The Cassidy Chronicles

"I know. I'm not normally this forward."

Ryan stopped kissing her and pushed her so she was sitting up. He brushed a strand of white blonde hair away from her face and caressed her cheek.

"I'm the one who kills you. In my vision, you are shot and I'm the one holding the gun. I've already been the cause of one person's death, someone I care for deeply. I don't want you to get hurt. It would destroy me."

"Who was the other person?"

Cassidy smiled. She had never said the story about her brother aloud, but she was grateful that the first person who would know the real story was Ryan.

"My brother fell in love with a ghost when we were in Norway. I arrived at the mansion and immediately had a vision of him in a snow bank and then him being with his true love. He had to kill himself so that he could be with Charlotte. He is very happy at Grapevine Manor, I know that. If I had never seen that vision, I wouldn't have said anything and he would be alive back home."

Ryan took a deep breath. All his police training came flooding back and he took a mental note of everything he knew about her so far. Nothing that she had said and nothing in terms of her behavior hinted that she was lying. The police department had used psychics in the past and although they were never right in the specific case, he did believe it was possible to tell the future.

"If I don't stay near you, he's going to hurt you. I am positive of that and I can't be the cause of your death."

"If I stay near you, I'm going to cause your death. Either way we're screwed."

"Cassidy you are stubborn. You know that right?"

"Yep. Therefore, I told you the whole truth about my story. You have to tell me why this guy is after me."

"I don't want to Cassidy."

"Who's the stubborn one now? Come on."

Ryan knew it wasn't fair to her so he began the story. "He thinks that you told the police that he was the one that set the banquet hall on fire. He knows that I wouldn't dare say anything since, after he was fired, we made a truce. I know he didn't set the banquet hall on fire so wouldn't be lying to the police anyway. He is being investigated now and figures you ratted on him."

"So who did it then?"

"I can't tell you that. I'm not supposed to say anything, but I showed up at your house right after I got a call from my past supervisor. He called to warn me about Stewart. He had been called in for questioning Saturday evening and he made the wrong assumption. The police are investigating things, but Chief White asked me to keep an eye on you just in case. That's the whole story. I promise."

Cassidy looked at Ryan and saw a look of concern in his eyes. Everything he said made sense and she had no reason not to believe him. He hadn't acted strangely around her and was oddly fine with her visions and psychic powers. At this exact moment, she felt safe in his arms and enjoyed being close to someone like this.

Ryan was glad that she was calming down about the situation. If everything went as planned, the real arsonist would be arrested and Stewart would go back into hiding, staying around from the right side of the law. Ryan held Cassidy close to him, closing his eyes. She did the same and soon they were asleep. The stress of the last few hours had taken its toll on them and they were both relaxed and comforted by each other.

***

Cassidy had another one of her dreams. She could anticipate it happening before she began to see it. It was a strange feeling because she was awake and dreaming at the same time. She wanted to open her eyes and wake up so that her body would not be put through the stress of the horrifying dream. She wanted to wake up, but even pinching herself wasn't working. The dream began and a part of her was happy that it wasn't the dream where her brother killed himself in the snow bank outside Grapevine Manor. This was the cemetery dream where she shoots Ryan to death. She watched the dream unfold. The black and gray trees, lacking in color, the muted leaves. The cemetery stones, a sharp contrast to the whiteness of the new fallen snow. She saw the path where she stood. She saw in front of her Ryan although his back was to her. The dream sped up as if the fast forward button was hit. Suddenly Cassidy gasped. The dream changed. She was walking towards Ryan and could feel the heavy gun in her hand. She had never held a gun for real, but she strangely knew that when she did, this is how it would feel. Ryan spun around and a shot was fired. Ryan's facial expression didn't change and then she was awake.

"Cassidy!" Ryan had been sleeping soundly until the scream of a woman's voice woke him. Cassidy was thrashing around on top of him and he held her down so that she wouldn't hurt herself nor hurt him. She was crying and screaming and finally he grabbed her and made her look at him. "Look at me. It was a dream. You're in my office. There is no one else. Calm down."

