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HUTCH OPENED HER CLOSET and looked over the clothes, trying to decide what to wear today. She needed to feel a little more human today, so she chose a simple black skirt that hit right above her knee and a lovely royal blue silk shirt. For a change, she felt motivated to get the day started.
She walked into the kitchen to find Mike busy cooking. He looked completely irresistible as he cooked. The wonderful aroma of bacon, eggs and coffee greeted her. Her stomach grumbled, reminding her that she’d missed supper last night.
He did not notice her until he turned around from the kitchen sink. When he saw her, he gave her a huge grin; it made her knees buckle. He was the only man able to turn her insides to jello with just a simple look.
He walked over and gave her a kiss, “Good morning.”
She pulled him in closer and kissed him back, “Good morning to you too.”
He looked her up and down, “You look gorgeous this morning.”
She ran her hands over his bare chest, “You look handsome as well.”
“I wanted to do something nice for you this morning, so I made us a good breakfast. You seemed to be sleeping well for a change and I didn’t have the heart to wake you.”
“You are too good to me.”
He grinned. “Now, sit down while I prepare us something to eat.”
“You don’t need any help?”
He swatted at her behind as he eased her to the barstool, “Sit.”
While he busied himself, she sat back and watched. She took in his well-defined muscles and washboard stomach. As he moved, his muscles rippled. He wore loose fitting pants, but she could just imagine the well sculpted muscles of his legs. His hair was still tousled. His jaw was square; his cheekbones were chiseled, and he had the most mesmerizing brown eyes that you could get lost in.
Everything tasted as wonderful as it smelled. “This is wonderful.” She walked over to him, “I love you Mike.”
He wrapped his arms around her and brought her closer to him, “I love you with all my heart.” She kissed him deeply.
“I don’t know what I would do without you in my life. You have been through a lot with me. It scares the hell out of me that my dreams are becoming more vivid.”
“You know I am here for you. I will be here no matter what.”
Just talking with Mike helped abate some of her fears. The storm was just beginning though, and the worst was yet to come.
On the way to work, Hutch stopped by a local voodoo shop to learn about charms and keeping the evil spirits away. She hoped to find something to ward off the malevolent force that surrounded the killer’s image in her visions and allow her to see his face. At this point, she was willing to try anything.
As she walked into the store, the bell above the door dinged. She’d met Paul Decimus when they stopped Bianca Honore from unleashing her army of zombies on New Orleans.
He walked over and gripped her hand in a firm shake, “How is the new gift coming along, cher?”
She shook her head, “I still don’t know if I would call it a gift.”
“Oh cher, you shouldn’t consider it a curse. Once you learn how to control your abilities, you will come to appreciate your gift. You are one of the lucky ones who sees that this world is populated by more than just flesh and blood beings.”
“I wish I understood why my gift has suddenly matured into something more.”
Paul Decimus replied, “I see that Rayne is still watching over you.”
Hutch nodded her head in agreement, “She is.”
“She is worried about you. Why don’t you tell me what you have been experiencing so that I may assist you?”
Hutch recounted the psychic experiences over the last few months, and Paul responded, “That is interesting. So these ghosts are now not only seeking you out, but you are seeing the killings through the killer’s eyes.”
“These women are begging me for help. If I could get rid of the black shadow that surrounds the killer, I may be able to see his face.”
“You have come to the right place. I will help you control your abilities so that you can stop this monster. I will also help you understand your gifts. It looks as if you have been given a specific purpose to help these women. You must keep your mind open and follow your intuition. You HAVE been given a very special gift. Not too many people have out of body experiences. There are only a few individuals who are extra sensitive and can leave their body to go where the actual vision takes place.”
She let out a sigh, “I think he has seen me.”
Paul cringed, “This man is very dangerous. We must protect you from him. Let’s make you a special Gris Gris and I will also put a charm in it to help you see his image. We must find out who he is. I wish I could be with you at all times, but maybe we can get Rayne to help us.”
Hutch shook her head, “Rayne sees him exactly as I do. She suggested I come to you for help. I suspect even the victims see him as I do, merely a black shadow.”
Paul considered everything she said, “There is a chance that Rayne helped supercharge your abilities. That could explain why you see through the killer’s eyes and the victims’ eyes.”
“If having these visions would help solve this case, I would be more than happy to be the vessel for them. But so far, all I have seen were gruesome murders that don’t bring us any closer to stopping this killer.”
Paul reminded her, “Just remember, above all else, it is most important to keep your psychic world open. When the visions start, you must remember to concentrate on how much you want to stop him. Think of the women who need your help- dead and alive. This will help clear your mind. Above all else, you must focus on him. Give me your hands. Let’s do a little experiment.”
Hutch handed him her hands, “Close your eyes and focus on one of your visions.”
