Rose, you're sure right about Phoebe's denial. She makes it a new art
form.
*******************************
"Sam Spade"
For weeks now, Phoebe used every witch power in her arsenal to find Cole's new whereabouts but came up empty. She tried scrying, spell writing and searching her feelings with her empathic power, but the connection to her ex-demon husband was lost, or at least not showing up when she wanted it to.
Paige and Piper had noticed Phoebe's absence of late, but they had long been accustomed to the workaholic lifestyle she'd adopted and assumed that she was telling the truth when she spent hours locked in her room supposedly working on her column.
This finding him had become an obsession Phoebe realized, one that even Jason was beginning to lose his cool with. She'd confided in him last week about her ex-husband being back in town and asked Jason to use his connections to find out where he was living just so that she could make sure she said that he wasn't within stalking distance.
Jason began with Cole's old law firm, Jackman, Carter & Kline, but they hadn't heard from him since he left them high and dry over a year ago. He then canvassed the city and its outer skirts using an old friend at the DMV but all his efforts proved fruitless. When Jason informed Phoebe at dinner at their favorite restuarant, that he couldn't find her ex-husband and that he believed this meant that he was nowhere in the vicinity of San Francisco and that this news should make her feel safe, Phoebe nearly blew a gasket and screamed, "that isn't good enough, Jason. I have to find him!" Jason grew alarmingly suspicious that Phoebe had another motive for finding him that she refused to mention. The only time she ever blew up at him over anything was when she was really worried about someone she cared for. Could it be she wanted to see this ex-husband from hell because she actually missed him? He'd heard of cases with battered wives who'd grown attached in a dependent sort of way to their abusers.
"Don't be ridiculous, Jason, I don't have any unresolved feelings for Cole nor do I have a dependency problem. I'm just worried that he might try and hurt me or my sisters again and I'd feel better knowing where he was so I could have the upper hand."
"Phoebe, if you have any sort of proof that Turner's violent, why don't you take out a restraining order?"
"Like that would do any good. The guy could shimmer in and out before..." Phoebe caught her mistake and cursed herself for nearly giving things away before she was ready.
"Shimmer? What does that mean?"
"Shimmer? Oh, you mean you don't know? she covered. It's a new street slang, meaning he can con his way out of any situation."
"Oh, I've never heard that one," Jason sheepishly confessed. "But even if Turner is the best Shimmer guy there is, there's still nothing he can do to fight a restraining order. If he's caught in violation, they'll arrest his ass and lock him up."
"Jason, you're probably right. Cole's not anywhere near here and since I haven't heard from him in over three weeks now, it's probably a safe assumption that he's moving on with his life. I mean that is what he told me he's doing, if you can believe that."
"Then why don't you believe it," Jason asked suspiciously, wanting more than anything to have her deny it one more time.
"I do, Jason and I'm threw with my quest for finding him. It's killing way too much of my precious time that I could be spending with you."
"Now that's the answer I wanted to hear. So, your place or mine tonight?" Jason asked as the waitress attempted to hand him the check, but Phoebe shot out her hand to stop Jason from taking it and insisted she wanted to buy her boyfriend lunch. As she reached for the bill, Phoebe's fingers inadvertently touched the waiter's hand and a premonition shot through her with a force that caused her to inhale sharply.
"Phoebe, are you okay?"
"Ah, yeah," she said recovering her equilibrium, though the horror of what she saw still played in her mind. "Gas," she whispered and hit her chest with a fist. "Too spicy, ya know?" "Ah, Jason can you excuse me a moment, I need to have a little talk with the waiter."
"Excuse me?" the waiter said, looking confused.
"Phoebe, it's not the waiter's fault you have heartburn."
"Oh, I know thaaaat, Jason. I just needed to ask Mark something important," she said taking his arm and leading him away quickly.
"Do I know you?" the waiter asked.
"Not exactly, but someone else I know does," Phoebe answered cryptically. "I'll be back in a couple Jason.
"Fine, he said to himself as Phoebe had already disappeared around the corner. "Just as long as it's not another family emergency. Anything but that."
Phoebe led the waiter to the hallway near the bathrooms and pinned him against the wall roughly. "okay, where is he?"
"Where's who?" the waiter asked nervously.
"Belthazor."
"I don't know "Beelzibub."
"I said Belthazor, and don't play any games with me, buddy, I just saw you with him."
"I was just with you."
"I mean in my mind, not physically, geesh. Come on what are you a warlock, a demon? Spill it. Don't waste my time here cause you and I both know, I'm gonna get it out of you, so please don't make me vanquish you right here and now."
