Page 120 of Power of the Mind

Only once she was seated did I address the hostile man on the line who, for some reason, was counting backward from ten again. Out loud and pointedly. I seemed to have that effect on him.

“Yeah, yeah. I hear you, Guns. Relax. I’m back, and I’m listening.”

“Four… Three… Two.”

“Who’s Brodie, by the way? Possession? Last Wednesday? Was that what was happening in the cemetery when we were there? What is this about? Does this have something to do with our case? PS, I’m offended you consulted Kitty over me. That hurts, D. I thought we were forming a bond… or a nonbond if you will.”

“Ten,” Diem said louder, starting his countdown again. That time, I let him get to one before I interrupted.

“Are you better?”

“No.”

“Great. Talk to me.”

“Hold off with going to see Rowena.”

“What? Why? I can’t. Memphis’s appointment is set. I was planning to—”

“I gotta do research. Information comes first. Don’t go. I’ll call you back.”

“Diem… Diem, don’t you dare hang up on—” I gasped and clutched my chest. “The fucker hung up on me.”

“Language,” Kitty admonished. “You young boys need to find better words to express yourself.”

I wagged the phone at my cunning coworker whose merits for getting down and dirty were commendable, not that I’d tell her. “You don’t get to give me lip. What was that about? What kind ofsneaky computer knowledge do you possess that I was unaware of? Are you a hacker? Is that how you became omnipotent? Teach me, oh great one.”

“Don’t you need to meet Memphis?”

“Yes, but…” I stared at the phone, considered Diem’s request for all of ten seconds, then slammed the receiver back in its cradle and checked the time. “I’m never going to make it. If Diem calls back, I… Tell him… No, you know what? My case, my rules.”

I didn’t have time to wait. If I wanted to get inside Rowena’s house and get a feel for what was happening, now was the time to do it.

Racing from the office, I shouted a goodbye slash warning to Kitty because this wasn’t over. She had some explaining to do.

In the Jetta, I used Bluetooth to call Memphis. His appointment was in less than twenty minutes, and I was too far away.

“If you’re calling to talk me out of this, you’re too late. I’m going.”

“Memph, listen. Let me take your place.”

“What?”

“There’s stuff you don’t know. Bad stuff. Okay, honestly, I don’t know shit. She could be a perfectly normal psychic doing perfectly normal psychic things, but it’s imperative you let me go in your stead just in case. I will sacrifice my hot, young body for you and you alone. Step down, my friend. The odds are not in your favor.”

“I’m hanging up.”

“No! Stop. I can’t explain, or I would. I don’t have all the pieces. I barely have half the pieces. Heck, I’m not sure the pieces I do have even go to this puzzle, but something sketchy is going on, and Rowena is possibly the link.”

“Do you hear yourself when you talk?”

“I do, and I think it’s why I haven’t gotten far in life.”

“Tal, I’m going. I’m done talking about it. Whatever you’re doing, have fun. You and your iceman stalker are made for each other.”

“People are dead, Memphis.”

“Yeah, girl, I know. I was there when you read the review and turned it into a headline. But, sweetie, listen. Madame Rowena didn’t mind-control that young girl and make her jump off a balcony.”

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