Chapter 13

Felicity wiped down the table again. It wasn’t doing any good though. This motel was one level higher on her yuck scale than the last one. Jac had gone with Reid to find some food to bring back, Brent was next door in the men’s room grabbing a quick shower. He hadn’t been impressed with changing the tire in the rain, and even less impressed with the price the garage charged him to fix it.

Sighing, she gave up on trying to make the room feel cleaner and got her laptop out. At least there was internet here. Bringing up the map, she pulled out the list of doctors Alec had called with while they drove. Alec, she suspected wasn’t going to continue being so helpful without answers soon. Glossing over the sketch of Damian was one thing, but when she had taken the phone to write down the names and addresses, she could hear the questions lurking behind the blunt woman on the other end of the phone. She’d been thankful when Brent had taken back the phone to discuss other details with her. Sighing she got up to get the small printer from the table. Brent stuck his head in the door.

“They’re not back yet?” He stepped inside.

“Not yet.” She noticed the damp uncombed hair and figured he’d been hurrying to get back over here. “Feel better?”

“Cleaner. Still not happy with the price I had to pay to get one tire fixed.”

She grinned. “It probably had something to do with not being a local. Unfortunately, small towns like to stick to their own.”

He walked over to look at the screen. “Have any problems locating the addresses for those doctors?”

“I haven’t tried pinpointing their locations yet. I was going to print out a map and go from there.” She plugged in the printer and then leaned over to set up the page. “So, how do we go about seeing these doctors?”

Brent stood back and took in the jean-clad bottom a few feet in front of him. “Uh, I figured we’d just go snap a few pictures and you can take a look and see if it’s any of them.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets to stop himself from doing what his brain was telling him to do and reach out to touch.

When the printer started, she turned around and looked up at him. “Good, I really didn’t want to have to go see them in person.” She looked towards the window and forgot what she was going to say. “Brent, do those look like the curtains in that one sketch of mine?”

His head snapped around to look. “Where’s the sketch?” He stood looking at them as she scrambled to get her bag off the bed and pull out the folder. Flipping through them on the bed, she found it and turned around holding it towards the window. “I think it is.”

Brent stepped behind her and looked over her shoulder studying the sketch then looked up to the window again. “It’s not the exact same window, but it’s the same curtains.” He rubbed his jaw. “I wonder if the whole place has matching ones or just some?” He reached over her shoulder and plucked the sketch from her hand. “I’m going to see if any of the cleaning staff is here.” He was halfway to the door and then remembered the sketch of the boy. “Hand me the sketch of the child too.” She turned and quickly found the photocopy of it and handed it to him. Every time she had that hopeful, anxious look in her eyes, he wanted to hold her and tell her it was going to be all right. “I’ll be back. Make sure Reid saves me some food.”

She threw up her hands when the door closed. “Please just let us find something that will end this.” Did I get a good enough look at the doctor to recognize him if I saw a photo of him? She walked over and looked at the list. There were five doctors in this area. How were they going to get pictures she wondered; just walk up and snap the shot? Picking up the page she’d printed she sat down to mark the locations. “Come on, Damian, just give me one solid thing to let me know where you are.”

She wasn’t hungry. Her nerves were vibrating, and she couldn’t find an appetite. Brent finally came back when she’d just decided she was going to go outside and wait for him. She looked up at him, holding her breath.

He sat down; leaning over the takeout bag to see what was left over for him. Looking up at Jac he smiled. “How are you feeling?”

Felicity wanted to grab his face and ask him what he’d found out. “Brent…”

He held up a hand asking her to wait and then turned back to Jac. “I just spent some time with the head housekeeper of this establishment; she was very helpful.” He pulled the bag onto his lap and sat back. “Of course, she was more than happy to help me play this clue game with my cousin and let me look at rooms that might resemble the sketch he’d given me to help on our quest game.” Reid grinned at him. Brent shrugged. “It was the only plausible reason I could come up with for wanting to know if the whole motel had matching curtains.”

Felicity dropped down on the bed in exasperation. “And?”

He unwrapped the burger and took a bite. Chewing he shook his head. Swallowing that bite he looked back at Jac. “There are five rooms with a window like the one in the sketch. Five with the exact type of window from the sketch. I’ve just come from looking at all of them.” He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Reid before taking another bite.

Reid looked down at the paper and the room numbers written on it. Looking up at his partner again he scowled. “Don’t even think it.”

Felicity sat there and watched the silent exchange take place between the two men. Did Brent want Jac to go to the rooms?

