Of course, their circumstances were different. The heroine of the movie had a terminal illness. Still, after losing Ben in a previous life, Courtney understood the devastating pain.

  Melissa stopped crying after a couple of minutes, but Courtney was still in tears.

  Melissa looked at her guiltily. “I shouldn’t have suggested the movie.”

  “It’s alright.” Courtney wiped away her tears. “Maybe it was time I had a good cry.”

  They sat and talked over glasses of wine. Courtney asked her older sister why their mother was so fixated on her daughters making a “good marriage.”

  “Grandma Anna was like that,” Melissa reminded her. “She was even worse. She kept harping when she was alive. on the fact that I should marry a doctor, lawyer or CPA. Since I was the oldest, she nagged me more.”

  “I do remember that,” Courtney said. “Although, why? Our grandfather Ed was a good businessman and they were more than comfortable.”

  Melissa shrugged. “I guess it’s a Jewish thing. Although, I have friends from different ethnic groups whose parents push them the same way.”

  Courtney murmured in assent.

  “Well, I better turn in. I get up early for work,” Melissa said.

  Melissa taught elementary school. The school day began early and lasted well beyond when the students left. Courtney knew her sister was a hard worker and a good, caring teacher.

  When she went to sleep on the sofa bed, Courtney’s thoughts were all about Ben.

  He’d texted her “Happy Rosh Hashanah” the night before. He’d told her last week he was “going to be busy at work” but still, she’d longed to hear his voice. She determined to call him once she was home,

  She got up early with Melissa and ate a quick breakfast before leaving. When she was on the Long Island Expressway back to New Jersey, she had to pay attention to traffic with all the careless drivers on the highway. But once she was over the George Washington bridge, she was able to relax a little and think about Ben.

  Was he losing interest in her? The thought hurt her like a knife. Was something else coming between them that he hadn’t voiced to her yet?

  She’d taken the day off today—the people at TLC were very considerate about religious holidays and they knew she had to travel in tough traffic to see her parents—so when she got home, she was able to catch up on chores, then look over the meeting notes from the last two days. Her coworkers had reported about the patients they’d seen. Nothing highly unusual had occurred. After reviewing the meeting notes, Courtney emailed her sisters encouraging messages.

  She tried calling Ben but got voicemail. She simply left him a “How are you?” message. She was tired from waking so early and fighting traffic, so she prepared to go to sleep early that evening. With the constant ache over Ben, Courtney hadn’t been sleeping well. She had already turned off the light at ten o’clock and was lying in bed when she received a text from Melissa: I’m going to break up with Elliott.

  Courtney texted back: I think you’re making the right decision. If you’re not sure about your feelings, it’s probably not love.

  Thanks, sis, Melissa replied.

  At least Melissa’s quandary had given Courtney something else to ponder instead of her own problems. She went to sleep thinking about her sister.

  She’d invited Melissa to spend the weekend with her, but Melissa said she wanted to catch up on student reports she had to do, so Courtney decided the following morning to invite her best friend Kim to come over. She’d known Kim since they had lived in the same dorm her freshman year of college. They’d hit it off immediately and become roommates for the next three years, and been close ever since. Kim worked in a nearby town as a librarian.

  Kim agreed to meet Courtney for some shopping therapy, but already had plans for the rest of the weekend with her new boyfriend. “I want you to meet him soon,” Kim texted her.

  Courtney was also happy to get a couple of texts from Ben on Friday although he didn’t reveal much.

  Saturday she and Kim met at a mall in between their homes, had lunch and shopped. Courtney had previously told Kim all about her relationship with Ben and how she thought he was her Antonio. Now she filled her in on their separation. She also scanned the crowd at the mall as she had gotten used to doing, but she saw nothing suspicious.

