LOOKING FOR AN HONEST MAN CHAPTERS 3 & 4

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Chapter 3

Samantha glanced at her mother as she drove to Eggtc.

“You know I can’t give you a ride home? Gretchen promised that she would take you.”

“I remember,” Olivia said as they pulled up in front of the restaurant.

Located on the northern boundary of Brookside in Kansas City, Eggtc is a popular meeting place for the neighborhood. As usual, the front was crowded with people waiting to be seated. The waitress pushed through the crowd standing around the front door. She appeared harried, but managed a smile and artfully pulled a pen from her hair.

“Name? There’s a twenty-five-minute wait, but I have two places at the counter.”

“We already have a friend here at a table.”

“Gretchen?” the girl asked.

“That’s her,” Olivia said.

“She told me to expect you. Last booth on the left in the other room.”

The waitress walked away. Samantha grabbed Olivia's arm.

“Let’s go,” she said.

Gretchen Silk sat perusing the menu and drinking coffee. Gretchen had been Olivia’s close friend since grade school. They attended Visitation Catholic School together. Her mother had commented to her father that trouble had walked in the front door when Olivia brought Gretchen home for the first time. There was some truth in what her mother thought about Gretchen. Gretchen and Olivia were opposite ends of the spectrum. Olivia was more reserved and studious, while Gretchen was ready to party at a moments notice. Somehow, the relationship had lasted all these years. Gretchen still was the party animal and she chided Olivia for living in her narrow comfort zone. A thin woman with short black hair that emphasized her pallid features, Gretchen was known for all the husbands who had left her widowed and extremely rich. Three facelifts had left translucent skin with a bluish tone she covered with makeup.

Gretchen didn't look up as Olivia scooted across the bench seat to the wall. Samantha sat beside her.  The waitress immediately set two cups down and poured coffee. She placed menus in front of them and left to let them ponder the wide selection of food from toast to quiche. Eggtc isn't fancy, but Olivia dined here often because the food is far better than the standard fare you get at the chain restaurants.

Gretchen eyes never left the menu.

“Good morning, dear Olivia. Did you have another boring weekend at home?”

“Good morning, Gretchen. I see you had a grumpy weekend. No sex?”

Gretchen peered over the top of the menu and surveyed her friend.

“Some of us have needs, my dear. I didn't let my vagina freeze over.”

Samantha slapped her menu on the table.

“Stop it you two!”

Gretchen peeked from behind her menu to eye Samantha, her thin eyebrows arched.

“I know someone else who didn't get any this weekend. What a shitty way to start a Monday.”

“What are you having?” Samantha asked placing her hands flat on the table.

“Eggs Benedict Florentine,” Olivia answered.

“You're in a rut,” she said with a shake of the head.

“I know. So you've told me many times, but I'm working on it. Did I tell you I'm going to work Visitation Church's night at the St. James pantry? I told them I’d start next month.”

“Oh whoopee. That's one way to get out and have fun.”

“I'm starting dance lessons,” Olivia protested. “Twice a week I might add, starting this Friday.”

“Yes, you are.” Samantha pinched Olivia's cheek. “Now, tell me about your dream. I've never seen you look so shitty in the morning.”

“Wet or dry?” Gretchen asked dryly while motioning for the waitress that they were ready to order.

Olivia pushed Samantha’s hand away.

“You are crude, Gretchen.”

“Tell me about the dream,” Samantha said.

“I don't know what to say. It didn't last long, but the effects stayed with me all night.”

“Maybe you really need a man,” Samantha teased.

“I'm beginning to think that would help,” Olivia joked.

“The first sensible thing you've said all morning,” Gretchen said.

Samantha became serious.

“Would you marry again, mother?”

Olivia gave her daughter a surprised look.

“Why are you asking that question this early in the morning?”

“No reason. It just popped into my head.”

Olivia couldn't answer right away because she didn't know. Friends who had remarried were miserable. You still want the thrill, but she had come to cherish her personal freedom.

“I don't think so,” Olivia said. “I'd live in sin. I miss the closeness. Everyone one wants love, and those who deny themselves are missing a part of life.”

