Pure Instinct

19

Meade followed Dr. Desinor's march through the heavy double doors and out into the two-tone yellow tunnel-a perverse twist on the road to Oz, leading as it did to the autopsy room. “I want to know just what the hell is going on, Lew.”

“ What're you talking about, Doctor?”

“ Hey, the mayor's guy, the P.C., you, a captain… who's next to take an active role in the case? The goddamn governor?''

“ As it happens, the governor has taken an interest in the case, as have two senators.”

“ Why? Is this going to be an election issue?”

“ I believe the governor's genuinely interested. I think it's the heart thing… just like what you said with Wardlaw before… simply got to him. I don't know. Maybe a lot of us are squeamish about the heart. All I know for sure is that he wants to see a quick, speedy resolution to the problem.”

“ So does the Chamber of Commerce, I'm sure.”

“ Well, hell, yes! Tourism's the biggest industry in the city, and this kinda thing's no good for tourism. Not to mention a pending government contract that'll bring in jobs if-”

“ And that's what propelled Stephens to come see us in Virginia in the first place, isn't it?”

“ Don't trivialize our concerns here, Doctor. We all want to see an end to this before it gets any worse. Nobody in that room”-he pointed a chunky finger-”nobody wants to see another murder. It's as simple as that.”

“ I see. Then it is electioneering. Can't start too soon, right?”

“ It's not about politics, Doctor.”

“ Could've fooled me. Besides, everything's about politics in our business, isn't it, Lew?”

“ In a manner a speaking, I 'magine, yes, but-”

“ The tension in Wardlaw's lab, the fact Frank Wardlaw's out before we're in… just doesn't sit well. We… Jessica and I didn't come here to take a scalpel to people's lives.”

“ Wardlaw's been on the bottle; he dug his own hole long before you arrived here. Let it go at that.”

She gnashed her teeth together, sighed and leaned heavily against the wall.

“ We all have our reasons for wanting a speedy resolution to this madness in our city, but that doesn't lesson our concern for the victims, their families or future victims, Dr. Desinor. And I can tell you this Surette nonsense is just going to waste everyone's time. It's a Landry-Sincebaugh ploy to throw us all off, to give Alex and Landry more time.” More time to do their jobs? she almost shouted. “What's so damnably wrong with this Lieutenant Sincebaugh being allowed to pursue leads, Lew? Are we all at odds here, Lew? I want to know the truth.”

“ Sincebaugh's a rebel and a bastard. And he doesn't play well with our office, never has. He gummed up a case for us a year ago that we're still trying to untangle. Hadn't been for him, we could've screwed over this drug czar working out of the Quarter a long time ago, but Sincebaugh likes to play cowboy, so he ran his own scam and it blew up in our faces; some innocent people got hurt. I didn't want you running the same risks.”

I'm touched, she thought sardonically. “And so everyone's on Wardlaw like he's been the problem all along, and now that he's out of the picture, we cut Alex Sincebaugh off at the knees, show good faith with the press that a shake-up has been ordered, that every little thing's going to be hunky-dory? And Captain Landry? Is he next? Stephens and you intend to throw him to the wolves too? Then who's left, Chief? Who's the mayor and the governor and the FBI and the P.C.'s office going to point a finger at next? Who'll be your final scapegoat? Dr. Coran, me?”

Meade clenched his teeth and stammered.

She realized now why the air in that autopsy room was so thick with the smell of tension; no wonder Alex Sincebaugh and Captain Landry were both so on edge.

She stared hard into Meade's beady eyes and firmly said, “Now that we've blown it with Landry and Sincebaugh, the two principal cops on the case, I don't think we've got a chance in hell of working together.”

“ Just as well. Sincebaugh's not gotten anywhere, I tell you, and going back to the Surette thing…”

“ But Landry has a lot of respect for him, and just because the guy seems to think differently… well, Sincebaugh does have reasons to believe as he does, I'm sure. The snitch trail I've only heard snippets about, for instance.”

“ It's a dead end.”

“ What's a dead end? Fill me in, Lew. Keep me informed. I want to know everything-everything.”

“ Something about the killer's having known all his victims, about his gaining their trust before dispatching each, a coldblooded, deliberate bastard who takes his time getting to know each of the men first.”

“ I got just the opposite feeling, that the killer didn't know his victims at all.”

“ As I said, you'd just be at odds.”

She shook this off. “At odds doesn't frighten me, but I'd be hard-pressed to do my best with that man around.”

“ Good, then it's settled. I'll see to it that Stephens yanks Landry's chain and we snatch Alex Sincebaugh off the case; replace him with someone suitable to you.”

