Adam Brandt looked up, as the door swung open. He’d been waiting in the relatives’ room for half an hour, his nerves increasing minute on minute, but finally they were here. Rising from the battered sofa, he hurried over.
‘Hi, Kassie. I’m Dr Brandt, we met yesterday.’
The teenager nodded, but didn’t look up at him. She appeared cowed by her surroundings, a little scared even.
‘And you must be Mrs Wojcek,’ he continued, turning his attention to her mother. ‘I’m a forensic psychologist assisting the Chicago poli—’
‘I know who you are.’
It was hard to tell who her hostility was aimed at. Him? The police? Her daughter? Possibly all three.
‘Let’s sit down, shall we? I’ve got coffee, water, cookies …’
He ushered them towards the faded green sofa and coffee table which dominated the room. He had taken the call from Detective Grey an hour ago, just as he was saying goodbye to his last client. Grey sounded agitated, explaining that a teenage girl Adam had interviewed yesterday was now the prime suspect in a murder case, having been seen by police officers as she was confronting the victim shortly before his death. She’d asked if Adam could attend CPD headquarters asap, and Adam had agreed to help out, but he’d made it clear that he wanted to meet Kassie and her mother in the relatives’ room, which was less austere, less intimidating than the interrogation suite.
‘Now, I know you’ve already had a long chat with Detective Grey …’ Refreshments had been declined, and Adam got straight to the point. ‘… So I won’t keep you long. But I would like to unpack a couple of things you mentioned to Detective Grey during the course of your questioning.’
Still Kassie didn’t look up, but the narrowing of Natalia Wojcek’s expression was unmistakable.
‘I believe you told the detective that you visited Mr Jones’s house this morning.’
Kassie nodded.
‘How did you know where he lived?’
‘I saw his name and address on the paperwork when I was being booked yesterday. The desk sergeant wanted me to know that this guy worked in law enforcement, that I was in deep shit.’
‘And why did you go there? Can you tell me that?’
‘We’ve been through this already,’ Kassie’s mom interjected impatiently.
‘I understand your frustration,’ Adam replied. ‘But it’s really important, so, please …’
He turned his gaze to Kassie. The teenage girl took a deep breath, then mumbled:
‘I wanted to see if he was ok.’
‘You thought he might have come to some harm?’
‘Yes.’
‘What did you think might have happened to him?’
‘For God’s sake, we’ve just been through this charade. Why must you make us do it again?’
All pretence at politeness was now gone.
‘We need to get home,’ Mrs Wojcek continued urgently. ‘Kassie has homework to do. All this disruption, all these questions, they only make things –’
‘I wonder whether it might be better if you waited outside, Mrs Wojcek?’ Adam replied, politely but firmly. ‘If that’s ok with Kassie, of course?’
He turned to Kassie. Her mother did likewise, just in time to see her daughter give a small nod.
‘Kassandra …’
‘I’m fine,’ her daughter whispered back, her voice shaking a little.
A look of shock, then angry resignation passed over the middle-aged woman’s face, then she rose stiffly and walked to the door. Adam waited until she’d departed before turning to Kassie once more.
‘In your own words, Kassie, tell me what you were concerned about.’
Another long pause. Still the teenager refused to look at him – Adam was reminded of her reaction to him on their first meeting.
‘Kassie?’ he prompted gently.
‘I was worried,’ she replied, haltingly, ‘… that he’d been attacked. Killed …’
‘I see. And why did you think that?’
Again, the teenager paused.
‘You told me before that you didn’t know Jacob,’ Adam offered. ‘So, had someone said something to you? Had you heard about some threat to him?’
‘I saw it.’
‘Saw what?’
‘His death.’
Now it was Adam’s turn to hesitate, Kassie’s answer taking him completely by surprise. Was this the start of a confession? Was this slight teenager somehow involved in this man’s murder? Adam’s heart was beating fast now, but he kept his voice as calm as he could, as he replied:
‘When I bumped into him on North Michigan Avenue,’ she replied, as if this was obvious.
‘I’m sorry, I don’t understand. He was fine when you left him there, so how could you have –’
‘I can see death … before it happens.’
Adam remained silent, wondering if he’d misheard. But Kassie showed no inclination to elaborate.
‘I’m sorry, you say that you can …?’
‘I look at someone,’ Kassie continued quickly, ‘and I see how their life will end. When it will end …’
Adam stared at her for a moment, before he eventually replied:
‘And this happened with Jacob Jones?’
Kassie nodded, staring at the floor as she continued:
‘I looked into his eyes and I saw it.’
‘Describe it to me,’ Adam responded calmly.
‘It was a rush of images, of feelings. A terrible coldness at first, then the most awful pain …’
Her hand drifted up to her throat, but she seemed not to notice.
‘And then this … this horrible, suffocating fear – like he knew he was about to die – and then … nothing.’
Kassie shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself. It was almost as if she had been the one suffering, such was the effect of her testimony on her.
‘And that’s why you went after him?’
‘Yes.’
She gasped the word gratefully through her distress, as if relieved that finally somebody understood.
‘That’s why I followed him. I needed to warn him …’ She gulped, drawing breath, before concluding: ‘… that he only had hours left to live.’