Shattered: A Psychic Visions Novel (41 page)

H
annah stood under
the hot water and let it roll down on her face and head. Tired and worn out after the questioning, still she had a hard day ahead. She had to face her father. After a shitty early morning, that’s the last thing she wanted.

And on her birthday. Crap.

She needed this to be over with. She had a life she was looking forward to living. Now that most of the blocks were gone, her mind still reeled at what floated freely in her brain.

It would take time to heal her mind. Even more time was required to make her comfortable with the memories. They were familiar in that they were hers, but at the same time they were foreign as if someone else had lived them. Just as she found a level of comfort with some of it, more flared up. And she was assailed by the pain and fear all over again.

She didn’t want this. She needed to get through it so that the memories slid into the recesses of her mind by her choice, not by someone else’s hand.

“Hannah?”

She turned off the water. “I’m here.”

“Are you okay?”

Silly question. She understood why he was asking, but it seemed foolish. Of course she wasn’t okay. She’d been to hell and back, and still it wasn’t over. Now someone was trying to kill her.

Enough! There had to be a way to end this. Bolstered by the thought, and loving the future that waited on the other side of this nightmare and the other side of the shower, she opened the door to give him a game smile. “I’m okay.”

He cuddled her close for long moment and dropped a kiss on her nose. “We’ll get through this. Then life starts for us for real.”

Now that was something she could get behind. He left her to go downstairs.

After her shower, she dressed quickly and headed to the kitchen to find Trevor deep in conversation with a big blond stranger. Imposing and capable looking, when he looked up at her, she found his smile friendly, gentle even. She immediately grinned back. “Hi,” she said.

“Hannah, this is Detective McNeil, Dr. Maddy’s partner. The man who’s been helping me.”

“Call me Drew. Nice to meet you.” Drew held out a hand to shake. She shook it and stepped closer to Trevor’s side.

“I guess the police have to be involved now, don’t they?” She leaned against Trevor, not sure if she was that tired or just wanting the security of knowing he was there.

“Arson does that,” Drew said with a grim smile. “We don’t like people wandering around trying to burn houses down – especially not with people in them.”

“Any chance you’re coming to the meeting today?” she asked. “There’s likely to be a murder committed there.”

Drew’s eyebrows shot up into his hairline.

Trevor laughed, but it was dark. “It’s not likely going to be that bad,” he said. “We’re meeting the financial advisors and apparently her father has butted into the meeting without our permission.”

“Did you ask for a private meeting?” Drew asked curiously. “I’d have thought that meeting would be as confidential as one could get.”

“You’d have thought so, but then there is my father,” Hannah said. “And the rules he forces the rest of the world to live by.”

“I haven’t received confirmation from the company that they are aware of Goodman’s impending presence during the meeting,” Trevor said. “I was clear that such a thing would not be looked upon favorably.”

“Might be time to talk to Roman.” Drew suggested.

Trevor nodded. “I’ve mentioned him to Hannah, but she’s got a lot on her plate right now. We’ll see how the meeting goes.”

“I sense a but in there…” Drew frowned. “Are you seriously expecting trouble?”

“We are today, I don’t know about at this meeting. But it’s crunch time,” Trevor admitted. “Someone tried to burn us alive last night. I suspect a second attempt will be made today.”

A strangled sound erupted from Hannah’s lips. “That sounds horrible.” She stared out the window. “But you’re right, it feels like it’s going to come to a head today.”

“What is?” Drew frowned at Trevor. “You need to fill me in a little more.”

“It’s woo woo stuff,” Trevor said with a small grin. “Are you sure you want to know?”

Drew gave a curt nod. “I live with Maddy, what do you think?”

Trevor laughed. “True enough.” He motioned to the kitchen table. “Take a seat. You’ll need to be sitting for this one.”

In as concise a way as possible, Trevor walked Drew through the events from the fire that killed his old teacher to finding Hannah outside Stefan’s door to last night’s fire.

Listening, Hannah couldn’t believe how twisted and convoluted her life had become. In her heart she knew that one person was at the root of the problem, likely Sticks. But he hadn’t acted alone. Had Stones helped? But who was Stones today? Hell, who was Sticks today?

How did they know Hannah? Why go after her now? She hadn’t done anything to warrant these attacks, had she?

*

“Could Will be
Sticks?” Drew asked, his glance going from one to the other.

Trevor heard the question. “I actually considered that, but the coloring is different. The way he speaks is different. His facial features – different again.”

Drew nodded. “All of which can be changed.”

“I don’t think so in this case, he’s also older,” Hannah said slowly. “Besides, Will was working for my father back then…I think.” She shook her head. “No, maybe not. But it was around the same time that…” and she stopped.

“What?” Trevor said. “If it’s a memory let it come into your psyche fully then consider the information. It’s too unstable to believe otherwise.”

“No,” she whispered. “Will was pissed when George came on board.”

“Why would he be pissed?” Drew studied her. “He wasn’t the only guard then, was he?”

“Something about not deserving the position.”

“Have I seen George?” Trevor frowned at her. “He couldn’t be Sticks, could he?”

She twisted to look up at him. “I’d have known, wouldn’t I? That was within months, a year at the longest. I think, but it’s hard to remember. And he doesn’t look similar at all. Sticks was close to three maybe four years older than me.” She shook her head. “George is even older than that.”

