“Let’s see what the others have to say. If things start to get out of hand, then we’ll step in.” Ronan moved closer to Tennyson. “In the meantime, I’m gonna text Fitz and let him know what’s going on.”
“Good plan.” Jude was relieved that none of this kids were here to witness what was happening, Everly especially. Although, she always spoke her mind, no matter what.
“You, there in the green dress!” Cannonball stumbled forward. He was pointing to a woman Jude had seen Cope speaking with earlier. He thought she was from Chicago or Milwaukee. “Am I gonna live or die?”
“Die,” the woman said.
Cannonball’s gregarious look turned to shock. He obviously hadn’t expected anyone else to see what Everly had seen in his future. “Okay, everyone who thinks I’m gonna die, raise your hand.” Cannonball turned around, eyeing all of the psychics in the room.
Jude watched while about thirty hands gingerly pushed into the air. He had a feeling there were more who wanted to raise their hands, but didn’t want to get involved with Cannonball’s tantrum.
“Wow, most of you think I’ll be playing the harp tomorrow. Who thinks I’m gonna live?”
Two lone hands lifted into the air. Ronan’s and Jude’s.
“What the actual fuck!” Cannonball moved toward the men who had moved to stand in front of Ten and Cope. “Your husbands have been the ones telling me that I was going to die and that my wife and son would too. Now you’ve changed your tunes?”
Jude opened his mouth to suggest that they take this conversation into the hall, but didn’t have a chance to speak, as Cannonball started to shout again.
“Wait, I know, the two of you are going to tell me that because I’m gonna cancel the stunt, I’m gonna live, right? That my love for my wife and son are going to save me, is that it?” Cannonball laughed. He sounded unhinged.
“Let’s go talk outside, so that these nice people can get on with the meet and greet.” Jude stepped forward. He grabbed Cannonball’s right elbow, while Ronan grabbed the left. He’d smelled booze on the man’s breath and it didn’t take a genius to know the daredevil had hit the minibar in his room.
“You can’t do this to me. It’s false imprisonment. I know my rights!” Cannonball shouted as Ronan and Jude led him out of the ballroom. Fitzgibbon stood nearby, holding his handcuffs. “Oh, I see how this is gonna go. You’re going to cuff me to the bed or the tub or something so that I’ll miss my window to go over the falls tomorrow. When the window’s closed, you’ll let me go, right?”
Silence was Cannonball’s answer.
“Right?” The daredevil shouted again.
“Come with us. This room is open.” Fitzgibbon opened the door to the space next door. He held the door while Ronan and Jude led Cannonball inside. “Sit.” Fitzgibbon pointed to a round table.
Surprisingly, Cannonball did what he asked. Jude and Ronan sat on either side of him. Jude noticed the fight seemed to have gone out of him.
“What the hell was that in there?” Ronan asked. “Were you trying to hurt our husbands’ careers by showing them up, or were you actually hoping one of the professionals in that room would see a different fate for you?”
“I want your husbands to be wrong, don’t you get it?” Cannonball sunk his head into his hands.
“Yeah, I get it,” Jude said. “You want someone to tell you that you’re not going to die tomorrow, so that you’ll be able to use it to throw in you’re wife’s face later. It will be your justification for doing a stupid thing.” Jude paused and took a deep breath, in hopes of getting his emotions back in check. “I want my son to be a center on the Boston Bruins, but just because I want it, doesn’t mean it will happen. We take the hand we’re dealt in life and we play it the best way we can. I saw you at the waterpark with your son yesterday. It’s obvious how much you love him. Same goesfor Heidi, if you didn’t love her so much, you wouldn’t have been trying so desperately to find a way around her objections.”
“So I love my wife and son, what’s that got to do with anything?” Cannonball sounded like a petulant teenager.
“You’re a smart man, Cannonball,” Fitzgibbon said, leaning forward across the table. “Family is everything. At least it is in my house. Just the thought of me doing something that would hurt my husband and daughter, intentionally or not, is enough to make me throw up. Don’t do this to your family. What hell good is it if you survive, if it means you’ve lost the most important people in your life?”
“Hold on a second,” Cannonball sat up straighter. “When I asked the psychics if any of them saw that I was going to live, the two of you put your hands up. Neither of you have the gift of sight,” Cannonball made air quotes, “so why did you say that? You know something, don’t you?”
Ronan sighed. “We know something. My daughter had another vision this morning.”
“What did she see?” Cannonball asked.
“Hold on a minute there, cowboy,” Ronan said. “The last time we gave you this sort of information, you belittled my little girl and called her a psycho. Why the hell should I tell you what she saw so you can ridicule her again? Break her spirit? Make her cry?” Raw emotion thickened Ronan’s voice. “All she wants is to save your life and if you’re too stupid to listen to her, then that’s on you.”
Cannonball looked between the three detectives. Fitzgibbon’s cuffs sat on the table in front of him. “Let’s say I believe your daughter,” Cannonball began. “Before I met you guys, I still had my dream. I was finally going to do something my father neverdid. My name would be bigger than his and I could let this whole thing go, but when your daughter told me what would happen, it scared me. She has no dog in this fight. There’s no benefit to her if I go over the falls or call it off. Like you said, the premonition opened her up to a shit ton of trouble for no gain whatsoever.”
“Everly’s gain isyourlife,” Jude said, knowing that’s exactly what his niece would say.
“What did she see? Can’t be any worse than what she saw before.” For the first time since Cannonball walked into the ballroom and started to shout, he sounded like he was ready to listen.
“She saw a way for you to survive going over the falls,” Ronan said.
