GK4: Reflections and Shadows
Part 7
by Theresa Wilson, published on February 2, 2001
Gabriel drove down the dusty old road for a time, then headed back out to the paved some cement streets of Copper. The town was now full of people rushing around just before lunch break. They're were a couple of kids skate boarding on a smooth sidewalk that curved up and down because of the hilly landscape.
The locals were looking very nastily at them. One man yelled, "Get back to your parents before I call the police. You don't hang around here. We've had enough trouble in the past with people get away with crime."
Gabriel took a big dislike to the man. He must have been forty, because his gray-white hair did not make him seem old or wise. He was still a young idiot trying to make people respect him, if he didn't wish them to fear his powers. That suit alone said he was business tycoon, probably in the oldest property in this town.
No time to think about that., Gabriel thought. I still have to find out what this Detective Tate wants from me. He's not just asking me to help because he's an old friend of Gran's.
Gabriel rode up the street to a large, but quaint police station. It smelled like leather inside, one of Gabriel's favorite things. The cause was a mini museum of clothes and equipment for the police force. The earliest pieces, which for some reason interested Gabriel, must have dated back before the Revolutionary War.
There was a bland looking woman that served as the desk clerk. She smiled with a friendly word of, "Anything I can help you with today, sir?"
She must wish she was outside., Gabriel thought. I can almost see her imagining what it must be like in a prison cell. She doesn't seem to take her job as a duty, but a burden of her time.
"Yes, ma'am." Gabriel said. "I'm Gabriel Knight. Detective Tate asked me to come here to see him."
She woman nodded. "I'll call to the back."
Just then, I woman wearing a gray tank top and blue skirt walked in. Hair in a pony-tail, she looked much younger than she was. She must be at least twenty-seven, but could have been sixteen with her carefree expression. Although, it seemed as if it were cracking away PIECE BY PIECE.
The woman passed Gabriel, examined a bulletin board, looked at him briefly, and then turned back to a piece of paper she must find more interesting than him.
Seems like a whole bunch of people have been avoiding any chance to look at me., Gabriel told himself. I hate it when people just can't stand outsiders. Especially when everyone else is friendly enough not to cross the sidewalk to avoid you.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Knight. Detective Tate isn't here right now." the woman said. "He's on duty and might come back at least by five."
"He knows where to find me." Gabriel said. He waved good-bye and left the building.
He heard the door re-open behind him, but it meant nothing to him. Until, somebody tapped his shoulder.
"Let me guess." the woman said. "You don't recognize me because of the long hair."
Gabriel paused for a moment, but couldn't place the face or voice. It seemed familiar though.
"I'm not surprised. Even my parents said, 'Grace Nakimura, what made you think to actually change your hair?' Even my old school friends here in Copper don't recognize me."
This is Grace., Gabriel thought. Then, he grew a little uncomfortable. It didn't show in his body language though.
Grace laughed. "Now, don't start sweating bullets Gabriel. she joked. "I'm actually not surprised to see you here. There's something in the air that's been driving me insane when I'm asleep. And, I'm pretty sure you've been having nightmares of your own. On a much deeper level."
Gabriel did not appreciate her to act so candid. He hadn't seen her in four months and she acted like an old friend. "Oh, so you're suddenly a psychic, Gracie. Did that camp help you find yourself?" he added in.
Grace smiled. "No. The camp taught me I need to be who I think I should be. Not what others want out of me. And, you really shouldn't give me the third degree after what happened. I did write. But, I already told you let's not worry about something stupid. I'm glad you're here. Because I think there's a big case here. But, I'm worried because you don't know what you will be facing."
"Grace, you're jumping around way too fast for me." Gabriel growled. "I'm on vacation. I'm not interested in a case."
"Neither am I, but we're both already involved. There's a big collision that's going to take place between the supernatural and the un-natural. Both are forces of good or evil. But, we're only dealing with the evil sides. You and I are the ones fighting for the good fight."
Gabriel thought Grace might be talking gibberish. But, something about the supernatural and un-natural mentioning made him want to hear more. And, for some strange reason, Grace's voice was making Gabriel's mood better.
"Supernatural? Un-natural? Aren't they just the same thing? And, why are we the ones to play hero?" Gabriel asked. He couldn't hide the excitement in his voice.
Grace's mouth popped open and her eyes grew wide. "Gabriel, don't ever react like that when somebody mentions the un-natural." she advised. "Play secretive and dumb. You can do that, I know."
"Don't tell me. A giant conspiracy is at work." Gabriel joked.
Much to Gabriel's pleasure, Grace laughed at his joke. "I hope not. It's all sort of incomplete. I just know it has to do with dreams I think you and I have been sharing because everytime I have them now, I can hear you talking to make the dreams go away." She stopped to wave at a man coming down the street.
The man had light hair graying at the age of thirty-seven, but it suited him because he looking smart. Beside him, was a woman with dirty-blond hair put in an old-fashioned style. Her eyes looked very bright, but had black circles, making her look like a fragile woman from an old black and white photograph. The ones that seemed to be everywhere in Copper.
The man waved, barely. But, he seemed to light up a bit when he saw Grace. And, the woman too. There faces somehow showed alot of love.
"As Claudia would say, that's a MYS---STERY. With a slight roll to the R." Grace said. She turned back to Gabriel. "That's my friend, Oslo Granger and his wife Marissa Granger. They haven't been talking lately. Personal problems, but I know it's more. He won't even mention it or let anyone else do so."
"'Sure he's not your boyfriend?" Gabriel said. Realizing he'd said something off the wall, he went on with. "You seemed to have..well.."
"A connection with him." Grace said. "He's like my older brother. My only sibling is a younger brother. Eric sometimes gets jealous of that. Gabriel, trust me on this, Oslo and I may be close, but we can act like rivals. But, we'd never stop being friends."
"Look at me. Trying to convince myself." Grace said. "Anyway, I'll giving you this." Grace handed Gabriel a book.
"I really don't have any time right now to tell you what's going on. That's only because I have a project to go to. I'm working with the Historical Society to put on a play that will make money to purchase all the licenses we need to turn the original settling of Copper into a historical site. There's a company, Grigg Inc. that's trying to buy it up from the politicians in charge."
"So, you're doing Missionary work." Gabriel said.
"Actually, that's pretty much it. But, I help to keep things filed and I've been working to do local events. Parties that don't suck up all the air so that only the rich can have fun. Copper really all about getting it's neighbors together, even the tourists or out-of-towners. It's not fun, SO I MAKE IT FUN." Grace nodded in her own approval.
"You'll read that book in no time. It's just alot of general information. Nothing heavy. After all the research I've done the last two months living here, I can't stand to read. For work and something on the side. And, I don't want anyone hearing us talk."
"By the way, have you ever met a really amazing psychic?" Grace asked.
"No." Gabriel said, flatly.
"Then, you'll probably have alot of questions for somebody I'm working with." Grace said.
Last update: October 24, 2007
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