Copper Beach

can’t grasp the concept.”

“He’s not alone,” Abby said.

Sam folded his elbows on the table and fixed Grady with a deeply interested expression. “You were working with crystals to invent hearing devices?”

“Yeah.” Grady came alive again. “According to my theory, almost anyone could use them. You wouldn’t have to have a lot of talent. If I’m right, it will take very little psi to make my hearing devices work. Everyone produces some energy. But I was missing a critical element. I knew there was a problem, but I couldn’t get at it. Do you know that feeling?”

“Yes,” Sam said. “I know it well.”

“One day I started hearing this voice telling me that I needed The Key.” Grady rubbed his forehead. “It sounds freaky, I know. But I just got this feeling that if I could find that book and the woman who could crack the encryption, I could make the breakthrough that I needed.”

“You said the voice came from a crystal?” Sam asked. “One in your collection?”

“Yes.” Grady frowned, bewildered. “I think so. But I can’t remember which one. I don’t understand why I can’t remember that, either.”

“What color was the crystal?” Sam asked.

“I don’t…” Grady stopped. “Wait. It was green. I’m almost positive that it was one of my green stones.”

“The voice in the green crystal told you that The Key was in the Vaughn library?” Abby asked.

Grady gave her a plaintive look. “I guess so. I told you, I can’t remember exactly. But how else could I have known that?”

“You had never met Mrs. Vaughn before you went to her home to get The Key?” Sam asked.

“No.” Grady snorted. “Get real. How would a guy like me meet someone like that? I don’t know anyone who has that kind of money.”

“Where did you get the gun?” Sam asked.

“Huh?” Another troubled frown came over Grady’s face. “I’m not sure.”

“Did you buy it?” Abby asked.

“No.” Grady rubbed his forehead. “I think I found it somewhere. Maybe on the front seat of my car. Can’t remember.”

“Did the voice tell you where to find the gun, and that you had to use it when you went to get The Key?” Sam asked.

“Maybe.” Grady Hastings winced. “I’m sounding crazier by the minute, aren’t I?”

“No,” Sam said. “You’re sounding more and more like a man who was set up.”

Abby looked at him. “You think Grady was somehow hypnotized to go to the Vaughn house that day?”

“That’s what it feels like,” Sam said.

“But why? The Key is an interesting book, but the only thing that makes it really valuable is the psi-encryption.”

“The contents of the book weren’t important,” Sam said. “The idea was to test you to see if you really could break a psi-code.”

“Good grief,” Abby said. “This is starting to make some sense.”

“You and Grady were both unwitting participants in someone’s experiment,” Sam said. “The experiment was a success. Whoever conducted it is now after you.”

“The blackmail notes,” Abby said.

“Wait,” Grady blurted out. “I don’t understand.”

“Neither do I,” Sam said. “Not all of it. But I think I’m finally getting close.”

Abby looked at Grady. “Sam is an expert on paranormal crystals.”

Grady nodded. “I was starting to figure that out.” He looked at Sam. “You’re one of those Coppersmiths, aren’t you? You’re connected to the family that owns Coppersmith Inc.”

“That’s right,” Sam said.

“Your labs must be awesome,” Grady said wistfully. “State–of–­the-art and then some.”

“And then some,” Sam agreed. “We do a little R–and–D work with hot rocks, too.”

“You mean paranormal crystals, right?”

“Yes.”

“Awesome. I’d give anything to have access to a lab like that.” Grady looked around the bare visitors’ room, his gloom deepening. “But I’ll be lucky to get out of here someday, and even if I do, there won’t be anything left of my lab. I’ll have to start over.”

“Why do you say that?” Abby asked.

“My equipment and my crystals are in the shed in back of the house I’m renting,” Grady said. “Lease is up next month. I don’t care about my furniture and clothes, but as soon as the rent comes due, the landlord will clean the place out. He’ll probably put my crystals and lab instruments into a yard sale. All my stuff will be gone.”

“I know exactly how it feels to have someone else mess with your stuff,” Abby said. She sat forward. “If you like, Sam and I can pack up your rocks and your lab equipment and store it for you.”

Grady looked startled. “You’d do that for me after I pointed a gun at you?”

“Yes, because I don’t think you ever really meant to point that gun at me. By the way, Sam is not just a crystal expert, he is also a security expert.”

“Yeah?” Grady was curious now.

“He’s investigating what happened to you and me at the Vaughn house,” Abby explained. “He’s been working for me for a few days, and as of now he’s working for you, too. Isn’t that right, Sam?”

Sam looked at her, brows elevated. “Well.”

Abby turned back to Grady. “Consider yourself one of Sam’s clients.”

Grady processed the new data. For a few seconds, he looked hopeful. Then his eyes went flat. “I can’t afford to hire a private investigator.”

“Lucky for you I work cheap,” Sam said. “Like Abby said, consider yourself a client.”

“Yeah?” Grady started to look hopeful again. “Just like that?”

“Just like that,” Sam said.

“And you’ll pack up my lab stuff before the landlord sells it?” Grady asked urgently.

“Don’t worry,” Abby said. “We’ll take care of your stuff.”

“All part of the service,” Sam said. He got to his feet. “I don’t suppose you still have the key to your house?”

“No key,” Grady said. “They took that away, too. But the lock on the porch door is nothing special. You shouldn’t have any trouble getting inside the house. The hard part will be getting into the shed out back. I installed my own door and security system, mostly to keep my landlord out.”

“Give me the code,” Sam said.

“See, that’s the tricky part,” Grady said. “It’s not an off-the-shelf system. It’s PEC-based.”

“Yeah?” Sam looked intrigued.

Grady glanced around the room and then lowered his voice. “You’ll need a crystal to work it.”

“What kind of crystal?”

“Doesn’t matter. You just have to be able to generate a little energy through it. Find a resonating frequency, and the lock will open.”

Sam moved his hand, calling subtle attention to the fire crystal in his ring. “Will this do?”

Grady studied the copper stone. Abby felt energy hum briefly in the atmosphere.

“Sure, that will work,” Grady said. “Nice stone. I don’t recognize it.”

“Synthetic,” Sam said easily. “It was grown in one of the Coppersmith labs.”

“Awesome.”

Abby rose before Grady could ask any more questions. “We’ll report back as soon as we have some information.”

“That would be cool,” Grady said, brightening. “I don’t get many visitors. In fact, you’re the only ones I’ve had.”