SPIRIT OF CONSEQUENCE (A Spirit Walking Mystery Book 1) (20 page)

“Our demise?” Dodge asked.

“Yeah, the local news is saying that two police officers from the task force were blown up just now.”

“Oh, great.” Dexter took his phone from the back pocket of his jeans and started dialing. “If Jessica hears the news from someone else first, she’s going to kill me.” He walked over to a chair and sat down.

I leaned over and kissed Dodge on the cheek. “You don’t have to call me. I already know.”

Dodge’s face slid into an easy grin and he winked at me.

Marge frowned. “What are you so happy about?”

“Just glad to be alive.”

Unlike me, I thought.

Dodge’s mouth turned downward, obviously realizing what he said as he glanced my way.

I held up my hand. “It’s okay. I’m glad you’re still alive too. With my luck you would have moved on without me and I’d be stuck here with Dexter.”

“A fate worse than death,” Dodge muttered, but smiled.

“Did you talk to the professor?” Marge asked.

“Yes, have a seat and I’ll tell you all about it.” Dodge sat down on one of the chairs; Marge sat next to him. “Did you get the info on the Thorntons?”

“Not yet, but I should soon.”

“I need you to look up their security man too.”

“Okay, give me his name.” Marge pulled out her notebook.

I didn’t want to hear it again, so I quickly left the room. The lecture didn’t start for an hour, but people were already lined up to get a good seat. Oh my, I thought, sound asleep in the back row was the best place to listen to this guy drone on about religions and their idiosyncrasies. I had nearly an hour before I had to be back to help Dodge, so I went into the casino.

People smiled, the machines flashed and clanged, and I ran through them. I had done this a few times before – dropped my mental shields, opened up my arms and ran through the crowd, picking up their emotions. It was exhilarating to fly high on their emotions. I wandered through them for the next thirty minutes. Some won and some lost, but they all were excited over the anticipation of hitting that huge jackpot and feeling rich.

I felt excitement, anticipation, disappointment, love, sin – and hate? I stopped and looked back. Where had I felt the hate? So much hate that it made my body shiver as if I stood on a block of ice. Hatred for every person he looked at. I felt awareness. He was here and somehow he knew I was here, too. The killer was in this room. I needed to tell Dodge, so I ran back to the ballroom.

The ballroom was half filled and I couldn’t see Dodge anywhere.

“Dodge!” I hollered above the crowd’s talking.

“Dodge, where are you?” I screamed louder and ran down the center aisle.

“What?” I heard him run up behind me.

I relaxed, I turned. “Thank God.”

“What?”

Then I saw Dexter coming down the aisle.

“Put in your earphone,” I commanded.

“Why?”

“Do it.”

Dodge dug his earpiece out of his pocket and slipped it into his ear. “Inspector Benson.”

“He’s here.”

“Who?”

“The killer.”

Dodge looked around. “Where?”

“I don’t know.” My entire body shook. “I dropped my mental shields and felt him in the casino.”

Dexter stopped behind Dodge. “What’s up? Why were you running?”

“My source says he’s here.”

“Who?”

“The killer.”

Dexter looked around. “How does this source know?”

“I don’t know.

“Did you ever consider that your source might be the killer?”

“No.” Dodge shook his head and left the ballroom. He went into the hallway where the event manager stood. Dodge said, “I need a secure room to make a phone call.”

“When?”

“Now!” Dodge bellowed.

The manager quickly turned and led Dodge to a small office. After he let Dodge in, he closed the door and left.

I couldn’t stop shaking. Dodge put his arms around me. “Easy, Samantha. Take it easy.”

I pushed him away. “He’s here, Dodge. I was running through the casino and I felt him. So much hate. He hates everyone. All he sees are sinners.”

“Tell me exactly what happened and how.”

“Okay, sometimes when I need a quick fix of excitement, I drop my mental shields, put my hands out and run through a crowd. I’ve only done it a few times, only when I’m really depressed and need a jolt to jump start myself.”

