Just in Time: Portals of Time (25 page)

“Sure.”

She squeezed Jess’s shoulder when she went by him in silent warning to watch what he said.

“What’s going to happen to Krueger?” Helen asked, her features tense. “You’re not letting him go, are you?”

“His lawyers have a judge looking into the case and are asking them to dismiss it on grounds that he didn’t actually
do
anything. And they contend that the information was gained during entrapment.” He looked up at Celeste as she set a cup in front of him. Its scent was strong. “You’re going to have to go before the judge, but it will be in his chambers and my guess is you’ll convince him.”

“Of course,” she said easily. Knowing her, Dorian thought, she’d probably manage to touch the judge and read his or her emotions to say the right things.

Celeste asked, “When do I do this?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

“I’ll bring her down to the courthouse,” Luke said. “She’s um, become like a sister to me.”

Although Dorian knew the remark was made to convince the captain that this very unusual connection among them was normal, it warmed her.

Al faced Jess. “I’m thinking this whole ordeal is nearly over, Dr. Cromwell. Hang in there just a while longer.”

“I will. Thank you for all you’ve done.”

When the captain left, they all stayed at the table and Alisha asked, “What will happen to Krueger if he’s found to be mentally ill?”

“He’ll get treatment for his condition and probably go to jail afterward.” This from Luke in his cop voice.

“In our time, all miscreants are considered mentally ill,” Alisha said. “They go through extensive rehabilitation, mostly of a virtual nature.”

Dorian had explained that to Luke, but the others might not know it.

“That sounds as if it would cost a lot of money,” Helen commented. “How many crimes are committed a day in your city?”

Dorian’s eyes widened. “In one revolution? Hardly any. There are about ten a year.”

Jess choked on his coffee. “You only have ten arrests a year?”

“Yes, and most of those are reformed quickly.”

“It sounds wonderful,” Helen said.

“As I mentioned before, we’re a peaceful society. We have to be to continue to exist.”

As they discussed the penal system of both time periods, Dorian rose to serve their breakfast, which she’d kept warm. The captain had indeed brought them good news, but no one would rest until confirmation came in the magazine. It was—what did they call it—nerve-wracking.

When they finished eating, Alisha cleared her throat. “I have some news.”

“I hope it’s good.” Helen said. “I feel partly relieved by the captain’s visit but could use something pleasant.”

“It is. Jess’s plan worked. I discovered early this morning that Johns Hopkins has offered Patricia Mason a scholarship. She accepted and will leave at the end of the school year for orientation and a special summer session for freshmen.”

“How do you know this?” Celeste asked. Dorian could tell she was excited.

“I hacked into the Mason girl’s email.”

“Good,” Jess responded. “At least that’s done.” He smiled. “And we helped a kid go to college.”

Luke grabbed Dorian’s hand. “What does that mean for you three?”

Alisha answered. “We hope to leave right after we get the final news that we’ve succeeded with Jess.”

Luke’s face turned dark. Suddenly, Dorian didn’t feel so good anymore.

FOR THE FIRST
time in thirty-nine revolutions—she must learn to say days—Alisha was feeling optimistic about their ability to complete both tasks. She knew in her heart that they’d succeeded with Jess, believed the article would show he was alive and well.

And she’d made progress with Alex Lansing.

When Celeste returned from the courthouse, where she’d told her story to the judge—which he’d accepted—Alisha asked Dorian and Celeste to come downstairs. They took seats on the couches in the main area. Over here, the windows were bigger, the light brighter and the scent of green grass and dirt filtered in through the open glass. Alisha took a moment to enjoy the out of inside she loved so much. Then she turned to her friends, who were also staring out the windows. “Patricia Mason must have resigned from her job with the Lansings for the summer, because Dr. Lansing’s advertisement for child care went up last night.”

With her legs curled under her, Celeste smiled broadly. “We should follow up right away on my behalf.”

“I already answered the advertisement, posing as you, using your email address. I gave you exceptional credentials and superlative recommendations. He’s asked to Skype with you tonight and also said he would check a few references before that. Dorian and I will pose as your previous employers, using the identities I’ve already created for us on what Luke terms the burner phones, so nothing can be traced back to us.”

