Iris Johansen - Quicksand

Good Lord, the woman was terrified, Eve realized. Or if she wasn't frightened, she was doing a darned good job of pretending.

The sheriff gestured down the bank. "Bobby Joe's tennis shoes and shirt were found by that big sweet gum tree."

"Then let's get it over." She turned and started down the incline.

"Unusual," Montalvo murmured as he took Eve's elbow to help her down the bank. "Why wouldn't she shake your hand?"

Unusual, but that didn't mean honest or not self-serving. "Maybe she has a phobia about germs. Or maybe she's feeling guilty."

They had reached the bank and Eve stopped and watched Megan Blair move toward the tree. "Aren't you going to ask the sheriff any questions? Won't it help you 'sense' what happened to him?"

"No." She looked over her shoulder at Eve. "Why are you so bitter? Do you think I like doing this?"

"You wouldn't do it if you didn't. What kind of doctor are you? Ph.D.?"

"Medical. I was in the ER at St. Andrew's."

"Then what the hell are you doing here?" she asked. "Is this some kind of weird hobby?"

"It's weird. It's not a hobby." She moistened her lips. "Now back off. I'm upset enough. I don't know why you're angry and I don't care. I just have to make it through this so I can go home."

"Am I interfering with your concentration?"

"I'd bless you if you could interfere. Why do you-" She broke off and her eyes widened. "Oh, my God, your little girl. I'm not here for her, am I? Venable told me it was a little boy."

Eve vehemently shook her head. "Do you think I'd have another phony psychic spitting out garbage about her?"

"I'm sorry," Megan said gently. "Of course you would have tried even that, wouldn't you? You wouldn't have been able to help yourself."

There was such understanding and pity in her expression that Eve couldn't stand it. "Don't pretend. Don't talk about her. Just put on your show for the sheriff and get out of here."

Megan nodded. "I don't blame you." She drew a deep breath. "I'm even grateful to you for distracting me. I was so scared I felt like throwing up." She started for the tree where Montalvo and the sheriff were waiting. "And I've no intention of putting on a show. I'd rather you all go away."

Eve followed her. "So that you can have a séance? Or do you need something that belonged to the boy so you can tell us where he is?"

"Knock it off," Megan said. "Good Lord, those vultures really did a number on you. I can see why you're such a skeptic. A few months ago I would have agreed with you right down the line." She didn't take her eyes from the tree. "Okay, do you want me to tell you what I do? I don't need any objects to tell me where Bobby Joe is. Someone who does that is called a Finder, and I have no talent in that direction. I'm a Listener. I hear voices. Whenever I'm in a place where something highly stressful or tragic happened, I can hear what took place, the conversations, the emotions… Oh, yes, definitely the emotions. I hear the complete echo."

"I've never heard anything like that."

"Good, then at least I won't remind you of one of the psychics who tried to cash in on your daughter's death."

"You're still bogus."

"I hope you'll be going away saying that." She went up to the sheriff. "This is the spot?"

"Yes, ma'am. Is there anything else I can do?"

She shook her head. "Why don't you all go back to the cars? I'll come up when I've finished."

"We'll stay," Montalvo said. "I find I'm very interested in all this."

She drew a deep breath. "Look, I've only done this once before and I don't even know if I'll draw a blank."

"But you're acting as if you hope you do," Eve said.

"You may not believe anything else I say or do, but believe that," Megan said.

"Only once?" Montalvo said. "Why would Venable trust you to-"

"Go away." Megan's hands were opening and closing at her sides. "Just leave me alone."

The fear was back, Eve could see it, feel it. "We'll wait for you on the slope."

"Whatever." She went to the tree and sank down on the ground.

"Do you mind if I go back to the car and check in with my deputies?" the sheriff asked as they started toward the slope. "I came straight from the forest to meet Dr. Blair and I need to see if there are any more developments."

Developments. Did he mean more bodies? Eve thought. "Go ahead. We'll call you if she suddenly comes up with something."

The sheriff glanced back at Megan. "She doesn't seem to be doing anything right now. I've never dealt with a psychic before. The sheriff in the next county invited one to a crime scene once, but nothing came of it."

"Imagine that," Eve murmured.

"I hope no one finds out about this. The guys will never stop rubbing it in. I'll be back in fifteen minutes." The sheriff took off up the hill.

She dropped down on the ground. "This is far enough. Too bad if our vibrations bother her from this distance."

Montalvo sat down beside her. "She didn't mention any vibrations."

"No, I was being sarcastic."

"I noticed. She took it well."

Yes, she had, Eve thought. So she was a class act. It was still a charade.

"She's not moving. What is she doing?" Montalvo asked, his gaze on Megan.

"Why, she'll tell you she's listening. She hears voices, you know."

OKAY, THERE WAS NO USEputting it off, Megan thought. She had promised Venable and she had to keep that promise. Perhaps she'd get lucky and wouldn't hear anything.

She could see Eve Duncan sitting with Montalvo on the slope. Poor woman. What hell she had gone through when her daughter had turned up missing. What hell she was going through now. She wished she could do something to help her.

She couldn't worry about Eve now. She had to lower the block and let the voices in.

If there were voices.

Please let there be no voices.

She closed her eyes, tried to relax and open her mind.

Nothing.

The sound of the river, the birds waking at the dawn, the breeze blowing through the trees.

No voices.

If Bobby Joe had been here, he had not been hurt or frightened.

Or was she keeping him out because she was frightened?

She tried again.

Screams .

Bobby Joe. Bobby Joe. Bobby Joe.

Not here. Close. Very close.

No. Stay out. I can't bear it. Hurts.

Agony .

She tried to close him out, but she couldn't.

Where? Where are you?

Screams .

Where are you?

Screams, striking her heart, striking her soul.

She curled up in a ball as Bobby Joe's pain overwhelmed her.

Maybe in a moment she'd be able to get control. He wasn't here. Close. But not here.

Where?

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH HER?"Eve jumped to her feet. "She looks like she's-" She ran down the slope. She might be stupid to be so panicked. It could be an act. But there was something agonized about the way Megan was lying there. Hell, it could be a stroke or a heart attack.

Montalvo was there before her. "She's conscious."

Eve fell to her knees. "Megan. Tell me what's wrong. Where do you hurt?"

"Not me." Megan opened her eyes. "Bobby… Joe." She drew a shaky breath. "Give… me… a minute. I'm trying to close him out. I might be able… It didn't happen here."

Eve sat back on her heels. "Don't do this, Megan. Don't lie about-"

"Not lying." Tears were running down Megan's cheeks. "Hurts. I couldn't… lie."

Eve wanted to hold her in comfort. She wanted to shake her. "You stay with her, Montalvo. I'm going to call the sheriff and get him down here." She stood up and walked away from them. She dialed the sheriff. "You should be here."

"What's happening?"

"I don't know." It was the truth. She was so torn and bewildered that she couldn't think clearly. No matter how she tried to deny it, there was no doubt in Eve's mind that Megan Blair believed she had heard Bobby Joe. "She thinks there's something… Maybe she's nuts and having delusions. Just come down and talk to her."