Chapter 16: Ep 4 - Part Three: Acceptance

Nash looked at Airianna as he pulled out of the driveway to her father’s house. He reached out and lightly tapped her arm; she jumped and turned to him. He smiled at her as he slowly pulled his hand away.

“Are you okay?”

She nodded and turned to watch the house as they pulled away from it.

With a deep sigh, he concentrated on driving down the road, away from the Williams house.

“I think I know what to look for,” she whispered, not looking his way.

He waited. He didn’t want to startle her again.

“The painting I did of your friend,” she stopped and turned to him.

Nash looked at Airianna, then back at the road, and nodded. He could tell she was nervous to talk about the painting with him. He’s already come to grips with her gift. Nash is starting to believe there truly are people out there with the gift to see the future and sometimes the past.

She took a deep breath and continued. “When Maribelle showed us the envelope Daemen had mailed to himself, I remembered seeing it. It was in the corner of my painting. I thought it was trash, but it wasn’t. It was a clue.”

His head whipped to her. He stared at her until she pointed to the road. He returned to watching the road as he drove and let her continue.

“I swear to you, I knew nothing of the envelope until Maribelle showed it to us. Or I would have said something….”

Nash reached over and patted her hand. He looked at her long enough to tell her he believed her, then looked back at the road. Nash felt the atmosphere in the car lighten after he confirmed he believed she knew nothing of the envelope. He wished he’d seen the damn thing in the painting; they may have gotten to Daemen sooner.

Wallawits was in jail now. That was all that mattered. When Nash and Smitty had shown the owner of the company their proof, he had fired Wallawits and his entire crew on the spot. Between him and Daemen pressing charges against Wallawits and his crew, they were all looking at twenty to fifty years—without parole.

“I noticed something in my new painting,” Airianna whispered.

He looked at her, then at the road again.

“I know now that trash isn’t always trash,” she said, looking out the window.

He wanted to ask her what she’d seen that he hadn’t. But without looking at her, she wouldn’t understand what he was asking or even know he was talking.

“It was so small; I doubt anyone would have noticed it.”

She looked at him again, and his heart skipped a beat.

He quickly pulled over to the side of the road, put it into park, and then turned to her. He couldn’t take not being able to talk to her anymore.

“What did you see?” he asked, watching her.

Airianna took in a deep breath and let it out. “Beside the woman, among the rocks in the gravel she laid upon, was a compass.”

“A compass? How is that a clue?”

She looked away from him. He instantly regretted his question. But when she looked back at him with that mischievous smile, he knew he was on the right track to getting along with this beautiful seer.

“Really? Why would there be a compass on the ground beside the victim—unless it is a clue?”

He grinned. “I guess there’s no other reason than it being a clue. Do you know what the clue may be?”

She shrugged. “It could be just about anything.”

He sighed and leaned back against his door, still watching her. “But you have a feeling it’s something.”

She nodded. “I think if we figure out why there was a compass on the ground beside her, maybe we can find who she is and why someone wants her dead. Then we can find her and save her….”

“We? There is no we….”

She moved across the seat until she was practically in his lap.

“I can help you,” she whispered.

Nash stared at Airianna; he hadn’t known she was so brazen. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her onto his lap. Let’s see how bold this minx can be.

Airianna settled onto Nash’s lap. She had promised herself she would never speak to this man again. But here she was, not an hour after being reunited after a month of separation, sitting on his lap, wanting him to kiss her.

“How much help do you think you can provide, my little seer?”

She smiled at him. She liked him calling her his.

“I have figured my dreams out before,” she whispered. “I’m sure I can do it again with the help of detectives. It should be a piece of cake.”

Nash grinned. He liked her spunk. And she was right; she’d figured out her paintings in the past. Look at the one she sent him and Smitty to when they first met her. If not for Airianna, that girl would have been raped and possibly murdered. The man was a wanted rapist who had also killed a couple of the women he’d raped.

“Okay, little seer. Does this mean you’re ready to help the police department?”

Airianna looked into Nash’s eyes; she could see worry there. Worry for her, worry for his job. And fear for the woman they both desperately wanted to find and help before it was too late.

“I am not.”

He held her back from him, his eyes roaming over her face.

“Then why should I….”

She placed a finger over his mouth to silence him. “I am not ready to help the police department, but I am ready to help you. And Smitty.” She said as an afterthought.

“Just me and Smitty, huh?” he asked, searching her eyes for something.

She wasn’t sure what.

“Just you and Smitty,” she whispered. “I want to help you fix my dreams before they come true.”

Nash grunted. His captain won’t like this, but at least she’ll be helping them. Even if it’s not the kind of help the captain wanted… Unless…

“I’ll tell you what.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. “If you help the captain with one old case a week, you can help me and Smitty solve your new dreams….”

“Really?” she asked, excitement radiating off her like magic. “Promise?”

He pulled her head toward him until her lips were mere inches from his own.

“Promise,” he whispered, then devoured her mouth.

~🔮~

“What is she doing here?” Smitty asked when his partner walked into the station, with Airianna Williams close behind him.

“Come with us,” Nash said, motioning for Smitty to follow them.

Airianna smiled at Smitty as she passed him. Okay, so she doesn’t look stressed or upset, and she held a painting in her arms, just as she had a month ago… Smitty pursued his partner and Airianna. They didn’t go into an interrogation room; they continued to the captain’s office.

‘What the fuck?’

