Flash 06: The Temporary Wife
Flash 06: The temporary Wife
by Saddletramp1956
Copyright© 2025 by Saddletramp1956, All rights reserved
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Walker. I wish I had better news,” I said earnestly as Denise covered her devastated expression with her hands. I hate seeing my female clients cry, so I handed the pretty brunette a tissue from the box I kept on my desk. I could also feel her personal anguish like a pirate radio broadcast, which was distressing. As a private investigator, I had seen this happen far too many times.
“How could he do this to me?” Denise moaned as she dried her tears. “I’ve done everything I could to be the best wife possible to him. I’ve cooked, cleaned, and washed his dirty laundry. Taken care of his children. And this is how he treats me!”
Moved by pity, I admit I inched over my personal line a bit. “Do you really want to know?” I asked, gently.
Denise stopped crying and looked at me, confused. I could almost see the question flash across her forehead. Could he really find out why her husband of five years was cheating on her? Would it make any difference?
“Can you do that?” she asked, bewildered. Everyone Denise had spoken to said Cameron Drake was unlike any private investigator in the business. If anyone could get her the information she desperately needed, he was the man.
I smiled widely and knew the gold specks in my eyes lit up. I cannot help it, it’s like a reflex. I saw Denise flinch for a moment, in surprise, before remembering that I worked for her. This wasn’t unusual. Most people found my eyes… unsettling, though they usually had a difficult time explaining why.
“Absolutely,” I assured her. “In fact, I can present you with everything he’s ever done in his entire life if you want.”
“Everything?” a startled Denise exclaimed.
“Everything,” I repeated slowly for effect. “I can even tell you why.”
“Wow. That sounds… expensive. I don’t know if I can afford that,” Denise whimpered. “It’s hard for me to spend any money without him finding out.”
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Walker. It’s part of the package,” I reassured her.
“Well, then… Let’s do it. I wanna know why he’s doing this to me. To us.”
“Consider it done, Mrs. Walker,” I replied. “And Ginger said you can call her any time if you need someone to talk to,” he added, referring to my wife.
“Thank you, Cameron. I may take her up on that offer,” Denise said before leaving the office.
…
I felt for the pretty brunette woman and recalled my own feelings after learning what Ginger had done to me almost five years earlier. Although I had forgiven her, after discovering the circumstances, I would never forget the rage and heartache I experienced, along with the feeling of utter betrayal.
Of course, that was before I was accidentally struck with an alien device that altered my DNA – that is still modifying my DNA, and could be for years to come. After that encounter, I discovered that I could download a person’s entire memory into my mind and store it on my computer, where I could search it using an engine very much like Google on steroids.
But that was just the beginning. Over time, I also developed other mental abilities that I could utilize in my new role as a private investigator. Those abilities helped me learn what Ginger had done. More importantly, it helped me discover that she had been drugged and taken advantage of.
After dealing, very drastically, with everyone responsible for what had been done to Ginger, I reconciled with her, and we saved our marriage. It wasn’t easy by any stretch of the imagination, but we managed it.
The aliens responsible for the accident taught me how to utilize my new abilities and continue to mentor me throughout my ongoing transformation. Smith and Jones, as I like to call them, still come by every week to work with me, Ginger, and our twin children. Primitive humans, and our reaction to their technology, are evidently a significant anomaly for them.
Although Ginger was never struck with the alien device, her DNA began to change almost as soon as we became… intimate… and exchanging primal bodily fluids regularly. Those changes were passed on to the children we conceived.
Smith and Jones assured us that the children were stable and could eventually become even more powerful than both Ginger and me. That makes me feel a mite uneasy, since I know how powerful Ginger and I are.
I frequently hoped they wouldn’t come into their full powers until they were responsible and emotionally stable, say, in thirty-five or so. Right now, our kids are a handful. If the onset of puberty changed that, we might have to move to a remote island for everyone else’s safety.
