she had ever run before. Her heart was racing in her chest as she looked back to find the wall moving faster. It was catching up to her.
Suddenly she heard something that made her stop in her tracks.
“Make it stop! I promise I'll behave, just make it stop!”
The voice belonged to a young girl, though she couldn't see where it was coming from. She spun around in place, looking between every building to find its source. “Please, I'll listen!” it called out again.
Rilynne had been so concerned with finding the girl belonging to the voice that she forgot about the fog until she turned back around.
It was ten feet away… one foot… one inch…
Chapter Six
“ B abe.” A voice came from just beside her. Rilynne gasped when her eyes shot open. As several other voices filled the background, it took several moments for her to realize where she was. She sat up, her body aching from the awkward angle she had been lying, and turned to face him.
“Did you stay here all night?” Ben asked. She nodded and looked up at the clock on the wall. It was just before seven. “I thought you were only going to stay for a few more minutes after I left. I didn't know what to think when I woke up and you weren't there.”
“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you,” she said. She let out a yawn as she stretched in her chair. “I guess I just lost track of time.”
He ran his hand gently down her cheek. “Did you find anything?”
She closed her eyes and shook her head. When she opened them again moments later, she found Ben's knuckles dragging along his unshaven chin. She liked the scruffy look on him, though she rarely had the opportunity to see it. Like her, he was a bit of a workaholic and almost never took off long enough to let it grow out.
“I'm going to run home and change,” she said. “That charlatan is due in soon, and I'd rather not be around when she gets here.”
Ben furrowed his brow as he turned toward her. “Are you sure she-?”
“Is a fake? Yes,” she interrupted, though it didn't ease the expression on his face.
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “Are you sure she isn't involved? What better way to make a name for yourself than by solving a child abduction case. More than just that, a cop's child. It would almost guarantee future work with the department.”
Rilynne let out a deep sigh but didn't have an answer. She was angry at herself for not considering it, though. She had been so hung up on the flashy show Young had been giving that she hadn't even entertained the possibility that she could be more than just a fraud.
“I'll have Steele look into it,” she said. “He's adamant that psychics don't exist, so I trust he can do a thorough job without getting sucked into her show.”
Ben grinned. “Poor naïve man,” he chuckled. “Come on, I'll drive you home.”
She nodded and grabbed her purse. After sending Steele a quick message, they started toward the elevator.
“What were you dreaming about?” he asked when the doors closed behind them. “Did you see anything useful?”
She thought back over the dream before shaking her head. “At least not anything that stands out. I'm still not used to deciphering them. The most I've been able to do is tie things together after the fact. That's not really going to help us right now.”
When the doors opened to the lobby, Ben took Rilynne's arm and they walked quietly toward the front door. Just before they reached it, Ms. Young stepped in.
“Good morning, detective,” she said. She smiled briefly before her eyes widened and she pulled her hand up over her mouth. “Oh dear,” she gasped. “You must be careful today. Horrible things will happen to you if you don't look around the corner before you turn.”
Rilynne looked her up and down, trying to keep the baleful look from her expression. “I'll keep that in mind,” she said
Suddenly she heard something that made her stop in her tracks.
“Make it stop! I promise I'll behave, just make it stop!”
The voice belonged to a young girl, though she couldn't see where it was coming from. She spun around in place, looking between every building to find its source. “Please, I'll listen!” it called out again.
Rilynne had been so concerned with finding the girl belonging to the voice that she forgot about the fog until she turned back around.
It was ten feet away… one foot… one inch…
Chapter Six
“ B abe.” A voice came from just beside her. Rilynne gasped when her eyes shot open. As several other voices filled the background, it took several moments for her to realize where she was. She sat up, her body aching from the awkward angle she had been lying, and turned to face him.
“Did you stay here all night?” Ben asked. She nodded and looked up at the clock on the wall. It was just before seven. “I thought you were only going to stay for a few more minutes after I left. I didn't know what to think when I woke up and you weren't there.”
“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you,” she said. She let out a yawn as she stretched in her chair. “I guess I just lost track of time.”
He ran his hand gently down her cheek. “Did you find anything?”
She closed her eyes and shook her head. When she opened them again moments later, she found Ben's knuckles dragging along his unshaven chin. She liked the scruffy look on him, though she rarely had the opportunity to see it. Like her, he was a bit of a workaholic and almost never took off long enough to let it grow out.
“I'm going to run home and change,” she said. “That charlatan is due in soon, and I'd rather not be around when she gets here.”
Ben furrowed his brow as he turned toward her. “Are you sure she-?”
“Is a fake? Yes,” she interrupted, though it didn't ease the expression on his face.
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “Are you sure she isn't involved? What better way to make a name for yourself than by solving a child abduction case. More than just that, a cop's child. It would almost guarantee future work with the department.”
Rilynne let out a deep sigh but didn't have an answer. She was angry at herself for not considering it, though. She had been so hung up on the flashy show Young had been giving that she hadn't even entertained the possibility that she could be more than just a fraud.
“I'll have Steele look into it,” she said. “He's adamant that psychics don't exist, so I trust he can do a thorough job without getting sucked into her show.”
Ben grinned. “Poor naïve man,” he chuckled. “Come on, I'll drive you home.”
She nodded and grabbed her purse. After sending Steele a quick message, they started toward the elevator.
“What were you dreaming about?” he asked when the doors closed behind them. “Did you see anything useful?”
She thought back over the dream before shaking her head. “At least not anything that stands out. I'm still not used to deciphering them. The most I've been able to do is tie things together after the fact. That's not really going to help us right now.”
When the doors opened to the lobby, Ben took Rilynne's arm and they walked quietly toward the front door. Just before they reached it, Ms. Young stepped in.
“Good morning, detective,” she said. She smiled briefly before her eyes widened and she pulled her hand up over her mouth. “Oh dear,” she gasped. “You must be careful today. Horrible things will happen to you if you don't look around the corner before you turn.”
Rilynne looked her up and down, trying to keep the baleful look from her expression. “I'll keep that in mind,” she said
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