CHAPTER 3
The caustic observation certainly wasn’t everything I had hoped for out of this meeting. However, depending on your perspective, hope and expectation can be two completely different things. To be honest, since I hadn’t expected much at all, this was better than nothing. At the very least she was speaking instead of simply staring, and the subtext of her comment was purposely blatant.
I cleared my throat once again, shifted forward in my seat, and then nodded. “Actually, I’ve been asking myself that very question for several years now.”
“I sincerely doubt it,” she replied.
It didn’t matter to me that she was being adversarial. In my mind, the fact that she responded at all was enough to push the dialogue forward. If she wanted to argue, I was willing to oblige.
“And why is that?”
“So you want to play psychologist, I see.”
I shook my head. “No. As I recall, you’re the one with the psych degree, not me. I’m just asking a question.”
She launched an exasperated sigh into the air between us. “Fine, I will play along. I say I doubt it because you are pretending to assume the she I am referring to is your wife.”
“I see,” I answered with a slight nod.
My headache was still raging, not that I’d imagined it would magically subside just because she began to talk. However, the return of the prickling gooseflesh as my skin tightened in a physiological response to her comment had definitely not been on my list of expectations-especially since my stomach was still slowly working its way through the expanded edition of the Handbook Of Knots.
Apparently, this was going to be even harder on me than I thought. I took a moment to bolster my psychic defenses, but I feared I was already too late. Preternatural attacks were like flood waters-once they broke through there was precious little that could stop them, and I had no doubt that I was already bobbing in a dangerous current.
After a short pause I asked, “So, I take it you’re talking about someone else then?”
“Of course. You know full well that I am.”
She was correct, I did know, but I wasn’t going to let on to that just yet. I wanted her to believe she was the one in control of the conversation. Unfortunately, what I wanted really didn’t matter all that much because she actually did have the upper hand, whether I cared to admit it or not.
“Could’ve fooled me…” I said, purposely furrowing my brow. “Care to fill me in, or am I just supposed to make another assumption?”
She cocked her head and gave me a pitying glare. “You are nowhere near as clever as I expected you to be. What happened to the man who tracked me all the way to New Orleans?”
“Which one of you?” I asked. “As I recall I tracked you both.”
“You tell me.”
“I suppose it doesn’t really matter, does it? After all, where one of you goes, so goes the other.”
“For now,” she said.
“Yeah… Okay…” I replied. “So anyway, to answer your question, I’m reasonably sure I’m sitting right here.”
“I am not so certain that is true.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Your pathetic attempt to make me believe you do not know of whom I speak.”
“Maybe I’m just dense.”
“I doubt it.”
I shrugged. “Then maybe you set the bar too high.”
“Do not try to make this about me.”
“Isn’t it though?” I asked. “About you, I mean? You’re the one in control here.”
“No, no, no…” she muttered, shaking her head. “That was clumsy. Ham handed. You are playing this game all wrong.” She lifted her hands above the table as far as the chain on the cuffs would allow. “Besides, if I was the one in control, then you would be wearing these and crawling on the floor at my feet where you belong.”
“Point taken,” I said as I nodded. “But, even though you’re the one who is physically restrained, by the same token you’re in command of the situation. After all, you wanted me here and I showed up. No questions.”
“Do you really think I do not know that you have been trying to arrange this meeting yourself? We both know you wanted it even more than I. And, we also both know you have questions.”
“Okay, you got me. I have questions. But don’t we all? At least I haven’t asked them.”
“Yet,” she spat.
“True.”
“But you want to.”
I shrugged again. “Would you expect any less?”
“I thought we had established that you are already far less than I had expected?”
“Because I don’t know who you’re talking about?”
She shook her head, only slightly, but still enough to be perceptible. “You know exactly who I am talking about. What makes you dim is your belief that you can play stupid with me and that I will buy into it.”
“Maybe I’m not playing.”
“Do not continue to insult my intelligence. Do you really think you can fool me? I know everything you are thinking.”
I steepled my index fingers then tapped them lightly against my pursed lips as I feigned introspection. After a moment I dropped them forward to point toward her. “So you’re going to be the psychologist now?”
“Psychology is not necessary in order for me to recognize bad acting when I see it. I have already told you that you are not clever enough to play this game with me.”
“Okay then. No games. Why did you ask for this meeting with me?”
“Why don’t you tell me?”
“Who’s playing games now?” I asked with a sigh. “Did you call me here just for your own entertainment?”
“What if I did?”
I took in a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. Leaning back in my chair, I cocked an eyebrow and gave her a half shrug. “If you did, then I think you’re easily amused, and to borrow a phrase, we both know that isn’t true. But what can I say? Go for it. Entertain yourself. And when you’re done, we can talk about the real reason I’m here.”
She arched an eyebrow, slowly glanced over her shoulder at the guard, then turned back to face me. “Have Officer Bardwell remove these handcuffs and leave us alone, and trust me, I will entertain both of us.”
“I doubt we have the same ideas about what we find entertaining,” I replied. “So if it’s all the same to you, I think I’ll pass.”
“I thought as much.” She sneered as she gave her head a haughty shake. “It does not matter. You do not have the time anyway.”
I shrugged at the question. “Time? I’ve got all day.”
She smiled and shook her head. “No. You do not.”
“Sure I do.”
“No,” she replied, the corner of her mouth turning up in a wicked smirk. “You would love for me to believe that, but I know better.”
“Okay,” I conceded. “Then since I’m the dull-witted one here, why don’t you fill me in?”
“Are you certain you really want to keep trying to play a game you are destined to lose?”
I clucked my tongue and paused before answering. “Truthfully, I haven’t really been certain about much of anything where you’ve been concerned, except that you’re an evil bitch.”
She flashed a thin, condescending smile. “Finally… That is the first truly honest thing you have said to me since you arrived.”
I answered with sarcasm. “Glad I could brighten your day.”
“Would you like to continue the trend, or shall I do it for you?” she asked.
“This is your party,” I replied. “Why should I have all the fun?”
“All right then,” she returned. Shifting in her seat she allowed her expressionless gaze to dwell on my face for several heartbeats before speaking once again. “You do not have all day because you would not last that long and you know it. You are exhausted. You have barely slept and your nerves are on edge. Being this close to me is making you worry, and right now you want nothing more than to call your wife to make sure she is safe since you are not there to protect her. But most of all…you are afraid of her.”
“I’m afraid of my wife?”
She furrowed her brow in admonishment. “I really am bored with you playing stupid. I have already pointed out that you are not any good at it.”