I focused back on the case and was looking through the file when my friend Bill Collins entered the office with a folder in his hand.
“Nice job on the photos, Bill,” I commented. I initially hired Bill for his wizardry with research and business development. But he had proven quite efficient in other areas.
“Thanks,” Bill replied. “It felt good working in the field. Any news on the case?”
I winced. “I just briefed Mrs. Walker. She didn’t take it too well. Not that I expected her to.”
“It’s never easy learning that your spouse is cheating on you,” Bill sighed. Like me, he had experienced a cheating spouse and knew the heartache and emotional havoc it caused.
“No, it’s not,” I agreed. “Is there something else?” I asked.
“Yeah. I searched public records on Colin Walker. Found something interesting.”
“Oh?” I asked.
“Yeah. It seems that Colin was married and divorced three times before marrying his current wife. Two times to the same woman,” Bill said, handing me the folder.
“Three times? And twice to the same woman?” I exclaimed, shocked. “Damn.”
“Yeah. Smells pretty fishy to me,” Bill said.
“Not to mention expensive,” I added, my mind instantly considering all the possibilities and finding significant logic gaps in every direction.
“From what I saw, his first and third divorces were quite amiable. Surprisingly amiable. No one contested anything. He asked for and received custody with no argument. And no support. Just an even split of the assets.”
“Hmm,” I replied skeptically while thumbing through Bill’s report. Thorough as always, but the facts didn’t exactly line up.
“The second divorce, however, was a different story. Both of them initially accused the other of adultery.”
“And?”
“His second wife suddenly dropped her charges and accepted his demands. It cost her a pretty penny, though.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, flipping quickly to that section of the report.
“I did a little extra digging. It turned out that she had inherited a pretty sizable trust fund before they married. It was nearly depleted by the time the divorce was finally settled.”
“How much are we talking about?” I asked, curious.
“From the records I was able to access, well over five million dollars,” Bill replied. “After the divorce was final, Colin reconnected with his first wife and took her on a round-the-world cruise. They remarried while at sea. Two years later, they were divorced—same pattern. No support, an amiable split. He kept the kids, and they went their separate ways.”
“How long before he married Denise?” I asked.
“Three months,” Bill said emphatically.
I whistled, though it fit the timeline. “He’s not one for wasting any time, is he?” I suddenly wondered if he and Denise had had a relationship before the third divorce, or if they really had gone from meeting to married in three months or less. I hate it when clients don’t give the entire background.
“I guess not,” Bill sighed.
“You said his second wife had inherited a trust. What about Denise?” I asked.
“I haven’t gotten that far in my search yet,” Bill admitted.
“Okay, no problem. I’ll ask her about that. Do you know where Colin is?”
“He’s at the Marriott over in Newport, supposedly attending a conference,” Bill noted sourly. “My sources say he checked in, but I don’t have a tail or watch on him. There is a business conference going on through the weekend, but it could be a cover for… other… activities.”
“Maybe I’ll go and pay him a casual visit, say hello or something,” I replied. “Nice work, by the way.”
“Thanks, boss,” Bill responded with a smile before heading back to his office.
I looked at the time and realized I could make it to Newport, get what I needed from Colin, and be home in time for supper.
“So, you’re going to Newport,” Ginger said in my mind. That, by the way, was one side effect of the changes in our DNA. The whole family, including the twins, was now part of a neural network, meaning that our minds were connected. It took time to adjust to that, but I found it comforting to know that we were all linked that way.
“Yeah,” I sighed. “Got a cheating husband and I need his brain feed.”
“Vaporize him,” my daughter Jenny suggested in her sweet little-girl voice. I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Nuke him from orbit, Dad. It’s the only way to be certain,” my son Jeff added.
“I think a couple of young ‘uns have been watching too much television,” I shot back.
“They watch what you watch… D-A-D,” Ginger chided.
“Oh, blame the Dad, huh? I see how you are,” I joked back, feigning offense.
