Page 45 of In Her Dreams
“Update me, Jenna,” came the quick answer.
“Sam Rodriguez died with terror on his face—just like Winters and Palmer.And there’s another dreamcatcher.”She started the engine.“I’m coming to pick you up at the station.We need to pay Dr.Walsh another visit.”
“I’ll be waiting out front,” Jake replied, his voice grim.
Jenna ended the call and pulled away from the curb, the image of the beautiful yet sinister dreamcatcher burned into her mind.Three victims now, all connected by these strange objects, Dr.Walsh, and their deepest fears.
Whatever lurked in Genesius County, it was growing stronger.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Samuel Rodriguez is dead.The thought hammered against Jenna’s consciousness as she drove toward the Trentville police headquarters.Sam, who had taught her to trust her instincts when she’d first pinned on a badge.
The ringing of her phone broke the heavy silence.Jenna thumbed the button on her steering wheel to activate the hands-free system.
“Sheriff Graves,” she answered.
“Jenna, it’s Melissa.”The coroner’s voice filled the car’s interior.“I’ve got some preliminary on Rodriguez.”
Jenna’s stomach tightened.“That was fast.”
“Mary wanted him brought in right away, which was the right thing to do.And I set right to work.”A pause, then: “Jenna, there are some things you need to know.”
“What is it?”
“His expression—it’s identical to Winters and Palmer.The same look of absolute terror, like he’d seen something beyond comprehension.”The sound of papers rustling came through the speaker.“My guess is that toxicology will show another case of elevated stress hormones.”
“Yes, Mary told us about his expression.I assumed you’d find other comparisons.How long before you have a full report?”
“I’m putting everything else aside.By this afternoon, I should have something more concrete for you.”
“Thanks, Melissa.I’m heading to the station now.Jake and I are already on the case.”
“Good.There’s something not right here, Jenna.”Melissa’s voice dropped slightly.“I’ve seen a lot of deaths in my time, but three people dying of fright in such a short time?In Trentville?This isn’t natural.”
The call ended, leaving Jenna to consider Melissa’s words.Natural.Nothing about these deaths felt natural, just as nothing about her own ability to speak with the dead in her dreams could be described as natural.But she’d learned long ago that “natural” was a far more elastic concept than most people realized.
She pulled into the station parking lot and saw Jake standing outside the building, watching for her arrival.His face was set in lines of concern, his normally easy demeanor replaced with something more guarded, more alert.He slid into the passenger seat, his broad shoulders filling the space.“Just like the others?”
“Exactly like the others.And there was a dreamcatcher, Jake.The same kind of twisted patterns as the ones in Winters’ and Palmer’s bedrooms.Except that this one wasn’t so ugly.”
“No teeth or beaks?”Jake’s eyebrows rose.
She fished her phone out and gave it to him.“Take a look at the photos.”
Jake scrolled through her pictures and commented, “It certainly looks nicer.Not something about to attack, like the first two.”
“In my dream, it still felt dangerous in some way.But there’s more.Mary said that Sam had been in treatment with Dr.Anthony Walsh for his agoraphobia, but he had switched to a different therapist, Valerie Mercer, in Pinecrest.”
“So Winters, Palmer, and now Rodriguez.All had those dreamcatchers, all died looking terrified, and all had sought treatment for their phobias recently.”
“And all miraculously overcame those phobias,” Jenna added.“Mary told me Sam suddenly recovered from his agoraphobia a couple of months ago.After years of being practically housebound, he started going out again.She was thrilled, but...”
“But?”
“She said he couldn’t explain how or why it happened.Said whenever she asked him about it, the words never came.”Jenna continued as she navigated through Trentville’s quiet streets.“Almost like he couldn’t talk about it.”
Jake’s eyes narrowed.“Some kind of block?Hypnotic suggestion?”
