Extrasensory Page 15

  Mark grinned. “Nice to know my instincts are correct. However, she seems to be completely dedicated to Chase and committed to helping him make Oscar succeed. So her personality is immaterial to me.”

  Lucas Grant, Rick went on, was a University of Alabama graduate who’d worked for a number of public relations firms before hooking up with Chase. “Our boy has great technology ideas and a great head for business but no skills when it comes to schmoozing and soliciting. Chase met Lucas through mutual friends and offered him a small piece of the Carpenter Technology pie to come on board.”

  “Personal life?”

  “A lot of it. Hot and cold running women. But I guess as long as he does his job no one cares.”

  Ladd Tolbert, according to the report, was the poster child for dull. Harvard Law graduate, stick-to-the-letter-of-the-law kind of guy. But a demon when it came to writing contracts and enforcing them.

  Paul Harrison, the numbers man, who they hadn’t met yet, was an unknown quantity. “He’s received both a business management and an accounting degree from Stanford University and lives for his numbers. No personal life that we’ve been able to find except for the very occasional date. He’s the one who balances risk with revenue and he’s very good at it.”

  “How come we haven’t seen him yet?”

  “He stays in his office and counts the money,” Rick said, a tiny grin on his face. “Apparently his social skills leave a lot to be desired.”

  “I guess as long as he’s got his hand on the pulse of the bank account, that’s all that matters.”

  “And finally Stan Forbush, the head of the geek squad. Two engineering degrees from the University of Michigan. A loner. Parents still lived in Idaho and he saw them twice a year. No social life to speak of.

  “The guy lives with his computers,” Rick said, shoving the papers back in the folder. “Some people say he never even goes home. His designs are his children.”

  “Well, he produced Oscar, which will make Carpenter Techtronics king of the heap after this Friday. So I guess we can’t complain too much about his personal habits. They just seem to grow antisocials around here.”

  They exited the interstate onto the access road and a minute later Mark turned into the entrance to the tall building that housed their client’s offices. Ignoring the visitors’ parking, Mark pulled around back to the employees parking garage.

  “I want to leave the report on Chase until we can discuss him with Dan first, if that’s okay with you,” Rick said.

  “No problem,” Mark agreed. “It’s his friend.”

  “Do I get to meet Mia Fleming now?”

  “After the meeting with the main players. She’s…on an errand with Faith first. Meanwhile, I have some very interesting news about a body that was found at the airport this morning.”

  * * * * *

  Dan was sure the media had not ferreted out where he was staying, or the fact that Mia was with him but he wasn’t taking any chance. Per his instructions, Mia had ridden in the elevator to the second floor and taken the bridge over to the parking garage. He’d picked her up and driven to the third floor, circling twice to make sure no one was tagging them. When he was sure they were clear and no media were sniffing them out, he backed into a fortunately vacant space and waited until Faith pulled up in front of him.

  “This feels like real cloak and dagger stuff,” Mia tried to joke, unbuckling her seat belt and grabbing her purse.

  “Honey, we just don’t want to take any chances,” Dan reminded her. “I’m not so much worried about anyone attacking you here as I am the media descending on you. Those reporters can ferret out anything. I’ve set up some security just in case the reporters get wind of things and descend on you there. I didn’t want to tell you and get you upset but one of my men called and said it’s crazy over there. I had to send extra help.”

  Mia stared at him. “I hate that you’re wasting resources on me when you have killers to catch.”

  “And I want to make sure you don’t become one of their victims.” He looked for a moment as if he might be going to kiss her. Instead he backed away a little and settled for simply grazing her cheek softly with the knuckles of his hand. “Go on, now. Get into Faith’s car. I’ll see you later.”

  When Mia had made the switch and was settled in the passenger seat next to Faith, she locked her fingers together so the other woman wouldn’t see them tremble.

  Faith glanced at her as she headed down the exit ramp. “Are you hanging in there okay? Last night was pretty freaky.”

