Allison has a dream about her daughter Ariel….10 yrs into the future. Ariel is 25 yrs old in her dream and is trying on wedding dresses. Allison is smiling in her dream until she sees the girl with the gun. She moves quickly to protect Ariel from the pointed gun but fails. Ariel falls to the floor. Allison wakes up…………………
Allison starts her morning as usual making breakfast for the girls. She can't shake that dream from her mind. Ariel, Bridget and Marie are all having breakfast. Joe has just poured some cereal for Marie when the phone rings.
"You take it. It's probably the office anyway" says Joe.
Allison picks up the phone and find detective Scanlon on the other end.
"Can you come down to a crime scene immediately, Allison?"
Allison turns to her husband who knows the routine all too well and nods. "I'll take the kids to school," he says.
"Ok, says Allison. I'll be there. Give me an address. Ok, about 30 minutes. Bye"
She goes over to Joe and gives him a big kiss. "I love you" she says.
The kids are saying there hurried good byes to her as she's getting her purse, cell phone and car keys.
"Mom, can I have a friend over for supper tonight?" asks Ariel
Allison has no time for this today so she suggests her daughter speak to her father and let him decide. She rushes out the door.
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Allison head to the downtown area….1036 Central Avenue, to be exact. She is greeted by a police officer checking her ID and directing her to the location of detective Scanlon. Lee was in the back room of the small bookstore. He saw Allison enter and got up from the crouched position he had taken over the deceased.
"I wanted you to get a feel for the scene before the medical examiner takes the body. The female is Siobhan Mullany, age 36. She was shot in the back. She was an early morning customer apparently just looking at the books when another female walk up to her and shot her. There were two witnesses, the clerk and another female customer. We are getting statements and hopefully a sketch."
"Are there any surveillance cameras in this store?"
"None. The clerk said they never had trouble here before so they just never thought this would be needed. I'll go out front to see what kind of description we have and let you work".
As Scanlon left, Allison moved around the various book shelves taking in the situation. The body had been covered with a white cloth. It was now blood stained.
She hated looking at dead bodies, but she needed to take a look at this victim just the same. She lifted the cloth and saw a very young looking 36 yr old with beautiful auburn hair. Her features were exquisite. A bullet went through her back and pierced her front.
Allison recovered the victim and proceeded around the store. Her gaze settled on a large mirror on the far side of the room. The display had a variety of children's book including "Alice in Wonderland's Through the Looking Glass". She was mesmerized by the mirror and found herself staring intently.
The victim Siobhan Mullany was staring back at her, except in this mirror she was alive. She was trying to utter some words but only her lips were moving. Siobhan looked frightened and suddenly turned away and was gone.
Allison was still focused on the mirror as Scanlon came in and nudge her back to reality.
"Are you ok Allison?"
"Yes….I think so."
Allison followed Scanlon out of the shop.
"Let's go back to headquarters so we can interview the witnesses. I need to see if you get any feel from them".
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The interview room was small with the one mandatory table, 3 chairs and the two way mirror. Allison found herself sitting next to Scanlon and across the table from the store clerk, Anabelle Cross. Ms. Cross, a very nicely dressed woman in her 70's looked very nervous and tired.
"Ms. Cross, can you tell us what happened?" asked Scanlon.
"I was sitting at my front desk ordering some books online when a customer came in, or I thought she was a customer. She never made any eye contact with me and did not reply to my good morning. I saw her move to the back of the store and maybe a minute later I heard a shot. I got up from my chair and she ran passed my desk holding a gun in her right hand. I ran to the back of the store and saw the body on the floor and my other customer just standing there in shock. I called 911."
Allison listened intently to Ms. Cross and found no deceit in her voice. She was telling the truth as far as she could tell.
Scanlon shot a look to Allison. Allison had nothing to say at that moment.
"Can you give me a description of the women?"
"Well, she was in her 40's, thin, with dark hair. She had some sweatpants and a tee shirt…dark color."
After a few more questions Scanlon thanked Mr. Cross and escorted her to the door.
"So Allison, what do you think"?
"She was being truthful as far as I can tell, nothing stands out".
"Ok, let's talk to our next witness."
He moved back to the door and motioned for the next witness to be sent in.
Katrina Dugger, a woman age 34 was neatly dressed. She looked like she worked in an upscale office. Her appearance suited for the many law firms of the area, or at least that's what Allison felt.
"Ms. Dugger, can you tell me what happened?"
"I was on my way to work and decided to stop in. I'm looking for the new Steven King book, The Cell, for a friend. I had just entered the book store and found the fiction section. I was checking out the book when I heard a shot. I moved to the back of the store and saw the body and the woman holding the gun. She had a huge smile on her face and said, "I'll see you in my dreams". She never saw me. She turned and walked out very fast."
"What did she look like?" quizzed Scanlon.
"Well, she was tall, dark hair and thin. She looked like she was dressed to go jogging. There wasn't anything remarkable about her. I'm sorry".
Allison was spirited away in her mind and looking at a very young mother holding her child. The mother was crying. She had bundled the child in a blanket and she was quickly moving to the side of the huge building. She couldn't tell what kind of building it was. A door was opened and the child was placed inside. The door was closed. The mother vanished from site.
Allison stayed sitting in her chair as Scanlon escorted this witness out as well. He returned with a very puzzled look on his face.
"You've been quiet. You never asked one question. What's up?"
Allison was trying to make sense of the last witness.
"I don't know what it is exactly, but I know something is wrong. I just can't put my finger on it".
Allison stood ready to say goodbye to Scanlon, telling him she needed to see DA Devalos.
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He saw her enter the office. "Allison, how was the interview?"
"I think our second witness has a role in this shooting, somehow."
"What makes you say that?"
"When she was talking I had a vision. Can you find out more about Ms. Dugger?"
"We usually don't check out the witnesses unless we think they committed a crime, but I'll see what detective Scanlon can discretely do?"
"I'll see you tomorrow early. I need to go pick up the kids from school".
