“We don’t believe in magic,” Marta said. “As psychics, we’re tapped into a part of the brain that others are not able to use. There’s no magic or mysticism about it, and there’s no instant cure to rid Emily of his presence.”
Marta’s hands illustrated the words she spoke. “Imagine there’s a beautiful flower garden. One day, a nasty weed gets into the bottom of the garden. Instead of reaching for the sun and growing upward, it grows sideways, running just beneath the flowers. Once it spreads all along the roots of the flowers, it chokes them and grows upward. Soon, the garden drowns in the weed and the flowers die.”
“He’s the weed,” Emily said.
“Do you feel him in your mind all of the time now?” Marta asked.
“Sometimes it’s stronger than others, but all the time.”
“Right now, he’s spread out all along your mind. He’s starting to grow up to take over your mind. The longer he’s in there, the easier it will be for him to choke out who you are.”
“So how do we stop him?” Cassie asked again.
“For a weed that is intricately woven amongst the flowers, you have to use a delicate weed killer so you don’t accidentally kill the flowers. It may take time, but eventually the weed will die. In Emily’s case, she needs to push out the weed as much as possible.”
“How does she do that?” Cassie asked.
“When she feels him trying to take over, she needs to push back.” She turned on the couch to face Emily. “Don’t push back only a little bit, but as hard as you can and with every bit of your strength. It will be very difficult at first, even painful, but the new man in your life will help you. He knows how to help you, even if he doesn’t realize it.”
Jake seemed to be the answer to many things in her life, Emily thought. “How long will this process take? Will he stop killing once he’s gone from my mind?”
“I’m afraid it will take a long time,” Marta said. “Because he’s intertwined with your mind, there’s no way to get rid of him quickly. I don’t know if he will ever stop killing. He’s evil, just as you said. In this world, there’s not much that can stop that kind of evil.”
“If Emily pushes him out,” Cassie said, “he may kill a lot faster. His profile suggests that he won’t stop, and if Emily fights him, it may infuriate him and cause him to do more evil.”
“I’m not sure what to tell you about that,” Marta said. “I am truly sorry for the women who have died and those who might be in danger, but Emily is my first concern. She cannot continue to subject herself to him. It will have far worse consequences for her if she allows him to stay in her mind.”
Cassie stood up. “I think we have a lot of work to do. Thank you so much for everything.”
“Yes, Marta, thank you,” Emily said. “I don’t know how to repay you for all of your insight and help.”
“You can thank me by coming back more often. If you bring this new person in your life here tomorrow, we can work together to see if we can push the evil out of your mind faster.”
Cassie grabbed another cookie for the road. “These are delicious, and I will definitely be back, with or without Emily.”
Marta chuckled and gave Cassie a large hug. “You’re welcome here anytime.” After Cassie walked out of the office, Marta embraced Emily. “You have another question,” she whispered. “One you don’t want Cassie to know about.”
Emily parted from Marta, but held onto her arms. She spoke quietly so Cassie couldn’t hear. “If I have to open up my mind to him again, what will happen?”
“He’ll choke out the flowers,” Marta said. “You will find him, and he will find you. There will be no more hiding.”
Emily moistened her lips and looked toward the floor. She didn’t want Marta to continue reading her thoughts, although she knew it was impossible to keep her out.
“Do what you need to,” Marta said, “but what you are thinking is too dangerous and I fear for your life if you do it. If you find him, you won’t be able to block your mind from him. If he has you, he will not let go. Keep your mind closed, Emily. At all costs, keep your mind closed.”
Chapter Forty-nine
Officer Betsy Rogers knocked on Lionel’s open office door. He glanced up from his paperwork and frowned at her. “Door’s open, Officer,” he said. “No need to knock.”
She took several steps into his office and stood in front of his desk. “Thank you, sir,” she said. She turned her head and acknowledged Shawn.
“Do you have an update for us on hospital security tapes?” Lionel asked.
“We retrieved everything we needed and we’ve reviewed most of it. We found him, sir.”
“Is it a clear image?” Shawn asked.
“Very clear,” she said. “We have it set up for you in the conference room.”
Lionel took a second to let his mind process the new break. “Let’s go take a look.”
They followed her to the conference room around the corner from Lionel’s office. Detectives Aurelio and Timmons were seated at the table, with a television set at the head of the table, much as it was when they reviewed the footage from the university’s security cameras.
Aurelio pressed play on the remote, and the images on the television screen came to life.
Lionel watched for a few moments before asking, “What are we looking at?”
“The emergency room, sir,” Officer Rogers said. “There are three exits available, and there are two security cameras per door, each one positioned to catch the comings and goings. This is the exit on the far west side of the ER.”
“How does someone walk out of an ER after being hit by a car?” Shawn asked. “Wouldn’t he be uneven on his feet, or at the very least woozy? That should have drawn some kind of attention when he walked out.”
“Waters wasn’t driving that fast,” Officer Rogers said. “The doctor’s report said that he only suffered some contusions and cuts, maybe a concussion. He possibly had a couple of broken ribs, but he left the ER before they could get x-rays.”