Jac set her drink down and looked at Reid for a minute. Turning she shrugged. “I don’t know if I could do five rooms in one day, Brent.”

Brent swallowed and took a drink before he answered her. “Could you try two?” He motioned towards the list Reid still clenched in his hand. “She remembered some grouchy man barking at her for trying to clean the room; he’d forgotten to put the do not disturb sign on the door.” He sat forward. “With the rooms looking so similar, she couldn’t remember which one, but knew it was one of the lower units on the list, and there’s only two of them.”

Jac sat back and let out a long breath. “I can try, but I might end up unconscious for an entire day afterward.” She rubbed her face. “It’s a lot to filter through and find the right vibration. If this place is busy a lot of people could have used those rooms since they were here.”

Brent took the last bite of the burger and crumpled up the paper as he chewed it. Tossing it into the bag he took another drink and then sat back and ran a hand down his face. “I know.” He turned and looked at Felicity. She was sitting silently on the bed with her hands clasped in her lap. Sighing, he got up and pulled the list from Reid’s hands. “I’ll go ask at the office and see if anyone remembers anything.” He waved the sketch of the boy around as he spoke. “We’ll go get pictures of those doctors when I get back.” He went back out the door.

Jac jumped up and paced over to the bathroom door then turned and looked at Reid. “I have to try.” She looked at Felicity then back to Reid. “If I can find a direction to go and Felicity recognizes the doctor; we’ll find him, Reid.”

He leaned his head into his hands. “I hate seeing you like that, Jacinda.”

“I know. I’m not really fond of being like that either but…”

Felicity knew it wasn’t her argument but couldn’t sit there and be silent. “It makes it worth it, to do something good with the ability that labels you a freak.”

Jac smiled. “Yes.” She walked over and looked down at Reid. “I have to try to find that child, Reid. I’d feel better knowing you’re going to be there to catch me.”

“Fuck!” He said it softly but knew both women heard him. Standing he reached and ran the back of his hand gently down her cheek. “I’ll go find Brent and get the keys.”

She smiled at him and watched him stride angrily out the door. Turning she raised her eyebrows at Felicity. “If you could just get that little guy to read an address or a phone number, it would really help.”

Felicity grinned. “I don’t think he can read yet, but I’ll keep an eye out for it.” She went over and pulled the thermos out of the bag still sitting on the dresser. “Have you ever tried drinking some of this before looking?”

Jac gave her a puzzled look. “No. Do you think it would help?”

Felicity rummaged around in the bag and pulled out the package of tea bags. “Do you get this specially made?”

Jac nodded. “Yeah, Sandy has a friend that’s into herbs and things.”

Felicity pulled out one of them and sniffed. “Uh! Do you know what’s in it?”

Picking up her purse Jac searched through her wallet. “I have a list of herbs and flowers that are in.” Finding it, she held it out to her.

Felicity grinned and took it. “You drink some and I’ll see if I can find out what these are for.”

Jac grimaced. “I’m the researcher, why don’t you drink it and I’ll research?” Scowling at the thermos she went over and picked it up. “I really, really don’t like this stuff.”

Felicity paced back and forth by the desk. “Why am I always the one left behind waiting?” She was so used to talking out loud to herself; that it didn’t seem out of the ordinary. Twenty minutes had passed since the three others had left with room keys in hand. She’d boiled the small kettle three times now, so it would be hot and ready when they returned. Jac had taken the thermos with her, so she couldn’t even make some before they came back. Stomping impatiently to the door she flung it open and squeaked in surprise as Brent was standing on the other side. He shook his head and stepped in; followed by Reid and a walking Jacinda.

Jac looked a bit tired but much better than she had the last time. She gave Felicity and meek smile. “Nothing?”

Shaking her head Jac sat down and set the thermos on the table. “No. I think he was too sick when he was there to pick up anything from him. I thought I had the man’s vibrations, but they were scattered and didn’t pinpoint anything for me. He was worrying over how sick the boy was and had to come up with a plan, but I don’t know what.”

Felicity stood there and dropped her face into her hands. Nothing. How was she ever going to find him? Two big hands ran down the outsides of her arms. Lifting her chin, she saw Brent smiling sweetly down at her.

“Hey, we’re not done yet.” He glanced at Reid. “You two want to hang back here for a bit? Felicity and I will go see if we can take some pictures.” Reid nodded. Glancing back down at the distressed woman in front of him he grinned. “Get your map and we’ll go take a drive.”

