Stardust on the Sea Read online

  For several minutes, I just stood, staring at where the face had been. When I finally got the nerve to turn around again, the room was empty.

  I dashed from the bathroom and slammed the door. With a slightly trembling hand, I pulled the covers down and climbed into bed, ignoring the clothes still tossed there. Burying my head in the pillow, I squeezed my eyes shut.

  Morning sunlight woke me from what had passed for sleep. Not only had I been shaken by the face in the mirror, but I hadn’t been able to make myself turn off the lights, let alone change out of my shorts or wash my face. So I woke up with an oily face, gritty eyes and fuzzy teeth.

  In the more reasonable light of morning, I decided that I had seriously overreacted the night before. I spent several minutes re-hanging my clothes, replacing my shoes in the closet and putting all my makeup back in the hanging bag. I got a shower and dressed in what I’d call business casual meets vacation: cropped pants, flat sandals and a white sleeveless blouse. I dried my hair and put it in a French braid.

  When I left the room, everything was in perfect order. Glancing back as I closed the door, I muttered, “Let’s keep it that way this time, please.”

  Breakfast was served in the same room where we’d had tea the day before. No one else was at my table as I helped myself to coffee and pastries from the laden sideboard.

  I was just beginning to dig in when Lucas stumbled into the room. He looked like hell, with dark circles under his eyes and a serious case of bedhead. He spotted me at the table and attempted a smile.

  “Did you sleep?” I asked, raking my eyes up and down him.

  He sprawled into the chair across from me. “Can you tell?”

  I shrugged. “Are you okay?”

  Lucas glanced around. We had both come late to breakfast, and the only other people were several tables away from us. Still, he kept his voice low.

  “I went back to my room, and I was getting ready for bed. I sat down to set the alarm on my phone, and then—now this is going to sound crazy.” He glanced up at me in apprehension.

  I waved one hand. “I don’t think so. Go on.”

  Lucas fastened me with a narrow look. “Okay. Well, I was sitting, looking down at my phone, and I felt a hand on my shoulder. I jumped—I thought someone had broken in. And then all the lights in the room went out, and my phone was dead. I couldn’t get anything to work, and I was trying to get to the door to get out into the hall, when everything just came back on. Every light in the room and in the bathroom. Then it got really cold.” He shuddered. “So, yeah, once I got to bed, I didn’t sleep very well.”

  I took a sip of my coffee. “It’s an old house. The electric probably needs updating. And you were already a little spooked last night.” I was determined not to share my own late night experience; I had already convinced myself that I’d imagined the face in the mirror. And it wasn’t beyond possible that someone would follow me, break into my room...and throw around my clothes. Sure, that was likely.

  Lucas scowled. “I wasn’t spooked. And I wasn’t thinking about it when I went into my room last night. My mind was on something else.” He glanced away, and curiosity made me take a listen to his mind. My face heated when I caught some of the images. They included me, and the guy I had pegged as a boring birding college professor was certainly very creative.

  I swallowed hard. I didn’t pick up people’s emotions like some other mind-hearers did, but Lucas had a very vivid imagination indeed. Heat pooled within me.

  “Did you mention anything to Miss Jane or George?” Changing the subject felt like a very good idea.

  “No. I felt stupid. You’re probably right, but last night, it didn’t feel like there was a rational explanation.” He leaned closer to me, across the table. “Do you believe in this kind of stuff? Or do you think I’m certifiable?”

  I hesitated. In my line of work, there was no doubt that the world was wider and deeper than the average person knew. Extraordinary talents spanned from telekinesis to mind bending. I thought fleetingly of Ben Ryan, who had been the puppet master using one of our own against us. I still had no idea what or who he had been. But ghosts? That was beyond my experience.

  “I don’t know,” I said at last. “I mean, no, I don’t think you’re crazy. There’s a lot more that exists beyond what we see.” I bit my lip, thinking. Amelia Farley, the contact I was meeting for lunch, was a life-long Cape May resident and seemed to be intuitive about people and situations. “I might have more insight after this meeting today.”

