Rock Star Down (The Psychic Registry) (11 page)

"Just about six
months. Jaqui's old PA got hitched to her agent. She's like an agent now, too."

"You ever talk to
Rock about Jaqui's trips to LA?"

Rachel fell silent.
But her thoughts were clear to Nathan. She
wanted
to tell Rock. But
Jaqui was her boss and her ticket to something better. And she wasn't going to
screw that up, even if Rock was a nice guy. So she'd kept her mouth shut.

"You're loyal to
Jaqui," Nathan said, "I can respect that."

Rachel nodded,
relieved that he wouldn't make her talk.

Nathan had a thought, "You
spend a lot of time around the studio?"

"Just a little."

"Anybody around
there strike you as suspicious?"

"I don't know. If
I saw anything, it didn't mean anything to me."

Nathan nodded, "
Rock
was a nice guy
."

"He was kind of a
square," Rachel confided, "Who kills a guy like that?"

Archer chimed in, "We
get that you want to remain loyal to your employer. But we need to know if
Jaqui, or anyone associated with her – and that includes you – might be up to
no good. People with criminal histories, drugs, rough and tumble types."

Rachel's eyes went
wide and she shook her head. She'd left that all behind in St. Louis. It was
more than a year now; the club was closed and the brothers were dead or in
jail. But she didn't know anything about the drugs, she was just a dancer.
Besides, she'd been gone for three months before that all came down. The first
and last she'd heard of it was in the news. No— It wasn't connected. It couldn't
possibly be.

"What's the name
of the club?" Nathan asked.

Rachel shook her head
in defiance. But she couldn't help her thoughts:
Rosebud.

"What was your
name there?" he asked her.

"Barbie Wire,"
she said, with feigned nonchalance.

"Did anybody here
know about you back in St. Louis? Try a little shakedown, maybe?"

"Jaqui and Rock
knew. They were cool about it. But I left that world and everybody in it
behind."

"Fair enough.
Probably isn't related, then. But we still have to follow up, you understand?"

"Yeah, I know."

"What about your
girlfriend?" Nathan added.

"Nah. She works
in the theater, scenic design. She's an upstanding citizen," Rachel
sighed.

"And what's her name?
You got a number for her?" Archer asked.

Her name was Ysobel
Andrada and Rachel gave them her address and phone number. They chatted a bit
more, but Rachel didn't have anything new to tell them; nor was she lying in
what she said. Not the brightest girl, but she was loyal and hardworking,
qualities that would take her far. As promised Nathan excused the harried girl
in short order and he could hear her working her phone on Jaqui's behalf as she
disappeared into the foyer and trotted back up the stairs.

Laurel tried to shake the feeling that
young Rachel had been checking her out. She usually enjoyed having admirers,
but being leered at by an ex-stripper was a bit too much. She'd never seen
Rachel on Jaqui's show, so either she was hired after the last season had been
shot or she didn't want to be on camera. Perhaps she'd received enough
attention in the past and preferred the anonymous life? And just what was
Laurel doing, courting TV fame? Who would embarrass her more, Silverman or
Nathan? Or would she spare them the trouble and do it all on her own?

Oh well. You wanted
this, remember? Just own it, girl!

She peeked between the
drapes to survey the crowd outside. She half-hoped that they'd dissipated, but
the number of media looked to be unchanged, if not even greater than before.
They were waiting to see Jaqui brought out in handcuffs. And when they came out
empty handed the barrage of questions would hit hard. But they weren't going to
answer them, were they?

"How is it?"
Nathan asked her.

"I think they're
multiplying," Laurel replied.

"They're going to
expect a statement," Nathan mused.

Laurel tensed.

"Fuck what they
expect," Archer replied.

"I agree,"
Laurel said.

Nathan grinned, "I
didn't say we should give them one. But we have to think about posture."

"Posture?"
Laurel asked.

"Assuming the
killer is watching the news, or maybe even out in that crowd, we don't want to
tip our hand to him," Nathan said.

Laurel frowned, "I'm
not much of a card player. But I'd say we don't
have
a hand."

"True, but we don't
need to advertise that," Nathan replied.

"You're not
suggesting we bluff, are you?" Archer said.

"No. Just a
little disinformation, something to get in the killer's head— If he's watching."

Laurel relaxed a bit, "But
nothing we have to back up, right?"

Nathan shook his head in
reassurance, "Same as before.
No comment
. But we act just
a
little
glad
."

And that was exactly how they played it,
with Laurel leading the way through the throng that enveloped them at the front
sidewalk. The disappointment from the crowd of reporters was palpable, although
some of the mourning fans cheered when they realized the detectives were going
away empty handed. Laurel navigated the crush with aplomb and batted away their
questions with her unwavering refrain, "No comment." And she did it
all with an easy smile.

A few of the reporters
harangued them across the intersection, but all eventually retreated to their
enclave. Some packed up altogether.

The walk to the car
was otherwise uneventful. From there Nathan drove them to the deli recommended
by Silverman. Nathan acted as if he had long known the place, but Laurel knew
it wasn't the case. Without looking at the menu Nathan ordered a cup of matzo
ball soup, a Reuben with fries, extra pickles, and a Coke.

