"You've got to help me, Mr. Valentine. I'm going to die tomorrow, and I need you to prevent it."

 

"Bodyguarding job?" I asked, hurriedly snapping on my shoulder holster. It’s an elastic rig, an improvement over my old leather harness.

 

"No. It will be an accident."

 

I eyed her skeptically, then settled back to listen. She didn't sound crazy, but then they never do. "This isn't some sort of insurance thing—"

 

"Oh, no, nothing like that. Believe me, money is no object. It's... Oh! I wish someone would believe me!" With that, she started weeping.

 

If I've got a weakness, it's money is no object, but I'm also a sucker for a pretty woman in distress. I was around the desk in two seconds, clean hankie in hand.

 

"There, there," I said. "Tell me the whole story from the beginning and I'll do what I can."

 

* * *

 

Her name was Cassie Arbogast, and she saw the future in her dreams. That was her story, but I had my doubts, especially about whether I could help. According to her, no matter what she'd tried to prevent a vision coming true, she'd never succeeded.

 

"I've seen this so clearly," she said. "It's tomorrow, early morning. I see the date on a newspaper, and then... It could be an automobile jumping the curb, an air conditioner falling on me... Last night, after deciding to consult you, I saw the floor collapse inside a seedy motel room."

 

That gave me a nasty jolt. My first instinct had been to stash her at a motel just to settle her fears. She couldn't be right... could she?

 

I got some more details and told her to go pack a bag, then meet me back here at the office.

 

* * *

 

"I suppose it is possible," mused Professor Greene, the only time scientist in my Rolodex. "Her father, Dr. Arbogast, was one of the top men in the field of Temporal Studies before his, ah, incident. He might have devised a way to make this happen, and given her the ability without her knowledge."

 

"Why would the visions give her information but no power to change anything?"

Greene chuckled. "Laws of causality, my boy. We observed it during the Spendt matter, if you recall; he was trying to win bets on sporting matches through time travel. Once an event has been observed, it can't be changed by any action of the observer, not even indirectly."

 

"You're saying if she really can see the future, hiring me won't change anything."

 

"Insofar as we presently understand, no." He peered at me over his half-moon lenses. "You will report back to me, won't you?"

 

I bit back an angry retort and nodded. He's a scientist; you have to expect them to be cold-blooded.

 

Plus, this consult was free.

 

* * *

 

By the time Cassie arrived, I'd made the arrangements. I'd called in a favor, and the safest place in Manhattan, a surplus government lab, would be available to us overnight. All we'd need were provisions, which I'd handled at the deli downstairs.

 

The guard let us in, and soon we were deep underground in a concrete bunker. We explored it after dinner, both the empty lab and the staff quarters we'd be staying in. Then I explained the plan. She'd spend the day safe in her borrowed bedroom with some good books, and I'd keep her company for meals. No newspapers or calendars were invited.

 

I didn't mention I'd be working on a backup plan, just in case.

 

* * *

 

My second call to the Professor was quick and to the point.

 

"All we know is what she sees, right? So if I can create an illusion, a different way for her vision to come true..."

 

"That might satisfy causality and thus let you alter events. That's only theoretical, of course; there's no way of testing it."

 

* * *

 

Next morning we breakfasted on boiled eggs, rolls, and lukewarm coffee from my thermos. I noticed she had trouble meeting my eyes. I figured she'd had another vision, and after an uncomfortable silence I asked. She burst into tears.

 

"It was awful, Mr. Valentine! You gave me a poisoned cup — I know it was you, and today, because I saw the date on your calendar watch. I drank it, fell over, hit my head, and the last thing I saw was a pool of blood. It was terrible! Terrible!"

 

I nodded sagely, passed her my handkerchief, and poured her a glass of water. "Here. You'll feel better."

 

She drank, and then she looked at me in shock. "You— you really... Oh!"

 

I was hard-pressed to catch her before she hit the floor. I stood up and watched the red blood pool around her head. Very nice.

 

* * *

 

Of course you've worked it out: it wasn't real blood, only some fake stuff I'd mixed up. I'd doctored the glass with just enough chloral hydrate to put her to sleep.

 

I'd figured she'd have a vision, and about the only dangerous thing that could happen in this room was falling and hitting her head. I'd made certain the only place she could see today's date was on my watch. I explained it all later. She was mad at first, but eventually she saw it my way and forgave me.

 

Before bed I fed her another pill to prevent bad dreams.

 

* * *

 

"You saved my life, Mr. Valentine, and I'm very grateful."

 

"All in a day's work, Miss Arbogast," I said, helping her out of my car. I still didn't believe she could see the future, but that's okay. Even if it was all in her head, it was real to her, and that's what mattered.

 

She walked past me to her front doorstep, then turned to say something, I don't know what. A sudden gust blew a piece of trash between our faces. She paled, then fainted dead away.

 

It was yesterday's newspaper.