“Yes! Blame the Dad,” our twins chorused before breaking into laughter and giggles. Ginger joined in the laughter, and I did as well after a few moments. Mental laughter is different from physical laughter, by the way. Like bright, wispy clouds tumbling through your head and angels playing merry thunder on every kind of instrument. This sort of mental banter was normal in our home, and I admit that I thoroughly enjoyed it, although people who didn’t know all the facts might easily think we were nuts.
“Okay, head on out. Let me know when you’re done,” Ginger reminded me.
“I will,” I told her. “Love you guys!”
“We love you,” Ginger and the kids shouted in unison.
I grabbed my “go bag,” sent Bill an e-mail letting him know where I was going, and headed out. An hour later, I pulled into the parking lot of the Marriott, which was almost full thanks to the convention.
I went inside and became part of the crowd walking through the maze of displays. Unlike everyone else, I was looking for a specific person and wasn’t interested in what they were all hawking.
After nearly 45 minutes, I found him in a display booth engaged in an animated conversation with someone who clearly wasn’t interested in what Colin was selling. A woman was in the booth with him, and I recognized her from the photos Bill had gotten earlier. I kept my face carefully neutral.
I fought a headache as I looked at Colin, as the anaglyph effect was powerful with him. This was due to a side-effect of my DNA change. People who can’t be trusted appear in a very distracting way – almost like looking at three different versions of the person, one blue, another red, and the third green. Like watching an old 3D movie with the glasses not sitting right on your face.
The effect was strong with both him and the woman with him. Wonderful, I thought sarcastically. Tamping down my headache, I meandered to his booth and looked at the brochures.
“Do you have any questions I can answer for you, sir?” Colin asked as he approached me. His hand was out, so I accepted. There was a visible spark as we shook hands, and Colin flinched.
“Sorry. Must be the static in the floor,” I said with a smile as his brain feed flooded into my hippocampus.
“Uh, yes. Must be,” Colin replied, recovering his jovial sales demeanor quickly.
“And you are?” I asked.
“Colin. Colin Walker,” he said, pointing to his paper name tag.
“Colin. Good to meet you. And who is the young woman with you?”
“This is Daisy,” Colin replied, gesturing for the woman to join us.
Daisy stepped forward and accepted my hand, also feeling the brief spark. She jumped as her brain feed entered my mind.
“Sorry. A lot of static on this floor,” I said, smiling in what I hoped was an ingratiating manner.
“I guess so,” Daisy said while rubbing her hand. “I’ve never noticed it before. Maybe it’s your shoes.”
“That’s possible,” I told her, noting to myself that it wasn’t technically a lie.
“So, have you given any thought to retirement?” Colin asked, jumping back into the conversation.
“No, I haven’t. I won’t be retiring for years,” I said.
“Well, with an unsettled economy, it’s never too early to start planning.”
“I suppose you’re right,” I said. “Do you have an office in the city?”
“Yes, we do,” an animated Colin replied as he handed me a business card.
“Well, I’ll be sure to stop by sometime,” I said as I pocketed his card.
“Please do,” Colin gushed. “I’m more than happy to help you plan for the future.”
“I’m sure,” I said. “I’ll be in touch.”
We said our rote goodbyes, and I left, but as I moved away, my exceptionally acute ears could hear them both asking, “What’s with those eyes?”
After I returned to my car, I opened my go bag and extracted a small laptop and a headset that resembled standard headphones. I brought the computer up and plugged the headset in. Then I downloaded the two brain feeds onto the computer. My mind always felt uncomfortably crowded after downloading a couple of minds’ worth of thoughts and memories. Once that was finished, I emailed the feeds to Bill so he could start going through them.
Fortunately, Smith and Jones had significantly improved the compression algorithm, so the process now takes less than half the time and space it would have taken just two years ago. When that was done, I mentally connected with Ginger to let her know.
