“Do you really think O’Reilly knows it’s Webber, and that’s scaring her off?” Mitchell asks as we drive to the station to talk to her.
“I don’t know. It’s possible. It was his case that ruined her career.”
“She probably didn’t even put up a fight when the chief said he was transferring her. She could think she’s going crazy seeing Robert Webber’s ghost here in the form of this case.”
She very well might not trust herself right now. Or she’s so afraid of Webber that she’s running scared. I won’t know until I talk to her.
“You know what this means, right?” Mitchell asks.
“You’re thinking it’s not a coincidence that both Detective O’Reilly and Robert Webber are in Weltunkin at the same time.”
“Not at all. Add in that the body was dumped at the police station where O’Reilly could have found it, and I think we’ve got a murderer looking to go another round with the cop who tried to convict him.”
“But he got away with it. He should have lived his life in peace and basked in his victory. Instead, he’s taunting her.”
“Because he doesn’t think she can catch him.”
“Or he found out about me. He probably thinks O’Reilly will never trust a psychic again, which is entirely true, and so he committed the crime here knowing she wouldn’t risk what was left of her reputation by following a psychic to him again.”
I know I’m right about this without the use of my senses, but they confirm it anyway. I have chills all over my body.
Detective O’Reilly isn’t at the station. Her desk is completely neat and free of paperwork. She either cleaned out everything already, or Chief Johansen isn’t giving her any new work.
“Hey, Brennan, Piper,” Officer Lewalski says. “I haven’t seen you two in a while.”
“I heard they’ve been sticking you in IT more,” Mitchell says.
“Yeah, I miss being a sketch artist, though I have to say no one has ever described a suspect as well as Piper. The details she gave me made it seem like I was drawing someone from a photograph.”
“Thanks,” I say. I’ve always liked working with Officer Lewalski. He rarely goes out into the field, though. Usually only when they’re shorthanded due to too many open cases. Otherwise, he handles sketching suspects, running background checks, and finding anything you’d need a computer for.
“You haven’t seen Detective O’Reilly by any chance, have you?” Mitchell asks.
Officer Lewalski looks around. “I heard she’s being transferred. Gilbert told me O’Reilly left in a hurry about an hour ago. I think she’s embarrassed. I feel bad for her.”
I do, too. Despite everything I’ve been through with the woman, I do feel bad that this one case she couldn’t resolve has taken such a toll not only on her career but on her as a person. I look at Mitchell. “Do you know her home address?”
“I do,” Officer Lewalski says. “Or at least, I know how to get it. I’m mostly a behind-the-computer guy now, remember?”
“Would you mind getting it for us?” Mitchell asks.
“Not at all, but in case she asks, I wasn’t the one who gave it to you.”
I’m hearing that a lot today. “No problem,” I tell him.
We wait while Officer Lewalski goes to his desk. He scribbles something onto a sticky note and then hands it to Mitchell. “There you go.”
“Thanks, Lewalski,” Mitchell says. “Piper, are you ready?”
I nod. I spend the ride thinking about how I might react to this case if I were Detective O’Reilly. It’s hard to do because I know my visions wouldn’t be wrong. She, on the other hand, has it ingrained in her to not trust anything that comes to me psychically.
“You’re squeezing your knees.” Mitchell gestures to the vice-like grip I have on both my knees.
I release my hands. “I’m trying to figure out how O’Reilly feels.”
“Oh. Well, that’s a good place to start.”
For a normal human being, sure. But I’m not normal by any means.
“What have you come up with? I’m guessing angry is an option because you looked ready to strangle someone. Or rather, you were strangling your own knees. Are you sure you aren’t channeling the killer?”
“Robert Webber isn’t the angry killer type. He’s calm.”
“Oh, so like those horror movies where the killer slowly walks while his prey runs. I always found that more intimidating. It’s like he knows he’s going to win, and he’s mocking them by drawing out the chase.”
Mocking.
“Mocking what?”
“You know, like mocking the fact that the victim thinks they can get away.”
I raise a hand to stop him. He’s used to having to explain things to me, so it’s not unusual for him to think that’s what I was asking him to do. “My senses repeated the word ‘mocking,’ and there’s no way they were chiming in about horror movies.”
“So you think Webber is mocking O’Reilly? Did he come back here specifically for that purpose?”
“It certainly seems so.” At first, I thought it was a case of Webber believing O’Reilly can’t catch him, but now that my senses are picking up on the idea of him mocking someone or something, it has to be O’Reilly. He’s messing with her. The question is how long has he been here watching her?
Mitchell pulls up to O’Reilly’s house and parks in the driveway. “This is it.”
The house is modest in size. Nothing very impressive, but it’s neat. It’s pretty much what I would have expected from a police detective married to her work. We walk up to the front door and knock, but before Mitchell even gets the chance to lower his arm to his side, the door swings wide open.
“This is highly unprofessional,” Detective O’Reilly says.
“Sorry, but we need to talk to you right away,” I say.
She takes a deep breath. “Look. My days are numbered. Can’t you let me ride them out in peace?”
I pull the pocket watch from my back pocket. “No. Not when we all know this belongs to Robert Webber. You recognized it immediately, and it scared you. I don’t blame you for that.”
“The only thing I’ll admit to is thinking it looks like Webber’s watch. That’s it. I’m sure plenty of people have that exact pocket watch.”
“You yourself said people don’t carry these around anymore. What are the odds the same one would turn up on two murder cases that both ended in a twenty-year-old woman being strangled?”
