Deadly Visions Part 19

"No," she whispered."Nothing to do with that."

"Let me decide."

"No."

Joe bent closer. "You need to tell me everything, Monica. If you're afraid that I'll expose something about you, maybe that your powers aren't genuine, that's not my focus here."

"All I have," she said."It's all I have."

"What's all you have?"

"People's ...memories of me." Her voice was weaker."If I die here, that's all that will be left."

"Isn't it more important that we find out who did this?"

"Don't know who did this ...or why."

"Maybe I can figure it out. But you have to help me."

"Hurts so G.o.dd.a.m.ned much."

"Monica? Monica?"

She was unconscious.

d.a.m.n. He turned around to see the nurse standing in the doorway.

"I think you'd better go, Detective."

"Right." Joe took the nurse by her arm and led her into the hallway.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

He spoke quietly. "I know about the camera and your little get-rich-quick scheme."

She feigned innocence."What?"

"Don't even try. You gave yourself away the other day. If she dies, you'd better make it your mission to see that not one sc.u.m-sucking photographer gets a shot of her body. If I see one tabloid with a shot of her, I'm coming after you."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"How about I pull some phone records? And should we take a look in your locker?"

"You need a warrant for that."

"I do, but your supervisor doesn't. Shall we talk to her?"

The nurse's glance sidled."No."

"Good. Because whatever you'd make from that picture, I don't think it would be worth destroying your career. If you do that, I'll make sure you never work as a nurse again. Do you understand?"

She nodded.

"Okay. Take good care of her."

Joe walked through the hospital's dim lobby, trying to make sense of Monica's ramblings. In her state of mind, "the crate" might have meant anything. Or nothing. There was no way he could- "Detective Bailey?"

Joe turned. It was Raymond Fisher, an FBI agent with whom he'd cooperated on two previous investigations. Fisher's stony face and gruff manner alienated many of his fellow agents, but Joe appreciated his dry wit and forthright manner. "Agent Fisher. Not here as a patient, I hope."

"Wish I was. A colonoscopy would be a h.e.l.l of a lot less annoying."

"If you say so."

Fisher showed Joe a photo of a curly-haired young man."Have you seen him around here?"

"Afraid not. Who is he?"

"An out-of-towner named Gary Burgess. He's been gone a couple days now and he was last seen around here."

"Are you working with my department on this?"

"No. We've been asked to look into it off the record, so I'd appreciate it if this could stay just between us."

"Sure. What's his deal?"

"I don't know who he is or why they're treating this with kid gloves, and frankly, it p.i.s.ses me off. I might be able to do my job better with a little more information."

"Do you get this kind of a.s.signment often?"

"Once in a while.A cabinet member's kid might go on a bender or a senator's favorite prost.i.tute might go on an unauthorized vacation with his stolen credit cards. A few discreet phone calls will be made and it's up to us to quietly clean up their messes. But with those cases at least we know what we're dealing with."

Joe studied the photograph."And you say he disappeared around here?"

"He was last seen in the hospital."

"Hmmm."Joe studied the photograph. "Keep me posted, will you?"

"Sure."

Joe drove from the hospital to the Monica Gaines Monica Gaines's Psychic Worldproduction offices, which occupied a building that had until recently housed the headquarters for a local restaurant chain. In Tess Way-land's cluttered office, he asked her about "the crate" that Monica had mentioned.

"The crate?"Tess shrugged."She's probably out of her head. Maybe that's what the hospital brings her orange juice in."

"Please think about it," Joe said. "I'm sure I heard her correctly. 'The crate'has no special meaning for you?"

"Nope. Sorry." She turned back toward a small video monitor. "As one of the few who have seen the real thing, Detective, give me your opinion of this."

She pressed the play b.u.t.ton on her remote, and a grisly, slow-motion re-creation of Monica Gaines's ac-appeared on the screen. The actress impersonating Monica spun around, twisting and screaming as flames engulfed her.

Joe winced. "You're kidding, right? You're not going to put this on the air."

"We will if you won't let us have a copy of the real thing." Tess froze the image. "What do you think? Should we strip away the color and put a time stamp on screen, to give it that 'security camera'look? It might be more dramatically effective that way."

"Do whatever you want, but you're not getting a copy of the real thing. I can't believe that Monica would want you to do this."

"If you knew Monica, you'd understand that she'd want me to do anything that would mean higher ratings for her show. Besides, her accident is the topic of every episode we've been doing. We have psychics from all over the world discussing it, and we need a visual frame of reference."

"And have any of your psychics come up with a convincing explanation for what happened to her?"

"Several explanations, in fact. And I'm sure they'll come up with several more."

"I'm sure."

"What's important is that her show's ratings are higher than ever. When Monica comes back, she'll be at an entirely new level of success."

"What if she doesn't come back?"

"I don't even want to consider that. Monica needs positive energy, not negative."

"Fine."

"We're a day or so from going public with this, b.u.t.there's something I'd like you to comment on, Detective."

"What is it?"

"Have you been getting some kinds of visitations from your late wife?"

Joe sighed."Where did you hear that?"

"True or false?"

"I've seen no evidence of that. Where did you get your information?"

"My sources are confidential, but you should know that every cop in your department is talking about it."

"I wouldn't make an issue of this," he said. "In the end, you're only going to look foolish."

Tess shrugged. "We take that risk every time Monica makes a prediction."

"Don't run with this story. It's nothing, and it'll only make my job more difficult."

"Maybe I'll drop it if you'll do something for me."

"Like what?"

"Get me that security tape. This re-creation really blows."

"I can't do that, and I'm not knuckling under to blackmail."

"If I don't have that tape in hand by five P.M. tomorrow, we're going public with the story about your wife, fingerprints and all."

"That's your prerogative."

"I'm not bluffing."Tess jotted something on a Post-it note. "In the spirit of cooperation, I'm giving you this." She handed it to him.

He glanced at it. Two phone numbers. "What's this?"

"The top number is for a cell phone that Monica occasionally used. It was registered to the production company. I get the bill, and I noticed that she used it a couple of times when she'd dropped out of sight. Each time, she called that second number. Maybe it'll help you figure out where she was."

"Thanks."

"Five P.M. tomorrow, Detective."

"Grandpa!" Nikki ran across the apartment and threw her arms around Cal.

He laughed. "Hiya, pumpkin. Did you actually shrink since the last time I've seen you?"

"No, I've grown!" She giggled. "You're the one who's shrunk."

"Unfortunately, that's probably true."

"Not likely. You'll always be bigger than life." Joe closed the front door.

"Why did you come?" Nikki asked. "Daddy didn't tell me you were here."

"Isn't visiting you enough?"

"Yeah, but you have the theater to run." Her eyes widened. "Wait a minute. I know why you're here...."

Cal placed a finger over her lips."Shhh. Not now, honey."

Joe gazed at them curiously."What's going on?"

"It's not important right now," Cal said. "I think there's something else you need to talk to her about."

They were definitely keeping something from him."Okay, but we're coming back to this. I don't likesecrets." He sat on the couch and patted the cushion beside him."Come sit next to me, Nikki."

Joe told her about the fingerprints that had been found and their positive match with Angela's. He didn't mention the voice he'd heard in his bedroom. One thing at a time.

Nikki didn't look surprised. "It was her," she said quietly."Mommy was here. Do you believe it now?"

Joe shook his head. "Honey, those prints could have been faked."

"How?"

"I don't know yet."

She turned toward Cal. "What do you youthink, Grandpa?"