  As soon as I said it, I wanted to bite off my tongue. What was it about this guy that made me speak before I thought?

  Lucas narrowed his eyes. “I thought you were having a business meeting today.”

  “I am.”

  “Then why...” Realization fell across his face, and he grabbed my hand, nearly spilling my coffee. “That’s it, isn’t it? That’s your business. You’re like one of those ghost investigators.”

  “What are you talking about?” I shot him a cool, are-you-crazy stare.

  He sat back in his chair, smiling. “You were vague about what kind of consultant you are. I thought it might be something shady. Then last night when we saw...whatever it was we saw, you weren’t rattled at all. You’re like those people on TV, right?”

  I opened my mouth to deny it and then shut it again. Instead I shrugged. “Look, I can’t talk about what I do, but please keep it quiet.”

  “Are you here to investigate something?”

  I shook my head. “I’m here on vacation. My meeting today is with a potential recruit—someone we may hire.”

  “Can I come with you?”

  “No!” I almost yelled it. “I mean, thanks, but this is my business. Discretion is very important. Why don’t you stay here and do research on the history of this house?” That had just popped into my head. I wasn’t a paranormal investigator, but research was always a good place to start.

  Lucas brightened. “Good idea. I can do some Internet searches on the house, the family. Do you have to leave right now?”

  “I have about an hour, I think. I have to figure out where the restaurant is and how to get a cab.”

  “Come up with me. You can point me in the right direction.”

  Remembering his earlier thoughts, I almost said no. But the eager look in his eyes changed my mind.

  “Just an hour. I don’t want to be late.”

  “Not a problem. I’ll drive you to Henry’s. I’ve got my car, and I know where it is. Take about five minutes, tops. Okay?” He extended a hand, and I took it, wondering what I was doing.

  Lucas’s room was a little smaller than mine, at the top of a narrow set of steps. There wasn’t quite as much light, and his view was of rooftops, not beach.

  “I think this may have been where the help lived,” he said as I followed him into the room. “And now it’s where Miss Jane puts people who won their week instead of paying for it.”

  I raised one brow. “She seemed to like you.”

  “Oh, she does, but with Miss Jane, business is business. She donated this room for the raffle, and giving one of her premium suites wouldn’t have been good financial sense.”

  Lucas led me past the narrow bed to a sturdy-looking desk where his laptop sat. Flipping it open, he sat down on the matching chair and indicated the end of the bed.

  “Sorry, there’s only one chair. Let me get us set up and then you can sit here if you want.”

  “No, this is fine. Thanks.” I perched on the very edge of the mattress.

  “So where do we start?” He clicked onto the free wi-fi network and pulled up a search engine.

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess just search ‘Star of the Sea’ and history?”

  He frowned. “Don’t you have any sites you use for...you know, work?”

  “Oh. Ah, no. That’s not my area of specialty. I don’t do the research.” This was true. I was strictly into recruiting and training.

  He looked disappointed for just a
moment, and then he brightened. “Well, that’s okay, because research is in fact my field. I’m a history professor, you know.” He clicked a few things, and list of sites filled the screen.

  “Here we go. Look, we’re not the first ones to have weird experiences at this place.” Lucas pointed to a page. “There are at least ten reports of guests reporting weird electrical stuff, cold spots, even...” He read silently. “This woman even said she saw something. A face.”

  “In a mirror?” I blurted out the words as I saw in my mind the image of the eyes from the night before.

  Lucas turned to look at me. “Yes. How did you know?”

  I heaved out a sigh but didn’t answer.

  “Did you see something last night, Cathryn? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Because!” I nearly shouted again. “Because it had to be my imagination. Because I don’t do this. I know what’s real and what isn’t, and I have it under control.” I ground my teeth. For the first time in many, many months—maybe years—I was on the verge of tears.

  “Hey.” Lucas stood up and gripped my shoulders. “It’s okay.” He pulled me close, my face buried against his firm stomach. Somehow my arms snaked around his waist, and I felt his hand against my hair.

