Through Her Heart (Mind's Eye Book 6)

by Deborah Camp

  “Is this Levi Wolfe talking?” Her heart almost ached with the love she felt for him. “You sound almost domesticated.”

  He wiggled his eyebrows and the lights in his eyes became devilish. “Almost.”

  “Okay!” Gennie approached them again, her hand outstretched. “They’ve accepted your offer. I’ll head back to the office and draw up the papers to email to you. Congratulations.”

  Levi shook her hand and then Trudy followed suit, feeling as if she were sleepwalking.

  “How soon could we close on it?”

  Gennie checked her calendar. “Three weeks, probably. I assume there won’t be any delays anywhere.”

  “None on this end, I can assure you.”

  Trudy rested a hand on her forehead, feeling as if she were on a runaway carousel. Was this happening? For real? Did they just agree to pay well over seven million freaking dollars for a house?

  Grinning, Levi eyed her. “You okay?”

  She yanked on an imaginary cord. “Woo! Woo! Now departing Are We Nuts? Next stop is Crazy Town!”

  Levi’s arms circled her waist and he spun her in a circle before allowing her feet to touch the ground again. His kiss was fast and stunning. “Welcome home, baby.”

  “So, you didn’t see anything helpful?” Dr. McClain asked, hope fading in her brown eyes.

  “No.” Levi ran a hand down his tie, feeling as hopeless as his psychiatrist after he’d told her that he’d gleaned nothing much from his psychic visit with Stuart McFarland’s dead parents. “It was dark in their bedroom. He stood in the doorway and all I could – that is, all either of them could see – was a silhouette. Shelley was shot first and she didn’t even make a sound. She barely pushed up on an elbow before he killed her with one shot. Then he took out Ian. He yelled out, but that was it. Ian saw the flare of the gunshots. That’s all he remembered. Neither one of them had a clue as to who killed them.”

  The psychiatrist slumped back in her cushioned chair. “Has Trudy made any headway?”

  “Not much. She has been in contact with the murderer, though.” He nodded, slowly. “She’ll keep on it. We’ll catch the motherfucker.” He glanced toward the door, wondering if Stuart had arrived in the outer office yet. “How’s the boy doing? Trudy seemed to hit it off with him.”

  Althea smiled. “Oh, she did indeed. Stuart was uncharacteristically talkative about their meeting. He could hardly wait to tell me that you and Trudy are psychic and so is he.” She spread out her hands. “How much he actually understands about that is debatable. He clammed up when I asked him to tell me about what makes him psychic.”

  “I’m not surprised by that. It’s a big thing to wrap your head around.”

  “Naturally, he’s struggling with depression and grief. And he’s frightened. Deep down frightened, although he doesn’t like to admit that.”

  “Frightened that the assailant is still at large?”

  “Yes. It’s a real life boogey man for Stuart.” She pursed her lips and looked away for a few moments. “I’ve tried to gently guide him to that night and what he might have heard or seen, but he’s not ready.” She squared her shoulders and straightened her spine as she clasped her hands around one of her knees. “Therefore, don’t go there with him, Levi. Not yet. I’ve won his trust and I don’t want any backsliding. Your goal is to make him more comfortable with his abilities and determine if he’s experiencing trauma about that aspect of his personality. Since guidance and knowledge of the treatment of psychic children is minimal, I’m leaving that all up to you. You and Trudy are my expert consultants.”

  “You’re more equipped than you let on,” he said. “God knows, you’ve helped me tremendously. You’re the sixth psychiatrist who has treated me and the only one who has helped to slay my demons.”

  She reached across and rested her hand on his knee briefly. “It’s been my privilege.” She held his gaze for a few soul-connecting moments before glancing at the appointment monitor above the door. A green light blinked. “He’s here. I’ll bring him in and make myself scarce. I’ve allotted you forty minutes.”

  “That’s fine.”

  “Do you want to stay here? You can go outside, if you want. Maybe to the courtyard?”

  “No. Here is okay.”

  She stood; a statuesque woman in a perfectly tailored navy skirt and sky blue silk shirt with sheer sleeves. Her bronze skin glowed in the light cast by wall sconces and a floor lamp. Aside from her desk and chair in a corner of the room, the area was casually furnished with a couch, two wingback chairs, and a couple of occasional tables.

