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She didn’t look away from his gaze. “Yes, but I didn’t mean to have such a dramatic impact. It’s easy to get carried away with you.”
He did his best to mask the flare of satisfaction at her words. She admitted she got carried away around him…progress.
“I’ve never given anyone a demonstration like this before. You must understand healing takes extreme concentration, and it can be dangerous for everyone involved.”
He frowned. “Why dangerous?”
“I could draw too much energy from donors. I could use too much of my own energy. I could take too much of the patient’s energy. It’s a delicate balance and easy to make a mistake. That’s why I made you stand in the corner when I cured Hannah.”
He smiled. “And here I thought you were punishing me.”
Her cheeks flushed a rosy pink. “I did what I thought was best at the time. Listen, we should get going. I’ll make the attempt to heal your mom, but I can’t stay longer. I’ll book another flight.”
She turned and moved toward the door, but he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.
“Not before I fix breakfast. Why don’t you clean your contacts and get out of those party clothes while I make you something to eat. And don’t worry about your flight. I have a private helicopter. It will be much faster and easier than trying to book a commercial flight, I promise. I can have you in Denver in a couple of hours.” He wouldn’t mention he would be the pilot.
Her face paled, and she nibbled her lip.
“Don’t tell me you’re afraid to fly in a helicopter?”
“No, of course not.”
“Good. The helicopter is at Burke Lakefront, which is a short jaunt. We can turn your rental car in and leave from there.”
“I appreciate the offer, but there’s no need.”
He started to object, but his smart watch chose that moment to vibrate with an incoming message, and he paused to glance at the screen. Brian was back with more information. Adrenaline had him moving toward his office. “Excuse me, but I have to take this call. Use the time to freshen up. I’ll return shortly.” He left before she could think of another argument.
He dialed Brian’s number, and the investigator picked up just as Tristan reached his office door. “What do you have for me?”
“It’s big. Are you sitting down?”
Tristan closed the door behind him and grabbed the chair from behind his desk. “What is it?”
“I told you we had some promising leads. We’ve been sniffing around, asking questions. We looked into Lillian’s mother, Emily Milano. Unlike Lillian, Emily Milano’s lifeless body was recovered after her car accident, and a death certificate was issued. The cause of death is listed as head trauma and internal injuries.”
“That sounds logical.”
“We thought so, too.”
Brian was warming up. Tristan drummed his fingers on the desk.
“By all accounts she lost control of her vehicle and hit a tree. One of the news articles we read mentioned that Emily had been volunteering as a nurse on a mission trip in the Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia at the time of her death for an organization called Project Green. I checked into Project Green, and that’s where this gets weird.”
“Go on.”
“The organization’s stated mission is to raise awareness for immunization and safe births. They sponsor a clinic at a women’s crisis center there called Oak Haven. One of my guys got a tip from a former resident who claimed she’d been injected with the Ebola virus and then miraculously cured by Emily Milano.”
“No shit.” Tristan’s pulse pounded. “The former resident never told anyone?”
“No, quite the opposite. She complained to anyone who’d listen, including the police.”
“They didn’t take her seriously?”
“She’s a recovered heroin addict and diagnosed bipolar. Everyone thought she was loony. No one believed her—at least not enough to do a thorough investigation.”
“But you did.” Tristan couldn’t keep the satisfaction from his voice. Brian’s agency was the best in the business.
