Dying Dreams (Book 1 of Dying Dreams Trilogy) (13 page)

She was glad Rice had prepared her for this, but she’d still hoped it wouldn’t happen. If he was right about the agency forcing her to work for them, he was probably also right about them disappearing her into a testing facility. “I’m happy to help in any way I can. In fact, being here and involved with the case of the woman on the beach, even in such a small way, has made me realize that I want to do this. I would like to be an agent here.”

Reynolds’ smile was condescending. “Yes, Agent Rice informed me of your desire. I’m afraid you must first prove you have something valid to offer us as an agent. Your dream about the woman on the beach was incorrect, so we’d like you to help us out on another case, see if you can get us closer to an answer about another death.”

Liza looked at Ellison, her eyebrows raised. Rice said they’d test her by making her touch corpses with confirmed methods of death, not a death in an open case. How could they know if she was correct if they didn’t actually know the manner of death? She’d filled Ellison in on what Rice had told her and, when she raised her eyebrows, he seemed to understand her unspoken question. “I’m not sure what you want from my client, Agent Reynolds. You’ve dropped the charges against her and now you want her to touch a dead body? Are you offering her a job?”

Reynolds’ eyes narrowed and Liza decided she was done giving her the benefit of the doubt. She did not like this woman. “We can’t offer her a job until we fully understand her abilities.”

“But you said yourself that the body she will be touching is that of a woman with a mysterious death. How can it be a test for Liza if you don’t know how the woman died?”

“In a general sense, we do know
how
she died. We’re hoping Liza can give us specifics. If Liza is serious about wanting to work for us, she should be happy to help us with this case.”

The look on Ellison’s face made Liza’s throat tighten. She knew it was bad, but she also knew she didn’t have any choice. Her fae blood had limited her choices. She gave Ellison a brief nod. “Okay,” he said. “My client will do this for you, but you must pay her for it and consider it her first act in her new position.”

“I’m afraid at this time we don’t have the funds–”

“Then get the funds. My client is cooperating with you and she doesn’t have to. You may hold the upper hand here, but if you make this more difficult for us, we can make it more difficult for you. I could start by requiring a second, outside opinion on my client’s blood work, and then–”

“Fine.” Agent Reynolds was far too relaxed for Liza’s taste. “We’ll pay her for her time today. She’ll have to stop by HR on her way out.”

“And I want a guarantee that I’ll start working here within the week and that Agent Rice will be my partner.” If Liza trusted anyone in that whole mess, it was Rice, and she figured she might as well make her request while she was in a position of some power.

“Done,” Agent Reynolds smiled and Liza felt as though she was missing something, something important.

“I want to use my degree,” Liza said, figuring it couldn’t hurt to try.

Ellison squeezed her thigh, probably to tell her to quit while she was ahead, but she ignored him and focused on Agent Reynolds, whose smile was fading.

“I understand that I won’t be allowed to complete my doctorate, but I want to use my master’s degree. I can help out here and do research and…”

Agent Reynolds’ narrow gaze made Liza nervous and she trailed off before she said something stupid. “I’m sure we would love to have you on staff as one of our biologists, but you can’t be an agent and a scientist, Liza. You’d have to choose.”

Now this was an option Rice hadn’t mentioned, but Liza didn’t like the predatory gleam in Reynolds’s eyes. “If I worked as a scientist would I work here?”

Reynolds shook her head slowly. “Quite attached to this little town are you? No, you’d work in our West Virginia office. That’s where the research is conducted.”

So instead of being a guinea pig, she’d be studying other fae who’d been sent up there. If she was lucky enough to stay out of a cage herself. “I want to be an agent,” Liza said.

“Yes,” Reynolds said. “Agent Rice said it was a life-long dream of yours, so I’m not sure why you’re expressing an interest in our research department.”

“Just hate to waste a degree,” Liza said, forcing a bright smile.

“I’d like some documentation of this conversation,” Ellison said. “Before my client touches the body, I want it in writing that she will be working for you and that Agent Rice will be her partner.”

Agent Reynolds stood and pushed her chair in. “Yes, of course. I’m assuming that once the paperwork is signed and Liza is working for us, she won’t bring her lawyer to our discussions again.”

