Vibrations (18 page)

“Whitney, are you being
careful? Are you sure it’s safe to be doing this on your own?”

“Please Roger. I can’t involve
anyone else. I am being careful. I’m just trying to dig something up in my own
special way…alone. I don’t want a lot of questions when I get there. If the SAC
calls and says it’s alright, they won’t bother me so much.”

“I’ll do it, but you call me if
you need me. I take it you don’t want me giving Nick this number?”

“No…not yet. If anything
happens that I should know about, then you can call me here. Thanks. I’ll be
there this afternoon.”

“I’ll call right now. I’ll get
back to you. Keep me updated Whitney.”

Whitney parked the rented car
where she could see the people coming in and out of the courthouse. She didn’t
want to run into Nick or any of his friends just yet. Sometimes she could feel
his anger and frustration when she tried to tune into him. She’d never been
able to do that before, and wasn’t sure if it was real or her imagination.

When had it started? Whitney
thought back and realized it had been since the first night in Sedona. She
hoped that Nick could feel her too, and know she was fine. She knew he was
scared for her, so he probably couldn’t feel her, or didn’t recognize it when
he did. She tried to send him a message that she was all right, through her
connection, but it didn’t seem to work. She was able to sense vibrations and
interpret them, but hadn’t been able to manipulate them enough to send anything
long distance. The ability had kicked in only when she had been in serious
danger. When she had called for her mom, and when she called for Nick.

She knew it was possible. She’d
seen it done. She had a feeling it was right there just under the surface
waiting for her to figure it out. Kind of like when you learn to wiggle your
ears or lift one eyebrow up at a time. At first you think it’s impossible, and
then suddenly you can feel the muscle that’s involved and you can just do it.
Her abilities were like that. She was still experiencing new things that added
to her list of talents.

Since she had been intimate
with Nick, it seemed like she had experienced an explosion of new sensations.
Her abilities were sharper now. Maybe it was because she had stopped trying to
block so many of her own feelings. Whitney was hoping she could get past the
killer’s ability to block her now. That’s why she had to get near everyone
she’d already met.

She started with the easy ones
thinking maybe they had overlooked some possibilities. For the past two days
she had a sense of foreboding. If she had already met with the killer, maybe
she was picking up on his intentions or fears. It felt like she was in the path
of a storm, just waiting to see where it would hit. The problem was that she
could be picking it up from anyone close to her. It could even be her own fears
playing tricks on her mind.

Shortly after 2:00 p.m. she saw
a break in the activity in front of the courthouse. Her long hair was braided
into a roll on her head. She placed her large sun hat over the bun and adjusted
her sunglasses. It was hard to keep from running as she walked casually into
the jailhouse. The officer on duty had received his orders and asked no
questions. She wondered just what Agent Hollerman had said to him. The only
thought she could register was that he was told to keep her visit a secret.

Ann Marie was sitting on her
cot with her back against the wall. She was reading a letter and Whitney could
see she had been crying.

“Hi.” Whitney felt like she was
intruding.

Ann Marie turned her head in
surprise and wiped away the tears. “Oh, I’m so glad you came.”

The officer opened the cell and
looked at Whitney like she was trying to break someone out. His orders were to
allow her in the cell, without anyone else present. That was not proper
procedure, but he had to follow orders when they came from so far up. He also
knew he was not to tell anyone about this meeting.

“Bunch of secret spy types
making up the rules,” she heard him thinking. “But if she gets hurt they’ll
have my ass.”

Whitney thanked him and walked
into the cell. She stood staring at him until he gave up and walked back down
the hall. She took off the bulky hat and sat down on the cot.

“How are you? You hanging in
there?”

Ann Marie had a look of
resignation on her face. Her blonde hair fell limply against her face instead
of the perfectly styled look she had worn at the games. This time she looked
like a worn out mother of two, instead of the striking athlete that everyone
had admired.

