She cradled the necklace in her hands, palming the merkaba, struck by the weight and power of it. He’d designed a magnificent piece of equipment for her. And the jeweler who crafted it knew what she was doing. “I love it. It’s the nicest thing anyone has ever given me.” She dabbed the corners of her eyes. He would likely never fully appreciate how much this meant to her. “This is a very thoughtful and generous gift, and I will wear it every day. Will you help me put it on?”
He jumped up from his seat. “Sure!” He draped the necklace in front of her, his arms circling her. The clasp gave him some trouble, but he managed it eventually. He brushed against her neck as he smoothed her hair back into place. She shivered at his touch. “The clasp is a little tricky.”
She tried to admire the necklace without a mirror. “This will be even more powerful now because it’s charged with friendship.” She sipped her coffee to hide her blushing face as he returned to his seat. She watched his eyes admire his gift on her and couldn’t help noticing his gaze lingered on her chest. “Well, what do you think? How does it look?”
“Very nice.” His voice, husky and rough, caught on the words. He cleared his throat and stood. “I guess we better get to the house so we can wrap this up. Right? We wrap up today? And then the show is over?”
She swore she saw disappointment in his eyes. “Yes, that’s right. We wrap it all up today. But would you mind sitting back down for just another minute?”
His brow furrowed, but he sat.
She fiddled with the coffee cup. “I don’t have a present for you exactly.” She wrapped her hand around the quartz point hanging from her new necklace.
He held up his hands. “No, no! Don’t even think about it. This is a thank-you for letting me be on your show this week. I didn’t give it expecting a gift in return.”
“I understand. But I did this not expecting a gift in return, too. And it took a little effort, so I hope you like my gift as much as I love yours.” She took a deep breath and squeezed her coffee mug before plowing ahead. “Since SpookBusters didn’t get renewed and since we seem to be a hit team, I wondered if you’d consider staying on permanently as my cohost.”
Sterling’s face didn’t change. He sat motionless and still. Then he blinked and looked around the empty room. “You have a camera hidden somewhere? Am I being Punk’d?”
She laughed. “No. To both questions.”
“You’re serious about this?” He sat forward and clasped his hands.
“Completely serious.” Her heart thumped. She expected him to jump at the offer.
“You’re not saying this because you feel sorry for me, are you? ’Cuz I don’t need anyone’s—”
“I don’t feel sorry for you. I think it’s a good idea.”
“What if we tank? What if I alienate all your devout fans, and the ratings plummet?”
“You’re kidding, right? With your social media presence and natural charm? Rosie told me we’re blowing up the Internet together.”
“You think I’m charming?” He cocked one eyebrow.
His grin disarmed her. “Well, I . . . apparently some people do. Look, the truth is my ratings slipped this season. Your fans alone could compensate. And who knows how many more new viewers you’ll lure in with your tweets and vines and blips—”
“Blips?”
“Whatever. You know what I mean. And then if we do tank despite all that, well, we tank together. And I had a fantastic ride.”
He raised his eyebrows, and too late she heard the double entendre. She shook her head. “You’re incorrigible.”
“You’re the one who said it. Not me.”
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.” Yet images of him standing shirtless, wrapped in a towel in her hotel room, flashed through her mind. She resisted the urge to fan herself when she flushed.
He fidgeted in his seat. “What about Michael? And Hoffmeier? They’re bound to take some convincing.”
“I already talked to them both. They’re excited to make this happen. RandMeier is waiting to hear if you’re on board and then will move forward with your formal offer and contract.”
“You did all that for me? I thought you hated me.”
“I thought I did, too.”
“For the record, I never hated you. Even when I was kinda being a jerk.”
“Rosie also told me that. You fooled me, but not her.”
“Rosie’s pretty damned smart.”
“I know. So? Are we doing this?” He still hadn’t said yes. Surely he wasn’t leading her on just to turn her down.
“I’d be a fool to say no. And I’m pretty damned smart, too.”
37
Kimberly, Michael, and Sterling sat at the Williamses’ dining table facing Danielle and Stephen.
Danielle, cradling Josh, blinked. “So The Dark, the real root of the problem, was the sweet, elderly lady who lived here before us?”
Stephen rolled his eyes at Sterling. “The Realtor told us they were quiet, gentle people. Why would you think one of them stayed here to menace us?”
She watched Sterling, expecting him to pounce on his opening. But he gestured to her.
She smiled at him before continuing. “We originally dismissed the Millers for the same reason. But Edna revealed her identity to me. Her spirit, however, wandered confused and lonely and had forgotten her identity in her previous life. All her life she’d longed for a child but never had one. She became fixated on your children. Her desire was so intense she was able to manifest at a remarkable level and exhibit strength we rarely see.”