Lionel listened to the discussion around him, but kept his eyes glued to the television. A tall figure walked toward the camera and looked up for a full view of his face. Excitement pounded through Lionel’s body and his limbs tingled. “That’s him,” he said.
Aurelio pressed pause on the remote, freezing the screen so they could all see his face.
“David, a.k.a. John Smith,” Officer Rogers said.
“It seems to match the other tape, even though on that one we only saw him from the back,” Shawn said. “But it’s almost identical to the sketch from our witness.”
Timmons spoke up for the first time. “We’re getting prints of this made and sent out to all units. Do you want to distribute this to the media as well?”
“Yes,” Shawn said. “List him as a possible witness, but don’t say it’s in connection with the murders. We don’t want to spook him.”
“Of course,” Timmons said.
“Officer Rogers and I will get another tip line opened up,” Aurelio said.
“Looks like another late night answering all kinds of kooky calls,” Timmons said.
“It’s all for a good cause,” Shawn said. “We’ve almost got him, and it won’t be long now. No more victims.”
“That’s what I keep telling myself,” Timmons said.
“Good work, everyone,” Lionel said. “We should have him in custody by tomorrow.”
Chapter Fifty
As soon as Emily walked through the front door, Jake grabbed her and kissed her. “I am so glad you’re back,” he said.
Emily blushed at his words and her heart skipped a beat. “I missed you, too,” she said, and gave him another kiss.
“Is this how it’s going to be with you two?” Cassie asked. “I don’t know if I can be around you guys if you’re going to be lovey-dovey all the time.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t go for the old, ‘Get a room,’ comment,” Emily said.
Cassie laughed. “Yea
h, well that, too.”
Bob came into the foyer and circled Emily’s legs. She crouched down and scooped him up in her arms. “And how was this little guy today?”
“He was surprisingly good,” Jake said. “He used his litter box and we didn’t have any accidents. He even came out to play when I got home.”
Emily kissed Bob’s furry head and rubbed her cheek against his soft fur. “You’re such a good kitty,” she said, her voice high-pitched, as if talking to a small child.
“How did it go today?” Jake asked, as they walked into the living room.
“We learned a lot.” Cassie said.
Emily sat down on the couch with Bob on her lap. “Have you ever heard of conduits?”
“No, I don’t think so,” Jake said.
Without going into too much detail about their day, Emily explained everything and told him that at least two of the victims had been conduits. “Cassie’s my conduit,” she said, with a large smile.
Cassie winked and pride seeped out with her words. “I’m special, too.”
“Seems like you’re in a much better mood than earlier today,” Jake said. “I’m glad to see you both smiling again.”
“How did everything go with your meeting?” Emily asked.
“Couldn’t have gone better,” Jake said. “We’re all set for the trial on Monday. Until then, I’m all yours.”
“Except tomorrow morning,” Cassie said. “We have to meet with Uncle Leo to spill everything. You could always join us, Jake. It might make things go easier if we have another psychic there who can corroborate what we’re saying.”
“I don’t know, Cass,” Emily said. “What exactly are we going to tell Uncle Leo? With everything we learned, it all sounds so strange.”
“We tell him how the killer is picking his victims and that you’re at the center of it. Those are both very big pieces of the puzzle that we need to tell Uncle Leo. He can keep you safe, and maybe what we found out can help him find the guy before he kills again.”
“But none of it came to us through conventional methods,” Emily said.
“You still have to tell him,” Jake said. “Show him the writings you did. That should be enough to convince him you’re telling the truth.”
The thought of showing him the automatic writings terrified Emily. “What if he thinks I wrote it after he came to us?”
“He won’t think that,” Cassie said. “He knows you’re different, he just doesn’t ask about it. All you have to do is tell him what happened. I’m sure he can figure out how to spin it when he tells others.”
“But we’ve never spoken with him about my gift.”
Cassie crossed her arms. “Jake and I will be there, so you will have all the support you need and we can both vouch for the whole psychic thing.”
Emily looked at Jake for confirmation. He smiled and nodded his approval. She took a deep breath. “Okay,” she said. “Let’s meet with him in the morning.”
“I’m going to call Uncle Leo now and make sure he comes by the office first thing.” She dug in her purse and extracted her cell phone.
“Aren’t you going over there tonight for dinner?” Emily asked.
“Yeah, but if I don’t schedule him now, he may not be able to come by the office before he goes into the station. I don’t want to delay any longer than tomorrow morning.”
Emily didn’t mind if they delayed the conversation another year. She bit her bottom lip to avoid making any comments that would start another debate and end with Jake and Cassie ganging up on her. As a distraction, she ran her hand over Bob’s back.
Cassie frowned and gestured to the phone. “Voicemail.” Into the phone she said, “Hi, Uncle Leo! I’ll be there in a couple hours for dinner, but I didn’t want to forget...” She walked off into the dining room, still chatting with his voicemail.
Jake sat down on the couch next to Emily. “Telling Leo is the best thing you could do.”
“I know,” Emily said. “I’m just really worried about what he’ll say.”
“Don’t worry about that. He won’t ridicule you, and this is way too important to hold back because of insecurities. Cassie and I will be there to support you and vouch for you, so there’s nothing to fear.”
