Love Between Law and Life

Chapter 6: Talking to the Dead Honestly Feels more Peaceful when You have a Partner like Bobbie

            “I’m tired.”

            “I’m tired, I’m hungry, I’m bored. What are you, six?” Bobbie huffs as she leans tiredly over the steering wheel, eyes peeled on the road as she tried to locate their next target. To be fair, they’d been at this for most of the day, it was now late evening and even the detective was beginning to feel the effects of too many social conversations.

            They’d visited the families of the other victims, the pairs that had been married. Unfortunately, there was not much to work on besides repeated information already stored away on files. Most people tended to pay less attention to you if you weren’t available or had a life. Since one pair had no kids and the other had one too far off in the mainland, Bobbie had gleefully chucked the practically useless case file in the back of the van.

            “Technically I’m eleven.”

            “Why?”

            “’Cause Kaleo is.” Florence shoots a slightly dopy grin at her, head laying on the closed window as she directed most of her attention on her. The woman had made it through two cups of coffee and too many unhealthy, sugary sweets. Either she was having a hard day, or that psychic gig took more out of her than Bobbie realised. At the moment, the detective was unfortunately having to lean more to the latter, because Florence didn’t have a serious case of bags under her eyes, but her breathing was slightly strained as though she’d run a marathon and was going to crash later.

            “I see. Well sit straight, one more place and we’re home free until the next time I need you.”

            “Straight.” Florence snorts at the word but doesn’t emphasize  further. She propped herself up a little more supportively against the seat to Bobbie’s relief, now she wouldn’t have to worry about the psychic accidently braining herself on the window if she went over a bump. That was not something she planned on having to explain to Kahula or Leo, and especially not to Kaleo. “So, where are we going?”

            “The last pair of victims we have on the list. Maxine de Angelo and Erza Noshmori.”

            “What’s their story?”

            “Not too clear. Maxine had Alzheimer and Erza was a long-time friend who’d willingly volunteered to help her out since she lived alone.” Bobbie shrugs, “But in light of new information…”

            “It might be possible that they were in a relationship.”

            “Yep.”

            Florence runs a hand over her eyes with a soft sigh, listening to Bobbie putter around the house. It’d been so long since she’d just focused on her powers for an answer, she’d forgotten how tired she could get without constant practice. Her ability was like a muscle, similar to when someone jogged at the early morning, to paint a picture. When they first start out, they tire easily, but day after day it gets better. But if you stopped for some time and then tried to move back to the constant, full distance run, you’d get tired.

            She knew Bobbie was a little suspicious, but there wasn’t really anything she could say to help the situation. Instead, she took in the abandoned house around them. It was a little dilapidated from the lack of maintenance, but it was still beautiful. The little bigger than average house was just at the edge of a beach, the living room overlooking the peaceful view. The floor to ceiling glass panes gave it an airy feeling, making it seem bigger than it already was.

            Florence stepped out onto the lanai, tense muscles relaxing at the feeling of relaxation just embedded into the wooden floor and furniture. Inside was littered with memories and emotions, it was like pressing clean sheets to your face - the smell is overwhelming and comforting at first but after some time, you then realise just how much the sheet is stifling you. The house had been on the market for quite some time after the pair’s reported death, but so far, no one had had the heart to buy it and shred the memories painted into the walls.

            There was just too much information to process, but none of it could be used for the case. It did confirm at least that Maxine and Erza were together, and quiet happily at their older years. It kind of awed Florence at the beauty the pair radiated with their greying hair and wrinkled smiles, aged to the point where they didn’t need fanciful acts to prove their love. Just the presence of the other was enough.

            Someone sits on one of the two chairs at the end of the lanai, shawl bellowing in the wind. Florence doesn’t startle despite the fact that she didn’t notice the woman at first. The person doesn’t feel just right, but they didn’t give off the aura that they were of any trouble, so Florence approached with caution. As she takes a slightly rounded path towards the chairs, she notices the cup of tea in the older woman’s hands. Her long hair is clipped up in a neat bun at the base of her neck with a vine-like piece, and her white dress and simple jewellery seemed to complement her pale skin in the soft light.

            “So I didn’t find anything of use. Nothing has been cleared out in a while, so nothing’s been touched.” Bobbie’s voice startles her so hard that she hits her back on one of the  wooden poles. The detective raises her eyebrow at her for a split second before glaring at her phone and tapping at it harshly.

            The woman doesn’t react beyond taking a sip of tea from her cup delicately. Bobbie doesn’t show any notice of the woman, even though Florence watched her sweep her eyes over the entire lanai. The psychic takes a better look, eyes growing a little sad as she notes that the almost translucent look the beautiful woman carried was more than just from her old age. She was looking at the ethereal, ghostly form of Maxine de Angelo.