“I’m not sure how I’m doing
honey. I just finished reading a letter from Derrick. He writes to me every
night and then gives it to me when he visits the next day. He’s worried about
me. He’s trying to be strong. He refuses to let anyone help him around the
house. He only lets the neighbor in to help cook and look after Joshua.” Ann
Marie started crying again.

“Joshua doesn’t understand why
I’m here. I guess I don’t either. I thought if I were innocent it would all
work out. I can’t even think about it anymore.”

Whitney reached over and hugged
her. Ann Marie cried on her shoulder for a few minutes before she calmed down
again. Whitney could feel all the fear and terror of an innocent woman accused
of murder. If she was guilty, she would have to be amazingly talented in
blocking her, or possibly so disturbed that she believed she was wrongly
accused. Chances were good that she was just plain innocent.

“Whitney, you work around the
law. Is there anything I can do? Do you think they could actually convict me?”

“Ann Marie, I know you’re
feeling pretty overwhelmed right now. But don’t give up. We’re still working on
things and hoping to find more answers. If the killer hasn’t left the area,
then he may not be able to keep himself from doing it again.”

“Great. My defense depends on
some sicko hurting another child.”

“I’m sorry. That didn’t come
out very well. Do you have any idea who could have done this and then tried to
place the blame on you?”

“So you believe I’m innocent?”

“Yes, I do. That doesn’t help
you much unless we find a way to prove it.”

“I’ve racked my brain. A few of
the parents have had their problems with me at times. I end up in the middle
when there’s any kind of disagreement. But that wouldn’t cause them to want to
hurt kids. The coaches don’t always like me, but I try to stay out of their
way. I don’t like when they push the boys too hard. That’s part of Derrick’s
problem. We were so excited about it all back then. I was the worst one. I
pushed him and encouraged his coach to push him. By the time he got to college
I thought he would be able to handle it better. That’s when it really got bad
for him. He got tired of the need to give a hundred and ten percent all the
time. If they didn’t win, he always felt like it was his fault.”

“So now you try to keep them
from pushing too hard?”

“Yes, because when the dream is
done, you have to have something else to value. Derrick put all his dreams into
a life in sports, and when it became impossible, he just gave up living. I was
the one that raised him like that. It’s my fault.”

“He’s young yet. He may still
adjust and find a way to meet his new challenges.”

“When he was young I was
Derrick’s biggest supporter. I would tell him if he worked hard he could do
anything, and pushed him to do his best. I’m still trying to keep him from
giving up. That’s why I bring him to the games. If he gets interested again he
could offer to coach some of the kids.”

“Ann Marie, I want you to think
before you answer my next question. Is there anyway Derrick could have worn
those shoes and gone somewhere without you knowing it? Maybe with another
person?”

Ann Marie’s eyes grew large
with surprise and then her brow furrowed as she realized the implication.
“That’s ridiculous. He can’t walk. He can hardly get himself from his chair to
his bed. How would he get somewhere that muddy in his wheel chair? The doctors
have poked and prodded but nothing has worked. He lays on the floor for hours
when he falls and no one else is around.”

“Can you think of anyone else
who could have left those shoes in your house?”

“We have people in an out all
the time. The last ones I can think of were the Pratts. They were so excited
about their littlest one being picked for Rookie of the Year.”

“Does anyone else have keys to
your house?”

“Just my brothers. They
wouldn’t be guilty of anything like this. Please, it must be a stranger.”

Whitney made a mental note to
check out her brothers and they visited for a few more minutes. She promised to
return as soon as she could. She didn’t want to stay too long and end up
running into someone that knew Nick. By the time she was driving out of the
city, she was exhausted. Between the stress of trying not to be seen, and
absorbing all of Ann Marie’s despair, she needed to rest and clear her mind. The
forty-five minute drive to Casa Grande seemed like too large a hurdle to
attempt in her condition.

She found herself driving in
the direction of the town of Gilbert. She was driving right toward Nick’s
house.

“Maybe just being near him
tonight will help me relax.”