She narrows her eyes, and her jaw clenches. “You’ve been digging into the case.”
“We had no choice. There are too many similarities, but I don’t have to tell you that.”
“It’s a small world. Coincidences and similarities are everywhere. Now if you’ll excuse me.” She starts to shut the door.
“He left the body in the dumpster for you to find,” I say.
The door stops, and it remains ajar.
“Please just hear us out,” I say. “You’re not going to have to deal with me for much longer.”
She scoffs, but the door opens again. “I think we’re both happy about that.”
I shake my head. “You’re a good detective. This might be your chance to prove that to the world.”
“I can’t.” She shakes her head. “You’re wrong about this case.”
“Why are you so insistent that it’s not Webber?” Mitchell asks, his tone full of annoyance.
I stare into O’Reilly’s eyes. She’s scared. “Please tell us.”
Detective O’Reilly lets out a deep breath. “You’ve seen it before, Brennan. Cops who get so obsessed with a killer they can’t catch that they try to blame the guy for every crime committed. I’m not going to let Robert Webber make me look like a delusional detective. Not ever again.” She clenches her jaw, and I can tell she’s fighting back tears.
“I know you don’t believe in my abilities, but please believe that I’ve been pulling for you ever since you got to Weltunkin. I wouldn’t lead you down this path if I wasn’t one hundred percent certain Robert Webber is the person we’re searching for. I’m not saying we can’t solve this case without you. I’m saying I think you need to be part of the team that arrests Robert Webber. Show everyone you weren’t wrong.” I always thought my desire to keep her with the WPD, even when the chief wanted to transfer her, was because she saved my life. But now I know I had to keep her here for this. She and I need to solve this murder and bring Robert Webber to justice together.
“It’s too late, Piper. I’m gone within a week. I don’t plan to spend that time chasing ghosts.”
Whistle.
I’m about to ask Detective O’Reilly about the whistling when I start whistling instead.
Mitchell narrows his eyes at me in confusion, but Detective O’Reilly pales.
“Stop it!” she yells. “That’s just cruel, Piper.”
“What was I whistling?” I ask, knowing it sounded oddly familiar.
“It’s ‘Whistle While You Work’ from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves,” Mitchell says. “That’s the whistling you heard in Hope’s apartment?”
I nod.
“Clearly you’ve done your research. What is this? Are you trying to mock me one last time?” Detective O’Reilly’s tone is full of hurt, confusion, and something else. Fear.
“I wouldn’t do that. You’ve saved my life.” I almost expect Mitchell to chime in and say O’Reilly was the one who put my life in danger in the first place, but he remains quiet. “I think I’m supposed to save yours now.”
“This is about guilt?” she asks. “Because if that’s the case, you don’t owe me anything. I was doing my job, and your partner will tell you it was my screwup that put you in harm’s way to begin with.”
“I would say that. Piper has defended you over and over from the start, and frankly, I don’t understand why,” Mitchell says. “What I do know is you’d be stupid to turn her away now. Don’t let your pride stop you from seeing the facts right in front of your face.”
She laughs and crosses her arms. “What facts? Robert Webber doesn’t leave clues behind. If this is him again, you’re not going to catch him.”
“You’re wrong about that. We will catch him. We already have his watch.”
The watch. I look down at it and then hold it out to Detective O’Reilly. “That’s it. He left this on purpose. For you. He wants you to try to stop him. He’s challenging you.”
“That’s absurd.”
“You don’t believe that,” I say. “You know I’m right, and it’s scaring you.”
“Stop…” She inhales sharply.
“Stop what? Reading your emotions? Are you acknowledging that’s one of the things I can do?”
“I’ve always given you credit for being perceptive, Piper. Don’t act like I haven’t.”
That’s true, but this is different. “You do believe in psychic abilities. You just resent them.”
Detective O’Reilly’s eyes fill with tears, which she tries to blink back.
“You resented Leo Padavano because he did what you couldn’t.”
“I get that,” Mitchell says, softening his tone. “I don’t resent Piper, but I do wish I had her abilities. It would make our jobs easier. That’s why I wanted to work with Piper from the start. I knew how much the WPD could benefit from what she does. Do I hate sitting on the sidelines and watching, feeling totally useless at times? Of course.”
“Mitchell.” I place a hand on his shoulder.
“You know it’s true, Piper.” He meets Detective O’Reilly’s gaze. “I hate that part. But I don’t begrudge Piper for being able to see what I can’t. I need her.”
“And I couldn’t convict a single criminal without Mitchell,” I say. “No badge.”
Mitchell smirks. “That was Piper’s attempt at a joke by the way,” he tells Detective O’Reilly.
“This is all very touching and everything, but I don’t understand why you’re here.”
“We want your help,” I tell her. “You know Robert Webber better than we do.” She probably knows him better than anyone because she’s been obsessing over him for a while now.
She’s quiet for a moment, and I get my hopes up that she’s having a change of heart. But then her emotions change like a flick of a switch. Her grip on the door tightens. “Robert Webber got away with murder in large part because of me. I’m the last person you should be asking for help.”
A car pulls up to the house, and a man steps out. Detective O’Reilly looks like she’s seeing a ghost.
“Did you call him?” Detective O’Reilly asks us.
Before we can respond, the man walks up the driveway to us. “Detective O’Reilly, long time no see.”
“Mr. Padavano, I was hoping to never see you again in my lifetime.”
The fact that Leo Padavano is in Weltunkin solidifies what I already knew. Robert Webber came to Weltunkin to make a mockery out of Detective O’Reilly.