“You would really tell a complete stranger about your abilities for me?”
“I would do anything for you,” Jake said.
Emily watched his eyes as he said the words. Marta was right, but he didn’t just look good on her, he felt good, too. Her eyes traveled down his face to his mouth and desire flicked her tongue over her lips. She leaned over with the full intention of sampling just a taste of him. Her mouth grazed his and she decided she wanted more.
She scooted closer to him in the middle of their kiss and bumped his nose. Their lips separated and they laughed over the awkward move. Faces still close together, it only took a second to recover, and the kiss became heated. Jake wrapped his arms around her and held her captive. Her fingers reached for the back of his head and threaded through the ends of his hair. She could barely contain her feelings for him, and they spilled out in her kiss.
“Now I’m going to say you need a room,” Cassie said, walking back into the living room. “I can’t even leave you alone for a minute.”
Emily backed away from Jake and covered her mouth with her hand in embarrassment. Engrossed in Jake’s kiss, she forgot they weren’t alone. She was grateful for the untimely interruption. If Cassie hadn’t come in, they might not have stopped.
“I’m going to go home and grab a nap and a shower before dinner,” Cassie said. “I’ll check in with you after dinner, unless you prefer I leave you two alone tonight.”
“I’d rather you check in so we know you’re okay,” Emily said.
“The offer is still up for you to stay here,” Jake said.
“Thank you, but no,” Cassie said. “We know Emily is his target, and she’s safe with you. Knowing how dinner with Uncle Leo and Aunt Barbara usually goes, we’ll be up late drinking and storytelling. I might even stay in their spare bedroom, depending on how much I’ve had to drink.”
“I would feel much better if you stayed at his house instead of yours,” Jake said. “But if you change your mind about staying here—”
“I won’t.” Cassie gathered her purse and slung it over her shoulder. “I’ll see you both bright and early.” She gave a final wave and walked out the front door.
“I’m so glad you got the answers you wanted,” Jake said. “I guess I need to get one of those conduits, too.”
A smile claimed her mouth. “You already have one.”
Jake’s curious expression dissolved into one of surprise. “I do, don’t I? That explains why I feel so much stronger around you, but how is it possible that you’re both?”
“Apparently I have a rich family history of both psychics and conduits. But it brought you into my life, and that’s all that matters.” She brushed her lips against his, and their kiss quickly escalated. Bob jumped onto her lap and climbed up between them to break them up. They laughed and Jake picked him up to move him out of the way.
“Someone’s jealous,” Emily said. “We can’t seem to catch a moment alone tonight.”
“I suppose that’s our cue to figure out what’s for dinner,” Jake said, standing up.
She tugged on his arm, stopping him from walking away. “Do you mind if we hold off on dinner for a bit. I really just want to sit here with you.”
Jake smiled and sat back down on the couch. She relaxed against him and he kissed her forehead. She wasn’t sure where her investigation into the murders was leading, but finding out she was the killer’s intended target had affected her more than she wanted to admit. She needed some quiet time with Jake to clear her mind. Having him by her side would keep the killer away, at least for a few moments.
Chapter Fifty-one
Lionel swallowed a mouthful of his favorite beer. It seemed like years since he last had a cold beer, and he wanted to savor every d
rop. During a big case, he typically stayed away from alcohol, since a call could come in at any moment. Tonight, however, it was well-deserved.
“Any day now,” Shawn said. He lifted a beer bottle to his lips. “I know we don’t have him yet, but we’re so close. Have you called the feds yet to tell them to stay home?”
Lionel laughed. “Not yet. We need to have him locked up before I can make that call. But you’re right. With his picture all over the television, it won’t be long. Someone knows him and they’ll turn him in.”
“I just wish we had gotten to Stephanie Price in time,” Shawn said.
Images of the crime scene from that morning ran through Lionel’s head. She had been tortured the same as the others, with a new letter carved into her thigh before she died. The new letter nixed the idea that the killer was communicating with Lionel by spelling his last name. “Hear me em,” stumped all of the detectives working on the case.
Stephanie had a few knife wounds to her face, but not nearly as bad as what Jillian Waters went through. The change in the mutilation reinforced their theory that he was taking residual anger out on Jillian from when she hit him with her car and ran away from the scene.
“At least there shouldn’t be any other women,” Shawn said, “not with his picture circulating the media outlets. I bet the tip line is ringing off the hook tonight. I’m just glad we can take an evening off, because you know tomorrow is going to be busy.”
“Don’t say that,” Lionel said. “You’ll curse us into working tonight.”
“Not before I eat dinner. It smells delicious.”
“It better be. I think it’s been cooking all day.” He got up from his recliner and ambled into the kitchen.
Barbara paced between the refrigerator and the oven. As soon as she saw him, she paused in front of the oven and grabbed an oven mitt.
“When can two hard-working men expect to get a hearty meal tonight?” he asked.
She opened the oven door and peered inside. “You know I can’t take the brisket out too early,” she said. “It needs to fall apart and melt in your mouth to be any good.” She closed the oven door and tugged off the oven mitt.