Page 28 of A Seer and Present Danger

“It’s not so bad,” I said. “The tables have lists of what the boxes should contain. If a substitute is used, it’s noted on the list. Easy peasy.”

“Exactly.” Bertie started off.

“Can I talk with you a moment?” Jules asked, catching up with her.

“Walk and talk.”

They were out the door in a flash, so I wandered over to Yancy who stood at a table, writing something on a sheet of paper.

“Hey,” I said. “How’s it going?”

He looked up and smiled. “I thought I’d see you here. The sorting is slow, but we’re making progress.”

I looked into the boxes. “Wow, this is pretty great. For first graders maybe? No clothes though.”

“Those are sorted separately. We’ll put together bundles of outfits. If Bertie has her way, we’ll have a good selection of shoes and coats too.”

“I love how she just goes out there and makes things happen,” I said.

“Speaking of making things happen.” He strolled toward one corner of the gym piled with a heap of backpacks. “I need to tell you something.”

“What is it?” I asked. “Is something wrong?”

He glanced over his shoulder like someone was listening to us, but everyone was busy sorting.

“I’m going to die, Piper. And I want you to catch my killer.”

CHAPTER 6

“I know what you’re going to say.” Yancy casually picked up two backpacks, considered, and chose two more. “You’re going to say I’m not going to die, I’m just overreacting, it was just a dream. But I’m telling you, Piper, I saw my death. And it was not accidental.”

The shock of his words faded to a low buzz over my skin. “Okay. Let’s skip me arguing with you. Can you tell me what you saw?”

“I’m still unable to…to see anything in the future. Still totally blind there. But I had a dream last night. I was looking down at my own dead body. There were, I don’t know, stuffed toys all around me—I know, I know, but it’s not today, not here. And I’m dead. Did I mention that part?”

“Yes. That’s awful. Was there a fight? Did someone hit you, shoot you? Is it a car accident?”

“Toys. That’s all I can see. So now you know. Once I’m gone, I’d like you to find my killer.” He loaded one more backpack into his arms and started toward the table.

“Yancy. You can’t just…” I dug for a pink backpack and pulled one free from the pile. “You can’t just accept your death.” I folded the backpack and put it in the box filled with pink flowery items.

“I can though.”

“Fine, you can, but part of being able to see the future means we can make choices. Try to change it for the better, right?”

“Free will exists, yes.”

“Then let’s make different choices.”

He folded and dropped backpacks into boxes.

“Yancy…”

He paused and his smile was kind. “I want to make different choices. My free will is that I have done enough by telling you about it that the future doesn’t arrive. But if it does, will you promise to look for my killer when I die?”

“If you die,” I took one of the backpacks out of his hands and held it. “If. Let’s agree to keep the possibilities of your continuing aliveness open, okay?”

“Happy to entertain that thought. You haven’t promised though.”