Maddie smiled at the picture her mother was painting. “See. Everything is under control.”
“I’m not here because of your grandmother,” Olivia reassured her. “I’m here because of you. I just wanted to check in.” She took a moment to glance around the saloon. “This is ... different. What are you doing here again?”
Maddie caught her mother up on events, doing her best to ignore the way Hannah studied the visiting ghost. “So, basically I was trying to explore life outside of my comfort zone for a bit and stumbled across another murder.”
Olivia chuckled, amused despite herself. “Oh, you’re such a trip sometimes, Maddie.” She shook her head and mimed patting her daughter’s shoulder. “Only you would stumble into a murder when you’re supposed to be on vacation.”
“Yes, well ... .” Maddie trailed off. “It’s a mess and yet, oddly enough, we’re having a good time. Nick loves hanging out in an Old West town.” She chewed on her bottom lip as she darted a look toward Hannah. “We’re making new friends, too.”
“Of course you are,” Olivia reassured her. “You’re a fun girl, Maddie. People like you ... when you open yourself up to the possibility, that is.” She slid her gaze to Hannah and studied the woman for a long beat. “You have a ghost attached to you, too.”
Hannah’s eyes widened. “How do you know that?” She looked over her shoulder to see if she could catch a glimpse of Abigail but came up empty. “Have you met my grandmother?”
“Not yet, but I’m looking forward to it.” Olivia flashed a bright smile. “Your aura shows me that you spend regular time with a lingering soul. A lot of the women out there share similar auras.”
Maddie and Hannah both cocked their heads in the same manner, intrigued.
“What’s going on?” Nick asked, reading the change in the room with some trepidation. “Has something happened?”
“Maybe,” Maddie replied, a plan forming. “I think I might have a way to sort the real deals from the frauds.”
Nick straightened. “And how is that?”
“The real psychics have ghosts attached to them,” Hannah volunteered. She was as excited at the prospect as Maddie. “I didn’t even consider it, but it make sense.”
“If there were more ghosts out there, wouldn’t you have already seen them?” Nick challenged.
“Not if they’re hiding,” Maddie replied. “Ghosts can hide from people ... but not from other ghosts.” She grinned at her mother. “Do you want to help us with an assignment?”
Olivia nodded without hesitation. “Always. I love a good adventure.”
That’s exactly what Maddie was counting on.
IN THE END, HANNAH THOUGHT INTRODUCING Olivia and Abigail was a smart plan. The two ghosts hit it off right from the start — both women enthusiastically recounting their pasts — and then they walked straight through the wall so they could watch the other psychics from a good vantage point.
“I’m going to be honest,” Nick said as he watched the activity on the street from the relative safety of the saloon. He had no problem seeing over the swinging doors, so that’s where he positioned himself. “I don’t think I’ve ever worked a case where we utilized ghosts as manpower.”
Maddie laughed at his perplexed expression. “Your life has changed since I came back into it, huh?”
The look he shot her was fond. “For the better. Still, though, this is all kinds of weird. How are we going to explain how we get from point A to point B if it comes time to convince a prosecutor that we need a warrant?”
Hannah laughed so hard at the question she bent over at the waist. “Oh, geez. I can’t believe you just asked that with a straight face.”
Nick refused to be deterred. “I’m serious. Velma might’ve been a psychic, but she was killed with a knife. To me, that seems to indicate a human assailant, not ... whatever it is you’re used to dealing with up here. That means a trial and incarceration.”
As quickly as she started laughing, Hannah ceased. She hadn’t even considered that possibility until now. “Huh.” She flicked her eyes to the window. “Maybe we should watch them. If they point us in a certain direction, then we’ll figure out a reason to focus on those individuals before we even approach them.”
“What if you can’t come up with a reason?” Nick was blandly serious. “That could ruin the entire case.”
“Well ... .” Hannah swished her lips back and forth, stumped for an answer.
Finally, Maddie was the one who stepped in to save the conversation. “We’ll figure it out, Nicky. We always do. Don’t pooh-pooh our plan if you don’t have a better one to offer up. It’s going to be fine.”
Nick’s smile was back. “You sound convinced.”
“I am. I have faith.” She turned her attention to the street, to where Olivia and Abigail were making a big show of stalking a blonde psychic who didn’t appear to realize she was being followed. “Of course, it couldn’t possibly hurt to watch them to make sure they don’t get out of hand.”
Nick snickered. “I’m glad to have you back on the mother hen team, Mad. It was lonely in Worryland without you.”
“WE’VE FOUND EIGHT OTHER GHOSTS,” Olivia announced two hours later, popping into the saloon and causing Cooper to practically fall out of his chair.
Despite being brave, the security guru made an odd screeching sound that caused Hannah to have to cover her mouth to hide her smile. “Who are you?”
“My mother,” Maddie volunteered from behind the counter. She was fascinated with the cappuccino maker and had been futzing with the controls for a good twenty minutes. “Mom, this is Cooper. In addition to being head of security at Casper Creek, he’s also Hannah’s boyfriend.”
“Oh.” Olivia wrinkled her nose and