“ No, no! That'd be the worst thing we could do right now. The chief medical examiner for the city's already been cut out from the herd for slaughter.” She breathed a deep sigh of resignation. “There's enough right there to fuel problems between us and whoever's left. I don't want everyone in the NOPD thinking that I'm any more knowledgeable about this case than anyone else; hell, leave that act to Dr. Coran, who I suspect wants the privilege.” She was instantly sorry she'd made the remark, wishing she might take it back.

“ But Dr. Desinor-”

“ Believe me, nothing can be gained if the detectives working the case are given the impression that the investigation has been turned over solely to a psychic detective, Lew. I know this from experience. This case is going to take time, Lew, time and teamwork.”

“ You'll be reporting to Stephens and me directly, in any case.”

“ You know how the locals feel when a normal FBI operation takes over in a case. We've got to remain light of foot here.”

“ I've requested D.C. allow us to fully take charge of this investigation.”

She raised up off the wall, let out an exasperated breath and waved her arms, saying, “That's no good unless the FBI's been invited in to take charge, Lew. Don't you see?”

“ The request is in and under advisement,” he replied patly. “While it's being reviewed, we've opted for the forensics help which Jessica Coran will provide, but officially, so far, the case is still in the hands of the NOPD. And officially, you don't exist as an arm of the Bureau, so you're ostensibly working for the NOPD, and our conversing here like this only jeopardizes your cover.”

“ So if there's a screwup, the FBI comes out smelling rosewater-fresh either way. I get the picture, Chief.” She saw it all completely, that top officials in New Orleans and in the state were scrambling to control that which was uncontrollable, not unlike the desire to preserve in coffins that which was impossible to preserve. Meanwhile, none but perhaps Sincebaugh understood the whole and soul of the case.

Jessica Coran had stepped through the doors, and she'd heard the tail end of the discussion, so she quickly jumped in, saying to Meade,''Lew, we don't want to rock the boat any more than we already have, do you understand me? We don't need or want any macho-shithead FBI gonzo tactics, Lew. By replacing the chief investigating officer, we'd only be building more walls of resistance against Kim, not to mention me, understood?”

Kim felt instantly better, having Jessica aligned with her so perfectly.

Meade now took a long, deep breath. “Yeah, okay… guess you're right, if you two want it that way.”

Anal-retentive, Kim thought, picturing a baby Lew Meade in a sandbox, fighting. “You sure you're objective where Sincebaugh is concerned, Lew?” she asked.

“ Oh, good Christ, now you're questioning my sense of duty? Listen, Doctor, no one with the rank of lieutenant in a frigging city police force has the right to keep files on a case all to himself, which is what Sincebaugh has been doing.”

“ Come on, Lew,” Jessica said with a frown, “that's how all cops operate; we all know that.”

Kim fired her heaviest guns. “The press leaks have saturated the public mind on this case, and you're concerned about a lock on Sincebaugh's files? Maybe if more cops were like Sincebaugh, your governor wouldn't be feeling so much heat over the case.”

“ That's all well and good, but we at the FBI have a legitimate interest,” Meade countered.

Inside the autopsy room behind the double doors, the P.C. was badly dressing someone down. Landry, she imagined.

“ You hear that?” Kim asked. “My fears are already coming true.” She returned to her frontal attack on Lew Meade. “What gives with this character Stephens, Lew? It's a murder investigation. It belongs to Sincebaugh, but Stephens wants maybe to grandstand, to use it as a means to gain attention for himself? To razzle-dazzle the press and the public with his intelligent, up-close and personal, hands-on handling of the crime? Or what? Why's the P.C. so bloody upset with Landry's handling of the case?”

“ Stephens believes the press leak is coming from somewhere inside Landry's precinct.”

She nodded, frowned and knowingly breathed this information in. “I see. And is it?”

“ It appears so, yes.”

“ You don't think it's a disgruntled Wardlaw, then?”

“ Wardlaw has cooperated with us. It's only through him and Stephens and the damned press that I've learned as much about the case as I know,” Meade replied. “Stephens provided me with a set of the same files you got. Sincebaugh stonewalled doing so, put it off again and again.”

Jessica Coran stared back at the autopsy room, the shouting inside having risen to a crescendo, Landry getting his licks in now. Jessica then turned to Meade and asked, “Who officially called us-the FBI-in on the case originally? Stephens?”

As a federal agency, they had no jurisdiction over murder cases without having been called in by the local authorities. Kidnapping was a federal offense, but murder was a local affair.

“ Yeah, yeah… Stephens first contacted us. I encouraged him to request you, Dr. Coran.”

“ You're not being honest with us, Lew,” Kim countered. “You want to start over?”

