When She Dreams（Burning Cove #6）(64)

A terrifying thought struck him. What if he was the one imagining things? Over the years he had been forced to run some experiments with the drug on himself. Perhaps he had gone too far.

“I don’t understand any of this,” he whispered. “Can’t you see I’m packing my car? I’m leaving tonight.”

“Tell me the truth about Jennaway’s death and I will send the Traveler back to the astral plane. He will not come for you.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“Why did you murder Virginia Jennaway?”

He was beyond panic now. “I had nothing to do with what happened to Jennaway. It was an accident.” So much for the strong, authoritative voice. He knew he sounded shrill and frantic. “Why are you accusing me?”

“There are rumors that she died because of your drug.”

“That’s not true.”

“Convince me. What happened to Virginia Jennaway, Dr. Oxlade?”

“She was a fast, frivolous socialite who happened to have a little lucid dreaming talent. She loved the drug. Treated it like a cocktail. She wanted more of it. I warned her it was only in the experimental stage. I was still fine-tuning the formula, you see. She begged for it. When I wouldn’t give it to her, she stole some and apparently overdosed on it.”

“She stole a supply of the drug?”

“The day after she died I discovered that a vial of the enhancer was missing. She stole it and overdosed on it. She drowned because she was too weak to handle such a powerful drug. Evidently you are also too weak to control it. I have begun to think only a man can use it for the purpose of accessing the paranormal senses.”

He was almost at the door now. A few more steps and he would be inside. He would be safe.

“What about the rumors of the Traveler?”

“Ridiculous stories,” Oxlade yelped. “This has gone far enough. The only reason I agreed to attend the conference here at the Institute was because I was assured it would take a serious, scientific approach to dream research. I believed Guilfoyle when he went into his psychic dreaming act. But I realized tonight that he is a fraud. I am going to leave before my reputation is tarnished. Stay away from me.”

He fled up the steps and into the villa. Inside he dropped the suitcase and the umbrella, whirled around, slammed the door, and set the lock.

He slumped against the wall and tried to think. The Lodge woman was delusional and dangerous. The side effects of the drug had overwhelmed her frail nerves. She should be in an institution.

But what if the enhancer really had opened the door to her paranormal senses? Yes, Lodge was obviously too weak to control the enhancer, but in a way that only went to prove that it worked.

It was a thrilling thought. It was also another reason for leaving the Institute tonight, regardless of the rain. If the visibility got too bad, he would turn off onto a farm road and spend the night in his car. The important thing was to get away from the Institute.

He put his ear to the door and listened closely. When he didn’t hear anyone coming up the steps, he went to the window and peeked through the curtains.

The Lodge woman was gone. She had vanished into the rain-shrouded gardens. He shuddered. Now that he had some time to think, one thing was very clear: Margaret Lodge knew too much about everything, including the past. Calling the police would not only be pointless, it would be a terrible risk. Having her arrested might lead to questions he did not want to answer.

He collected himself and went down the hall to finish packing the second suitcase. He saved the journal and the Dopp kit for last.





Chapter 37




That didn’t go well,” Maggie said. “So much for my acting talent. I was sure I would be able to trick Oxlade into a confession.”

The rain was still falling. The path through the Institute gardens was muddy and difficult to make out. Sam had switched on the flashlight as soon as they were safely away from the villa. He kept it aimed low and shielded the glow.

“You did a great job of acting not normal,” Sam said.

“Thanks. I think.”

“I disagree with you about the result of your performance.” Sam stopped to open the service gate. “We picked up some valuable information.”

He was even more difficult to read than usual, but she could feel his sense of certainty. She went past him into the lane that ran behind the estate and held the umbrella for him while he relocked the gate. When he was finished they started back toward the hotel.

“Why do you say we got some information?” she asked. “Oxlade denied having anything to do with Jennaway’s death.”

“Not exactly. He told you a different story.”

“Do you believe his version of events?”

“He said Jennaway pleaded with him to give her the drug but he refused. The next thing he knew, a vial went missing. He assumed she stole it, overdosed, and drowned. That sounds like a reasonable conclusion. The good news is that if Oxlade was telling the truth, we can eliminate him as a suspect in Jennaway’s death.”

“I never got the chance to ask him about Beverly Nevins.”

“Only because he managed to escape into the villa,” Sam said.

“I frightened him, didn’t I?”

“Yep. You’re a born actress.”

“No, I had to learn how to act.”