She didn’t know if that was
true, but she was too tired and lonely to argue with herself. There weren’t
many motels in that part of town, but she finally found one a few miles from
his house. As soon as she got herself a room she fell onto the bed and into a
deep sleep.

Whitney woke feeling hungry but
a little more rested. The vending machines held little of nutritional value,
but it filled her stomach. When she finished her last peanut butter cracker,
she sprawled on the bed and tried to meditate. Her mind kept wandering to Nick.
He was so close. She could feel the gloom settling in when he finally arrived
home for the evening. He had been out looking for her. The guilt she felt was
making her stomach churn so badly she ran to the bathroom and emptied her
dinner of crackers and cookies into the toilet.

When the next attempt to
meditate proved to be futile, she decided to try something different. Maybe if
she could contact Nick she could let him know she was safe. She couldn’t call
him. He was probably ready to trace it. She closed her eyes and reached out to
him.

Nick was sitting in his chair
by the window wondering how he could go another day without sleep. Another day
without her. He pictured her asleep in his bed and tried to trick himself into believing
it.

Suddenly he could hear her
voice whispering his name. “Nick. I’m here.”
Wow, he was actually
getting pretty good at convincing himself. Maybe he had finally gone off the
deep end.

“Nick, it’s me. You’re not
going crazy. I’m really talking to you.” Her voice clearly sounded in his head.

“Whitney? Whitney, say
something else.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Sorry. You’d better be. When I
get my hands on you…I’ll…”

“What Nick?” She couldn’t
believe they were having a conversation in their heads, and at least a mile
apart.

Nick had been planning to say
something to show her how mad he was. But he was thinking that he’d probably
hold her in his arms and kiss her.

“Nick. Please try to
understand. I can’t even think about someone trying to hurt you again. It won’t
be forever. I just wanted to let you know that I’m safe.”

“Whitney…I miss you so much.
Let me be with you. Don’t do
this alone. Let me help. I’m going crazy
without you.”

“I know. Me too.” All these
years keeping herself away from men and relationships, and now she felt like
she couldn’t survive another minute without his arms around her.

“Nick. It’s not safe. Someone
could be watching you. If they find out you can get to me, something bad could
happen.”

“Whitney, I want you.”

“No Nick. Not yet. I have to
stay out of sight.”

“I can come to you. I’m a cop.
I can make sure I’m not followed. Don’t you trust me?”

“Yes…but it’s not worth the
risk. I can’t risk your life just to…”

She didn’t finish the sentence,
but Nick knew what she wanted.

“Whitney, you want me. You need
me, just as much as I need you. Let me come to you.”

Whitney couldn’t think. She was
connected to him again and she couldn’t bear to break the connection. She did
need him. No matter how hard she tried to say no, it wouldn’t come out.

“I’m at the Shady Side Inn.
Room thirty-two.”

Nick leapt up and shouted in
his mind, “I’ll be there in five minutes. Don’t move. Stay there.”

Whitney rolled over and the
tears started. She should have said no. How selfish could she be? She was
leading him right into danger, again. His wounds weren’t even healed yet. But
she could feel the relief washing over her knowing he was coming. She wouldn’t
be alone. She’d worked so hard most of her life to be alone. Now she couldn’t
even last a few weeks on her own. It was like she had given him part of
herself, and now she couldn’t live without him.

“Damn girl, you are in love
with him,” Whitney spoke the words out loud as she stood and paced. “Wonder if
that means he’s in love with me? Now all we need is a happy ending.”

The thought of a happy ending
made the realities come crashing back down. There was a killer out there
hurting little children. He wanted her out of the way, or dead. And even if she
survived this, she would go on to another case where her mind would touch the sickness
of a killer, or the pain of a victim. The elation of knowing Nick was coming
was replaced with guilt for the moment of happiness she had felt. How could she
be happy and in love when others were still suffering? The same old guilt. She
had survived and might even find happiness, and others had to suffer.