She forced the words past the lump in her throat. “It was just a flash, but I saw… I have no explanation for any of it. Not my vision, not what happened to you and the gun. I have no idea what is happening any more than you do.”
Megan looked around the mostly deserted café. “Has anything like this ever happened to you before?”
“Never.” She leaned forward. “I have studied—in my spare time—parapsychological phenomena—”
“English, Katherine.”
“Psychic stuff.” She gripped her coffee cup with both hands. “I’ve studied some psychic stuff because I think that some things—like your telekinesis—might be evolutionary relics. Things that our ancestors did that we no longer control but our brains theoretically have the capacity for.”
“You think my brain knows how to make objects move without me touching them?” Megan shook her head. “I’ve never had anything like this happen before. I tried to do it again, and I haven’t been able to. Not even a wiggle.”
“You probably reacted out of survival instinct, so you don’t have control of it yet. I don’t have any control over my visions. But think for a minute. Think hard. Have you ever feared for your life? I’m talking real and potent fear like you had on Thursday.”
Megan took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “No.” She opened her eyes again and looked at Katherine. “Not with that sudden adrenaline rush, nothing like that. I was pumped up for hours on Thursday night. I couldn’t fall asleep until like three in the morning. That never happens to me. I love my sleep.”
“That rush of hormones that your brain created could have triggered something you were always capable of but didn’t need,” Katherine said. “Not until that exact moment.”
“What about Toni?” Megan asked. “You think she did something weird too?”
“I think it’s pretty strange that Justin McCabe fought me so hard that I cracked my head and got really ugly bruises, but the minute she jumped on him and held him down, he went limp as a rag, don’t you?”
Megan nodded slowly. “Yeah, that is weird now that you mention it.”
“I think she may have an extremely potent form of empathy.”
Megan sat up straight. “I’m gonna say that woman and the word empathy are not the best of friends. I tried talking to her, and—”
“I’m talking about a supernatural form of empathy. Something akin to mental influence where she experiences other people’s emotions and in some cases can make them feel what she wants them to.”
Megan pursed her lips. “Would extreme empathy fit with someone who is—excuse my language—an utter asshole? Because I tried talking to her, and she was—pardon my French—a complete bitch to me. Now, I am not someone who thinks everyone has to be my friend, but that woman was just rude. Just being in the same room with her made me angrier than— Oooooh, that’s what you’re talking about, isn’t it?” Her eyes were round as saucers. “Good Lord.”
Katherine watched Megan’s body language. “Why do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Your body language is defensive right now, and you kept couching your use of mildly offensive words when you spoke about Toni. I’m forty-seven. I’ve heard the words bitch and asshole before. I’m not offended.”
Megan frowned and the arms crossed over her chest relaxed. “I don’t know why I do that. I guess because my mama did.”
“That makes sense.”
“You didn’t answer my question about Toni though. Does empathy fit with her being as asshole?”
“She probably doesn’t realize what effect she has on people. She was likely angry she had to come into the station on Friday, and her anger affected you. She might not have any idea.”
Megan muttered, “Not sure we want her in the book club.”
“We have to talk to her,” Katherine said. “She’s probably as confused as we are. And with the way that her emotions could be influencing other people—”
“She’s probably on the verge of causing another mass shooting.” Megan sighed. “Okay, I’m up for finding her, but you better do the talking.”
* * *
Katherine and Megan walked through the clattering noises of Dusi Brothers Automotive Repair, following the pointed finger of a man who claimed to know where Antonia Dusi was.
It was Thursday morning and Katherine had taken the morning off work. She didn’t have classes to attend and her office hours for the week were limited. With no need for her at the Fred lab, she had some freedom to meet Megan and seek out Toni.
“Do you see her?” Megan hung behind Katherine.
“No. Do you think that man was misdirecting us?”
Megan stood on her tiptoes and looked over the garage. “Nah. I think I see her. She’s in the second-to-last bay underneath that sweet little MG coupe.”
Katherine looked over her shoulder. “Do you know much about cars?”
“Old ones like this? Sure. My daddy loves old cars. Don’t ask me about new ones though.”
“Toni!” someone yelled at her. “I think you got company.”
“What?” Toni rolled out from under the dark green car, and her eyes swept the garage, landing on Megan and Katherine. “What are you two doing here?”
Megan gave her a little wave. “Hey.”
Katherine shouted over the sound of an air compressor. “We were hoping you had a minute to talk! We had a question.”
“Yeah no.” Toni started to roll back under the car. “Busy.”
“We could always just ask you here,” Megan shouted. “In front of all your employees. It’s kinda personal, but I’m sure y’all are really close friends and you wouldn’t mind them knowing all your personal business and all.”
Toni shot out from under the car and glared at Megan. “Listen, Atlanta—”
“We really do need a moment of your time.” Katherine interrupted the impending argument. “I think you’re going to want to speak to us. It’s about last week.”
Toni’s glare moved from Megan to Katherine for a moment before her
