Paradox (FBI Thriller 22)

Savich said, “Can you tell us what you did then, Leigh?”

“I remember walking, trying to decide who to tell or if I should tell anyone at all. I mean, Mr. Henry was long dead. Then I remembered the hotline and knew I had to call. I remember I turned into the alley next to Kim’s Dry Cleaners. I had my cell phone in my hand, I called the hotline, then nothing. The door’s still closed.”

“How did you know the number?” Sherlock asked.

She shrugged. “I guess I must have memorized it. Sorry, I can’t remember anything else, even now that I don’t seem to be Gunny anymore.”

Savich said, “What do you mean, you no longer seem to be Gunny?”

The air seemed to go out of the room. No one made a sound, all eyes were on Leigh.

51

* * *

Leigh looked surprised, then thoughtful. She said slowly, “Before, the world always surprised me. It seemed to keep changing. I thought I was beginning to understand something, and then I suddenly forgot what it was, forgot even what everyone was talking about. I tried, but somehow I couldn’t seem to finish a lot of things, couldn’t say what I really felt before things suddenly slipped away. It was like I was waking up again and again, and no one else had gone to sleep. I thought it was normal for me, normal for Gunny.

“I could never get things to fit together. What I was thinking would be gone before I could focus on it, make it mean anything. I had this sudden ‘all gone’ feeling and suddenly I was confused again.” She shrugged again and smiled. “Now, I guess I’m like everyone else. I can think and talk and make sense like you do. I’m a different me now, but what’s great is I’m here all the time n

ow. Mom, don’t be scared. I’m not crazy. Think of it this way—it’s like I’ve rebooted my computer and now I’ve got lots more gigabytes.”

Savich lightly laid his hand on her forearm, above the IV line. He felt warmth and strength, and awareness. Because she’d been struck on the head? Or because of something the surgeon did during surgery? He liked what she’d said: I’ve rebooted. She was staring at him, and he felt in that moment that she was looking into him, aware of his thoughts, his feelings. To his shock, she whispered, “You’re very worried about something, aren’t you, Agent Savich? It’s like a black slick of grease over every thought you have.” She squeezed his fingers.

Savich opened himself to her, but all he felt in return was a comforting warmth. He closed his hand over hers and slowly, he nodded. “Yes, you’re right. I am very worried.”

She said matter-of-factly, “You’ll find the killer, Agent Savich. You’ll find him for us.”

“Thank you.” Savich slowly rose. “If that door opens, Leigh, call me.” He handed her a card, smiled down at her. “I like the reboot, but you know what? I would have liked you as Gunny, too.”

“But not in the same way, Agent Savich, not at all in the same way. There’s so much for me to learn now, to understand, to see.” She looked over at her mother, then her father, and finally, she smiled at Ty and Sala. “All of you, thank you. I will try to remember something that can help identify who hit me so you can find Mr. Henry’s murderer.” She paused a moment. “You’re all very kind.” She closed her eyes, and they watched her breathing slow, watched her relax. Odd, but Savich knew the moment her mind eased into sleep. The power dimmed, grew quiescent.

Savich said quietly to the group, “Let’s talk outside.”

When they’d stepped beyond Officer Diaz’s hearing, Lulie said, “She’s herself, but she isn’t. I don’t know what to do.” She shook her head, and a tear slipped out of her eye. Andrew pulled her against him. “Shall I bring in psychiatrists to examine her?”

Savich said, “No, no need to do that. Leigh seems fine. She’s dealing with all the changes she described, all by herself. She doesn’t need help. What she needs is time to integrate all the new facets of herself, to fully understand what it’s like to be normal. All the important parts of her, her kindness, her love for you, her empathy, they all seem to be there. I have no idea how this happened, but the result is remarkable, a miracle, if you wish.

“You should ask the neurosurgeon if he’s even seen anything like this or understands how or why this happened. But the fact is, it did happen. She’ll find her way, come to terms with her new self and her new abilities. She’ll be bringing a lot more awareness to bear on how she looks at people and the world. As I said, I know she will reintegrate herself in time into that new world.”

Sherlock said, “Ms. Saks, you can believe Dillon. Leigh will do fine, I promise you.”

“But how can you possibly know that? Neither of you is even a doctor.”

A bit of hostility, a bit of snark. Savich gave Lulie a blazing smile and said without pause, “No, we’re not, and you should certainly speak to them. But I think you’ll find we’re right about this.”

Lulie spurted out a laugh and shook her head. “Agent Savich, I saw something happen between you and my daughter. You somehow connected with her. I’m not sure how, but you did.”

Savich said, “Yes, I believe I did. Leigh’s in a good place. Congressman Mellon, it’s good to see you again. I’m very glad you came to your daughter.”

Mellon said, “After Lulie called me, I told my wife about Leigh, told her I was coming to see her. Glynn already knew about Lulie and Leigh. She’d known for a long time but had never said anything to me or anyone else. She patted my hand, told me I was doing the right thing. Then she flat-out floored me. She said she and the boys would welcome Leigh if I brought her to meet them.” He shook his head. “Now as for the politics of it, there’s no good way to announce it, spin it, as my daughter said. Still, it’s better I do it soon, rather than wait for the tabloids to do it.”

Savich said, “I’ve always found it’s best to be candid with the media, less chance for those with a political bias to twist your words.”

Mellon gave a crooked grin. “There is always political bias, Agent Savich, now more than ever. I’ve never met anyone in Washington who doesn’t have an agenda, but maybe, in this case, you might be right. It’s probably the best alternative.”

“You’ve already seen one miracle today, Congressman, namely Leigh. Maybe you’ll find yourself another.”

“Maybe so.” He shook Savich’s hand and turned to Lulie.