“Sure.” She shook her head, looking confused. “But it’s nice to see you anyway.”
“Nice to see you too, Aunt Dottie.”
“And it was lovely to meet you,” Sly said, bowing, but never losing eye contact.
“Yes, you too,” she said, smiling sweetly. Then she wandered to the elevator and left—the look of confusion having been replaced by contentment.
Neat trick. But how the hell did he do that, and how do I know he won’t do it to me?“Was that mind control? Hypnosis?”
“Something like that.”
“Do you do that often?”
“No, only when necessary. It seems to have come in handy this time, don’t you think?”
Jason had to reluctantly agree. Maybe someday he’d ask Sly to teach him how to hypnotize his pesky aunt with no more than a look.
Chad watched while Detective Joe Murphy stood outside in the snow, buzzing Jason’s apartment for the third time with no answer.
“He’s not home, dumbass! Try the witches’ apartment!” Damn, I wish ordinary people could hear me yell.If he’d had some kind of a major breakthrough, Chad wanted to know about it!
“Shit.” He surveyed the other names and buzzers. “Where did that medium live? Across the hall from the so-called haunted apartment, right?”
“God, I hope he’s bright enough to figure it out. Only two apartments on the third floor. One buzzer has two names on it and the other apartment’s name plate is blank. C’mon, genius.”
“Here goes nothin’,” the detective mumbled.
“Yes? Can I help y’all?”
A soft feminine voice answeredbeforeJoe hit the buzzer and he jumped, startled. Gwyneth had been standing next to the intercom expecting him for five minutes.
“Get used to it, Detective. Psychics, remember?”
“Uh, this is Detective Joe Murphy. I have an update regarding Mr. Washington’s case. May I come in?”
“Oh, of course!” sang the sweet voice of the younger cousin.
Joe entered the building when she buzzed the door open, then paused. It looked as if he was deciding whether or not to take the stairs. He had already seen the elevator and probably wanted to check out the rest of the beautiful old building. The elegant touches of sculpted crown molding and the gleaming mahogany banister would appeal to anybody who had a taste for the finer things in life.
Despite being a man of about forty, he jogged up the stairs and stopped to admire and whistle at the gorgeous crystal chandelier hanging between the second and third floors.
“Mmm… I could get used to living like this. Maybe once I debunk this ghost business, I can move out of my office and into that vacant apartment. I’ll bet the retainer the landlord paid me would cover a security deposit.”
“Ha! I knew he wasn’t a real believer.”The cousins’ door opened before he reached it. Gwyneth stood there to greet him.“Maybe she can convince the arrogant prick that he doesn’t know everything.”
“Good mornin’, Detective. How nice to see you.”
“Good morning. It’s Gwyneth, right?”
“Yes. How sweet of you to remember me. Can I get you somethin’ to drink? A cup of tea or a beer?”
He grinned.
A polite, pretty young thing with red hair brushing her fanny? Like anyone could forget her. Hell, if I were fifty years younger—and alive… sigh.
“Is your cousin home?”
“No, I’m afraid not. She was called back home last night. We had some sad news. Her grandmama, my great-aunt, just passed, bless her soul.”
