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  We followed the van up and down streets, even waited while two different families stopped Joe, and Mayes served ice cream to them.

  “I did some checking on my case while you were inside the house on Bear Claw Lane,” Gail said. She maintained a steady six-car-length distance between us and the ice cream truck.

  “Oh?”

  “Neither the Sandelmans nor Jared Lee Hudson owns red vehicles, now or five years ago.”

  “Someone they knew owned one,” I said. “Maybe an aunt or grandparent or family friend. The red car is important. Regina died in the trunk.”

  “Five years is a long time. Why would anyone keep the car if it linked them to her murder?”

  “That’s why I think the car belongs to someone else. It isn’t the murderer’s to dispose of.”

  Gail appeared to consider that line of reasoning. “Perhaps. I’ll have my people keep digging.”

  “What about the man named Pug?”

  “We did a records search. Pug isn’t a known alias for anyone in the case. And on the basis of suspect photos from person-of-interest interviews, no male had a black spot on his neck. The lead’s a dead end.”

  Why was she so quick to dismiss the leads Regina had given us? “The mark could be on the back of his neck.”

  “Could be, but odds are Pug wasn’t one of the original suspects. These leads aren’t helpful.”

  “Think again.” I couldn’t believe she didn’t see the obvious connection. Talk about being too close to the investigation. “You have someone on your list who knows the murderer’s identity. Someone who knew him well enough to call him by a nickname.”

  Reality dawned. Gail swerved off the road and recovered. “You’re right. Tawny Sandelman. She knows who Pug is.”

  “Be careful how you ask her. If she felt loyalty to Pug, a call from her would likely have him destroying any remaining evidence. You’d need to have a search warrant in hand.”

  “Without solid evidence implicating him, a warrant’s out of the question, but I can certainly get the cops to haul this Pug in and question him. I can put those wheels in motion today.”

  I studied her profile. Gail didn’t seem as haughty as usual. She seemed … human. Vulnerable even. “Don’t you want to be there to see Tawny’s reaction?”

  “Justice for Regina is all I want. If Tawny brought this on her family by her bad behavior, I want nothing to do with her. Besides, Twilla Sue and I go way back. She’s a personal friend. I need to stay right here and do what I can to help her.”

  Her last words didn’t ring true. I thought about the big picture. Tawny was yesterday’s political powerhouse. Twilla Sue was tomorrow’s powerbroker. Gail had her own best interests at heart. No surprise there.

  The ice cream truck stopped in the street. Mayes dashed out the passenger door and hurried to Gail’s Hummer. “Hospital. Right now. Twilla Sue’s been found.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Twilla Sue Blair looked like she’d been to hell and back in the space of a few hours. Her color was ashen, her eyelids shut, and she was unresponsive. An IV dripped clear liquid into her arm. Guess the doctor figured fluids couldn’t hurt, but hydration wouldn’t restore her life force.

  I took one look at her thready aura and knew she needed more than medical care. I stepped into the hall, called my dad, and updated him on the situation. “I need you guys in the hospital as soon as you can get here. And Elvis. Have Mom bring my crystal shirt and anything else you can think of to help the sheriff. The psychic vampire drained most of the sheriff’s energy.”

  “We’ll pack up and come right over.”

  “Take my truck. It’ll be faster than your rig.”

  “What about Larissa and Charlotte? May we tell them the news?”

  “Sure. Bring them.”

  Silence pinged on the line. “Are you thinking of a group energy transfer?” Dad asked.

  My parents had participated in these ceremonies before, but in my naiveté I had shied away from them. Correction, the old me had shied away. Since I’d become a dreamwalker, I knew better. Energy transfer was Twilla Sue’s only chance for survival. “Most definitely.”

  Mayes stared at me when I walked back into Twilla Sue’s curtained cubicle. I didn’t want to give him false hope, but I believed we could make this right. Twilla Sue had been snatched right from under our noses.

  My chin went up. “We’re going to fix this, and then we’re going to stop this guy.”

