Part 32 (1/2)
”d.a.m.n it, she's fixing to try to go under again,” Jazzy shouted.
Dallas grabbed Genny and shook her gently. He called her name repeatedly. She didn't reply. Then he tried to talk to her telepathically, but she wouldn't respond. She shut him out.
Genny knew it would be more difficult to locate Esther staying here in one spot. Not being mobile, she would be unable to feel her way closer and closer to where the killer was keeping his next victim. It would be more difficult, but she could locate Esther without leaving the hospital. It was the only way to save the woman's life.
Genny focused her thoughts on Esther. Every fiber of her being concentrated on locating the woman. Darkness swirled and parted, leaving cool gray shadows. Where are you Esther? Where are you?
No response.
Genny kept trying to make the connection. The power within her struggled to renew itself, but she soon comprehended the fact that her power was depleted. Being physically wounded, undergoing surgery, and then using her sight to connect to the killer tonight had rendered her psychic powers temporarily inert.
Emotion lodged in her throat. Tears trickled from her eyes. She reached up and wiped the moisture from her cheeks.
”She's crying,” Jazzy said.
”Genny?” Dallas brushed his hand across her damp cheek.
She opened her eyes and looked at him with her blurred vision. ”Tell Jacob about Esther. And tell him that I can't help him. I'm much too weak to...” Her voice trailed off. Weariness overpowered her.
”Thank G.o.d.” Jazzy looked at Dallas. ”Call Jacob, then go meet up with him and see what y'all can do to find Esther Stowe. I'll stay here with Genny.”
”She'll be all right, won't she?”
Jazzy nodded. ”After a good night's sleep, she should be fine.”
When Genny realized Dallas was leaving, she tried to call out to him, but she couldn't even open her mouth. Her eyelids grew heavy and suddenly closed of their own volition.
Sleep claimed her for the night.
Chapter 26.
Dallas appreciated the fact that Jacob had no qualms about letting him take part in his questioning of the three suspects that topped their list: Carson, Pierpont, and Upton. If just one of the three came up missing tonight, they would be able to narrow that list down to one suspect. And if all three were accounted for, then that meant one of two things-either the killer had Esther hidden away and he would return to her before morning or someone other than one of those three was the killer. If the latter was the case, then G.o.d help them, they'd be starting from scratch.
Dallas stood at Jacob's side when he rang the doorbell at the Upton mansion. The housekeeper came to the door in her robe and slippers.
When she recognized Jacob, she gasped. ”Lord have mercy, what's wrong, Sheriff Butler?”
”Nothing's wrong, Dori,” Jacob replied. ”At least we hope not. But we need to see Mr. Jamie. Would you please tell him the sheriff needs a word with him.”
”Land's sakes, do you know what time it is?” She gave Jacob a stern glare.
”It's not much after ten,” Jacob told her.
”I'm not even sure Mr. Jamie is here. He's out and about so much since he came home. But I'll go see, so y'all might as well come on in. You can wait right in here, in the foyer.”
Jacob removed his Stetson when he entered the house. ”Thanks.”
Before Dori reached the stairs, Big Jim Upton emerged from his study. ”What the h.e.l.l's going on?” He glanced from Jacob to Dallas. ”Hold up, Dori.”
The housekeeper stopped immediately.
”You go on back to bed,” Jim said. ”I'll speak to Sheriff Butler.”
”We need to see Jamie,” Jacob said.
”The boy's under the weather,” Jim replied. ”Think he might have a touch of food poisoning.”
”Sorry to hear that, but all I need to do is see him for a couple of minutes.”
”About what?”
Jacob huffed.
Dallas wondered what the odds were of their finding out if Jamie Upton was actually upstairs resting after a bout of vomiting and diarrhea, or if he was, as Dori had put it, out and about.
”We've got another woman missing,” Jacob explained. ”If Jamie's here, then we'll know he probably wasn't the one who abducted her.”
Jim Upton narrowed his gaze and glowered at Jacob. ”Come on. You can look in on him, but that's all. Not one d.a.m.n word. Do you hear me? You hara.s.s that boy while he's sick and I'll press charges against you for police brutality.”
Five minutes later, Jacob and Dallas got back in Jacob's truck and headed toward Dillon Carson's apartment.
”Well, if Jamie Upton wasn't sick, he deserves an Academy Award for his performance,” Dallas said.
”He could still be the one. He could have kidnapped Esther Stowe earlier, stashed her somewhere, then gotten sick.”
”Anything is possible.”
Heading straight for town, Jacob pressed his foot on the accelerator and the truck sped along the practically deserted road. When they arrived in Cherokee Pointe, they drove directly to Dillon Carson's place. Jacob whipped into the parking area of the apartment building where Carson lived, then killed the motor and got out. Dallas followed him upstairs and down a dimly lit corridor, right to their next suspect's front door.
Jacob rang the bell. No response. He rang it again. They waited. Nothing. Dallas looked at Jacob, who shook his head.
”He could be at Jazzy's Joint,” Jacob said. ”I think he's there nearly every night.”
”Want me to call over there and find out?” Dallas asked.
Jacob punched the doorbell again. ”Yeah, might as well. Apparently he's not here.”
Just as they started to leave, the door swung open and a half-naked woman, wearing nothing but a sheer teddy that left nothing to the imagination, said, ”What y'all want?” Her words were slightly slurred, and a rather dazed expression flattened her broad, full face.
Both Jacob and Dallas tried not to look at her large b.r.e.a.s.t.s or the black triangle of curly hair between her thighs. Practically simultaneously, they both swallowed, then cleared their throats. Obviously drunk, the big-b.o.o.bed brunette swayed back and forth in the doorway.
”We're here to see Dillon Carson,” Jacob told her.
”He's busy.” Giggling, she put a finger to her lips. ”Busy sleeping. I wore the poor guy out.”
”Then he's here, in his bedroom?”