“Yes.” There was a pause at the other end of the connection, a pause George used to sit down on the bed, his back on the headboard, inviting Andi into the V of his legs. Andi came immediately, snuggling against George’s broad chest. This was home and safety and happiness all in one. He would never have dared to dream he could have any of it, and even if it were ripped from him tomorrow, he wouldn’t want to miss it for the world. They heard heavy breathing through the speakers, and then Tyler started talking, in that faraway tone he got when he connected. George said it was the same Andi had, another commonality between the two of them. “Dark, it’s so dark and cold, the pain is gone, it was so bad, hurt so much, nothing left of it, alone, I’m alone, where is he, where’s Boyd, my love, it hurt so much, I couldn’t, couldn’t, I’m sorry, my love, I’m so sorry, please, don’t be mad, don’t be mad.” A sob tore from Tyler’s throat: heavy, heaving, heart-wrenching.
“It’s okay, Tyler. It’s okay. Let it out. Try to breathe. Come on, you can do it.”
Another sob then labored breathing, Tyler obviously doing his best to rein in his emotions, only those weren’t his emotions, they were coming from the ghosts, swamping him, and Andi knew that feeling all too well.
“Breathe, Tyler. In and out. Imagine waves on a beach.” George’s voice was soothing and calm, full of authority and the unbending belief that Tyler would pull through. Andi placed his hand on George’s thigh, squeezing lightly, silently thanking his lover for his strength and confidence.
There was another heavy breath, another, then Tyler was back. “That was her. She was so sad and desperate. Didn’t know what to do. Couldn’t do anything. He was gone, not there with her. I couldn’t help.”
“It’s fine, Tyler. Working with ghosts is like working with arthropods. You get puzzle pieces, and you have to find where they fit. This is something. Are they still there?” Andi tried to project the same strength George radiated.
“No, they’re gone. I still feel the urgency though. Like an aftertaste.”
“As difficult as it sounds, don’t let it bother you. If it’s urgent, they shouldn’t be playing games.” Andi was almost sure the ghosts weren’t doing such a thing, that they followed rules the living couldn’t hope to understand, but that would only pressure Tyler more, which he didn’t need at the moment.
“They’re not playing.” And there went that hope.
“You still have to try not to be driven by them. It won’t help them and certainly won’t help you.”
“I know.” A deep sigh. “I was just so hopeful Shireen would find something.”
“She’s not done yet, is she?” George started massaging Andi’s scalp with gentle movements of his right hand.
“No. I just wish it wouldn’t take so long.” Tyler’s tone was sullen, sounding more like the teenager he was and not like the troubled boy seeing ghosts.
“Patience is a virtue. Always remember that.”
The groan Andi got for those words assured him that Tyler was already bouncing back from what he had just experienced.
“Now I want you to try and radiate unavailability to the ghosts. Start with a normal meditation and once you feel steady, broadcast that you’re not seeing clients for the next twenty-four hours.”
“Twenty-four hours?”
“We have to start small. It may not even work, but it’s worth a try.”
“Fine. Thank you. I’d better start.”
“Bye, Tyler. Good luck.”
After George had said his goodbyes as well, he ended the call. “Radiate unavailability?” George questioned.
“It’s worth a shot. Ghosts are former human beings, and from what Tyler told us, I got the impression they retain certain human traits. Respecting other people’s boundaries could be one of them.”
George snorted. “Because people are so good at respecting boundaries.”
“Well, sometimes there are those who do it.” Andi knew it was a flimsy hope. “And even if these ghosts don’t, it’s a good exercise for Tyler. Focus is everything. I must know.”
George pressed a kiss to Andi’s head. “Yeah, you know. Are you hungry? You should eat.”
Andi took a moment to listen to his body. George had only recently told him about a thing called mindful eating, where one took a moment to listen to their body before deciding if and what to eat. For Andi, that was the story of his life, determining if what he felt was real hunger from his own body or just the insane need to consume rotting flesh or greenery in order to bring forth the next generation. To Andi, hunger was rarely something he felt connected to his body. He had learned to look for other signs, like a slight dizziness telling him his blood sugar was getting low or a subtle shaking of his hands, meaning something solid in his stomach would be appreciated. Both signs were absent, though he knew from the silverfish in the room and the bed mites that George was hungry. It made answering so much easier. “Yeah, I could eat.”
The happy flare in George’s pheromones was like a rush for Andi. If it was like this, eating seemed less like a necessary evil and more like the joy it ought to be.
CHAPTER 15
LEADS TO NOWHERE?
Officer Kaustrowitz was only half a year out of the academy and oozed diligence from every pore of his youthful tan skin. He didn’t seem to have any reservations working with two detectives from a different city, so Chief Savalle had either forgone instructing him to make George’s and Andi’s lives hell or he didn’t care and jumped on the chance to do something more interesting than writing speeding tickets. Or perhaps the chief has forgotten about him being assigned to help us. George knew this was entirely possible. To avoid running into the chief or Agent DeCapristo, George and Andi invited the young officer to a café near the precinct. George and Randy were enjoying coffee while Andi was drinking tea.
