She headed out again. I pushed up and made her coffee, choosing an earthier-tasting one for her. Once she’d returned and dealt with our food, she sat opposite me on the rounded end of the kitchen island. I pushed the Tim Tams across to her.
“Thanks.” She plucked one free, then added, “What’s the next step?”
I sighed and rubbed my forehead. The painkillers were wearing off, and my leg, mostly healed or not, still ached. As did various other bits of me that had hit the floor way too hard. My thirty-eight-year-old body did not bounce as well as it used to.
“Well, we could question Monica when she wakes, but I’m thinking they might have messed with her memories just to be safe.”
“They’d be stupid not to.” Ginny took a sip of her coffee and sighed in pleasure. “What about we tackle the problem from an unexpected angle?”
I frowned. “Meaning?”
“Psychometry.”
“Possible, but I’m guessing the items Lanie left at their apartment wouldn’t hold much in the way of resonance.”
“No, but they did find several strands of long scarlet hair in that hotel room Mark was trussed up in.”
“Could be Lanie’s.”
“It might also be Monica’s. Just because Mark’s memories didn’t ‘see’ her doesn’t mean she wasn’t there.”
“If we’re going to go down the psychometry root, we’d be better off going back to Luke’s apartment. We’re more likely to find something traceable there, especially when hair is a rather unreliable indicator of location.”
Because hair is dead, Atticus said.It holds no resonance, even when attached to the head.
“Well,” Ginny said. “I guess that means we’re heading back to Luke’s in the morning.”
“I think we should go?—”
“No, you need to rest,” she cut in. “Besides, forensics said they’d be there half the night because the place was fucking huge and there were only two of them.”
I gave her a “Really?” sort of look, and she grinned and held up a hand. “Scout’s honor.”
“You were never a Scout, so I’m not believing a word of it.”
“Ring Lowell if you don’t believe—” She stopped as my phone rang.
I dug it out of my handbag, saw the number, and showed her the screen.
“Speak of the devil, and he shall arise,” she added, amused. “Though technically, that phone should have been in the blocking box.”
“Says the woman who’s phone is sticking out of her pocket.” I hit the answer button and then asked, “Is there a problem?”
“Monica’s awake. You need to get over there and interview her.”
“I’ve been ordered to stay off my leg and rest for the next few hours?—”
“Who fucking ordered that?” he cut in brusquely.
“The energy healer my brother sent up here.”
He grunted. It was not a happy sound. “Typical. It seems head office thinks we’re not only incapable of running the show, but then they go and take out the person who is supposedly the lead.”
“It’s only for the next few hours and?—”
“I’ll go,” Ginny said. “I don’t want to be playing third wheel around these parts anyway.”
I could almost hear Lowell frowning. “What the hell did she mean by that?”