            “If you’re done checking out the house, I’m pretty sure it’s safe to call it… Flo?” Bobbie’s train of thought finally derails, her hand coming up to rest warily on the weapon at her side as the psychic glances at her with an odd look. Florence’s nose twitches as she takes a second, more careful, look at the lanai but turns to face her directly as she connects the dots. “What do you see?”

            “I believe Ms. De Angelo has some words for us.” Maxine glances at her with a kind smile, eyes empty but not scary. It wasn’t that ‘I’m so used to it’ kind of lack of terror, it was more that Maxine had no ill intention at all, so Florence picked up on the calm like some sort of connected empathy.

            “Oh, uh, well… I’ll just give you some privacy then.” Bobbie nearly trips over her own foot in her uncertainty, clearly not comfortable at the thought of leaving the psychic alone, but not wanting to interrupt her thought process. It was sort of endearing to see the normally stern detective worry over her. She preened for a few seconds before Maxine waves her hand, catching her attention.

            “You can take a seat, if you wish.” She smiles, setting the empty cup of tea on the handle of the chair and folded her hands over her stomach.

            “I wouldn’t want to intrude.” Florence respectfully stayed standing. Maxine may have invited her, but the chair was the place of Erza, she had no right to sit there. Maxine lets out a peel of laughter that sounds like glass clicking together, it was pleasant and warm.

            “Nonsense, my dear. Erza is on a walk, she would hardly be bothered. If anything, she’d be quite happy for the company. She’s always been telling me we needed some young ones running around the house.” Maxine huffs and stares out to the water, hallowed eyes tilted to the crashing waves. Florence hums in humble acceptance, taking a seat and turning just enough to keep the woman in her view.

            “I’m sorry you never had the chance.” Florence says softly, Maxine is hardly affected by the statement which meant she was aware she was no longer among the living.

            “Don’t be. We already had so little time to ourselves, those little buggers would just be all over us.” Maxine laughs kindly, wrinkles on her face crinkled in her joy. “Don’t get me wrong, I love kids, but better from afar.”

            “I see.” Florence leans back on the chair and stares out to the waves, watching as the sun made the water glitter at every crash on the shore. So, for a few seconds, she could see the absolute beauty that Maxine used to every day, the simple joy at the sight. It was a little overwhelming before it fades away like a wave. “I have a kid of my own. I love him with all my heart, but it used to be a bit of a handful when he was smaller.”

            “Your partner, if I may?”

            “Son of a gun walked out on me the moment he realised. Didn’t stop me from loving Kaleo with all my heart.” Florence couldn’t help the wash of emotions over her,  “If anything, Kaleo has been the one solid presence in my life since I was seventeen.”

            “I see. Erza was much like that for me. She was my rock. I couldn’t imagine a world without her. I feel as though it is selfish to voice this, but I’m grateful to say I was with her the entire way.” Maxine sighs, rubbing her hands together above her stomach, head raised to the blue skies.

            “I understand. The pain of imagining a world without your foundation can be too much to bear.”

            “So, my child. What can I help you with?”

            “My partner and I were trying to work the case again, we were hoping to get a clue that could help us out.” Florence hardly thinks about how she words the question as she glances at Bobbie. The detective is sitting just inside the doors on the ground, her feet folder under her and head bowed, but Florence could tell she was giving her full attention to her. The psychic tries and fails to smother down a smile, not noticing Maxine turning her full attention on her until the woman snorts.

            “Partner, hmm? She suits you.”

            “Wha- no, no, no. It’s not like that.” Florence’s voice drops soft as she tried to rectify the statement without Bobbie hearing, but it only serves to make Maxine laugh harder, the woman somehow managing to make that look graceful as well. “I’d only met her for a couple days. Honestly!”

            “Well then, I must say that the chemistry is quite remarkable then. Pure love that I haven’t see in quiet some time.”

            “It’s not like that…” Florence sighs as Maxine shrugs, realising that she’d just been played by a ghost and lost with flying colours. “I do have to ask though…”

            “It’s quite fine my dear. No need to hesitate to ask your questions, you need not worry about hurting my feelings.”

            “Is there anything you can give me about the day you died?”

            “Unfortunately not, my dear. I had not taken my medication that day, and it’d been a bit of a bad one. Erza had taken me out on a walk with her on the beach and nothing more.” Maxine breathes out slowly, her expression sad and tired. “I remember a few seconds so clearly. The feeling of the sun on my face, the sand under my feet and the waves crashing on my legs. Erza’s beautiful laugh…”

            “I’m sorry.”

            “Nonsense, stop apologising, none of this is your fault.” The woman shakes her head and smiles, “The world comes into a whole different perspective when your dead, kid. Remember that.”

            “You mentioned meds?”

