Chapter six page one

Surprisingly, Stacie had decided she didn’t want all the nitty-gritty details from last night.  She would rather leave it all behind us. 

I was completely honest with her though, when she asked me if I knew where he was or how to contact him. I said no.  In fact, it seemed to give her a sense of relief to believe that Quinn was gone and that he would not be back.  Now we could just concentrate on each other and enjoy our day as sisters on vacation.  I figured it wasn’t fair for me to be the only one living in a dream world.  So we ate my breakfast together and prepared to leave the hotel.

“I thought we should take a trip over to see the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower and then stop for lunch at a little bistro I know near the River.”  Stacie said.

“Sounds nice, but I was really hoping to walk.  Is there anything worth seeing in close proximity?”

“Walk?”

“Yes, it is beautiful outside today and I feel like I want to experience the essence of Paris, not just the tourist traps.”

“I hardly think the Eiffel Tower is a tourist trap.  But I suppose we could walk today.  Tomorrow is supposed to be cloudy so we’ll drive then.  Sound good?”

“Perfect.”  I said.

So we headed off out the front doors of the hotel to gallivant through the streets of Paris.

There were many quaint little shops we visited.  Laughter and teasing fun filled our morning perfectly.  Although Quinn was never far from my mind, we did not discuss him or the events of last night at all.  It was almost like they never happened.

Eventually the rumble in our tummies signalled it was time to find a place to eat.  Stacie recommended a little cafe she knew a few blocks north of us.  As we walked, the streets began to change their look.  The buildings were not as touristy and fancy.  They had an old-style charm as everything turned aged and rustic. 

We began to cross the street at a quiet corner when I was suddenly bombarded by an image.  It was a street just like this one and Dean’s thugs were racing down the street in their red truck.  As it neared me in the image I saw Dean sitting in the passenger seat.  Then I saw Quinn’s face in a shop window with red and white checked curtains above him.  The truck stopped.  Next the men pulled out their weapons and began firing bullets into the checked windows of the shop. 

All this time, Stacie had been rambling on about something before I stopped in my spot.  She finally realized I wasn’t beside her and came back to me.  I stood motionless in the center of the crosswalk. 

“What are you doing Cathie?”

I held my hand up to quiet her while I let the image play out fully.

“Are you crazy?  You are standing in the middle of the street.”

“Stop talking for a minute Stacie.”

“I’ll only stop talking if you start walking.”

“I am seeing Dean and his red truck again.  He is after Quinn.”

“Where?”  She asked as she looked down the quiet street.

“I’m not sure but on a street like this.  It’s in my head.”

Stacie grabbed my wrist and tried to pull me off the street.  “You aren’t going to stand here until they show up, are you?”

“I don’t know what I am going to do.  Just let me think.”

“While you are thinking, you should pray that Quinn is far from here.  Because then the red truck won’t come here and shoot at us.”

“No.  I will pray that he is safe somewhere that we can find him to warn him.” 

Stacie spun around in disgust.  With a stomp of her foot, she raised her voice.  “Cathie, this is absurd.  This guy is not someone you should be hoping to see again.  What if when you find him, he kidnaps you and dismembers you and then scatters all your body parts around the French countryside.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.  Quinn wouldn’t hurt me.”

“How do you know that?  Do you see that in one of your crazy visions?”  Her loud voice was sure to draw some attention.  I looked around to see if I was right and there behind me two doors down the block was Quinn standing on the step in front of a glass door.  He was wearing a smile and a white apron.

Grabbing onto Stacie's arm, I began to run towards him.  As we got closer I could see smudges of flour on his cheeks and a dab on his chin.  “Do you work here?”

His smile tightened.  “Well, yes I guess I do.”

“Well, may I suggest you go ask for the afternoon off because Dean is on his way.”

“Or so she thinks.”  Stacie said.

Quinn gave her a friendly smile even if she didn’t deserve it.  I wondered if he had heard her dismembering comment earlier.  He motioned for us to enter the establishment and then he locked the door behind us and flipped the ‘ouvrir’ sign.

“Shouldn’t you ask the owner?”  Stacie said with disgust. 

“I am the proprietor.  Well half way anyway.”  Quinn turned to me.  “It is Anna’s shop I bought for her, but since she is unable to work anymore I am learning to make scones and donuts, of all things.”

It touched my heart.  His compassion runs deep.  I had seen signs of it all along and now it was truly evident.  

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