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Darby
Genova had sat back in a chair, kicked off her shoes, and made a tea when I got back to Observation. She glanced at me when Mark and I came in. “Got any pain injections?”
“That bad, huh?” I said.
“You try anchoring a stronger empath than yourself and see how it goes.” She rubbed at her forehead. “I can see why Brandon didn’t want me doing this. He wanted to wait, to call in someone from Des Moines.”
“You’re still linked, right?” Mark asked.
She nodded then gulped her tea until it was gone.
“Let me get you another,” I offered.
She shook her head. “No, I need water, and for this to end.”
I turned my attention to the glass. “They got anything useful?”
“Some. He’s still claiming he doesn’t know where Winifred’s at, but he’s admitted to lending her his car Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday. It came back yesterday morning with about 280 more kilometers on it.”
“That’d be about right to get out to Rick’s place.”
Genova nodded solemnly. “You nearly had her, didn’t you.”
Not a question, and not an accusatory statement.
“Yeah. Don’t know where she slipped past us. But she did.”
Genova sighed.
Beyond the glass, things were tense. Sweat had broken out on Brandon’s face, probably from the connection with Genova. William’s hair was in shambles, not anywhere close to the perfectly coiffed man I’d gone out with the night before. And though Captain Moustakas had years of experience, even he seemed to be flagging. It could have been age, though, and not so much lack of endurance.
“If you tell us where Winifred Labbee is,” the captain said, “we may be able to get the D.A. to cut you a deal. Especially if you testify against her.”
Young leered. “You think I’ll tell you where she is? That I’d let Shaw cut her life short? You’re sorely mistaken.”
Moustakas’s eyebrow twitched. The empaths probably could read him and knew he was upset, but for me, that’s the only way I could tell. That and a firm set to his jaw. “If we can bring her in, and you’ll testify against her, I’ll make sure we don’t prosecute you for conspiracy and accessory. But you have to tell us where she is.”
“So you can murder her? That’s exactly what Detective Shaw will do.”
I shook my head. How could he think that?
Young flicked his gaze to the mirror. He’d sensed me—again—and was now focused on pushing into my head.
I grunted at the sudden attack, stumbled back.
“Take my hand,” Genova demanded.
I grappled for it and found not only Genova but Mark anchoring me.
When we connected, Genova lent me her strength to withstand the attack.
Even though it cost her.
I gritted my teeth as Genova, and to some degree, Mark helped me put up mental blocks against the barrage trying to get in my head. Young was powerful, and I was untrained, but with Genova helping me keep the walls in my head up, and Mark lending me strength and healing, we were able to thwart him. It didn’t necessarily hurt, but I could feel him trying to influence my thoughts. He wanted me in that room, and he wanted to cause me pain again. And he was attempting to force me to want to be in there.
When Young gave up on his attack, I was breathing hard, but not nearly so hard as Genova. She’d gone desperately pale, her hand at her chest.
“You’re done, Genny. Tell Brandon the interrogation is over.”
“I can keep going.”
“No, you’re done. I’m pulling you out. You have to stop.”
“You’re one to talk,” she smiled. But she looked relieved.
Behind me, Moustakas said, “Well we’re going to let you stew in holding. Just know if we pick up Winifred before you talk, you’ll be charged to the fullest extent of the law.”
I ignored the commotion, pressing a bottle of water into Genny’s hand. “Drink, sweetie.”
She did, gratefully gulping. “I’ve got to get away from him. So do you.”
I turned. Two officers had arrived with control sticks. The sticks looped around Young’s neck and were longer than his arms’ length. It would keep him from touching them and enabling a mental interface.
Good. They were taking precautions.
I hoped it was enough.
As soon as he was dragged away, Brandon and Moustakas came into the Observation room. Brandon hobbled over next to Genova where he took her hand.
Quietly, I turned to Mark, and said, “Thanks.”
He lifted his chin in silent acknowledgment. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to grab a cab and head home to get ready for tonight. Can you handle things here?”
I nodded, and glanced between him and Genny. “Are you sure? We can’t need to be here much longer.”
“Yeah, I am. Finish up. I’ve got faith in you.”
I smiled up at him, and my heart warmed a little.
He grinned back. “If you guys do track down Winifred, don’t make me miss the collar.”
I chuckled. “I’ll call you. See you in a while.”
I watched him stride off, then went out where I could still see my friend and talked with the captain.
“Young knew all our tricks. We didn’t get hardly anything out of him,” Brandon was saying.
“I had to guess. He’s worked with Bendex for a while. He’s probably been in on countless interviews, and taken courses on interrogation techniques,” Genova said.
Moustakas nodded. “I want to talk to Mr. Fischer once he’s certain Ms. Murphie is all right. He may have picked up on more than I was able to.”
I shifted my gaze to Genova. Her color had improved, and though still pale, she seemed to be getting back to herself. “I’m nearly certain he did.”
Moustakas nodded again. “All right, let’s get this party upstairs. I for one have had enough of interrogation.”
