Page 68 of The Psychic

“Is that what you call it? Okay. Intuition.” His gaze tightened on her. “What’s the matter? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” He forced a grin. “Not my ghost this time.”

He swung back to his desk so she could only see the back of his head as he casually opened a drawer.

Her eyes jumped back to what she could see of the monitors and her mind went suddenly blank.

“Call him.” Gabrielle pointed at ten-year-old Ronnie as she moved away, her hips swaying as she sauntered back toward the house, slowly pulling her phone out of the back pocket of her cut-off denim shorts.

“Bitch,” muttered Evan admiringly, his eyes on Gabrielle’s butt cheeks in her tight jeans.

Ronnie yanked her gaze from the monitors, her heart in her throat. But it didn’t matter where she was looking anymore as another scene unfolded in her mind.

“Gerard DeLenka,” she said.

Both Evan and Sloan looked at Ronnie in surprise.

Evan gave her a thumbs-up. “You have one helluva memory. One would maybe think you’re psychic. How’d you hook up with Shana? She never mentioned your name before.”

Her mind whirled. The dream … the barking dog … Mel in the shed, surprised at her visitor.

Evan … it was Evan … but how? How did he get there?

Her eyes jumped back to the monitors … now the desktop where Evan was slyly sliding a small bottle of clear liquid into the drawer, hoping she wouldn’t notice.

Glycerin , she suddenly knew.

Why? What was he doing?

Drops of glycerin look like sweat … the workout was faked … the whole dragging of his feet … faked ?

He’s not as infirm as he wants everyone to think.

Her heart jolted like it wanted out of her chest. Be cool. Don’t let him know.

He killed Mel?

BARK, BARK, BARK, BARK!!

The dog knew … the dog was worried … she was worried. She needed help. She needed help now!

Sloan.

Closing her eyes, she put everything she had into sending a sizzling message across space. Sloan!

His phone rang while Clint was still trying to convince both him and Brandy that he was motivated out of love, not obsession, when he attacked Melissa McNulty.

Sloan walked out into the hall to take the call, disappointed when he saw that it wasn’t Ronnie.

“Hart,” he answered.

“Okay, I think I’ve got the name for you. The one she was talking to, all flirty?”

It was Hugh McNulty.

“What is it?”

“Devon.”

“That a first name?

McNulty snorted. “I don’t know. I was lucky to come up with it.”

“Thanks.”

Devon …

He walked back into Clint’s ICU room, but Brandy met him on her way out. “We’ve overstayed our welcome. He needs rest. He’s such a goddamn idiot! Where’s Ronnie? She’s supposed to be here.”

“Where was she today?” he asked, giving up all pretense. She could tell him or not.

Her lips tightened, but she answered, “She said she was coming back from the beach.”

He couldn’t hide his surprise.

“Clint didn’t kill Mel,” Brandy said, returning to her mantra. “You did get that, right?”

He nodded. “It was someone who met with her after Clint.”

“Well, good. Maybe Ronnie was right about you.” She shook her head. “Aren’t there cameras or something? Somewhere out there? Maybe whoever did it followed Clint.”

“I’m sure Townsend’s on it. But there aren’t a lot of cameras in the country. Not even right outside River Glen city limits, according to Caldwell,” he added, but his mind was on Ronnie. He had a bad feeling about her that he couldn’t shake. The beach? What had she been doing there?

“Evan’s just full of factoids, isn’t he?” Brandy made a face. “I’ve never trusted him.

“Who?”

“Evan. You’re not listening,” she accused.

Evan …

Evan.

Not Devon.

“Shit,” he muttered, a cold spike of fear piercing through him.

“Where are you going?” Brandy called as Sloan racewalked for the elevator, but he didn’t answer.

Ronnie kept her mind a blank. Maybe Evan had traces of psychic ability like he claimed, maybe he didn’t. Whatever the case, she didn’t want him reading her mind. And she had her hands full trying to keep her panic in check.

Gabrielle … she could practically see him stalking her … actually walking into a bar … following her. He’d engineered that car crash. Maybe put something in their drinks before the accident. Something that caused DeLenka to drive off the road.

Gabrielle never gave Evan the time of day, but he always wanted her. More than just a crush, more than just admiration.

He killed her and her boyfriend.

And then somehow zeroed in on Mel, who did give him some attention. Just as a friend. Or, maybe some flirting? That he took to be something much, much more?

He killed her, too. Maybe from her rejection, or maybe she twigged to the fact he’d killed Gabrielle and DeLenka. Maybe she learned he could walk and he didn’t want that secret known!

That’s how he killed Shana. Just walked right up to her apartment and strangled her.

It made total sense. And the direct cause of his handicap had always been somewhat murky. She’d never heard there was some definitive, permanent problem that kept him in a wheelchair. He’d let them see his physical incapability for years. His little secret. So like him.

“You’ve gotten awfully quiet,” he said, breaking into her thoughts.