            “Of course, for Alzheimer’s. Nasty little thing. Made the first few days of meeting Erza almost impossible.” Florence shoots her a soft grin as Maxine tries to hide the love-struck smile on her face, giggling like a teenager. “Do you know what it’s like having an attractive person living with you twenty-four seven, especially when you can’t remember inviting them over?”

            “No, but I believe it couldn’t have been easy.” Florence makes an embarrassing snort at the look Maxine shoots her. She’d sure if Maxine was physically able to, her entire face would be red. “How has it been since your death?”

            “Like the illness doesn’t exist. I may not really be able to make new memories with Erza as I would have wanted, but it brings joy to my heart that I will never forget any of our days now.”

            “Can I ask… why’d you stick around?”

            “Not much to it really, no one bought the house, so we decided until the day they did, we’ll just stay here.” She shrugs, “It’s not like we’re in a hurry and we’re not causing any harm, so why not?”

            “Thank you… for all of this. It’s been helpful.”

            “Anytime.” The woman gets to her feet and dusts off any imaginary sand from her dress, wrapping the shawl around her a little tighter. “But if you can excuse me, I can’t wander to far behind or Erza will get worried. I think it’s about time I joined her on the beach.

            Florence hums in agreement and from one blink to the next, she’s sitting by herself, staring at an empty cup sitting on the handle of an equally empty chair. She finally notices the cloudy skies and wind growing a bit cold. It might rain in a little while then. The calm, relaxed aura of the lanai fades a little into something purer and slightly sad.

            The psychic gets to her feet and makes her way to the quiet Bobbie, holding out a hand for her as soon as she was within reach. “I take it that it went well?”

            “It did, but unfortunately, it didn’t have a lot of information to offer. Sorry.” Florence’s voice goes on a slight strain as she stretches her back, sighing in relief at the muscles relaxing. “Maxine’s Alzheimer didn’t give her an easy time.”

            Bobbie hums as they walk back towards the blue van, taking all of it in stride. Florence raises an eyebrow at the lack of words from the detective, she did after all just see her talk to a dead person. Bobbie hardly seemed affected by that, but she looked like she was willing to let the entire situation pass by them like it was something they did on a normal basis. Not entirely unwanted, but honestly kind of surprising. Florence felt her respect grow a little without her permission.

            “Guess we can call that a day then.” She grunts as she pulls herself up in the vehicle, raising her eyebrows at the psychic. Florence hums gratefully at the thought of finally getting Kaleo home from school and getting some sleep at some point. But she didn’t think she was going to get a restful one as something nags her at the back of her mind.

            “What?” Unsurprisingly, Bobbie picks up on her fidgeting, glancing at her as she pulls out of the driveway and takes the route back to the bookstore. “Something wrong?”

            “No… not exactly.” Florence sighs and rubs her eyes, trying to string together logical points so that it made sense.

            “But?”

            “But, it’s just something that sort out struck out I guess. It might not have anything to do with it, but it’s not leaving me alone. Makaio had drug abuse, Maxine had Alzheimers. I think one of the other victims had a condition?”

            “Heart.”

            “Yea.”

            “You’re thinking that they might be connected because of their illnesses?”

            “I dunno, but there isn’t anything that seems to connect them, does it?”

            “But that would mean only one of the victims showed signs of illness, the other, not so much.” Bobbie just taps her fingers on the steering wheel, cursing at the soft downpour of rain finally coming down.

            “Yea, but the partners were connected to the victims in one way or another. Noelani used to attend some sort of sessions, right? Who was her partner and what was she there for?” Florence unconsciously rubs her shoulders as she lays the open files on her lap. It wouldn’t make a difference checking through the file considering there was no information on their other possible -still missing - victims.

            “It might just be a coincidence to.”

            “Yes, but it’s better than walking blind. Just check it out for me, will you?” Florence doesn’t know where the sudden agitation was coming from, but it felt prudent to put this request on the detective.

            “Fine, I will. But I can’t promise you anything.”

            Bobbie frowns as she stares at the file in her lap, her back pressed to the locked door of her van. It was the HPD parking lot, if they had a problem with her sticking around after hours, they could come tell her personally. She’d dropped off Florence back at the bookstore, the offer to stop by Kaleo and drop both of them home declined.

            Florence had seemed pretty agitated since her talk with Maxine’s ghost, she didn’t try to press the offer. She had to admit that it was quite an honour to see the interaction. It all of this was a hoax, Bobbie wouldn’t even been mad. It genuinely looked like Florence was having a conversation with someone. The detective hadn’t been able to hear all of it clearly, but she’d depended on the psychic telling her anything that might have been of importance.

            She admitted that Florence’s presence had been a big help so far in the case. They may not have gotten any solid leads, but they were finding out little fact that might lead up to it. Plus, it was a joy to work with her. Drives in the van didn’t seem to lonely and oppressive, she hadn’t even turned on the radio once to fill the silence. It was… kind of nice.