“Of course not,” Liza said. She wanted to wrap herself around Ellison and carry him with her everywhere, but she understood that wasn’t an option. She was going to have to stand on her own two feet.

“Good. We ordinarily have a six week training requirement for our new recruits, but we may be able to bypass that, based on the results of your dreams, Miss Simmons.”

“My client would like to receive the training,” Ellison said.

Reynolds nodded and left without confirming or denying his request.

“What the–” Liza started.

Ellison put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. “Not here. Maybe not anywhere.”

Liza leaned back in her chair and tried to relax, but she was freaking the hell out. She needed a distraction. “So how are things going with you and Marcy?”

He flushed just the tiniest bit red. “Thanks for staying out last night.”

“That’s not answering the question. Are you going to marry her? Have her babies?”

He went even redder and Liza felt a bit giddy. Ellison wasn’t a blusher. Very little embarrassed him or made him uncomfortable. “Maybe. She’s amazing and brilliant and beautiful and… amazing.”

Liza squealed and threw her arms around him, just as the door opened and Agent Reynolds walked back in. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” Her voice was ice cold and Liza sat back in her own seat like she’d been caught doing something bad. Ellison cleared his throat and sat up a bit straighter. He took the paperwork from Agent Reynolds and looked it over.

“She wants double this salary,” he said, sliding the papers back across the table.

Reynolds’ face reddened and Liza could practically see the smoke pouring out of her ears. “I’m not authorized to offer–”

“Then find someone who is. You want her to touch dead bodies and re-live their deaths in her dreams at night, she should get compensated for the trauma and damage to her sleep and health. The fae might not have many rights, but they are entitled to fair compensation for their work and I am willing to take this to court.”

“Then perhaps we can’t hire her after all. She could go find employment elsewhere, but she will be required to travel to our West Virginia office so we can confirm her condi… her status isn’t dangerous to humans.”

“Ellison, I–” Liza really didn’t want to go to West Virginia.

“You have to demonstrate she’s dangerous before you send her there and, as she’s lived among humans safely for the last twenty-six years, I think you’ll have a hard time proving that. This is not 2060, the fae have rights now.”

“Even so, I can’t authorize this pay grade for a new recruit. You must understand–”

He stood and pushed back his chair. “Then my client will find employment elsewhere. We’re done here.”

Liza stood with him, but her hands were shaking. She didn’t trust Reynolds, and she had a bad feeling she’d manufacture proof that Liza was dangerous if she had to.

“Oh, for tides sake, sit back down. We’re still negotiating here,” Reynolds said, but her teeth were clenched.

Ellison sat. “I’m listening.”

“I can’t double the current salary, but I can offer her a significant bonus for each body she touches.”

“It had better be 10 grand a body or we’re walking.”

“Do you have any idea what you’re asking? We’re a government organization.”

“You going to suggest I can’t walk out of her and find someone in the private realm willing to pay her three times what you’re offering? She’s a banshee who can tell you exactly how someone died.”

“That is yet to be confirmed.”

“I’ve confirmed her ability myself. If I hear you’ve claimed she can’t do what I know she can do, I’ll take you before a judge.”

“Seems like a he said, she said situation, don’t you think?”

“Wow, now that I’ve considered it, I think my client should get 12 grand for each body she lays her hands on, even if she doesn’t have a dream.”

“Five is as high as I can go.”

“Eleven.”

Liza sat back and watched them negotiate, wondering what she could possibly do with all that money. It was easier to come up with a use than she’d expected. She could get a bigger apartment and rescue more animals and afford food and… Of course, she was supposed to lie about her ability, so she wouldn’t get any of that money. Saving animals, versus going crazy dreaming about people dying every night? It was a tougher call than she’d expected.

“Done,” Ellison said, grinning. Liza hadn’t been paying attention and she turned to question him, but he ignored her. “I want it in writing and I want it in triplicate,” he said. Reynolds left again, looking none too happy.

After all the papers were signed and Liza learned she’d be getting paid seven grand for each body she touched and had a dream about, they left that room and headed downstairs. The morgue was cold and smelled of cleaning products and formaldehyde, a scent that actually comforted Liza. It reminded her of a lab and she tried to pretend she was there to do research and not about to see a dead human. Her imagination wasn’t chugging on all five cylinders, though, and she shivered from head to toe. She clenched her jaw tight and tried to get a hold of herself.

