Bright and early the next morning, Alyssa awoke, took a shower, and appeared outside Ezra's room with toasted bagels, apple butter, cream cheese, and juice at nine o'clock on the dot. He called her in before she could knock.
She strode in and offered him a smile, placing the tray on top of his bedside table. "Morning, Detective."
He looked up from stacks of case files strewn on top of his bed and smiled in return. Though it disappeared as quickly as it had come, she appreciated the response. She still couldn't help but remember being caught in that compromising position with Liam, and each time she did, her cheeks turned pink.
"Thanks, kiddo." He reached for a half of a bagel and slathered some apple butter on top, then took a bite, chewing thoughtfully as he pored over the pages. "That 2004 incident you had at school," he began, pointing to her little black notebook. "The Mason Jefferies murder, if I recall. You had a witness, you said?"
"I was a teacher's assistant so it was just her, but I forget her name."
He nodded. "I'm still working on pulling your records. It's not a big deal."
She shifted in the wooden chair across from his bed. "Is everything okay? Did you talk to Captain Bennett?"
He grunted in response. "He still doesn't feel quite comfortable until we've got a good list of witnesses lined up. I've looked over autopsies and ME reports to prove the small details like nail polish, scars, tattoos, et cetera, that you marked in your book. Enough witnesses will back up your alibis. We want this to be solid."
Alyssa busied herself with buttering her bagel to hide her nerves when she asked her next question. "Will he need to meet with me?"
Ezra swallowed his next bite and took a sip of orange juice. "Sure, eventually." When he looked up and saw her face twisting, he nudged her knee. "Don't go stressing, kid. He wouldn't be putting this much effort and faith into this if he didn't trust me, and I wouldn't be going to bat for you if I didn't trust you. There's no denying what happened at that hotel. You saw it happen before he got to us. We have the dead maid to prove it."
She nodded. "You're right. Thanks."
He finished up his breakfast and set his plate back on the tray. "Have you had any more visions?"
Alyssa shook her head. "No, sir. Not since the hotel."
"We are pretty secluded. Your visions work within a certain radius. Small place like this, not many people are going around killing each other." He chortled. "You'd think you'd have chosen to live somewhere far from New York City."
She shrugged. "My mom had her shop in Manhattan, and I was hellbent on getting into Juilliard."
"But you didn't finish classes. You left a month before graduation."
She sighed and pushed aside the rest of her breakfast. "I had a vision of one of my classmates being killed. It screwed me up. I'd never witnessed someone I actually knew. That's why I rushed into the police station that day. I just... broke, I guess."
They sat in silence for a while, Ezra scribbling down notes and arranging files into a binder. She'd given him all the witnesses she could think of, and the rest was up to the little black notebook to prove. She hoped this would all blow over soon.
Suddenly, Ezra placed the binder on the bed beside him and stood. "You've been wanting to go to that cafe down the street. Let's go."
She couldn't help the grin that spread across her face. "Really? But I thought-"
"We were lying low?" he finished for her. "Yeah, but it's not healthy to stay pent up. It's been a month and the most you've done is sit at a creek. Cafe is so small, I highly doubt we'll be drawing any attention to ourselves."
He threw on a suit jacket, but before he had a chance to button it, she was on him, trapping him in an embrace. He became as still as a statue, his arms awkwardly floating at his sides, until finally he gave in and hugged her back gingerly. "Thank you," she gushed, excitement bubbling over something as simple as a fresh cup of coffee, and now more than ever, she reminded him of his sweet Emma. She would have been near Alyssa's age now. They'd have made good friends. He cleared his throat and awkwardly patted her back, his voice gruff when he spoke. "You're welcome, kid."
With one last squeeze, she stepped back, announcing that she'd ask her mother to come as well, and then she was gone.
Caleb:
Cuppa Joe's was a tiny cafe within walking distance from their current residence. The moment they stepped inside, the smell of coffee hit them, causing Gwen and Alyssa to moan. There were only two patrons loitering inside, one lounging in a chair as he thumbed through emails on his phone, and a college-aged girl idly reading a book in the corner. Ezra was relieved the place was nearly empty.
They each ordered coffees and found themselves a table at the back. When Alyssa's order was called, she rose to get her coffee and turned when the bell above the door dinged. Someone had just walked in. She almost dropped her coffee when she saw who it was.
When his eyes met hers, they widened and his face broke into a smile, his dimples on full display. "Alyssa?"