  After listening to Courtney’s woes, Kim gave her a lot of encouragement and told her to “go after the guy” if she loved him. Boosted by her friend’s confidence in her, Courtney felt much better and actually laughed for what seemed like the first time in days. They both bought short boots and Courtney also got a new purse and a sweater she could wear to work, while Kim picked out a nice blouse and a scarf. When they parted Courtney felt much better than she had before meeting her friend.

  Once home, she made a cup of coffee and clicked on Ben’s number on her cell phone, determined to see him soon.

  He picked up at once. “Hi, Courtney.”

  She felt her insides melting at his voice.

  “Hi, Ben. I miss you,” she declared.

  “I miss you too. More than you could imagine.”

  “So when will I see you?” she came right to the point.

  “Two weeks from today? Next Saturday is Yom Kippur. So the Saturday following? Nothing suspicious has happened, according to Matt. I’m hoping it will be safe.”

  “I’d like that,” she said.

  “I miss you too. I can’t wait to see you again, and I’ve discussed this with Matt. We have to go on with our lives. We can’t keep holding our breath, waiting for disaster. Matt’s people have seen no sign of anything wrong. I believe things are safe now.” He paused, as if thinking about something else.

  “I completely agree,” Courtney said, leaning back on her couch. For the first time in days she felt more positive as far as Ben was concerned; and the ball of ice in her stomach slowly melted away.

  “We’re still going to the engagement party?” She held her breath, waiting for his answer.

  “Of course. I want you with me,” he said firmly.

  Relief engulfed her. “Is this going to be a fancy party?” she asked. At least he was planning on going places with her in the future!

  “Christy said it’s a cocktail-type party. Semi-formal.”

  Courtney decided that this called for a new outfit. She should have thought about it while at the mall today. She stood up and walked to her desk. Glancing at her paper calendar, she saw she’d already circled the date.

  “I can’t wait to see you,” he said, and she shivered with delight at his words. The man she loved obviously still cared.

  Then why did she have the perturbing thought that there was more he wasn’t saying?

  After they spoke, she felt energized and began cleaning out her big bedroom closet. She soon had a pile of clothes and a few old purses to donate. Halfway through, she ran out of steam and decided to leave the rest until tomorrow.

  She also planned to go into the office and catch up on a few things that she’d missed during Rosh Hashanah. She had a quick sandwich for dinner, poured herself a glass of wine, and turned the TV to a food channel. It was while she was watching people running around a grocery store to find different ingredients, that her phone buzzed.

  The phone displayed Melissa’s name. “Hi,” she greeted her sister.

  “Courtney?” Melissa sounded disturbed.

  “Are you okay?” Courtney gripped the phone.

  “I broke up with Elliott.”

  “You did? Good for you for ending things with someone who doesn’t make you happy,” Courtney praised her.

  “I feel strange… On one hand, relieved. On the other… I could be lonely. And Elliott looked so sad.”

  “Now go out, have fun, and spend time with men you meet who are interesting,” Courtney urged her. “Life’s too short to tie yourself down with a man who’s not for you! Just because he’s a doctor doesn’t mean he would fulfill your needs.”

  “I know that. I feel strangely adrift, but also good. He’s been in my life for over a year. What will I fill my time with? What do you do?”

  Courtney described how she’d spent time with work colleagues and friends, old and new. “You have to get back into the social scene.”

  “Most of my friends are married,” Melissa said with a sigh.

  “What about cousin Jess? She just got divorced and lives near you,” Courtney suggested. “And you always liked tennis. Why don’t you spend some time playing?”

  They went back and forth with ideas. When they got off the phone Melissa sounded better and had promised to come out and visit soon.

  Courtney felt relieved. She didn’t want her sister marrying a man she didn’t love, who wouldn’t make her happy.

  Courtney’s thoughts drifted back to Ben. Next Saturday was Yom Kippur, so she didn’t expect to see him or do anything besides going to temple on that solemn day. It would be a few weeks until she saw him again…

  Ben felt a lot better since talking to Courtney on Saturday afternoon. Not only was it good to hear her voice, but she sounded cheerful during their phone call.

