"But you knew, somehow, where they should look. Something about a song?"
Aidan couldn't help jerking in surprise, and he noted that, in his car, Detective Cooper did the same. But, unlike Aidan, the other man obviously didn't want to hear any more. Shaking his head, he mumbled, "Woo woo stuff," then slowly backed up and drove away.
Once they were alone, Aidan asked, "Who are you?" asking about a lot more than her name.
"I'm Julia Harrington, and you're Aidan McConnell." She stuck out her hand, grasping his in a firm shake, then said, "Now, please answer the question—did you tell them where to find the car?"
Aidan nodded, more than a little surprised by the woman's pushy demeanor.
"Okay. You need to come with me."
He gawked. "Excuse me?"
"We've got a lead on the carjackers."Though his heart thudded in his chest, Aidan cast a quick glance toward the dust rising from the gravel road behind the detective's departing vehicle. "Then shouldn't you…"
"No. They won't listen, not yet. Not to me." She frowned. "You've proved yourself once today. They might listen to you. But I don't have enough for you to take to them yet. The others are working on it; with your help we can put the last few pieces in place."
"The others?"
"Members of my team. Derek, Olivia…you'll meet them."
"Look, lady, I work alone."
"Not anymore."
It was like talking to a brick wall. She simply refused to hear anything she didn't want to. "You're not much of a psychic if you can't see that I'm strictly a solo act."
"I'm not a psychic," she informed him with a pointed stare. "I have no special abilities at all." Then, glancing at her watch and tapping her finger on it impatiently, she asked, "You do want to find out who killed this girl, don't you, and stop them from doing it again?"
"Of course."
"Then come on. They're ballsy—thinking they got away with it. And they're socking back another couple of bottles of Wild Turkey to work up the nerve to go back out on the prowl tonight."
Stunned, Aidan asked, "How do you know that, about the bourbon?"
"I just know," she told him. "Look, McConnell, we're wasting time. If you want to find out more—if you want to be in on this case—you'll just have to put on your nice-team-player uniform and come with me."
He wanted to know more, and something about the woman's demeanor told him she was onto something. Still, he had to clarify, "I'm not looking for a permanent job. I've got plenty of work to do."
"We'll call you a consultant. Part-time, on your terms. But please, let's go."
To his own surprise, he found himself seriously tempted. The dead woman in the trunk of the car fifty yards away deserved justice, and the city of Savannah deserved the peace of knowing two killers were behind bars.
There was more, though—the idea of working with someone so driven and determined interested him. He'd never really shared his strange abilities with anyone else, other than the grandmother who'd taught him how to use them. Trusting a complete stranger was not something that came easily to him. Yet, the temptation grew by the second. What might it be like to be around others who had similar abilities—and who used them to solve crimes, like he did?
Then he remembered what else she'd said. "But you just said you have no psychic abilities."
"That's what I said, all right." Then, as if knowing he was waffling, she turned on her heel and strode toward her Jeep. Like him coming along was all but given now.
"Then how..."
"My partner," she said, calling to him over her shoulder. "He's the one who sees and knows all."
His own curiosity, and her urgency, finally helped him make his decision. Without another word, he followed, hopping into the passenger seat of the Jeep. Aidan didn't know if he was making the right choice, but knew he'd regret it if he didn't at least explore what this woman was telling him.
She offered him a quick smile. "Glad to have you on board."
"For this case," he insisted.
"Understood." She jammed the key in the ignition. "Buckle up."
He did, sensing she was as impatient at driving as she was at explaining anything.
"So, this partner, he's the one who has a line on these carjackers?"
"Yep. Morgan Raines. My former partner on the Charleston P.D., and my silent partner in eXtreme Investigations."
"I'll look forward to talking to him," Aidan said, filing away the information so he could do a little more research on the woman and her partner, at a less critical moment.
"Didn't you catch the 'silent' part?" she asked. She didn't wait for him to answer, jerking the gearshift into reverse, gunning the engine, and spinning the four-wheeler around.
As they took off through the woods, Aidan had to raise his voice to be heard over the hot breeze rushing into the open-topped vehicle. "You mean, nobody knows he's involved in your business?"
"Not exactly," she told him. Julia flipped her sunglasses down off of the top of her head, covering her eyes as the Jeep burst out from beneath the covering trees into the blazing hot Georgia sunshine.
"Well, what do you mean?" he asked, wondering why she suddenly seemed evasive.
She didn't even look over, merely grinning slowly as she floored the gas pedal, as if reminding him that he was committed now, and had no way out.
"I mean, nobody else can talk to him. He's been dead for seven years."
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