A Touch of Gold

So much for confidence. So much for not being scared to touch anything. Kevin had been right about losing myself in this new ability. He hadn’t been here to catch me this time—no one had. The terrible stench of death and decay—the fear and hopelessness—were still with me.

When I could stand again, I cleaned up the mess behind the counter and washed my face. I put on gloves to move the mirror to the storage area in the back of the shop. I could never use it or appreciate its beauty again. But I couldn’t sell it right away either. Maybe not ever.

I mechanically turned off the lights, closed up and locked the door behind me. I sat on the boardwalk for a long time, looking at the sound. There were things in life much more terrible than being accused of a crime I knew I didn’t commit. The hand mirror had shown me that.

It was dark and getting colder—my knee was aching with it. I felt in my pocket and realized I’d left my cell phone in the shop. There were a dozen missed calls from various people. Exhausted and emotionally drained, I ignored them and headed home.

Kevin waylaid me in the parking lot. “Sorry I couldn’t get to my phone when you called earlier. I called you back six times. Are you ignoring me or is this punishment for not answering your call?”

I looked at him and wanted to explain but couldn’t. “I’m not feeling very well. It’s been a bad day. I think I should go home.”

“Dae?” He stopped me. “Can I help? At least let me give you a ride.”

I agreed—it was easier than arguing. We sat silently in the truck as he drove the short distance to my house. I couldn’t talk about anything without blubbering all over. As much as I’d wanted to tell him about Brad’s accusations, I couldn’t without telling him about my beautiful hand mirror. I wasn’t ready for that yet.

“Thanks.” I got out of the truck and headed up to the house.

He got out too and walked me to the door. “Whatever it is, I wish you’d tell me. Even if I can’t help, at least I can listen.”

“Not tonight. I can’t. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” I went inside, told Gramps I was going upstairs. I heard him talking to Kevin downstairs less than five minutes later. I pulled the covers up over me—shoes and all—my head too. Why couldn’t they leave me alone to sort this out?

There was a knock on the bedroom door. “Dae?” It was Gramps.

“Go away. Please.”

“I want to talk to you.”

“Is Kevin out there too?”

“No.” A pause while he decided if he should lie to me. “He’s downstairs. We’re both worried about you.”

“Don’t be. I’m fine. I’m going to take a nap. I’ll eat something later.”

“Dae—”

“Please, Gramps.” I was already sniffly. “I’ll come down when I can talk about this. When it’s all sorted out in my head. Okay?”

“All right. I’m here if you need me.”

“Thanks.”

I cried—a good, long, hard cry. But this one was cleansing. I must’ve fallen asleep afterward because I woke up and looked at the clock. It was almost midnight. I felt better. I was out of tears and the terrible sorrow had passed. It left me hungry and ready to raid the fridge. Bad news if my new abilities made me hungry all the time and I gained a lot of weight.

I put on my Duck pajamas, dark blue with the sandaled Duck mascot on the back. Gramps was still up, watching an old Doris Day movie on cable. He turned it off when he saw me. “I know what you need. Scrambled eggs and toast.”

“Add some hot tea and you’ve got a deal. Thanks, Gramps.”

We talked about generalities while he made the eggs and toast. I made a big mug of tea and put too much sugar in it, but it was good.

“Kevin was here until about an hour ago. He’s not much of a pinochle player.” He laughed to himself.

I smiled at the idea of Gramps teaching Kevin to play pinochle. “Maybe not but I think he’s a good person. A little broody maybe.”

“I think so too. You make a good couple. Broody and all.”

“Thanks.”

“You know we never had that talk you promised me the other night. I’ve been willing to overlook it until now. Maybe now would be a good time for it.” Gramps put the eggs and toast on a plate in front of me and took a seat. “Or we could sharpen up your pinochle skills.”

“All right! No torture. I’ll tell you what I know.”

Chapter 15

“As far as I know, your grandmother never experienced anything like this.” Gramps was pacing by the time I finished talking. “Is it safe? Is this something you should be doing?”

“It’s not like anyone asked my permission. It started before I left the hospital.” I told him about what happened to Kevin’s FBI partner.

“That doesn’t reassure me, Dae.” His brow was furrowed with concern. “If Kevin’s partner couldn’t handle this ramped-up power, what makes you think you can?”

“Because I’ve been dealing with this all my life. Maybe she hadn’t. Because I come from good Banker stock and Mom taught me everything she knew about how Grandma took care of it.”

“That didn’t seem to have helped you much when you got home.”

“I know. But that was exceptional, Gramps. I wasn’t ready for it. I won’t forget to be ready next time. I won’t let it take me by surprise again.”

He took a deep breath. “I guess there’s not much choice anyway. But I wish you’d told me sooner.”

“Why? So you could worry longer?” I finished my eggs and toast. “I’m sorry. I wanted to understand it better.”

“And do you?”

“Sort of.” I put my plate and cup in the sink. “I’m going over to Kevin’s so I can explain to him. He’s probably worried too.”

“All right. But take the golf cart.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know—just do it or no going out this late. Duck isn’t the same town you grew up in thirty years ago, honey. Take some precautions. I’m going to call that Brad Spitzer first thing in the morning and let him have a piece of my mind.”

“Don’t do that. I can take care of myself. Besides, like you said, he was only fishing. He was hoping he’d catch something he could use because his best suspect is inconveniently dead.”

“Maybe I said that, but I didn’t mean it for me. Go on to Kevin’s. Call me when you get there.”

I hugged him and made him promise he wouldn’t call Brad in the morning. That’s all I needed to get around —the mayor has her grandpa calling to complain about how she was treated. He’d done that once in school, supposedly because I didn’t have a father. Mom and I made him swear he’d never do it again. It had shadowed me all the way to high school.

I didn’t take the golf cart when I went out. It wasn’t like the cart could help me get away from anyone. I could run faster than it could move. I started to call Kevin but decided against it. I wanted to walk. If his lights weren’t on when I got there, I’d go back home.

Night shadows haunted the wind-tortured bushes and shrubs, investing every old house and narrow street with ghosts that flickered between lights. It could be easy to mistake the mournful cry of a dove or the sleepy call of a lonely seabird as the sighs of a restless spirit.