Laurel thought about
being cute and ordering the same, but just the
sound
of it all would
make her gain weight. So she ordered half a turkey club with a cup of vegetable
soup, plus a diet iced-tea. Although, when Nathan's plate arrived, she quickly
plotted to steal some fries.

But Nathan caught her
eyeing his food and gently shooed her off, "Lunch is on me, Laurel. Just
order some."

A whole order?
Laurel shook her head. Thankfully, Archer took pity
on Laurel and shared her fries.

They'd all set to checking
their phones as soon as they'd taken their seats and both Nathan and Archer
were still working as they ate. Laurel wasn't so important that she had so much
to do. In fact, the only
work
message she'd received was from Fletcher: "
Nice
job on TV
," he'd texted. Val had texted, too; her boyfriend was
very
happy about her efforts to make amends.
Good for her
, Laurel thought.
Now,
if only she could find someone to make happy.

Laurel resisted the
urge to check her social account and instead decided to simply relax and eat. That
and she studied Nathan. But she didn't have to worry about being obvious as his
attention was clearly divided and entirely spent between his phone and his
meal. He was an intense person, she observed. Everything he did was considered
and deliberate. Yet he did it all with such ease, and it was not merely due to
his powers. His psychic abilities aside, she considered him quite capable,
determined, and clever.

Plus, he had
powers
.
Yes, plural, she'd decided. Nathan didn't merely
read
thoughts: he could
send them, bend them, implant, and supplant thoughts. And what of feelings?
Could a person be secure of their own feelings around such a man? More
importantly, could
she
? Not that she was afraid. On the contrary, she
felt so bold around him! Even amid the mob of reporters, she was more confident
than ever. Was that Nathan's doing? And if so, was it just a natural influence,
a result of his powerful, masculine presence? Or was he tinkering with her,
nudging her thoughts with his own, buttressing her courage with his ample
fortitude? And if he had, did she even object?

The idea should've
offended her, yet she quietly welcomed it. He could make her stronger and help
give her direction. But what could she do for
him
? Nothing that plenty
of other women already had covered. Although, perhaps she could offer something
more?
That's what they all tell themselves.
Yet he helped many women…
and certainly bedded many along the way.

And the idea of being
taken to bed by Nathan held considerable appeal, yet she didn't want it to be
part of some larger career transaction, at least not transparently so. Love
would be nice, too. Love
and
everything else
would be even
better. Nathan Miller represented so many rare opportunities.
Should she
even dare such lofty dreams?

"Medical Examiner ruled Franklin a
homicide," Archer told them.

"Good,"
Nathan quipped, "I'd hate to think we've been wasting our time."

"Does it tell us
anything new?" Laurel wondered.

"Doesn't appear
that way," Archer replied, still scanning the document on her phone.

"So what else
have you been doing over there?" Nathan asked.

Archer recounted with
a wry grin, "I informed Jacobs and Ramirez that unless they want to get
cut out of the collar, they're gonna walk us through the scene and their whole
fucking report. Naturally, they don't want that— So we're on. Sorry Miller, but
you're not on their guest list."

Nathan shrugged, "Not
like I could add anything. But we're not exactly on the verge of closing this
thing."

"Yeah, but they
don't know that," she replied. "So you can't read objects and the
like?" Archer added, only half-teasing.

He shook his head, "I
don't think anybody can do that."

"Well, wonders
never cease," Archer replied. She looked to Laurel and asked, "You
want to come along? I'm sure they wouldn't mind
you
."

Laurel wasn't keen on
splitting up with Nathan, "Do you think we'll actually learn anything?"

Archer gave a shrug of
indifference, "Well,
you
might learn a thing or two. But as far as
the case goes? I don't know, probably not. But I feel like jerking Jacobs and
Ramirez around. Consider it payback for their stunt with Silverman."

"Try not to make
it obvious. You don't need to piss them off," Nathan warned her.

"I know, I know.
I figure I bring Laurel along, as a sort of consolation," she replied.

Nathan said, "Or
maybe they see it as you trying to show them up in front of another female, and
an outsider, at that? Be careful, Archer."

"
Alright
,
I'll go easy. And I'll take a page from your playbook: I'll tell them it was
Laurel who insisted on coming along. But don't worry, I know those guys. They're
gonna fall over each other trying to answer all of her questions."

"Okay— But what
about Harold Dean, shouldn't he be our priority?" Nathan asked.

Archer held up her
phone, "I got his info right here."

"So let's go pay
him a visit," Nathan said.

"You got your
gun?" Archer asked.

Nathan nodded.

Laurel hadn't
considered the fact that her job could be
dangerous
. While she felt safe
with Nathan and Archer, what if she was on her own? She asked them, "Should
I
be carrying a gun?"

Nathan answered, "Probably."

Archer said, "Can
you believe this fucking Fletcher? Sending out
investigators
without
guns? Heck, yes, Laurel. You should be carrying. When we're done with this case
I'll put you in touch with the right people."

Laurel was keen on the
idea, but it was still new to her. "It's not like I have a badge—"

Archer shook her head,
"Badge or not. If you're going to go around talking to criminals –
especially with
your
looks – then you need to carry."

