Paradox (FBI Thriller 22)

“When you walk into his study, you’re going to see more, hear more, observe more. You’re very alert now. You’re seeing yourself. Are you in his study now?”

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* * *

“Yes,” Leigh said. She paused, shook her head. “How odd. I always thought Mr. Henry’s study was so grand, so big and imposing, but it’s not. It’s a nice room, sure, with dark woodwork and lots of bookshelves built in, but it’s not Versailles. All right, there’s Mr. Henry, and he’s welcoming me, admiring Mama’s beautiful cake. She knew he was a chocoholic, knew her cake would please him.

“Oh my, it’s all so clear now. I realize Mr. Henry feels sorry for me, and that’s why he’s so very kind and gentle with me, like an uncle w

ith a small child.” She added without irony, “I see how he considers it a reward for the poor, simple girl to see his prized possession, the Star of David belt buckle, all gold and shiny.”

“Does he say anything you haven’t already told everyone?”

She frowned. “No, I’ve already told you all exactly what he said to me. But it’s how he acts, the way he holds the belt buckle, keeps running his fingers and hands over it. I see it makes him remember wonderful things. It’s his treasure, his valued prize. He’s not sure if showing me the belt buckle is smart, but he wants to show it off, to brag, even if it’s only to me. He watches me closely until he’s convinced I’ll keep his secret. He’s not worrying much now.”

“He never gave any indication of where he got the belt buckle?”

“No, but the belt buckle, it’s everything to him.”

Savich nodded to Ty and she stepped forward. “Leigh, Chief Christie here. Do you think the belt buckle was a trophy for some competition he’d won?”

Leigh said, “Perhaps. It’s certainly a prize to him, a special treasure.”

Savich said, “Is there anything else you see or feel?”

She thought about this, shook her head.

“Now let’s come forward five years, to Tuesday. Are you with me, Leigh?”

“Yes, of course.”

Savich saw she looked completely relaxed, her expression untroubled, not a hint of pain, thanks to Dr. Hicks. “Leigh, before we go back to the alley, tell us why you decided to call the hotline.”

“Gunny was so afraid of breaking a promise because she should never do that, but she—well, I—knew something was badly wrong, knew Mr. Henry’s belt buckle shouldn’t have been at the bottom of Lake Massey with all those bones. He was cremated, so what was the explanation? I told Mama, but she was stressed with work. And the last thing she needed was for me to keep piling on and worry her even more. I did think about asking Mrs. Sparrow, too. I had worked for her at the crematorium and I really liked her. If anyone could explain why the belt buckle ended up in the lake and not cremated with his body, she would know, wouldn’t she? I mean, had he been wearing the belt when they scooted him into the oven? But what if he hadn’t, then where did the belt buckle come from? My brain went round and round until I thought of calling the hotline myself. I thought they would tell me what to do.”

“Okay, Leigh, you leave the post office, and you walk into the alley. I want you to see everything on a different level, look at yourself, keep your senses wide open.”

“Yes.”

“Why the alley?”

“I didn’t want anyone to overhear.” She added matter-of-factly, “They’d think I was crazy as well as stupid.”

Sala asked, “What do you see in the alley?”

“She has her cell phone in her hand. No, it’s me, of course, it’s Leigh and I have my cell phone. My palms are sweaty. I’m so afraid I might say something wrong or stupid to the hotline person and they’ll be mad at me and hang up on me. I’d put the hotline number into my phone so I wouldn’t forget it. A man answered, and I told him I knew about Mr. Henry’s Star of David belt buckle, told him I was breaking a promise and he had to tell me what to do. I could hear the excitement in the agent’s voice, like he thought he might have hit the jackpot with me.

“He asked me for my full name, but I couldn’t tell him, simply couldn’t get it out. That was the old me, of course. That was Gunny. Thinking about the secret, how mother had always said keeping a secret was sacred, and she—I—froze. Then a monstrous pain in the back of my head, and I woke up after surgery in the ICU.” Leigh was quiet a moment, then said in a voice filled with wonder, “Gummy bears—I told the agent about Mr. Henry giving me gummy bears.”

Lulie took her hand, lightly stroked her long, slender fingers. Leigh wore only one ring, the gold Celtic knot on her pinkie finger.

“Go back to the alley now, Leigh, before you were struck,” Savich said. “You’re outside yourself. You’re now an observer, reporting on what you see, what you hear. Look around you. You see yourself, but what else? A shadow? Someone at the other end of the alley? Do you hear something? A shuffling sound, footsteps?”

Leigh closed her eyes. “She doesn’t hear anything, but she feels something’s close, something worries her. Yes, she hears light footsteps, coming from behind her, coming toward her.”

“Do they sound like a man’s or a woman’s footsteps?” Sala asked.

Leigh’s smooth, serene face changed into an impatient frown and her voice became annoyed, clipped. “They sounded a little like high heels, Agent Porto, but if I knew that for sure, I would have told you.”