saying it was something that really happened?â
She swallowed hard before answering. âYes,â
âHow do you know?â
Chapter Two
Jamie wasnât going to start off by telling him sheâd been plagued by psychic dreams since sheâd been little. She was going to avoid that, if possible. And she wasnât going to explain that the dreams had stopped when she came to Baltimore with Craig.
Could she convince Mack with a concrete fact? Up till now, sheâd avoided using a name, even in her thoughts, because that made the dream too real.
Now she raised her head and said, âThe womanâs name was Lynn Vaughn.â
His instant alertness unnerved her. It was like when Craig was working on a case.
âHow do you know?â he said.
âI just do.â
âMaybe weâd better check that out.â
âOkay,â she whispered, wishing again that sheâd kept her mouth shut. What was Mack thinking now? From the look on his face, she was pretty sure she wouldnât like his speculations.
âWhereâs your computer?â he asked.
âIn the office.â Craigâs old office, which sheâd kept looking like heâd left it so that when she sat at the desk she could pretend he was going to come to the door and ask her to get out of his chair.
She and Mack walked to the office, where Mack stopped for a moment in front of the desk before sitting down and booting up the machine. Jamie took the beat-up easy chair where sheâd liked to sit and read while Craig was working in the evening. Usually heâd work late, and then theyâd go upstairs andâ
She ruthlessly cut off that line of thought. As Mack waited for the computer to go through the start-up routine, he said, âLynn Vaughn, right?â
âYes.â
He brought up one of the programs you could use to locate people and typed in her name, plus âGaptown.â
Jamie sat with her pulse pounding, wondering if she had everything backward. What if it had been her dream, and sheâd somehow pulled that woman into it? When Lynn Vaughnâs listing came up, he dialed the number from his cell phone and put it on speaker so they could both hear. She sat clenching the arms of the chair as a woman answered on the first ring. It was the middle of the night, but obviously she wasnât sleeping.
âLynn?â Mack asked.
âNo. Who is this?â
âIâm an old friend of Lynnâs. I was hoping to get in touch with her.â
âAt three in the morning?â
âSorry. I didnât realize the time,â he said, lying with the same facility that Craig had exhibited when he worked a case. âIs she there?â
Jamie could hear the tension in the womanâs voice as she replied.
âLynn didnât come home this evening, and she didnât call me. Thatâs not like her. Iâm worried.â
âHave you called the police?â
âIââ
âYou should do that,â Mack said.
âWhat did you say your name was?â the woman asked.
Instead of answering, Mack clicked off and swung the chair around so that he could look at Jamie.
âWill she have your cell phone number on her caller ID?â Jamie asked.
He shook his head. âHow did you know Lynnâs name?â
She thought about how to answer. âIâ¦donât know.â
âAnd you donât have any specific information about her tonight?â
âWhat kind of information?â
He shrugged and kept his gaze on her.
âLike I told you, I had a dream,â she repeated.
His reply totally startled her.
âIâm going to Gaptown in the morning.â
Her own response was just as startling. âIf youâre going, Iâm going, too.â
âYou donât need to do that.â
âIâm not staying here if youâre driving up there,â she said, hearing her urgent tone and wishing she