Page 34 of When She Dreams

Brandon angled his head in the general direction of the hallway behind them. “You think the extortionist is attending this dream conference?”

“That’s what it looks like.”

“You’ve got everyone convinced Miss Lodge is writing a book about dreams and you’re her research assistant.” Brandon grimaced. “Sounds like a real screwy case.”

“Beats divorce work.”

“Anything would.” Brandon thought for a couple of beats. “You’ll give me a call if there’s anything I need to know, right?”

“Yes. And thanks.”

“For what?”

“Your discretion,” Sam said. “It’s appreciated.”

“That’s me. Fucking discreet.”

Without another word they walked back inside. Brandon summoned his officers and headed toward the lobby. The Guilfoyles and Maggie were the only ones left in the corridor outside the theater.

Arthur Guilfoyle eyed Sam with suspicion. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to lock up now.”

“Right,” Sam said. He took Maggie’s arm. “We’ll be on our way.”

Maggie waited until they were out in the parking lot before she spoke.

“What did Detective Brandon want?” she asked.

“He doped out that I used to be a cop.” Sam opened the passenger side door of the Packard. “Asked a few questions.”

Maggie stopped. “He knows you were a police detective?”

“Cops usually recognize each other. Don’t worry, Brandon won’t be a problem, at least not for a while. I told him enough to keep him satisfied. We agreed I’ll call him if I come across anything he ought to know.”

Maggie looked anxious. “Did you tell him about Lillian Dewhurst?”

“No. At the moment his only concerns are Nevins’s death and the possibility that someone is dealing drugs here at the Institute.”

Maggie relaxed. “Good.” She slipped into the front seat of the convertible and looked up. “You don’t think that Beverly Nevins died of an accidental overdose, do you?”

“I can’t rule it out, but I doubt it.”

“I agree,” Maggie said. “Something terrible happened in that little theater tonight, Sam.”

“I know,” he said.

He closed the door, rounded the long hood of the Packard, and got behind the wheel. He fired up the big engine and drove toward the road.

“What are you thinking?” Maggie asked.

“I’m thinking we had better have our chat with the fake Cornelia tonight,” he said.

“You told me it was too soon to confront her. You said we needed more information and that I had no way to prove she’s a fraud.”

“The death of Beverly Nevins changes things. The imposter was shocked and badly frightened when she came running out of the theater tonight. Frightened people don’t think clearly. They make mistakes. Sometimes they tell you more than they realize. You just have to know how to listen.”

“That theory actually works?”

“According toDetective Magazine, it never fails.”

---