'Jaime!'
I heard him though the glass, heard him say my name in a deep growl that made me shiver, but I didn't turn around, just lifted my fingers to wave over my shoulder, then strolled into the bathroom for a very long, very cold shower.
RUNAWAY
THE NEXT MORNING, I snuck downstairs, hoping to avoid Becky. One of the guards said she was closeted in a teleconference with Todd Simon and several network execs.
I took my coffee into the garden. My plan was to visit the child ghosts as if to reassure myself-and them-that I was making progress. But something else was gnawing at me. Something I needed to do, however difficult it was. Tansy had helped me last night. Now I needed to return the favor, at least by hearing her out.
It took only a few minutes of summoning before she appeared.
'You wanted to talk to me the other day,' I said. 'I'm sorry it took so long to get back to you. I've been-'
'-busy with far more important things.' She sat beside me on the low wall. 'What a mess, huh? Those poor kids. We didn't even notice them until we saw what you were doing. We keep trying to talk to them, but they can't hear us.'
'I'm not sure they can hear me either. But I appreciate the help. I really do.'
She nodded, then went quiet for a moment. I braced myself, waiting for her to ask for help in return.
'I'm sorry about springing Gabrielle on you like that,' she said finally. 'I thought maybe you could get inside information, and I feel awful about raising her hopes.'
'I'm sure she would have found me anyway. I only wish I could do something. But in some cases, I just can't. Finding a murderer. Bringing him to justice. Beyond my realm of influence, no matter how much I might want to.'
I gave the words extra emphasis, trying to prepare her for disappointment. But she only stared at me, uncomprehending. Then her eyes widened.
'Oh, shit! Am I a moron or what? You guys are trying to figure out who killed Marilyn. I was the warm-up, wasn't I? That's what that Angel chick wanted to know. Who killed me.'
'But you don't know who did it,' I said, tensing.
'You should see your face,' she said with a peal of laughter. 'You're waiting for me to ask for help. Bring my killer to justice, damn it!' Another laugh and a shake of her head. 'I already know who killed me and I have no interest in bringing him to 'justice.' '
'What?'
She pulled her knees up to sit cross-legged. 'I couldn't remember for a while, but eventually I did. It was this guy I came to the party with-I'm not naming names 'cause he's still alive. Anyway, I was high on winning the Emmy and too much champagne. I found this gun in the house and I was showing it to him outside. He was playing with it and-' She shrugged. 'The end of Tansy Lane.'
'I'm sorry.'
'We were being stupid. Drunk kids goofing off with a gun.'
Turned out, the only thing she wanted from me was conversation. She peppered me with questions about the shoot and my career, topics of interest to someone who'd grown up in the biz. Then she left me to try contacting the children again, and promised she'd be around, should I need help from the other side.
All my worrying about how to get out of the obligation, and I could have avoided it just by hearing her out when she'd first asked to talk to me.
BEFORE I could try to summon the children, a guard called my name. I stashed my kit under a bush, and turned the corner to see Jeremy on the patio with a guard, Grady and Claudia.
'Maybe we should go find her,' the guard was saying.
'She's fine,' Jeremy said. 'She doesn't like to be disturbed when she's meditating. If she doesn't answer, I'll wait-' He saw me. 'Ah, here she comes.'
He nodded and murmured a good morning. I studied his face. It was as inscrutable as ever. He turned to answer something Grady was asking.
Okay, this wasn't the greeting I'd hoped for. Was he upset about last night? Or hoping I'd forgotten? I brushed off regrets. I'd known that once the thrill of the Change wore off, he might reconsider. But if that adrenaline rush had been the only thing driving him last night, then it was a good thing we'd waited. Or so I told myself.
As I drew closer, Jeremy lifted his hands, a steaming mug in each, the smell of fresh coffee wafting my way.
'Thank you.'
Another nod. 'I trust you had a good night?'
I bit back a smile, but when I met his gaze, I saw no twinkle, no sign that his words were anything more than a polite inquiry.
He continued, 'Were you meditating? I could wait here-'
'Nonsense,' Grady said. 'If Jaime's busy, join us for breakfast.'
Claudia seconded the invitation. Jeremy glanced at me, as if he didn't care one way or the other and I wanted to scream that I'd been up since six-thirty waiting for him. But I certainly wasn't going to give him that satisfaction. So I settled for a shrug and a 'Your choice.'
'If I won't be in the way, I'll join you.'
I had to look up and follow his gaze to see whom he was talking to. His eyes were on me.
'Sure,' I said, voice as neutral as I could make it. 'Come along.'
He stayed at my side as I wended my way back to my summoning spot. When we rounded the third corner, he reached over and, without a word, took my coffee and laid both mugs on the garden retaining wall. Then he swept me up in a kiss that left me gasping.
My relief must have shown, because he smiled and said, 'You weren't worried, were you?'
I smacked his arm. 'Bastard.'
A brow arch. 'I don't think anyone's ever called me that before.'
'Keep pulling stunts like that and you'd better get used to it.'
He moved in for another kiss. I studied his gaze, trying to see whether any hesitation lingered. I couldn't tell, and I wasn't taking chances. Even if he'd made up his mind, there was something to be said for making him wait a little longer…
So I kissed him lightly, then hopped off the wall and headed into the garden to do what I'd come out here for.
I RECOVERED my necromancy bag, then sat beside him on a bench and sipped my coffee as I listened to the bird calls and the whispers of the children, felt the wind ruffle my hair, felt the children's fingertips brushing me.
Once I'd reestablished contact with the children, and reassured them I was back, I spoke to Jeremy.
'I was thinking about the kids. About the families.' I put my hand out and felt small fingers tickle mine. I tried to close my hand around them, to hold on, but caught only air. 'Whether I do the raising or not, I think we should find a way to alert the authorities, even if it's after this is over, so they can find the bodies and give the parents closure.'
He nodded.
'Or maybe just, I don't know, give them graves. Headstones. Something to say they were here. From what you said, the parents probably don't care.'
'I didn't say that. The children may have been taken from the street. Or kidnapped from families or neighborhoods where the police would presume they'd gone to the street. That's safest. Minimizes the search. But it doesn't mean no one cared. However bad things are for a child, someone usually cares.'
His gaze moved out across the garden.