  “He’s probably long gone.” Mayes’ mouth twisted. “He put nine people in the hospital, and I have confirmation from the hospital just now that four of them are dead. Nothing here he wants. He’s scratched off for sure.”

  “We can’t prove he drained these people’s energy, and you know it. We can prove he kidnapped the sheriff because we witnessed it. I called my dad. He knows how to help.”

  Mayes didn’t blink. His face remained inscrutable. “The hospital staff will balk at your interference.”

  He didn’t scare me. “They don’t have a choice. The sheriff got hurt on our watch. That doesn’t sit well with me. I need you to make sure we’re not disturbed.”

  Mayes took his time answering. “You don’t ask for much, do you?”

  “I’m not asking.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  To his credit, Mayes didn’t rattle my cage, didn’t tease me about being bossy. Dare I try a dreamwalk with Twilla Sue before everyone showed up? I wanted to help her, but trying to reach her in deep sleep would exhaust me. Best to recharge her reserves first so that I wouldn’t have to go down so deep to find her.

  His gaze narrowed, and I suspected he was giving me a once-over. Probably checking out my aura. No worries there. My aura glowed with health and vitality. A few seconds later, he nodded, as if I’d passed an important test.

  I’d only met Mayes today. He wasn’t a personal friend like Running Bear. Just because he was Native American didn’t mean he embraced the same beliefs. “Twilla Sue’s brief captivity was very draining and took a heavy toll. Have you seen this before?”

  He studied me again, as if he were also weighing his words. “I know what you are.”

  Hmm. That sounded accusatory. “I want to help her.”

  Deputy Mayes said nothing, but his gaze increased in intensity.

  Verbal sparring wasn’t my forte. “Do you trust me or not?”

  “I don’t know you.”

  “But you checked me out with your second sight just now. I felt it.”

  “Tell me something about me, something you couldn’t know ordinarily.”

  Uh-oh. My respect for him tanked. “I don’t do party tricks.”

  He glared at me. “I could have you barred from this room.”

  “But you won’t. Because you know I can help.”

  “I know your reputation. I know you’ve helped others. But ….”

  His trailing voice alarmed me. “What?”

  “You have a ghost attached to you.”

  A laugh welled up inside. I nearly snorted it out. “You’re hesitating about me because of Oliver? He’s a friendly spirit.”

  “Call him.”

  “No party tricks, remember?”

  “This is important, Walks With Ghosts.”

  My turn to study him. He must be softening toward me because he’d given me an Indian name. What would it hurt? Oliver? This man wants to see you.

  Energy wavered in the room, then Oliver materialized with a deep bark. I knew Deputy Mayes saw the ghostly Great Dane because his eyes widened. He knelt and called the dog’s spirit. Oliver crossed to the deputy and licked his hand.

  The deputy said some words I didn’t understand, then Oliver returned to me. I gave him a pat and sent him on his way.

  “Thank you,” Deputy Mayes said. “I had to be certain. Many are called. Few are chosen.”

  Cryptic words. Great. “Uh, sure.”

  “What’s your plan?”

  “To restore her energy.”

  His eyes
glinted. “How?”

  He wasn’t giving me anything, and I’d already shown him my ghost dog. Suddenly, I felt like I had overstepped. I’d best be careful what I said. Mayes was a stranger and a cop. “The usual way.”

  “You need a special ceremony for that. And a facilitator.”

  “Not a problem.”

  “I’d like to participate. I offer my energy for her healing.”

  His request stunned me. “Thanks, but I’m sure we can handle it.”

  “I insist.” His eyes narrowed, and the air vibrated with intent. “This is my boss. You’re not playing fast and loose with her life.”

  “Her energy is dissipating as we speak. If we don’t intervene, she won’t make it until morning. The PV took her too low, just like he took the guys in house. Four of them died today, and the rest are at death’s door.”

  “You misunderstand, Walks With Ghosts. You have my permission to do the healing ceremony, but only if I’m included.”

