by V. K. Powell
“I hate to admit it, but they’re probably right. At least she’ll be in a more controlled environment most of the time.” Maybe Audrey should go with Yasi to the hotel. It would certainly address Not So’s budgetary concerns. Audrey’s seven friends had a much better chance of keeping her safe around the clock than she and two rent-a-cops.
But she didn’t want to relinquish Audrey’s safety to anyone. However, she couldn’t properly investigate the case and constantly guard Audrey at the same time. Trust or lack of it was a heavy burden. “You might be safer at the hotel as well…for a while.”
“No.”
“There are more of them. Safety in numbers.”
“No.” Audrey was adamant.
“Will you at least think about it?”
“Not unless you come too, and I know the odds of that. So I’m taking my chances with you and the mayor’s heavyweights. Besides, I’ve just found you. I mean we’ve just gotten togeth—I’m not sure what’s going on. I feel connected to you, and I’m not ready to let that go even for a while. Can you understand?”
Rae gathered Audrey in her arms and inhaled as if sucking in her spirit. The indescribable fragrance held the essence of Audrey—the combination of her hair, body, and breath in a concoction that would forever remind Rae of only her. “I understand perfectly. I wish I could be with you every minute. Promise me you’ll be careful.”
“Promise.” Audrey kissed her and backed slowly away. “I think I’ll go home and take a nap. This psychic business is exhausting.”
Rae waved good-bye and reached for her ringing cell phone as Audrey left. “Butler.”
“Detective Butler, I’m calling from the hospital lab,” a pleasant female voice stated. “You asked for an analysis of Yasirah Mansour’s blood. We have those results.”
Rae flipped to a clean page in her notebook. “Go ahead, please.”
“To put it in layman’s terms, Ms. Mansour was administered an incapacitating quantity of chloroform. We can assume that the level was even higher than the test indicated because of breakdown in the system. A few more hours and it would’ve been completely untraceable. I’ll send you a copy of the official report today.”
Rae got the caller’s name and thanked her for the information. Her skin tingled with the realization that she finally had a concrete clue. She dialed the records division and gave the clerk the particulars of the vehicle, licensing, and radius searches she needed. Audrey had provided several new threads to follow, and the lab report was another piece of the evolving puzzle.
A hazy picture of the suspect emerged: military trained, expert with a knife, injured in some way, knowledge of chloroform, access to the drug, dry-cleaning plastic, and an old white van. The military pool was also slowly shrinking. Not every combat-trained soldier received extensive medical training or language skills. And not every soldier who served returned with an injury. The suspect would have been discharged fairly recently to coincide with the timing of the attacks. At this point it was all speculation, but at least Rae had things to investigate; at least she was doing something productive.
Chapter Seventeen
Audrey drove around the corner from the condo, pulled to the curb, and slumped forward against the steering wheel. Thank God, Rae wasn’t telepathic or familiar enough with her tells to know how shattered she felt. She’d summoned most of her courage to share her conflict about using her psychic ability and the remainder to actually use it again.
The lifelong struggle and constant pull between two worlds was coming to a head. If she helped Rae with her case and word got out, the true test followed. Would “normal” people accept her and her abilities, or would they consider her a freak and discount her skills as a sham or merely a stroke of luck?
She had turned the question over in her mind repeatedly and had lost hope of a different outcome. Perhaps more people like Rae existed. Maybe she didn’t have to choose either being true to herself or the outside world. For the first time she imagined being accepted for who and what she was. With the image came a sense of freedom she’d never experienced.
The pleasurable sensation was short-lived. What if using her skills unleashed the complete memory of her first assault? Was she ready to cope with the dreadful incident she’d hidden so carefully…and eventually face him? Could she unearth selected portions of her past while leaving others buried? Another either-or situation.