“Oh, you have so much experience,” Samantha said mockingly.

“Go for it, Olivia. The headlines: Frigid woman living in sin.” Gretchen waved her arms in the air.

“I'm learning and not closing any doors,” Olivia replied taking a sip of coffee and ignoring her friend.

“Okay, finish about the dream,” Samantha said.

Samantha stared at her with an intensity that reminded Olivia of Will. So focused, so driven and wanting to enjoy everything that life had to offer. The deep, blue eyes came alive when she looked at you. It made you feel as if she were peeling back the layers of your personality and staring deep inside to see how you're really made. The dark red hair hung to her shoulders with a streak of white hair at the temples that she refused to color. Samantha said she looked like Bonnie Raitt with the gray hair. Her pure white skin was free of blemishes, and thankfully no freckles.  A rambunctious child who was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder at an early age, Samantha had been a handful all her life.

Olivia bit her lower lip as she recalled the troubling dream. She described the young woman, and Samantha listened intently--almost too intently. Her brows arched in surprise as Olivia described the young woman's eyes.

“I've seen eyes like that before,” Olivia said. “They are beautiful. Some people call them a light brown, but they appear to have flecks of black, green and gold.  She had the saddest look on her face, and she asked me if I would help her.”

“That's it?” Samantha asked.

“Stupid dream.”  Gretchen sounded irritated.

 “That's it,” Olivia said with a shrug.

Samantha looked into her mother’s eyes as if trying to uncover some deep, secret hidden beneath the surface.

“Did she say anything else?”

“No, just would I help her.”

“She should be helping you,” Gretchen said. “That’s one of those dreams that you just forget.”

Samantha laid her hand on Olivia's.

“Where was she?”

“I don't know. God, Samantha, it was a dream. A stupid little dream.”

Samantha lifted her bag onto her lap and pulled out her iPad. She took a minute before she found what she is looking for and reversed the screen so it faced Olivia.

“Is this the young woman?” she asked.

The brown eyes were unmistakable. Although her features were beautiful, Olivia couldn't stop focusing on her eyes.

“That's her!”

Samantha turned the iPad for Gretchen to see. Gretchen froze for a second. Her mouth dropped open, and she stared at Olivia. For once, Gretchen was quiet and listened.

“You have no idea who this young woman is?” Samantha asked.

“What are you saying? Why would I know who this woman is?” Olivia cocked her head and searched Samantha's face. “What is it, Samantha?”

“Mother, this young woman, Vickie Taylor, has been all over the news for the past three days.”

“I guess I missed it. Who is she?”

Samantha returned the iPad to her bag and gave her mother a puzzled look.

 “Vickie Taylor is a retired policeman’s wife. She's been missing since Friday. Her parents reported her missing and suspect foul play. They can't find any trace of her.”

Olivia crossed her arms.

“Why didn't the husband report her missing?”

“I don’t know. I’m sure the police are looking into that.”

“She seems kind of young for the wife of a retired policeman, unless he joined the force right out of high school.”

“I think the evening news said that she was thirty-two.”

“I wonder why I dreamed about her. I guess I saw her on the news and just forgot about it.”

Samantha glanced at the clock on the back wall.

“I've got an appointment. We can talk about it tonight. Right now I need to eat.” She picked up her fork, pausing for a moment, “What's strange is that his first wife disappeared and they never found her. He says she ran away with a lover.”

“What's the husband saying this time?”

 “He doesn't know, and he is as confused as anyone.”

They dropped the subject and ate quietly. Olivia was surprised that Gretchen had no comment on her dream. When they were finished, Samantha patted Olivia's shoulder and walked to the door, stopped and blew Olivia a kiss. Olivia waved and realized that Samantha had left her with the bill.

Chapter 4

“So what do you make of this damn dream of yours?” Gretchen asked once they were in the car.

“I don’t know what to make of it. Did you recognize the girl?” Olivia asked.

“Just from the news. Hell, I have to admit that it took the wind out of my sails when Samantha said it was the girl who’s missing.”

“Why is that?” Olivia asked.

“It’s on all the news.” Gretchen turned to her. “Are you sure you’ve never seen her before?”

