“I saw his face in front of me. I saw darkness and shadows, like black shards—”
“So he’s Black?”
“No, I think he’s white but I couldn’t see his features well enough to give you a description.” Julia went on, despite their reaction. “Some people do have psychic abilities, you know. My mentor was a medium who worked with Scotland Yard.”
“You have amedium mentor?” Detective Kowalski asked with a smirk.
Julia ignored it. “Yes. Helen Davenport.”
“Can we call her, to substantiate this?”
“No, she passed away.”
“How convenient,” Detective Kowalski wisecracked.
Detective Brennan snorted. “Call her on the psychic hotline.”
Julia let that go, too. “Google her. She was prominent.”
“We’ll get right on that,” Detective Kowalski said dryly.
Detective Brennan snickered, turning to Julia. “If you think you’re helping your friend right now, you’re doing the exact opposite.”
“But it’s true.” Julia bore down. “I realized I had these abilities when my first husband was killed, in that case you read about in the papers.”
Detective Kowalski arched an eyebrow. “It didn’t say so online.”
“They kept it out, on purpose. The Italian police didn’t want the press to know I helped solve the crime.”
Detective Kowalski suppressed a smile. “Why didn’t Ms. Horan mention it in her statement then?”
“I didn’t think I had to,” Courtney interjected, sniffling. “There was no way in the world I thought you would suspectmeof killing mygrandmother. Ilovedher!” She moved to wipe her eyes, but the handcuffs stopped her. “You disrespected herfuneral! It would break her heart to see what you’re doing and—”
“Detectives, this interview is over.” Julia interrupted her, for her own good. “We’re not going to talk to you anymore. I need to speak with Courtney alone about how to proceed with her grandmother’s funeral.”
“Fine, but make it quick.”
“Thank you.” Julia and Courtney exchanged glances as Detective Kowalski rose and Detective Brennan left the room. Only when the door was safely shut did Julia hug Courtney, who broke down.
“What do we… do…” Courtney couldn’t hug her back, handcuffed. “I’m injail… you can’t bail me out… what about Paul… and work… What if I’m here… for good… I could get… alife sentence…”
“I’m so sorry, honey. We have a great lawyer now. We have to have hope.”
“Jules… listen… you had a vision…” Courtney hiccupped a sob, then met Julia’s gaze directly, her eyes reddish and filled with tears. “Yousawwho killed her… youfeltthe gunshot…”
“I know, I didn’t get a chance to tell you before, I’m sorry.”
“So that means you can… solve this… you can use your power… you can get meoutof here…”
Julia gasped, stricken when she realized what Courtney was asking her to do. “Courtney, hold on, I want to, but I don’t know if I can.”
“Why not… of course you can… you got a vision… it’s for sure now…”
“But I didn’t know I was going to get that vision. I don’t know why she didn’t show me the whole face. It doesn’t make any sense—”
“You have to… believe in yourself… you have to figure it out…”
“No, I can’t, it’s not like that—”