Cassidy's eyes were so wide and it took her a few minutes to stop squirming and finally calm down enough to speak.

"It was that dream again."

"Wow. You were crazy there. It must have been a scary dream. I'm sorry." Ryan had never seen Cassidy so vulnerable and finally he saw the true Cassidy. He was falling for her. There was no question about that. He realized that she wasn't eccentric and hormonal. She was hurting and trying to put on a brave face.

"We fell asleep. I didn't sleep very well last night and I guess you didn't either. It's almost lunch time. We can order in and watch a movie if you want."

"Here?"

"Yes. The cabinet in front of us opens up to a television and DVD player. Actually, it's a pull out couch because sometimes I end up sleeping here."

"Oh." Cassidy looked around and started to actually pay attention to her surroundings. She was in a large room that had three doors. One door led to the hallway. The moment you stepped in there was a large L shaped desk. They had stumbled past the desk towards the couch, which faced the wall where there was a large cabinet. The window was next to the cabinet and from the height the view was of the sky and the tops of the other office buildings. She figured that one door was probably a washroom. She couldn't see him using the public washroom that was probably located down the hall. If he slept here, he probably needed shower facilities. She wondered what the third door let to.

"Where does the last door lead to?"

Ryan grinned. She was curious. "Well one door leads to the hallway. I'm assuming you figured that out when we came in. One door is a washroom with a shower stall. I sometimes sleep over so need to look my best for the women. The last door is a secure area with a phone, laptop, and my files."

"I was almost right."

Ryan opened up the cabinet to reveal a big screen television and a neat row of DVDs.

"Pick a movie to watch. Do you like pizza or Chinese?"

"Pizza, no pineapples though."

Ryan watched as Cassidy got up and knelt in front of the DVDs, her head tilted to read the labels.

"Fine. You can explain why later." Ryan stuck his tongue out and then went to his desk to order. He came back and Cassidy was holding two DVDs, one in each hand. Ryan laughed. In one hand, she was holding the movie 'Back to the Future.' In the other hand, she was holding 'The Notebook'.

"This is the movie you were ranting to me about when we first met right? And why do you have a chick flick movie in your collection of macho guy movies?" Cassidy was teasing and he knew it. He was happy to see she was comfortable enough around him to tease.

"We're watching 'Back to the Future.'" Cassidy nodded and watched as Ryan put the DVD in and the movie began to play. Cassidy sat back on the couch and watched intently. Ryan sat next to her and placed his arm around her shoulder. She didn't protest which Ryan was relieved about. The couple sat in silence until there was a knock on the door. Ryan got up and after getting money from his wallet opened the door carefully. Cassidy watched as he had one hand holding the money and then the pizza while the other remained on his belt. She knew right away that he was holding onto his gun and that didn't scare Cassidy at all. She was relieved actually.

Ryan locked the door and walked back. He opened the box on the coffee table and sat down, waiting for Cassidy to take the first slice.

"So why no pineapple?"

Cassidy grinned. She took a bit of the pizza and began her explanation. She watched as Ryan paused the movie first.

"I am picky about the foods I eat. Pineapple is a fruit and does not go with a meal. Pizza is a meal so there can only be vegetables and meat on the pizza. Pineapple can't go with ham either. Certain foods can't touch each other."

"Are you this neurotic with all facets of your life or just your eating habits?" Ryan was eating his slice of pizza very quickly. He hadn't eaten breakfast and realized that he was very hungry.

"I am actually. All my clothes face the same way in my closet and all my CD's are organized by artist's last name."

Ryan burst out laughing. She sounded so sincere yet so innocent. It was like it was perfectly normal to be that organized.

"Is that why you don't have any personal photos in your house?"

Cassidy suddenly glared at Ryan and he knew he had stepped over an imaginary boundary line. He reached out and touched her face, which made her smile.

"I just don't like a lot of the pictures of me and my family. That's all. Can we go back to watching the movie?"

Ryan nodded and started the movie again. Cassidy got really into the movie and Ryan loved watching the movie with her. As the ending credits rolled, both of them realized that they were cuddled close. Ryan turned off the television, but didn't move. He enjoyed being with Cassidy even though according to her it was hazardous.

