Part 6 (2/2)

”That Kung Pao chicken that Mister Jamie asked for. I make with no veggie. Some people don't like. That Moo Goo Gai Pan, Missy Dane favorite. I make extra sauce to cover rice.

Vegetables are on side, but I make lots. Need to keep strength up. Some don't like rice, but I have no time to make noodles so these bought. They be okay, but not fresh. Missy Dane like noodle with snap pea and she like almond cookies. I make them next time.” The dinner was great. And as soon as it was over, Captain Tucker, Spencer, Devin, and Dane met in the study. Dane was nervous and Jamie knew that he would be as well if it were him.

*CHAPTER 12*.

Dane sat in one of the chairs. Jamie had told her that he wanted to talk to Byron, but he would be in shortly. She did not want to be here, but she knew that they had questions and she was the only one who could answer them.

”Mrs. Wallace, I know that you-”

”I'm sorry, Captain Tucker. I'm Doctor Danish Messenger Wallace. If you want to call me anything, please call me Dane. I'm no longer married, and only use the Wallace part when I'm trying to keep my personal life separate from my business one. And after today, I'm pretty sure you understand why I like to remain as far away as possible when it comes to the media and the police.”

”Yes, ma'am. O'Malley explained to me that you're a tad unique. She said to tell you if I f.u.c.ked this up-pardon, ma'am, her words not mine, that she'd kick my...well, O'Malley has a colorful vocabulary when it suits her. She didn't explain too much, only said you'd tell me something that I might find hard to believe, but that you were trustworthy.”

”I don't trust anyone much, especially those I just met. You be honest with me and I'll be honest with you. I'm not going to go into detail that you don't need, but I've had problems with the police before in the States. I've only just moved back here since my grandmother died and I was trying to make a fresh start. I've been followed before, not so much in China, but a few times I've come back to visit. The hit today was a surprise. I'm not sure what I can help you with concerning it.”

”Do you think that you were the target at the Quad? I mean, in light of what happened today, could you instead of Jamie have been the one they were been after in the first place?” Tucker pulled out his note pad as he asked.

Dane looked around the room. Two men she barely knew and she did not know if she could trust them. Devin hadn't done anything but be honest with her and Captain Tucker didn't seem to have any ill will toward her, but who knew what he would tell her just to make a quick buck. She got up to pace the room and that's when Jamie walked in.

”Captain Tucker, before I answer that may I ask you a question? And I'll know if you're lying to me. The little boy who was killed by his mother, where do the police think you got that information? I know that Mr. Grant here told you that I'm the source, but what do your men know?”

”All right. I can see where you're going. My men don't give two rats' a.s.ses where the information came from. We got his killer and we were able to bury him. Not many times can we say that when it comes to kids nowadays. I told them we had a tip, it paid off, and we're happy.

You tell me how you knew, well, missy, I'm gonna believe you the best I can. If you're asking me if I'll tell anyone, then nope. You play in my sandbox.” He winked at her. ”And so long as the cat don't p.i.s.s in it, we'll be all right together. Pardon my language.” Dane couldn't help it, she burst out laughing. She thought it was the wink, but it could also have been the sandbox story. She decided she liked this man.

”I'm a telepath and an empath. I can't read thoughts like they show you on the television, but I can get images, scents, and sometimes little snippets of movielike information. It's not always enough, but it helps me narrow things down. The other night when you came to the apartment, I'd been searching for the missing boys. Though the boy had never worn it, his mother had touched the s.h.i.+rt. From there I was able to see what she had done.”

”Just from touching the s.h.i.+rt?” Spencer asked her.

”I'm a clairvoyant too. I can touch things that have been touched with a great deal of emotion tied to them. For example, this picture.” Dane tipped the picture over to its face, but didn't look at it. ”I know that a man put this in the frame. He had a cut on his index finger that was hurting him at the time and he was angry at his child. No, not at the child but for it-a male.

They had been...playing with paper, an airplane, and his son had been hurt. A tree, the plane is there. And a trip to the hospital, and there is pride there as well.” Devin walked over and picked up the framed picture Dane had turned over and looked at it.

His smile was radiant. He turned to the policeman.

”It's the day Byron fell from the apple tree getting the paper plane Dad and he had made together. Mom has never let him forget that he walked to the hospital when he'd fallen rather than come home so she could take him. Dad had tried to be stern with Byron, but he couldn't be.

He told him that a real man knows when the shortest distances between needing your mom and knowing to get help is pride. Dad had been very proud of Byr that day.”

”I know that James was the intended target that day because I can't read me. Whenever anything happens to me, it's just as much a surprise to me as it is to anyone else.” She sat down as she continued. ”I'd had dreams about James and he was supposed to die that night. He was going to be stabbed to death and bleed out before anyone found him the next morning. I don't remember touching those men, or James, but at some point, I had. I had to save him and it was within my power to do so.”

