The Perfect Witness Read online

  “Well, that’s definitive.” He opened the passenger door for her. “How is the wound in your side?”

  “Hurts.” She’d received a blood transfusion before they’d left Kentucky, and the weakness had almost disappeared. “But it’s okay.” She got into the car. “You made me rest on the plane. That probably helped.”

  “I had to make sure you were in top-notch shape.” He went around and got in the driver’s seat. “Perish the thought that I had even an ounce of humanity.”

  “I believe you’re very human.” She didn’t look at him. “I can feel you … seething.”

  “Oh, can you?” He started the car. “That’s interesting.” He glanced at her. “Anger?”

  “No. You’re like one of those lava streams from a volcano. It would sear you to touch, but there’s no malice present right now.”

  “You seem sure.” His gaze turned speculative. “Perhaps you have another talent beside your gift for reading memory?”

  “No. Heaven forbid.” She grimaced. “I just sometimes feel things. It’s not all that unusual for someone to be able to guess what others are feeling. It doesn’t have to be freak-oriented.”

  “There’s that word again. No, it’s not that unusual. Quite common for anyone studying the human psychology. You just appeared to be more certain than I would have thought.” He chuckled. “Though I believe you’ve been studying and probing me since I wandered under your radar. I had the idea you were giving Josh Dantlow the same attention when you met him. What did you think of him?”

  “Smart. Very nice.” She looked out the window. “What you wanted me to think.”

  “And?”

  “Did I let his memories flow to me? Yes, I had to be sure that he was what you said he was. He was relatively clean. A little tortured about putting his mother in a nursing home before she died. And he’s a little afraid of you because of something you did last year. It kept floating and interfering.” She looked back at him. “But I couldn’t see anything that would make me think that he would hand me over to Camano.”

  “And that’s all that’s important?”

  “I can handle anything else.” She paused. “Where are you taking me?”

  “I’ve rented a lodge in the mountains a few miles from the university campus. We have some work to do before I can turn you loose on your own.”

  “What kind of work?” she asked warily.

  “Blocking, principally. You said that you couldn’t be sure of its working every time. Sometimes not at all. You couldn’t trust it. In crowds, you became overwhelmed.”

  “I didn’t tell you all that.”

  “No, let’s just say I had a ‘feeling’ that was your problem.”

  “Because you’ve known other freaks like me.”

  He flinched. “I’m going to have to insist that you refrain from using that word. It offends me. It should offend you. We’re going to have to work on your self-esteem.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with my self-esteem. I just don’t lie to myself. I am what I am.”

  “Because people told you that you’re a freak doesn’t mean it’s true.”

  “It doesn’t mean that it’s untrue. It’s all a matter of perspective. In most people’s eyes, I’m a freak.” She looked him in the eye. “Right?”

  He nodded slowly. “If you want to believe that other people have the right to judge. Personally, I think that’s crap. Don’t you?”

  “That’s a defense to keep you from admitting that—” She stopped. That sounded like something Dr. Kramer would say. “Yes, it’s pure crap. No one should judge someone else if they’re not harming anyone.”

  “Then we have an agreement. I’d better enjoy it. I have an idea they’ll come rarely.”

  She changed the subject. “What else are you going to teach me?”

  “Oh, a few other things. We can discuss it later.”

  “Why not now?”

  “Because we’ve arrived.” He pulled into the driveway of a small, rustic, one-story chalet. “You don’t have to know everything right away. No curiosity, remember?”

  “I didn’t say that. I said maybe.” She jumped out of the car as soon as it stopped. “Is anybody else here?”

  “No, we have maid service every three days. Other than that, we’re on our own.”

  “For how long?”

  “Until you’re ready for me to let you go.” He got out of the car. “Come on. And try to relax. Didn’t you say Dantlow vetted me when you were probing?”

  She made a rude sound. “I told you, he’s afraid of you. What happened last year?”

  He sighed. “You’re impossible.” He unlocked the front door and entered into a large, high-ceilinged living room dominated by a huge stone fireplace and comfortable, brown leather furniture. “Your room is the second door on the right. Shower and change. Be careful about that wound and don’t get your bandage wet. I’ll make us something to eat.”

  She stood gazing at him uncertainly as he headed across the great room toward the open kitchen beyond it. She was suddenly feeling very vulnerable.

  He looked back at her. “What’s wrong? Do you need help? Say the word.” He smiled. “I became fairly familiar with that body of yours while I was dealing with that wound. I’ve no problem with taking care of it for another night or two.”

  “No.” She felt a flush heat her cheeks. She didn’t know what he was thinking. His smile was slightly sensual though his words held no hint of intimacy. “I’m just catching my breath.” She turned in the direction he’d indicated. “I can take care of myself.”

  “Pity.” He turned back and headed for the kitchen again. “I’ll give you forty minutes, then I’ll check to make sure you’re all right.”

  “I’ll be fine,” she said firmly. “Forty minutes.”

  * * *

  “RIGHT ON TIME.” HE TURNED as Allie came toward him across the great room. “You even washed your hair.”

  “Very clumsily.” She made a face. “But it was filthy from the woods. I had to do it.”