Merely reviewing the suspect’s activities sucked energy from her like an eclipse swallows the sun. She couldn’t help Rae if her body resisted each time. Sooner or later the darkness would consume her. She’d heard about psychics trapped by the dark side, sucked into an underworld of depravity and destruction. After touching the edge of this man’s evil, she understood the possibility. But Rae needed her, and she owed it to Yasi and the other victims. She had to move past her fear.
Audrey jerked upright as someone tapped on the driver’s side window. Her heart rate galloped as she momentarily thought he’d come for her again. When she saw the surly familiar face staring at her, she relaxed. One of the mayor’s bodyguards who had been assigned to her stood with his hands raised as though ready to strike. She didn’t feel completely comfortable around men who used their bodies as weapons, but she’d worked with them for a year and had learned to overlook their gruff exteriors.
“Ms. Everhart, are you all right?”
She forced a smile and rolled down the window. “Fine, Marc, a little weary. I’m going home. Why don’t you take a break? I’ll call you if I’m going out again.”
His sharp gray eyes bored into her like pinpoints of magnified light. “I can’t do that, Ms. Everhart. My orders are to protect you. Would you like me to drive you back to the apartment?”
“No, I can manage. Thank you.” She motioned for him to step back and pulled away from the curb, feeling only slightly more capable than before. In the side mirror she saw his shoulders rise and fall in a frustrated sigh.
Everybody tried to protect her and she was grateful for the concern, but she really wanted to remember everything so she could help solve this mystery. Coaxing the ghosts from the corners of her mind and greeting them head-on wouldn’t be easy. Where did she start to dig up the scraps of memory so long buried and denied? Perhaps working with Rae would provide the necessary catalyst.
When she opened the door to her apartment, Yasi was sitting on the sofa petting Cannonball. “Looks like you’re feeling better. Did you sleep well?” She greeted her with a kiss on the cheek and sat down beside her.
“Better than you, apparently. How’s Rae?”
She couldn’t hide anything from Yasi. Sometimes Audrey thought she was psychic as well. “Frustrated. I’m hoping to change that.”
Yasi wickedly waggled her eyebrows. “Are we speaking sexually or otherwise?”
“Both.” Audrey stroked Yasi’s long dark hair, unsure how to bring up what they needed to discuss. She mustered her courage again. “Yas, I’m sorry for—”
“Rae told you everything?”
Audrey nodded.
“I’m glad, but don’t even think about apologizing for what happened to me. That’s why we hid it from you. I knew you’d feel responsible.”
“I didn’t—”
“Do anything wrong. It wasn’t your fault.”
“But—”
“Let’s help Rae find this guy—and I do mean help, not mount a two-woman vendetta or go after him alone like you did before. I mean help from a safe distance.”
“Will you let me finish a sentence, ever?”
“Audrey, you could never hurt anyone intentionally. You were protecting yourself. If you’d known this man would hurt other people, you would’ve done anything to stop him. Am I right?”
“Yes.”
“Then let go of the past and concentrate on what we can do now.”
Audrey hugged Yasi and remembered why they’d been best friends all these years. They depended on each other, supported each other, and stood by one another no matt
er what. Maybe that was Yasi’s gift to her at this moment. She wasn’t alone, and courage doubled was a very good thing.
“I gave Rae my impressions of the case. I’m not sure I helped much though. It’s been so long since I’ve actively tried to read anything or anyone. I’m not even sure I can do it properly any more.”
“It doesn’t go away, gets rusty maybe, but doesn’t disappear. You know that.”
Audrey rested her head against Yasi’s shoulder and also stroked a purring Cannonball. She relaxed and enjoyed the serenity of the moment, absorbing it like the last rays of sunshine. As the emotions of the past few days surfaced, a knot formed in her throat. “I’m scared, Yas, scared and I’m not even sure why.” The words tumbled out in a mixture of sobs and whispers.
Yasi hugged her closer. “What worries you most?”
“That I can’t remember. Then I’m scared I will. I wonder if I’ve lost the gift and won’t be able to help Rae. I’m afraid I still have it and will have to use it. I’m worried that people I care about are in danger because of me. And I’m terrified I can’t do anything about it.”