Devin handed her the picture and their fingers touched. She jerked back and the picture would have fallen to the floor, but he grabbed for it and caught it. When she stood back up and Devin looked at her, Dane looked at Jamie.

”It was him. They weren't looking for you to die, but Devin. The connection is there. They were looking for your brother.”

”Dane, sit down. Tell me what you're talking about. Who wants Devin to die and why?” Jamie pushed her into the chair that Devin had been in and the connection to him got stronger.

”You know the man who attacked Jamie,” she said to Devin. ”He thought he was after someone else. I didn't understand then, but now that I feel the similarities, I know that they were after you and not Jamie. You know the man who was there.”

”Do you know who he is? Or something we can use to get him? I don't know anyone who would want to kill me. Well, my wife most days, but I don't think she'd have me killed over not picking up milk on the way home from work.” The laugh was forced.

Dane could feel Devin's nervousness. He was tense and trying to make light of it. She was also surprised at the ease in which he believed her. Dane decided that she'd repay him by helping.

”No, I don't know anything. I can...if you'll trust me, I'll help you sort it out and find him. I won't hurt you, but it will tire you out. But you'd have to trust me.” She wanted to say no, but she really wanted to help.

”Tell me what you need. I don't want anyone else in my family to be hurt because of me.

Just tell me what you need and I'll do it.” Jamie smiled at her encouragingly as Devin finished speaking.

”Just like that. You're going to let me do whatever I need just like that. Why? I mean, how can you know that I won't hurt you, won't harm you in anyway?”

”Because I believe in you and your abilities, more so now than ever. If you say you won't hurt me, then I know you won't. Tell me what you want me to do.” Still shocked, she had him sit in the chair and relax. Dane looked over at the policeman and Jamie. Nerves made her shaky.

”I'm going to read your mind, all of it. When I find the man in your memories, I'll slow them down and let you look at him. If you have any more memories than just his face there, we can dig into those as well. It will exhaust you, but you'll know who he is and the connection to you. Understand?”

”Yes. But how will you feel when this is over? Will you be like you were before, comatose and out of it? I don't want you hurt either. If you can just show me who he is, then that'll be fine.”

”I'll need to sleep. I'll...Pi will take care of me. She understands this more than...Just have her take me home and I'll be fine. All right?” She walked behind him and waited. No one said anything so Dane closed her eyes and put her fingers on Devin's head.

Jamie was not sure what to expect. She simply put her hands on Devin's head and closed her eyes. He kept a close eye on both of them, watching for either of them to be in pain or distress.

Devin kept his hands tight on the arms of the chair and a couple of times started to raise them, but Dane would mummer something to him and he'd drop them. Captain Tucker pulled out a recorder and his pen and paper and whenever something was said, he'd make note. About twenty minutes later, Dane said something.

”See that man there, Devin? The one to the left? He's the man who attacked Jamie. You were in the room with him. At some point, he touched you. Shall I move on or do you have enough to find him?”

”I'm sorry, Dane, I don't know anything about him. If you're not too tired, I'd like to move on. He looks somewhat familiar, but not enough to know who he is.” Another fifteen minutes went by when suddenly, Devin stiffened. ”You can't pull out yet.

We have to move slowly. Take a deep breath and I'll back you out,” Dane said to him.

”No! I need to go on. He, I need his name. Can you get it? He...I remember the day, but I need a name.”

”If you have it, we'll find it. Shhh...remain calm. When you're tense, I can't move past your block. That's it. Now, see that on the table, did you get close to it, did you touch it? That's it, Devin, move over there and focus. Can you see it?”

”Phillip Sizemore. His name is Phillip Sizemore and the date is February seventeenth. Yes, I know him. I have enough now.”

Jamie moved up behind Dane. He could see her swaying slightly and wanted to help her when she came out. His brother slumped in the chair and almost before he could catch her, Dane was out. He held her to his chest and carried her over to the couch. He was pulling a light blanket over her when Donald went to the door to get Damon.

”That is by far the stupidest thing...you could have hurt each other! What the f.u.c.k were you thinking? Didn't you learn anything the first time we found her like this? I swear to Christ I should just sedate the both of them and hope they never wake up. Of all the stupid, asinine things to do. I've had-”

”Damon! For Christ's sake, shut the f.u.c.k up!” Jamie was worried and it made it hard to control his temper. ”They both knew what they were doing. She told him he would be exhausted, but you said yourself they're fine. If you can't be quiet, then leave.”

”Jamie, watch your language,” Margaret said to him. ”And you can take Dane to bed in a moment. Devin, will you be all right for a few minutes? I'd like a word with your brother.

Damon, please come with me. The rest of you, sit. If anyone leaves this room before I return, I'll be very displeased.”

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