  “And exhausted yourself.” He held her chair for her. “Sit down. Drink some water. I’ll get the potpies out of the oven.”

  She picked up the water goblet beside the plate and took a drink as she watched him. It was strange sitting here. She felt awkward and uneasy. He was treating her as if she were grown-up and his equal. All her life she had been the victim, the child, the puppet. Her only importance had been the gift that was more a curse. No one had been interested in talking to her or asking opinions or wanting to be with her. Mandak might not want to be with her, but he was treating her as if she had value. It felt … odd.

  “Here we go.” He turned away from the oven and moved toward the table. “It’s hot. Don’t eat it yet.” He slid the potpie onto her plate. He hesitated, looking down at her. “What are you thinking?” he asked softly.

  She stiffened. “Why do you want to know?”

  “Not to use it against you.” He slid his own pie onto his plate and moved across the room toward the counter. “You just had a peculiar expression, and I wanted to know what was going on in that head of yours. I was simply interested. Unlike you, I admit to curiosity. I find you … extraordinary.” He held up his hand as she opened her lips to speak. “And not in the way you think. That part of you is just something we have to work with. The other aspects of your psychological makeup are fascinating.”

  “Why?”

  “You’re a complex combination of child and mature woman. I’m wondering which side you’re going to show me next.” He sat down and spread his napkin on his lap. “And firecrackers are always interesting.” He picked up his fork and repeated, “What were you thinking?”

  She was silent. “I was thinking that no one but you has ever treated me like this. Everyone else has always had a reason to…” She rushed ahead. “Not that you don’t have a reason, but you’re not looking at me the same way.”

  “You mean like a human being? Normal?”

  “I don�
��t know if—” She picked up her fork and started to cut the pastry on her potpie. “You confuse me. I have to figure you out.”

  “You bewilder me a bit, too. But I’m looking forward to exploring the unknown.” He smiled. “Tell me, how are you used to having people look at you, Allie? Was I right?”

  “I was weird. No one wants to be around people who are weird.”

  “On occasion, evidently your father did. What about your mother?”

  “What do you want me to say? My mother wasn’t bad to me. She was just busy.”

  “Too busy for you?”

  “I didn’t need her. I was busy, too.”

  “Doing what?”

  “Reading, studying. I swam a lot.”

  “Yes, you could do all those alone. That would keep you away from everyone.”

  “I asked my mother if I could have my bedroom in one of the guest cabins. It’s what I wanted.”

  “Was it?”

  “Yes.” She glared at him. “Don’t be stupid. Why would you think I’d want to be near anyone? It … hurt. Sometimes it made me sick. If I stayed away, most of the time it would be okay.”

  “How far away? How close do you have to be to a person to risk being attacked by their memories?”

  “Fifteen, twenty, thirty feet. It depends. Some people are stronger than others. But when I was in my father’s office, it was always close enough to be clear.” She swallowed. “Too clear.”

  “I imagine that’s true.” His lips tightened grimly. “He would want to make certain that you were superefficient when he needed you. Being alone might have been a good defensive attack, but loneliness isn’t healthy for a kid. Didn’t you have any friends?”

  She shrugged. “When I was little, I used to play with kids at school. But that was before everything changed, and they didn’t like me anymore. At first, they thought it was kind of cool that I knew stuff that only they should know. It was like I was some kind of circus act. But then it began to make them uncomfortable, and they didn’t want to be around me anymore.”

  “They just didn’t understand.”

  “Same thing.”

  “Not at all.”

  “Same result.”

  “Now I can’t quarrel with you there.”

  “Because I’m right. People don’t like what they don’t understand.” She looked up from her plate. “Why are you asking all these questions?”

  “I told you, I’m interested. And curious. We’re going to have to interact very closely. I want to be able to gauge your reactions.”

  “So you can try to manipulate me.”

  “You’ve accused me of that before. It’s rather a mature charge for someone of your age to level at anyone. What do you know about manipulation, Allie?”

  “I told you, I read. I study. In books, everyone is always trying to manipulate everyone else.” She paused. “And as soon as I realized what it was and how it worked, I recognized it. I watched for it. Like I’m watching you, Mandak.”

  “Intelligent. I’m not above trying to manipulate you to get my own way.” He added, “But it’s not purely a desire to manipulate, I’m genuinely interested in how you think.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you’re a rare find, and I’m beginning to discover that I want to see how you tick.” He was silent a moment. “Though that may be very dangerous for me.”

  She was feeling uncomfortable. He was looking at her with an expression that was almost … sympathetic. She had become accustomed to his hardness, to that sharpness and sophisticated dry humor. She didn’t know what to think of—

  Pity, he was pitying her.

  And she didn’t like it. She didn’t need his pity.

  “I’m tired of answering your questions.” She stared him in the eye. “Now I want you to answer mine. I don’t really know anything about you. You know I have to go along with you because I’m scared of Camano, and you’re dangling a way out for me. But I don’t like it, and I want to know why I shouldn’t bolt as soon as I get the chance.”