“I’ll tell Bill,” Ginger assured me.
“Thanks. I need to call Denise, then I’ll be on my way home,” I replied.
“Okay. See you when you get home,” Ginger said. “Love you!”
“Love you, too,” I told her before ending the connection.
I pulled out my phone and called Denise. She answered after the second ring.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Drake?” she asked.
“I was curious to know if you have a trust fund or some other form of inheritance?” I asked.
After a moment’s hesitation, she said, “Yes, I do. I have both a trust fund and an inheritance. In fact, my father insisted that we sign a prenuptial agreement before we married to protect it.”
“Have you given your husband any money out of that trust or inheritance?” I asked.
“A couple of times, yes. He said he needed cash to help cover some of his office expenses.”
“How much?” I asked.
“Not very much. About five thousand dollars total. He promised to pay me back. Why?”
“I was just curious,” I told her. “Has he paid any of that back?”
“Not yet,” she replied. “He keeps promising me, but it hasn’t happened yet.”
“Interesting. Thank you. I’ll be in touch.” We ended the call, and I drove home.
My two little angels flew into my arms when I walked into the house. I didn’t even have time to set my go-bag down. I held them tightly for a while, then set them down after returning their kisses.
“Did you vaporize him?” Jenny asked with a wide smile.
“Yeah, did you?” Jeff eagerly repeated.
“Sorry, no one got vaporized today. Maybe next time,” I said.
“Aww. That’s no fun,” Jenny pouted.
“Maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad idea,” Bill said somberly as he walked into the front room.
“Oh?” I asked.
“Yeah. I found something,” Bill replied.
“That was fast,” I said.
“It was easy to find,” Bill told me. “Got a couple minutes?”
“Sure.” We went into Bill’s office, where he brought up the brain feed application on his computer.
“First off, the woman I photographed with Colin is his first and third wife, Daisy,” Bill explained. “Colin scammed his second wife with Daisy’s help, and they’re working together to scam Denise. But it’s not going as well as they had initially planned. It seems that Denise’s trust fund has more protection and controls on it than they originally thought.”
“Holy crap,” I gasped in shock. “Do you know what they’re planning to do?”
“I’m just getting into the meat of it, but I think they may be planning to kill Denise,” Bill replied starkly.
I felt a chill slam through my body. Infidelity and malfeasance were bad enough, but murder was infinitely worse, and made taking action much more urgent. “You think? You don’t know for sure?” I asked.
“For sure? No. But they’ve discussed it. Watch this,” Bill said before cueing a video from Colin’s brain feed.
In the video, Colin and Daisy were lying in bed basking in the afterglow of a sexual tryst. Daisy turned on her side and draped an arm over Colin.
“Well? Have you figured out how we can get our hands on Denise’s trust fund?” she asked while running a finger over his chest.
“Her lawyers have more locks and controls on that fund than Fort Knox. You wouldn’t believe the hoops I had to jump through just to get that five grand,” Colin replied. “We won’t be able to get access to it like we got Carol’s.”
“And like an idiot, you signed the prenup she and her father gave you,” Daisy suddenly spat, her mood shifting instantly.
“I figured we could find a way around it,” Colin argued back heatedly.
“Yeah, and how is that going so far?” Daisy asked sarcastically, not hiding her irritation.
“Look, we’ll figure something out. Just have patience.”
“Patience. Yeah, right.” Daisy sighed heavily and continued a few moments later. “I’m not blaming you. I’m just frustrated. This isn’t working out how we planned. At all.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I thought she’d be a pushover.”
“What if… she died? What would happen then?” Daisy asked after a pause.
“Well, I suppose that what was hers would go to me,” Colin replied slowly.
“Does she have a will?” Daisy pressed.
“Not that I know of,” Colin admitted. “The subject’s never come up.”
“Maybe that’s our answer,” Daisy said.
Colin looked at Daisy, shocked. He had no problem scamming Denise out of her money, but killing her was on a whole different level.
