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this led him on. These unnatural digressions were
closely monitored and it was when Esteban was dispatched to check up on one
such occurrence that they finally got the lead they had been waiting for.
    Two hours a day were afforded to the
young inmate where he could engage in recreational activities such as watching
television or listening to music. Usually, he would forego this privilege in
order to spend more time with his mother. It therefore seemed strange when the
recreation room turned out to be exactly where his latest vision was leading
him. Esteban wondered if this was some sort of a trick. Although in his
experience, the boy had never been anything less than one hundred per cent open
and honest.
    ‘What are you doing, Jimmy?’ Esteban
asked. ‘You know there’s a correct time for this sort of thing and that time is
not now.’
    The young psychic smiled back at him as
if they were old friends.
    ‘There isn’t anywhere I can be that isn’t
where I’m supposed to be,’ he replied. ‘You know that, don’t you, Mr Cruz?’
    ‘Very funny. Why don’t you just tell me
what you’re doing here.’
    ‘Watching television, I suppose.’
    Esteban glanced at the screen. The
closing credits to some daytime soap opera were on. It did not seem to be the
sort of programming he would expect a twenty two year old man to enjoy.
Although given that the boy’s favourite movie was The Lion King ,
anything was possible.
    ‘You suppose? Would you mind telling me
exactly what it is that you plan on watching?’
    Jimmy shrugged.
    ‘I didn’t think so. How are your senses
doing – are you still getting anything?’
    This time Jimmy shook his head. He did
not find Agent Cruz to be as threatening as the others who so often
interrogated him. For this reason, he felt he could be more laid back in his
responses.
    ‘Just as I thought,’ said Esteban. ‘This
is another false alarm. You’ve been getting those quite a lot recently. It
might have something to do with the monotony of your routine here. If you want,
you can stay and watch the TV for a little while longer. I’ll clear it with the
colonel.’
    ‘Could you clear it for me to see my
mother right now?’
    ‘Not at this moment. The doctors need
space to do their work, but the offer stands if you want to remain here for a
little while longer.’
    ‘Not really. If I can’t do anything
useful, I’d rather just sleep.’
    ‘I understand.’
    Esteban nodded for the guards to escort
Jimmy back to his cell. He then picked up the remote for the TV and was about
to turn it off when something caught his eye. The News had just begun and the
lead story was about a married sports star who had been caught fooling around
with a male school teacher. If trash stories such as this filled the news then
it meant that maybe people like him were doing their job right. Scandal was hugely
preferable to tragedy.
    As the story drew to a close he once more
aimed the remote at the TV, but this time when he stopped it was due to
something much more important. The teacher in the story also had a partner and
her picture was now on the screen. It was not the clearest image; taken on a
camera phone in bad light, but there was something about it that gave him a
feeling in the pit of his stomach. He wondered if Jimmy’s senses had not
misfired after all.
    The colonel was harder to convince.
Before making his suspicion known, Esteban had researched the story some more
online and he pulled up the image on a tablet for his commanding officer to
see.
    ‘I don’t think this is the same person,’
the colonel said, alternating his eyes from the image on screen to a photograph
in his hand. ‘The hair is all wrong for a start.’
    Esteban rolled his eyes.
    ‘Are you kidding me? This woman is wanted
in connection with several murders and the wilful destruction of an entire town
– do you not think she would have altered her appearance somewhat? Brunette,
redhead; it doesn’t matter – that’s her. If