Now You See Me

CHAPTER ELEVEN

AT TEN O’CLOCK ON Saturday morning, Jenna found herself facing Dr Paley in his office. Behind the desk, the round-faced man gazed at her steadily. Jenna stared right back at him.

The doctor wasn’t smiling quite as broadly this time. ‘I don’t usually come in to Harmony House on Saturdays,’ he said. ‘But I thought it was important to see you as soon as possible.’

Jenna affected a look of wide-eyed innocence. ‘Why?’

‘I think you know,’ he said.

Of course she knew, but she wanted to hear it from him. She couldn’t defend herself until she knew exactly what that creep Peter had said. So she simply shrugged.

Dr Paley gave in. ‘When I checked my messages this morning, there was a new and urgent report about you. You’ve been observed talking to yourself.’

Jenna said nothing.

‘And your expression indicated that you were listening to another voice. As if someone else was with you.’

Jenna remained silent.

‘You don’t deny it?’ he asked.

Jenna chose her words carefully. ‘I don’t remember doing anything like that.’

Dr Paley looked at his notes. ‘You appeared to be carrying on a conversation in the dining hall, and you were alone.’

Jenna shrugged. ‘I was probably daydreaming.’

Dr Paley studied her thoughtfully. ‘Who were you talking to, Jenna?’

What would he say if she replied ‘my invisible friend’? The thought made her smile.

‘This isn’t a laughing matter,’ he said.

Jenna shifted uncomfortably in her chair. ‘Sorry. I guess I was just daydreaming again.’

‘You don’t strike me as a daydreamer,’ he said. He looked at his notes again. ‘I see you’ve amassed a lot of demerits. Smoking, picking fights. .’

She tried to stop the fury from rising inside but it was impossible and she knew it came out in her voice. ‘I’ve never smoked a cigarette in my life,’ she declared hotly. ‘And I haven’t picked any fights. Not here, at least.’

‘Then why do you have all these demerits?’

‘It’s all made up, I shouldn’t have those demerits. Someone’s out to get me.’ And then she wanted to kick herself. Now he was going to think she was paranoid.

‘Who’s out to get you? Mrs Landers? Other kids?’

She shook her head.

He looked at the file. ‘I see all these demerits were reported by the same resident assistant.’

She couldn’t stop herself. ‘Peter Blake.’

‘Is that who’s out to get you?’ When she didn’t reply, he asked, ‘Why would he make up these things about you?’

‘Because he’s a slime bucket,’ she muttered.

A brief smile flickered across the doctor’s face. ‘That may well be — I don’t know the young man. But why would he pick on you?’

She was so sick of this, of beating around the bush, avoiding the questions. Of being Peter’s victim. ‘Because I wouldn’t tell my friends to bring me drugs so I could slip them to him. He’s punishing me by giving me demerits, thinking I’ll give in eventually. And it’s not just me.’ She hesitated.

‘Go on.’

‘I’m not paranoid. That’s what he does, you see. And if you do what he wants, he’ll even look the other way if you break the rules.’

Dr Paley’s bushy eyebrows shot up. ‘He’s doing this with other residents as well?’

She nodded.

‘You’ve seen him do it?’

She hesitated. ‘No, not exactly. .’

‘So they’ve talked to you about it? What do they say about it? Are they angry?’

‘No one talks about it,’ she told him, then realized her mistake.

‘Then how do you know this is going on with people other than yourself?’

She had known all along that it would come down to this. She knew because she could read his mind, but there was no way she could explain that, and now she was just sounding paranoid. ‘I–I just know. That’s all.’

His voice became gentle. ‘Jenna, if there’s something you’re not admitting you mustn’t be afraid to tell me. You have to trust me. Have you ever heard of doctor patient confidentiality rules? Anything you say in this office to me, anything you don’t want revealed to anyone else, remains strictly between us.’

Jenna looked away. A full moment of silence passed. Then Dr Paley sighed deeply.

‘Jenna, if you can’t offer any explanation for your behaviour, then I have no alternative. You’re demonstrating feelings of paranoia. You’re talking to yourself. You’re hearing voices. These actions are evidence of serious mental problems, the kind of problems we aren’t capable of dealing with here at Harmony House.’

