Split

Chapter 3: Coincidence?

Chapter 3: Coincidence?

Laura Summers sipped a steaming cup of coffee as she stared pensively through the window in the café. She was oblivious to the bustle of activity around her and only focused on the street outside as she waited for someone to arrive. Cars drove by, pedestrians walked briskly to their destinations and little children trailed behind their parents. The weather was sunny, yet not too hot, just perfect. Laura smiled absentmindedly as she twirled a strand of her red hair between her slender fingers and admired the scenery outside.

Someone walked inside the café and the bell chimed noisily. She glanced at the door and stood up, her face brightening instantly with a smile as the dark-haired person embraced her.

“Laura, I missed you, terribly,” said the person as he let go of her.

Laura laughed softly as she sat down. “It’s only been a few months, Richard,” she stated.

Richard, who had been carrying a newspaper, set it down on the table and took Laura’s hands in his own. “It feels like years,” he said.

Laura smiled sweetly, and leaned towards him, pressing a light kiss to his lips. “I’ll make it up to you,” she replied.

Richard's grey eyes twinkled as he said, “Oh, you better…”

“Or else?” Laura asked teasingly.

“Or else I’ll -”

“Coffee?” offered a waitress as she stood waiting beside their table.

Richard shook his head and the waitress went away. Laura’s eyes dropped to the newspaper between them and gasped.

“A murder?” she asked as she pulled the newspaper closer to her.

Richard nodded. “News of the day.”

Laura read the article and looked distressed. “Oh my, the house is just a few blocks away from here…” she commented sadly.

“If you want to go somewhere else -”

“No, it’s alright, I’m just a bit shocked,” Laura interrupted Richard.

Richard shrugged. “Yes, it really is shocking. Murders aren’t common around here.”

“Especially with the police force here. The law is much better than at other places,” stated Laura.

“I guess so…hopefully this Detective Jones guy will solve it in time,” Richard remarked casually.

“I know Detective Jones. He was a friend of my father’s,” said Laura.

“What’s he like?” Richard asked inquisitively.

“He’s very good. The best of the best,” Laura replied with a hint of pride in her voice.

“You sound like you’re close to him.”

“I knew him ever since I was born. He was practically like my own uncle.”

Richard nodded. A few seconds of silence passed before he launched questions at Laura, asking about her trip abroad. Laura replied enthusiastically. She had missed Richard too. Their relationship was strong a few months ago and Laura thought Richard would propose. But she had to go abroad for her work and their relationship was on hiatus. Now, Laura wondered how Richard felt.

“Laura, are you free tonight?” Richard asked tentatively.

“Yes,” she replied.

“How about we have dinner together?”

“Okay.” 

“I’ll pick you up at seven.”

Laura agreed with a smile. They continued their conversation for a while before Richard said that he had to attend to some business. He kissed her goodbye and walked out of the café.

The smile stayed on her lips as Laura watched Richard cross the street outside and head south. She had a good feeling about tonight.

_____________________________________________________________________________

“Adam?” called a woman’s voice from the adjoining room.

“In here,” replied Adam as he stared at the canvas before him.

A slender, caramel-complexioned woman stepped inside Adam’s studio. Her black hair framed her oval face in sleek bangs and her petite figure was draped in a black jacket and denim jeans. She hugged Adam from behind and kissed his cheek softly.

“Hi,” she greeted him.

Adam didn’t answer. He was gripping onto a newspaper tightly and biting his lower lip.

“What’s wrong?” the woman asked.

“That…and this,” replied Adam as he first pointed to the painting before him and the newspaper in his hand.

The woman took the newspaper from him and glanced at it once. “Well, it is a good copy,” she commented as she criticised the picture in the newspaper and Adam’s painting.

The picture in the newspaper was of a girl with a clean, shaven head, blood dripping from her chest and staining the bed underneath her. Adam’s painting was of the same picture.

“No, you don’t understand, Alexa,” said Adam, “I painted this yesterday.”

“What?” Alexa exclaimed disbelievingly.

“I painted this yesterday,” Adam repeated with his eyes fixed on the painting. “At night. And today, the same picture is printed in the morning newspaper,”

“Come on, Adam, you’re joking.”

“Why would I joke about something like this?” retorted Adam

“I don’t know, but it doesn’t make any sense,” snapped Alexa, her tone all of a sudden becoming angry.

Adam sensed her anger and sighed. “I’m not lying, Alexa.”

“Maybe you saw it before…”

“I saw a picture of something that wasn’t even printed?”

Alexa rubbed a hand over her eyes. “So, you’re saying that you can paint the future?” she asked sardonically.

Adam groaned. “No, I’m not saying that…I think.”

“Maybe it’s just a coincidence,” she remarked uncertainly.

Adam frowned at the painting before him. “Maybe…I don’t know…this is just too weird…maybe I’m just worrying about it for no reason at all.”

“Or maybe you saw it today and painted it and you forgot because you have short-term memory,” Alexa offered with a wry smile.

“Maybe…” Adam murmured absentmindedly. But he knew that that was not the case, and he had indeed painted the picture yesterday.

Alexa put her hands on Adam’s shoulders and locked her hazel eyes with his grey ones.

“Look, lets not worry about it now, alright?” she murmured against his lips as she kissed him.

“Mmm…so what do you suggest?” he whispered huskily as he placed his hands on her hips and drew her closer to him.

“I don’t know…you tell me.”

Adam smiled against her lips as he backed her out of the studio towards his bedroom.