  Great. Just what this three-ring circus needed. Another Indian chief.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  My parents arrived, and Mayes began sneaking people into the hospital cubicle. Twilla Sue’s room was at the end of the hall, so I hoped we wouldn’t attract unwanted attention. My mom helped me drape my crystal shirt over Twilla Sue. When my dad came in and learned of Deputy Mayes intent to participate, he sent word by the deputy stationed outside for Charlotte and Larissa to wait in the car.

  I didn’t catch the soft words my father and Deputy Mayes exchanged, but they seemed satisfied with each other. My father turned to me. “The sheriff’s man has more experience than I have with this. He will lead the healing ceremony.”

  Protests rose and died in my dry throat. If my father was yielding, Deputy Mayes must be a powerful shaman. “As you wish. She doesn’t have long, so we should get started.”

  Mayes took note of the supplies my father had brought and grunted. He turned and opened a satchel I hadn’t noticed before. With brisk efficiency, he added a tunic over his uniform. We gathered around Twilla Sue’s bed. Mayes stood at her head, my father at her feet, and my mom and I beside each of her hands.

  The vibe coming off Mayes was not harmonious. “You sure you can do this?” I asked.

  “I can. First, only believers are allowed to participate. The flow of energy must be true.”

  “Mayes is right,” my father added. “The channel must be opened correctly. Negative energy will block the transfer. Everyone must put aside suspicion and negativity.”

  I nodded my understanding. I’d benefited from these ceremonies, but I’d never been a donor. I hoped it was easy.

  “We have four ordinals,” Mayes said. “That is sufficient.”

  Deputy Mayes placed both hands on Twilla Sue’s head and instructed us to lay hands on her as well. He began chanting. His voice had a hypnotic quality and soon, I found myself in a meditative trance. I recognized the peaceful state of mind from the healing ceremonies my parents and their Native American friends had performed on me after my dreamwalks.

  “Walks With Ghosts, Sparrow, Lives In The Woods, and Raven stand beside this fallen warrior, Twilla Sue Blair,” Mayes intoned. “We freely offer our energy to her spirit so that, if she chooses, she may live.”

  I marveled silently at my parents’ Native American names. They were so apt. My mother’s nurturing blue energy flowed through me, as did my father’s protective yellow energy. Mayes’ energy buffeted me next, powerful and emerald green. I chafed at the odd sensation of his fierce and dominant authority, instinctively resisting the level of submission he demanded.

  Blocking him was like trying to roll a wooden wheel with a flat side. Each revolution jarred my entire being. I struggled against the energy field disturbance, wanting and needing everything to return to status quo. I had responsibilities. A child. I couldn’t afford to be so vulnerable.

  “Let go,” my mother urged quietly. “To help your police friend, you must surrender all.”

  Having never been on this side of the healing circle, I hadn’t known that I would totally lose my identity. The prospect of being adrift and not knowing who I was terrified me. If this transfer went awry, I’d spend eternity shackled to Mayes and my parents.

  “Daughter,” my father prompted, “trust in the circle. Lose yourself and gain the world.”

  “I’m afraid,” I admitted.

  “I am with you,” my father said. “You are safe.”

  A great chasm opened up beneath me. The glass bridge I stood on thinned and narrowed. The light, airy quality of the trance darkened and pulsed erratically. Intuitively, I realized the fault was mine. I had jeopardized the link by refusing to surrender. My parents’ faces swirled through the gathering gloom. I couldn’t allow them to be harmed. They’d survived this process many times. I could at least cooperate.

  “I am ready,” I announced. “I surrender to the link.”

  The dark power Mayes exerted flowed inside me, overwriting my will. Instinct drove me to retreat into the safety of a dreamwalk, but Mayes yanked me to the surface of the trance. His harsh words bristled. “You cannot help her there, Dreamwalker. Trust in me. Stop wasting valuable time and energy.”

  “We are strangers,” I added lamely.

  “We are kindred spirits. Trust. You must trust, or a great warrior will suffer.”

  Twilla Sue. This was about Twilla Sue. Not about me. I would give my life for anyone in my family. Never had I imagined healing the sheriff would demand this level of sacrifice from me.

