Cuff Master (5 page)

“No,” Alex interjected. “You’re here now. Stay. I’d like to
hear more about this opportunity.”

Alex Grant transformed from nosy big brother into the sports
agent who could charm millions of dollars out of team owners for his clients.
Charming Remy in an instant, he grabbed up two menus and led the way from the
host’s table.

They followed Alex to a table for two that was in the center
of the crowded room. It was lovely. The table was set with crystal and spotless
china and a single red rose in a narrow vase at the center.

Fortunately, she’d been to the restaurant enough times to
know that the china was authentic and the roses were pruned from a hothouse in
Boston. There was no earth-shattering history that plagued the silverware or
napkins.

Still the consummate gentleman, Alex gave Remy the rundown
on the evening’s dinner specials. Druid Creek Castle’s chefs specialized in an eclectic
mix of Irish, American, English and Scottish cuisine. There was a huge bar in
the basement that served casual pub-style dishes.

“Would you care for a wine list?” Alex offered Remy.

“Only if the lady wishes it,” Remy said, including Morgan.

“I’ll just have sparkling water with lime, please,” she
said. Already the spiritual activity within the walls was creating a buzz. She
didn’t need alcohol to add to the confusion or the potential headache.

“I’ll have the same, thank you,” Remy added.

Alex remained at the table for a moment longer. “I’ll have
your server bring your drinks. The lamb is succulently prepared this evening.
I’d also like to recommend the chicken saltimbocca or the butterflied shrimp
stuffed with Maryland-style crabmeat.”

“That all sounds delicious. Morgan shares my likeness for
vegetarian dishes,” Remy commented. “Anything you’d recommend, Mr. Grant?”

“Ah, of course, call me Alex. We have an excellent eggplant
parmesan, vegetable lasagna, falafels and stuffed mushrooms, to name a few. Take
a few moments to look them all over on the menu.”

“We will. Thank you,” Morgan said. “Alex, would it be all
right for Remy and I to go downstairs after our meal? We won’t disturb the
customers in the pub, but I’d like to see if I can get some EVPs in the back
room.”

“There’s an event going on in the back. Bailey and Stratham
Investments rented it out for the night. They’re wining and dining the rich and
powerful in order to build more office buildings here in the North Shore area
of Massachusetts.”

“I see,” Morgan said. “Is Evelyn Stratham here this
evening?”

“I can’t recall seeing her specifically, but the CEO and CFO
are here, along with their wives, top employees and investors.”

“Too bad, Remy would have liked to run into Eve again,”
Morgan said.

“Morgan, leave it alone,” Remy warned.

“If I see her among the B&S guests, I’ll let you know,”
Alex told Remy.

Alex left them, though she didn’t miss the look he gave her.
She’d added in the information about Remy and Eve just to throw him off
thinking she was on a date with Remy Sinclair.

It wasn’t a date. Not a romantic one, anyway. Why should she
feel guilty for it?

She felt guilty because she’d hurt Ethan. There were no
promises spoken between them, but beneath the light of a full moon, nothing had
been more miraculous or spectacular than kissing Ethan Maddox.

Dammit it all, Morgan wouldn’t be able to enjoy the rest of
the evening if she continued to let Ethan think her evening out with Remy was a
date.

“Morgan, are you okay?” Remy asked, touching his hand to the
menu to lower it.

She’d not realized she was staring at it. “Yes, I’m fine. Do
you mind if I go speak to Alex for a moment? I just want to ask him something.”

“Sure, how about I order for us?”

“That’d be great. Thank you. Whatever you choose will be fine.”

Alex watched her approach. He signaled to one of the
servers, whispered in the young man’s ear and came toward Morgan. It only took
a look for her to know to follow him to the alcove off the foyer.

“What the hell were you thinking to bring your date here,
Morgan?” Alex demanded as soon as they were out of earshot.

“It’s not a date,” she corrected.

“Isn’t it? You’re dressed in a way that I’ve never seen you.
Your hair’s out of your face for one thing and your non-date was checking out
your ass when I pulled out your chair.”

“Remy’s a flirt, but he’s harmless. I should also point out
that he was checking out your ass when you walked away from the table.”

“Since I’m a happily married man, he’ll only be
disappointed. Morgan, Ethan’s going to blow a gasket when he finds out about
this.”