“You’re talking… murder,” Colin responded in a flat, unbelieving, tone.
“Not if it’s an accident,” Daisy said with a wicked grin. “And only if we get caught.”
Colin stared at Daisy for a few moments as he mulled over her words. Then he nodded slowly.
“Do you think we can pull this off?” he asked hesitantly.
“Trust me. Have I ever let you down before?”
“No, you haven’t,” Colin admitted reluctantly, as if he knew he was inching out on thin ice over a deep, dark lake.
“Then trust me now. You continue to be the trustworthy, hard-working, loving husband. I’ll take care of everything. After all, you know the spouse is always the first one they look at. I’ll see to it that you come out of this looking like a knight in shining armor,” Daisy purred, her hands moving… intimately.
“Okay,” Colin stammered.
“Stop the video,” I ordered. “When did this happen?”
“The time stamp shows it was last night about 11:30,” Bill said after checking the application.
“So they’re in the initial talking stage. They haven’t planned anything out.”
“Yet,” Bill added, firmly.
“Yet,” I repeated. “This changes everything. We need to get Denise and the kids out of harm’s way.”
“Isn’t this a matter for the police now?” Bill asked.
“Technically, yes,” I said. “But they’re going to want something concrete and legally admissible which they can use as probable cause to act. We can’t just say we looked into their memories. They’ll have us both in the mental ward. Go through Daisy’s brain feed and see if she’s taken any action. It sounds like she’s the driving force right now. I’ll call Denise and arrange something for her and the kids.”
“Got it, boss,” Bill said.
“Tell her she and her kids can stay here,” Ginger suggested in my mind. “She can stay in the guest room if she wants, and we’ll make room for her kids.”
“Thanks, sweetheart. I’ll let her know. I’ll need to go get them, though.”
“No problem. Do what you gotta do to keep them safe,” she said thoughtfully.
I called Denise on her cell phone and explained the situation. I left out the mind-reading and hinted in a roundabout way that it had been overheard. After she calmed down from her initial shock, she asked me what I had in mind.
“You can stay here with us,” I offered. “Colin doesn’t know where we live, and if he asks, you can tell him that an emergency came up and you and the kids went to stay with a friend.”
“Okay. I guess that will work. I’ll pack some things and come right over,” she said tensely.
“Maybe you shouldn’t use your car. Has anyone been at your house today?”
“Yeah, some yard service people came by this afternoon. Do you think…”
“I don’t know, but I think you should stay put until I get there,” I said. “Give me about 45 minutes.”
“We’ll see you then, Mr. Drake. Thank you,” Denise said before ending the call. Hearing the fear in her voice, I began to think that Jenny was onto something. This was rapidly morphing from something sinister to something evil.
I checked with Bill before I left to see if he had uncovered anything in Daisy’s brain feed. Sure enough, she had called a shady character she knew in town and offered him a sizeable chunk of cash if he sabotaged the brakes on her car. My blood ran cold as I recalled that was how Ginger was nearly killed by the men using her.
“Keep digging if you don’t mind,” I said with a sense of urgency. “Of course, you’ll get overtime for this. I hope you didn’t have anything planned for tonight.”
“Well, I was looking forward to warming up some meatloaf and watching wrestling with the kids, but I can put that off for an hour or two,” Bill joked.
“Sounds like fun,” I joked back. “Alright. I’ll be back as soon as possible.”
I left the house almost at a run, barely pausing to kiss Ginger and the kids, and drove to Denise’s house. On the way, I called Jerry McIntosh, a good friend who is one of the best mechanics in the area. He agreed to meet me at Denise’s house after I explained what I needed done.
Jerry pulled up with his large flatbed truck at the same time I pulled into Denise’s driveway. Denise looked surprised when she saw Jerry.
“He’s here to go over your car, but he’ll need to take it into his shop overnight if that’s okay with you,” I told her.