  Monday he met with Matt for an update, and discussed the fact that Matt and his people saw no signs of any threats to him, or Courtney, or anyone else at The Lightning Center.

  “But it pays to be vigilant,” Matt declared as they sat on in Ben’s private office.

  “Well, suppose you drop the surveillance soon?” Ben said.

  “But you could still be a target,” Matt pointed out.

  Ben thought about his advice. Finally, he said, “Alright, keep watching this week and next. But if nothing happens, I think we can call off the surveillance on me and everyone else.” He was beginning to feel annoyed having people watch him all the time, and Courtney had voiced her objections too when he spoke to her again on Sunday. “We’ll reassess things after two weeks pass. We have our building security covering the party that’s being held here soon.” He checked the calendar on his phone and rattled off the date and time.

  “I believe it would be wise to have a couple of my people attend as extra security,” Matt suggested.

  Ben had to admit it might be a good idea to have more trained eyes on the lookout for any suspicious characters at the event. There’d be a lot of strangers there. “Alright, but after we should reassess the whole thing..”

  When Matt left the two were in agreement and Ben felt less like he was always going to be living in a glass bowl, with constant eyes on him.

  Only a few weeks until he could see Courtney for the party. He could hardly stand the wait, but he’d known some time apart was the safest option. But with no dangerous events, couldn’t he relax a little? Couldn’t he see her a day or two early?

  And maybe he could determine whether or not she could be at all like Ann?

  He leaned back in his desk chair, frowning, and considered the idea.

  He’d have to spend time with her to figure out the validity of his question.

  He asked the voices he sometimes heard for advice.

  “Tell me if I can trust Courtney,” he said flatly.

  No one answered.

  For the first time since she’d started working at The Lightning Center, Courtney’s week started out slowly. The hours went by in slow motion on Monday. Even though the research and testing she was involved with was fascinating. Mrs. Culpepper scored unusually high on the standard ESP tests that morning; and Mr. O’Kelly reported he’d had a precognitive dream that predicted his brother’s car accident, and was able to warn him about the location beforehand. His brother took the dangerous curve in his town slower than he was used to doing. Courtney felt less than her usual concentration in her work. She chalked it up to nerves.

  The weather had turned cooler and more autumn-like during the last week, and she tried to concentrate on the delights of the fall season. But it was difficult.

  Tuesday brought disturbing news.

  She had just gotten out of the shower Tuesday night after work that evening and was toweling off her hair when Ben called.

  “Hi Ben!” she exclaimed into the phone. He’d been calling every night since the weekend and she loved hearing his voice, though she still missed him terribly.

  “Courtney.”

  The shocked note in his voice had her stomach tightening. “What’s wrong, Ben?”

  “It’s my uncle Al. Damian’s father.”

  Damian’s father, whom she hadn’t met yet. “What happened?” she asked anxiously.

  “He’s dead.”

  At the stark words Courtney stopped, dropping the towel she’d been holding.

  “What happened?” She sat on her living room sofa.

  “He was robbed at the train station, and shot.”

  “What!”

  Ben’s breathing was rapid and she could hear him struggling with the stark words. “He was waiting on the platform for a train to go home. Someone mugged him. Stole his wallet, his brand new watch, and phone.”

  “Oh my God, I’m so sorry, Ben!” she exclaimed.

  “I can barely believe it. He was only sixty-even, not old by today’s standards.”

  Her stomach seemed to ice over. “Did they catch the mugger?”

  “Not yet. There were no eye witnesses. He was taking an early train home.” Ben’s voice rang with shock. “They’re checking video from a feed by the platform. Right now it appears someone hit him on the head with a blunt instrument, hard.”

  “I am so sorry.” She tried to sound sympathetic, but in reality she was flashing back to Renaissance Italy, when Al had been part of their lives. Fear rose like a wave inside of her.

