Out of Body

“If you say so.” At least Nat didn’t laugh at her.

“I just meant the place has that reputation and it’s kind of…well, you know. It’s a thoughtful place.”

“Yeah,” Gray said. “There’s a little wine left if you want it, Nat.”

Nat declined and made no comments about why they might be out here drinking wine together.

“I’m going to tell you things you’ll have every right to question,” Marley said. “A lot of it is beyond understanding when you don’t have any background in paranormal events and the way they can happen with some subjects. Will you hear me out? Then we’ve got to talk about a suggestion that was made to us tonight.”

“I like to listen with my eyes closed,” Nat said, doing just that. “I’m wide-awake in here.”

Marley tried to start at the beginning. When she talked about a portal, she didn’t mention the Chinoiserie house and when she glanced at Gray he showed no change of expression. “You understand why I’ve got to keep that back,” she thought.

“Yes.”

Startled, she looked at him again and found him watching her with the same kind of shocked awareness she felt.

“I’ve never communicated this way with anyone outside my family before, Gray.”

“What does it mean? Tell me—” He frowned and she felt the channel close.

He held her hand and she didn’t immediately realize he’d done so with Nat there. They both looked at the detective whose eyes were still shut. They kept their tingling fingers together.

“Then, after I left your office the last time, I was so confused about what to do. I went home and Gray went with me.”

She brought Nat up to date, all but Sidney’s not very subtle suggestions.

“So you came out here this evening because Sidney Fournier asked you to?” Nat said. He slitted his eyes and this time he did give the wine bottle and glasses a long look.

Marley said, “She didn’t expect me to be here,” and giggled when Gray pinched her fingers.

“Gray always did like someone reliable watching his back.” Nat’s teeth were very white when he smiled. “He’s got good taste in that department and I’m sure you could make mincemeat of any bad guys or women.”

She bowed her head. “So, now you think I’m completely crazy,” she said. “And it probably doesn’t matter what Sidney had to say because you don’t believe a word from me.”

“I believe every word from you,” Nat said.

Gray’s grip on her hand tightened.

“You do?” Marley said.

“I don’t know what happened in that warehouse yet. Not for sure. But something did and you saw it. I’ve got to believe the rest. What do you say, Gray?”

“I’m a believer.”

“Sidney told us Amber had already left Danny before she disappeared,” Marley said. “She said their relationship was already over.”

Nat opened his eyes and sat up. He only gave their joined hands passing notice. “No shit. No kidding, that is.”

She shook her head. “That’s what she told us.”

He started to get up. “I’ll have her brought in. Danny, too.”

“You think that’s for the best?” Gray said.

“No.” Nat settled back in his chair. “Knee-jerk. But I’ll have Danny watched starting now. He looked me in the eye and lied. You’d have thought the church bells were already warming up for those two.”

“He needs to get his story straight,” Marley said. “At first he tried to pretend Amber didn’t return his feelings. Then he let it out that they were close.”

“And now there’s another take,” Nat said. He made a call and gave succinct orders. “I take it Sidney had some story about why she wouldn’t talk to us—to the police?”

“She said she was afraid.” Gray paraphrased Sidney’s conversation.

“I was going to tell you we’re pretty sure Amber doesn’t have a kid,” Nat said.

“Figures,” Gray said. “How much longer will it be before you can get some preliminary DNA results back on Shirley Cooper?”

Nat hesitated. He cleared his throat. “Shouldn’t be too much longer.”

“Damn, I wish they were faster. It could change everything about the case.”

“Will you look at these for me, Marley?” Nat said, not responding to Gray’s last comment. “I know I can’t expect too much, but it’s what I was talking to you about in my office. The things that belonged to Liza, Amber and Shirley.”

Marley came close to telling him again that she’d never worked with objects like this. Nat was lumping all paranormal gifts together and coming up with something resembling the type of stuff they put on TV series about psychics.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Gray said when Nat put a silk scarf on the table, and a pair of gloves. “Marley doesn’t do party tricks.”

She was grateful to him, but sorry for Nat, who was doing his best to be open.

“I know that,” Nat said. “But it does happen that touching something belonging to someone can bring about an impression of that person, doesn’t it? It can be helpful in locating them.” He looked with hope at Marley.

“I’ve heard it can, yes.”

Nat didn’t miss her noncommittal response. “You don’t think there’s anything in it?”

“I don’t know.” She had to be honest.

They fell silent. Critters in the grass and nearby shrubs tuned up like they were getting ready for a rock concert.

Nat reached into one of the bags and retrieved some sort of hat made of draped and embossed mauve satin. “I won’t say who this belongs to, but will you hold it?”

She rubbed the spot between her brows. The start of a headache threatened to make this a hard night. “Yes.” Marley took the turban from him.

“I don’t like this,” Gray said.

“Say something unexpected,” Nat retorted.

“Please be quiet,” Marley said. “Both of you.”

Marley tried to sit comfortably. She began to shiver. A breeze gained strength and her flimsy white dress frothed around her calves.

The soft, satiny turban slipped between her fingers. Where the fabric was embossed, the texture felt rougher. Marley looked at the shimmer on the satin, at the shadowy lines where the folds settled. She let her eyelids lower and went into neutral. With her mind wide-open, she invited any response to come in.

Time passed and she felt peaceful. She also felt nothing unusual and saw no inkling of a portal, and heard no whisper from an Usher.

“You know better than to try putting on shows.”

Sykes was back. She deliberately ignored him.

“If you’re short of money, maybe I can help you out.”

“What does that mean?” She felt snappy.

“I leave you to your own devices and you get into the entertainment business? When do you pass the hat?”

“I’m not even answering you.”

A change in shadows along the balcony railings carried Marley’s attention in that direction. Flickering in and out, she saw the suggestion of her brother, wearing black tonight and looking vaguely demonic.

“Watch out for Gray,” Marley said.

“Oh, yes, little sister. I’m watching. He won’t get in on anything from me, but you better watch yourself. When you’re in lust with someone your judgment could get clouded.”

“That’s it,” Marley said. “You can report back to Uncle Pascal that I’m cool. Thanks. Bye.”

He sat on the balcony railing with an arm around a slender column.