"
Job or no job
,
you should take a closer look at it. You get your mind right, get some
training, and if you're up to the responsibility, then do it," Nathan
added.

Laurel figured she
could handle it with their help. She'd grown up around guns and grasped the
basics well enough. Surely Nathan and Detective Archer knew people who could
show her how to put it all together. She nodded, enthusiastically, yet
seriously, "I'll pull my own weight."  

Harold Dean didn't live too far away,
but it still took them better than 20 minutes to make the drive. Along the way,
Laurel had asked Nathan and Archer questions, mostly about carrying and using
handguns. And since they answered her with patience and good humor, she figured
she didn't ask anything too stupid. Eventually she ran out of questions about
guns and returned to thinking about the case. A few questions occurred to her,
which she voiced, "What if Dean isn't home? Maybe we should have sent a
patrol car, first?"

Archer answered from
the back seat, "If Dean is our guy, then a couple of uniforms sniffing
around could spook him. On the other hand, if he isn't the killer, better that
we find out ourselves."

Nathan added, "Plus
we've got some background on the guy and know the context of the case. A patrol
squad is going in cold. However, if you've got a source, like a probation or
parole officer, then you'd want to coordinate with them."

"No luck on the
PO angle. Dean has a couple of citations for some rinky-dink shit: vending
without a permit, trespass, possession of marijuana. He paid all his fines,
though," Archer said.

"Was the
trespassing connected to Jaqui?" Laurel wondered.

"Nope, just
smoking pot with some buddies in a park after sunset," Archer replied.

"Doesn't sound
very dangerous, does he?" Laurel commented.

Nathan shook his head,
"No, he doesn't. But the thing is, most of the guys doing time in state
prison have histories of petty crime."

"Yeah, but how
many pay their fines?" Archer added.

Laurel grew a bit
nervous, "Okay, I know we don't want to scare him off, but maybe we should
call for backup?"

Archer chuckled.

Nathan smiled and
gently shook his head, "We wouldn't want people to think we couldn't
handle ourselves."

"Yeah,
you two
can handle yourselves," Laurel snipped.

Archer relented, "Hey,
Laurel. Don't worry. If this guy was really dangerous, we'd have the SWAT team
pick him up."

"The trouble is
we don't really know just how dangerous he is. I mean, we're going to question
him regarding a
murder!
" Laurel pressed.

Nathan pulled over and
parked the car. Then he placed a hand on her arm and said, "You're right
to be careful, to ask questions, to stick up for yourself. But I'll be looking
out for you this time, okay?"

And her fear left her
and she knew that nothing bad was going to happen to her, not while Nathan was
there. She nodded and smiled, almost forgetting their purpose that day.

Then she heard Archer
placing a phone call, notifying the dispatcher of their location, and
presumably, what they were up to, but the dialog was couched in radio codes
that she couldn't follow; she'd do well to learn them herself, just in case.
But that was all just background. Foremost in her mind was the touch of Nathan's
hand upon her bare skin: so warm and light, leaving gooseflesh in its wake as
he faintly stroked her. In a flash it was over and she heaved a sigh of relief
mixed with disappointment.

Nathan pointed out Dean's
building just down the block, which was nothing more than one of many row
houses that had long been converted into apartments. Each building had four
rental units, two upstairs and two downstairs, in place of the original
single-family homes.

Nathan used his phone
to display a satellite map of their location and he made a study of the rear of
the building. "No yard. Just parking in the back. The alley is open both
directions."

"Does Dean own a
car?" Laurel asked.

Archer shook her head,
"No driver's license. Nothing registered."

"He could still
have a car," Nathan reminded Archer.

"Which he couldn't
park on the street without tags, so either it's in back, or he doesn't have
one," Archer replied.

"Or he isn't
here," Laurel added.

"We'll find out
soon enough," Archer replied.

Laurel was expecting
them to get out of the car, but both Archer and Nathan stayed put. In fact,
they seemed to be settling in for a wait.

"Did I miss
something? What are we waiting for?" Laurel asked.

"We're just
waiting on backup," Nathan said.

"I thought we
didn't
need
backup," Laurel teased.

"We've got to get
a squad car in the alley, make sure he can't just run out the back,"
Archer explained, as if it was obvious, and not at all at odds with what she'd
claimed earlier.

Nathan took a milder
tone, "The situation dictates the tactics. Now that we know the layout, we
know that we need more people to box him in. But if you start calling for
backup on every contact, before you even know the situation, then you're going to
end up wasting people's time, and you'll get a bad reputation."

"Other cops start
seeing you as an asshole that needs his hand held," Archer added.

Laurel understood, "But
that's not us."

While they waited for the patrol car,
Nathan looked up Dean's social accounts and his website, which consisted mainly
of a blog and a
Jaqui
fan forum that he ran. Nathan discovered that Dean
had recently posted an update from the circus outside of Jaqui and Rock's
house. The post included a cell phone video of Nathan, Laurel and Archer
exiting the house before lunch. Nathan held his phone up for the others to see.
"Well, he knows what we look like," Nathan said.