  “I don’t know why I didn’t say anything.” My words were muffled against him. “I hoped I’d imagined it.”

  “It really spooked you? I mean...aren’t you used to this kind of stuff?”

  I pushed back a little. “No. Not at all. What I deal with...” I closed my eyes. “It’s not like this.” I paused, unsure of how to proceed.

  Lucas looked down at me, his face inscrutable but his mind easily heard. He was confused now, thinking I’d misled him on purpose, which I guessed wasn’t so far from the truth.

  “Listen, I really can’t tell you much about what I do. It’s vital for me to be discreet. It could mean the difference between death and life.” I had a sudden flash of Rafe and Jocelyn along with the familiar accompanying pain. “But I do deal with things that are out of the norm. Things that most people don’t believe exist.”

  “But not ghosts?”

  I shook my head. “Nope. This is a first for me. I’ve never even heard of a credible ghost sighting. Not that I’ve gone out of my way to look for one, but still.”

  Lucas rubbed the back of my head almost absently, and I was abruptly aware that my arms still rested on his back. He sat next to me on the bed, shifting his hand to my back.

  “So tell me what happened to you last night.”

  When I finished, he drew me closer, tucking my head beneath his chin while his hand rubbed my hip. The feeling of being safe and protected was foreign, and I was surprised to find that I liked it.

  “Now do you think I’m crazy?” I asked.

  “Nah. Of course maybe you imagined it...if you were spooked by what we’d seen outside.”

  I pulled away to look up into his face and saw the humor there as he tossed my own words back at me. Against my will, I smiled back at him, and for a moment, our eyes held.

  “What time is it?” I asked, not looking away.

  “Probably about time for us to leave for your meeting.” He didn’t drop his gaze either; instead, the hand on my hip moved up to my ribs, and he moved his other fingers to my face. With the lightest touch, he traced my cheekbone down to my lips.

  I couldn’t breathe. Moving with agonizing slowness, he brought his mouth to cover mine—just the barest contact, almost as though he were testing my temperature.

  But the second I felt his lips on mine, something under my skin exploded. I opened my mouth on a groan, knotted my hands at his neck and pulled him tight. His answering moan only made me more desperate as I clutched at him, almost climbing onto his lap in my need to be closer.

  Lucas shoved his hand beneath my blouse, but it was too fitted to give him much freedom of movement. He growled in frustration against my lips and then pulled away to reach for the buttons that ran down the front of the shirt.

  “Lucas.” I gasped, laying a hand on his chest. “Wait a second—just wait.” I sucked in a deep breath. Every particle of my body wanted to rip open my shirt and then pull his off as well. I clenched my teeth against it and struggled to hold onto that small voice of reason that reminded me I had a meeting, responsibilities.

  “Damn it,” I ground out. I fumbled to pull the phone out of my pocket and check the time. “Lucas, I have to be at that restaurant in five minutes.”

  At first he didn’t show any sign that he planned to let me go. One hand was still at the buttons between my breasts, while the other cupped my face. He dropped his forehead against mine.

  “Are you sure? You can’t call them? Postpone?”

  I shook my head. “No. I have to do this. I don’t miss appointments. I don’t postpone.” I stood on shaky legs. “Come on. You have to drive me. Please. I won’t get there on time if not.”

  “Honey, if I drive you, you might not get there at all.” But as he said it, he rose to his feet and stalked toward the closed door I assumed was his bathroom. “Give me a minute.”

  I heard water running, splashing, and being a glutton for punishment, I lowered my blocks enough to listen to his mind. The churning desire and heat made me drop to the bed again. I pulled those walls back into place and focused on breathing in and out.

  Just on the verge of calm, I heard something that wasn’t coming from Lucas’s mind. It was music, and it sounded so close that I turned to see if I’d missed seeing a radio in the room. But there was nothing, just the disembodied tune floating on the air all around.

  The door swing open, and Lucas strode out. He stopped, his eyes fastening on me and a scowl on his face.