“I haven’t had the news on for days. It depresses me, so I don’t watch it.”

Gretchen didn’t say anything as she drove the rest of the way to Olivia’s, which was unusual for Gretchen. Olivia wondered if something was bothering her friend.

The young woman’s name was Vickie Taylor. She was still front-page news, although her story had been relegated to a panel near the bottom of the page. In the right hand corner of the rectangular column was the same haunting picture. Olivia felt a chill as she stared at the young woman. She felt as if Vickie were talking to her, but saying nothing. Once she started to read, Olivia focused on the story and forgot the picture. Finished with today’s edition of the paper, she returned to the menu and sorted through the news of the last three days. The Friday morning she disappeared, neighbors saw her leave for work around seven-thirty in the morning. That was the last anyone had seen Vickie. Her husband, Rick Taylor, appeared to have an ironclad alibi, but Vickie’s parents were suspicious of him. Vickie and Rick were in the midst of seeing a marriage counselor. He was known to have a temper, but had taken anger management classes. They lived in the Santa Fe neighborhood and were well liked by their neighbors. It was also reported that he and his first wife had gone to marriage counseling because of his violent outbursts.

Olivia took some notes on her iPad and wondered why she did it. What was she going to do with notes about a missing woman in south Kansas City who came to her in a dream? She placed the iPad on the small table beside her, leaned back in the lounge chair and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, and suddenly she saw the white light flash before her eyes. It shocked her at first, but she immediately realized that it was different than before. This wasn't self-hypnosis. Frightened, but at the same time curious, she made no effort to stop what was happening. This was something she’d never experienced before. She could have awoken at any time, but her instincts told her that she’d be okay. The white light began to fade to darkness. In the quiet, Olivia patiently waited for the voice.

“Help me.”

Olivia’s chest rose and fell as her own breathing echoed in her ears. It had been a whisper followed by a speck of light, much like a small dot in the middle of the darkness.

“Vickie?”

Hearing her own voice shocked Olivia. What in the hell was she doing—talking to herself?

“Help me.”

The voice grew louder, but the speck grew no larger. It hovered in the middle of Olivia’s mind like a rotating ball of light. Olivia had no fear, just anxious anticipation of what she’d see next. The speck became agitated and to Olivia’s surprise, a hand reached out, causing Olivia to turn her head to avoid being struck. It was a woman’s hand, and it beckoned to Olivia. Mentally Olivia pushed the hand away and became aggravated because she couldn't see whether it was Vickie or someone else this time. Her field of vision became larger as she recognized Vickie walking through a park or woods. It was partially dark outside: early morning or dusk. The rough terrain didn't bother Vickie. Her footsteps were light and measured. Vickie stopped, turned her head and Olivia could feel those eyes beckoning her to follow. They were now walking through a grove of trees with brush and saplings covering the ground that were easily pushed aside.

There was a loud grunt.

A dark image was on its hands and knees, pushing an object down the hill. Olivia strained to see what the figure was pushing through the small saplings that would bend and then snap back up, providing a woody curtain that Olivia’s eyes couldn't penetrate. Finally, the figure gave one last push and the object stopped. The figure stood, looked around but Olivia couldn't see the face covered by the hoodie. Quickly the figure sought out the piles of dead leaves from the past fall, and by the armloads, began to cover the object.

Vickie stepped in front of Olivia’s line of vision and pointed at the ground. Olivia followed where she pointed. She couldn't see anything but leaves and brush. Vickie bent down on her knees and slowly pushed the brush aside.  Puzzled, Olivia dropped beside her to get a better view. Olivia gasped as Vickie’s hand brushed aside more leaves to reveal Vickie’s face looking up at her from the ground. Her eyes were closed, her skin pale as bugs walked across the once olive skin. Vickie stood up and pointed behind Olivia. They were standing atop a large hill, and Olivia could make out the park Pavilion in Swope Park through the treetops. They were in the middle of the city.

Olivia gritted her teeth as a ringing penetrated the stillness: her cell phone ringing.  Groggy again, but not like last night, she fumbled in her pocket and pulled out the cell phone. It was Samantha.