Nash knocked on the captain’s door and opened it when the captain hollered for them to enter. He motioned for Airianna to move into the office ahead of him. He’d noticed the worried look on his partner’s face when he’d seen Airianna and didn’t blame the man for worrying about the girl after what happened last month.

After their kissing frenzy in the car last night, they had agreed to start on everything the following day. He took her out to dinner, where they got to know each other more, then took her home and kissed her good night under the stars. He’d slept better last night than he had in the month since he last saw her.

This morning he’d picked her and her painting up and brought them here. On the drive here, they’d agreed to involve the captain in their plans.

“Miss Williams, so wonderful to see you,” Captain Dish said as he stood up from his chair.

“Nice to see you too, Captain.” Airianna nodded to the captain.

“Captain, we have a proposition for you,” Nash said, closing the door behind his partner.

The captain looked up at Nash. “We?” he asked, looking back at Airianna.

Nash nodded. “We.”

“I would love to hear this.” The captain sat back in his seat.

“I had a dream yesterday.” Airianna looked down at her painting. “And I would like to help Detective Nash and Detective Smitt solve it.”

The captain looked up at Nash. Nash shrugged his shoulders.

“It was her idea to help,” he said, pointing to Airianna.

The captain looked back at Airianna. “I don’t think it would be safe for you….”

“Captain, I know I’m not an officer of the law. But you have been trying to get my father to let me help you and your men with unsolved cases for years now….”

“Yes, from afar….”

“No one understands my paintings better than I do,” Airianna argued.

Nash smiled at her. She’s a fighter—this little seer.

The captain looked up at Nash. “And you agreed to this?”

“If we solve the painting she is holding now—with her help—she will help you with the unsolved cases,” Nash told his captain.

Smitty sucked in a shocked breath. Nash looked at his partner and nodded, then turned back to the captain.

“If I let her solve cases with you two, then she will solve the unsolved cases? Is that what I am hearing you say?”

“Sir,” Airianna said, getting the captain’s attention. “If I can help Detectives Jackman and Smitt solve my dreams….” She looked down at the painting in her arms, then back up at the captain. “Then I’m willing to go over my old paintings and try to help you solve one unsolved case a week….”

“One case?” the captain asked.

Nash could tell the captain was surprised she was willing to do even that.

Airianna nodded. “One case a week, and whatever new dreams I have. And the new dreams come first.”

Airianna watched the captain. She hoped he agreed to this because she was tired of having to let the people in her dreams die because she had no way to save them. No matter how often her father says it is not her fault, she believes it would be her fault this time because now she has a way to stop it before it happens. As long as her dreams are of the future—and not of the past.

Captain Michael Dish looked from Airianna to his detectives and back again. How Nash talked her into this was beyond him, but he won’t question it. He’s finally getting a Williams seer on their side.

“I accept the terms.” He nodded to the young seer.

Airianna smiled. She hadn’t been sure if the captain would say yes or not. She turned to Nash, who smiled down at her as he placed his hand on her shoulder.

“I am glad to see you two getting along,” the captain said, watching them.

Nash nodded toward the captain, and Airianna turned; the captain must have said something to her. The captain smiled at her and repeated his words. Airianna smiled and looked back up at Nash.

“So am I. Your detective is a persuasive man.”

Smitty snorted. Airianna didn’t hear the detective, but Nash did. He pushed his partner over, and Airianna stared at the two men as they shoved each other around a few times before they broke down into laughter, patting each other on the back.

Airianna frowned at the two men. And she agreed to work with them.

“Okay, you two, enough,” Captain Dish ordered the two detectives, annoyed at their childish behavior.

Nash and Smitty turned to Dish, straightened up, and shot him a mock salute.

Dish rolled his eyes at them. “Be gone with the both of you.”

Nash took Airianna’s hand and led her from the office.

Captain Dish sighed as he watched them leave. Finally, he will be able to solve the cases that were locked away for years, with no suspects in sight. The young seer may have a vision while going through the old files. That would certainly help.

~🔮~

“Was this your idea or hers?” Smitty asked as he and Nash led Miss Williams to a room so they could study her painting in private.

“Both.” Nash shrugged.

Smitty watched his partner until, finally, Nash broke down and told him the whole story. Smitty smirked while he listened. When his partner finished with him and the girl coming here this morning, Smitty chuckled. He slapped Nash on the shoulder, making the larger man grunt.

“I told you that you were smitten with the young seer.”

“Don’t tell her that,” Nash growled.

“Oh now, of course not.” Smitty chuckled.

They entered the room, and Airianna placed the painting on a table so they could look at it.

Smitty whistled. “This is a new one?”

Nash nodded. “I watched her paint it yesterday.”

Smitty looked at his partner. No wonder he believed the girl; he’d witnessed a seer’s dream.

“I thought we would start with this.” Airianna pointed to a compass on the ground next to the victim. “If we can find out the brand, maybe we can find out who bought it.”

“It does look pretty new.” Smitty nodded.

“I wish the clues were easier to follow,” Airianna whispered, not hearing Smitty’s words.

Smitty looked at Nash. “Are you sure about this?”

Nash nodded. “One hundred percent sure.”

Smitty shrugged and pulled his cell phone from his pocket. “I’ll call my uncle; he knows a lot of people in the clock and watch business.”

“It’s not a watch or a clock,” Nash grumbled.

Smitty smirked as he held the phone to his ear.

Airianna turned to the two detectives and looked between them. Smitty was on the phone, and Nash was smiling at her; she smiled back and then turned back to her painting.

If they can solve this one—maybe, just maybe—they can solve others too.

TO BE CONTINUED