She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and nodded. “Okay.”

***

At least she hadn’t been left sitting in the room alone. Obtaining pictures of the doctors had proved to be a little more interesting than she had first thought it would have been. Felicity didn’t know how Brent had gotten the first two; he’d only just gone inside their offices when he’d returned with a picture on his camera. Each time she took the camera from him to preview the image, she’d held her breath. After the first two disappointments, she wasn’t sure she wanted to ride along for the other three.

Two hours later, she sat in the car and looked at the fifth picture. It wasn’t him either. “Now what?” She turned and looked toward Brent.

He started the car. “I heard that last doctor asking the receptionist to call over to the hospital and get someone on the phone. It was another doctor, but he wasn’t on our list.” He looked at her for a moment. “Feel like hanging out at the hospital for a little while?”

“Are you going to run up and down the halls and take pictures of anyone in a lab coat?”

“If I need to, but I thought we’d wander around a bit and see if anyone’s face rings a bell for you.”

She nodded. “Okay, it’s worth a shot.” She waited until he pulled out onto the street. “How long can we just hang around here and hope to stumble in the right direction?”

He’d been wondering the same thing since Jac hadn’t found anything. “I don’t know. If we don’t find a trace of something today, it’s going to be hard to talk the captain into letting us stay.”

“That’s what I was afraid of.” She closed her eyes.

“If you could will that boy to send you something new, that would help.”

She gave him a blank stare. “I’m not a two-way. I don’t get to send things back.”

He grinned. “I know, I was joking.” He reached over and squeezed her hand lightly. “We’ll find a way.” He knew that wasn’t as bad as saying “it’s going to be fine”, but it was pretty damn close and he knew better. He just couldn’t sit and watch how distraught she got when nothing new was happening. He shouldn’t have kissed her. Ever since that moment, he wasn’t thinking with his cop’s mind even when he needed to be. He glanced over at those lips that he could still feel and realized half the time he wasn’t even thinking.

***

Wandering around the hospital had kept Felicity on edge. Every corner they had turned she had held her breath and hoped she would see the doctor that had leaned over Damian and spoke softly to him. She couldn’t hear what he had said; her visions didn’t come with sound, but over the years she had become a very apt student of body language.

After walking every hall— they were allowed in— at least twice, they both decided to give up and go back to the motel. Brent had phoned Reid when they got back in the car and his tone had sounded as defeated as she felt. He wasn’t squeezing her hand now and offering her hopeful words. He was focused and silent. His jaw kept clenching like it did when in deep thought. He may come across as an easy-going guy, but she knew all the signs that told her he was a very deep-thinking, determined man carefully hidden beneath the happy persuade.

She smiled over at him. “I’m going to go back and soak in the tub until all this tension evaporates in the steam, then I’m sleeping until morning.”

“Yeah, I was thinking a solid night’s sleep might make the thought process simpler.”

She tilted her head and studied him. “I guess you’re used to the loss of sleep.”

“An occupational hazard I suppose. An annoying one.” He smirked. “If we get a call in the middle of the night, they seem to call me first and let me call Reid.”

She grinned. “Maybe you don’t bark as loud as I suspect he does when woken.”

“Nope, I mumble.” He rubbed the back of his neck trying to erase some of the tightness. “Do you want to stop and grab something to eat before we get there?”

She thought for a moment then sighed. “No, I’m not even the slightest bit hungry. I think I’m too tired.”

“Tired or worn down?”

“You’re very perceptive Detective.’ She sighed. “I’m walking around hoping for another glimpse— anything to show us a direction.” She looked down at her hands in her lap. “It’s very frustrating.”

“Maybe you’re trying too hard.” She gave him a puzzled look. “You were all uptight and anxious the other night, then had one after or during that nap on the couch.”

“When I was relaxed.” She said it quietly, more to herself than him.

“Does it make a difference, what you’re doing when you have them?”

She’d never really analyzed that part of it before—always being focused on stopping them, not encouraging them to happen. “I’m not sure. There might be something to what you’re saying.” She nodded thoughtfully. “I’ll definitely try a relaxing bath and get some sleep to see if it helps.”

Brent smirked. “Let me know if you need any help – I give great foot massages.”

Felicity lifted her eyebrows. “Really?”

“Yeah, I used to give my mom them when I was younger.”

“Oh.” That wasn’t what she had been thinking. She flushed at the direction her mind had gone.

Glancing over at her, he chuckled softly. “I’ve practiced a lot since then.”

“I’m sure you have.”