shoulders or long-lensed cameras around their necks, others toting boom mikes, a couple of dozen people talking on cell phones or tapping away on their BlackBerries. All of them waiting for something to happen.
She twisted her way through them, her coffee and notebook a kind of disguise. There were so many reporters here now, many from out of town, that a new one wouldn’t be remarked upon. Once she came back out of the house, it would be a different story. Nic was two steps from the Converses’ walkway, two steps from private property, when someone grabbed her arm.
“Nicole,” Cassidy hissed in her ear, no more eager to draw attention than Nic was herself. “What’s happening?’”
Nic shook her off. “Later,” she said out of the side of her mouth.
Cassidy fell back, a tiny smile tightening her lips, her turquoise eyes avid.
The minute Nic turned up the walk, the crowd turned and began to shout. She thought of a pack of wild dogs baying. Baying simply because the others were baying.
“Do you have news about Katie?”
“What about Katie?”
“Is there something new in the Katie Converse case?”
The front door opened, and she heard the cameras whirr. Wayne pulled her inside. Valerie was standing behind him. It was a relief to have the door click solidly into place behind her back, to have the shouts reduced to murmurs.
“Are you getting tired of having them camped out out there?” she asked.
Wayne pushed up his glasses and then pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s a balance. We have to figure out a way to keep them interested, keep the case alive, without having them lose focus—or go away completely.”
Valerie rubbed her temples. “We learned our lesson when we let one in to use the bathroom. Next thing you know, she was boasting about having some kind of ‘exclusive.’”
“The media can be on your side,” Nic said, “but you have to be careful. Because finding Katie isn’t their priority.”
“Then what is their priority?” Wayne asked. “What could be more important than a missing girl?”
“Ratings,” Valerie said flatly.
Nic nodded, thinking of Cassidy’s eagerness. “Right. So if they can turn your life upside down and shake out some scandal, they’ll do it. Anything for a new angle. Thanks to the Internet and CNN, we live in a twenty-four-hour news cycle. The only problem is that there aren’t twenty-four hours’ worth of news. So if there isn’t anything new, they have to make something up.” She remembered why she was here. “Anyway, who is it you want me to talk to?”
“We didn’t want you to be skeptical,” Wayne said in a rush. “But once you meet her and hear what she has to say, then . . .”
Nic’s heart started to sink. With difficulty she kept her face neutral.
“It’s Lorena Macy. I understand she’s quite well-known to law enforcement personnel,” Valerie said. “She says she’s even helped your agency before.”
Nic kept quiet. She had never heard of Lorena Macy. But she already knew what was coming.
Wayne’s voice was low. “She came to us and said she’s been having dreams since the day Kate disappeared. Even before it was on the news. Then when Lorena did see it on TV, she knew her dreams were really about Katie. She says she can get in touch with Katie by holding something of hers. But we wanted you to be here. In case she says something you can act on right away.”
“Where is she?” Nic tried hard to keep the anger out of her voice.
“In the kitchen,” Wayne said.
Nic took a deep breath. “Look, Mr. and Mrs. Converse. Let me be blunt. These kinds of people are already crawling out of the woodwork. We’re getting dozens of tips every day based on people’s dreams and visions. And 99 percent of them want attention or they want money. And then there are a few who just really, really want to help, even though they have no clue what happened.”
Wayne raised his eyebrows. “Lorena’s not asking for money. She said
She twisted her way through them, her coffee and notebook a kind of disguise. There were so many reporters here now, many from out of town, that a new one wouldn’t be remarked upon. Once she came back out of the house, it would be a different story. Nic was two steps from the Converses’ walkway, two steps from private property, when someone grabbed her arm.
“Nicole,” Cassidy hissed in her ear, no more eager to draw attention than Nic was herself. “What’s happening?’”
Nic shook her off. “Later,” she said out of the side of her mouth.
Cassidy fell back, a tiny smile tightening her lips, her turquoise eyes avid.
The minute Nic turned up the walk, the crowd turned and began to shout. She thought of a pack of wild dogs baying. Baying simply because the others were baying.
“Do you have news about Katie?”
“What about Katie?”
“Is there something new in the Katie Converse case?”
The front door opened, and she heard the cameras whirr. Wayne pulled her inside. Valerie was standing behind him. It was a relief to have the door click solidly into place behind her back, to have the shouts reduced to murmurs.
“Are you getting tired of having them camped out out there?” she asked.
Wayne pushed up his glasses and then pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s a balance. We have to figure out a way to keep them interested, keep the case alive, without having them lose focus—or go away completely.”
Valerie rubbed her temples. “We learned our lesson when we let one in to use the bathroom. Next thing you know, she was boasting about having some kind of ‘exclusive.’”
“The media can be on your side,” Nic said, “but you have to be careful. Because finding Katie isn’t their priority.”
“Then what is their priority?” Wayne asked. “What could be more important than a missing girl?”
“Ratings,” Valerie said flatly.
Nic nodded, thinking of Cassidy’s eagerness. “Right. So if they can turn your life upside down and shake out some scandal, they’ll do it. Anything for a new angle. Thanks to the Internet and CNN, we live in a twenty-four-hour news cycle. The only problem is that there aren’t twenty-four hours’ worth of news. So if there isn’t anything new, they have to make something up.” She remembered why she was here. “Anyway, who is it you want me to talk to?”
“We didn’t want you to be skeptical,” Wayne said in a rush. “But once you meet her and hear what she has to say, then . . .”
Nic’s heart started to sink. With difficulty she kept her face neutral.
“It’s Lorena Macy. I understand she’s quite well-known to law enforcement personnel,” Valerie said. “She says she’s even helped your agency before.”
Nic kept quiet. She had never heard of Lorena Macy. But she already knew what was coming.
Wayne’s voice was low. “She came to us and said she’s been having dreams since the day Kate disappeared. Even before it was on the news. Then when Lorena did see it on TV, she knew her dreams were really about Katie. She says she can get in touch with Katie by holding something of hers. But we wanted you to be here. In case she says something you can act on right away.”
“Where is she?” Nic tried hard to keep the anger out of her voice.
“In the kitchen,” Wayne said.
Nic took a deep breath. “Look, Mr. and Mrs. Converse. Let me be blunt. These kinds of people are already crawling out of the woodwork. We’re getting dozens of tips every day based on people’s dreams and visions. And 99 percent of them want attention or they want money. And then there are a few who just really, really want to help, even though they have no clue what happened.”
Wayne raised his eyebrows. “Lorena’s not asking for money. She said
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