The Dream Jumper's Promise

Chapter 20

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            Jamey didn’t want another confrontation with Noble. What was tedious a few days ago had now turned to something else. But as long as Tina coddled the friendship, Jamey had to tread carefully. Before he’d leapt to the garden below Tina’s window, he’d swabbed the drinking glass sediment with a tissue. He hoped to have it analyzed as quickly as possible. If there weren’t traces of a sleeping pill, or worse, Jamey would be surprised. He suspected Rufinol the date rape drug but it could be anything.

            He phoned Katie. “What are your thoughts about this Noble situation?”

            She sounded slightly panicked. “I don’t really know what to think. I’m not an expert.” was all she said.

            As he drove towards The Ridge, Jamey Dunn’s mind was filled with questions and concerns. Tina had jumped Noble’s dream. She’d come back through Jamey’s portal. After a lifetime of dream jumping Jamey’s learning curve was taking a drastic climb.

            Parking the jeep in the usual spot, he let himself into the condo and called his Sixth Force superior--the man he most trusted in Afghanistan – Sergeant Pete Milton.

            Now wasn’t the time to reveal that he suspected his dream jumping days might be over. That bit of information was his secret for the time being. He’d never tell Milton about shaking Tina’s hand, her fainting and something passing between them. Never reveal that now she was taking him along on her dream jumps and that he suspected that he might’ve passed something off to her. Maybe his ability had been lying dormant since the last jump in Afghanistan, waiting to transfer to someone. And if so, why hadn’t Katie been the one when he hugged her, or his daughters, or Carrie, Pops? If he did, they’d want her. It took a few tries but he finally go through.    

             “I have reason to think a friend was drugged and I need to have something analyzed.”

            Milton paused to think. “I’ll see if I can arrange for that. But Freud, you gotta avoid trouble, y’hear?” Jamey heard the man take a drag on his cigarette. “You’re supposed to be lying low.”

            “It’s just my niece. She might’ve gotten ruffied,” he explained.

            Next, Jamey called Pops to run everything by him. He’d always shared information with his father, believing that a second party shed fresh ideas on any situation.

            “I tried automatic writing with a friend’s deceased husband and all I got was a little drawing that looked like the letters M.O.”

            “Oh sheesh, I don’t know anything about automatic writing, Kid. Was it M as in Molokai or N as in Norwich?” Pops asked.

            Jamey spilled the can of coke in front of him. “Molokai. Wait. I’ve been thinking it stood for Maui, trying to figure out what or who MO is and you might’ve just solved the mystery.”       

            Jamey mopped up the mess and phoned the dive shop to verify that Tina was ten miles down the road in Lahaina.

            “She was here,” Katie said, “but left with her parents. They said something about the airport.” Katie whispered. “Her truck is here. Obi too. Tina’s mother was angry with her but with a really quiet voice. You know? One of those. And Tina seemed really tired and almost like she has the flu. Her Dad was trying to lead her around and she let him grab her elbow and take her out to the car like she was some sort of zombie. I felt bad for her. I think she’s sick.”

            Yup, Jamey thought. Hung-over. Or worse. He’d dropped off the sediment for analysis at the police station and was told it would be a few days. He was hoping Tina had a few days. In the meantime, finding Hank’s body and keeping Tina away from Noble was top priority. “Katie, if someone lost a boogie board, say at HonoluaBay or Fleming, could it potentially drift all the way to Molokai? Or is the channel too wide between northern Maui and Molokai?

            Katie had no idea but said she’d phone another dive shop.

            Noble’s truck was parked in its usual spot at Tina’s house but Jamey didn’t feel Noble’s presence on the property. That was good. He flew up the stairs with the writing tablet clutched in his hand.

            The main room of the house was in a state from the night before, littered with the sort of mess that is created from a party –bowls of half-eaten snacks, beer cans, plastic glasses on every flat surface and decorations doing the second day droop. He hadn’t noticed any of this when he’d rushed upstairs to find Noble in Tina’s bed, the night before.

            “Hank.” He entered the bedroom expecting that Tina’s husband could hear him. “I think I understand. It’s Molokai isn’t it?” He sat in the bedroom chair and drew a ‘Yes’ and a ‘No’ on the page, all the while talking, ready to receive his answer about Molokai. “I need to talk to you. Hank, please, Tina and I need to help you.”

            Jamey sensed someone in the house. It wasn’t the spirit of Hank. Or Noble. It was coming from outside the bedroom. Someone frightened. Moving down the hall. Towards him. He stood. Ready.

             Tina’s mother peeked in the bedroom, fright fixed on her face.

            “Mrs. Greene. It’s just me. Sorry if I scared you.” She’d heard him calling to Tina’s dead husband. Must’ve. “I can explain.”

            Her facial expression changed to angry in a second. “You again. Back to get more watches?” She straightened. “Get out of here.”

            Jamey’s mind searched through all possible explanations but there were no rational reasons for him to be in Tina’s bedroom calling out her dead husband’s name. “I’m sorry I frightened you.”

            “Leave my daughter’s house, Mr…”

            “Dunn. Jamey Dunn.” There was nothing more to say, no way to explain what she’d heard. Damn. What the hell was Tina’s mother doing in her house? “Were you looking for Tina or…?”

            “That is none of your business.” She shot him a look to cut him down to size. “Don’t think I won’t be telling Tina you were in her bedroom calling out to her dead husband. You are as unbalanced as…” Elizabeth seemed to catch herself and closed her mouth. She took a quick look in the bedroom then faced Jamey, like the wall she was. He’d been cut down to size by this powerhouse of a woman. “Leave.” She arched her eyebrows as if to express her strength of character and waited for him to obey. Wow. Tina hadn’t had a chance with this mother.

            Jamey planted his feet, a tactic he’d learned in army training--body language 101. “Elizabeth. Look. We both have Tina’s best interest at heart.” He covered his heart with his right hand. “You don’t have to like me but I am a former police officer, a decorated soldier, on leave from Afghanistan.”

            “I think the operative words are ‘former’ and ‘on leave’ Mr. Dunn.” She pointed to the patio door. “Out, or I shall be forced to call the real policemen.”

            He was done for now. Jamey pretty much knew that if it was possible for something to float all the way to Molokai, he would be on his way to the airport before sunset. And weren’t the Greenes supposed to be on a plane right now? Tina told him earlier that the only good thing about the day ahead was the fact that her parents were leaving for Seattle.

            Jamey left the house. Although he didn’t look back, he felt Elizabeth Greene’s contempt behind him. Something else accompanied her dislike of him that he couldn’t place. Worry, of course, but a feeling more like subterfuge. Something was very wrong and Jamey was sure that Tina’s safety was not the only thing in jeopardy.

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