Page 71 of Psychic Obsession
"I always call Hjalmar."
"Except Agent Bakke isn't working in this department and isn't connected to this case.He doesn't know what's going on at any given moment.After today, I hope Nesterova will be able to know where this creep is at all times.If we're lucky, he has a record.If we can learn things about him, we can have a profiler come in."
Frode nodded.Okay, made sense."Right.I'll call Nikolai if something feels off, but few people know who I am and what I do."
Medlin made a curt nod."Let's keep it that way."
Frode made to get up, but Medlin leaned forward and looked into his eyes."Frode."
"Yes?"
"He kills women who live alone who buy rugs from him."
"Yes."
"It doesn't mean he's incapable of killing a man he knows might be able to link him to every victim."
Frode swallowed hard."Only cops know what I do.It's not like I have a website where I tell the world about my skill."
"Still, you're one of few psychics in this city.Should someone look at the psychics, you're there."
Frode didn't like this, didn't like it at all.
"Look, I don't think you're in danger.I don't think he knows who you are, and Elmore and Nesterova won't say anything about you when they interview him, but rumors travel."
"Only cops know what I do."
Medlin looked at him for several long seconds."And cops sometimes talk, not to rat you out or anything, but who's to say someone didn't tell their spouse you were here to read a rug when they got home at the end of the day.The forensic team.Hjalmar complaining about the homicide department asking too much of you."He raised his fucking eyebrow again.
"Are people allowed to talk about me?"He'd always believed whatever he did for the police would stay with the police.
"Not about the investigation, but to say you were here?"He shrugged."I wouldn't recommend it, but we're working with people.Word travels."
Fuck.
"Be a little extra vigilant, okay?"
Frode nodded.He should've gotten a dog.
* * * *
Nikolai stood back and allowed Isaac to work his magic on the grocery store staff.The woman would've given him the store if he'd flashed his puppy eyes at her while asking for it, which was a good thing.Getting a warrant could be tricky, so Nikolai did his best not to get in Isaac's way or piss anyone off, which meant standing silent and smiling whenever someone looked at him.
It took a couple phone calls before the woman figured out how to access and play the recording, but shortly after, Nikolai watched Frode walk through the store.He looked uneasy and did his best to avoid people.
They followed his stroll up to where he could see the freezer and watched how he froze mid-step.And there he was, the fucking asshole.
"Broccoli."
"Huh?"
Isaac shrugged."He's getting broccoli.For some reason, I didn't think serial killers ate broccoli."
Nikolai had no reply.
Isaac frowned at the screen as they watched Ava bump into Frode and then him having a conversation with Ashley.Frode kept glancing at the killer, and cold churned in Nikolai's gut when he realized the killer kept looking at him too.Fuck."He noticed him."
"Yep."Isaac sighed."Question is if he's checking him out, was intrigued by something, or was watching because he saw Frode's reaction when he first spotted him."