Brandon and Genova followed us up, though they took the lifts, and we took the stairs. Once we all had drinks, and Genova had begged an analgesic off us, we sat down in Moustakas’s visitor’s area, the boss leaning up against his desk while Genny and Brandon took his chairs.
I looked to Brandon. “You were linked for a long time. Did you get anything out of Young besides what he verbally said?”
“I wish I could say yes, but he is a very strong empath. I’m stronger, mind you, especially with Genova anchoring me, but he gave me little to work with. Whoever trained him gave him great instruction on how to build walls in the brain. He knew I was probing him, and every time I’d make headway, he’d put up a barrier.”
I frowned. “So, nothing then?”
“I wouldn’t say nothing,” Genova said, looking to Brandon. “The flashes I saw showed he knew Winifred was still planning to go after someone else.”
“Who?” My heart kicked into high gear.
Genny shook her head. “I never got that far. As Brandon said, he’d erect a wall before we could dig deeper.”
I frowned and stared at a philodendron Moustakas had sitting underneath a window. It went up a trellis of about two feet tall, then drooped back down toward the floor.
My mind raced over the possible victims. Had anyone at the DSHA known about Winifred besides Prairie?
Had Prairie told Ian?
Had Rick told anyone besides Amanda?
“Genny? The task force you and Rick brought to our attention Wednesday? Who all knew about it?”
She glanced at Brandon, who silently gimped out and slid the door closed behind himself.
When the door was secured, she dropped her voice. “There were ten of us from the central states. Rick and me and the president of our chapter of the SHS. Prairie, obviously. Then the rest of the members were scattered around the Midwest. One each in Des Moines, Oklahoma City, and Indianapolis. Two in the Twin Cities area.”
I breathed a small sigh of relief. Des Moines was a solid three hours away, and the closest. OKC would be further, Minneapolis and Indianapolis even further. “Call them. Tell them to get out until we have Winifred, just to be on the safe side. Did they know about Winifred?”
“I didn’t even know about her, and almost everything ran through me.”
“Why? You’re a lobbyist.”
She shrugged. “It’s complicated.”
“I guess,” I said. “Okay, well I want those people out of reach of Winifred as a precaution. The sooner she’s off the streets, the better, but I also need to know what her powers are!”
I stalked away to the window and stared out. My boss and my best friend followed and gazed out.
“She’s out there, somewhere,” I said. “And who knows who she’ll go after next.”
Moustakas grunted; Genova patted my back.
“I was getting glimmers about her through Brandon,” Genny said at length. “I couldn’t quite latch onto it. Like he said, Young’s a very strong empath.”
“Any hints? He’s got to know.”
“I know he does,” she said. “He wouldn’t let either of us in enough to see.”
I blew out a breath and stared out at the city for a long minute. Turning to Genny, I said, “You’d better head out. I think we’ve done about as much as we can today.”
“You sure?” she asked, glancing behind me toward Captain Moustakas.
I nodded. “Thanks for helping out today.”
“My pleasure.” Silently, she said, We’re going to talk later. Something’s up, and I want to know what.
I grimaced. Of course. I leaned forward and gave her a hug, then she shook the captain’s hand and turned to leave.
Once she was gone, I shifted back to the captain.
“Are you planning to take your own advice, Shaw?” he asked, hands clasped behind his back.
“I should check and see if the lab rats are still around, see if they’ve got anything new for me.”
“I’m sure if they did, they’d have called you with a report.” He put his meaty hand on my shoulder. “I’ll let you check your e-mail, but nothing more. Get out of here. Clear your head. You’ve had a very bad time these last few days.”
“But Prairie Rasmussen...”
“You can’t do anything unless we have Winifred Labbee.” He smiled ruefully. “Maybe we’ll get lucky again, and one of our patrol officers will spot her.”
I looked back out over the city. This side of the building was angled slightly to the north, enough that on a clear day or night, one could see the outline of the downtown towers and curiosities. “It’ll be getting dark soon. She’ll stay in the shadows. At least, if I were her, that’s what I’d do.”
He nodded. “Probably. But it doesn’t mean we lose hope, you especially, right?”
I continued to stare bleakly out at the city I’d sworn to protect. A clock ticked in my head, ticking down how long Prairie might have. It could already be too late.
The thought made me sick. I’d been so close to Labbee. I should have grabbed her.
But I’d been scared.
“Shaw?”
“Hmm?” I looked at him, clearing the depressive thoughts from my head.
“You okay?”
I nodded. “I think so, sir. Just...”
“I recognize that look. I’ve felt the same thing on cases that seemed impossible. Take a word of advice: you can’t let them get to you. You win some, you lose some. It’s part of the territory.”
I bobbed my head.
“Don’t stay here too long,” he said.
“I won’t, sir.” I turned to leave.
“Hey, kid.”
I swiveled.
“It’s Stan at Mark’s place. Got it?”
I nodded.
“I mean it, okay?” He pointed a finger.
“Sure, sir.”