“He doesn't think much of DI Zael, does he?”
Remi gives a brief chuckle. “You noticed, huh? I’ve had Detective Chief Inspector Sandra Greydon-Reid call me three times already today. Zael’s boss. She wants a result today come hell or high water, she said. Whatever that means.”
Leaving the bathrooms, we work through the various large open-plan office spaces on this level, making sure to check beneath each desk and keep an eye out for any large cupboards or store rooms.
It is 4:00 pm by the time we complete the search of this complex of office buildings. All of the small teams that had been spread across the various buildings and floors gather outside so that Remi can allocate them to the next property.
Remi had called some Agency officers earlier to instruct them to bring refreshments. They arrive with tea and cookies. While these are distributed Remi gives instructions to every pair or trio of volunteers.
A police car pulls up and DI Zael and a police officer emerge from it. Remi gives them an enquiring glance. DI Zael had been leading the search effort in some vacant properties a block away. DI Zael is clearly in a pugnacious mood. He stands beside his car and waves his arm abruptly, motioning to Remi that he wants her to come over and speak to him.
She ignores it. Clearly she thinks he can come to her if he wants to say something.
Remi’s phone rings. She answers it curtly. I can see that DI Zael is also on his phone. Clearly he is ringing her. She hangs up and rolls her eyes. “Apparently he wants a private word,” she says.
I go with her as she walks over to him. He immediately demands to know whether we have found anything.
When Remi tells him we have had no luck he scoffs. “Not even with your psychic here, huh?”
I stiffen, but do not defend myself. I’m beginning to wonder if he is right. Even if my psychic abilities had been working, would they have been of any use in this case? It is beginning to feel like my psychic powers were just a dream. Some trick my mind had played on me. Now that I no longer have them, it is hard to persuade myself that they had ever really been real.
Remi has no such doubts. “Ms Bellona’s help has been invaluable to us on previous cases,” she says. “And I have no doubt they will be in this case.”
It is weird to hear her refer to me as Ms Bellona, as if I am some sort of professional.
“I’m glad that you have no doubts,” Zael huffs. “I’ll believe it when I see it. And I have seen nothing so far. It seems nothing but a hocus pocus distraction to me. I’d say useless if I didn’t think you’d be a snowflake about it.”
“It sounds to me like you’ve said exactly what you wanted to say,” says Remi, deadpan.
“I’m just pointing out that you’ve wasted half the day driving her around and you’ve nothing to show for it,” says DI Zael. “Imagine what the papers will say when they get wind of it.”
“Thank you for your concern,” says Remi in a tone that makes it clear that she is not thankful at all.
DI Zael turns to me. “Neat little trick you’ve got making money out of thin air,” he taunts.
“I’ve not been hired on this case,” I tell him coldly. “I’m here to help India.”
“Got some other psychic tricks up your sleeve, have you?” he demands. “You seem to be having a bad day as far as I can tell.”
Normally I would have given him a lecture on how it works, but right now words escape me. I feel like a fraud, and I feel like he knows it. DI Zael smirks in satisfaction.
Remi is having none of it. An idea seems to occur to her. “Why don’t we gather all the volunteers together at the end of the day?” she says. “And Diana will see if she gets a sense of anything useful off them.”
“What is that going to prove?” scoffs DI Zael. “Is she going to spout some mumbo jumbo magic to see if any of the volunteers have touched on a lead today?” He and his officer turn to each other and laugh.
Remi looks at them coolly. “In cases like this the killers sometimes like to involve themselves with the search parties,” she says. “There may be someone here who knows something. If there is, Diana will know.”
My stomach jolts. Remi gives me a confident smile and it is all I can do to return it. I wish that the earth would open up and swallow me.
I don't say anything to correct her in front of him. She thinks I am going to solve the case for them. She thinks my psychic powers are infallible. How the heck am I supposed to tell her that she couldn’t be more wrong?
Chapter 8
STORM
Even with no surname to go on it had taken Monroe les
s than half an hour to track down the identity of Charles Blair, India Lawrenson’s boyfriend. His social media photos showed a puffed up young man with a shiny bright smile and expensive hair. Locating his current whereabouts had proved somewhat more difficult.