  “Dan’s just worried about the media getting onto me.” She gave a short, bitter laugh. “They never leave me alone, you know. I’m San Antonio’s resident freak. I’m just so sorry it’s making all this trouble for everyone else.”

  Faith dismissed Mia’s concerns with a wave of her hand. “Phoenix will take care of it. This is just nuisance stuff to them. Most of the things they do require absolute secrecy, or at least a good cover story, so they’re used to it. They do it all the time. By the way, how’s the hand this morning?”

  “Much better. Thank you. The doctor said the stitches would dissolve and Dan dressed and bandaged the cut again after I showered. I’ll be fine.” She sighed. “Just one more problem I’m throwing into the mix.”

  “Forget about that. Phoenix lives for challenges.” She looked over at Mia again. “I’m guessing your gift has made a lot of problems for you personally.”

  “Part of it is not knowing how to harness it, how to fully interpret the images and visions. I flounder around a lot.” She gnawed at her lower lip. “I should have learned my lesson the first time I went to the police. If I’d known then what I know now, I’d have kept my mouth shut.”

  “It is a challenge,” Faith agreed. She turned onto a pleasant, tree-lined street of bungalow-style houses. “But I don’t think you’d have done anything differently. Like me, I think you’re driven by your gift.”

  “Oh but I understood that you only communicated with Mark.”

  “That’s true. But think what an advantage it is when he’s in a hot spot and using any normal type of communications could put his life in danger.” She pulled up to the curb in front of a well-kept house with a wide porch and colorful flower beds. “We’re here. Ready?”

  Mia didn’t move. “Faith, I appreciate all you’re doing but I’m not so sure about this.”

  Faith turned to look at Mia. “No one bites, Mia. I promise. The Lotus Circle is a very non-threatening situation. You take what you want. And you’ll get the kind of guidance you need to settle your mind.”

  Mia looked at her then smiled. “You’re right. And I really appreciate this. I apologize for not thanking you for setting this up.”

  “No problem. Come on, now. Aunt Vivi’s probably peeking out the window at us.”

  Mia thought she must have been, indeed, because the front door opened as soon as the two of them stepped onto the porch. She was instantly enveloped in a warm hug.

  “You’re Mia. I’m so glad to meet you. Come in, come in. Oh, Faith, sweetheart, you’re looking better than ever. How’s the new book coming?”

  “Fine, Aunt Vivi.” Faith was laughing.

  Vivi Deland passed out hugs like cookies, then shooed them both into the kitchen. Two women were already seated at the round table, smiling expectantly. The kitchen was filled with bright colors and mystical items like sun catchers. A fanciful row of ceramic cats lined the windowsill.

  Although the room had a welcoming environment that was almost alive, Mia hung back at the sight of the other women. But Vivi put her arm around her and gently urged her forward.

  “Mia, this is Ellie and Susannah. They’re members of The Lotus Circle and good friends of mine, who both have precognitive powers. They’ve struggled with them just like you have. When we met at various workshops and discovered we all had some type of psychic gift, we formed our own little group to help each other harness and refine and understand our abilities.”

  “We
link ourselves to others throughout the world via the internet,” Ellie told her, “We exchange information and broaden our base of assistance.”

  In the flurry of conversation, Mia found herself seated at the table, a hot cup of lotus tea in front of her. She couldn’t help smiling. Vivi made the atmosphere so warm and pleasant. They might have been a group of women discussing the latest best-seller.

  “Now,” Vivi said, when they were all settled. “Why don’t you just give us a history of the visions, what form they take and what your accuracy rating is. We’ll go from there.”

  Sipping at the wonderful tea and nibbling on poppy seed cookies, Mia felt herself relax. More at ease than she’d expected to be, she gave them her entire history. It was hard for her to tell them about her family’s reaction, or the many disasters with the police. And of course dealing with the press was a nightmare.