“Skype means…?” This from Dorian.

“A primitive video communication that was the forerunner of our computeller.”

She nodded.

“Everything should be completed in the next few days, so we can leave right after the
Science Today
article confirms Jess is alive and well.”

Dorian looked away. “That would be next week.”

Alisha frowned. “Don’t forget our mission, Dorian. We don’t know whose research is the cause of the blank wall in 2589.”

“I know I have to come with you.” She spoke matter-of-factly, but there was a regretful nuance in her voice.

Though she didn’t have Celeste’s powers of insights into others, Alisha read her friend’s reaction just fine. “You don’t want to leave Luke. I wish you hadn’t joined with him.” Though her words were harsh, she’d modified her tone because she cared about Dorian.

“Maybe you were right. But I can’t change how I feel now.”

“Distance
will
change it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Being out of contact with him will alter your feelings. If necessary, we can find someone else for you to join with, and get you back to your old self.”

“Oh, great. That’s just fucking great.”

They turned in unison to see Luke Cromwell standing about ten feet away, loaded for beara.

“JOIN WITH SOMEONE
else, my foot!” Luke said aloud as he took to the pavement. What was with these women? Over his dead body would she make love with another man!

An inner voice told him,
You better be more understanding. She’s not like modern women.

But he wasn’t thinking clearly because he didn’t want to let her go—so much, the emotion floored him. Damn it, though, he was right about some things. First and foremost, he had no idea what danger she would be placing herself in—hell they all would—in Virginia. Second, she didn’t trust him enough to tell him what she would be doing. Last, and of course, not least, he wanted to be with her.

Sweat poured down his face as he ran hard for two miles. When his shoulder started to ache, he stopped and bent over to catch his breath. Jesus Christ, he’d gotten himself in a fix. He’d never planned to start a serious relationship with a woman again. Truth be told, he felt he’d blown his first marriage by working too hard for the department and not listening enough to his wife’s concerns. She’d turned to another guy, and he hated being a failure at anything. He’d never wanted to put the time and effort into another relationship. Until now.

He’d fucking fallen in love. And he was damn pissed about it.

Are you, really?
he asked himself honestly.

Running again but slowly this time, he headed toward Jess’s. When he thought of how her eyes sparkled and her face shone when she said
my love is yours,
tenderness welled in his heart.

Join with someone else? Like hell.

As he took the last street to his brother’s home, he tried to blank his mind as he slowed to a walk when he got close to Jess’s. Where he saw something that made his heart beat like a drum.

Under the big tree that shaded Jess’s front lawn, the mailman had slipped something into the mailbox.

Luke’s cop sense prickled. He had an intuition about certain things, which had saved his ass more than once in his police work. Right now, it kicked into high gear. With a big intake of breath, he approached the house, nodded at the guy, who said, “Good morning,” as he walked away, leaving Luke to open the little white box.

A big manila envelope was stuffed inside. The advance copies of the
Science Today
had finally arrived.

ENSCONCED IN THE
family room, alone for once, Jess knelt before Helen with his hand on her belly. And waited. “Oh, my God, I felt it.”

“I’m so glad. It’s really too soon for movement, but that little nudge is more like butterfly wings, flapping gently.” Tears clouded her eyes. “I never thought I’d feel this, Jess. It’s wonderful.”

Jess’s eyes welled, too. “I know. Everything’s going to work out.”

Grasping his hand, she sighed. “I wish we knew for certain.”

“You’re going to get your wish, Helen, in about three seconds.” Luke stood in the wide opening to the kitchen, holding a large envelope. Large enough to contain a couple of copies of
Science Today
.

“Oh!” Helen raised her hand to her mouth.

Then the three women who’d come to save Jess entered the room. “Why did you call us in here, Luke?” Alisha asked.

He held up the envelope. They stilled, and utter silence descended. Luke handed the package to Jess. “Here, you open it.”

Standing, he pulled Helen up and close to him. “I can’t.”