"So tell me about yourself. You know everything about me it seems, but I know nothing about you." Cassidy was looking up at Ryan as she traced his soft lips with her thumb.

"But you're psychic. Don't you know everything about me already?" Ryan had pulled Cassidy back into his lap and was gently rubbing her back.

"It doesn't work like that. All I know is that you bought that leather jacket your first year of university. The only other thing I know about you is that dream and what you've told me."

"O.K. Well, I'm twenty nine years old and have always wanted to be a police officer. I went to university, did a degree in criminology, and then was accepted into the police force in St. Catharine's. I worked for the police department for over four years and just last year decided to go into business for myself. I'm a private investigator. Neurotic wives who think their husbands are cheating on them hire me. I check out employees who are cheating their bosses out of money. I keep close tabs on workers who say they are too injured to work."

"Why did you change jobs?"

"My girlfriend at the time, Beth, told me that my job was too dangerous and that she wasn't going to marry me if I continued working on the front line. I asked for a transfer and my supervisor suggested I do this instead. It's not as dangerous and requires a lot more paperwork than what I used to do."

"You have a girlfriend!" Cassidy was about to slide off his lap, but Ryan held her tight.

"I used to have a girlfriend. When I told her I was starting my own business, she told me that I was irresponsible and that she expected me to pay for certain things and not having a steady income would be detrimental to her lifestyle."

"She really said that?"

"Yep. So we broke up and I thought my life was back to normal, until you came along."

"Thanks." Cassidy slid off his lap and started walking around his office. He knew he had said something wrong and stood up and followed her around.

"In a good way Cassidy. Damn it stop being so neurotic. I am falling for you hard. Yes, I know I just met you. Yes, I know guys are supposed to be the wishy-washy ones and it's women who are supposed to fall head over heels in love. If I didn't like you, I would have dropped you off at the police station and told them to take care of you. I didn't. I want to spend time with you. I want to get to know you. This will be over soon." Ryan's voice had gone from calm and quiet to loud and nervous. He had finally lost his cool and the stress of the situation had hit the breaking point. He stormed around his office and watched as Cassidy grabbed her jacket and left. He rushed to catch up to her, but was too late. The chrome elevator doors shut just as he got to them and hitting the button did nothing to change the movement of the elevator.

"Fuck." Ryan rushed back to his office and grabbed his things. He was about to leave when his phone rang. "Damn." Ryan didn't normally swear, but he remembered now why he didn't like dating in high school. Teenage girls were so melodramatic and full of angst. Cassidy wasn't a teenager, but she was sure acting like one. He answered the phone after taking two deep breaths.

"R. Gates and Company." Ryan listened to the voice on the other end of the line. He grabbed a piece of paper and jotted down notes as the voice told him important pieces of information. He hung up when the call was done and sat down in his office chair.

***

Cassidy was fuming mad and was tapping her foot all the way down to the first floor. The elevator doors opened and she rushed towards the doors. She had no idea where she was and had no way to get home. She stood in the lobby of the building thinking about what to do. She could call a taxi, but she had no idea what the phone number for the taxi company was. She decided to call Molly to come pick her up. Molly was probably enjoying Jeremy now, but she didn't care. Her friendship was just as important as her best friend's sex life. She dialed the number and waited for Molly or Jeremy to pick up.

"Hi Jeremy. It's Cassidy. Listen. I'm in the city now and was wondering if one of you could pick me up. Yeah, I know it's inconvenient. I'm... um... on the corner of Wilson and Smith." Cassidy hung up the phone and saw a bench outside. She went out and sat down on it, waiting for Molly to pick her up. Molly's car pulled up about twenty minutes later and she got into the passenger side.

"Hi."

"We have a twenty minute drive back home. You better do some explaining."

Cassidy began the explanation and by the time the car pulled into her laneway, Molly knew everything about Ryan including what he had said before she left. Molly had kept her comments to herself, listening to her best friend rant about how rude and inconsiderate Ryan was. Molly didn't want to remind her that according to her vision she had to stay far away from him. Cassidy was stubborn and Molly knew when not to respond and just listen.