  “I’ll give you a hint.” He said quietly, “You can trust me to do the best for you until we’re on level ground. Then you’ll have to look out for me, Allie.”

  “I’m looking out for you now, Mandak.” She took another bite. “And why do you think we’re not on level ground?” She stared at him challengingly. “Prove it.”

  He threw back his head and laughed. “Oh, I intend to do that.” He put a little catsup on his beef potpie. “But not now, eat your dinner and relax. Is there anything I can do to help you?”

  “Talk to me. Tell me about who you are and why you think you can make me do what you want me to do.”

  “So that you can use it against me?”

  “If I have to.”

  He shook his head. “Sorry. Not now. It’s not the time.”

  “Okay, then tell me how you managed to kill Camano’s men as if you were swatting flies?”

  He smiled. “I’m very fast, and I’ve been trained by experts. Also, I spent several years as a mercenary in the Congo.”

  She studied him critically. “You seem pretty young for all that.”

  “You seem to be pretty young for all you’ve gone through, too. I have no intention of telling you tales of my bloody past, Allie.”

  “Okay, but who trained you?”

  “I had a sort of mentor from the time I was a child. I had potential, and they wanted to make sure the potential was realized.”

  “Potential for killing?”

  “No, the lethal training was to ensure that I was able to defend myself so that I’d be able to accomplish what I needed to accomplish.” He shrugged. “Scenarios like the one with Camano’s men aren’t that unusual in my life.”

  “But it happened because you interfered with what they wanted to do to me. I don’t think you make a habit of going around and swooping down to do stuff like that. That would be nuts. It would be stupid.”

  He chuckled. “Yes. And I try to avoid being stupid at all costs. But sometimes necessity dictates that I swoop. You’re very special, Allie. I couldn’t take a chance. You’re at a very crucial stage in your development. You could go either way.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just trying to survive.” She nibbled at her lower lip. “You said you could help me with blocking those memories. How do I know that you can do what you claim? Are you just telling me what I want to hear? All I’ve seen so far is that you can kill people. Anyone can kill people. I grew up with scum who could do that.”

  “I realize that,” he said quietly. “But I thought I’d wait to demonstrate anything out of the sphere with which you’re familiar. You’d be less intimidated by violence than intrusion.”

  “Intrusion?”

  “You see, you’re already prickling.”

  “What do you mean, intrusion?”

  “I can’t straighten you out without going inside.”

  Inside. He meant going inside her mind? Panic jolted through her. “I told you about that Dr. Kramer, who kept at me and wouldn’t leave me alone. I won’t go through that again. I don’t need to be straightened out.”

  He tilted his head and looked at her.

  “I don’t!”

  “You know better. It wouldn’t be like what you went through with that doctor. He wanted to explore. I just want to clear the way.”

  “And what kind of magic do you think you can pull out of your hat?”

  “No magic. But I have a talent for clarifying and unwinding all the twists. Once we get rid of all the debris, then I can lead you toward building protective walls.”

  “I don’t believe you can do that. It’s weird. It would make you more of a freak than I am.”

  “Certain talents exist. Accept it. Make the most of it.” His smile faded. “Q and A is over, Allie. I’ve told you all I’m prepared to tell about myself. None of that is important. You’re the one who has to talk to me. Your mind is closed, and I have to open it.”

  “
Bullshit.”

  “You say that because you’re afraid that if you open your mind, you’ll be bombarded.” He shrugged. “And it could work that way if it was anyone but me that you let come calling.” He met her gaze. “But I have to come in and clear out all the debris and ugliness that have built up so that you can start building walls. And, yes, you’ll be vulnerable.”

  “No, I won’t,” she said violently. “Because I won’t let you near me.”

  “I could force it, but I won’t do that. You’ve had too much force already in your life.” He said gently, “But you will let me come in. I can be very persuasive.”

  “No. This is all crazy. I don’t believe anything you’re saying.” She jumped to her feet. “And I don’t have to stay here. I’ll call that Dantlow and tell him I want him to come and get me. The only thing he cares about is getting Camano anyway. He’d do it…” She turned her back and stalked across the room toward her bedroom. “Stay away from me, Mandak.”

  “I can’t do that.”

  “No choice.” She slammed the door behind her. Her breath was coming in gasps, and she felt dizzy with panic. He had been so damn certain, so confident. He had made her believe that he could actually mess with her mind. Not that he would call it “messing.” He would say it was all for her good, a cleansing.

  As if she’d believe him. As if she’d let anyone close enough to hurt her.

  Run away or call Dantlow?

  She’d decide in the morning. She was too weak, and her wound was aching. She’d get a good night’s sleep, then make the decision.

  No, she wouldn’t. Mandak had been too sure of himself and it was frightening her. She couldn’t risk staying with him one more hour, much less a night. She had to get away from him.

  She headed for the window.

  Screw you, Mandak.

  * * *

  SHE HIT THE GROUND RUNNING as soon as she jumped the four feet from the window.

  “Allie!”

  She glanced back as she heard Mandak’s voice. He was standing on the front porch, watching her. “I expected this.” He started toward her. “Let’s talk. Don’t do this.”