As soon as she closed her eyes, images flashed before her eyes. They moved too fast for her to get a clear picture and then as if someone hit the pause button, they froze. She felt herself being transported to a front porch of an old worn down house. The vision was so real that she could smell the damp earth and decaying leaves. The flower beds out front were taken over by ivy and the honeysuckle grew rampant, traveling up the columns of the house. Someone had neglected the yard for years. She swallowed back her fear and concentrated on everything she saw. She feared another dead woman was here. She slowly made her way into the house. Dust and cobwebs covered everything. When she saw the broken mirror, her skin instantly began to crawl. Evil dwelled here; this was the killer’s house. Fear clung to her like a second skin, but she pushed on. She felt as if she was walking through an ethereal hell.
Before moving deeper into the house, she stopped to listen. She heard someone humming. Her mind screamed for her to wake up from this vision, but she must keep going if she wanted to stop this killer. She moved closer to where the noise came from. She slipped into the small room to find a bare chested man sitting at a desk. Something deep inside of her told her he was naked. He sat with his back turned to her, staring into a closet. She didn’t want to look in that closet. She knew what was in there. She saw it in her visions before; it was the small glass containers that held the eyes and tongues of his victims.
As he picked up a jar, the room was suddenly filled with the sound of his bizarre laughter. Goosebumps crept up Hutch’s body as her uneasiness increased. As glasses clinked together, Hutch moved closer to see what he was doing. He picked up another jar and lovingly rubbed it against his cheek before putting it back.
She needed to see how many jars were in there. This could be the only way they had of knowing how many women he’d killed to date. This was the purpose of this vision. Maybe she would finally get a good look at his face. She moved even closer, until she was peering over his shoulder. Suddenly, the laughter became almost hysterical. He wore nothing but a white mask on his face. Only his eyes were visible. He stared deep into her eyes. His eyes were cold, dark, empty and dead. His laughter turned demented. Without warning, the laughter stopped and he whispered softly, “You can’t see me, but I see you Detective Grace Hutcherson.” He picked up a jar for her to look in. It contained the eyes belonging to one of the victims.
Her mind reeled from the fact that he not only called her by her name but that he acknowledged he saw her. It was as if he knew she would be coming. Her body shook violently with that realization.
Suddenly, her mind was filled with darkness, but a calming darkness. She heard Paul calling out to her, “It is okay Grace. You are in my shop. Take some deep breaths.”
The reality of the dream had her shaking. The murderer knew she would have this vision, but how? He’d prepared for this very vision by wearing a mask. Anger exploded deep inside of her with such ferocity that it startled her for a moment. It surged through her body, seeped into her pores and filled her mouth with the bitter taste of bile. She didn’t turn away from the feeling; she instead savored it and let it strengthen her.
Instead of speaking, Paul just watched her as her mind churned with a multitude of thoughts and emotions. She let out an exasperated sigh, “What good is this ‘gift’ as you call it if I can’t keep him from killing these women? We can say in the end that I am giving them closure, but honestly how does that help? They are still dead, and their loved ones have to go on without them. I can’t bring them back, no one can.”
“Cher, you must understand that you have no control over fate, destiny or whatever you choose to call it. That is not what this gift is meant for. You are not expected to intervene or even right all wrongs. You have been given a gift to help these girls find peace from their violent deaths. Cher, you are a very empathic person. It is in your nature to help others, and this may come to include sharing in their pain and suffering. You are developing the ability to feel every experience of not only the victims, but also the killer.” He grasped Hutch’s hands tight, “Cher, there is another possibility of why you see the visions so clearly; this killer may be someone you know or run into often.”
Fear snaked down her spine at that very possibility. Was that why she couldn’t make out his face?
He saw the disbelief on her face, “Cher, it’s only a possibility, but it concerns me that you saw through his eyes and felt what the victims feel. Maybe your gift is progressing, but we also need to consider that you know the killer.”
Hutch’s stomach clenched as she listened to what he had to say. Her whole body shook at the possibility. Paul reached into his pocket, “I made this just in case, but you definitely need this now.”
She looked at the bracelet Paul handed her. It was a gorgeous black beaded bracelet. He informed her, “It is made of hematite. You must wear this all the time. This will keep you protected and keep the negative energies at bay.”
As she put on the bracelet, she asked, “Will I still be able to see the visions?”
“You should still see the visions, but it should prevent him from intruding on your mind. He seems to be more powerful than I initially realized.”
***
HE CRAVED HIS TIME in his private sanctuary with his mementos. It was his special time. This was where he could be alone with his trophies.
This was where he found true fulfillment from each kill. In here, there was nothing but him and his memories. It was his personal paradise. Being here rejuvenated him, renewed his focus, gave him strength and now he chose to share it with Detective Hutcherson. How he wished he could see her face right now. What did she think after witnessing these treasures he held so dear?