Page 28 of Dead Sure
Ten nodded. “I’m more than happy to tell you what I see, but I need you to say you’re dropping the charges against me and no others will be filed as a result of this meeting.”
“You need to tell me about Eli!” Autumn shouted.
“No, I don’t.” Ten stood up. “Thanks to you, I spent a night in jail away from my family. I could spend ten years in prison. Why the hell should I do what you’re asking, so that you can add more charges and I spend twenty years in jail.” Ten shook his head. “No, I’m not putting my future on the line.” He headed for the door.
“Tennyson, stop!” Autumn cried out, sounding more scared than angry. “I’ll drop all the charges, I promise. I won’t swear out any new charges. I’ll call Vance off. Please, just tell me what’s going to happen to me and Eli.”
Ten took a deep breath. Ronan gave him a slow nod, as did Reagan. He walked back to his place at the table and took a seat, his eyes on Autumn’s attorney. “I want the charges against me dropped with prejudice, so they can never be refiled against me. I also want your word that no suits will be filed against West Side Magick, Carson Craig, Cole Craig, or Cope Forbes.” Ten felt Carson nod beside him.
“You have my word,” Dorothy said. “I’ll call DA Briggs myself when this meeting ends. I will also speak with him about not filing any other charges as a result of what happens here today.”
“Does that work for you?” Ten asked Reagan.
“It does. I’ll also make sure copies of these videos get to the DA as well.” Reagan grinned at Ten. “The floor is yours.”
“I’ve been doing readings like this for most of my life. They all start out the same way, with my admonition that the future is fluid.” Ten paused, making sure that Autumn did not disagree. “The future that I see in the moment is changeable. You told me you were in love with Eli, but I never told you the man I saw you marrying was Elijah Logan. At that moment it very well may have been, but your actions after you left my office that day changed things.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Autumn asked, slumping into her seat.
“You began to harass Doctor Logan. You flirted with him at work, in front of patients. You showed up uninvited to places you knew he would be. You called and texted him relentlessly. Idon’t know about you, but this would be the last person I would consider dating.”
“I never did any of those things. You’re lying!” Autumn practically spat. “Eli gave me his phone number and told me to call whenever I wanted. He invited me to join him at restaurants and bars. This is all bullshit!”
Tennyson reached for a stack of papers in front of Reagan. “These are Doctor Logan’s phone records for the last year. He gave them to Captain Fitzgibbon when we met with him the other day. Ten picked up the second stack of papers. “These are sworn statements from Doctor Logan documenting every time you showed up where he was dining, shopping, or staying. This pile,” Ten held the pages up high, “are all of the complaints made about you by your work colleagues, Doctor Logan and parents of your patients that accuse you of being derelict in your duties.” Ten slid the documents to Dorothy, who stacked them neatly in front of her.
“You’re lying. The other nurses are my friends. They would never say anything bad about me.”
“They did, Autumn. Every single one of them. We met with the Hughes family and they were beside themselves when you walked out of the room last week when their baby was in distress. They were afraid that their child was going to die.” Ten paused to gather his temper. The last thing he needed was to go nuclear on this woman. “Every drop of water in a pond makes a ripple. Imagine every call, every text adding more ripples to the pond. Add in all the times you showed up when Doctor Logan wasn’t expecting you or wanting to see you. Buying the wedding gown and showing around the pictures, the money you bragged about spending on the venue, stories about the different cakesyou tasted. Now the ripples have turned to waves, washing away any chance you might have had with Eli.”
“How do I get him back! You can change the future! You can bring him back to me! That’s what I want. That’s how you fix the future you stole from me. I demand you read my future!” Autumn slammed both hands on the table.
Ten turned to Reagan, who nodded.
“You’re going to be served with lawsuits for medical malpractice and professional negligence. The Salem police department will arrest you on charges of stalking, harassment, breaking and entering, and criminal mischief in regard to Elijah Logan. You will go to prison.” Ten paused and watched Autumn, who was stunned silent. “But, like I said, the future is fluid. Dorothy is a good lawyer, perhaps there are legal remedies to these problems that can help you out.”
“I-I” Autumn looked gobsmacked.
Ten turned to the man who’d nearly broken his nose. “Captain Dutch Vance will be fired from the Danvers Police Department for assaulting me and for swearing out false warrants for my arrest,” Ten continued. “DA Briggs will be terminated from his position as district attorney. Lastly, Doctor Elijah Logan will marry and have children. You willnotbe his wife, nor the mother to his kids.”
“No, that can’t happen!” Autumn screamed. “It can’t. Elijah is my soul mate! I canmakehim love me!”
“Autumn,” Ten said gently, “you need professional help. Let Dorothy put those wheels in motion for you. Your life and future will be so much brighter and happier on the other side of this situation. I promise.” Ten turned to Dorothy. “Please do everything you can to help Autumn.”
“I don’t need anyone’s help! Fuck you all! I’ll getyoufor this, if it’s the last thing I do!” Autumn pushed back from the table, sending the chair over on its side. She yanked open the door so hard that it bounced off the wall and slammed shut again.
“Tennyson, I want to apologize for everything you’ve been put through. I will make sure the charges against you are dropped ASAP. As for you, Reagan, nice job. I look forward to battling against you again, soon.” Dorothy winked at him and headed for the door.
“Dorothy?” Ten called to the attorney. “The next time he asks you out, say yes.”
Dorothy gasped before blushing. “Are you sure?”
Ten nodded. “Dead sure!”
“You dog!” Ronan crowed, when Dorothy left the room.
“Duking it out like this is our foreplay.” Reagan chuckled. “I’ve been asking her out for a drink for over a year. I ask. She says no. Rinse. Repeat. Thanks to you, Ten, I might break my streak.” Reagan slapped Ten’s shoulder. “I’ll be in touch when the charges are dropped. Fitz, I’ll send you my bill. I might pad it a bit so that I can take Dorothy out for a swanky dinner.”
Fitz snorted. “Deal!”
