“Absolutely.”
“How much would that ordinarily cost?
“About ten thousand dollars.”
“Yikes!”
“It’s well worth it to me.”
Shit.She did have to go there. At least she knew how to remove hexes and now she even knew how to reseal doors against vampires.“I um… I’ll see if I can get someone to take over my calls for a little while. It’ll depend on that.”Among other things.
Chad and Morgaine “sat” together at her kitchen table. More to the point, Morgaine sat, Chad hovered. Sometimes it was damned inconvenient to be nothing but spiritual energy.
She stared in his direction, but her eyes didn’t focus on his. “Chad, I know you have good reason not to leave the building, but do you think I’m lame for having agoraphobia?”
“Does it matter what I think?”
She sighed, sounding resigned. “I guess not. If feeling stupid cured our fears, I’d be bulletproof by now.”
“Come on, kid. Don’t be so hard on yourself. You have lots of strengths.”
She had developed her psychic sense well enough to see him. Or a shadowy version of him. It was a welcome change from people staring at the ceiling when they spoke to him. As if he was on his way to heaven but somehow bumped up against the ceiling and stayed there.
She smiled sadly and shrugged. “I guess so. There are certainly things I can do that would be impossible for average people, so why should I be upset when everyone and his brother can do something I find difficult?”
“It’s not that you can’t, Morgaine. You know you can. It’s just a matter of psyching yourself up for it.Look how you managed to get to the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum last spring.”
“Yeah, that’s because I thought I might be able to crack the FBI’s cold case and there was a five-million-dollar reward egging me on. Besides, it was right in our own back yard—so to speak. New York is a hell of a lot further away.”
“So? The point is you did it. You had to go with a trusted person, but at least you always had a friend like that willing to help. I doubt anyone I know on the other side, or wherever most dead people go, cares enough to come back for me.”
“I wish I knew more about the other side so I could help you, Chad. I tried, but…” She tossed her hands up.
“I know, and I appreciate that. To be honest, you know more about it than anyone else since you can communicate with spirits.”
“It’s been frustrating for me too. Usually all I have to do is tell a spirit to go into the light and off they go.”
“I don’t think it’s that simple. I think a lot of it depends on the spirit. Maybe they have to be welcome over there and, at the same time, want to cross over. After all, Reginald didn’t leave the museum when you tried to get him to go.”
“True. If anyone wouldn’t be welcome somewhere, it would be him. Too bad that beautiful art museum is haunted by such anasty-ass ghost. But you’ve changed. You should be able to cross over, if it depends on good behavior.”
“Why, thank you for noticing.”
“How could anyonenotnotice?You used to be angry, surly, sarcastic, rude—”
“Okay, okay. I get your point.”
“I don’t really think it’s based on behavior. Maybe you’re attached to this place because you like and care about the residents.”
“Ha. I doubt it. Most of you can go fuck yourselves as far as I’m concerned. You’re the only one Ialmostcare about. And that depends on the day.”
She smiled. “On the other hand, maybe itisbased on behavior.”
“Oh yeah? Well, screw you and the broom you rode in on.”
Morgaine laughed. “Thanks, Chad. I needed a good chuckle.”
“Sure. Any time, kid.”