  “What’s that?”

  I closed my eyes. “Oh, you hear it, too. Good.” I tapped my forehead. “Starting to doubt my sanity, you know.”

  “But what is it?” He came closer to me, and I fought to keep my hands to myself. They itched to reach and touch his arms, to stroke—

  “It sounds so close, but from where?”

  “The tune is familiar.” I stood and took a step back, closer to the door.

  “Yeah.” Lucas shut his eyes and a smile played around his lips. “It’s Stardust.”

  I shivered and ran my tongue across my lips. “Let’s go. Please?”

  Lucas opened his eyes and nodded. “Okay.”

  The red convertible Fiat that Lucas drove shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did. Cars seemed like a safe topic, so I spent the ride to Henry’s telling him about my baby.

  “You drive a T-Bird, huh?” He laughed. “I would’ve pegged you for a nice black sedan.”

  “Never. I love her. She’s got style and class.”

  Lucas shot me a quick grin. “Much like her owner.”

  I tried not to be charmed, but I couldn’t help it.

  When we pulled up in front of the restaurant, Lucas turned to me, one arm dangling over the steering wheel.

  “Are you sure I can’t come with you?”

  “I’m sorry. Not here. This is a recruit, and I don’t want to spook her or the woman who brought her in.” I paused with one hand on the door handle. “But will you come back and pick me up? Or do you want me to call a cab?”

  One side of his mouth quirked up. “No, I’ll come get you. How long do you need?”

  I thought for a moment. “About an hour. I’ll meet you right out here?”

  Lucas nodded. “I’ll be here. I think I’ll do some snooping while you’re at lunch. See if there’s any talk about ghosts at our bed and breakfast.”

  I pulled the handle and climbed out. “Sounds like a good idea.” I began to close the door, and Lucas leaned over onto my seat.

  “Hey, Cathryn?” I turned back and leaned back inside to hear him. He snagged one hand around my neck and tugged me closer, covering my lips again.

  “Don’t think we’re finished.” He whispered the words against my mouth, and I shivered. I managed to extricate myself from the car
and shut the door. I wondered how I was going to get through this lunch.

  Henry’s was an unassuming diner on the beach. Tables dotted an indoor dining area, but I didn’t see any people matching either of the two I was supposed to be meeting.

  “Are you looking for Amelia?” An older woman with short gray hair passed by me, tucking menus into a bin on the side of the register table. “She’s on the patio. C’mon, I’ll show you.”

  I followed the waitress as she wove between tables. “Amelia told me she was meeting a blonde woman who wasn’t dressed for the beach. Here you are.”

  Amelia Farley looked just like what she was: a high school English teacher who had devoted her entire life to students and education. She was single and had cared for her own mother for years. While we had never met in person, she had sent a few people our way over the years, and we’d corresponded via email frequently.

  “Cathryn! So good to meet you in person.” We made the necessary small talk before she turned to the girl sitting at the table. “This is Julia Taylor.”

  I sat down and smiled. Julia was a senior in high school—we never approached anyone under the age of consent—but she was a tiny thing, petite with close-cropped black hair and huge eyes that nearly matched that hair.

  The waitress approached us, ready to take our order. I hadn’t even looked at a menu, but I took Amelia’s recommendation of the chicken salad.

  Once our server had moved away, I leaned in to speak quietly. “Julia, Amelia—Miss Farley—has told you why I’m here today?”

  She nodded. “Yes. She told me about your company. She said you would be able to help me.”

  I sat back, studying her face and delving into her brain. She was quite clear-minded for an eighteen-year old girl. I skimmed over what I knew about her background: abandoned as a toddler—most likely because of her ability—in a series of foster homes ever since. Happily for her future, Amelia had met her on the first day of high school and had been steering her path ever since.

  “You’re telekinetic.” I didn’t ask the question; it had been in the information Amelia had sent, even if I hadn’t been able to see it in her mind. “You can move things with your mind. Manipulate matter.”