Luke looked to Helen.

“I can’t either. You open it, Luke.”

His brother ripped off the top. Drew out the glossy green magazine. And stared at it.

“If I recall correctly,” Alisha put in, “the article is on page twenty-seven.”

Luke felt his own eyes well and he bit the inside of his cheek to keep back the emotion. “We don’t have to look on page twenty-seven.” He turned the magazine around so everyone could see the cover. Jess’s smiling face captured their gazes.

“That doesn’t mean anything,” Helen began. “It could—”

Jess interrupted. “Read the caption, honey.”

They all stared at the big black letters that read,
Can he save the world? Dr. Jess Cromwell’s research summary inside.

CELESTE SAT DOWN
in front of the small, seventeen-inch screen of the primitive computer and waited for Alex Lansing to come on to Skype with her. Her insides were jittery and she had to struggle to keep her hands from shaking. She’d gone to see the judge today with Luke, and good news had come out of it. The evidence they stole would be accepted and Krueger would go to trial for it unless he bargained a plea for mental problems. Cruelly, he’d be held behind bars until then, instead of injecting him with a locator chip, dosing him with a medicine to quell his violent tendencies and confining him to his dwelling until his treatment could be completed.

A strange popping noise came from the screen, startling Celeste. From off to the side, Alisha said, “It’s the Skype’s way of calling. Click on
answer
. And try to remember your idioms.” She held up a pad made of yellow paper. “I’ll scribble the meaning of any you don’t know.”

An image appeared before her. Alex Lansing! “Hello there, Ms. Hart.”

Celeste’s pulse skyrocketed at the sight and sound of him. He did indeed resemble Captain Kirk of the show
Star Trek
, but his shoulders were wider, he was bigger in general and that voice was low and husky. She knew his eyes were blue, but not this beautiful shade of it.

She had to clear her throat before she could answer. “Hello, Dr. Lansing. Thank you for considering me for the job of caring for your children this summer.”

“Thank you for applying. As I told you in email, I had someone lined up, but it recently fell through.”

She knew that meaning. “I’m sorry your plans did not work out.” She smiled and watched his face react. Even from afar, her powers of sensitivity seemed to lure people to her. “But I can help, if you’ll give me a chance.”

“That’s why we’re Skyping. I was drawn to your résumé, and then this afternoon, I checked your references.”

Alisha and Dorian had assured her that went well.

“I’d like to interview you in person.” He patted his computer. “Much as I depend on this for my work, I insist something as essential as good quality care for my kids be judged in person.”

“I understand.”

“Your résumé says you haven’t moved to Virginia yet.”

She glanced at Alisha, who wrote, “The end of the week.”

“My sisters and I are coming in this week to find a home. You and I could meet anytime.”

Obviously pleased, he smiled and Celeste felt a blast of…heat so strong it silenced her. “That would work.” He leafed through something on his desk. Now the light sparkled off the top of his dark blond hair. “How about next Friday, around noon? I have meetings before and after that.” He rolled his eyes. “For fundraising. Which I deplore.”

She pretended to understand. “Noon would be good. Dr. Lansing, if my interview goes well, what would be the next step?”

“For you to meet the children, of course.”

The notion delighted her. “I can’t wait.”

He didn’t answer but stared at her strangely.

“Is, um, something wrong?”

“No, not at all. It’s just that the expression on your face when I mentioned meeting my kids was…stunning.”

His compliment warmed her. “I love young…people.”

“I can tell. Then I have much to look forward to.”

“As do I.”

“I’ll email you the particulars.”

She glanced at Alisha who scribbled “details” on a paper.

“Oh, yes, do that.”

When they disconnected, she turned to Alisha. “I did well, don’t you think?”

“All except for the flirting.”

Flirting—a social and sometimes sexual activity involving written or verbal communication involving one’s body language? “I was
not
flirting.”

Ignoring her protestation, Alisha sighed. “I know I’ve been harsh with you before about this, Celi. But consider Dorian’s predicament. She’s miserable at leaving Luke. And I don’t think he’s going to give her the room she needs to help us.”