of fetid air swirled around Addison, clogging her lungs, making it almost impossible to breathe. Something felt off. Cold. Expired. Clutching the kitchen counter’s edge, she steadied herself and hung on, desperate for the moment to pass. It didn’t. Time ticked by, each second making her feel more and more weighted down.
The front door opened and closed.
Addison attempted to circle around, but couldn’t. She was stuck. Paralyzed. Unable to move. She opened her mouth, trying to form a single word: help.
Then two words: help me .
Had anyone heard her? Was anyone listening?
Luke stepped in front of her. “Addison, what’s wrong? Talk to me. What’s going on?”
“I … can’t …”
He wound his fingers around her arms and pulled, forcing her to release her grip on the counter. She fell forward, collapsing into him.
Luke wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. “Talk to me. What’s happening?”
“It’s Helen.”
“Helen Bouvier?” Luke asked. “Our neighbor?”
Addison nodded.
“Something’s wrong, Luke. She’s not all right. I can feel it.”
“Did you have a vision?”
“I … not today. When I went to her house to ask about Cliff Clark, I touched her cane, and I blacked out for a minute. I had flashes of a vision, something that hadn’t happened yet, something still to come. I didn’t know …”
“Didn’t know what?”
“I had no way of knowing it would happen this soon or I would have done something to help her.”
“Addison, what did you see?”
“Helen on her bed in her room. Her eyes were closed. Milton was standing over her. He was crying. She was dead.”
CHAPTER 28
Addison turned the knob and walked inside the house. “Helen, are you here? It’s Addison and Luke. We’re coming in.”
The house remained still, the only sound coming from the drip of a leaky faucet in the kitchen. Addison looked around. The living room was empty. The kitchen was empty.
“Where’s her bedroom?” Luke asked.
Addison entered the hallway. “I think it’s down here.”
Entering Helen’s room, the set-up mimicked her vision. Helen was on the bed. A blanket covered most of her body and folded down under her chin. Milton stood over Helen, his eyes filled with tears.
“Milton?” Luke asked. “What’s happened?”
Milton didn’t move, didn’t look up. “She’s dead.”
“How?” Luke pressed.
Milton fisted his hands around the edges of a pillow he held to his chest and squeezed. “I … had to, you see. I had no choice. I … I loved her.”
Luke and Addison exchanged horrified glances.
Addison took a step toward Milton, hoping to bypass him, check for a pulse. Luke reached forward, catching her hand in his. She glanced back.
Luke stepped in front of Addison, his body acting as a shield between her and Milton. “We don’t know what happened here yet. Hang back a minute.”
Addison nodded.
“Milton, I need you to move so I can see if she’s still alive,” Luke said.
“She isn’t.”
“Move, Milton.”
“No … I can’t.”
“You can either move, or I’ll move you.”
With his shoulders turned in, Milton backed away from Helen.
Luke reached over, pressing two fingers to the side of her neck.
“Do you feel anything?” Addison asked. “Does she have a pulse?”
Luke frowned. “No.”
Addison looked at Milton who was now hunched in the corner, his body rocking back and forth. “Milton, did you do it? Did you kill her?”
Milton began rambling, “I had no choice … I had no choice … I had no choice.”
“What do you mean?”
Had he snapped, become angry, and killed her? Looking at Milton now, at the pillow still clutched in his hands like a child’s security blanket, the truth of what had transpired was clear. “Milton, did you suffocate her?”
He didn’t respond.
Addison persisted. “Answer me, Milton! Did. You. Suffocate. Her?”
Luke pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I’m calling the
The front door opened and closed.
Addison attempted to circle around, but couldn’t. She was stuck. Paralyzed. Unable to move. She opened her mouth, trying to form a single word: help.
Then two words: help me .
Had anyone heard her? Was anyone listening?
Luke stepped in front of her. “Addison, what’s wrong? Talk to me. What’s going on?”
“I … can’t …”
He wound his fingers around her arms and pulled, forcing her to release her grip on the counter. She fell forward, collapsing into him.
Luke wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. “Talk to me. What’s happening?”
“It’s Helen.”
“Helen Bouvier?” Luke asked. “Our neighbor?”
Addison nodded.
“Something’s wrong, Luke. She’s not all right. I can feel it.”
“Did you have a vision?”
“I … not today. When I went to her house to ask about Cliff Clark, I touched her cane, and I blacked out for a minute. I had flashes of a vision, something that hadn’t happened yet, something still to come. I didn’t know …”
“Didn’t know what?”
“I had no way of knowing it would happen this soon or I would have done something to help her.”
“Addison, what did you see?”
“Helen on her bed in her room. Her eyes were closed. Milton was standing over her. He was crying. She was dead.”
CHAPTER 28
Addison turned the knob and walked inside the house. “Helen, are you here? It’s Addison and Luke. We’re coming in.”
The house remained still, the only sound coming from the drip of a leaky faucet in the kitchen. Addison looked around. The living room was empty. The kitchen was empty.
“Where’s her bedroom?” Luke asked.
Addison entered the hallway. “I think it’s down here.”
Entering Helen’s room, the set-up mimicked her vision. Helen was on the bed. A blanket covered most of her body and folded down under her chin. Milton stood over Helen, his eyes filled with tears.
“Milton?” Luke asked. “What’s happened?”
Milton didn’t move, didn’t look up. “She’s dead.”
“How?” Luke pressed.
Milton fisted his hands around the edges of a pillow he held to his chest and squeezed. “I … had to, you see. I had no choice. I … I loved her.”
Luke and Addison exchanged horrified glances.
Addison took a step toward Milton, hoping to bypass him, check for a pulse. Luke reached forward, catching her hand in his. She glanced back.
Luke stepped in front of Addison, his body acting as a shield between her and Milton. “We don’t know what happened here yet. Hang back a minute.”
Addison nodded.
“Milton, I need you to move so I can see if she’s still alive,” Luke said.
“She isn’t.”
“Move, Milton.”
“No … I can’t.”
“You can either move, or I’ll move you.”
With his shoulders turned in, Milton backed away from Helen.
Luke reached over, pressing two fingers to the side of her neck.
“Do you feel anything?” Addison asked. “Does she have a pulse?”
Luke frowned. “No.”
Addison looked at Milton who was now hunched in the corner, his body rocking back and forth. “Milton, did you do it? Did you kill her?”
Milton began rambling, “I had no choice … I had no choice … I had no choice.”
“What do you mean?”
Had he snapped, become angry, and killed her? Looking at Milton now, at the pillow still clutched in his hands like a child’s security blanket, the truth of what had transpired was clear. “Milton, did you suffocate her?”
He didn’t respond.
Addison persisted. “Answer me, Milton! Did. You. Suffocate. Her?”
Luke pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I’m calling the
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