“Like…you’re home?”
Her face lit up. “Exactly! Only strong enough to be felt through the walls.”
“You’re feeling that right now?” our uncle asked.
“I felt it first about a half hour ago but then I realized it wasn’t going away. So I came up here to investigate.” A blush crept its way across her cheeks. “Is it all in my head? Am I finally losing it?”
I scuffed the toe of my sneaker against the tile. “No, I felt something like that too. When we first walked in.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Uncle Victor asked. Like I’d hurt his feelings by not sharing it immediately.
“Because it’s weird and I didn’t know how to explain it.” I didn’t mean to glance at Vanessa, but I did. It was bad enough we were sensing something new that was more than likely curse-related; Vanessa’s presence was making it all the more awkward and frustrating.
Our uncle pulled his shoulders back. “Nessie, could you get the tech guys started on the picture of our killer’s profile?”
It was an obvious dismissal but Vanessa had enough class to play it cool. She pointed finger guns at him and smiled. “Sure thing, Vic. You’ll call me if you need help with the interrogation?”
“Of course.”
She nodded before sashaying the rest of the way to the tech department.
Uncle Victor slumped back into his normal posture to address me. “When did you feel this?”
“When I saw the hikers,” I murmured, peeking over my shoulder at the waiting room.
Jasmine and Uncle Victor followed my gaze. Our suspects were openly staring at us now, not bothering to hide their confusion and eagerness. My sister stepped forward but I held my hands up to stop her.
“Whoa. What are you doing?”
“They’re the source of this feeling, Charlie. We have to talk to them.” As if it were that simple.
“We can’t. They’re suspects in the Ward case,” I hissed.
“A chilling coincidence,” our uncle muttered.
“We don’t know anything about them. They could be dangerous.”
Jasmine gave me a flat look. “They’ve been touched by Death, just like us.”
“You can’t be sure.”
“Why else would we feel this way?” my sister demanded.
“I don’t know, but we can’t just walk up to strangers and ask them how they’re connected to Death!”
“Remember where we are, Charlie.” This from our uncle who was subtly glancing at our surroundings.
I ran a hand down my face and lowered my voice. “Sorry.”
“How about this?” Uncle Victor said, glancing from me to Jasmine and back as he held his hands out in a placating gesture. “I’ll interrogate them alone. You two can watch from the other side of the two-way mirror.”
“I’ll watch.” I nodded at Jasmine. “You can wait downstairs.”
My sister rolled her eyes. “What exactly do you think is going to happen, Charles?”
“I don’t know. That’s why I want you to wait downstairs,” I said, trying very hard not to shout. I couldn’t protect her if I couldn’t predict what was going to happen. How did she not get that?
“Seems a little excessive since they’ll be locked in the interrogation room,” Jasmine said with much sass.
“I think,” Uncle Vic said before I could tear my hair out, “your sister will be safe enough behind the mirror. Come on, Charlie,” he added when I was going to argue further. “She deserves answers just as much as you do.”
He could’ve left it at that and gone to ask one of his subordinates to prep an interrogation room, but he didn’t. He stood there and watched me expectantly, waiting for me to agree, giving me a chance to disagree. Despite my slightly illogical fear and frustration, I respected him for that. A lot.
“All right,” I muttered. “Let’s just get this over with.”
Chapter 26
Esmeralda
“I’m going out,” Aunt Dinah announced.
I was picking at the mystery casserole she’d placed in front of me half an hour ago but her words made me stop. “It’s after six.”
“I’m aware,” the old lady snapped.
“You usually read for two hours and then go to bed.”
My aunt busied herself gathering her empty dinner dishes but her tone was no less harsh. “Yes, I know, Esmeralda. I’m doing something different tonight.”
“Why?”
“Because I feel like it!”
I studied her from across the table. She didn’t look sick…Still, I had to ask. “Are you okay?”
“What? Yes. Fine.”
Three notes, one high, two low, all of them uttered with barely a rest between them. It was a lie. I knew it.
I should’ve let it go. It was probably the safest course of action. But I didn’t. Hunter always said I had a nose for trouble and I chased after it like a bloodhound on the hunt. He was probably right, given my smart mouth and my irrational urge to push people’s buttons. But I’d never admit it to the douche.
“Are you sure?” I asked despite my better judgment. “You always stick to your routine.”
My aunt shut her eyes and breathed deeply. Any normal person seeing this obvious attempt to hold back some violent reaction would’ve backtracked or, better yet, apologized for prying. What did I do? I kept talking. Like a jackass.
“Are you pissed because you saw me and Charlie boy kissing? You can’t honestly say you didn’t see it coming. Besides, I thought you liked him.”
“Es—mer—alda,” the old shrew said, separating my name into three frigid syllables. Her eyes were open now, burning holes through my soul. I felt microscopic under her scornful gaze. The speech that came from those chapped lips cut me down even further.
“There is nothing I care less about than your love life. If I’m mad, it’s because you insist upon pestering me with personal questions when I’ve made it abundantly clear you and I are not friends. Since you refuse to acknowledge Hunter as your father, then we are