Jenna looked at him. ‘What do you mean?’

‘I’ll have to consider recommending that you be sent to another facility.’

Jenna drew in her breath. ‘What kind of facility?’ she asked, but she had a sinking suspicion she already knew the answer to the question.

‘An institution that can provide the kind of therapy we’re not equipped to handle here.’

Jenna put it more bluntly. ‘A nuthouse. You want to commit me to an insane asylum.’

‘A mental hospital,’ he corrected her. ‘You’ve said you’re not a juvenile delinquent, and I believe you. But you’ve got serious issues that need to be addressed.’

‘I’m not crazy!’ Jenna cried out. ‘It’s just that I’m different!’

‘How?’

‘Because — it’s because — I can —’ she clenched her fists. She couldn’t say it. If he thought she was crazy now, what would he think if she told the truth?

‘Tell me, Jenna,’ he said urgently. ‘What makes you different? Jenna, I don’t want to send you to a mental hospital. But you have to give me an explanation, or I won’t have any alternative. Tell me! What can you do?’

‘I can read minds!’ Jenna cried out. Then she buried her face in her hands.

It was out. She’d said it. And now he’d pick up the phone and call for an ambulance. She’d seen movies, she knew what would happen next. Men in white jackets would put her in a straitjacket and carry her away. .

When nothing happened right away, she took her hands from her eyes. He was looking at her seriously, but she didn’t see alarm in his eyes. It was more like interest. .

‘I knew there was more to your case than meets the eye, Jenna,’ he said.

‘You did?’ she asked stupidly.

He nodded. ‘I didn’t know what, or why, but I could sense you had something extraordinary about you.’

Was he putting her on? Trying to make her dig a deeper hole to sink into?

‘Why did you think that about me?’ she asked.

‘It’s an instinct,’ he said simply. ‘Years of working with young people have given me a sense of what people are all about. You have a gift.’

‘Why did you call it that?’ she asked sharply.

He didn’t answer. ‘Tell me more about your gift.’

‘It’s just something I can do,’ she replied.

She wanted to look away again, but there was something about his gaze that held her.

‘What am I thinking about right now?’ he asked.

Still suspicious, Jenna eyed him warily. Then she began to concentrate.

It was almost too easy, like he was putting his thoughts out there in writing, in big black and white letters. ‘You’re thinking about food. Chinese food. You’re thinking about getting sweet and sour pork for lunch from a Chinese takeaway when you leave here.’ After a second, she added, ‘and cold sesame noodles.’

He nodded. ‘Very good. You’re absolutely right.’

‘I know,’ she said. But she thought his reaction was strangely calm. ‘Aren’t you shocked?’

‘No,’ he said. ‘I’ve done a lot of research into these kinds of extrasensory abilities. Some people have gifts that simply can’t be explained scientifically. There are people who can see into the future, people who can move things with their minds. .’

‘I can’t do that,’ Jenna said quickly.

But her expression must have told him something. ‘Does this have anything to do with your special class, Jenna? The one called “Gifted”?’

Jenna didn’t know what to say. It was one thing to give away her own secret. How could she betray her classmates?

‘I can’t talk about that,’ she said.

He didn’t press her. ‘I understand.’ He closed her file. ‘I’m going to look into this resident assistant. His name is Peter Blake, right? He cannot be permitted to continue in his position. His contract must be terminated immediately.’

‘You said you’d keep my secret!’ Jenna exclaimed.

‘And I will,’ the doctor assured her. ‘I can investigate this without revealing my sources.’

‘But he’ll know it’s me who told on him,’ Jenna protested. ‘The other kids — they don’t mind what he’s doing to them. He’ll tell them it’s me who got him fired. I could be in danger here!’

‘I realize that,’ he said. ‘Which is why I’m going to recommend that you be given an early release from Harmony House.’

‘An early release?’ Jenna repeated in disbelief.

He nodded. ‘There will be some paperwork involved. But I can make some calls, pull some strings. And with any luck, you’ll be home tomorrow.’

Home. Tomorrow. Jenna gazed at him in wonderment. So Madame was wrong. There were people in this world who could be trusted with their secret gifts. Not many, of course.

But she’d just found one.