| Story |
 
|
(Page 2 of 2) The Psychic Network - Geoffrey by Timothy Eldon
 (10 ratings)
|
"Difference of opinion I'm afraid."
"I'm sorry to hear that," she replied. Maybe she did know this man. He did seem familiar for some reason.
"And how is Brian?" he asked her. He could see the thought this question prompted, the turmoil in her mind.
"I'm leaving him." A statement, flat, direct, and irreversible.
"Oh. Why?" He knew the anwer, that was why he was there, in the railway, talking to her.
"He cheated on me." It was true. Geoffrey could see it in Brian's mind. Brian had stopped loving Carolyn some time ago.
It had been a sub-conscious decision, unrealised. Geoffrey knew that when Brian got home that evening to find Carolyn gone, Brian would feel nothing, no emotion. He would understand then that he no longer loved her, that his visits to the brothel had been a cover for his unconscious mind, that unspoken thought.
Geoffrey nodded. "Then you're leaving him?" he asked, gesturing to the case.
"Yes, I'm going to my father's."
"Why?" That startled her. He knew her father would welcome her, love her, care for her. But the pre-cogs had told him what would happen, the fate that awaited Carolyn, if she took that course.
"What? I'm - there's nowhere else to go."
"I wouldn't say that," he smiled. "You could go to Vegas. Have some fun before visiting your Dad."
She looked away, uncertain. Geoffrey sighed inwardly. A little nudge at this point would make things much easier. Unfortunately, that was forbidden. The price for even a gentle push was very high, and heavily policed thanks to Simon. Geoffrey looked a little deeper, and found a key.
"You could also get a little revenge," he suggested.
"What? How do you mean?" she asked, this new thought striking a spark.
"Well, I was just thinking, you know, if you had access to Brian's money..." She gasped and began rummaging through her purse. She pulled out a wallet, opened it, and took out a credit card.
"This is Brian's account," she half-whispered.
"There you go," Geoffrey grinned. "Go to Vegas, spend everything on that card. Have fun."
"I could, couldn't I?" she said to herself.
"Of course."
She stood up as the idea took a firm hold. "Yes," she said. She started to walk away, stopped, looked back. "Thank you Geoffrey," she smiled.
"That's okay Carolyn," he replied. Then, firmly, "Go now. Have fun. Don't look back."
She chuckled, turned, and walked away.
Geoffrey watched her go, watched as she turned into the terminal, heading for the taxi stand. He leaned back into the bench, and allowed himself a smile. The plan was now lodged firmly in her mind, and would not be shifted. She would go to Vegas, win on the tables, before going to her father. She would use her winnings to start again, setting up an art store while producing paintings of her own.
With her artistic talent out, she would be asked to display. At that event, she would meet a man named Tim, and their future together, whilst not a fairy-tale, would be long and filling.
That, Geoffrey thought, was much better than going straight to her father, where she would have sat in silent misery for two years before taking her own life. That, at least, was what the pre-cogs had told them, and having read a significant portion of Carolyn's mind during their conversation, he knew that was the most likely outcome. The depression had already begun. Thanks, however, to the idea of revenge, Carolyn would have a much better life.
Geoffrey reached into his pocket for his cellphone. He pushed speed-dial one, and waited.
"Hello Geoffrey," the pleasant voice answered.
"Hello June. Job complete."
"Thanks. We'll contact you soon. Have a good day."
Geoffrey hung up, and smiled. He always enjoyed it when a job was successful. And they'd said being psychic would be no fun.
| |
