Dawn shook her head, her frustration mounting. “No, it was pitch-black. I’m pretty sure I was looking out of the little girl’s eyes. Either she was blindfolded or stuck in a room with no windows. I had this feeling of helplessness. What that poor little girl must be going through.”
“Not panic? Or fear?” Luca asked.
“Not really, but she might still be in shock or just exhausted. Maybe they drugged her?”
“Crap. On the other hand, if she’s not fearful or panicking, maybe she feels she’s not in any real danger. Maybe she knows her abductor.”
“At least she’s alive. I wish I could tell you more.”
Luca’s smile encouraged her. “You told me the most important thing: she’s still alive. And you gave me a lot of details. If I can get hold of a personal item, would you be willing to try—?”
“Of course,” Dawn jumped in. “I want to do everything I can to help rescue this girl. Her dad was so devastated.” Dawn wrapped her arms around her middle, still having a hard time letting go of the feelings and images in her vision.
Luca fidgeted in his seat. “I, uh…I was wondering if you might be able to tell me something else. It’s unrelated, but it’s bugging me.”
“I’ll try. What is it?”
He hung his head. “It might sound stupid.”
“If it’s bothering you, it’s not stupid.”
He gave her a weak smile. “Okay, here goes. I’ve been secretly dating this girl since our junior year in college. Suddenly, she dumped me out of the blue. I can’t think of anything I’ve done to upset her. In fact, everything I’ve done has been for her, including becoming a cop, hoping to please her father.”
Dawn had sensed loneliness and wondered why this great-looking guy seemed unattached. Apparently, he was recently detached against his will. Dammit. She didn’t want to be anyone’s rebound. Not that they had any kind of relationship or future together. But she couldn’t help being attracted to him. He was really cute. And a nice guy. Not the kind of guy she used to date. But certainly the kind of guy she’d love to date someday when her karma was cleaned up.
Mentally shaking herself out of her self-centeredness, she grasped his hand across the table. “I’m sorry.” His hand was warm, and he didn’t pull away, but she had to. It wouldn’t do to fall for a guy who was pining away for another woman. “Is that what you were upset about the day I met you?”
“Yes. She’d just dumped me an hour before.”
“You were hurt and angry. I knew that for sure.”
“So…um… Do you think you could maybe see if Lisa and I might get back together?”
Dawn blew out a breath. “Do you have anything of hers or a photo?”
He pulled out his wallet and slipped out a photo booth picture of him and Lisa.
She was pretty. Just the kind of girl that Luca—or any guy, for that matter—would be drawn to. Long blonde hair, sparkling blue eyes, chic off-the-shoulder outfit. She looked like Barbie.
Dawn held the photo and closed her eyes. Red Corvette speeding along. Lisa was in the driver’s seat, laughing. The car came to a stop, and she leaned over and kissed someone. Darker blond hair, green eyes, tanned. If Barbie’s Ken were living and breathing, it would be this guy.
Damn. What am I supposed to tell Luca?
She opened her eyes and stared into Luca’s baby blues. His dark lashes and brows made the unusual color stand out even more. And then it hit her. Like a scene from a sexy movie trailer, she saw herself in bed with Luca. Holy moly!
“Did you see anything about Lisa?”
“Um…I’m not sure right now.” She could feel herself blushing and averted her eyes. “I think it’s all the people here. Like static interference. I’ve had to develop this psychic thing on my own, and it’s not an exact science.”
He slumped in his chair a little and looked like a sad puppy dog. “That’s okay. I get it.”
Steady, Dawn. If she got too close to him, she’d be liable to lose her head and her heart. She had to focus. Remember, your goal is to clean up your karma. Falling for a guy who’s hung up on his ex-girlfriend is not a smart move. She pasted a sunny smile on her face. “You seem a lot more open-minded than I would’ve expected.”
“Just because I’m a cop?”
“Yeah. I don’t mean to stereotype you, but cops aren’t usually willing to entertain anything in the realm of the supernatural.”
He sat up and seemed to consider her comment. “In training, we talked about a cop’s gut feeling and how that could be a help or a hindrance. I’ve heard everyone is a little psychic. Some people are just more in touch with it.”
