AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘Hiya, boss.’
Tiffany was a person of unflinching positivity who whistled and hummed show tunes when she was deep in thought. She was sweet, naïve, trusting and bubbly. On paper Kim should have found her very presence annoying. She didn’t.
‘Need your help, Tink,’ she said, using the nickname she’d awarded the girl because she reminded Kim of the cartoon fairy.
‘Okay, boss. I’m off shift in…’
‘It’s been cleared. I can steal you right away.’
A quick call to Inspector Plant had secured her release.
‘Wanna go see a psychic show with me?’
‘A wh…what?’
‘A psychic stage show over in Wolverhampton?’
Tiff fell into step beside her as she headed for the stairs up to the CID office.
‘You’ve got a fifth ticket and you’re inviting me?’ she asked in wonder.
‘No, I’ve got one spare ticket and I’m inviting you,’ Kim said. ‘It’s work, and I really need someone with your skills.’
Kim was sure Tiff’s face fell slightly, but it perked right back up again.
‘Whatever you need, boss,’ she said, following Kim into the squad room.
‘Hey, Tiff,’ everyone said with genuine warmth.
Her face coloured slightly as she gave them all a little wave.
‘Perfect,’ Richard muttered under his breath.
Kim wheeled her chair out of the Bowl and pointed for Tiff to sit.
She sat.
‘Tink, we have two dead psychics and we’re trying to find out why. There’s a show at the Grand tonight, and we’re both going so we can better understand psychics and the people who use them. We need to see the level of deceit, the influence they exert and the aftereffects of the process. Richard here is going to give us some tips.’
‘Okey dokey,’ she said, as though Kim had just said they were all going out for pizza.
‘Right, Tiff, is it?’ he asked.
‘Or Tink,’ she answered, shrugging.
‘Okay, well, you’re going to need to look as vulnerable as you can. Ideally, you’ll stand alone and if you can look a bit upset, all the better.’
‘How obvious?’ Kim asked.
‘Don’t overplay it. If she looks vulnerable, they’ll find her.’
‘Who?’
‘I call them the stooges. They won’t arrive with the psychic and probably won’t go anywhere near her, but they will be in contact. The stooges play two parts. First they work the foyer, looking for targets. They want someone who will pull on the heartstrings, someone genuine who will unknowingly convince the rest of the audience that the act is real. They’ll find a clever way to get your story, normally by sharing theirs, and they will also want to know where you’re sitting. The better your story, the more chance of the psychic hitting on you. As I’ve already said, it’s all about emotion and they want the maximum pay-out.
‘The person who you talk to will most likely be called upon too. His or her story will be rehearsed and practised and between the two of you, you’ll make it very convincing for everyone else.’
‘Anything else?’ Kim asked.
