Devil in the Details

Chapter Sixteen

Evelyn knocked on the door to Floyd's office. He was sitting back in his seat with his head tilted back and eyes closed. There were bags under his eyes and he had a bit of stubble. He sat up and cleared his throat.

"Just me, Boss." She said, rolling her eyes as she came in and took her usual seat. "I thought you might want to know that I haven't opened the envelope yet."

"You haven't?" He asked. Evelyn leaned back in her seat.

"No," she said, "I haven't. Not yet. I also went to go see Walker." Floyd gave her a withering look.

"I know." He said, "Nick was in here chewing my ear about it, thought you were muscling in on his investigation." Evelyn swallowed back the immediate annoyance and scoffed. "Why did you go?"

"I had my own questions for him." Evelyn replied.

"And did you get any answers?" He asked, sitting forward. He looked curious.

"No." Evelyn said, "not really." the moments of silence stretched on forever. Neither of them spoke. Evelyn was trying to drum up the courage to say what she needed to say, and Floyd was waiting.

"Everything okay?" He asked after a few moments.

"I'm having dreams." Evelyn blurted. Floyd's head snapped up. His blue eyes widened and his posture became tense.

"Dreams?" He asked, rearranging the papers on his desk. "What sort of dreams?"

"I think you know the sort." Evelyn replied. He raised his eyes to meet hers. "I know my mom was having them, too. I also know that she came to the police with them, that she told the police. But I've seen the files for her murder and I've read every file for the first killer- every single word. There's never any report where she says anything."

"Walker told you." He said. "You should have come to me first." He dry washed his face. "So that we're clear. These dreams you're having..."

"I am dreaming about the crime scenes before I've seen them." Evelyn admitted. It hurt her to say it and it wasn't a relief the way she thought it would be. A weight had been lifted, but another one had been put in its place. She sank lower in her chair, trying to make herself smaller. "What... what's happening to me, Floyd?"

"I don't really know." He replied, "I always suspected you would have it too. You were always so intuitive. Your gut instinct was always right. Even on your prom night- do you remember?" Evelyn stared at him, remembering the night he was talking about. She had 'just known' her date was in a car wreck when he didn't show up. He'd been fine, but she had known. It was something she'd forgotten about long ago. "Your mom came to me when she started having them about these murders." He went on. "I didn't believe it at first. Here she was, showing me these strange, impossible things happening. They were terrifying, you know? She knew things no one could have known. For a moment or two, if I'm honest, I thought she might be in on it. But then things were happening when I was with her. She couldn't have been involved."

"She was helping you with the investigation." Evelyn said.

"Yes." Floyd replied, "but I didn't have a monopoly on Katrina. I think she was telling Ben, too."

"She was." Evelyn said, "he told me she told him about her dreams. He said, to her, they were like soap operas."

"So that's where he got his information on their 'sins'." Floyd said. Evelyn stilled. "What?"

"He said... he likened her to a prophet." Evelyn said. "He... he thought she was a prophet, and he was doing God's work." if she had known, she would have muscled in on the investigation.

"We'll get him, eventually." Floyd said, "what about your dreams? Are you getting anything from them we can use? We can find a way around explaining it, you know. Like how you did when you 'went to the store for ice cream'.

"You knew?" Evelyn asked.

"I was suspicious." Floyd said, correcting her. "No one goes to the store at four a.m. for ice cream. I wasn't about to ask and be wrong though. I'd sound crazy or like I was accusing you." Evelyn smiled.

"So you just found ways to use what Mom said?"

"Right," Floyd said. "If I had said I knew there was going to be a body here or a body there and that I knew this person did this or that because a psychic told me? It would have jeopardized the investigation, and I wanted to catch that bastard."

"I understand." Evelyn said.

"I wish I could have protected her, Evelyn." He said with a heavy sigh. "I truly do. Lord knows I tried. I set records on that old Ford, trying to get to her that night. I know I did."

"I know, Floyd." Evelyn said. A thought occurred to her, one she hadn't considered yet. "Floyd, do... Do you think she knew she was going to die?"

"Yes." Floyd said, his expression grave. "I believe she knew. That night... she called me first, before she called 911. She told me to come save her baby, not her. It was the wording. She said that there was a man outside, that he was there to kill her. When I got there, she was in the hallway, surrounded by her tarot cards. I think she knew." Evelyn shivered, considering what he said. Her mother had to have been terrified. Floyd leaned back on his desk and folded his hands over his belly, watching her. "Have you told Diana?" He asked.

"No." Evelyn said. "I don't know how to have that conversation. I started to tell her a few times. I started to tell you a few times. It's a hard thing to say... like you said, it sounds crazy. I don't know if I could prove it either... make her believe me."

"I understand." Floyd said, "I don't know how to do that either, honestly. I'd think you were insane if I hadn't known your mother and experienced her abilities myself."

"Did... did Mom ever see them before they happened?" Evelyn asked, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees. "Were you ever able to stop them?"

"I think she dreamt a few of them just as they were happening or just before." He replied, "what about you? How do yours go?" Evelyn wished she knew about them before they happened.

"No." She said. "In mine, it's only the... ghosts, I suppose? Spirits? They come to me and show me their corpse. Jason Newton was more shocked he was dead than anything. Anna Webber was distraught and worried her kids might find her body. Penelope... that dream wasn't long. She was afraid her mother was going to be upset with her."

"They talked to you? They never spoke to your mother. She said hers were more like she was witnessing it happen, like she was there." He ran a hand through his hair. "no wonder you've been having nightmares. Have they given you any clues?"

"No." Evelyn said, "I don't know if they can remember. It's mostly things like 'stop him' or 'he snuck up on me'. Anna Webber saw him, by the way. She told me she did, so you were right. She thought it was one of her children hiding in front of the car to scare her when she got home."

"That poor woman." Floyd said, shaking his head. He sat up. "I'm glad you told me this, though. I need you to tell me about these dreams. Maybe we can figure out something to help you or something to help the case."