“What did you see?”
Luke smiled an edgy smile that sent a little flash of lightning across her senses. “I saw power,” he said, “a lot of it. And it was sexy as hell.”
Eleven
She came out of thetrance on an adrenaline tide and hastily raised one hand to make sure her sunglasses were securely in place. The daytime readings were accompanied by less psychic blowback—something to do with the natural ebb and flow of energy currents, according to Bea—but they were not a walk in the park.
She realized Bruce was pressed against her right leg. He watched her, ears sharp, amber eyes intent.
She patted the top of his head and glanced at Luke. He, too, was watching her, his expression unreadable.
She turned to Mack, who was leaning against the fender of his car, arms folded. Like her, he was wearing dark glasses. Cop glasses. She sensed his wariness but also his determination.
“That’s all I can tell you,” she said, dropping back into her normal voice. “You’re right. This was murder. In my vision, the killer appears quite suddenly on the side of the road, so he probably brought the body here in the trunk of a car. He dragged it into the ditch and left it.”
“You’re sure the killer was a man and that he was alone?” Mack asked.
“I’m certain that the person who left the body here was a man. I can’t be absolutely positive that he was alone. All I can tell you is that no one else appeared in the vision. It’s possible there was another person in the car, but I doubt it.”
“Why?” Luke asked before Mack could.
“I’m not sure,” she admitted. “It’s just a feeling. The killer seemed to be working alone and in a great hurry. Excited. He didn’t interact with anyone else. No one helped him get the body out of the vehicle.”
She pulled up the collar of the down coat. The adrenaline would wear off soon and the chills would follow. “I realize that’s not very helpful, Mack.”
“You’ve confirmed that this was murder, that the killer dumped the body here, and that he was in a hurry,” Mack said. “That’s enough for now.” He hesitated, studying her intently through his own dark glasses. “Unless there was anything to suggest that the killer or the victim might have been local?”
He really was a good cop, she thought. His intuition was telling him that she knew more than she had let on. She stuck to a narrow version of the truth.
“I’m as certain as I can be that the killer was not local,” she said. “It feels like the site of the body dump was chosen at random.”
“Or maybe because it was sure to be found,” Luke suggested quietly.
Mack nodded. “Yeah.” He unfolded his arms and straightened away from the vehicle. “I need an ID on the victim. There’s usually a connection with the killer.”
“Yes,” Luke said.
Sophy nodded in agreement, but she didn’t try to speak,because she was feeling a little shaky. She realized Luke was moving closer to her. Alarmed, she tried to step back. This was no time to risk unleashing the storm winds of their auras. Not in front of an audience.
Luke draped an arm casually around her shoulders. For a heartbeat she hovered on the knife edge that separated panic from thrilling anticipation. She braced herself for the heat and fire of the connection. Maybe it would not be as strong in the daylight. Paranormal energy was always more powerful after dark.
But this time Luke did not overwhelm her aura. Instead, his energy field whispered to hers. Intimate. Comforting. Warm. The shaky feeling subsided.
Mack watched them for a moment, then he opened the car door. “That does it for now. I’ll be on my way. You can get back to your missing persons case.” He paused before he got into the driver’s seat and looked at Luke. “About those missing persons. Have they been reported to the police?”
“No,” Luke said. “It’s a private matter. The families don’t want the authorities involved. They think it’s a runaway lovers situation.”
Mack nodded, evidently satisfied. “Got it. Couple of kids decided to hit the road together. The families want to avoid the publicity.”
“Yes,” Luke said.
Mack looked at Sophy. “Thanks for taking a look at the scene.”
“You’re welcome,” she said.
Mack smiled a humorless smile. “Almost like old times.”
She let that slide.
