"I seem to be a better conductor than Paris was," Dani said absently, watching the little light show. "She couldn't sleep with an electric alarm clock on her nightstand, because it would short out while she was sleeping. When she was awake, the only thing she occasionally affected was the odd touchy computer or something like that."
"Wow," Jordan said.
Dani looked at him, then shook her hand slightly. With a couple of pops and crackles, the energy dissipated. "Most of us carry around a static charge at one time or another; the human body is filled with electrical energy. My mind just knows how to channel it now. Focus it, direct it."
"Ah. An honest-to-God weapon. Like a laser?"
"Not that focused."
"Not yet," Bishop murmured.
Without looking at him, Dani said, "It's an ability I'd just as soon have temporarily and give back to Paris as soon as possible. One of Bishop's guardians is at the hospital watching over her, but I think all this guy needs is time to… recharge his own energy before he tries again."
Roxanne said, "So you think he targeted Paris deliberately? Because he wanted her ability?"
"I think so."
"How did he find out about it?"
"I don't know for sure. But-"
Marc spoke up, saying, "Paris's ex-husband likes to drink. And he tends to rant about Paris, to anyone who even pretends to be listening, when he drinks. All about Paris, especially the things that spooked him. I'm thinking maybe Dan said the wrong thing to the right person. In fact, I'd bet on it."
Roxanne lifted her brows at Dani. "Your twin married a man named-"
"We pondered the subtext of the names, believe me," Dani told her wryly. "Probably something Freudian about it. Or just unlucky chance-all the way around."
"Moving on," Gabriel murmured.
Dani nodded. "Thank you. Moving on-the point is that I think this guy will try again, and as soon as he regains his strength."
"How do you know he lost it?" Jordan asked.
"Bitter experience. Every psychic I know is drained to some extent when they use their abilities. An attack like that one required an enormous amount of energy, especially since he wasn't in physical contact with Paris or apparently even close to either of us. I was out nearly eighteen hours, and that was after he expended most of his energies attacking both of us; I'm betting he's still out."
Gabriel pulled at his earlobe briefly. "So you're saying that Paris's ex did his drunken-rant act in a bar where our killer happened to be? I love a good coincidence, but-"
"Not so much of a coincidence when you think about it," Marc said. "Dan worked for a company in Atlanta. We're a bit far out to be a true bedroom community, but we have more than our share of commuters who live in Venture-and his job involved a lot of travel. All up and down the East Coast. He passed through Boston at least three times last summer."
"All kinds of things lining up now," Roxanne said. "So this serial was laying low in Boston, maybe keeping an eye on the investigation into his murders, maybe just having a scotch between victims, when he heard a drunken salesman in a bar talking about his very talented ex-wife. And it seemed like a good idea to get out of the spotlight up there and head south."
"I think it was a lot more deliberate than that," Dani said. "I can't prove it, because so far there's nothing anybody would consider to be evidence-but I know the sense I got from that voice in my mind. That other personality. He was already focused on Bishop, on the SCU. He was planning on a fight. Maybe he intended to make his stand there in Boston, or maybe he was already on the verge of moving on. Either way, hearing about Paris brought him to Venture. Because Paris was here, and she had a very cool ability he wanted for his very own."
"He's a psychic vampire," Jordan guessed hesitantly, half afraid someone would laugh at him.
But this wasn't a group to easily dismiss the seemingly fantastic.
"There are plenty of energy vampires in the nonpsychic world," Bishop told him. "You probably know at least one yourself. They wear out their friends just having a normal conversation, suck the energy right out of the room."
Jordan frowned. "Actually, I know two people like that. But this guy-am I right in thinking he'd have to have some kind of specialized ability? I mean, to steal another psychic's abilities?"
Listening to the clock ticking louder in her head, Dani said, "Probably. To be honest, I don't really care how he does it. Or why. I just want to find him, and before he has the strength to finish the job he started. He'll go after Paris again, and, guardian or not, he could kill her before he ever realized she no longer has the ability he wants so badly."
Jordan nodded quickly. "So we go back to the warehouses."
"And," Marc said, "start checking property records for the last couple of months. I'm betting he likes his accommodations to be a little more comfortable than a warehouse, wherever he does his dirty work. I doubt he's stayed at one of the motels all these weeks, because it would have been noticed. A rental or a lease is more likely. But we'll send deputies out to check the motels anyway."
"Which will also be noticed," Bishop said.
"It's the weekend and getting late, so maybe not so much. In any case, I figure we've got maybe forty-eight hours max before the news breaks wide open." He eyed Bishop. "And speaking of news, shouldn't you be in Boston, all visible for the Director?"
"The Director had to fly to the West Coast for a few days and is due back in D.C. by Wednesday," Bishop replied. "I've got several of my people wasting time in Boston running a shell game to disguise my absence, so I should be covered until then. If the hunt is still on in Venture, I go back to coming down here as often as I can on a corporate jet that does a regular twice-daily run from Atlanta to Boston and back."
"True commitment," Gabriel said politely. Before anyone could comment, he got to his feet and began unfolding a large map onto the conference table. "Roxanne and I have been checking out warehouses and other likely buildings during the last few days; I think if we compare notes, you'll be able to cross off over half the ones on your list."
Chapter Twenty
IT WAS NEARLY MIDNIGHT when Marc parked his cruiser in the driveway of his house a few blocks from the sheriff's department, and Dani was still arguing. "Marc, I slept for eighteen hours. I-"
"You didn't sleep for eighteen hours, you were out for eighteen hours. Big difference. And," he added before she could interrupt him, "I did not sleep."
"I didn't say you shouldn't rest, I said I didn't need to."
"You also said I was your guardian-or words to that effect-and your guardian sticks to you like white on rice. And you stick to him."
"I just feel like I should be doing something to help find the killer," Dani said.
Marc turned off the car and opened his door just enough for the interior light to come on. He looked at her steadily. "Are you afraid to dream this time, is that it?"
"I'm always afraid to dream. But that isn't it. I don't believe the killer has regained enough energy to come after anybody, and it's not like I can plan to have a vision dream, you know that. It happens or it doesn't. Passive, remember? I'm tired of being passive. I need to be doing something, Marc, something useful."
"Listen to me. Everything that can be done is being done. Everybody who's not absolutely dead on their feet is out in teams searching buildings or at the station combing through property records. The only thing you or I could add would be two more pairs of tired eyes. We both need a break, Dani."
She really couldn't argue with that truth-or didn't want to. But she did say mildly, "All my stuff is at Paris 's house."