This time, there were three flutters.
“That means you don’t know?”
Two flutters.
Gabe sighed, then asked, “Are you tied to this house? I mean, can you go anywhere else?”
The question was answered from the doorway as Olivia stepped into the room. Her gaze flitted from him to the other end of the sofa and back again, and Gabe assumed she was looking at the ghost.
He hadn’t had a chance to get a good look at her before. Now he took in her riot of long wavy hair, her pale skin, her delicate features. He couldn’t help thinking that if she was in a relationship with a ghost, she was wasting her affection.
He clenched his teeth, hoping that she couldn’t read minds. He had no business thinking anything personal about her, but he hadn’t been able to stifle the thought.
Pulling his mind back to business, he asked, “When I went down to St. Stephens, I could feel the connection with Travis fading. By the time I reached the road, I couldn’t sense him anymore.”
“But maybe it’s possible to change that. Why would he be tied to this house? He didn’t know you before Smith...went after him,” he finished,
“That’s right.”
“You said Smith talked about all kinds of powers that the children from the Solomon clinic had. Hurling thunderbolts. Moving objects with their minds. Smith probably didn’t know all they could do.”
“I think he was also afraid they could read minds,” Olivia added.
“But he has no idea as to the extent of their powers. Maybe it’s different for different couples.”
She nodded before crossing the room and taking the chair where she’d been sitting earlier.
“Why don’t you and Carson...?”
She interrupted. “He’d like you to call him Travis, if we’re going to be working together.”
“Okay, yeah, Travis.”
“Can we call you Gabe?” she asked.
“Of course.” He cleared his throat. “Why don’t the two of you try to...” He stopped and flapped his arm. “I don’t quite know how to say it, but you said you and Travis, um, bonded. I’m hoping there might be some way he could come along with you when you leave the house.”
“So you’ve bought into my crazy story about Travis finding me after Smith killed him?”
“Yeah. I guess I have to.”
She looked excited, and the paper on the table fluttered.
Then her eyes narrowed. “Not exactly a ringing endorsement.”
“You have to admit, it’s a hard claim to sell.” Gabe pushed himself up. “But I like it. It would be very useful to have an unseen presence who could perform psychictricks.”
“And do what? You told me to stay away from St. Stephens.”
He sighed. “I know, but now I’m rethinking. Travis would be protection for you that Smith couldn’t possibly expect. Why don’t the two of you see what you can do?”
“Like what?”
“Like deepen the bond between you so he can go wherever you go.”
He pushed himself up and was glad to see that he was feeling almost normal when he stood. Maybe he had come up with a whole new approach to the case, but he cautioned himself not to get too excited. Maybe he’d asked Olivia and Travis to do what was impossible
CHAPTERFOURTEEN