  “We were never close, but still…” Ben sounded again like he was having trouble processing this news.

  Courtney was thinking furiously. Could this have something to do with a plot against Ben? Could Al have wanted Ben out of the way—possibly for his son Damian’s sake—and someone double crossed him?

  Maybe she was reading too many mystery novels and reading too much into this.

  “Do you think,” she said, striving to sound objective—“that this could have anything to do with the threats to you, Ben? The gunshot?” She knew her imagination was vivid, but maybe—

  “I hope not.”

  She shivered at his words.

  “No one has attempted to hurt you or I, recently,” he added. “The police said this was a random armed robbery. It definitely looks that way.”

  Courtney had her doubts. It was too close to the attempt on Ben’s life. Was someone out to hurt him and his family?

  “I’m with my cousins now,” he continued, “so I have to get going. I wanted you to know.”

  “Thanks for telling me.” She gripped the phone harder. “Ben, did you let Matt know? Just in case this… this does have something to do with you.”

  “Yes, I did.”

  She heard someone calling his name. A female voice.

  “That’s my cousin Nadine,” he said. “I’ve gotta go. My aunt is taking the news hard. I’m with Al’s family now.”

  “Take care of yourself!” she urged. “Please express my condolences. And Ben, please, please be careful. We don’t know if this was a random act or if your cousin was deliberately targeted.”

  “I believe it was random.,” he reassured her. “My parents are coming out tomorrow to help with the arrangements as soon as the police release the body. My aunt’s sister just got here so I’m going back to my place soon. I’ll speak to you soon, sweetheart.”

  “Okay, I’ll speak to you soon.”

  When he clicked off, she stared at the phone. His second cousin Al was dead. Was it a random act of violence? Or something premeditated? She shivered, realizing she had only the thick towel to keep her warm. She hurriedly got into a pair of comfy blue flannel pajamas.

  Sitting back down on her sofa, she mulled over what happened.

  She knew violent crime was up in the city the last few years. But was it a random act of violence, committed to rob someone? Or had Ben’s relative been targeted because he was connected to Ben? The thought made all her fears rush through her. How could they protect Ben?

  At that thought, she grabbed her phone and punched in Matt’s number.

  He answered immediately. “Matt Randall.”

  “It’s Courtney Wallenberg. Listen, I just spoke to Ben, and he told me some disturbing news.” She went on to describe what she’d just learned.

  “Ben called me a little while ago,” Matt said. “It may be a random act; but we don’t know for sure. I have my investigator in New York City working with the police. And Ben agreed we’re keeping my security detail watching everyone. Do you think this is related to him, Courtney?”

  “Yes, I do.” She took a deep breath and went on to describe her own fears for Ben, and her experiences with regression that had convinced her Ben was in danger.

  “I knew only the most superficial details,” Matt told her. “I’m glad you filled me in with the whole story.”

  “I’m afraid this may be connected to a plot against Ben in this life,” she concluded, gripping the phone tightly.

  “It could be.” She knew as a client of The Lightning Center, and with his own abilities, Matt wouldn’t find her story too farfetched.

  “I’m going to make sure the people tailing Ben know about his cousin’s death. We’ll remain vigilant,” he reassured Courtney.

  “Thanks, Matt. Please keep him safe.”

  When they hung up, Courtney went to finish drying her hair. And stared at the phone. She probably should let Parker know too.

  Grabbing her phone again, she called her boss.

  Parker picked up on the first ring. “Hey.”

  She briefly told him what had happened.

  “Ben texted me,” Parker said, “but I didn’t know the whole story. Thanks for filling me in.,” he finished.

  “I’ll call him tomorrow,” Parker said.

  Knowing there was nothing else to do, she picked up the romance on her nightstand, trying to get lost in the story. But today’s events had her worrying about Ben’s safety.

  She went to bed, but sleep didn’t come easily.

 

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