The radio burbled quietly, as they drove through the darkened streets. Kassie’s head was beginning to clear, the pain was less intense, and once more she felt embarrassed and ill at ease. Adam had said little in response to her latest vision, concentrating instead on signing the necessary paperwork to get her discharged and into his care. Kassie had the distinct impression he wanted to get her away from the hospital before she said anything else.
The Lexus rolled smoothly along the road, exacerbating the silence within. They were on their way home … to do what? Go to bed and forget all about it? Discuss her latest episode and act on it? Call social services? It all seemed so complicated, so confusing, and suddenly Kassie longed for some kind of clarity. Adam had agreed to help her confront her gift, hadn’t he? Or had he been humouring her all along?
Kassie watched as Adam leaned forward to turn the radio up. Clearly the silence was getting to him too. It was WKSC, a classic dad’s station full of eighties rock and nineties grunge. Kassie surprised herself by having to suppress a smile – she kind of liked the cheesy hits this local station played, but surely it was a bit old for Adam, who prided himself on being a trendy, youthful fortysomething. Swallowing down her amusement, Kassie tried to lose herself in the music – a rock anthem being swiftly succeeded by an eighties power ballad. It was fun to switch off, to sink into the clichéd lyrics and overfamiliar melodies. But too soon it was over, the latest news bulletin shattering the spell.
‘Before we bring you the weather, we have some breaking news,’ the newscaster announced. ‘At roughly nine p.m. this evening, CPD officers arrested and detained a suspect in connection with the murders of Jacob Jones and Rochelle Stevens, the so-called ‘Chicago Butcher’ murders. According to CPD sources, the suspect is now at their headquarters in Bronzeville, being questioned by CPD detectives …’
Kassie sat perfectly still, stunned by what she’d heard. The presenter’s voice burbled on, but if anything the silence in the car was now even more pronounced. Kassie’s head was spinning – what did it all mean? It wasn’t possible that she’d got it wrong, was it? That had never happened before …
Turning to Adam, she noted his pale complexion, the way he was gripping the steering wheel tightly. Anguished, nervous, full of doubt, she found herself saying:
‘Do you believe me?’
But Adam said nothing, staring straight ahead into the night.
‘I asked you a question, Adam. Do you believe me?’
There was a long pause, before Adam replied:
‘To be honest, I don’t know what to believe …’
‘Don’t say that,’ Kassie responded, stricken.
‘You tell me there’s going to be another murder, but the police have arrested a suspect. You tell me a woman is helping the killer, but the only female on the CPD’s radar is you. You tell me that I’m going to … to harm you, yet the thought has never entered my head, never would enter my head.’
It was all coming out in a rush – too fast and too devastating for Kassie to counter.
‘So, tell me, Kassie, what am I supposed to think? Just … what?’
Kassie stared at him for a moment, shocked by his words and his aggressive, desperate tone. Then she swiftly turned away.
‘Look, I don’t mean to vent,’ he continued, shooting an anxious look at her. ‘But, honestly, I don’t know which way is up any more.’
Guilt hit Kassie like a sledgehammer. The enthusiastic, committed doctor who’d offered to help her now looked beaten and drained. She sank back into her seat, feeling utterly forlorn. She could tell Adam regretted his outburst and wanted to engage with her, but she wasn’t capable of that right now. So, instead, she stared out of the window, hiding her tears from him as they drove on through the quiet Chicago streets.