Page 42 of Power of the Mind

“Okay. It’s just that they mentioned—”

“We’re fine.”

“Okay.” Sally’s gaze flicked to Diem and me again before speaking to Dr. Hilty. “Do you mind if I skedaddle? Newt’s waiting, and his time’s short. I’d rather not take the bus.”

“No problem. See you tomorrow, Sally.”

Sally lingered a second as though she had more to say, then slipped out the door, closing it behind her.

“It was nice chatting with you, gentlemen,” Hilty said as he pushed to stand and straightened his tie, “but I think it’s time you go.”

“I agree,” Diem chimed in.

“Wait.” I blocked the doctor’s path before he could head to the door and escort us out. He might have been finished, but I wasn’t. “You saw a patient by the name of Amber Wells.”

Hilty held up his hands. “I can’t help you. Please leave.”

“She struggled with migraines. You tried hypnotizing her, but it didn’t take. She went to your wife instead. They had several sessions together, and—”

“Tallus.” The sharp edge of Diem’s tone couldn’t stop me. I was running off the rails, but I wasn’t done. Not yet. Not now. I hadn’t learned anything.

“Your wife got inside Amber’s head. She manipulated her.”

Since he couldn’t escape to the door, Hilty moved to his desk instead, picking up the phone. “I’m calling the police.”

“Tallus, we need to leave.” Diem, hands-on when it suited him, took my arm and physically guided me toward the door, but I kept talking, digging my heels in.

“Maybe mind control isn’t a thing, but I think your wife used her powers of manipulation to convince Amber to kill herself, the same as she did with those guys in eighty-six. It wasn’t a hoax, was it, doc? It wasn’t bullshit. The judge might have laughed it out of court, but you two got inside the heads of those men. You suggested they kill themselves. Maybe you didn’t expect it to work. Maybe it was an experiment, but it did work, and you got away with it. Now she’s—”

“Tallus.” Diem’s voice was a low rumble near my ear, warning me to stop.

I tugged against his hold, trying to free myself, but he wouldn’t let go. “The near conviction scared you straight. You divorced your wife and went back to school. You’ve been hidingthose horrendous accusations ever since. Why? Because you feel guilty. You wouldn’t feel guilty or be hiding if you did nothing wrong. Well, guess what, doc? Almost ending up in jail didn’t scare Rowena straight. It made her sneakier and smarter. She’s improved her methods. She’s never been right in the head, and you, of all people, know it. Are you going to let her keep it up?”

William Hilty paused, phone in hand. A flash of concern, remorse, or fear crossed his face. It was momentary, a hiccup in time before he wiped it clear and continued to punch buttons on the phone. “Get out,” he barked. “Last warning.”

But the expression, however brief, was there long enough to catch Diem’s attention, and the big guy stopped tugging my arm and approached the desk. He hung up the call by stabbing a finger on the phone’s base.

Hilty froze, face ghastly pale under the yellow overhead lighting.

“Have a seat,” Diem growled.

“I want nothing to do with this. He’s wrong. We never manipulated those men into committing suicide. Yes, I did things I wasn’t proud of. Yes, I performed without a license. Yes, I assisted in manipulating people on stage into silliness. It was for entertainment. I’m not a murderer. I never suggested anyone kill themselves.”

“Have. A seat,” Diem repeated between clenched teeth.

“I haven’t spoken to my ex-wife in years,” Hilty shouted.

Diem growled.

“Oh boy. William, Bill, Billy? Whatever you’d prefer. I’d take a seat if I were you. A snarly half-starved bear lives inside this guy’s chest, and when it starts growling like that, woo-wee, you are in trouble. And I made him wear a wool suit in thirty-degree weather, so he was supremely pissed off before we got here. I wouldn’t rattle his cage if I were you.”

Diem turned on me, and the aforementioned bear emitted another low growl.

Itsked and patted Diem’s cheek. “Relax, Guns. You don’t scare me.” And I snarled back much more provocatively before lowering my voice. “And I told you I’d get you out of that suit later.”

Diem flushed and turned away. It was too easy.

“Listen.” Dr. Hilty was sweating as much as Diem now. “I don’t know who you people are or what you’re playing at, but I’m innocent. I run a legitimate practice. I don’t have any dealings with Rowena anymore, and my record is clean. If she’s up to no good, I don’t want to know.”

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