"Oh, God, you're crazy! Help! Help!"
"Oh my God, you really think I am crazy. I can feel it," Phoebe said releasing him. But I saw you with Cole."
"Did you say Cole?" the waiter squeaked.
"Yes, Cole Turner," Phoebe replied
"I do know him, but I only just met him today, I swear!"
"I believe you! Just do me a favor and stop shooting those terrified feelings at me okay, Mark?"
"I'mmmm sorry!"
"You and me both. Okay, do ya think you could forget all that crazy stuff I threw at you just now and let's just start over as friends, here. My name's Phoebe." Phoebe blinded him with her most charming smile and she could feel the fright leaving mark but felt a different sort of fear settling in. Mark was a bit on the nervous side, and didn't know what to do with a woman he was attracted to.
"Ah, hi, I'm Mark," he said and stuck out his hand. Phoebe shook the hand and then discretely wiped the sweat she absorbed off his palm on the back of her dress.
"Yes, I remember your name is Mark and what a great name that is too! "
"Do you really think so?"
"Yes, I knew a Mark once in college. He later became an architect. Boy he was great with his hands, really great....Phoebe felt the level of Mark's testosterone suddenly jump and knew she'd better get back on topic. Now Mark, do ya think you could be a real pal and tell me where I can find Cole Turner?"
Mark reached in his pocket for a card and handed it to her.
"Turner Detective Agency? You've got to be kidding me!"
"No, I swear I'm telling you the truth!" Mark yelled.
"Shhhsh, I believe you. I just can't believe him. Of all things. A detective. Come on Mark let's go."
"With you?"
"Yes."
"What about my job?"
"Oh, right, your job. I know that's important to you, but really you have to believe me when I say something to you that's been said before by a man with a heavy Austrian accent. Come with me if you want to live."
"I love the terminator. Okay let's go."
"Oh, just wait one moment," Phoebe said stopping Mark at the front door. "I just have to take care of a little something."
At the table, Jason looked at his watch waiting for Phoebe to return. A waitress approached and said she had a message from her girlfriend.
"Let me guess, a family emergency?"
"Yes, how did you know?" the waitress replied.
"I must be psychic," Jason deadpanned.
*******************************
"Sam Spade"
For weeks now, Phoebe used every witch power in her arsenal to find Cole's new whereabouts but came up empty. She tried scrying, spell writing and searching her feelings with her empathic power, but the connection to her ex-demon husband was lost, or at least not showing up when she wanted it to.
Paige and Piper had noticed Phoebe's absence of late, but they had long been accustomed to the workaholic lifestyle she'd adopted and assumed that she was telling the truth when she spent hours locked in her room supposedly working on her column.
This finding him had become an obsession Phoebe realized, one that even Jason was beginning to lose his cool with. She'd confided in him last week about her ex-husband being back in town and asked Jason to use his connections to find out where he was living just so that she could make sure she said that he wasn't within stalking distance.
Jason began with Cole's old law firm, Jackman, Carter & Kline, but they hadn't heard from him since he left them high and dry over a year ago. He then canvassed the city and its outer skirts using an old friend at the DMV but all his efforts proved fruitless. When Jason informed Phoebe at dinner at their favorite restuarant, that he couldn't find her ex-husband and that he believed this meant that he was nowhere in the vicinity of San Francisco and that this news should make her feel safe, Phoebe nearly blew a gasket and screamed, "that isn't good enough, Jason. I have to find him!" Jason grew alarmingly suspicious that Phoebe had another motive for finding him that she refused to mention. The only time she ever blew up at him over anything was when she was really worried about someone she cared for. Could it be she wanted to see this ex-husband from hell because she actually missed him? He'd heard of cases with battered wives who'd grown attached in a dependent sort of way to their abusers.
"Don't be ridiculous, Jason, I don't have any unresolved feelings for Cole nor do I have a dependency problem. I'm just worried that he might try and hurt me or my sisters again and I'd feel better knowing where he was so I could have the upper hand."
"Phoebe, if you have any sort of proof that Turner's violent, why don't you take out a restraining order?"
"Like that would do any good. The guy could shimmer in and out before..." Phoebe caught her mistake and cursed herself for nearly giving things away before she was ready.
"Shimmer? What does that mean?"
"Shimmer? Oh, you mean you don't know? she covered. It's a new street slang, meaning he can con his way out of any situation."