“Of course,” she said, concerned but compliant, handing him the keys to her car.
Jerry loaded the car onto the truck and headed out after promising me he would call tomorrow. I got Denise and her two charges in my car with their luggage and began the drive home. I made sure she understood that we would talk after the children were settled for the night.
“I’m sorry for putting you out like this,” Denise apologized, sounding confused, frightened, and more than a little lost.
“It’s no problem,” I reassured her.
“Oh, let me introduce you to the boys,” Denise said, as if she were grasping for something normal in the chaos. “This is Mike, and Rick,” she said. “Boys, say hello to Mr. Drake.”
“Hey,” they said in unison, sounding bored. “What’s with your eyes?” Mike, the oldest, asked. “They’re weird.” I noted the sarcastic tone. It was almost as if he were daring me to react. So I wouldn’t.
“They’re special eyes,” I said, glancing in the mirror. That’s when I noticed a faint anaglyph effect around the boys I hadn’t seen before. “They help me see things that ordinary people miss.”
“Yeah? Like what?” Rick asked, suddenly uneasy.
“Like, when people are lying to me, or trying to pull a scam,” I said, glancing in the mirror again to gauge their reaction. They looked at each other briefly, and I could almost see the unspoken communication between them. Were they conspiring with their parents to scam Denise? I resolved to find out as soon as possible.
“How’d they get like that?” Mike asked.
“Would you believe me if I said aliens did it?” I responded casually.
“No way,” Mike responded while Rick laughed.
“You asked,” I replied with a chuckle. “How old are you boys?”
“I’m eleven, going on twelve, and Rick just turned ten,” Mike said.
“Almost teenagers, then.”
“Yeah,” Mike said while pulling something from a back pocket. I saw the smartphone in his hand and realized he was about to text his father.
Using a technique I had recently learned from Smith and Jones, I concentrated on their young brains, focusing on the areas that release the primary chemicals used to induce sleep. Within a few seconds, both boys yawned, then closed their eyes and fell asleep.
Denise looked in the back and saw both boys asleep. Then she noticed Mike’s phone and reached back to take it from his hand.
“He was about to send a message to Colin,” she said, flatly, looking at me anxiously.
“Oh? Saying what?”
“I don’t know. He fell asleep before he could write anything,” she said. “That’s odd.”
“Does Rick have a phone?” I asked.
“No. Not that I know of. We agreed the kids couldn’t have a phone until they were eleven,” Denise said.
“Are there any other messages to Colin?” I asked.
“Yes, there are quite a few. Mostly just quick texts checking in with each other. Wait,” she said before scrolling through the contact list. “Here’s a bunch of texts to someone labeled ‘M.’ Oh, my God. These are to their mother, telling her how much they love and miss her and wish they could be with her instead of me.”
I reached over with a free hand and pushed the phone down gently. “Okay. No need to go through any more. Hang on to that phone. Turn it off in case Colin is tracking it. I’ll have someone go through it,” I told her.
I could tell Denise was angry now. “Do you think Colin is using the boys to spy on me or something?”
“I think that’s a very real possibility.”
“Oh, my God,” she gasped. “What have I gotten myself into?” She glanced at the two sleeping boys in the back seat and wiped a tear from her face. “I’ve done nothing but love and care for all three. And this is how they thank me.”
“I’m sorry, Denise. You don’t deserve this,” I said sincerely.
She looked at me briefly before her eyes opened wide, as if she had just realized something. “Did you…”
“Put them to sleep?” I asked. I chuckled and shook my head. “That would be quite a trick, wouldn’t it? I’ve never known a child who could stay awake very long in a moving car. Have you?”
“No, I suppose not,” Denise finally said, but with more than a little disbelief in her voice.
I hated lying to Denise, but I didn’t want to scare her even more than she already was. I needed to change the subject.
“Can I ask you a personal question?”
There was a long pause. “Of course,” Denise said cautiously.