“But there is and you’ve already started. And you don’t have to do it alone. We’re all here, and we’ll work it out together. Right now you need some rest. Why don’t you take a nap? When you wake up, we’ll start fresh.”
“You’re probably right.” When Yasi nodded, Audrey started toward the bedroom. “If you need anything, call me. I’ll drive you to the hotel later.”
“Sounds good. Oh, I almost forgot. When I opened the paper this morning, I found an envelope inside with your name on it. It’s on the counter.”
Audrey recalled Marc tossing the paper from the front courtyard onto the steps as they left. “It was inside the paper?”
“Tucked in between the pages.”
Audrey ripped the envelope open as she spoke. “The neighbors stuff announcements and invitations into everything. It’s probably another—” The contents spilled onto the counter and Audrey stared in disbelief. “Oh, my God.”
Glossy four-by-six photos of Audrey in various poses and stages of undress littered the worktop. Nausea churned in her stomach as she flipped through the pictures depicting scenes in every room of her apartment. Nothing was sacred—she was captured sleeping in her bed, showering in her bathroom, cooking in her kitchen, and even kissing Rae at the front door. Each shot was as clear and colorful as if the photographer had been standing in the room with her.
The room spun as she clutched a barstool for support. He had violated her private spaces. He had seen her naked—vulnerable in her exposure and in sleep. He had come and gone at will without her knowledge, without leaving a trace. She suddenly thought of Cannonball’s irritable scratching and wondered if she’d tried to warn her. And why once again had her instincts failed her?
“Audrey…” Yasi stood at her side, arm around her waist. “We have to call Rae, and then we have to leave. No way are you staying here. You’ll come to the hotel with me.”
“I can’t leave Rae.”
“If my guess is right, she’ll insist you do just that. Call her now.” Audrey reached for her cell but her hands shook so badly she couldn’t dial. “Let me.” Yasi punched in the numbers and, when Rae answered, she handed the phone back to Audrey.
“Rae, pictures…in my paper.” Her voice quivered in spite of her attempts to remain calm.
“Where’s your bodyguard? Check and make sure he’s at the front door.”
Audrey made her way to the window and pulled back the curtain. Marc stood ramrod straight on her front stoop like the Queen’s Guard at Buckingham Palace. “He’s still there.”
“Pack a bag. I’ll be there in five minutes.” Before Audrey could object, Rae hung up.
Time crawled as they waited for Rae to arrive. Audrey walked the length of the apartment stroking Cannonball and looking for ways an intruder might have gotten in. She shuddered to think of him creeping through her house while she slept, rifling through her belongings, and leering at her as she showered. She also became angry. A madman would not force her out of her home. She would fight back against the person who had damaged and disrupted her life.
Audrey heard voices at the front door and opened it to find Rae questioning Marc like he was a suspect. “What are you doing?”
“He’s supposed to be protecting you.” Rae turned to the bodyguard. “You didn’t check the paper before you tossed it onto the steps?”
Marc gave her a look that would’ve easily intimidated a less-confident person. “I examined it for bulges that might indicate an explosive or incendiary device. It felt like a newspaper. What did you want me to do, read every line for a threat?” His tone indicated he thought Rae was the incompetent one.
Rae brushed past him and reached for Audrey the minute the door closed behind her. “Are you all right?”
“A bit rattled.” Audrey clung to her, desperate for the safety she’d felt in her arms less than an hour ago. Everything seemed so right and normal when Rae was close. Had security and comfort always been missing from her life, or had the perilous situation simply made it more precious?
“Where are they?”
Audrey pointed to the kitchen counter and waited with Yasi as Rae examined the photographs. Rae carefully slid them aside one at a time with her pen. Her shoulders tensed, and Audrey could sense her anguish with each new image. The outrage seething in Audrey burned equally strong in Rae. Her body practically hummed with the suppression of it.
