Page 80 of D for Dead

‘Amy?’

Sullivan’s voice brought her back. Her skin tingled at the touch of his hand on her arm and her cheeks heated.

Focus, Amy.

She knew what she had to do.

‘I want to go back and see Doctor Shinnick, undergo hypnosis.’

Sullivan’s scowl intensified. ‘You sure? You were dead set against it before.’

‘Yeah, I’m sure.’ She forced a smile. ‘It’s the right thing to do.’

* * *

Shinnick rescheduled a couple of appointments and was able to fit Amy in at short notice. As before, Sullivan drove her. This time she was subdued, still nervous, but determined. When they pulled up outside Shinnick’s brownstone office, she looked at Sullivan for a moment.

‘You okay?’

‘Yeah.’ Amy nodded. ‘Did you do this? Did you have hypnotherapy when you saw Doctor Shinnick?’

‘No.’

‘Why? Why did you need to see him?’

Sullivan was silent for a long moment. A muscle twitched in his jaw and something, maybe irritation, passed over his face. ‘This isn’t the time, Amy. Shinnick is waiting.’

He was out of the car before she could protest. Quashing down the feeling of annoyance, her determination starting to waver, she followed him into the brownstone.

* * *

Shinnick was there to greet them. He smiled at Amy and asked her if she would mind waiting for a moment, before signalling Jake to follow him into the office.

Jake glanced at her as she took a seat. Although it had been her decision this time to undergo hypnotherapy, he suspected now they were here she was having second thoughts. She looked nervous and ready to bolt. Hesitantly he followed the doctor inside.

‘This isn’t going to be a quick fix, Jake.’ Shinnick clicked the door closed, keeping his tone low so Amy wouldn’t hear them. ‘I know you want answers, but I’m going to need more than one session with her, maybe several.’

‘We don’t have time, doc.’

‘You have to understand this is a delicate area. If the memory is buried deep it’s unlikely I will be able to reach it in one session.’

This wasn’t what Jake needed to hear. Their killer had picked up pace and could strike again at any time. Amy was the key and if they didn’t get answers out of her today, he doubted he would be able to persuade her to come back.

‘I need you to try, please. I know it isn’t standard practice, but at the moment she is our only hope of catching this son of a bitch before he kills again.’

Shinnick leant back against his desk and studied him for a long moment. Eventually he nodded. ‘Okay, I will try. But it’s going to be a long shot, Jake, and you have to understand it may not work.’

‘Thank you.’ Jake opened the door before the doc could change his mind, and nodded to Amy.

‘You okay?’

He could see she wasn’t. Her face was drained of colour and she was drumming her fingers together nervously. They needed to get her into Shinnick’s office before she backed out, and fast.

‘Would you like to come inside, Amy?’ Doctor Shinnick held his office door open wide.

* * *

Amy got to her feet nervously, trading places with Sullivan. Her heart was thumping and her mouth dry.