THREE
"That's one hell of a story," said Darryl, after Prue had filled
him in on what had happened to here. "I'm not sure if I believe it or
not. It's been a very long time since I've had to deal with anything
or anyone magical."
"It's all true, believe me," said Prue. "It's as much a shock
to me as it is to you. The only thing I can figure is that the energy
ball the warlock used somehow pushed me forward in time."
"That would explain why you haven't aged any," said Darryl.
"And why we weren't able to find even a trace of you back then."
"So, you're a captain now," said Prue, afraid to broach what was
really on her mind. Her sisters.
"Retired," corrected Darryl. "I retired about five years ago.
My wife died a year later. But I still keep my hand in police work.
I'm a consultant on a lot of cases."
"That's good," said Prue. "Sorry to hear about your wife."
"I've accepted it," said Darryl. "It was a long time ago. And
we had many good years together. You haven't asked about Piper or
Phoebe?"
"I was kind of afraid to," said Prue. "After all these years,
I'm not sure they're even still alive."
"Well, I know Phoebe is," said Darryl. "She works as a maid at
one of the nearby hotels. I saw her a couple of weeks ago."
"What about Piper?" asked Prue.
"I don't know," said Darryl. "She took your disappearance
especially hard. After they moved out of the manor I lost touch with
her. I haven't seen her in about fifteen years."
"Do you remember Leo Wyatt?" asked Prue.
"Yeah, I think so," said Darryl. "He stopped coming around
after you disappeared. I have no idea what happened to him."
"Darryl, I need to see Phoebe," said Prue. "Can you take me to
her?"
"Sure," said Darryl. "I'm consulting on a serial killer case
right now, but I've done all I can do for tonight. I'll give you a
ride to where she works. If we hurry, we can get there before she
gets off."
"What's this case you're working on?" asked Prue as they rode to
the hotel where Phoebe was working.
"A serial killer," said Darryl. "He's murdered two women, then
he butchered them. But it should be over now. We're pretty sure we
have the guy who did it in custody now."
"That's horrible," said Prue.
"Well, we have enough circumstantial evidence on the guy to take
him to trial," said Darryl. "We should be able to put him away for
the rest of his life. He preyed on prostitutes. I guess he figured
no one would care if someone murdered prostitutes."
"No one deserves what he did to them," said Prue. "No matter
who they are."
"He won't do it again," said Darryl. "He's being held in
maximum security. We aren't taking any chances with him. He's not
getting out of there."
"You know," said Prue, "that sounds familiar. I know I've heard
of a similar case just like it. I can't quite remember where,
though."
"That's not surprising," said Darryl. "Before you disappeared
we had a case . . . oh, here we are."
Darryl pulled into the parking lot of the hotel. Most of the
rooms were dark, but several had lights on in them. Prue looked
around. The parking lot was mostly deserted, except for a few cars
scattered around the lot. Darryl pulled into one of the parking
stalls in front of the office.
"Come on," he said. "She's probably in the office getting ready
to clock out."
They walked into the lobby of the hotel. Darryl walked up to
the counter while Prue stood nervously near the front door. A young
woman smiled at Darryl and asked if she could help him.
'Yes," said Darryl. "Can you tell me if Phoebe is still here?"
"Yes," said the woman. "She's in the back right now. She
should be out in a minute."
"We'll wait for her," said Darryl.
After several minutes, and older woman came out of the back
office. She was wearing a maids' uniform. She seemed to be rummaging
through her purse for something.
The woman looked to be in her mid-fifties. Her once brown hair
was now almost totally gray. She was wearing glasses and lines
crossed her face. And even with the addition of about thirty pounds,
Prue had no trouble recognizing her "baby" sister. Phoebe looked up
and saw Darryl standing by the counter.
"Hey, Darryl, what's up?" asked Phoebe.
She glanced momentarily at Prue, and then took a second look.
For a moment nothing happened. Then, suddenly, her eyes widened in
recognition of her eldest sister.
"Prue?" she squealed. "Prue!"
Phoebe's purse fell to the floor as she raced to embrace her
sister. Both were beginning to cry as Darryl just watched, smiling.
"Hello, baby sister," said Prue through her tears.
"Baby sister?" questioned the counter girl.
"Oh, uh, private family joke," said Darryl.
"Oh," said the girl.
After Prue and Phoebe had finally composed themselves, Darryl
said he needed to be going. He knew the two had a great deal to talk
about. He also knew most of it didn't involve him.
"Phoebes' apartment was a small, one bedroom only a few blocks
from the hotel. It seemed very cramped after the spaciousness of the
manor. Phoebes' sofa rolled out into a bed and she said Prue could
stay with her as long as she needed.
"It seems we've traded places," commented Prue.
"Thirty years can change a person," said Phoebe. "Look at me.
I used to hate to even make my own bed in the morning. Now, I'm
cleaning rooms after people.
"What happened, Prue? Where did you go? And how come you don't
look any older now than you did the night you left?"
"I didn't exactly leave," said Prue, taking a deep breath. "I
ran into a little trouble with a warlock when I was heading home that
night."