BARK, BARK, BARK, BARK, BARK!!!!

Ronnie wanted to clap her hands over her ears. I know, dog. I know!

Evan said conversationally, “Those women of The Colony had all kinds of different gifts. They were around for a hundred years or so before this big fire burned down their lodge, forced them to leave. And your mom was related to them. You, too. Got it in your DNA.”

DNA … Evan was the one who’d talked Shana into leaving the coffee cup with the DNA.

“Stop for a cup of coffee on the way. Get her to leave the cup. I’ll tell you where to drop it when you’ve got it in hand …”

That’s why he’d killed her. She was a loose end.

“I don’t know, Evan. I only talked to my mother briefly.”

“Oh, you know,” he countered.

And he rose from his chair holding a handgun he’d taken from the drawer and pointed it directly at Ronnie. Her pulse skyrocketed.

“Like Melissa, like Shana … like Gabrielle … You’ve always known. I gotta tell ya. I’ve been worried about you. The way you just came up with Gerard DeLenka?”

Waste time. Think. Don’t let him keep the upper hand. “What are you talking about?” she suddenly demanded, going on the offensive. She could be a good liar, when she wanted to be. “What are you doing? Is this some kind of game?”

He sent her a cold smile, not buying it. “I’ve followed you online. I know you. The way you can ‘see.’ It’s fucking terrifying. I know what you’re capable of.”

“You can’t shoot me,” she said, her mouth dry. “You’ve no reason to. And it’ll be too loud. People will know.”

“I can’t let you live,” he said with a shake of his head.

“You see that, don’t you? You’re never going to give me peace.

I really hoped this day wouldn’t come, but here it is.

Sloan will be heartbroken. I think he really cares about you.

I’ve had to keep him close, too. Never hurts to have someone in law enforcement in your pocket.

And it takes too much goddamn energy blocking you. ”

Maybe he’s not completely steady on his feet , she thought hopefully. But then, oh, shit … as he took several steps forward with ease, backing her toward the sliding glass door.

“You came at me with all kinds of accusations,” he said, looking past her for a moment, trying out the lie. “You were crazed … crazy … just like your mother. I had to defend myself!”

Ronnie’s fingers closed on the handle to the slider. She swiftly yanked it back and lurched onto the balcony. He won’t pull the trigger , she told herself, prayed to herself. She hadn’t had time to grab her phone. Bad move. Now she was trapped out here and helpless.

Sloan! Sloan, where are you?

Evan was on the balcony. He tossed the gun aside and grabbed her by the hair. She kicked and scratched but his grip was intense, fingers grappling for her throat. NO!

BARK, BARK, BARK, BARK, BARK!!!

“ Where are you? ” she screamed to the dog, but Evan’s fingers cut off the sound to a croaked whisper.

She flung herself away from him, but he grabbed her and bent her over the railing.

The swimming pool was far below. A glimmering blue gem.

Hands on her neck, squeezing. She kicked and twisted and bit his ear.

He howled and his grip loosened. She gulped air but he lifted her beneath her knees and tipped her over the railing’s edge.

She cried out and clung to his arms. He fell forward.

Momentum. One second they were balancing on the railing, the next they were both falling, falling, falling …

and he was screaming and she couldn’t breathe and …

SPLASH!

… and they were under, entangled and struggling and freezing.

Cold … Killing cold … I can’t breathe … CAN’T brEATHE!

Evan’s hands wrapped around her neck again. She hit at him, but was losing strength. This is it , she thought. He was bleeding profusely, she realized. Red wisps through blue water. Knocked his head on the side of the pool. Gravely injured … but still murderous.

Something rolled beneath her, lifting her upward. Something furry. An underwater shriek from Evan. He released her and swatted at whatever was in the pool with them.

Something bit into her wrists. Tugged. Pulled hard. Dragging her upward. Watery images of people … like last time … Mom?

She broke the surface and sucked air deep into her lungs, choking and coughing.

Beneath her in the water. Evan swirling with an animal … the dog!

And then Sloan was there, running full bore from the bistro to the pool. Jumping in and grabbing her into his arms.

“Where’s the dog?” she squeaked out.

Police and EMTs burst through in a hoard, swarming around the pool.

“The dog. Where’s the dog?” she chattered as Sloan pushed her into the arms of a strong EMT who pulled her from the pool and wrapped her in a blanket while Sloan splashed in and grabbed Evan’s floating body.

“What dog?” the EMT asked, bending over to get a good look at Ronnie’s wrists.

There were bite marks on both of them, but no broken skin.

“That dog,” she said, but it was nowhere to be seen.

Sloan dragged Evan’s lifeless body to the edge of the pool. He locked eyes with Ronnie, then he was out of the pool and they were in each other’s arms, shivering.

“It was Evan,” she said in disbelief as she was guided to an ambulance. “Evan.”

“I know,” he said. “But it’s over now. You’re safe.”

You’re safe with him , said Mom.