"Thanks for the drive Molly. You can go back and lay in bed with Jeremy all afternoon and evening."

"Thanks. I will. Just forget him, Cassidy. He's a jerk and it makes it easier for you to stay away from him. Nothing bad is going to happen with Steve or whoever the security guard was. We'll pick you up at five next Friday for the investigation we have to do at the Kennedy residence."

"Oh that's right." Cassidy had totally forgotten that she had offered to help out with a haunted house that they had been hired to inspect. Cassidy waved goodbye to Molly and entered her house. She decided to check her email and then spend the rest of the evening in bed reading her book.

She was onto the third book in the series and was really enjoying it. She yawned twice in a row and then saw that it was eleven. She was never one to stay up late so she turned off the light and fell asleep.

Sleep came easily to Cassidy, but the dreams she had kept her tossing and turning all night. She dreamt of Benjamin and Ryan. She dreamt of the banquet hall burning to the ground. She dreamt of Stewart, smiling sweetly at her front door. Each dream was only a part of a larger scene that for some reason wasn't making any sense to her. She almost had it figured out until she began to dream of Sonya, standing over her wearing a silver outfit that accentuated her gray hair and made her body look ever more thin and lean then before.

Just as the dream ended it began again. It was like her dream was a CD hit to repeat continuously. Each time it was the same and each time the characters appeared in the same order. First Benjamin, then Ryan, and then Sonya.

By the time the sun rose at seven, Cassidy was covered in sweat and the sheets were pulled off the mattress. One of her pillows was on the ground and the rest were under her, as she lay on her stomach sideways on the bed. She had been drooling and her face hurt from being plastered against the scratchy material of the mattress. Cassidy blinked and saw that it was seven. She had never needed an alarm clock. She was happy that at least the power was on and had not gone off in the middle of the night again.

***

Ryan did not sleep at all that night. He had made some notes and researched a few things online before locking up his office and going home. He walked into his empty apartment and decided to watch television for a bit. He wasn't really paying attention until a news article about the banquet hall came on. He watched carefully as the reporter gave him all the information he already knew.

Ryan paid attention though, making sure that the information that Chief White had given to him over the phone earlier today would make sense based on what the news reports were saying.

"I am standing outside what used to be Oasis Banquet Hall. This was the main hall used for weddings, fundraisers, and other gatherings in Fort Erie. Sometime in the morning of November 8, the building was set ablaze and by the time firefighters arrived, it was a smoldering mess. Police have been tight lipped about the details of the fire, but have said that they have a person of interest who has been questioned and is now in custody on unrelated charges."

Ryan looked up and saw the mean woman from the charity function. The bottom of the screen showed the named Sonya Billings and Ryan nodded, remembering Cassidy mentioning that name. The news reporter began interviewing Sonya.

"I am standing with Mrs. Billings who is a prominent member of the Fort Erie society and had hosted a fundraising event to raise funds for the children's wing of the hospital. Mrs. Billings, how much of a shock was it to find that the building was on fire just a few short hours after you hosted an event here?"

"I am in complete shock. When a friend who happened to live across the street called me, I thought, it was a joke. I mean we had over two hundred guests in the building the night before. I can't imagine what would have happened if everyone was there when the fire broke out. It is a tragedy."

"You run a very successful fundraising company. Did your company sustain any losses from the fire?"

Ryan watched as Sonya smoothed her hair and looked right at the camera as she continued. Ryan tried to imagine how excited she was to be on television. She seemed the type that wanted to gather the attention of others.

"We lost the decorations and a few people's personal items that they had left there overnight. Nothing really of value though."

"Thank you Mrs. Billings." Ryan watched the news reporter turn back to the camera and finished his report.

"I will continue to keep you updated on the arson investigation."

Ryan laughed. He couldn't help but wonder what the arson team was doing at this moment. He knew that they had interviewed Stewart Jones and had him in custody for something else. Chief White hadn't told him what, but since he had a suspicion that he had a drug problem, it made sense that he might have been caught with illegal drugs again. He wondered if it was in fact arson and not just a case of faulty wiring.