The In Death Collection Books 16-20 - J. D. Robb [559]
“I saw him.” She turned her head, looked at Eve. “I saw him, Dallas.” A smile trembled onto her lips, and she reached out a hand.
Eve rose, gave Celina’s hand a brief squeeze, since it seemed called for, then stepped back so Mira could give Celina a cup.
“Would you recognize him?” Eve asked.
“His face.” Celina shook her head and sipped. “It’s hard. The shades hid his eyes, and whatever was on his face—over it?—distorted it. I know the body type as I’d told you before. I know now he’s either mixed race, dark skinned or tanned. And the shape of his face. He’s bald. Smoothly, like a man who removes or has his hair removed. I don’t understand what he had on his face.”
“A sealant, most likely. Thickly applied. What about his voice? Any accent?”
“No . . . No. It was guttural, but that might have been the rage. He didn’t shout, though, not even when he . . . He kept his voice down.”
“Rings, jewelry, tats, scars, birthmarks?”
“I didn’t see anything. Didn’t notice. Can we try again, and I’ll—”
“Absolutely not.” Mira brought up the lights. “I won’t authorize another session until tomorrow evening, soonest. I’m sorry, Eve. This sort of thing can’t be rushed.”
“I feel fine,” Celina protested. “Better, in fact, than I did before we started.”
“And I want you to continue to feel fine. You’re to go home, relax, have a meal.”
“Can that meal include a really big glass of wine?”
“Certainly.” Mira patted Celina’s shoulder. “Do what you can to keep your mind off this, and we’ll take the next step forward tomorrow.”
“I feel like I did take a step. It won’t be as hard tomorrow. Are there photos I can look at?” she asked Eve. “Before the session tomorrow? I might recognize him if I saw his picture.”
“I’ll see what I can put together by then.”
“Well.” Celina set the cup aside. “I’m going to go have that wine.”
“I’ll walk you out.”
Mira’s admin was closing up for the day, and a check of the time told Eve it was nearly six. Time to get moving.
“Maybe when this is over, we can have a glass of wine together.”
Eve led the way to a glide. “Sounds good. This hypnosis thing, does it make you feel like somebody slipped you a tranq? You know, so you’re out of yourself?”
“No. Well, maybe a little. But you’re tethered, if you know what I mean. There’s some part of you that’s aware you’re being held safe, and you can come back.”
“Hmm.”
“It was a little strange, but not really unpleasant. The process, I mean, not what I saw during it. Where I had to go was very unpleasant, so I think that colors it somewhat. But, essentially, it’s not that different than having visions.”
“You got that part nailed.”
“I certainly should. I’m hoping this is a one-shot, this turn my gift’s taken. But if it’s not, I’ll handle it better next time.”
“You’ve handled yourself. You find your way out of this maze from here?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ve got to head back.” She gestured toward her sector.
“Haven’t you been on since early this morning?”
“That’s how it goes.”
“You can keep it,” Celina said sincerely. “I’ll see you tomorrow, at Mira’s? Let me know if you want me to come in earlier and look at pictures.”
“You’ll hear from me.”
Eve peeled off, wound her way back to Homicide. She detoured by Peabody’s desk, thumped on it, gestured, and headed to her own office. “Got a basic description. Added to ours, he’s a really big son of a bitch. Mixed race or—”
“She said white before.”
“Sealant threw her off. Sounds like he coats it on thick, probably uses one that’s not completely clear. “Mixed race, brown skin or tanned. Bald—smooth dome. Square face, dark, thick eyebrows. No distinguishing marks that she made this time out. He wears dark shades when he does them.”
“Jesus.”
“Could be something’s wrong with his eyes, could be another symbol or part of his pathology. We’ll research eye diseases or sensitivities.”
“Funky-junkies are light sensitive.”
“He’s not on the funk. Steroids, maybe, to give the body a boost. What do you have for me?”
“None of the people Sommers spent the evening with gave her or remember her with