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“I can’t ask Dusty. She’s useless as a swan. I can’t ask Vaughn either. Camryn would kill me if she woke up without makeup and saw her crush sitting there.”
“You’ve got an entire guild at your disposal. They can’t all be working today.”
He pulled out his phone. “I’ll take care of it.”
“I’ll call you when I know something.”
My brain was already whirring by the time I left the house. Dipping into Cam’s mind was helpful because it gave me an idea of what the other victims had experienced. No wonder they were exhausted despite a long night in bed. They hadn’t experienced REM sleep. That had to be the key to determining the underlying cause. If only Dr. Edmonds hadn’t pledged his skills to the highest bidder, he would’ve been the ideal person to bounce ideas off. As usual, I’d have to figure this one out on my own, which to be fair, was just the way I liked it.
CHAPTER14
Isat in the kitchen with deep regrets over how quickly I wolfed down a tuna sandwich. Hunger didn’t become me, but I had to eat before I could even think about tackling Cam’s coma.
As I stared at my empty plate in a food-induced stupor, someone activated the ward. I quickly rinsed the crumbs off my plate and headed to the front door. Although I had yet to meet the woman on the porch, her features were uncannily familiar.
I opened the door to greet my guest. “Hello.”
“Hello. You must be Ghost Lady.”
This was the moment I’d been dreading ever since Alicia turned up on my doorstep. “Lorelei Clay. You must be Alicia’s mother. Renee, right?”
Her glare was sharper than the blade of my throwing knife. “That’s right. We need to talk.”
I debated whether to summon Ray for this conversation. In the end, I decided to leave him out of it. This was a conversation for the living.
“Won’t you come in?” I stepped aside to let her pass and gave the yard a final glance before closing the door. “Can I get you anything? I’ve been told I have the most expensive blueberries in the state.”
“I’d expect nothing less of a lady in a castle.”
Alicia clearly hadn’t described my meager snack offerings to her mother. “I can make tea or coffee, or water fresh from the tap.”
“Don’t go to any trouble. I’m sure you’re busy.”
I sat at the kitchen table and motioned for her to join me. “Sounds like you’re much busier than I am.”
“I am, and I’m also exhausted, so I’ll cut to the chase. I am not getting a dog, and I don’t appreciate you putting ideas like that into my daughter’s head. Alicia’s impressionable. And stubborn. Now she’s going around telling everybody we’re getting a Golden Retriever, and she’s already named the damn thing.” She smacked her hand flat on the table.
“What’s the name?”
Renee glared at me. “I think you’re missing the point of this conversation.”
“Fair enough.” I paused. “I only want to make sure she chooses wisely. Nothing too banal like Sparky or Lucky.”
“She’s too clever for that, but it’s a moot point.”
“I agree—about the clever part. Alicia mentioned that she spends a lot of time home alone. It sounds like she’d appreciate the company.”
“I’m her mother. I’ll decide whether we add to our household.” She punctuated the remark with a yawn, which she quickly stifled.
“I understand that. It was just a suggestion. She seems like she’d be good with animals.”
“We are not getting a dog,” she said in a clipped tone. “Case closed. I also don’t appreciate you filling her head with nonsense about my father’s ghost. That’s cruelty, plain and simple.”
This topic was slightly trickier. I opted for, “It isn’t nonsense.”
She gave me a look that would’ve curdled milk. “Don’t play games with me, Miss Clay. I’m not some naive wife on the Upper West Side desperate for reassurance from tea leaves or psychic hot lines. What does it even get you? Alicia doesn’t have enough spending money to make this worthwhile for you.”
“I don’t get paid, and it isn’t a schtick. I can communicate with your dad. In fact, he’s been helpful since I moved in. He’s very handy.”