Morgan shook her head. “Remy and I are talking business. I
need the money he’s offering if I go to work for him and his team.”

“What kind of consultation would you do?”

“Basically, I’ll touch objects Remy or his team members bring
to me and give them a reading.”

“If all this with Remy is about business, why do you look so
lost? You’re here, but your mind is elsewhere. I’m thinking it’s on Ethan.”

“My friendship with Ethan is complicated.”

“Why? He screwed up once and has made amends. He didn’t mean
to hurt you. You’ve got to know that.”

“He doesn’t believe in me.”

“Yes, he does. Taran, Phalen and Samantha Riley have all
said that when you called Ethan to tell him where Michael Donatelli had taken
Cassie, he never second-guessed you. He didn’t quite understand, but he knows
it was you who saved Cassie’s life with a phone call.”

“He hates that I’m psychic.”

“He hates that sometimes you get sick when you’re caught in
a vision. The unexplainable is hard to believe for a man who must follow facts
and admissible evidence to solve cases. Don’t hurt him by dating someone else.”

“I’m scared, Alex. All my life men have left me or let me
down because they can’t handle my sixth sense. Ethan has a power over me that I
can’t explain. I don’t know what to do about it.”

Alex cocked his head, his brow raising a hair. “Yes you do.
You need to have a little faith in him. I learned that with Ryan not that long
ago. Don’t keep pushing Ethan away or you could end up brokenhearted.”

“Already there,” she admitted, recalling the finality of his
phone call. If she didn’t call him back, he wasn’t going to call her.

“That didn’t sound good. He knows where you are tonight,
doesn’t he?”

“Yes.”

“And he was pissed.”

“Yes he is. If I don’t call him, he won’t call on me again.
He’s given up.”

“Don’t you see? He put the power to have a relationship with
him in your hands, Morgan. It’s scary as hell for a Dominant to turn control
over to the one person who can break them. For Ethan, that’s you. Call him
before it’s too late.”

“When did you become so wise, Alex Grant?”

“When Ryan put a ring on my finger. I was too proud to bare
my soul to the man who’d never knowingly hurt me. We were both foolish for too
long. I won’t repeat that mistake again.”

“He’s a good man,” Morgan stated. “You know, you should give
Remy a chance to investigate this place. I’ve done a little, but his team has
the best equipment available. Think about it.”

“For your sake, I’ll let him.” Alex inclined his head. “But
if he keeps staring at your ass as if he wants to own it, I won’t play nice.”

“I’ll tell him to back off. He did that to get a reaction
from you. You weren’t exactly nice when we came in.”

“It’s my duty to watch over Ethan’s woman. I’d do the same
for Cassie.”

“You forget that I haven’t called Ethan back yet. I’m not
his.”

“You make that call, you will be.”

“I’ve got to get back to my table. Please be nice to my
friend?”

“I’ll be on my best behavior.”

“Thank you, Alex.” Smiling, she went up on tiptoe and kissed
his cheek.

Leaving Alex in the alcove, she returned to the dining room.
Remy looked up and grinned. He was a handsome devil, that was for sure. Too bad
her heart already belonged to Ethan. And that was what scared her the most.

Remy stood and assisted Morgan into her seat. “Everything
okay?” he asked after returning to his chair.

“It’s fine. Alex has agreed to let your team do an
investigation here. You’ll have to work out the schedule and explain what it’ll
involve.”

“I’ll talk to him after we eat. I ordered vegetable lasagna
for both of us.”

“Great. I’m starving.” It wasn’t a lie. She was hungry
enough to eat. Whether she’d taste it was another thing. Her mind was
constantly on her small purse where her phone resided.

The server came over to place a basket of warm breadsticks
on the table and refill their goblets with sparkling ice water. Thoughts of
phone calls were put on hold as she and Remy thanked the waiter and began
talking about the television show.

Conversation centered on how lockdowns worked, the equipment
Remy’s team would use and Morgan’s role. Remy already knew that some antiques
and items in so-called haunted buildings or homes were contaminated or
replacements of the originals and getting an accurate reading could be
difficult.

The more people who’d owned an object, the more complicated
its past. But some things—bullets, bricks, stones, weapons, clothing, photos,
shoes and diaries—had stories to tell. They became as vivid to Morgan as
reading a book from start to finish. Those were the reasons psychometry was a
gift.