  “All right.” Susannah took one of her hands. “Defining the images is very difficult and very often you can receive mixed signals. But we’re going to give you some hints to help you figure them out.”

  “Precognitive information comes in many forms.” Ellie picked up the thread. “Dreams at night, daydreams, flashes. Even hunches and so-called gut feelings. Sometimes in foreseeing an event, all the different forms are at work. First you have to be aware that there are these various forms. Then, rather than just wait for them to happen, be on the lookout for them.”

  “Usage sharpens the talent,” Susannah said. “The key is not to be afraid of it.”

  “Like I am,” Mia said shyly.

  Ellie reached over and touched her hand. “Like we all were in the beginning.”

  “The main point,” Susannah continued, “is to use it, not try to block it.” Her face sobered. “Even if it’s predicting unhappy or unpleasant events.”

  “There’s no quick fix for this but we’re going to show you how to do certain mental exercises. You can’t actually control the power but you can learn to rewind the image. Meditate. Clear your mind. Then try to bring the vision back to you in greater detail. Clearing the mind of all extraneous thoughts is very important. When the mind is clear, something will act as a trigger for the image.

  “So it takes a little extra work, Mia. But you can learn to do it. Learn to pick out surface patterns and discard the rest. Concentrate on your other senses and they will help you to connect the visions.”

  By the time they’d talked her through two meditation sessions, to clear her mind and focus on one of the visions she’d had, Mia was exhausted emotionally and mentally.

  “I think that’s enough for today,” Vivi said at last, noting Mia’s pale face. “Just remember it’s important to keep your mind as clear as possible so when the visions come to you they’ll be sharper and more defined. And we’re here whenever you need help.” She pressed a folded piece of paper in Mia’s hand. “Our telephone numbers. Call us any time. We’re also in contact with people all over the world who have special gifts.” She grinned. “Computers are a wonderful thing.”

  “So if we don’t have the answer,” Ellie added, “someone else might.”

  “We need to get going,” Faith told them, pushing back from the table. “I have to deliver Mia to the meeting at Carpenter Techtronics and somehow manage to avoid the media while we’re doing it.”

  “Do you think we can do that?” Mia’s forehead creased in a worried frown.

  “If we follow Mark’s instructions, I think we’ll be fine.”

  “Remember, Mia,” Aunt Vivi told her. “We’re here if you need us. Call any time.” She hugged both Mia and Faith.

  “Thank you,” Mia said softly. “Thank you more than you know.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Once again the atmosphere in the Carpenter Techtronics conference room was hostile and edgy. Except for Ladd Tolbert, who was always a quiet presence, Dan thought everyone at the table looked like candidates for caffeine rehab.

  Chase, dressed in hastily donned jeans and Carpenter t-shirt was pacing as usual. His hair was rumpled from raking his fingers through it and a muscle jumped constantly in his cheek. Jittery would have been too mild an adjective.

  Lady Joy, as Dan had taken to calling her, was perfectly put together in a hot pink pantsuit, not a hair or smidgen of makeup out of place. But in contrast to her angelic appearance, her entire contribution so far had been to repeat frequently, “Oh, Chase, for Christ’s sake, sit down. You’re making me dizzy.”

  Ladd, dressed in his customary three-piece dark gray suit, sat at one end of the table trying to calm Lucas, who was ranting and raving about media coverage, loss of contracts and why the hell did Dan wake them up at some god-awful hour to find out if they were alive or dead?

  “Please don’t tell me your little psycho told you someone was after us.” Ladd twisted his lips in a grimace. “Enough is enough.”

  Dan thanked his Marine training for allowing him to hold onto his temper. “As it turns out, fortunately none of you were shot. But a body’s turned up that may be connected to the car bombing.”

  Chase stopped his pacing. “What do you mean? Whose body? What does he have to do with us?”

  “I’m going to let Mark give you all the details as soon as he gets here. He talked to his contact at the SAPD and got all the information they had. But make no mistake. Mia got a clear message and I’d have been remiss if I didn’t check on everyone’s safety.”

