Dead in the Desert by Lou Harper

Author:Lou Harper
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2013-09-12T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

Lipkin arrived just before six and yet again not alone. This time the woman beside him was closer to him in age, with a smattering of gray in her brown hair.

"This is Detective Bennett from the Cold Case unit," Lipkin introduced her.

She gave me brief handshake. "Mr. Cooper. I've heard a lot about you in a short time." I could imagine.

I didn't get to say anything more, because Andy showed up at the door. "There you are. Come on in!" he said cheerily.

I moved out of the way, and we all flocked into the living room where the round of introductions finally concluded and we got to sit down around the coffee table. Of course, Andy, being Andy, wasn't happy till everyone had the beverage of his or her choice and the chocolate almond scones he'd picked up just for the occasion at Trader Joe's.

After a short session of niceties Bennett brushed the crumbs off her hands. "So, Gary tells me you have some sort of special talent," she said, eyes fixed on Andy. I read mistrust in them.

He beamed back at her. "Gary probably exaggerates, Detective."

Her smile was more polite than heartfelt. I got the impression she was humoring all of us. "Call me Cora. I've known Gary for fifteen years, and he's as serious as toothache. What is it exactly you do?"

Andy spread his hands. "I'm a psychic. Not the fortunetelling kind or a medium. It's just I have a talent for finding things. Usually pets and things like that, but occasionally people."

"But this Jane Doe is not lost."

"Well, holding objects belonging to a person and concentrating on them occasionally gives me an insight. Especially if there was trauma. It sharpens the impressions. It doesn't work with just anything though. Unless Santa Ana winds are blowing—for some reason they make me super-sensitive. Such a drag, always gives me a headache." Andy was rambling now. I could tell he was getting nervous under Bennett's stern gaze. So I reached out and gave his shoulder a squeeze. It seemed to relax him.

She kept interrogating him. "What are these insights like?"

Andy pulled up his shoulders. "Oh, you know, kinda between a dream and bad home movie—one of those old ones people used to make on film. So it's kinda jumpy and mostly out of focus but I might get a few clear details."

Lipkin pitched in. "Leander provided useful information in that case I told you about." His tone was full of meaning only he and Bennett were privy to.

She nodded and pulled back, but the look on her face must've been a good approximation of mine when Andy had first told me about being a psychic. That don't-aggravate-the-crazy-person expression.

Lipkin picked up the slack. "We'd like you to look at the jewelry found on the body. You think you can do it?" he asked Andy.

"Well, I can try but I can't promise anything," Andy replied.

"It's fine." Lipkin turned to Bennett, who kept her face straight while fishing a small paper bag out of her pocket and shaking its contents out onto our coffee.

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