Sixth Sense (A Psychic Crystal Mystery) Read Free Page A

couldn’t stop thinking about her.
    The media had dubbed her Crystal Ball Kate and they couldn’t get enough of her. He couldn’t blame them. She was making the rounds of all the daytime talk shows and late night programs. In fairness, she didn’t look too eager or comfortable in the spotlight, but the reporters and the cameras worshipped her. Her fifteen minutes of fame had exploded into infinity and beyond. The talking heads couldn’t stop talking about her and fussing over her, flashing on every gory detail of the crash.
    He didn’t bring that plane down. Hell, it was probably already in the air by the time she called. Jack downed the rest of his Jack Daniels and mentally kicked himself in the ass. He could justify his actions all he wanted, but what if he could have saved that child? What if the disaster could have been averted?
    Sarge thought so. He had reamed him out in front of the whole squad for not following the rules and reporting Katherine Crystal’s call. And he’d had a mouthful to say about the Midtown Strangler and Jack’s failure to make any progress on that case.
    To make matters worse, Sarge had hired Katherine Crystal to consult with him on the strangler case. That is, when she wasn’t flying around the country making television appearances.
    Jack passed by his bathroom mirror and pulled up short. Jesus, he looked like a werewolf. He had to get rid of all this hair. But a pact was a pact, and he still hadn’t caught the strangler. He scratched his chin. His head was beginning to itch. Or maybe it was the mind games Katherine was playing with him. Maybe she was into voodoo magic.
    She’d come into the precinct last week to discuss the case. She certainly didn’t dress like any cop he knew. She stuck out like a sore thumb walking around Midtown in her tight, low-cut red designer dress, dripping in jewelry and tripping in her high-heeled shoes. He’d had to catch her twice when the heel of her shoe got stuck in a sewer grate. She felt good in his arms. But she had no law enforcement experience to speak of. She was just a drag on the investigation. Nothing more than eye candy—window dressing.
    “He’s not here,” Kate had insisted on their walk-around.
    “What do you mean, he’s not here? He’s not in Midtown? Not in Atlanta?”
    “Not in this country.”
    “How do you know that?”
    “I’ve had a vision.”
    Jack was exasperated. “Are you frigging kidding me?”
    Kate had gone quiet, completely clammed up.
    “Well?” Jack demanded. “What did you see?”
    Kate crossed her arms and stood on the sidewalk outside the precinct. “You won’t believe me.”
    Sometimes he wanted to kick her in her well-rounded butt. Sometimes he wanted to grab her butt and kiss the breath out of her. Working with her these past few weeks had done a number on him.
    “He’s gone home,” Kate said.
    “Okay, I’ll bite. Where is home?”
    “Australia,” Kate said simply.
    Jack shook his head and walked into the precinct with Kate on his heels. He was not working with this nut job. She was pulling things out of the air.
    Sarge signaled them over to his desk.
    “Jack, Kate, there’s been another murder. Scumbag with the same MO as our Midtown Strangler. A copycat.”
    “He’s not a copycat,” Katherine insisted softly. “He’s the same killer.”
    “Impossible,” stated Sarge. “Sydney, Australia, is his new killing field.”
    Jack choked. “Australia?” He looked at Katherine.
    “Yep. He’s gone Down Under.”
    Jack turned to Katherine. “How did you know? Did Sarge tell you?”
    “This is the first time I’ve mentioned it to anyone,” Sarge said. “We’ve been asked by the police to fly to Sydney to see if we can be of assistance.”
    “We?” Jack asked warily.
    “You and Kate.”
    Jack shook his head. “Not going to happen.”
    “Listen to me, Jack. They didn’t ask for you. They asked for Crystal Ball Kate. I’m sending you along as her escort.”
    Jack