As Sophie opened the folder, anticipation and dread filled her. Would she remember? She studied them one at a time, and tried so hard to pick up anything familiar about them. But it just wasn’t there. This was a waste of time.
She shoved the photos back into the folder and glared at Willow, then included Dimples and me, anger glowing in her eyes. “You just told me that the drug I’d been given causes amnesia, and yet you’re still here asking if I recognize any of these men? Is this all you’ve got?”
Embarrassment radiated from Dimples. She was right. Why had he ever let Willow talk him into this? It was stupid and unprofessional. He opened his mouth to apologize, but Willow spoke first.
“No, of course not, but we didn’t think it would hurt to try. I’m sure that finding your husband’s killer is the most important thing you want to have happen right now. That’s why we’d like to try something… as long as you’re willing. I’m a certified hypnotist, and I think it’s worth a shot. Hypnosis might be the one thing that will bring your memories back.”
Mrs. Sanchez shook her head. “But if a drug caused it… she might not have any memories to bring back.”
“You’re wrong,” Willow said. “She has them. She saw what happened, and I think it’s worth a try. Besides, what have you got to lose?”
Mrs. Sanchez wasn’t convinced. “But seeing that again could hurt her. She just barely came out of this mental fog. What if remembering sends her back into that state? I’m not sure it’s worth the risk. Brock is gone, and torturing Sophie with horrible memories of his death won’t bring him back. You just need to do your job and find the person who did this without harming my daughter. She’s a victim too, and she’s been through enough already.”
“Mom. It’s okay. If it’s the only way to find Brock’s killer, I’ll do it.”
I glanced at Dimples. Was it the only way? Was he going to allow Willow to experiment on this poor woman who’d already been through so much? The same questions ran through his mind, but he wasn’t as worried about Sophie’s mental state as I was.
Concerned about how this could affect her, I had to give her an out. “Sophie, if you’re even a little bit unsure about doing this, there might be another way. I haven’t personally spoken with any of the people at the hotel, or these three men. Maybe I’ll pick up something Willow and Detective Harris haven’t. Do you want me to do that first?”
Willow sucked in a breath. What was I implying?
Dimples hung his head, thinking he had to back one of us and it had better be me. “She’s right. We can save the hypnosis as a last resort.”
Sophie glanced between us. She was scared to remember that night, but if it worked and we found Brock’s killer, it would be worth it. “No. That’s okay. Let’s do it.”
Willow’s nostrils flared, but she kept a serene expression on her face. Still, inside she was seething. At least she’d prevailed. Now she just had to make sure this worked. Not wanting Sophie to change her mind, she quickly took charge. Opening her big purse, she pulled out a satchel. Loosening the strings, she glanced inside and took out a couple of pale, pink rock crystals.
“Hold these in your hands, palms up,” she told Sophie. “And rest your hands in your lap like this.” She glanced at Mrs. Sanchez. “Could you please pull the curtains, so it’s not so bright in here? It will help with her concentration.”
While Mrs. Sanchez did that, Willow pulled another crystal from a chain around her neck and held it at eye-level in front of Sophie. It had been polished and cut into a beautiful teardrop pendant. “I want you to concentrate on this crystal and imagine a connection between this crystal and the crystals in your hands. Think of the lines of a triangle connecting them together, and picture that in your mind.”
She waited until Sophie nodded and continued. “Inside the triangle is the memory of that night. It can’t hurt you while it’s inside, and you can close the connection at any time you wish by dropping the crystals from your hands.”
Again, she waited for Sophie’s nod. “Now look into the crystal and think of that night. Concentrate on what you were doing. You were excited to celebrate your anniversary, but when you got to the hotel, Brock called to say he’d be late.
“You were disappointed and a little upset that he had to stay at work on this special night. Even worse, you couldn’t go up to the room without him. You spotted the hotel bar and made your way there to wait.
“The crowd was larger than you anticipated, but you found an empty seat at the bar. The bartender noticed you right away and asked for your order. You gave it to him and glanced around the room while you waited. Is anyone looking at you?”
“No,” Sophie said. “But there was a man who sat down beside me. He smiled… I think he asked if I was waiting for someone. I told him my husband was coming… but he was late and I was disappointed. He asked me where Brock was, and I told him he had to stay late to work. I explained that it was our second anniversary, and that’s why I was so upset.”
“What did he say to that?”
“He said it was too bad… he was really nice. I… I think he was waiting for someone, too, because he mentioned that we had something in common,