  “Are we supposed to wait around all day for Mark?” Joy demanded. “Exactly when will he be here?”

  “Right now.” Mark walked into the room accompanied by another man and moved to one side of the table. “This is Rick Latrobe,” he said and the man with him gave a brief nod. “Another one of the Phoenix partners. He’ll be participating in the process too.”

  “I’m glad to see you’re bringing in more help,” Lucas said. “Oscar’s well-being is primary. And we can’t have people running around trying to steal him or disrupt Friday’s presentation in any other way. We have big bucks riding on this.”

  “What’s this rumor about a body?” Ladd asked. “And what does it have to do with us?”

  “It’s no rumor,” Mark answered. He gave them a concise report on Nate Wilson, his history and the discovery of his body. “The police are convinced someone hired him to blow up Mia’s car, preferably with her in it. Someone who doesn’t want any more of her visions involved in this situation.”

  “It seems a somewhat stupid thing to do,” Dan commented. “If everyone looks at her visions with such skepticism, putting her in the spotlight like this defeats the purpose of negating her.”

  “Maybe she blew it up herself,” Joy put in, hate glittering in her eyes. “You know, to convince us someone believes her and wants her out of the way. For all we know, she’s doing this to get publicity for herself.” She flipped her ponytail. “Just the kind Chase needs the least.”

  For the hundredth time Dan asked himself what it was that Chase saw in this woman. They were such complete opposites—the engineer who thought pressing his pants was dressing up and the blonde angel with the she-devil personality who had her evil eye cast on the top rung of Chase’s money ladder. She must be some dynamo in bed. Hell, a woman like her would have to be to keep any sane man interested.

  “Don’t you think that would be carrying things a little too far, Miss Rivers?” Dan couldn’t keep the hint of sarcasm out of his voice. “And I hardly think Mia Fleming would blow up her car with someone in it just to give validity to what she says. Whatever you may think of her, she’s not a killer. She’s very upset that someone was murdered in her place.”

  “I still can’t believe anyone really takes her mumbo jumbo that seriously,” Joy continued, her voice disdainful. “I work with facts and the fact is, Oscar is safe and sound. No one’s tried to sneak him out of here. End of discussion, so let’s cut out all this bullshit and get on with business.”

  Dan waited a long moment before answering, forcing a calm and quiet into his voice that he was far
from feeling. “Apparently someone does take her seriously, someone who either believes in psychic abilities or doesn’t want to take the chance that others do. Especially if they’re involved with Carpenter Techtronics and, I hate to say it but we can’t discount the possibility it’s someone involved with this company.”

  “That’s ridiculous.” Chase’s voice was raspy. “I’d say it’s much more likely to be someone outside the company. If Oscar disappears before Friday, everyone here will be in bad shape because Carpenter Techtronics will take a big hit. We’ve got a lot invested in this project. No one’s going to jeopardize that.”

  “I think someone wants you to think a Carpenter employee is involved,” Lucas interjected. “The whole thing is just too obvious. Too staged. Don’t you think we’d be smart enough to be a little more subtle about it?”

  “We’re not passing up any options,” Dan told him. “That’s one of the reasons Rick is here. We’ll be communicating with our home office as we work through all possibilities but we have to look at all Carpenter employees, at least to eliminate them.”

  “You might try checking out our enemies too,” Chase pointed out. “We certainly have enough of them. There are plenty of people who are envious of our success. People who don’t want Oscar to succeed.”

  “People who’d be happy to take down Carpenter Techtronics,” Joy added. “I think you’d better start looking there first. I may not be a partner in this company but I have just as much a vested interest. Chase tells me you people are the best at what you do. Maybe you should start doing it.”

  Rick tensed. “I think you’ll be more than satisfied with our investigation, Miss Rivers. I understand research was a big part of your job as a senatorial aide. Well, that’s what we do to find the answers. Research.”