Jamey didn’t use tactics like that—but she also wasn’t on this case with the SPD. She glanced in the folder again, gaze lingering on the label readingCora Falcon. Stone Solutions was based in Bellevue, and a nameless drop box sounded suspiciously like something the Dead Man would have. Once these files shipped, she wouldn’t see them unless Grayson decided to share.
And if something in the file on Cora could be related to all empaths—to Reece—
“I could eat,” she said, and followed him out the doors.
Chapter Twelve
...but as the political climate grows more tense ahead of the vote on SB 1437, many are questioning why the Seattle Police Department continues to use taxpayer dollars to pay an empath consultant. Cedrick Stone, CEO of Stone Solutions and vocal supporter of SB 1437, has called it “inappropriate” while American Minds Intact president Beau Macy has expressed concern that the empath, Reece Davies, may have found his way to the force by exerting empathic influence on a relative within the department.
“I don’t use empathy on my sister, that’s ridiculous,” Davies said, when asked to respond. “If I actually had mind-control powers, I’d make sure people only used the left lane for passing. Have you been on I-5 recently? I am obviously not in control of that.”
The SPD has issued an apology for Davies’ comments.
—theSeattle Daily,
“AMI raises concerns about SPD’s empath consultant”
Jamey paged through Cora’s file as Nolan stood in the café’s line to order their food. Cora had seen six patients yesterday, four scheduled and two walk-ins, and kept meticulous notes on five of them.
It was number six that gave Jamey pause.
She was still looking at it when Nolan approached with two porcelain cups of coffee. “Did you start with the empath’s file? That’s where I started too.” He set one coffee by her hand. “What do you think about John Doe?”
All of Cora’s other reports had real names and detailed paragraphs on the session. John Doe had been a walk-in with the fake name and a single word of explanation:nightmares. The appointment had been at ten a.m. the previous day.
“Seems like the odd one out,” she said, setting down the file and picking up the coffee. Dr. Jones had said Cora passed out after a read that morning. Mysterious patient, no notes? She’d put her money on this John Doe.
Nolan took the seat across from her, shrugging off his coat. “I can’t believe Camden and Falcon skipped town the day Hathaway was found dead.”
Jamey tried to sound skeptical. “You’re pegging a doctor and an empath for a multiple homicide?”
“Of course not, but I don’t like their timing. I’ve got questions about Hathaway’s visit with them yesterday and they’re nowhere to be found.” He picked up his own coffee. “Camden’s car is gone from their house. We’ve put out an APB for it along the route to Vegas.”
He tapped the paper on the table between them with his free hand. “And I wouldn’t mind tracking down this John Doe either.”
“You and me both,” said Jamey.
“Could be a local crazy, maybe someone who followed Hathaway from the hospital?”
“Anything’s possible.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Nolan muttered. “Detective St. James—”
“Jamey’s fine.”
“Jamey,” he repeated. He looked around, then leaned forward in his chair and dropped his voice to a whisper. “Have you ever heard of an Agent Grayson?”
She eyed him over her cup. “I have an empath brother. Of course I’ve heard of the Dead Man.”
“Have you met him?”
She considered the question. She wanted to keep the investigation quiet, but it wasn’t like Grayson had been subtle when he’d made Reece puke on the steps of police HQ then catwalked his cheekbones through the station. “The whole force saw him today. Does the FBI have any good intel on him?”
“Jack shit.” Nolan snorted. “He’s above our jurisdiction. Above everyone’s jurisdiction, apparently.”
The waitress dropped off their food; for Nolan, a salad with grilled chicken and dressing on the side, and for her, a bacon double cheeseburger Reece never needed to know about.
Nolan picked up his fork, but didn’t speak until the waitress had disappeared through the kitchen doors. “I heard Grayson left the police station with an empath. If this Falcon girl blew town for Vegas, that could only be your brother.”
