Beyond belief by Roy Johansen

Nikki. Would you mind if we came in?”
    “Depends.”
    “On what?”
    “Is Jesse a suspect?”
    “Not as far as I'm concerned.”
    “Then why are you here?”
    Joe glanced at the cameras on the sidewalk. “Ms. Randall, at least two of those cameras are connected to high-sensitivity parabolic microphones. They can probably hear everything we're saying. May we come in?”
    Latisha looked at the news crews, then opened the door wide for Joe and Nikki. They walked into the small living room, where Nikki immediately gravitatedtoward the collection of ceramic salt-and-pepper shakers on the mantel.
    “Wow,” she said. “Did you make these?”
    Latisha's suspicious attitude toward Joe did not transfer to his daughter. “I made some of them, honey, but most of them I bought.”
    Nikki nodded. “Very cool.”
    “Thank you. I'm proud of them.”
    “Ms. Randall, it's important that I be able to talk to Jesse,” Joe said gently. “Jesse spent more time with Dr. Nelson than anyone else did in those last few weeks.”
    Latisha pursed her lips. “But your being here makes it even—”
    “He may be able to help me end all of this. That's what we all want, isn't it?”
    “Yes.” A small voice came from the hallway.
    Joe, Nikki, and Latisha turned to see Jesse standing in the doorframe. “That's what /want,” Jesse said.
    “I told you to stay in your room.” Latisha turned back to Joe. “He's a prisoner here. He can't leave the house without people bothering him, and they've asked him not to come back to school for a while.”
    “Why?” Joe asked.
    “They say he attracts too much attention.” She made a face. “They brought his books and lessons, and they're supposed to send a teacher a couple of times a week. Personally, I think the principal is afraid of him.”
    “You're probably right about that. I can talk to her if you'd like.”
    “No, I think he's safer here.”
    Nikki stepped toward Jesse. “You like
Star Wars
, don't you?”
    “Who doesn't?”
    “Dad says you have lots of
Star Wars
toys. I have Queen Amidala's spaceship.”
    “Chrome?”
    Nikki nodded.
    “I have a Naboo fighter and a bongo.”
    Joe leaned over. “Maybe he'll show you his collection, Nikki.” He looked at Latisha. “If it's all right with you.”
    Latisha finally nodded. “It's okay, Jesse.”
    Jesse walked toward his room, and Nikki followed him. When they were out of earshot, Latisha turned back to Joe. “Do you always bring your little girl along on police investigations?”
    Joe shrugged. “I thought Jesse would like to be around someone his own age who isn't afraid of him. It's only natural— Did I say something wrong?”
    “No. A little too right, I'm afraid.”
    “You want to talk about it?”
    “No.”
    “Okay. But can I ask you a hypothetical question, Ms. Randall?”
    “You can ask.”
    “Please don't take this the wrong way, but I'd like you to think about something for me. If, hypo-thetically, Jesse had a way to fake his special abilities, what would you guess would be his motive?”
    She stiffened. “You're calling my son a liar?”
    “No. Just hypothetically.”
    “Don't give me that hypothetical crap. You're asking me to think of him as a liar.”
    “Okay. Whether or not he was faking his abilities, he obviously hated Dr. Nelson's tests. Why did he go through with them?”
    Latisha hesitated. “He didn't always hate them. He really liked Dr. Nelson. I liked him too. In the beginning, he treated Jesse very well. Jesse's father left when he was three, and I think he liked having a decent man around who would take him places and give him some attention, you know?”
    Joe nodded.
    “Jesse liked going on TV with him, appearing at the lectures and doing the tests. It was fun for him.”
    “Until Dallas.”
    “Yes. Dr. Nelson changed. It got to be less about Jesse and more about his own career, I think. Maybe that's the way it was all along, but he just stopped hiding it.”
    “It's been an upsetting