Gift of Fire

intent expression that Caitlin had found something of interest. She leaned over the bed to watch as Jonas wrote down Preston Yarwood’s name.
    “Yarwood?” Jonas was all business now. “How long ago? Who did the testing? Which tests? Are you sure? The whole battery, or just the initial workup? Okay, okay, I’m listening.”
    There was silence on Jonas’s end as he stopped talking. Verity could hear the thin sound of Caitlin’s voice rattling off information, but she couldn’t make out the words. It was several minutes before Jonas hung up the phone with a brisk “Thanks.”
    As the receiver clattered into place, Verity looked at him expectantly. “Well?”
    Jonas sat on the edge of the bed, adding a few final notes.
    “The only name that turned up in the old department records was Yarwood. He was tested in the lab during the same time I was going through my tests, although I never ran into him.”
    “Yarwood has psychic talent? Real talent?” Verity was startled.
    Jonas shook his head. “No. But he was totally convinced that he did, and he demanded to be run through the standard tests time after time. According to Caitlin, the lab researchers finally had to tell him they weren’t going to waste any more time on him, no matter how much he contributed to the department. He claimed the tests were faulty. He believes in his own talent.”
    “A lot of people who are into the psychic thing believe their own talent,” Verity mused. “A few coincidences, a couple of dreams that could be interpreted in a variety of ways, and presto, they’re psychics.”
    “Yarwood is in that category, according to the lab report Caitlin found. Some lucky guesses, a good sense of intuition, smart enough to reason through matters and leave other people wondering how he reached his conclusions. And above all the useful skill of being able to convince others he’s whatever he says he is. But he couldn’t fool the machines or the Vincent researchers. Yarwood has all the talents of a successful con man, but no psychic ability. That’s not the problem.”
    “What is the problem?”
    Jonas looked up from his notes, his eyes thoughtful. “Caitlin says there’s an entry on one of the reports stating that Yarwood might be dangerous under certain circumstances.”
    “Dangerous? I don’t believe it. He’s not the type.”
    “There were a lot of psychologists involved in the testing at Vincent,” Jonas said slowly. “I remember them. Always looking for an abnormal psychological pattern to parallel the paranormal development. There was a strong theory that people who tested positive for psychic talent would test weird in other ways. I was a walking testimonial to that theory.”
    “Nonsense. You’re a perfectly normal person.” Verity said instantly.
    He gave her an odd smile. “I love it when you immediately jump to my defense, in spite of all the evidence.”
    “What evidence?” she demanded.
    “I nearly killed an innocent man.”
    “Not because you’ve got a warped psychological profile,” she insisted. “Only because your talent is so strong, and you hadn’t learned how to control it.”
    “I’m not sure the shrinks would fine-tune their analysis that far, but thanks for the vote of confidence. Speaking of confidence, if you have so much of it in me, why don’t you take a chance and marry me?”
    For a second Verity could not think. “We’re discussing Preston Yarwood,” she finally pointed out. Jonas and his one-track mind! The last thing she wanted to talk any more about tonight was marriage. The business with Yarwood made a good distraction. “What made the lab people think he was dangerous?”
    “Something to do with his, and I quote, ‘inability to let go of his fantasy obsession.’ “
    “In other words, he really believed in his own talent. I don’t think that makes him dangerous, Jonas.”
    “Maybe. Maybe not.” Jonas slapped the notepad down on the table. “I wish Caitlin had turned up information on some of the others.”
    “Why? What is it you’re looking for?”
    “I’m not sure. I just have a feeling that I ought to know more about those people.” He was silent for a moment. “You know, the Warwicks claimed that Yarwood got my name from the editor of that history journal. But if Yarwood was being tested at Vincent College while I was going through the program, he might have heard about me there. Why not mention it?”
    “Perhaps because he didn’t hear about you there.”