Stephen narrowed his eyes at her. “And you truly believe this ghost attempted to strangle our son?”
This time she hesitated. Danielle clutched the baby tighter. Kimberly wanted to reassure the mother, not leave her with images of an invisible entity choking her infant son as he slept.
Sterling answered. “Look, she says the ghost was involved, the doctor said SIDS. Bottom line, your son is alive and well because Kimberly was here to intervene.”
She could have kissed him. Supportive Sterling was a pretty nice guy to have around.
Stephen cocked an eyebrow at Sterling. “So you believe this explanation of hers? I thought you were here to bust her ghost theories.”
Sterling held up a hand. “I’m here to offer objective evidence from my own observations. And I didn’t see a thing I couldn’t explain. The yarn? I saw no ghost cat. She manipulated the yarn herself. Ghostly images? Blurs and smudges. My ruffled hair? Could’ve been either some wind or a vent. The alleged voice telling us to get out? I believe it was added to the footage. Or it could have been background noise that only sounds like ‘Get out’ after they suggest it. I saw nothing I couldn’t explain. As for Kimberly’s fits, her conjecture the crib became hot enough to burn her, her belief she hears, sees, and interacts with spiritual entities. Well, she’s the only one who sees, hears, and feels these experiences. I can’t corroborate or disprove what’s only in someone’s mind.” He looked her square in the eye. “I don’t think it’s a scam. I think she truly believes in these experiences. Or maybe she’s a touch unstable. Who knows?” He grinned.
And just like that, she wanted to strangle him again. Why had she agreed to let him out of the Corner? She shook her head and took a deep breath. “But the spiritual disturbances are resolved now. That’s the important thing.” She scowled at Sterling.
“What about Felix?” Danielle asked, shifting Josh to her shoulder and patting his back.
“He’s also gone. He only wanted to help. I think perhaps your grandmother sent him.”
Danielle’s eyes misted. “He really was a wonderful, wonderful cat. Now I wish he’d stayed here with us.”
Stephen pressed his hands against his forehead. “Oh, for the love of . . . are you kidding me? After all these months of—”
“And cut,” Michael called. “Okay, all that’s left is the closing sequence. Kimmy and Sterling, let’s bring you into the living room and centered on
the fireplace. Just find a place around the train track.”
She stood and shook hands with Danielle and Stephen. “Thank you for letting us come to your home. This has been a great week. You have a beautiful family, and now life can get back to normal.”
“I can’t thank you enough,” Danielle replied. “I don’t know what we would’ve done without you. Oops. Stephen, I think Josh threw up down my back. Can you get that?”
Kimberly shuddered and backed away as Stephen scrubbed at the curdled white mess. A tug on her sleeve stopped her retreat. Drew stood beside her, two fingers in his mouth, holding a piece of paper, which he handed her.
She squatted in front of him. “Did you draw this for me?”
The toddler nodded.
He’d drawn four stick figures with oversize heads and smiling faces—two taller figures with a smaller figure between them and a baby stick figure on the arm of one of the taller figures.
“Is this your family?”
The boy nodded again.
She noticed two figures at the top of the page, above the stick figure family. “Is this Mrs. Miller? The Dark?”
He nodded and popped his fingers out of his mouth. “Dat’s Dale,” he said, pointing at the second floating figure.
Her eyes teared as she hugged Drew. “That’s right. She’s with Dale now.” She knew the boy was gifted. She hoped he developed his gifts in the future and never feared them.
“Kimmy? Let’s close.”
She ruffled Drew’s hair. “Take care, little guy.”
Picking a path around the wooden track, she joined Michael, stood beside Sterling, and passed the drawing to Elise for safekeeping.
“Okay, let’s have you two stand back to back.”
She groaned. “Really, Michael? Back to back?”
He gave her the look, and she fell into place, leaning against Sterling, arms crossed.
Stan focused the camera on them. Michael counted them in.
“This was an intense investigation and I’m glad Sterling was here to assist. In fact, I’ve invited him to join me permanently as cohost. And he’s accepted.”
Rosie quietly clapped and did a little happy dance. Michael gave her a thumbs-up. TJ muttered, “Aw, man. I hate that guy.”
She turned over her shoulder to smile up at her new partner. His return smile sent a warm rush through her.
“Thanks, Kimberly. I’m excited to be here and can’t wait for the next case.” He turned back to the camera. “I hope you’ll join us again.”
She faced the camera, as well. “Yes. Come back next season for more Wantland Files.”
The Wantland Files Page 24