Chapter 93

Dana sat with Claire,waiting for the FBI's hypnotherapist to arrive. It was a contact of Richter's. Jake trusted him, so that went a long way with Dana. Still, she spoke to the woman on the phone and verified her credentials, before sharing her home address.

Now all that was left to do was wait.

Claire sat on the couch, staring at her phone like it held all the answers to the world. She'd texted Max on Richter's orders, advising him to surrender to the agents that were on their way there to help him.

"Anything?" Dana asked, handing Claire a cup of tea.

Claire shook her head and Dana curled up on the chair opposite, her own mug of tea warming her hands. She savored the warmth as a shiver rippled through her remembering the last time she'd witnessed Claire undergo hypnosis.

Dana was still angry at herself for letting Dr. Dvita into her home. Even more than that, she hated that she'd been footing the bill that gave Dvita access to prey on Claire and his other patients.

She didn't need the hypnosis. She knew Dvita was behind this somehow. Hopefully Claire would give them the evidence they needed to prove it.

Glancing at the clock, Dana took a sip of tea, letting the warm mint reawaken her senses.

"You okay?" Claire asked.

Dana's gaze met hers. "I should be asking you that."

"I imagine your day was more stressful than mine."

Dana sighed. She couldn't get into it. It was all she could do to compartmentalize the day as it was. "I'm just grateful you're willing to help. I think you're the only one who can tell us why Dvita went after Meredith."

Claire asked, "Do you really think he's the Reaper?"

Dana nodded. "I can't prove it, but yeah, I've never been more sure."

She reiterated what she's seen in Dvita's planner, then the situation at St. Elizabeth's.

Claire clutched her teacup. "What if it's not there? Whatever you're looking for in my memories."

"You just need to describe your encounters with Meredith and Dvita. Whatever we're missing is either there, or it isn't."

"If it's there, the hypnotherapist will find it?"

"That's the plan." Dana paused, "Even if we don't find what we're looking for tonight, we can keep looking, together. I miss working with you, Claire."

"Me too."

"Maybe we can talk to Richter. Get him to let you assist me with my research on this case."

"Like old times." Claire grinned. "I'd like that."

Dana smiled, too.

Claire blinked her big blue eyes at Dana, suddenly emotional. "I can't tell you how much your tutelage has meant to me over the years. Without you I never would've made it this far."

Dana started to tell her that wasn't true, but the doorbell interrupted them.