Matt brightened a little, evidently relieved to be able to pull up some clear memories. “I had a couple of beers and a hamburger at a club in Pioneer Square. It’s a place where some of the other go-betweens hang out.”

“The Vault,” Sierra said.

Matt nodded. “Right. I talked to a guy there for a while but that’s it.”

“Most of the customers are regulars,” Sierra said. “Did you chat with someone you know?”

Matt hesitated and then shook his head. “No, I didn’t know him.”

“Someone in our business?” Sierra asked.

“Not a go-between like us,” Matt said. “Figured him for a new dealer or a collector at first but then I wondered if he was just a Puppet. You know how it is. Occasionally some of them find their way to the Vault.”

“Did you tell him you were meeting us tonight?” North asked.

Matt was deeply offended. “Hell, no. I knew you wanted to keep a low profile. I would never discuss business with a stranger, especially one who was a possible Puppet. But—”

“What?” Sierra asked gently.

Matt’s face twisted in concentration. “Shit. I can’t remember exactly what I said.”

Sierra took a breath. “I might be able to help you recover your memories.”

“Yeah?” Matt looked dubious but a little hopeful. “Like with hypnosis or something?”

“Just the opposite,” Sierra said. “I think someone hypnotized you. I want to try to pull you out of the trance so that you can get access to all of your memories. You’ll be fully aware of what I’m doing. You can stop me at any point if you’re uncomfortable with the process.”

North looked at Sierra but he did not ask any questions. They needed answers and she seemed to think she could get some. That was all that mattered.

“Okay, I guess,” Matt said.

Sierra stripped off one leather glove, reached inside her jacket and pulled out a small black locket. When she flipped it open the streetlamp glinted on a reflective surface. A mirror, North thought, or a crystal polished to mirror-brightness. He was intrigued. The paranormal physics of mirrors and crystals that worked like mirrors were still very much a mystery as far as the experts were concerned.

Sierra cupped the locket in one hand and aimed it at Matt. North felt energy shiver in the atmosphere. He knew she had just heightened her talent.

“Matt, you talked to someone at the Vault tonight who was not a regular,” she said calmly. “Do you know his name?”

Matt blinked a couple of times. Then his expression cleared. “No. Never saw him before. Like I said, I figured him for a collector or a Puppet. Real intense.”

“What did he say to you?” Sierra continued.

“He told me he’d heard I had handled the Pitchford auction delivery. He asked me if anyone had contacted me about it. I didn’t let on I’d heard from you, of course. At least, I didn’t intend to tell him. But I think . . . I think I said something about our meeting tonight. Damn it. I don’t know why I talked about it. You know me, I’m careful when it comes to that kind of thing. Hell, I’m sorry, Sierra. I must have been drunk.”