  Trust, my father had said. It was easy to trust when you knew the answer. Not so easy when the winds of death howled in your ear.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The dark energy subsided, and my parents’ energy surfaced. It seemed as if they were reaching for me, and I reached for them, going all in. The sense of self fell away, and I saw without eyes, without senses. I just was.

  Only I was more than myself. I was my mom, my dad, and Mayes. My enhanced senses wanted to soar, but Mayes’ insistent urging gave focus to my liberated spirit. I still retained my physicality and normal senses, but the extrasensory part of me had formed an intangible bond with my helpmates.

  Twilla Sue lay before us on the hospital bed, struggling to survive. We stood around her, touching her head, feet, and hands. I wanted her to live. We all wanted her to live. Energy rose and flowed through the extrasensory circuit we’d created, seeking a way out.

  She did not so much as stir as she became bathed in the energy field. Through the spirit-link, we sought her empty well. I nearly jumped for joy when Mayes located a barren spot in her psyche. Slowly, ever so slowly, he massaged healing energy into that area.

  Anticipation soared and crashed as she did not respond. I wished I knew her better. With effort, I found my voice. “We’re not reaching her. We need another plan.”

  “What about singing? She likes music,” Mayes said. “Old time spirituals.”

  I’d recently overcome my fear of singing in public, so I launched into a rendition of “Wade in the Water,” making it soft and tender. At the same time, I stoked her arm and hand. My parents followed suit. Twilla Sue stirred, and our combined energy wrapped her in love.

  Mayes added his voice to mine, and the enhanced energy brightened the room. I likened the sensation to the rosy glow of dawn. Twilla Sue’s labored breathing eased. We were on the right track. Finally.

  “Slow and steady,” Mayes cautioned, as if he knew I was thinking to fire hose our energy gift into her.

  I was a newcomer to this process, and the last thing I wanted was to harm our recipient or any of us. Mayes patiently held our focus and directed the flow. Soon, Twilla Sue’s color brightened. Her hand twitched in mine.

  My relief was instantaneous. It was working. We were working. I’d never had this heady feeling of healing someone. I’d never savored the sweetness or the moral rightness I felt from helping the sheriff. It was amazing.

  “Just a little more juice and she�
��ll be back to normal.” I pushed a little extra energy forward, and the sheriff absorbed it. Giddy with power, I fought an absurd desire to laugh like a maniac. I could vault mountains. I could skim over the ocean waves. I could dance with the stars.

  “Disengage,” Mayes ordered, “now.”

  My parents obeyed at once. I saw Mayes had physically released the sheriff and stepped away as well. With regret, I mentally pulled back from Twilla Sue.

  “We’ve done our part. Now we wait,” Mayes said. “I’m releasing the mind-link.”

  The room brightened as I came fully into myself. I shivered against the unexpected chill in the sterile cubicle. Questions stuck in my throat, but I was too tired to utter a word. My knees felt all squishy and rubbery, so I sank into the nearest chair.

  “Masterfully done.” My father came around the bed and shook the deputy’s hand. “You were the right man for the job.”

  “She’s turned the corner now,” my mom added, snuggling up to my dad. “Now she must finish the healing process.”

  “I wanted to keep going,” I said, hugging myself for warmth, “but I’m so tired now, I need a nap. Thank you for monitoring all of us. Your delicate touch and your timing were awesome.”

  Mayes bowed his head. “Thank you for sharing your energy with my boss. She’s a fighter. I have every confidence she will revive and be whole once more.” He lifted his head and fixed me with a glare. “You are reckless and undisciplined.”

  “Guilty. But I have good intentions.”

  “When you are rested, we will speak again.”

  I didn’t like his bossy attitude, so I brushed it off. “Sure.”

  Mayes handed me a blanket, which I immediately wrapped around my shivering body. At first it didn’t make a difference, then slowly, surely, warmth seeped into my bones. I yawned, too tired to do one more thing. I had questions for everyone, especially Twilla Sue, but it was too late for me to gather information. I’d exceeded my energy limits, and Mayes had the good sense to pull me back from the abyss.

  My eyes drifted shut.