He was unnerved, not by what she said, but by the truth. “I… I'm not completely at liberty to-”

“ You saying the governor called us in?'' Kim blurted out, already having guessed the truth and now sharing it with Jessica.

“ Let us just say, ladies, that the highest officials in the state are extremely and compassionately concerned.”

Lew's usual tight-lipped style had burst with the words. Still, Kim and Jess knew there was more going on behind the story than Lew wished to discuss, but for now, the women chose to say no more. Suddenly Carl Landry stormed from the autopsy room, not bothering to say anything to anyone, disappearing down the yellow tunnel. He was followed by the commissioner and Fouintenac, who each in turn thanked Kim and Jessica for their combined efforts on the case. Fouin-tenac's handshake was limp as lettuce, while the P.C.'s was sweaty.

Meade raced to catch up with the two high-ranking officials.

“ For obvious reasons,” Jessica told Kim, “I'd take Sincebaugh for the lot of them.”

Kim watched the officials disappear ahead of them. “Now you're reading my mind?”

Together, they walked down the long, silent corridor, going for the elevator.

“ So, how is Dr. Wardlaw holding up?” Kim asked Jessica.

“ Oh, as well's might be expected under the circumstances.”

“ They had to throw somebody to the wolves.”

“ Yeah, you got that right.”

“ And it looks like they're lining this Detective Sincebaugh up for the next fall.”

“ Maybe…”

“ You have anything on your mind, Jessica? I mean about me, about us working together? You having any second thoughts about this whole operation?”

“ No, none at all. If I seem a little distracted it's… well, it's about something that happened last night.”

“ Oh, your date with Wing Commander Sand didn't exactly sing?”

This made Jessica laugh, a sound which Kim had not heard very often.

“ Ed Sand turned out to be a handful-and I do mean a handful-of trouble. What is it in a man that makes him think your one function on this planet is to be a receptacle for his bodily fluids and parts? Yeah, Ed Sand's allure tarnished rapidly after the flight, trust me.”

They now boarded the elevator, the small cubicle barely able to contain the emotions running back and forth between them. Kim felt it as kinetic energy, and saw sparks in the other woman's aura and eyes. Jessica was vibrant, strong-willed, disciplined, but circumstances were chipping away at her.

“ Then after I got rid of Ed, an old friend called from Quantico with some disturbing news.”

Someone named J.T., Kim thought, reading a flashing thought which belonged to Jessica. “Oh, I'm sorry to hear it.”

“ Quite disturbing.”

“ Well, if there's anything I can do, Jess. You know, I'd like to be your friend. I'd like for us to get on… if that's possible, of course.”

“ What do you mean, if it's possible. Sure, it's possible. It's just that… we… well, I wouldn't know where to begin on this particular bit of news.”

“ Why don't you start at the beginning. Go ahead, unload.”

The elevator opened on the main floor, where a corridor led back to the precinct building and the parking garage where they might find transportation back to their respective hotels. Jessica started ahead of her, as if to walk away, but she stopped, turned and stared for a long moment into Kim's questioning eyes.

“ Just how close are you and Paul Zanek?” Jessica's question came like a body blow.

“ Close… well, we're… we've been friends right along. He fairly well ushered me into the Bureau, ushered in psychic investigation with me, you know.”

“ There just seemed to me to be a lot of… tension between you. Look, all I want to know is… is he capable of lying to us… to me, I mean? Do you think he's capable of lying to me?”

Kim started walking again, now with Jessica keeping up. They passed along the gray and unfinished walls of the concrete tunnel which connected precinct to hospital and morgue. Finally, Kim answered. “I'm not sure what you're driving at, but in answer to your question… yes. Yes, he knows how to lie if it serves his purposes, yes.”

“ Yeah, I might've guessed as much.”

“ Have you ever been romantically involved with Paul?” asked Kim now, her question taking Jessica by surprise.

“ No, not ever, although it wasn't for lack of trying on his part.”

“ I see. Then this lie he's told you is not of a personal nature?”

“ No, it isn't… well, yes, it is quite personal to me…”

“ Then it has to do with a professional situation?” Kim asked. “The case we're currently on?”

“ No… I mean, yes… I mean, yes, it is about a case, just not this case.”

“ Matisak?”

“ Yes.”

“ He lied to you about some aspect of the Matisak case?”

“ I'm sure he'd call it something other than a lie, but yes, it's what you might call a lie of omission.”

“ Something's come up and he's failed to alert you; meanwhile, this friend does so?”

“ This friend assumed I knew. Four bodies found on an Indian reservation in Oklahoma, hushed up by the local authorities, FBI called in…”

“ Four bodies?”

“ All drained of their blood, a poem written in blood, a poem penned for me, found at the scene.”

“ Oh, dear God, Jess. I'm sorry. I know how you must feel.”

