Killer Karma

hear there’s been a development in finding Cole Dunavan.”

As Razor listened to the answer, Cole noticed a rhythmic thumping. It sounded like a heartbeat. Moments later he tracked the source and realized it was a heartbeat. Razor’s. And in the last few seconds the rate had gone up. If ghost hearing was sharp enough to hear hearts, Cole wondered, could he also listen to the other end of Razor’s conversation? He leaned toward the phone.

Just in time for Razor to disconnect.

“Well?” Sherrie stared at him expectantly.

Razor slowly folded the phone and returned it to his belt before answering. “They found the car this afternoon…at the San Jose airport. It’s being brought back for processing.”

Sherrie’s breath caught. Cole heard her heart jump.

Razor shook his head. “No, Cole wasn’t in it. But…” He hesitated. “…there’s blood on the passenger side and Homicide is taking over the investigation.”

Which explained the question about physical abuse. Leach obviously thought a lover’s quarrel had turned violent. Cole had to admit that in Leach’s place, he would, too.

Color drained out of Sherrie’s face. “Leach thinks Cole killed that woman, doesn’t he?”

“He’s wrong!” If only he could take her in his arms. Cole settled for touching her hair. “The lab will find it’s my blood.” Unless Benay also had AB positive. But determining he was the victim did not clear him having an affair. He had to come up with more to do that. “I’m sorry, babe…for getting myself killed and putting you through this. If I hadn’t been so damned obsessed with- ”

Joanna’s voice interrupted, calling from the hall, “Guess who’s awake from her nap.”

Hannah burst into the kitchen, red curls bouncing and her t-shirt warning: Watch Out! I’m Two! She started toward Sherrie, but halted, wheeled Cole’s direction, and squealed in delight. “Daddy!”

Cole started. She saw him, too?

“Daddy!” At his feet, she held up her arms. “Play airplane!”

Cole’s throat closed. Shit. “I can’t, pumpkin. I’m sorry. I can’t pick you up.”

The adults stared at her. “Hannah,” Sherrie called. “Come here.”

Hannah frowned. “Play airplane!” She reached out to tug at his slacks…stared in bafflement when the grab failed to connect with anything. She broke into an angry wail.

He smiled wryly. “I know how you feel, kiddo.”

Sherrie slid off the stool and scooped Hannah up. “Daddy isn’t here.”

Hannah twisted, reaching toward him. “Daddy!” Her wail rose like a siren.

Cole ruffled her hair…without a curl moving. “We Dunavans do fixate on things, don’t we?”

A thought that brought him back to Sara Benay. He needed to find her and save her from the mess he landed her in. Which included, he suddenly realized, her becoming the chief suspect in his murder! Once they established the blood as his, the two of them would change places in the lover’s quarrel scenario. Threat and urgency beat at him. He just hated to leave here. What if he settled things and could never come back…never saw Sherrie and the kids again?

So what are you thinking? a voice in him sneered. Hang out here forever? Ignore why you’re still around…blow off cleaning up the mess you made and getting straight with everyone? You don’t mind Sherrie being afraid the man she thought you were is a lie?

He sighed mentally. No, he refused to do that to Sherrie, and he had to deal with screwing up. He brushed Sherrie’s hair. “If I never see you again, remember I love you.”

Cuddling and soothing Hannah, she still showed no sign of hearing him.

He forced his feet toward the hall.

4

Going down his porch steps, Cole eyed the twilight sky, considering where to start looking for Benay. The Flaxx Enterprises office in Embarcadero Center where she worked, or her apartment? The office, he decided. She had been there when he called her…and the garage under 2EC where they arranged to meet was where he died.

He started to loosen his tie some more for the run, then wondered, did he have to run to Embarcadero Center? He glanced back at the house. Coming here had been incredible…in front of the Hall one minute, in his own hall the next. Instant travel was the way to go. He just needed to figure out how he did it. All he remembered was feeling desperate to be home…then here he was.

Was a desperate desire to be at a particular destination what it took to instant travel? He had no trouble with the desperation part…just focus on the urgency in himself. Let it overwhelm him. Benay disappeared…when? Maybe Wednesday? He had a cold trail going colder by the minute!

“I have to get the Flaxx office!” He pictured the reception area in his head. “I have to get there now!”

Nothing happened. He remained on the sidewalk in front of his house. So…it took something more. He had been tearing out of the Hall before. Maybe he needed to be in motion? He launched into a run, then tried again.

Still no luck.

Cole set his jaw. What happened once should work again. Until it did, he kept moving. Every block or so he made another attempt…ramping up emotion to near frenzy and picturing different sections of the Flaxx office where he had been…reception, Bookkeeping, Flaxx’s personal office.

None of it kicked in the instant travel.

Along Castro, the number of pedestrians out enjoying the evening forced him to pay attention to avoid walk-throughs. The dogs being walked avoided him. A few breezed by with just a sidestep around him. More slowed long enough to eye him or lift their heads for a sniff…and the sniffers either looked baffled, or they bristled and growled.

“What do you see, boy?” those owners asked. Except one woman, who smiled down at her Lab and ruffled his fur. “Oooh, is it ghosts?”

Despite her light tone, it sparked hope in Cole. Might she believe in the possibility and be persuaded to see him? It was worth a try. He stepped in front of her. “As a matter of fact, he is seeing a ghost. Me. You try to see me, too.”

She just tugged at the dog’s leash and walked on, forcing him to jump out of her way.

“I see you,” said a voice off to his side.

Cole whirled in search of the speaker, and found a rail-thin fiftyish woman lounging in a canvas chair behind the grille of a doorway alcove. He grinned at her. “Those have to be the sweetest words I’ve heard in my li- heard today.” Since she saw him…could he make use of that to contact…Razor probably, to report the details of his murder. “My name is- ”

“How’d you die?”

Her interruption and childlike abruptness set off a warning bell. Was she just short on social skills or did he have a problem here? “Ah…I was shot in the head.”

She leaned forward and peered at him. “I don’t see any bullet hole. Are you sure you’re a ghost? Princess Di glows.”

The warning bell turned into a sinking feeling. “You’ve seen Princess Di’s ghost, too?”

She sighed. “Not as much since I started medication.”

Shit. She was a nut case. He fought disappointment to keep his tone polite. “Did you happen to skip your meds today?”

The woman glanced behind her toward the door, giving him a conspiratorial smile. “Don’t tell my daughter. I never take them on Sunday. I don’t want to miss seeing Jesus if He comes by.”

Terrific, Cole reflected, leaving her. He was visible to dogs, a toddler, and a wacko. Why were they the only ones? Frustration pushed him into an even harder run. What made them different from everyone else.?