It was nice to know some things, anyway, never changed.
“So what are you doing here?” I asked him—not in an unfriendly way. “Oh, no, wait. Let me guess: You heard I got my powers back.”
“Kind of hard to keep something like that a secret,” Cyrus said, reaching for the cup of coffee my mom had poured for him—and all the officers—before retiring. “Especially when you’re using it to bust up interstate amateur porn rings.”
I just looked at him. “You tapped my cell phone, didn’t you?”
“Of course,” he said. “When you called all of those girls yesterday morning to tell them what Randy had done and how you intended to punish him…that was inspired. And you called their parents, as well, to see if they’d welcome their daughters home, but carefully didn’t reveal to them just where, exactly, their child was…that was brilliant, as well. Some of your best work, I would have to say.”
“I wish,” I said, “that you guys would cut it out. The phone tapping stuff, I mean. Because I’m not coming back, you know.”
“To work for us,” Cyrus asked, “or New York?”
“Neither,” I said. “I mean…both.”
“Jessica,” Cyrus said, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t dream of asking.”
I blinked at him. “Really? That’s not why you’re here?”
“Certainly not. You know, we’ve all been so worried about you. It’s good to hear you’re feeling better. And I’m especially pleased to hear about you and Rob. That’s some excellent news. And I understand your brother’s asked you to come teach at this alternative school he’s opening. Are you going to do that?”
“Yes,” I said guardedly. I couldn’t believe it. He wasn’t going to ask me to come back?Really? “I’m going to transfer to Indiana and get my teaching certificate.”
“Very good. You were always excellent with children. What I really came here to say, Jessica, since you ask, is that…well, I know we’ve had our differences in the past. But I think all we’ve both ever wanted is to help make this world a better place. God knows, you’ve done more than your share in this capacity. We pushed you…well, we pushed you more than we should have, and the result was that eventually, you had nothing left to give. Now that you’ve got your powers back, what you do with them is entirely your own choice. No one would fault you if you decided never to use them again. You have many other strengths, and I fully expect that you’ll have just as much success bettering the planet using them as you did using your psychic abilities. But, in the off chance you should like to come back—”
“Aha!” I cried. Then wished I hadn’t because the word really strained my already swollen throat.
Still, I’d known this was coming. And not because I have ESP, either.
“—I wanted to let you know there will always be a place for you on my team.”
Wait. What?
I stared at him some more. “That’s it? No begging?”
“No begging.”
“No guilt trips?”
“None of those, either. You’ve done your duty, Jessica. No one—least of all me—could ask you to do anymore. If you wanted to, that’s another story. But since you don’t…” He shrugged, as if to say,So be it.
“You’re serious?” I still couldn’t quite believe it. “I’m off the hook?”
“Completely.”
“No more tapping my phone?”
“None.”
“No more following me?”
“None.”
“You’re not going to call a press conference to announce my return to the world of psychic people-finding?”
“Not unless you wish me to.”
“Or tell me about some kid missing in Des Moines whose Mommy wants him back so dearly?”
“Jessica.” Cyrus Krantz climbed to his feet. “I already told you. You have done more than your fair share of good for others in this world. I think it’s time you concentrated on doing some good for yourself for a change. And that’s what I came here to tell you.”
I had to crane my neck to see his face, since he was towering so far above me.
“It is not,” I said. “You came here to see if I wanted to come back.”
“Well,” he admitted, looking sheepish. “Of course. But since you don’t want to, well, that’s another story. So instead I’ll just wish you luck. Call me if you ever need anything. And tell your mother I hope she’ll be feeling better soon. I’m sure she will. The thing with you and Rob…well, it will just take some getting used to for her. But she’s a sensible woman. She’ll come around.”
“I know she will,” I said.
He hesitated on the top step. “Of course, if something came along that wereally needed your help on…”
Nowthis was more like the Cyrus I knew.
“You can call me,” I said with a laugh.
He looked visibly relieved.
“Good,” he said. “Well, that’s all I wanted to know. Good-bye for now. And remember…it’s time to do some good foryou , Jessica.”
With that proclamation, he strolled back to the waiting four-door sedan with the tinted windows—not the same one that had been parked in front of my house yesterday morning—that I hadn’t noticed until just then, the one that had been parked just a little down the street from Randy’s Trans Am.
No sooner had he driven away than my cell phone chirped. I pulled it from my back pocket and said, “Hello?”
All I could hear on the other end was shrieking.
“Yes, Ruth,” I said calmly. “How’d you find out?”
“Mike just got off the phone with your dad,” Ruth said. “Can I be a bridesmaid?”
“Ew,” I said. “No way. I’m not having any of those.”
“What?” Ruth sounded majorly disappointed. “Why not?”
“Um, because it’s my wedding, and I’m not having any bridesmaids,” I pointed out. “You can be my witness, if you want.”
“Do I get to wear a cute dress?”
“You can wear whatever you want. I don’t care.”
“Your mom,” Ruth said, “is going to be so disappointed in this whole affair, I can just tell. But I’m really happy for you.”
“Yeah,” I said sarcastically. “Because now you get to share your room with Mike and not me.”
“Shut up,” Ruth said, laughing. “You were an awesome roommate. Well, except for the night terrors. Speaking of terror, how’s your mom coping with it, anyway?”
“She’ll be all right,” I said. Because I knew she would be. Eventually.
“Does Douglas know?”
“Not yet. Rob and I are meeting him and Tasha for lunch in—” I looked at the time. “Right now, actually. I have to go. I’ll talk to you later. And, Ruth?”
“Yeah?”
“Can I beyour bridesmaid? When you marry Mike?”
Ruth, as I’d known she would, screamed happily again and hung up. Smiling, I went to the garage and pulled out my bike, then cruised on over to Wilkins Auto and Motorcycle Repair. I can’t say that, when I pulled up to the light on First and Main, and noticed Karen Sue Hankey in the white convertible in the lane next to me, I was particularly surprised. I raised the face shield of my helmet and yelled, “Karen Sue!”
She looked over at me, startled. “Jess?”
“Hey,” I said. “Sorry about blowing you off yesterday. I had a lot on my mind.”
“I know,” Karen Sue said unsmilingly. “I read the paper this morning.”
“So,” I said. “Want to reschedule?”
“Sure,” Karen Sue said. “When are you leaving to go back to New York?”
“Oh,” I said. “Never.”
Karen Sue’s mouth fell open. “What?”
“I’m staying here,” I said with a shrug.
“Here?”Karen Sue looked shocked.“Why?”
“Because,” I said. The light turned green. “I’m engaged to a local business owner. Call me!”