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Cassie ripped up Palmer’s card into twenty tiny pieces. Then she split them between Jules’ garbage and the one in the breakroom before she poured herself another cup of coffee. The last thing she needed was for Jules or someone else to find Palmer’s contact information. Plus, she didn’t want the temptation of his number being within reach if she ever fell into financial trouble. Besides, she had a feeling Apex would find an excuse to swoop in when she was more vulnerable. That seemed to be their M.O.
Viotto’s face floated to the surface of her mind. She missed him. What was he doing, how was he faring on his next case? She tried to convince herself she was just as curious about Mannis, but her brain wouldn’t accept the lie. Now would be a perfect excuse to call Viotto, to tell him and his partner about her run-in with an Apex employee. But Chris hadn’t reached out to her since their time in Charlotte, and Mannis’ paranoia kept her from texting him an update. It was clear Apex had dug into her past. Who was to say they weren’t monitoring her communications?
That would be illegal, she reminded herself, though a voice in her head told her that hiring a detective to kill a senator’s son was also very illegal. She shook the thought free.
She’d told Apex no. It had been her final answer. They could come knocking again, but her response would be the same. There was no point in worrying about it now. And no point in making Agent Viotto worry about it, too.
Until Apex made another move, she’d keep her encounter with Palmer to herself.
14
Cassie stood outside the University Medical Center of New Orleans and let the sheer size of the building wash over her. It wasn’t an attractive complex, but she’d rather see funding go to its function than its form. Still, it didn’t ease the anxiety in her body. Even from outside the doors, she could feel the hospital’s energy lying in wait for her.
“Hey.” Jason’s sudden appearance made her jump. “Sorry.” Then, upon closer inspection of her face, “You okay?”
“Yeah. Busy morning.” She elected to keep information about Apex out of the conversation for now, but her answer wasn’t a lie. Moving the pieces from Savannah took several hours, as did her sharp critique of their placement and the design of the informational cards.
Jules had off-handedly mentioned the museum had an eighteenth-century writing desk and cobalt blue sofa in storage, and Cassie had sent half the staff looki
ng for it. When they hadn’t returned after an hour, she’d joined the search. In the end, Ford had made the discovery, and Cassie had spotted a portrait of a woman in white from the same period as the couch. The two would complement each other perfectly, and by the time they made room for the additions, everyone was sweaty but smiling.
With that, her time in New Orleans was over, though Magdalena had booked her an extra couple of days in the city. Technically, it was for any follow-up questions ahead of the exhibition’s opening, but once they printed the banner for the exhibit, they wouldn’t need her again. She was free to do whatever she wanted. In other words, she was free to question hospital workers with Jason by her side.
“How are you?” She looked over at him and noticed the red in his eyes. “Other than tired.”
“I made the mistake of telling Ty and Evan I’d work out with them this morning. I don’t miss getting up before the sun.” He rubbed his stomach. “But I miss my mom’s cooking. Breakfast was huge. I ate way too much.”
“Why’d you move to Savannah?” It wasn’t the first time she’d thought of the question, but it was the first time where she felt it appropriate to ask. “You’re close with your family. You obviously love the city. Why Georgia?”
“I needed a change of pace.” Jason’s voice was more guarded than it was a second ago. “A place where I didn’t know anyone. I thought it’d help me figure out what I’d want to do with my life.”
“Did it?”
“In some ways.” The way he looked at her made Cassie’s stomach twist. “In others it’s been rough. I miss them. But it makes coming to visit even better.”
Cassie thought of her parents. And her sister. “Yeah, I get that.”
“You ready to go in?” He pointed to a bench off to the side. “Or we could sit a minute.”
In moments like this, Cassie was grateful Jason had some idea of what was going through her head. He may not understand it all, but he knew enough to recognize how hospitals could affect her. It had been bad before Sabine had gotten into her head, but now Cassie wasn’t sure what would happen when she walked through those doors. She already felt like there was a spotlight shining on her.
If she concentrated, she could hold the restless spirits of the hospital at bay long enough to get in, question the nurse, and get out. But Sabine had told her she could control their access to her. That she could decide how close they got. Unfortunately, she had no idea how to do it.
“I’m okay,” she heard herself saying. “I can handle it.”
Jason gave her a few seconds to take it back, and when she didn’t, he led the way through the sliding doors. The smell of the antiseptic hit her, even in the lobby, and her head swam for a millisecond before her senses became accustomed to the odor.
The familiar feeling of invisible fingers trailing across her skin caused goosebumps to erupt along the back of her neck and down her arms. Cassie took a deep breath, but she didn’t push the tendrils away. Instead, she acknowledged them. In her mind, she said hello to all the different beings floating in and out of existence around her. Made eye contact with the ones that stayed, the ones that begged for her help. All they wanted was to understand what was going on with them. They just needed answers.
I see you, she thought. But I’m here to help someone else today.
Cassie wasn’t sure how long she stood there in the lobby. Long enough for her to see dozens of spirits and twice as many living beings walk by. Some people turned and stared, wondering why she was blocking traffic. But the majority just walked around her.
The anxiety fell from her shoulders. The icy fingers receded. The ghosts turned and shambled on. A few looked back over their shoulders, but they had heard her. They knew their time wasn’t now, and most didn’t have the strength to fight her. For the first time in a long time, she was in the driver’s seat. She could decide where she wanted her life to go.
“You’re smiling.” Jason’s voice was warm. “I take it everything is okay?”
“As good as it’s going to get.” It was better to be practical than optimistic. “I’ve got a handle on it for now, but I’m not sure how long it’ll last.”