“Like the jolt from the first snort of Zeon?” Dodge asked.

I nodded. He was right. It was just like that. I was still addicted to that high, that jolt. Tears started running down my cheeks.

Dodge reached up and tried to brush them away, but his hand went through my skull. He caught himself. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know but we’ve got to find him. We’ve got to stop him, Dodge.”

“We will. Can you go into the ballroom and walk through the people and get the feeling again?”

“I should be able to, unless he can mask it. When I ran through the casino, there wasn’t any reason for him to hide his emotions. He knows you’re here; the explosion was evidence of that. If he’s truly psychotic, he might be able to mask some of his emotions. Still I might be able to pick up something.”

“Oh, he’s psychotic, all right. Maybe he’ll make a mistake.”

“Then let’s go back to the ballroom, so I can try and find him.”

“Okay,” Dodge said.

I walked next to Dodge as we went back to the ballroom. I didn’t tell him that the killer could feel me too. He was aware of me. When I ran through the crowd he hadn’t seen me but he had felt my presence. He couldn’t hurt me, but it was possible that he would be able to tell what I was thinking and feeling, too. My feelings for Dodge would make Dodge a target. The killer could hurt me by hurting Dodge. I couldn’t let that happen. How was I going to stop it?

Chapter 21

A few minutes later, I wandered back toward the lecture hall. You could barely tell where the doors had exploded; a gray cubical wall and two large plants covered the former entrance. Everyone filtered down the hall to the other door. If you didn’t know, you’d think this was the original plan.

Almost the entire ballroom was filled with people. Four hundred chairs had been set up and people stood in the back against the walls.

“Wow!” I said. “I didn’t think religious ethics was this popular.”

“It’s not. The original size was supposed to be sixty-five, but the people keep coming. It’s probably because the news reported the explosion just a few minutes after it happened. It was on every screen in every casino in town. It’s big news when a bomb explodes in a casino. They also reported it as part of the task force investigation. These people all think they’re going to be in on the capture of a serial killer.”

“From their lips to God’s ears,” I said.

Dodge smiled. “That’s my little Catholic girl.”

I rolled my eyes. “Let me get started.”

Dodge grabbed my arm. “Wait until the lecture starts, that way everyone will be sitting or standing in the same place for at least an hour.”

“Is that how long the lecture is?”

“No, it’s two hours, but I figure people won’t get up to go to the bathroom for at least an hour. After that, they’ll be breaking up into groups of four and having the discussion on those questions.”

“If I had to sit here, I’d get up every fifteen minutes, just to escape the monotony.”

Dodge laughed, leaned close to me and whispered. “I’d leave every fifteen minutes if you left every fifteen minutes.”

“At least being with me wouldn’t be boring.”

“Never!”

Marge came up, so I sat down and closed my eyes. A few minutes of rest might do me some good.

“I’ve got the report on the Thorntons. They’re all squeaky clean.”

“Great, more suspects down the drain. What about the security man?”

“He’s even squeakier clean than the Thorntons. In fact, up until a year ago, he was in the seminary.”

“He was going to be a priest?”

“Yes.”

“What happened?”

“I met him a few minutes ago and so I asked him why he had changed his mind. He said he just didn’t have that calling anymore. That’s when he hooked up with the professor.”

“An ex-priest turned security guard?”

“Yes. He’s a short little guy, about five feet-four inches tall, with a small head and big ears. I could probably squash him with one hand tied behind my back and the other one holding an ice cream cone. It’s a good thing the professor doesn’t really need any security because there isn’t anyone who’s going to be afraid of Matthew Menders.”

The lights dimmed and John came onto the podium. The audience quieted and took their seats. John talked about his father’s education, accomplishments, and awards. Then his father took the podium to a thunderous applause.

I started at the back of the room and walked through the people standing. They were mostly bored. I could empathize with that. Professor Zebedee Thornton droned on about some religion and how they didn’t like to be touched by strangers. Who did?

