to get police to listen to her, regretting all the times she’d been wrong, she’d learned to blend into the environment.
Well, she’d certainly succeeded.
Now, suddenly, she wanted to turn from an ugly duckling to a swan. If previous relationships had traumatized her, why was she suddenly preening like a peacock for a man she’d just met, knowing what a mistake it would be to try to make something out of this?
I can’t let my emotions get in the way. Not just for myself but because they can color the images I receive. Dan Romeo is my link to stop whatever’s being planned and that’s all. That’s it.
Nothing else. I have to get it right this time, I just have to.
Still, her hand shook slightly as she brushed out her hair and applied a pale lipstick.
She was ready.
* * * * *
The two people called each other on disposable phones, then slipped out of their offices and met at an innocuous coffee shop they’d used before. They found a corner booth that concealed them from most of the restaurant traffic, ordered their drinks and waved the waitress away.
“So. We know what’s happening this afternoon,” one of them said.
“Good to have access to that information,” the other person agreed. “All right.
“This woman who supposedly has ‘visions’ will be at the Carpenter Techtronics office.
So what?”
A chuckle drifted in the air. “I can just imagine how that will go.”
“This certainly came out of left field. Do you think she really knows anything?”
“Impossible.” A shake of the head punctuated the word. “Besides, as far as I know, psychics have a bad track record in situations like this. She’ll be laughed out of the building and Chase Carpenter will chew Dan Romeo a new one.”
“I say it’s a good thing for us they’re doing this. She can’t possibly know anything.
The more they focus on her, the better for us. They won’t pay attention to anything else.”
“Let’s hope you’re right. If you’re not, this could be a disaster. We’ve had things like this pop up at the last minute before, you know.”
“Listen, she hasn’t even met with them yet. We’re getting a little ahead of ourselves here, don’t you think?”
“If we’re not, this could be a disaster. Could she really know something?” A sharp laugh. “Don’t be ridiculous. We’ve been extremely careful. Anyway, no one puts much stock in this kind of mumbo jumbo. Meanwhile, they’ll be chasing their tails trying to decode her so-called visions and not looking in our direction at all. We have a foolproof plan. And this could almost be a welcome diversion.”
“Don’t be so sure. Everyone in the industry says Chase is so nervous about this whole thing he’d take the advice of a witch doctor.”
“This isn’t like you. Everything’s in place, just the way we planned. Why are you so edgy?”
A shrug. “I don’t know. What if this female somehow manages to throw a monkey wrench in things? What if Chase decides to change things around because of something she says?”
A dismissive wave of a hand cut the air. “Then we’ll get rid of her. It’s that simple.” An icy smile punctuated the next words. “I never realized how bloodthirsty you are. Killing someone means nothing to you, does it?”
Another shrug. “I see it as just waste disposal. I know what I want and I intend to have it. There’s too much money involved here to let some little kook screw it up for us.”
“And you don’t think a dead body would cause some chaos? If you don’t want to validate what she says, then don’t make her a target.”
“We won’t leave a body. If she just disappears, we can start a rumor that she was lying all along and couldn’t face the mess she was creating. Let them think she was afraid of being wrong again and went off someplace to hide.”
“Maybe we’re rushing this. This afternoon could be a bust and she’ll be out of the picture.”
“But if not, we have to act. We’re down to the
Well, she’d certainly succeeded.
Now, suddenly, she wanted to turn from an ugly duckling to a swan. If previous relationships had traumatized her, why was she suddenly preening like a peacock for a man she’d just met, knowing what a mistake it would be to try to make something out of this?
I can’t let my emotions get in the way. Not just for myself but because they can color the images I receive. Dan Romeo is my link to stop whatever’s being planned and that’s all. That’s it.
Nothing else. I have to get it right this time, I just have to.
Still, her hand shook slightly as she brushed out her hair and applied a pale lipstick.
She was ready.
* * * * *
The two people called each other on disposable phones, then slipped out of their offices and met at an innocuous coffee shop they’d used before. They found a corner booth that concealed them from most of the restaurant traffic, ordered their drinks and waved the waitress away.
“So. We know what’s happening this afternoon,” one of them said.
“Good to have access to that information,” the other person agreed. “All right.
“This woman who supposedly has ‘visions’ will be at the Carpenter Techtronics office.
So what?”
A chuckle drifted in the air. “I can just imagine how that will go.”
“This certainly came out of left field. Do you think she really knows anything?”
“Impossible.” A shake of the head punctuated the word. “Besides, as far as I know, psychics have a bad track record in situations like this. She’ll be laughed out of the building and Chase Carpenter will chew Dan Romeo a new one.”
“I say it’s a good thing for us they’re doing this. She can’t possibly know anything.
The more they focus on her, the better for us. They won’t pay attention to anything else.”
“Let’s hope you’re right. If you’re not, this could be a disaster. We’ve had things like this pop up at the last minute before, you know.”
“Listen, she hasn’t even met with them yet. We’re getting a little ahead of ourselves here, don’t you think?”
“If we’re not, this could be a disaster. Could she really know something?” A sharp laugh. “Don’t be ridiculous. We’ve been extremely careful. Anyway, no one puts much stock in this kind of mumbo jumbo. Meanwhile, they’ll be chasing their tails trying to decode her so-called visions and not looking in our direction at all. We have a foolproof plan. And this could almost be a welcome diversion.”
“Don’t be so sure. Everyone in the industry says Chase is so nervous about this whole thing he’d take the advice of a witch doctor.”
“This isn’t like you. Everything’s in place, just the way we planned. Why are you so edgy?”
A shrug. “I don’t know. What if this female somehow manages to throw a monkey wrench in things? What if Chase decides to change things around because of something she says?”
A dismissive wave of a hand cut the air. “Then we’ll get rid of her. It’s that simple.” An icy smile punctuated the next words. “I never realized how bloodthirsty you are. Killing someone means nothing to you, does it?”
Another shrug. “I see it as just waste disposal. I know what I want and I intend to have it. There’s too much money involved here to let some little kook screw it up for us.”
“And you don’t think a dead body would cause some chaos? If you don’t want to validate what she says, then don’t make her a target.”
“We won’t leave a body. If she just disappears, we can start a rumor that she was lying all along and couldn’t face the mess she was creating. Let them think she was afraid of being wrong again and went off someplace to hide.”
“Maybe we’re rushing this. This afternoon could be a bust and she’ll be out of the picture.”
“But if not, we have to act. We’re down to the
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