“Are they?” Monica sounded excited. “Oh, that would be perfect.”
“I think so.” Katherine was very tempted to grab Baxter, run into the office, and lock the door behind her. Two extra people in her house felt crowded. Contemplating five…
“If they’re coming over, we might be too much company,” Robin said. “After all—”
“It’s fine,” Katherine blurted. “It might be a little crowded inside, but we usually sit on the deck.”
Val stepped toward the door and put her hands on her hips. “And why wouldn’t you? That’s one incredible view.”
“You have incredible views too.” Katherine turned to Baxter. “They’re from Glimmer Lake.” Deep breaths, Katherine. In. Out. There is plenty of air.
“Oh, it’s beautiful there. I love to go up in the winter right after it snows.” He frowned. “How long is that drive?”
“About four hours,” Robin said. “Not too bad.”
“Little complicated when you only have two hours’ notice,” Val muttered. “But yeah, the drive is nice.”
His eyebrows went up. “Two hours?”
Monica elbowed Val. “She’s just complaining because we dragged her away from work.”
“She’s a workaholic.” Robin put her arm around Val. “We all are.”
Baxter chuckled. “You’re in good company here.” He glanced at Katherine.
She was trying her best not to look panicked.
It was fine. It would be fine.
They could go outside.
The crowded feeling would go away and she’d be able to breathe.
Baxter saw her. “Darling, why don’t you all go out on the deck, and I’ll bring a bottle of wine. No reason to stay in here where it’s crowded.”
She was a brilliant woman. Absolutely brilliant. Not because of the two PhDs, that had nothing to do with it. She was brilliant because she married Baxter Pang when she was twenty-seven. How could she have known he’d be so wonderful?
“Thanks.” She forced the words out. “Robin, Monica…” Dammit. She’d forgotten the third name.
“Val.” The woman was already walking to the door. “Deck or bust for me. I want that ocean view.”
She turned to Baxter. “When Toni and Megan get here—”
“I’ll send them back.” He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Look at you. You’re the center of attention.”
“Make it stop,” she whispered.
“If they’re here too long, I’ll come out and start telling them about the ABC-conjecture controversy.”
“Careful. That’s such a compelling story they may never leave.”
“I know you mean that sincerely.” He walked over and opened the wine cabinet in the kitchen. “Go entertain the guests. I’ll bring some wine out shortly.”
“You are a prince among men.” She reached for wineglasses and hooked four between her fingers. “Thank you, Bax.”
“You’re welcome.” He smiled at the women on the deck. “It’s quite lovely to see other people appreciating how delightful you are, you know? It makes me feel rather clever.”
She felt her cheeks flush as she walked to the door. “I’m paying you back for that compliment later.”
“I shall look forward to it.”
Katherine stepped out onto the deck with the four wineglasses, a polite smile, and a spiraling sense of confusion about what exactly came next.
Her life didn’t exactly feel like her own anymore.
“So.” Monica scooted forward and reached for a glass. “Why don’t I start by telling you why we’re here?”
* * *
“You saw all of us?” Toni asked. “Like, in your vision?”
Monica nodded. “You were holding a gun on someone. You looked… intent. That’s the only word for it.” She turned to Megan. “You were throwing someone into a tree.”
Megan’s eyes went wide. “For real?”
“Do you have superstrength or something?”
“No, but I’m telekinetic.”
“That might explain the superstrength,” Val said. “Combine natural strength with supernatural?”
“Maybe,” Monica said. “And then Katherine was…” She frowned.
“What?” Katherine felt a sense of impossible dread. What was Monica seeing? She didn’t look happy. “What was I doing in the vision?”
“It looked like you were playing chess, but I couldn’t see with whom.” Monica held up her hands. “Sometimes the visions aren’t exact.”
“Chess?” Katherine didn’t even like chess. Chess was Baxter’s game. “Okay. Chess.” Weird. She’d have to think about that one.
“I saw the vision last night,” Monica said. “But we’ve been meaning to make a trip over here for a while. We talked to you a couple of weeks ago and then we didn’t hear anything back.”
Robin said, “We were a little worried.”
“You’d have reason to be,” Megan said. “Since the thing at the gym, we found out there was another young lady who may or may not have a connection to the boy who tried to shoot up the gym, and she had a very strange outburst too.”
Katherine said, “And then just a couple of days ago, Baxter found out one of his grad students stabbed her boyfriend.”
“Oh my God, is he alive? Is she?”
“Yes and yes, but they’re both in the hospital.”
Val narrowed her eyes. “Any history of violence or abuse?”
“Nothing,” Katherine said. “No domestic violence ever reported. Very loving. Both perfectly normal kids in their midtwenties. The young man is still in a coma, and Abby—she was Baxter’s student—is at the hospital, but she’s being held on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. She claims she doesn’t remember what happened. She woke up and they were both bleeding. Baxter talked to her parents yesterday. She’s terrified and very confused. She’s still convinced that someone broke into their house and she doesn’t remember anything.”
Monica shook her head. “God, that’s scary.”
“She was bleeding too?” Val asked. “So the police are saying she stabbed him and then herself?”
“That’s what it seems like.”
Val set down her wineglass and pointed at Robin. “Ghost.”
“We don’t know that,” Robin said. “I can look into that if you can get me close enough to visit with the girl, but there could be something else going on.” Robin looked at Toni. “You’re an empath, right?”
Toni nodded. “Whatever that means. I’m still not quite sure yet.”
“I’ve been doing some research with a few sources I’ve found that I trust,” Robin said. “Empaths and mediums don’t have much crossover, but there is some. Both powers involve connection with human energy.
