“Not for me to say,” she replied. “Who are these other two?”
“Consultants,” Jesse said. “Promise we won’t take more than a few minutes of his time.”
“I’ll call it up and see.” The guard went back to the gatehouse.
“Shift in attitude,” Jesse murmured. “That could be a sign, right?”
“Or he could be sick of people,” Alex replied.
The gate slid open, and the guard motioned for them to go through. Bryce had one last chance to turn around instead of following Jesse’s plan. Jesse and Alex were both still, ready for the next step.
This could get them all killed.
Or get them answers.
Bryce took a deep breath as he rolled up the window. No, he wasn’t about to turn back. He eased his car down the long drive to the front of the house. As he parked, he said, “We keep our eyes open.”
Alex and Jesse nodded, and then the three of them climbed out of the car. The front door was intimidating, but Jesse didn’t hesitate to ring the doorbell.
A butler greeted them and showed them through to a living room to wait for Ronald. Bryce kept an eye on Jesse and Alex, while they took in the room around them. Alex had a look of wonder and he marveled at the opulent display of money. Jesse kept a shrewder expression, probably noting every beautiful work of art they passed.
“You get anything?” Jesse asked Alex.
“I don’t just ‘get things,’” Alex said, complete with air quotes. “I feel them and—don’t even bother asking. I tell you when it happens, you don’t demand.”
Before Bryce could reprimand Alex on his bad attitude, Jesse held his hands up. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to treat you like a one-trick pony.”
Ronald Valless came into the living room. He had on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, but his clothing wasn’t the only major shift in him since the night of the first robbery. Instead of brimming with umbrage, he was too pale, and he winced at the light in the living room. When Bryce found a switch and turned it down, Ronald nodded in appreciation.
What had happened to him? Bryce frowned. He could be suffering an everyday illness, or something worse. Were the creatures affecting him? Would Alex and Jesse develop these symptoms?
“Agent Dawes, and—did you bring the psychic detective with you?” Ronald asked.
“He’s consulting with me on the case,” Jesse replied.
Ronald took a seat in one of the room’s many chairs. “What case?”
“The one you contacted the bureau about.”
Ronald wiped his forehead with a handkerchief. “Your partner—I think his name is Milton? He called me almost two weeks ago and said there was nothing more you could do. They kicked the case back to the SLMPD for good. Did something change?”
That wasn’t what had happened. According to Jesse, Milton had hated every minute of the case. Why would he go out of his way to lie to Ronald Valless? Bryce sat in a chair near Ronald. “What day was it?”
“Uh, day after. On Saturday,” Ronald replied.
Bryce and Jesse shared a look. They hadn’t met at the museum until that Tuesday, so Jesse hadn’t been ordered off the investigation yet.
Jesse’s brow furrowed. “You’re sure it was Saturday?”
“Yes,” Ronald said. “I was pissed because he said the most he could do was list it on the registry, and it didn’t matter how many connections my family had, the bureau wasn’t my personal police force. I think he misread my attitude at the house, but if you aren’t stern with Renee, she walks all over you.”
“You tried to send her to her room like she was a child,” Jesse replied sternly.
“I tried to get her out because she was having an effect on you. She does that a lot, especially to men. Starts blabbering on about opening one’s mind and the next thing you know, she’s got a new follower.”
Bryce and Jesse shared another glance.Follower. Stan Lawson had mentioned a woman. Ronald’s word choice couldn’t be a coincidence. Maybe they were wrong about Megan Valless. Maybe they were chasing the wrong woman.
Jesse cleared his throat. “She does that often?”
