Meeting Somewhere in Between
"I still can't believe this case. I can't wrap my head around it."
Foggy sighed at the third time that Matt had bitched about this lawsuit in the last two hours. "Our client thoroughly believes that she was defrauded by this woman and she is suing for damages."
"She's claiming she's been defrauded by a woman who claims to have psychic abilities and she can commune with the dead. This has bull shit streaming from every corner of it," Matt continued on his rant.
"Our client believes that she had a conversation with the wrong dead person. She wanted to speak with her deceased husband and she didn't get the experience that she paid for."
"Because psychics make money from being con artists. They Google you before you get there and make the answers vague enough to make it seem possible."
"Hence, the lawsuit for fraud," Foggy reminded him as gently as he could before he lost his shit.
"She paid for a service commonly known to be fake."
"Our client believes in having a connection with the dead. Isn't that what they talk about in church about death?"
Matt sighed. "No Foggy. When someone dies, they pass through the gates of Heaven or Hell and they stay there. They don't come back."
"Jesus did."
Matt shot Foggy a dark look across the desk.
"Maybe this woman speaks to them while they're in purgatory?"
"Now you want to bring Dante into this?"
Foggy knew this was going to be a battle. Matt had dug his heels in and he wasn't budging. "How about this? We haven't served the suit to this woman yet. Why don't we go and participate in one of her weekly seances and see what she's about? You can run your human bull shit detector on her."
"That's very gray area, ethically speaking."
"Consider it part of discovery."
Matt reluctantly agreed.
The psychic's shop was on the Upper West Side, up between Lincoln Center and the Central Park zoo, an area not completely devoid of extra sensory stimuli on its own. Once Foggy opened the door on this very upscale establishment, Matt's senses were quickly assaulted by incense, candles and some strange salty smell.
Yeah, this was going to be a good time.
Foggy checked them in as Matt tried to acclimate himself to the space and tried to banish the thought of how stupid he thought this was. After checking in, Matt and Foggy were led into another room with four other people.
Each person took a seat in a large velvet covered chair around the table while the medium placed herself at 12 o'clock from the door. They were instructed to hold hands and close their eyes as she began to chant and open herself up to the spirit world.
Matt heard the door close and lock behind them. The heart rates of the other four people were speeding up in anticipation while the medium's was slowing down.
The medium announced that she felt a ghostly presence in the room and the temperature in the room became noticeably colder. Matt was trying to pick up the sound of an air conditioner or the change in the flow of air from an air vent but there was nothing.
The medium declared that she felt more than one presence and she asked them to write their names on the pad that she had on the table. The sound of the pen on the paper filled the room with several gasps following it. First it was a scratching sound like someone was printing a name then it moved to a smoother gliding sound like a cursive signature. It returned to a scratching noise again and finally shifted to a sound like someone was stabbing the pad. The medium thanked each spirit by name for coming - William, Constance, Benjamin. The last one - the one that left their name in a series of dots - wasn't introduced because the medium couldn't read it.
The medium asked if the spirits had a message for anyone in the room and offered them the pen.
William wrote to tell his wife that he loved her and apologized for always leaving the toilet seat up and losing the remote in the couch.
Constance sent her love to her sister and told her not to pick a hideous bridesmaid dress color.
Benjamin told his wife that he's sorry about date night. He should have left work earlier.
The fourth spirit started poking random dots again.
The medium asked the spirits to recall how they passed. William passed peacefully in his sleep. He didn't even know he was going. Constance was in a car accident with a drunk driver who blew through a red light. Benjamin was the victim of a mugging gone wrong. The fourth spirit punched several lines of dots again.
As the medium was growing tired, she asked if the spirits had any final messages for their loved ones. William said he would be waiting for his wife but not to come yet. She still had adventures to have. Constance asked her sister to watch over her children. Benjamin told his wife not to forget how to live. The fourth spirit started punching dots again.
The atmosphere in the room started to change. It seemed that the fourth spirit had a point to make and was tired of being ignored. Matt started to pick up on the smell of sweat through ozone. It became stronger and mixed with leather and Scotch.
Without warning, the pad lifted off the table and flew into Matt, hitting him in the chest before falling back to the table. Matt felt cold air on the back of his hands. It seemed to be pushing them towards the pad. By now, everyone at the table was paying very close attention.
"What's on the paper, buddy?" Foggy whispered.
Matt ran his fingers over the paper and tried to hold back the smile. "It's Braille."
Matt ran his fingers over all the dots pounded into the paper. He wanted to keep the messages to himself but he knew that at least Foggy should know. "Can I take the Braille parts with me?"
The medium agreed and divided the paper among each of the spirits' families and dismissed them.
Foggy gathered his and Matt's coats and offered Matt his arm to leave. "You gonna fill me in, buddy?"
Matt nodded. "Just not here. Let's go back to my place."
Foggy hung up his and Matt's coats when they got to Matt's apartment while Matt dug through his drawers for something to write with. He eventually found a functioning pen and started to write out what each line said. Foggy watched intently as Matt transcribed each line. Once he was done, Matt handed the paper to Foggy.
Foggy read through each line and his heart started pounding in his chest. He looked up at Matt and noticed how glassy his eyes were when he took off his glasses. "Is this actually legit?"
Matt sniffed and wiped at his eyes. "It's kind of hard to fake Braille, especially writing it. If this is fake, she's not going to like what happens next."
Foggy looked down at the paper again and still couldn't believe it as he reread it.
JACK
TELL MATTY I NEVER MEANT TO LEAVE HIM ALONE. I JUST WANTED HIM TO HEAR ME WIN ONCE AND MAKE OUR LIVES A LITTLE EASIER
I WAS ATTACKED IN THE ALLEY AFTER THE CREEL FIGHT AND LEFT THERE
IM SO VERY PROUD OF YOU MATTY. IM SORRY. I WOULD GIVE ANYTHING TO HUG YOU ONE MORE TIME. TELL YOUR MOM I SAID THAT SHES STILL THE LUCK IN MY CORNER. I LOVE YOU MATTY.
Foggy looked up from the paper over at the couch where Matt was sitting. It didn't surprise him to see the remnants of tears still on Matt's face. His best friend came over to the couch, handed him the paper and gave him a hug. "You knew, didn't you?"
Matt nodded.
"This changes our case, doesn't it?"
Matt nodded again as he folded up the paper. "She's not a fraud, however impossible it may be. If our client believes she talked to the wrong person, the best she will get is a refund."
"How are you doing?" Foggy asked.
"Surprisingly well with all things considered," Matt honestly admitted. "Usually, when I dream about him or think of a memory, it hurts. This doesn't. I wish I could have a conversation with him again but I'm not trusting that medium with it."
"So, what's next?"
"I have to give my mom a message."
"Is she going to believe it? I've met the woman. You are far more like her than you think, my friend."
Matt fiddled with the paper in his hand. "She asks for his help more than I do. Maybe this is him answering?"