“Okay,” she said, her voice laced with a hint of reluctance. “There’s Davis Meadows. He was a real creeper.” Davis had been selling stolen art on the dark web, a fact that still sent shivers down my spine. I vividly recalled the moment he’d lunged at me with a knife, the glint of malice in his eyes. Luckily, it was only a glancing blow; I’d managed to fight him off with a metal chair. The man spent a week in the hospital before he recovered enough for jail. His mother closed the art store after the arrest, but she’d stayed in town.
“Let’snot overlook our esteemed ex-mayor,” Scott interjected, his tone tinged with disdain.
That was the situation when Gilly and Scott first started dating, and Scott was let in on my fragrant secret, Aaron Trident. The mere mention of his name sent a chill down my spine. He had taken a life to safeguard his secrets, and when the investigation got too close, he had abducted Pippa.
The memory of that terrifying ordeal still haunted me. Pippa, brave and resourceful as always, had managed to leave me a clue using a scented lip balm she had thrown from the vehicle. She had been the first person to intentionally attach a memory to a scent for me to discover. Did the individual targeting me know she had done this? He would have had to know, wouldn’t he? Additionally, Trident was the one who had leaked the story about a psychic working within the GCPD shortly after his arrest. I wouldn’t discount the possibility that he had orchestrated this malevolent mess. Granted, he was in prison, but he could’ve solicited outside help.
I clenched my jaw as I thought about the man. “Aaron Trident definitely belongs on the list.”
“That covers all the local cases,” I stated, with a finality in my tone.
“Don’t forget about the robbery ring,” Gilly chimed in, urgency coloring her voice.
“They weren’t local,” I reminded her, my tone firm.
“Jane Beets of Beets’ Treats was,” Gilly countered. “If it weren’t for you, she would have collected a significant insurance payout for her place after faking the robbery at her shop.”
“But she didn’t face jail time,” I pointed out, feeling the need to clarify.
“But she did lose her business,” Gilly insisted, conviction in her voice.
“But I don’t think she was ever aware of my involvement in her case. I merely provided a tip to the police.” And by police, I mean Ezra.
“Fair enough,” Gilly conceded. “But that doesn’t mean she didn’t hear rumors.”
“Fine,” I nodded slowly, conceding her point. “Add Jane to the list.”
“And what about the officers who know about your ability?” Ari asked. “We still need to address that group.”
“I honestly can’t say,” I admitted with a sigh. “It could be all of the GCPD by now. It could be anyone.” I hated to acknowledge it, but it was the truth. All it would take is one slip of the tongue, and anyone could find out.
I had put my phone on the charger when I got home, so it startled me when it rang. “Gah. Made me jump,” I said, rising from the stool.
Gilly grabbed the phone from the counter, disconnected the cable, and handed it to me. “It’s Easy,” she said.
I took the phone from her and answered it. “Hey,” I greeted him. “Did you make it home already?”
“Not yet,” he replied. “Some EPA guys showed up with the FBI.”
“That makes sense,” I said. “Especially if the bomb contained toxic chemicals.”
“That’s the thing,” Ezra said quietly. “It wasn’t a chemical weapon.”
“It sure smelled like one.”
“No,” he disagreed. “It smelled like what it was...”
“What was it?”
Gilly gestured frantically, indicating to use the speakerphone.
I rolled my eyes but said, “Hey, I’m here with Gilly, Scott, and Ari. They want me to put you on speaker.”
“That’s fine,” he replied. “I’m not saying anything they can’t hear.”
I placed the phone on the center island and hit the speaker button. “Okay, you’re on speaker. Tell us what you found out.”
“The bomb had barely any explosives, mostly gunpowder for ignition, along with sulfur powder and sugar.”
