or how easy it would be for me to access."
"So you knew what she would do? What are you, Jarod? Psychic or something?"
The End
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.