"Oh, I've never heard that one," Jason sheepishly confessed. "But even if Turner is the best Shimmer guy there is, there's still nothing he can do to fight a restraining order. If he's caught in violation, they'll arrest his ass and lock him up."
"Jason, you're probably right. Cole's not anywhere near here and since I haven't heard from him in over three weeks now, it's probably a safe assumption that he's moving on with his life. I mean that is what he told me he's doing, if you can believe that."
"Then why don't you believe it," Jason asked suspiciously, wanting more than anything to have her deny it one more time.
"I do, Jason and I'm threw with my quest for finding him. It's killing way too much of my precious time that I could be spending with you."
"Now that's the answer I wanted to hear. So, your place or mine tonight?" Jason asked as the waitress attempted to hand him the check, but Phoebe shot out her hand to stop Jason from taking it and insisted she wanted to buy her boyfriend lunch. As she reached for the bill, Phoebe's fingers inadvertently touched the waiter's hand and a premonition shot through her with a force that caused her to inhale sharply.
"Phoebe, are you okay?"
"Ah, yeah," she said recovering her equilibrium, though the horror of what she saw still played in her mind. "Gas," she whispered and hit her chest with a fist. "Too spicy, ya know?" "Ah, Jason can you excuse me a moment, I need to have a little talk with the waiter."
"Excuse me?" the waiter said, looking confused.
"Phoebe, it's not the waiter's fault you have heartburn."
"Oh, I know thaaaat, Jason. I just needed to ask Mark something important," she said taking his arm and leading him away quickly.
"Do I know you?" the waiter asked.
"Not exactly, but someone else I know does," Phoebe answered cryptically. "I'll be back in a couple Jason.
"Fine, he said to himself as Phoebe had already disappeared around the corner. "Just as long as it's not another family emergency. Anything but that."
Phoebe led the waiter to the hallway near the bathrooms and pinned him against the wall roughly. "okay, where is he?"
"Where's who?" the waiter asked nervously.
"Belthazor."
"I don't know "Beelzibub."
"I said Belthazor, and don't play any games with me, buddy, I just saw you with him."
"I was just with you."
"I mean in my mind, not physically, geesh. Come on what are you a warlock, a demon? Spill it. Don't waste my time here cause you and I both know, I'm gonna get it out of you, so please don't make me vanquish you right here and now."
"Oh, God, you're crazy! Help! Help!"
"Oh my God, you really think I am crazy. I can feel it," Phoebe said releasing him. But I saw you with Cole."
"Did you say Cole?" the waiter squeaked.
"Yes, Cole Turner," Phoebe replied
"I do know him, but I only just met him today, I swear!"
"I believe you! Just do me a favor and stop shooting those terrified feelings at me okay, Mark?"
"I'mmmm sorry!"
"You and me both. Okay, do ya think you could forget all that crazy stuff I threw at you just now and let's just start over as friends, here. My name's Phoebe." Phoebe blinded him with her most charming smile and she could feel the fright leaving mark but felt a different sort of fear settling in. Mark was a bit on the nervous side, and didn't know what to do with a woman he was attracted to.
"Ah, hi, I'm Mark," he said and stuck out his hand. Phoebe shook the hand and then discretely wiped the sweat she absorbed off his palm on the back of her dress.
"Yes, I remember your name is Mark and what a great name that is too! "
"Do you really think so?"
"Yes, I knew a Mark once in college. He later became an architect. Boy he was great with his hands, really great....Phoebe felt the level of Mark's testosterone suddenly jump and knew she'd better get back on topic. Now Mark, do ya think you could be a real pal and tell me where I can find Cole Turner?"
Mark reached in his pocket for a card and handed it to her.
"Turner Detective Agency? You've got to be kidding me!"
"No, I swear I'm telling you the truth!" Mark yelled.
"Shhhsh, I believe you. I just can't believe him. Of all things. A detective. Come on Mark let's go."
"With you?"
"Yes."
"What about my job?"
"Oh, right, your job. I know that's important to you, but really you have to believe me when I say something to you that's been said before by a man with a heavy Austrian accent. Come with me if you want to live."
"I love the terminator. Okay let's go."
"Oh, just wait one moment," Phoebe said stopping Mark at the front door. "I just have to take care of a little something."
At the table, Jason looked at his watch waiting for Phoebe to return. A waitress approached and said she had a message from her girlfriend.
"Let me guess, a family emergency?"
"Yes, how did you know?" the waitress replied.
"I must be psychic," Jason deadpanned.