Agent Reynolds walked over to the table and motioned Liza after her. She gripped Ellison’s hand and tried to pull him with her, but he shook her off. “I’d do anything for you, sugar, but I’m not getting close to a dead body.”

She glared hard at him, but he remained unmoved. So she swallowed, anticipating the nightmare to come, as much as seeing the body. She stepped up next to Agent Reynolds, who removed the sheet from the face of the dead woman. She was so beautiful, even in death, it took Liza’s breath away. She appeared peaceful, her plump lips curled in a slight smile, and Liza hoped maybe this was a joke and the woman was just sleeping, waiting to sit up and startle her. She didn’t move and Liza felt an inexplicable sorrow wash over her at the knowledge that she would never sit up again. She looked young, but Liza didn’t dare ask to know anything about her. She didn’t want to care about her, because she wasn’t going to help solve her case. She wasn’t going to let touching bodies and nightmares of death become her life.

Liza placed a hand on the dead woman and stepped away as quickly as she could. Reynolds covered her again and the look she gave Liza was almost sympathetic. Almost, if she interpreted pity as sympathy. “We’re pretty sure we know how she died. What we don’t know is who killed her or why, and we want you to help us with that. She was twenty-one, a student, and fae. Her friends tell us she was always happy, and had an almost child-like innocence.”

Damn. Reynolds was good and Liza hated her even more. “You’ll figure it out eventually, right? I mean she can’t have been dead long, so you’ll find who killed her.”

Reynolds dropped her eyes and shook her head, as though she really cared about the dead woman. Liza suspected it was all a ploy, but she couldn’t help being drawn in. “She’s the fifth fae girl killed in the same manner. We are certain we’re dealing with a serial killer and we have no clues, nothing to help us find him or her. Except you.”

Reynolds looked at Liza and let that sink in. The last thing Liza wanted was to relive the woman’s final moments, but if she could stop a serial killer, if she could get her a little taste of justice, how could she refuse? Liza walked back over to Ellison without looking at him, but he knew. He took her hand and squeezed and she leaned into him. She just hoped he’d be there for her when she woke up. She didn’t want to be alone with those images of death in her head.

They left, and were starting across the parking lot, when Liza saw him, walking toward the building from his car. He looked good, in a suit and tie, his face clean shaven, the sun kissing his golden skin. She saw him and a spark of something like happiness shot through her, stuttering her heart. In that moment, she wanted comfort so badly that she ignored logic and just let herself soak in his beauty and warmth.

He stopped when he reached Liza and Ellison, and smiled like he was happy to see them. “Hello, Miss Simmons. How’d everything go?” He put out his hand and she took it, with an eye roll for his unnecessary formality. She felt the slip of paper against her palm and did her best to hide her surprise. She pulled her hand away and slipped the paper in her pocket while he shook Ellison’s hand.

“So?” He said to Liza. “How did it go?”

“Not as expected,” she said. “I’m going to be helping to track down a serial killer.” Ellison put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed to tell her to shut up, but Rice had gotten the message. His smile drooped just a bit, but he met her eyes and nodded, and she knew he understood and wouldn’t try to talk her out of it.

“That’s a worthy cause,” he said. “Have a good day. It was nice to meet you, Ellison.” And he disappeared into the building.

“You like him, don’t you,” Ellison said, when they were back in his company car.

“Yeah, I do. And worse than that, I trust him.”

Ellison swore under his breath and started the car. “Just be careful what you tell him. You can’t be sure whose side he’s on.”

She reassured him as best she could, but she knew it was already too late for caution.

*SLOANE*

The rough sea rocked the boats in the marina, and the wind blew warm, wild, and salty. Sloane stood on the dock and just breathed it in, trying to let it calm him. After he’d seen Liza in the parking lot, he’d wanted to wrap his arms around her and somehow make it all okay. Make it so she didn’t have to dream someone’s death, but even if they’d been alone, he knew he couldn’t do that. She’d made her decision and he couldn’t talk her out of it, even if he’d wanted to. He knew the case Reynolds had put her on and it needed to be solved. They needed whatever answers Liza could give them, but it didn’t make it any easier to know that Liza would have to live through a nightmare.