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The noise rose, and Zoe motioned us into the mouth of the book labyrinth, where the stacks insulated against the sound.
"Maybe if I try--" I began.
Zoe shook her head. "She's gone. I might be able to pull her out again, with the proper motivation." Her gaze skipped to a crate near the door. On top of it, beside a few dark blotches, lay a penknife. "But it'll take some time. Better to give her a rest and try again. Let's get out of here, get some air and a cold drink, and we'll try again."
We walked a few blocks in the bright sunlight and found a cafe patio. Clay ordered while I called Jeremy. I phoned Nick's cell first, but Jeremy was back at the bookstore with Jaime. I wondered why Antonio and Nick weren't with them, but found out as soon as I got hold of Jaime.
"Matthew's clinging like a barnacle," she said. "He was terrified of being left behind at the hotel, and Jeremy agreed it might not be wise, so we took him along, and sent him with the guys for a coffee while I worked here."
"What have you found?"
"Nothing. Either her spirit has already left or the wound wasn't fatal but..." A small pause. "I think she's gone. Jeremy's been trying to pick up a recent trail of hers leading out of the apartment or the shop, and there isn't one."
"Meaning she was probably carried out."
"Maybe to dispose of the body...or maybe because they've figured out you guys have a necro working for you. Either way, I'm useless here, I'm afraid. How'd Zoe's lead go?"
I told her what was happening, leaving out the less palatable details of our encounter.
"A clairvoyant?" Jaime said. "Now that I can help with."
"I think Zoe has things under--"
"No, seriously. I've had experience with older clairvoyants. There's one Lucas knows--used to work for his dad--and I've visited her a few times. Great old gal, but she...has her problems. I'm used to stuff like that. My Nan...well, it happens to necros, too, and I've been around a lot of them, so you learn the tricks. Same things work with clairvoyants."
"I'm not sure--"
"Is she catatonic?"
"Umm, no, not exactly..."
"That's okay. I'm sure I could get her to talk. Faye--that's Lucas's friend--her nurses say no one can get through to her like I can."
Beside me, Clay shrugged and said, "Can't hurt." I wasn't so sure.
"She's pretty far gone, Jaime," I said. "It's not...it's not something--"
"Too much for the celeb necro to handle?" She laughed, but an edge crept into her voice. "I know, you guys are looking out for me. And I appreciate that. Really I do. Been a long time since anyone didn't just want to get whatever they could..." The sentence slid off into silence.
"Here's Jeremy," Jaime said. "Let me run it by him, and I'll phone you back."
Twenty minutes later, we were back at the hatch, with Jaime. Zoe had gone ahead to check on Tee.
Jaime stepped into the basement. "Dark, huh? And it smells...kind of like my apartment when I run off for a week and forget to clean first. Only this place is cleaner than mine, which is pretty sad. We should speak to this Tee about relocating. I'm sure that Dr. Tolliver has some connections. He could probably get her into a decent nursing home."
"Um, maybe," I said.
At Tee's door, I paused. This wasn't right. I had to warn her.
"About this--" I began.
Jaime jumped and clutched my arm. A small laugh, and she released her grip, and patted my arm in apology. "A little tense, I guess. Seems there are a few spooks here. Old houses. Always a few, it seems."
"Oh? Maybe you shouldn't go in then--"
"It's okay. Oddly, they don't seem to be interested in me."
She reached around me and opened the door.
