For Nevermore Season 1

I’m gonna wind up in front of the Elders.”
    “I’m not asking,” Dante said, stepping closer, ensuring that Carter could feel the weight of his threat.
    “What am I gonna tell William?”
    “He sanctioned this. This matter is above you, so you just go back. Nobody will question you because nobody will know you didn’t do your job.”
    “I don’t know,” Carter repeated, shaking his head.
    “And again, I’m not asking.” Dante stepped forward. “Don’t make me pull rank.”
    Though Dante had only threatened to pull rank, Carter surely realized the unspoken threat. Dante had a reputation at King’s Point for being rather good at his job — and his main job was dealing death.
    “Goodbye, Carter,” Dante said, taking another long stride toward the man. “And not a word. To anyone . . . or else.”
    Carter vanished. Dante turned back to Noella, stepped closer to her bed, and stared at her still figure, suddenly flooded with the memories and emotions he usually managed to keep in the bottle. He had to get out of there or he would get swallowed by sorrow of their lives before all this.
    “I love you,” he whispered.
    Noella turned over, eyes still closed, and murmured, “I love you.”
    Dante disappeared.

    * * * *

CHAPTER SEVEN

    “What are you doing here?” Josie asked as Randy parked his cruiser in front of their house. Josie had come home to get her phone book, so she could call around the neighborhood and ask if they’d seen Tori. Noella was already outside, waiting.
    “Noella called me. She said she had some information about the missing girl, Tori.”
    “Why did you call him?” Josie turned to Noella. “Why are you wasting his time?”
    “I’m not wasting his time!” Noella said. “I’m telling you the truth. I dreamed about this! I saw the house where Tori’s being held, and I can help Randy find it!”
    “I’m sorry,” Josie said, apologizing, but not meeting Randy’s eyes.
    “It’s okay,” Randy said. “And you know, I’ve seen weirder things than this. May as well have Noella take a ride with me. Maybe she’s onto something.”
    “You think?” Josie said, surprised, looking at Noella a little differently, as if maybe she wasn’t insane after all.
    “We’ve seen some weird things lately. Plus, we’ve got a little girl missing, so why not give it a shot? I’m working traffic today, so it’s not like she’s pulling me from anything important. Who’s working the case over there?” Randy asked, pointing across the street where a deputy’s car was parked.
    “Deputy Pritchard,” Josie said.
    “Ah, he’s new, but he’s okay. I’m sure if this is connected to the murders, they’ll put the detectives on it right away. But first, I’ll take Noella out and see what we can dig up.”
    “Thank you,” Josie said, looking like she might hug Randy, but instead, shuffling in her place, and then looking back to Jen’s house. “I should get back. She’s all alone and hysterical.”
    “Okay,” Randy said. “See you later.”
    “Bye,” Josie said, and then she hugged Noella. “See ya later, honey.”
    “Bye,” Noella said, feeling awkward for Josie, and herself for having to face Randy after last night’s battle.
    Not to mention the horrible Facebook messages.
    “Hop in the back,” Randy said, opening the door.
    The front passenger seat was packed with his roadside laptop and several folders, probably his in-progress case files. Noella climbed into the back and closed the door. Randy hopped into the front. A hard plastic barrier separated the passenger — which was usually a prisoner — from the front seat. Noella had gone on a few ride-alongs with Randy, but those times, he’d cleared his front seat ahead of time. This was her first ride-along in the back seat, and she felt claustrophobic and trapped since the doors only opened from the outside.
    “So tell me about these dreams,” Randy said, as they hit the highway, just like Noella suggested.
    She told him about the dreams, starting with Katie’s murder and finishing with her most recent one at the house with the dungeon.
    After she finished, Randy stared in the mirror, and said, “Wow, that is impressive.”
    “What?” she asked.
    “Katie’s murder. You knew details which they’d not reported on the news. You knew exactly where she’d been stabbed. There’s no way you could’ve known that unless you’d been there or you saw the reports.”
    “I know,” Noella said. “It’s so