I walked through the back row of chairs. I felt a mix of emotions here, some still bored, but others interested, actually paying attention and taking notes. No hatred. The next row was another mix, except for the third woman from the end. She had the hots for John Thornton and she wasn’t trying to hide her emotions at all.

I walked through each row and couldn’t find anyone who hated the people sitting around him. Within ten minutes, some people started getting up and leaving the room. Dodge was right, because a few minutes later they came back and took their seats, although I noticed that a few of them didn’t come back at all.

I stopped in the middle of the first row and looked back at all the people. What a mixture: college students, teenagers, middle-aged people, and even a few who looked like somebody’s grandparents. Every ethnic and age group had its representatives.

That’s when I felt it. Someone in the room looked directly at me. I searched for Dodge. It wasn’t him. He spoke quietly to one of the bomb squad guys in the back of the room. I searched the faces of each person, looking for a flicker of recognition. Nothing, no one. He was definitely here. I could sense the change in him. Somehow he knew that I couldn’t find him. Maybe he could sense my confusion or disappointment. His hatred was more powerful than anything I had ever felt before. It hit me like waves, continually beating against my own emotions. He was stronger than me, especially in my current weakened condition.

Then his attention was on Dodge. I knew it and he knew that I knew it. My adrenaline spiked with his. I felt elation from him, then anger and hate. It was all directed at Dodge.

The Professor announced that the crowd would be breaking into groups of four. I looked at the clock in the room. It was only one-thirty. The professor had cut his lecture short. He was supposed to talk for at least another half hour.

“Under your seat is an envelope. It tells you what group you are in and where you are meeting. Have fun and enjoy learning about each other’s religious beliefs and practices.”

The crowd stood up, reached under their seats, and opened their envelopes. They looked and moved around, searching for the other members of their groups. I felt the hatred start toward Dodge. I ran through the crowd and so did he, in a race to see who would get to Dodge first. He was stronger, angrier and probably faster than me. I had an advantage. I could run through the people; he had to run around them.

I went flying through people, getting hit so fast by their emotions and feelings that my head started to spin. Everyone was nervous and apprehensive about getting into a group of strangers and talking about religion.

As I got closer and closer to Dodge, the hatred changed. Somehow the person realized that I would get to Dodge first, so he changed direction. Now he sought after … someone… a sinner? Yes, that was it. He scanned the audience and searched for someone to center his hate on. When he found her it was like a bolt of electricity hitting me. I fell to the ground and I felt him laugh. I heard his laughter above the crowd of people talking and milling around.

That’s when I reached Dodge. “He’s found her, Dodge.”

He looked at me, he reached into his pocket and put in his earphone, “Inspector Benson.”

“He’s found his sinner, Dodge.”

“Where?”

“I don’t know.” I shook my head. “He knew I was here and he came for you. I ran as fast as I could, but he changed his focus. It hit me so hard that I fell. Then he changed his direction and started toward her. I couldn’t get back to her because I wanted to come to you. Dodge, it’s my fault. He’s found her and I couldn’t stop him.”

“Stop,” Dodge said. “It’s not your fault. There are a hundred cops in the audience and we didn’t see him or her either. He hasn’t left the room, has he?”

I turned around and scanned the crowd. Oh yeah, I could feel his intensive focus on one woman. “No, he’s still in the room.”

Dodge signaled Dexter on the other side of the room. He stood by the entrance door. Dexter waved at Marge. She was by the door near the podium that the professor had used to enter. A few seconds later, I heard all of the doors shut. They echoed in the room and the people immediately fell silent.

Dodge picked up his walkie-talkie and said, “Dexter, no one leaves this room.”

“What?” I asked.

“I’m closing down the place now,” Dodge said to Dexter, but it answered my question, too.

“With the killer inside?” I asked.

“Exactly. I knew he’d be able to sense you and I used it to trap him.”

“Wait a minute, how did you know?”

“You told me once that psychiatric patients who aren’t taking their medication can see you, right?”

“Right.”