"That's one hell of a story," said Darryl, after Prue had filled
him in on what had happened to here. "I'm not sure if I believe it or
not. It's been a very long time since I've had to deal with anything
or anyone magical."
"It's all true, believe me," said Prue. "It's as much a shock
to me as it is to you. The only thing I can figure is that the energy
ball the warlock used somehow pushed me forward in time."
"That would explain why you haven't aged any," said Darryl.
"And why we weren't able to find even a trace of you back then."
"So, you're a captain now," said Prue, afraid to broach what was
really on her mind. Her sisters.
"Retired," corrected Darryl. "I retired about five years ago.
My wife died a year later. But I still keep my hand in police work.
I'm a consultant on a lot of cases."
"That's good," said Prue. "Sorry to hear about your wife."
"I've accepted it," said Darryl. "It was a long time ago. And
we had many good years together. You haven't asked about Piper or
Phoebe?"
"I was kind of afraid to," said Prue. "After all these years,
I'm not sure they're even still alive."
"Well, I know Phoebe is," said Darryl. "She works as a maid at
one of the nearby hotels. I saw her a couple of weeks ago."
"What about Piper?" asked Prue.
"I don't know," said Darryl. "She took your disappearance
especially hard. After they moved out of the manor I lost touch with
her. I haven't seen her in about fifteen years."
"Do you remember Leo Wyatt?" asked Prue.
"Yeah, I think so," said Darryl. "He stopped coming around
after you disappeared. I have no idea what happened to him."
"Darryl, I need to see Phoebe," said Prue. "Can you take me to
her?"
"Sure," said Darryl. "I'm consulting on a serial killer case
right now, but I've done all I can do for tonight. I'll give you a
ride to where she works. If we hurry, we can get there before she
gets off."
"What's this case you're working on?" asked Prue as they rode to
the hotel where Phoebe was working.
"A serial killer," said Darryl. "He's murdered two women, then
he butchered them. But it should be over now. We're pretty sure we
have the guy who did it in custody now."
"That's horrible," said Prue.
"Well, we have enough circumstantial evidence on the guy to take
him to trial," said Darryl. "We should be able to put him away for
the rest of his life. He preyed on prostitutes. I guess he figured
no one would care if someone murdered prostitutes."
"No one deserves what he did to them," said Prue. "No matter
who they are."
"He won't do it again," said Darryl. "He's being held in
maximum security. We aren't taking any chances with him. He's not
getting out of there."
"You know," said Prue, "that sounds familiar. I know I've heard
of a similar case just like it. I can't quite remember where,
though."
"That's not surprising," said Darryl. "Before you disappeared
we had a case . . . oh, here we are."
Darryl pulled into the parking lot of the hotel. Most of the
rooms were dark, but several had lights on in them. Prue looked
around. The parking lot was mostly deserted, except for a few cars
scattered around the lot. Darryl pulled into one of the parking
stalls in front of the office.
"Come on," he said. "She's probably in the office getting ready
to clock out."
They walked into the lobby of the hotel. Darryl walked up to
the counter while Prue stood nervously near the front door. A young
woman smiled at Darryl and asked if she could help him.
'Yes," said Darryl. "Can you tell me if Phoebe is still here?"
"Yes," said the woman. "She's in the back right now. She
should be out in a minute."
"We'll wait for her," said Darryl.
After several minutes, and older woman came out of the back
office. She was wearing a maids' uniform. She seemed to be rummaging
through her purse for something.
The woman looked to be in her mid-fifties. Her once brown hair
was now almost totally gray. She was wearing glasses and lines
crossed her face. And even with the addition of about thirty pounds,
Prue had no trouble recognizing her "baby" sister. Phoebe looked up
and saw Darryl standing by the counter.
"Hey, Darryl, what's up?" asked Phoebe.
She glanced momentarily at Prue, and then took a second look.
For a moment nothing happened. Then, suddenly, her eyes widened in
recognition of her eldest sister.
"Prue?" she squealed. "Prue!"
Phoebe's purse fell to the floor as she raced to embrace her
sister. Both were beginning to cry as Darryl just watched, smiling.
"Hello, baby sister," said Prue through her tears.
"Baby sister?" questioned the counter girl.
"Oh, uh, private family joke," said Darryl.
"Oh," said the girl.
After Prue and Phoebe had finally composed themselves, Darryl
said he needed to be going. He knew the two had a great deal to talk
about. He also knew most of it didn't involve him.
"Phoebes' apartment was a small, one bedroom only a few blocks
from the hotel. It seemed very cramped after the spaciousness of the
manor. Phoebes' sofa rolled out into a bed and she said Prue could
stay with her as long as she needed.
"It seems we've traded places," commented Prue.
"Thirty years can change a person," said Phoebe. "Look at me.
I used to hate to even make my own bed in the morning. Now, I'm
cleaning rooms after people.
"What happened, Prue? Where did you go? And how come you don't
look any older now than you did the night you left?"
"I didn't exactly leave," said Prue, taking a deep breath. "I
ran into a little trouble with a warlock when I was heading home that
night."