“ No, you couldn't know. No one can know this feeling. No one's ever had this kind of a brutal monster stalking her, no one.”

“ We've got to continue that reading for you, and soon.”

“ Do you really believe it'd do any good?” The resignation in her voice was a clear bell. She'd not believed any of the images which Kim had related to her during the psychometric reading on the plane coming down; Jess hadn't suspended her disbelief of Kim's powers long enough to consider the symbolic or literal meanings she might ascribe to the reading.

“ I've decided to play out Zanek's little game,” Jessica said. “He's managed to black out any news coming out of Oklahoma on the killings; he thinks I don't know. If I fly up there to have a look, I tip my hand and maybe he pulls the plug on what we're doing here. Leastways, he pulls the plug on my participation. At any rate, I've sent my own message to Matisak.”

“ That sounds very dangerous and maybe a little foolish, Jess. What have you done?”

Another look of doubt flitted across Jess's brow before she carefully chose her words, making Kim wonder if Jess thought her some sort of stoolie or spy for Paul Zanek, sent here to inform on Jess's behavior.

“ Tomorrow's headlines,” she began. “I gave an exclusive to the Times-Picayune about the headway we're making on the Queen of Hearts killings. There's likely to be another photo on page one, and it'll hit the wire services tonight.”

“ Is playing to the press going to help our case here?”

“ I believe so. The Hearts killer, in my estimation, is as anxious to read about himself as everyone else in the city. If we can alert people to the type of killings, down to the victim profile, then maybe we can save a life in the bargain, and maybe… just maybe someone out there's run into the Queen of Hearts killer but doesn't know it. I gave them enough to know one way or the other.”

“ You did this without Meade's approval, didn't you?”

“ Wardlaw's given the press very little. All anyone knows is that the gay community is being stalked by a crazed individual who has some sort of vendetta against gays and cross-dressers in particular. That he's blond-haired, possibly balding, or that he wears a human-hair wig, and that on occasions he wears a dark animal-hair wig is all new; he's also right-handed, of medium height but possessing a lot of brute strength.”

“ Information gleaned from the crime-scene evidence, I gather?”

“ Hairs, fibers left at the scene tell us one thing, the angle and depth of the original penetration wounds during initial attack, another.”

“ Then we know more about this degenerate than I thought.” Kim took in a deep breath of air, clearing her head.

“ Precisely, down to the kind of carving knife he uses, and the unique playing cards he alone seems to possess, perhaps because he knits them himself.”

“ I see. A kind of retaliation to Zanek. And in this way you virtually insure that Matisak will come to New Orleans in pursuit of you.”

“ Not very clever or subtle, but it should get results.”

“ A little clever and a little crazy, yes.”

“ What alternative do I have?”

“ I see.” Kim's tone had become matriarchal. “So, you've exhausted all avenues, have you?”

“ Yes, damnit, I have.”

“ No, Jess, you haven't at all. Let me help you.”

Jessica shook her head, replying, “Don't you get it? I'm a scientist, Kim, pure and simple. I thought for a time I could believe in you and your… power. Like everyone, I strive to find someone or some thing to worship, but for me it always comes back to science. You've got to understand me to understand that I mean no disrespect, but when I lifted my ankles to you, I was high on medication and not thinking clearly.”

Kim half smiled at this and simply said, “I think it was John Tyndale who said that religious feeling was as much a part of the human consciousness as any other feeling; and against it, the waves of science beat in vain.”

“ Very clever, Doctor, but nonetheless-”

“ And Jesus of Nazareth was a scientist.”

“ Really? I would've guessed you'd have called him a psychic, Doctor.”

“ Actually, he was the most scientific man who ever walked the earth.”

Jessica frowned. “Give it a break, Kim.”

“ Because he did what you do, Jess. He plunged beneath the material surface of things and found the spiritual cause.”

“ Spiritual cause, huh? I haven't seen or understood any spiritual cause for some time, Kim. I… I…”

“ I know how lost you feel at times, Jess. How out of touch you become at times with your feelings, your own best impulses. But there is a spirit within you and there is a spiritual cause underlying both the Matisak case and the Hearts case, twisted though it all seems. And God is here with us, on our side, I promise you.”

Jessica only stared back at her, biting her lip, on the verge of venting a tear. Instead, she reached out a hand to Kim and firmly gripped her by the forearm: a silent thanks. “I've got to get out of here, get some air. Want to join me?”

“ Fact is, I really need to see Alex Sincebaugh,” Kim replied.

Jessica nodded, saying, “Keep me apprised,” and left.

Kim stared down corridors within corridors, wondering where she might find the tall, striking lieutenant detective. She went in search of the detectives' squad room.