Dinner arrived piping hot, the aromas of tomatoes, cheese,
zucchini, spinach, mushrooms and noodles were wonderful. Morgan and Remy were
halfway through their meal when she realized she couldn’t stomach another bite
if she didn’t reach out to Ethan.

“Remy? Do you mind if I make a dash to the ladies room? I
need to make a phone call.”

“No problem.” Remy took his phone from his pocket and
checked it. “Except the reception I’m getting on my cell sucks. The battery is
low too. I just charged it on my way to your place.” He showed her the
touchscreen.

Morgan leaned forward. “The energy I’m getting in this place
is weird tonight. Here in the dining room, all’s fine. But I feel drawn to the
basement. I can try to get some EVPs after talking to Ethan.”

“Between the party and the bar, there’s a lot going on down
there, Morgan,” Remy said. “The noise will interfere with your findings.”

“The ladies room is huge and might be soundproof enough to
muffle conversations. I’ll tag the digital recording for any explainable sounds.”

“I’ve got a spirit box in my car,” Remy replied. “Want to
take it with you?”

“No, my recorder will do for now. The constant radio
frequency scanning of a spirit box tends to grate on my nerves after a little
while. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Leaving her purse on her chair, she stood, grabbed her
cellphone and small recorder, tucked them into the pocket of her skirt and
headed to the stairway that led downstairs. The elaborate restrooms were
located on the lower levels, with handicapped equipped bathrooms off the main
dining room.

This past Friday, Morgan and the bridesmaids had taken over
the ladies room in order to fix their makeup or hair or check their gowns.
Tonight, she rushed down the stairs and entered the bathroom expecting the
eight-stall facility to be crowded.

Only one of the stalls was occupied. The customer finished
up her business and rushed out to wash her hands. Coupled with restlessness,
the woman was surrounded by an aura of sadness. She was dressed in a navy blue
pinstripe skirt, white blouse and coat that screamed practical and sedate.

The hum of conversations from the bar reached the restroom,
setting off low-level vibrations that would make gathering EVPs difficult.
Despite that, Morgan felt very strongly that she was supposed to be in this
bathroom with this woman right now.

“Hello,” the woman greeted.

Come to think of it, Morgan felt as if she’d known the other
woman before, only the person she’d known had been a teenager.

“Pardon me if this sounds odd, but you look very familiar to
me. Weren’t you at the Williams-Maddox wedding Friday night? I’m Alisa Bailey.
I attended with my husband, Spencer.”

Alisa was a petite attractive woman with brunette hair that
she’d pulled back into a bun. She looked to be about fifty, though stress had
begun to line Alisa’s eyes and mouth. The more Morgan studied Alisa, the more
she saw someone else…Jenna!

The sadness pervading Alisa’s soul grew stronger, draining
some of Morgan’s energy. The lighting in the restroom became annoyingly
brighter, putting a strain on her eyesight and creating a haloed affect around
anything she tried to focus on.

Aware that the strain on her eyesight meant a headache was
looming, Morgan didn’t let it stop her from communicating with the other woman.
Alisa smiled, looked absolutely beautiful, but she was empty, lost.

Rubbing at her temples to keep the migraine at bay, Morgan
smiled back.

“Yes, actually, I’m Morgan Everhart. I was Cassie’s maid of
honor. Please forgive me for not recognizing you. Cassie Maddox’s sister Alessandra
used to work at Bailey and Stratham.”

“Oh yes, what happened to Alessandra Williams was such a
tragedy. We were so honored to receive an invitation to Cassandra’s wedding.
Spencer and I are regular members of her father’s congregation, but we were surprised
nonetheless. And such a gorgeous man Cassandra married! Any woman would count
herself lucky to have him.”

“Phalen’s a genuine hero.”

“Just as his brother is, Detective Maddox, I mean. He and
his partner helped my family sixteen months ago. I’ll never forget their
compassion after we lost our daughter.”

“I am so sorry to hear that. But I’m glad Ethan helped you.
Might I ask what happened to her?”

“She ran away to be with a boy she’d met online. Detectives
Riley and Maddox tried to find her for us. Sadly, the boy she’d gone to meet
was actually a predator. She…she was found in a warehouse with some other girls
of similar age, murdered and burnt beyond recognition.”