She leaned down close to Sarah. “How did you know my name? I’ve been working undercover for a long time nailing deadbeat johns. But this operation was for Miles Johnson. Then you walk up, name me, and shoot at my suspect with his own gun. Who the hell are you?”
Sarah caught her breath, but her shoulder ached from the hit. She rested her cast on the cement and laid her head back. She had no idea how she knew Jessica’s or Vicky’s names or how to disarm Miles’ gun. It was all Vivian’s doing. But if so, why still give messages through automatic writing? Why not just talk directly inside her head?
“Why did you grab Miles’ gun?” Vicky asked. “You paramilitary trained or something?”
“She just knows stuff,” Parkman said. “That’s Sarah Roberts.”
Vicky straightened up and turned to face Parkman.
“That would make you her colleague, Parkman?”
“You know us?”
“We all heard she was in town. Most of us steered clear for fear of hurting her by accident.” Vicky looked back at Sarah. “Your reputation with the authorities precedes you.”
The cop who had let her fall came back over. “Oh, are you Sarah Roberts?” he asked, mock surprise on his face. He placed a hand on each cheek, his mouth a gaping hole. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea.” He got down and removed the cuffs.
Detective Hirst had kept them isolated from the local cops in case some of them got the wrong idea about her. But now Hirst was nowhere around.
“Can I help her up?” Parkman asked.
Vicky nodded and stepped back to give him room. He slipped both hands under her arms and lifted her back onto the hood of the car.
“You okay?” he asked.
Miles was escorted to a waiting cruiser. He had fired his weapon inches from her face. There had to be attempted murder charges waiting for him. The other guy was on a stretcher being wheeled to a waiting ambulance.
“That was fast,” Sarah said, having caught her breath.
“What was?” Vicky asked.
“Your response time.” Sarah turned to her. “Everyone was waiting around the corner.” Knowing she was right, Sarah continued. “You were planning a bust tonight, but not for the johns. That’s the reason for so many cops and an ambulance.”
“Why are you here?” Vicky asked. “Was it just to find Mercedes?”
“Would you believe me if I told you?”
“Try me.”
“Then yes, we just wanted to talk to Mercedes.”
“Weren’t you working with homicide on the priest killings?” Vicky asked.
“You know a lot.”
Vicky turned to the officer who let Sarah fall. “Hey, Russ, I got this. Go ahead and I’ll meet you downtown.”
Russ grunted and turned away, the smile never leaving his face.
“Come have a coffee with me,” Vicky said. “We’ll talk about Mercedes.”
Parkman moved in to help Sarah, but she waved him off, pulled the crutch under her shoulder and started for the breakfast restaurant.
With Vicky a few steps ahead of them, Parkman asked, “What’s happening, Sarah? How are you getting all their names? How did you know to do that to the gun?”
“I’m not really sure. But whatever it is, I’m loving it.”
She caught him staring at her.
“Are you saying you did not have foreknowledge of that gun?”
“Yes, that’s what I’m saying. But if Vivian wants to keep planting stuff in my head when I need it, I don’t mind. Miles entered that parking lot with intent tonight. Without Vivian, I might have gotten hurt.”
Vicky turned around. “Did I hear you say you might have gotten hurt with Miles?”
Sarah nodded.
“The last girl he hurt is still in the hospital. We suspect he’s killed a few. When I saw him pull the gun on you, I didn’t approach until backup arrived.” She stared hard at Sarah. “He intended to kill you, or at the very least, maim you.”
“Great. Thanks. I feel so
Sarah caught her breath, but her shoulder ached from the hit. She rested her cast on the cement and laid her head back. She had no idea how she knew Jessica’s or Vicky’s names or how to disarm Miles’ gun. It was all Vivian’s doing. But if so, why still give messages through automatic writing? Why not just talk directly inside her head?
“Why did you grab Miles’ gun?” Vicky asked. “You paramilitary trained or something?”
“She just knows stuff,” Parkman said. “That’s Sarah Roberts.”
Vicky straightened up and turned to face Parkman.
“That would make you her colleague, Parkman?”
“You know us?”
“We all heard she was in town. Most of us steered clear for fear of hurting her by accident.” Vicky looked back at Sarah. “Your reputation with the authorities precedes you.”
The cop who had let her fall came back over. “Oh, are you Sarah Roberts?” he asked, mock surprise on his face. He placed a hand on each cheek, his mouth a gaping hole. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea.” He got down and removed the cuffs.
Detective Hirst had kept them isolated from the local cops in case some of them got the wrong idea about her. But now Hirst was nowhere around.
“Can I help her up?” Parkman asked.
Vicky nodded and stepped back to give him room. He slipped both hands under her arms and lifted her back onto the hood of the car.
“You okay?” he asked.
Miles was escorted to a waiting cruiser. He had fired his weapon inches from her face. There had to be attempted murder charges waiting for him. The other guy was on a stretcher being wheeled to a waiting ambulance.
“That was fast,” Sarah said, having caught her breath.
“What was?” Vicky asked.
“Your response time.” Sarah turned to her. “Everyone was waiting around the corner.” Knowing she was right, Sarah continued. “You were planning a bust tonight, but not for the johns. That’s the reason for so many cops and an ambulance.”
“Why are you here?” Vicky asked. “Was it just to find Mercedes?”
“Would you believe me if I told you?”
“Try me.”
“Then yes, we just wanted to talk to Mercedes.”
“Weren’t you working with homicide on the priest killings?” Vicky asked.
“You know a lot.”
Vicky turned to the officer who let Sarah fall. “Hey, Russ, I got this. Go ahead and I’ll meet you downtown.”
Russ grunted and turned away, the smile never leaving his face.
“Come have a coffee with me,” Vicky said. “We’ll talk about Mercedes.”
Parkman moved in to help Sarah, but she waved him off, pulled the crutch under her shoulder and started for the breakfast restaurant.
With Vicky a few steps ahead of them, Parkman asked, “What’s happening, Sarah? How are you getting all their names? How did you know to do that to the gun?”
“I’m not really sure. But whatever it is, I’m loving it.”
She caught him staring at her.
“Are you saying you did not have foreknowledge of that gun?”
“Yes, that’s what I’m saying. But if Vivian wants to keep planting stuff in my head when I need it, I don’t mind. Miles entered that parking lot with intent tonight. Without Vivian, I might have gotten hurt.”
Vicky turned around. “Did I hear you say you might have gotten hurt with Miles?”
Sarah nodded.
“The last girl he hurt is still in the hospital. We suspect he’s killed a few. When I saw him pull the gun on you, I didn’t approach until backup arrived.” She stared hard at Sarah. “He intended to kill you, or at the very least, maim you.”
“Great. Thanks. I feel so
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