Page 11 of No Time for Doubt
“Yeah.”He looked around.“I heard you earlier.”
Devyn nodded.There was no reason to gloat.
“What exactly are you to her?”Detective Laurier asked.
“A sounding board, mostly.A counselor of sorts.”
“Uh-huh.I looked you up, found your website.”
And likely more than he bargained for.She waited.
“You claim to be a psychic.”
“Psychic or counselor.”She shrugged.“Isn’t that the same thing?”She braced herself for a repeat of his earlier accusations.When he hesitated, she filled the gap.“People reach out.I listen and help where I can.My answers haven’t changed from earlier.I am more of a counselor.I don’t make guarantees.Me being psychic isn’t the same thing as being a fortune teller.”That was more in line with Marlene’s skill set.
He rolled his eyes, and she chose to ignore it.Her gifts had saved a woman, and she wouldn’t cheapen that by arguing over it.
“How did you find her here?”
“Nell mentioned her husband’s boat in previous conversations.When I remembered that, I took a chance and came looking.”She eyed him.“Tell me, did you find Nell’s car at the spa?”
“We did.”
“But she didn’t have any services scheduled, did she?”
“No.”His jaw set as he gazed out over the lake.Then he pinned her with a stern look.“I’m not done with you.”
No.He wasn’t.That was already clear to her as well.Of course, he wouldn’t appreciate how she’d reached that conclusion.“That is certainly your choice.”Best to appear cooperative.“If you’ll excuse me, it’s been quite a day, and I’m going home.”
“One second, Ms.Norris.”
She straightened her shoulders, refusing to be intimidated.His pain rippled around him like heat rising from the pavement on a summer day.It was tempting to sweep it away and give him a respite, if only for a few minutes.
He wasn’t her client and his issues weren’t her problem.She chanted the reminder in her head while he verified the contact information she’d provided hours ago at Nell’s house.
But he stopped her once more.“What really happened here?”
“I believe I saved a woman’s life,” she replied with cold, hard honesty.“Is there a reason that doesn’t sit well with you?”
“You can’t expect...”
She cut him off, too tired to be polite any longer.Closing the distance between them, she lifted her chin and met his gaze.“Understand this, Detective.Nell’s husband was determined to kill her today.Youcan go in search of motives and a confession.Those issues don’t matter to me.”
“What does matter?”
The sincerity in his voice surprised her.She managed to hide the reaction.“For Nell, right now?Justice.”she snapped.“Life.And shame on you if you have different priorities.”
“Life is always a priority,” he muttered.“Justice requires evidence.”
“That’s ayouproblem.Nell’s life is the most important factor for me.”She shoved her hands in her pockets to keep from shaking the man.Or pushing him into the water.“I hope with every fiber of my being that you do the work correctly and find the evidence you need so her husband spends the rest of his days behind bars.”
“Myhope is that you didn’t contaminate any crime scenes.”
“Don’t you dare blame me for finding her.”She checked herself before she started shouting.“Or fault me for rescuing a victim of attempted murder.”The sooner he accepted this wasn’t a kidnapping case, the better.
He towered over her.“I blame you forhowyou did it, Ms.Norris.”He glanced around.“This feels too neat and tidy.Almost like a setup.”
“Should I have tossed things about as if the boat had been robbed too?”She caught the flicker in his eyes.He’d recognized the scene at the house for the farce it was.