“You’re an attractive young woman. What drew you to Colin? If you don’t mind my asking, that is.”
“Of course not,” Denise said quietly. “The truth is… I was born with a condition and I… can’t have children of my own,” she finally stammered. “Colin said he loved me for who I am and wasn’t interested in having any more children.”
“Ah,” I replied. “I get the feeling there’s more, though.”
Another long pause. “Yes,” Denise said, finally. “It’s personal, though. Very personal.”
I glanced and saw her blushing as she looked down, embarrassed. Then it hit me.
“This condition you were born with… It affects your ability to enjoy normal marital relations, doesn’t it?” I asked.
“Yes,” she answered quietly. “It’s tough for me. I thought Colin understood. He seemed not to be bothered by it, but I guess it bothered him more than he let on. Maybe that’s why he went back to his ex-wife.”
“So you know her?”
“I’ve met her a couple of times when they exchanged the boys. Colin usually takes them to her and brings them back, so I normally don’t see her. She’s gorgeous. I didn’t understand why he would prefer me over her. Now I know the truth. He never loved me at all. He just wanted my money.”
She wiped her eyes as she looked out the side window. I heard her sniffle, then blow her nose. Even I was having a hard time finding adequate words to comfort someone whose world was caving in.
“There’s no one for me. Not Colin. Not the boys. Maybe… Maybe everyone would just be better off without me,” she cried. She sounded so heartbroken and forlorn that I became concerned she might do something to hurt herself.
I double-checked to make sure the doors were locked so she wouldn’t try to open the door and jump out while I was driving.
“That poor woman,” Ginger said in my mind. “You know you’re in over your head on this one, right, sweetheart?”
“Tell me about it,” I replied drily. “What do you suggest?”
“This is a woman thing, dear. You wouldn’t understand. Tell her I’ll talk with her when you get here, okay?”
“Yeah. Thanks,” I told her gratefully.
Denise was sobbing quietly as she looked out the window. I felt horrible for her and was thankful for Ginger.
“My wife said you can talk with her when we get to my place, okay?” I asked.
Denise nodded quietly, saying nothing, then stared out the window. We finally reached the house, and the boys woke up when we arrived. Ginger escorted Denise inside while Bill helped me with the luggage.
“Where are we?” Mike asked, puzzled.
“My house,” I replied.
Rick looked around suspiciously. “Why are we here?” Rick asked.
“Your mother is staying with us for now, and we couldn’t leave you two alone, so you’re staying here for now.”
“Where’s my phone?” Mike asked after reaching into his back pocket.
“It’s safe,” I said. “Go on inside.”
They entered the house and stopped abruptly when they saw Jenny and Jeff standing like statues in the front room. They glared at the two boys without blinking, the gold specks in their eyes shining brightly.
Mike reflexively took a step back. Rick just froze. “Who are they?” Mike asked, uncertainly.
“These are my children, Jeff and Jennifer,” I said. “Guys, this is…”
“Mike and Rick,” Jenn replied curtly. “We know.”
“How do you know who we are?” Mike asked, escalating quickly to scared.
“We just do,” Jenn said.
“What’s with your eyes?” Rick blurted out. “Is everyone in this house a freak or something?”
“Easy, kids,” I mentally told Jeff and Jenn, sensing their growing irritation with the two boys. “They’re our guests for tonight.”
“I don’t like them,” Jenn replied in my mind. “They’re creepy and they look funny. It’s like there are three of each of them, and they’re all in different colors. Do they have to stay here?”
“Yes, they do. And you need to treat them nicely. For Denise’s sake,” I told them, firmly.
The specks in their eyes dimmed somewhat, and I felt the tension in the room ease. Jenn smiled and hugged me while Jeff stayed close to her, observing everything silently. Rick and Mike looked between the three of us, not understanding what had just happened.
“This way, boys. I’ll take you to your room,” Bill said.