"Caleb!"
Ezra and Gwen watched as they walked up to each other and embraced. Gwen patted Ezra's hand to put him at ease. "Caleb is an old friend from Stuyvesant High," she explained. "They studied together all the time."
Alyssa was the last to break away, bouncing on her feet from happiness. "My god, it's been what, almost seven years?"
Caleb laughed. "Yeah. Wow, you still look great." His eyes went past hers to Gwen and Ezra's table. "No way, Mrs. Giordano?" He walked up and extended his arms when Gwen stepped down from her stool to give him a hug. "Caleb Parker, you handsome devil! I see you tamed that mop on your head."
He chuckled. "Yeah, the fiancée cleaned me up nicely. You look as radiant as ever, Mrs. G." He looked from a beaming Gwen to a dour Ezra and politely offered his hand. Ezra introduced himself quickly and returned the shake, but continued to watch Caleb intently. If Alyssa were guessing right, Ezra felt almost possessive. She wondered when he'd own up to his attraction to Gwen and get it over with, but his denial was entertaining to watch.
"You have to tell me all about this fiancée," Alyssa exclaimed, leading him toward the front counter so that he could place his order. "Do I know her? Did she go to school with us?"
"No, no," he replied sheepishly, heat rising to his cheeks. "We met when I was interning at a radio station during college. Her name's Amy. She's great." When someone appeared behind the counter, he leaned forward and ordered himself a coffee. "So, you new here? I haven't seen you around."
She nodded. "Yeah, I'm trying out seclusion for a while."
He laughed. "Good choice. Well, this is my favorite cafe, so it's mandatory you try the blueberry muffins." He quickly added two of them onto his order, and she watched in fascination as he moved and spoke with confidence. It was a far cry from the sheepish, awkward boy she'd known in high school. She'd been his only friend, and after being named the freak that screamed and seized in class, she was lucky to have him around. She'd always suspected he'd wanted more from her, and though she'd tried, she couldn't get herself to reciprocate his feelings for her. He was a damned good friend, though, and she was delighted that he'd found someone.
When his order was ready, he led her toward a separate small table and pulled out her chair first before seating himself. He handed her a massive blueberry muffin and she took it with a thank you, peeling off the wrapper slowly. "It's absolutely loaded with berries," he told her with a smirk. "I remember those used to be your favorite."
She smiled. "They still are." She took a bite and closed her eyes when the flavors hit her tongue. Not too buttery, not too sweet, and as promised, loaded with fruit. "Holy
crap, that's good."
"Wouldn't steer you wrong, Lyss." He pulled his cell phone from his jacket pocket and slid to the home screen. "Here's Amy."
The background photo featured him and a beautiful freckled redhead, her eyes full of laughter, his full of love. Her heart swelled. "Oh, Caleb, she's beautiful. You guys are so cute together! When's the wedding?"
"It's going to be a winter wedding. December twelfth. Hey, I can take your number and keep you updated if you want to come and bring your family. The location isn't set in stone." Alyssa pulled out the cardboard slip that came over her coffee cup and he handed her a pen. She quickly jotted down her cell number and gave it back. "How are you, by the way?" he asked. "You seeing someone?"
She nodded enthusiastically. "I am. His name is Liam; I met him in London a few months ago. I'm liking where it's headed." She dug inside her pockets for her own phone, then presented him with a photo of her and Liam, his arms wrapped around her from behind, his head propped on her shoulder. He smoldered at the camera, a devilish smirk on his lips.
"Good-looking dude," Casey commented, nodding in approval. His dimples were back, big time. "I guess it's true what they say about things looking up after high school, huh? Look at us, with our gorgeous partners and our shit halfway figured out."
They spent the next half hour reminiscing and catching up on all that was new. Alyssa easily skirted around saying anything incriminating. He knew nothing out her visions - to him, they had been clusters. He didn't need to know the gruesome details. His life was finally full of happiness and contentment and she wouldn't ruin it. They ended their evening with a hug and a goodbye when his phone chimed with a text from Amy about wedding plans. With a promise to call her about invitations and a farewell to Gwen and Ezra, he left the shop, coffee in hand.
Feeling contented, she finished the last of her muffin and joined Gwen and Ezra. When they returned home, she checked the time. Liam would be back at his room at the Four Seasons Hotel by now, having finished his shoot. She called, eager to check in. Barely a day had passed and she already missed him more than she thought possible.