“How old?” Trevor sat down as a horrible premonition slid into his mind. “Oh Jesus.”

Silence.

“Trevor?” she asked. “What are you thinking?”

He shook his head. “It couldn’t be.”

“What?”

He took a deep breath, turned to Drew, and said, “Have you had a chance to look into Sticks’s whereabouts?”

“No, why?” Drew narrowed his gaze at him.

“Could you check the morgue first?” he said in a low voice. “Particularly any deaths in a fire?” He cast a sidelong glance at Hannah. “Especially in Hannah’s store.”

They all stared at him. “Trevor, what’s going on?” Hannah asked, her voice rising.

He winced. “The other two members of our group left early, remember. But one of them was Sticks’s stepbrother. It’s the reason he walked away. He couldn’t get along with Sticks. They fought all the time. His name was Victor.”

Hannah whispered, “Who was his partner. You said there were two of them that left. Both hung tight together.”

He stared down the long memory lane and said, “His name was Hank, I think. It was a long time ago. I don’t think he’d have anything to do with this.” He shrugged. “But who the hell knows?”

Drew picked up the phone and started making a few calls.

Hannah just sat, lost in thought.

Trevor struggled to consider if either Sticks or his brother could have had anything to do with it when Hannah said, “Trevor, did Stones ever have an affair with Sticks’s brother?”

His mind flooded instantly with that one night years ago that had separated Sticks from his brother forever. It had been nasty. And violent. And ended up with Sticks getting his face smashed in.

“Oh yeah,” he said. “It wasn’t an affair. Stones was with Sticks’s brother, Victor, first. They were together for a long time. Then she switched to Sticks, only broke up with him and went back to his brother. I don’t know what’s happened to the three of them, but they were very entangled back then – and looking to score big.”

“Shit. Did she break up with Victor to come back to Sticks that night I saw her crying in his arms?”

“Maybe.” He lifted his head and stared at her. “Now I have a question for you…”

“What?”

“Was George ever married?”

She let out her breath slowly. “He wasn’t married but he had a partner around for a long time until she switched partners,” she said caustically. “I gather she liked variety.”

T
hey stood outside
the ornate building where the meeting with the financial advisors was due to take place. Hannah knew it would be impossible to prove any of their conjectures. Drew needed time to find proof of the identities of those involved. It would be even more impossible to catch these assholes in the act or get a confession.

She had an idea but didn’t know if it would work.

Stefan was there in spirit, she could feel him. She knew Dr. Maddy was on alert. Kind of like she felt at the moment.

“Ready?”

“Hell, no,” Hannah said with spirit. “But we need to get through this.”

Trevor held out his hand, and led her to the front door. Drew was with them.

“We’re going to feel stupid if we’re wrong,” she warned.

“I’d rather feel stupid than dead.”

She winced. The offices were on the third floor. As she looked at the flashy lobby with loads of gilt and marble she shuddered. “Please tell me your friend Roman doesn’t have an office like this.”

“He doesn’t. He has one in his house and one downtown but operates out of his house most of the time. That way he’s closest to his studio.”

“His favorite subject to paint?” Drew said with a smile.

Trevor chuckled. At the look on her face, he added, “His wife.”

At the humor in his voice, she studied his face. “She must be beautiful.”

“She is, and they make a great couple.”

The elevator opened to a quiet wealth that made her feel slightly better. “At least this floor doesn’t look like a pimp hall,” she muttered.

Trevor gave a bark of laughter at that.

They walked through to a large office where they were greeted by a receptionist who led them into a private board room. After offering refreshments, which they all refused, the receptionist walked out saying, “They’ll be here in a few moments.”

“They?” Hannah asked.

“It’s not uncommon for partners to show up together for a big client. This way
they
cover their asses should one make a mistake.”

“Right.” Knowing she had her own agenda and hard pressed to still her nervousness, she was at the point of getting to her feet and walking around the room to work off some of the nervous energy when the second door opened and two men walked in. Followed by her father, Wanda and both henchmen.

Instantly Drew and Trevor stiffened. Her reaction was the opposite. She was delighted to find her father true to form.

She laughed. “What’s the matter, Father? Couldn’t leave well enough alone?” She grinned at Wanda. “Come to check on the family bank accounts, did you, Wanda?”

“Leave her out of it,” her father growled.

Hannah laughed again, but inside she was trying to fit Wanda’s face into the memory of the girl she’d seen crying in Sticks’s arms.

The door behind them opened, and another strange man walked in with a cheerful, “Sorry I’m late.”

And proceeded to sit down beside Drew.

It was as if the two sides lined up on opposite sides of the negotiating table.

Hannah glanced over at Trevor and watched him hide a grin. Okay, so this was a good thing then. Right? She studied Drew’s features, but he never lifted his eagle eyes from the henchmen.

She turned to the stranger behind Drew’s back and whispered, “Thanks for coming.”

The stranger turned his warm twinkling eyes her way and smiled. “You’re welcome.”

She knew this must be Roman Chandler, the investor suggested by Trevor and Drew. That he’d come to the battlefront on her behalf likely because one of the two men called him meant she liked him already.

“Hannah, who are these people,” her father said in harsh tones.