“Okay, I’m no doctor, but this guy’s definitely a mental case and if he’s on any medication, it ain’t working.”

“You knew he’d see me.”

“I counted on it.”

I hit him on the arm.

“Hey!”

“Why didn’t you tell me about this wonderful plan? I was scared to death.”

He smiled. “First off, you’re already dead, so that’s not a problem. Second, if I’d told you, could he have sensed your reluctance?”

“I suppose so, but he may also have ways to block his emotions the way that I shield myself from sensing people’s emotions, especially if he figures out what you’re doing.”

“I’m counting on it.” Dodge winked at me. Then he asked, “Can you tell if the killer is a man or a woman?”

“It’s a man…,” I stopped. “It has to be a man. No woman would do that to another woman.”

“So you’re not sure it’s a man?’

“No, I guess not. How could it be a woman?”

“The victims were all strangled from behind with a rope. Any man or fairly strong woman could do that. None of the women were sexually assaulted, either.”

Dodge waved at Marge and pointed to his earpiece.

I watched as Marge tapped her own earpiece.

“Spin the tale, Marge. Shake up the crowd. Add in the victim angle, too. That should push everyone’s emotions through the roof.”

I saw Marge’s mouth move and Dodge answered her, “no we don’t know.”

Marge nodded and started toward the podium.

“What was that about?” I glanced from Marge to Dodge and then back to Marge.

He nodded toward Marge. “That woman could take down a herd of charging elephants. She wouldn’t have any problem snapping someone’s neck. Strangling them would be easy.”

I shook my head. “If you say so.”

Dodge’s smile broadened. “Now the fun starts.”

“What?”

Marge tapped on the microphone and everyone in the auditorium stopped talking and turned toward her.

“Could you all please take the seat nearest you?”

A man from the audience shouted, “What’s going on here?”

“If you’ll have a seat, I’ll let you know.”

There were lots of grumbles from the crowd, but they finally sat down.

Marge looked toward Dodge. He shook his head.

She nodded, then said, “Okay. My name is Homicide Inspector Marge Roberts and I’m a member of the task force that’s looking into the deaths of ten women.”

I leaned toward Dodge. “What’s going on?”

“I’m tightening the noose around this creep’s neck.”

I had no idea what he meant or what exactly he was doing, so I turned my attention back to Marge.

“Inside this room, right now, there are two people that we need to find.”

“Who?” Several people yelled from the audience.

“The killer and his next victim.”

The room fell silent.

“That’s right, sitting to your right or left may be the person responsible for brutally strangling ten women.”

She let that hang in the air for a moment. People looked at their neighbors. They were afraid.

Marge continued, “We don’t know if the killer is a man or a woman. It could be anyone.”

The emotions in the room swelled; it was like a tidal wave assaulting my senses. My legs started to buckle.

“And,” Marge continued, “the killer’s next victim is also sitting in this room. You’ve already been picked out. The killer already has focused on you.”

The level of fear rose.

“And
no one
is leaving this room until we find those two people.”

People started screaming at Marge, saying that they wouldn’t be held captive with a killer!

Now a huge wave of fear, mixed with a lot of anger, hit me like a shock wave. I grabbed for Dodge, but my hand went right through him.

“Samantha!” I heard Dodge’s voice above the shouting from the audience.

I felt like I was fading out, leaving the room, and maybe even moving on to a new place.

“Samantha!” Dodge screamed.

I reached for him but couldn’t hold on. I tried to throw up my mental shield but couldn’t focus enough to stop the waves of emotions that were pummeling me.

“Sammie!” Dodge shouted.

The use of that name, the way that Uncle George always used it, sent a jolt threw my body. I reached out, made contact with Dodge and threw up my mental shields.

He grabbed my arm and literally pulled me back from wherever I was going.

“What the hell happened?” Dodge asked.

“I don’t know. I was hit with all the anger and fear that’s in this room. I couldn’t hang on.”

He held tightly to my arm. “You seem to be here, now.”

“You called me Sammie. Why?”