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“Fine,” I say.
“Good. Number two, you’re going to tell meexactlywhat Joe did to help you crush the nightmares and sleep.” Again, she pauses. Again I wait, this time trying not to smile. She’s using my own negotiating tactics on me.
After at least a minute of silence and piercing eye contact, Virginia gives in.
“Agreed?” she asks.
“No,” I say.
“Good. Number—wait. No? Why no?”
“Because I am not hiring you to put me to sleep every night.”
Virginia scowls. “Of course you’re not. I have zero interest in becoming your human-shaped tranquilizer, but if you let me get to number three, you’ll hear the rest of my plan.”
“Which is?”
“Number three, I’ll watch you for one week. Seven nights. We’ll record it so I can go back and try to find patterns I might miss when I’m focused on what you call ‘the tell.’ I’ll look for other clues, signs. Something that Joe might have missed.”
“Virginia, Joe spent over a thousand nights watching me fall asleep and then sleep … I don’t think there’s anything you’ll see in one week that he didn’t over all those years.”
“Well, has Joe watched and rewatched every episode ofUnsolvable Crimes: Solved, and learned what actual investigators look for when interviewing suspects?”
“Umm …”
“I guarantee he has not. And that if you give me one week, there’s a fifty-fifty chance I’ll catch something he didn’t.”
“I’m not a criminal, Virginia, covering some lie I’ve told.” I’ve flipped from amused to a little pissed off.
She walks to the couch and eases to the floor, crossed-legged facing me.
“I know that, silly. Your subconscious mind probably has the secret, since it’s driving the bus when you’re sleeping.” She tugs on my leg so I’ll angle myself toward her. “Will, you know this. You’ve talked about it on your podcast.”
“That’s entirely different.”
“I disagree. I may be wrong about there being another way to wake you up that doesn’t require a live nightmare interrupter, but what if there is something else that will help? What have you got to lose?”
My dignity. Your respect.
“Let me ask you,” I say, “what do you gain by doing this?”
“Are you kidding me?” Virginia punches my leg. “Prestige. Power. A great story to tell at parties,” she says.
“Seriously.”
“Seriously? Will I hate knowing you suffer like this.” Virginia fists her hands and growls. “And that you seem to believe you’re going to be dead within two years. That breaks my heart. You say you’ve tried everything, but that’s just not true. Today is a perfect example of something that’s proven to help people sleep that you’ve never done—walking on grass in your bare feet.”
“My problem isn’t falling asleep.” OK, that’s not quite true.
“You didn’t answer my question. What have you got to lose? Give me one week. I’ll sign whatever confidentiality contract you need. I won’t tell a soul. Just give me a chance to try to help. Please.”
“You believe that in one week you can figure out how to solve a condition I’ve had for four years?”
“Uh-huh.” Virginia nods and a few red curls tumble in front of her face.
I reach to push her hair behind an ear, something I’ve dreamed about doing since she first stood on my stage.
“Fine. Give me your phone. I’ll load the app you need to access my cameras.”