After she’d looked through all the photos, Rae placed them back in the envelope and walked from room to room. Audrey imagined she was visualizing the exact spot where this demon stood as he snapped each picture. Anger sparked from Rae’s emerald eyes like daggers seeking a target, and Audrey loved her for it. Her detective would redirect her energy into the investigation until she found the suspect. And God help him when she did.
“Are you packed?”
Audrey knew the edge in Rae’s tone was not directed at her, but she still recoiled slightly. She respected Rae’s need to assume her professional persona and hoped Rae would understand her position as well.
“This is my home, and I want to stay.” Rae and Yasi exchanged a look that said she was in for a fight from both of them. “I know you think I’ll be safer somewhere else, but I can’t keep running away.”
Rae held her at arm’s length and pinned her with a gaze so intense Audrey almost swooned. “I’m not playing Russian roulette with your life. You’re much too important to me. Please go to the hotel with Yasi. You can look after each other much better than a couple of bodyguards. It’s not safe here.”
“I don’t want to be away from you.” Audrey knew she sounded desperate, but she had a strong sense Rae was also in danger. “I don’t want to leave. I’m afraid for you.”
“I’ll be fine, and we’ll see each other as much as possible. Besides, I still need your help. Please, Audrey, I’ll be able to work faster and more efficiently if I know you’re all right.”
Yasi moved to her side. “And I’m not a hundred percent yet. I could use some assistance with these humongous bandages and a distraction from total boredom while I’m not working. It makes sense, Aud.”
Audrey looked from one to the other and her heart ached with the concern scored across their faces. “All right, but you have to promise no more secrets.”
They both nodded.
“I mean it.”
“Promise.”
They agreed in unison.
Loud voices bantering back and forth outside interrupted them. Rae motioned for her and Yasi to go into another room, and she approached the door with her hand cocked on her weapon. When Rae opened the door, Audrey recognized Trevor Collins, the department’s crime-scene analyst. She understood the necessity for Trevor’s expertise, and she trusted Rae to manage the situation as delicately as possible. But she felt like a bystander as virtual strangers stood guard over and rummaged through her life.
Rae stepped sh
oulder to shoulder with the hefty bodyguard, willing him to challenge her. She wanted to vent some of her frustration but was acutely aware of Yasi and Audrey’s presence. Professionalism prevailed as she said, “Let him in, Marc. He’s CSI.” Marc stepped aside, obviously not happy with having to relinquish his stand twice in the same hour.
Trevor gave him a smug grin and rolled a heavy black equipment case into the apartment. He acknowledged Audrey and Yasi with a nod and addressed Rae. “You said this was a head-to-toe job so I brought my entire kit. What have you got?”
“Ms. Everhart’s apartment has been broken into, no obvious signs of entry. Go over this place with a microscope if you have to. I want to know how he got in.”
“How do you know he was inside?”
Rae flinched as she waved the envelope at Trevor. Two people too many had already seen Audrey’s exposed body. She wouldn’t allow even one more. “He took pictures from every room.” She didn’t allow him to touch the envelope. “I’ll hang onto them.”
“It would help if I saw the angle of the photos so I can determine where he stood.”
“I’ve already done that. I’ll walk you through it.” Rae was deviating from the way business was done, and they both knew it. She didn’t care. He’d process the scene her way or she’d find another CSI who would. Audrey had suffered enough.
“You’re the boss.” Trevor’s frustration was evident.
“I’m sorry, Trev. I’m not trying to be difficult. Suffice to say the pictures are sensitive.” She glanced at Audrey, held her gaze for several seconds, and lowered her voice. “I believe it’s the Whisperer.” When she returned her attention to Trevor, he nodded.
“I understand now. Tell me what you need.”
Rae led him through the apartment, pointing out the intruder’s vantage point for each photo. As they walked, she scoured the walls and ceilings for anything out of the ordinary. She stopped in the small common hallway between the living areas and examined scratch marks along the bottom of the woodwork.
