Glass Eye: Confessions of a Fake Psychic Detective

Chapter 50

"What the hell are you trying to pull? One of your silly magic tricks?" Charlie says. She sits up straight in her chair, her face contorted, like human rebar.

Now it's Zandra's turn to sit back in her chair and relieve her vertebrae with a crunch. She studies Charlie's face. The flush of red in Charlie's neck and face deepens its hue. There's a brief moment when her hand starts to travel to her forehead, an indication of shame, but Charlie returns it to the desk.

Herman looks bewildered, unsure if he's the only one hearing this conversation.

"It's no magic trick. Just a little misdirection I've been playing since the day we met. Do you recall me lecturing you about drinking? About how that flush in your neck and face has something to do with it?" Zandra says.

"Sure. So what? I drink sometimes," Charlie says.

"I wanted you to think I thought that. The hard-drinking cop is an easy stereotype. You wouldn't think twice about it. But I know better. I've seen enough lushes in this town to recognize your flush as something else," Zandra says.

"And what's that?"

"Stress. Not that those in law enforcement don't experience it. But did you happen to notice you got flush only around me? Because I did," Zandra says. "That's your blood pressure rising. Now, tell me, why would your blood pressure go up around me? I shouldn't be anything more than an irritation to you. You've made it clear you think I'm a fraud."

"Aren't you?"

"That's not important. What is is that you specifically came to me for help with Elle, hoping you could somehow pin it all on me. I thought maybe Gene requested me on the case, but I've since learned he's more in the dark than I originally thought. But you? You knew my history with the Carey family. You knew I'd be the perfect fall person in case your little ransom scheme fell through. And fall through it did. You made the mistake of tapping a couple doorknobs named Abby and Seth to help you carry it out," Zandra says.

Everything about the pressure building in Charlie's face screams Zandra is telling the truth, save for her mouth.

"You're full of it," Charlie says. Her hunched shoulders say she's not buying her own words.

"Seth and Abby could tell you how I'm not, but it's too late for them. They're dead," Zandra says and gauges Charlie's reaction. No amount of stoicism can disguise the shock squirming in the corner of Charlie's eyes. "One accidental murder and one intentional suicide."

Zandra glances to Herman. Despite his earlier confusion, he seems to be enjoying himself now. Must feel good to be close to the action again, even if Zandra only called for him to be a witness to her accusations.

Zandra looks straight into Charlie's eyes. She says, "I suspect that Abby tipped either you or Seth off that Elle was riding her bike to Soma Falls Park. My guess is Seth, since you'd be keeping up appearances at the police station. Seth grabbed Elle at the park and tossed her into his van. Then he and Abby handed Elle over to the one person the police would never suspect. That'd be you, Charlie, one of the lead investigators in Elle's disappearance."

"Bullshit," Charlie says.

"I would've thought the same thing," Zandra says. She's talking so fast she slurs over her enunciation. "But I saw the indentations of a booster seat in the back seat of your vehicle. You don't have any children, and you said you're from Minnesota. You wouldn't have any young relatives to drive around. You must've installed the booster seat to use when driving Elle around to avoid suspicion. Make it look as normal as a mom with a kid."

"None of this proves anything. You're desperate, so you're making up stories about me," Charlie says. She points to Herman. "Either that or you're trying to cover for your hippie friend."