  Levi stood and buttoned his suit jacket as Althea opened the door. She stepped into the outer office and motioned for the boy out there to join her. Stuart came into view, his pale, round face turned up to the tall psychiatrist and his blue eyes as serious as a judge’s.

  “It’s good to see you again, Stewie,” she said, resting a hand on his head. “I like that shirt you’re wearing. Is that a T-Rex?”

  “No.” He frowned, giving her a look that clearly questioned her intelligence, and then ran his hand down the creature emblazoned on his green t-shirt. “It’s a velociraptor.”

  Levi smothered a chuckle. “Hi, Stuart. How’s it going?”

  The boy issued a quick shrug of his small shoulders. “Okay, I guess.”

  “I have some things to take care of, Stewie. You can visit with Levi today.” With that, Althea closed the door, leaving the boy to sway from tennis shoe to tennis shoe. He extended his arms and pretended to fly, making a motor noise with his lips.

  “Land here, why don’t you.” Levi motioned to the couch cushion beside him. “Want to play a game?”

  Stuart eyed him, then sprang forward and plopped onto one end of the couch. His legs stuck straight out. “What kind of game?”

  Levi removed a deck of cards from his jacket pocket, opened the box, and shuffled the cards. “It’s a guessing game. I’m going to pick a card and stare at it. I’ll think real hard about it. And you guess what card I’m holding.”

  “That’s it? That’s the game?”

  “Yes.”

  “Sounds dumb.” He wiggled into the corner of the couch and crossed his arms, closing himself off.

  “That depends on if you’re a good guesser or a lousy one.”

  “Aren’t you going to guess?”

  “Sure. You first, though.” He selected a card. Queen of Spades. “Okay, so I’m going to concentrate solely on this card. You try to imagine what it is. Ready?” He stared at the card and devoted himself to it. After twenty or so seconds ticked by, he focused on Stuart, who looked extremely bored. “Go ahead. Guess.”

  Stuart sighed. “A joker. Is that a card?”

  “Yes, but not this card.” He flipped it around for Stuart to see. “The Queen of Spades.”

  “That black thing is a spade.”

  “Yes. You don’t know your playing cards?”

  “They have kings and stuff on them. And numbers.”

  “Right.” Levi revised his plan. “Let’s concentrate on the number, then. Just the numbers.” He chose the seven of hearts and focused his attention on it. “Which card do I have now, Stuart? Which number? Close your eyes. Go ahead. Close them. Good. Now tell me the first number that pops into your head.”

  The boy opened his eyes after a few seconds. “Seven!”

  Levi blinked, momentarily amazed. He turned the card around and tamped down his burst of excitement, not wanting to celebrate just yet. “You got it. Let’s try this again.”

  “Nuh-uh. Your turn to guess.”

  “I’m lousy at it.”

  “You still gotta.” A mutinous expression gathered small lines between Stuart’s eyes and at the corners of his mouth.

  “Okay.” Levi held the cards out to him. “Pick one and don’t show it to me.”

  He followed the instructions, making a show of peeking at the card and then pressing it to his chest. “Guess.”

  “You have to think hard. Just abo
ut the number on it. It’s not a face card, right?”

  “What’s that?”

  “Like a queen or king.”

  “Oh. No, not like that.”

  Levi closed his eyes and tried to zero in on the boy.

  “Your wife is Trudy.”

  His concentration shattered, he opened his eyes. Stuart raised his brows, waiting for his answer. “That’s right. She said that she really liked spending time with you.”

  “We didn’t play this game. We went to the movies and then to the park and she pushed me in the swing and slid down the slide after me.”

  He ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek, schooling himself to be patient. “Yes, she told me all about it. Think about the card, Stuart. Let me see if I can guess what number is on it. Let’s see if I can do it as well as you did.”

  Stuart gave another bored shrug and stared at the card. “I’m thinking.”

  Levi shut his eyes and waited for inspiration. He was hit-and-miss with this kind of ESP. Although, when he was younger, he’d been better at it. When an image flashed behind his eyes, he went with it. “Nine.”

  Stuart’s widened eyes told him that he’d nailed it before the child spun the card around to show him.

  “Your turn.” He chose a card. “This is a tiebreaker. Think hard, okay? Close your eyes.”

  Stuart heaved another sigh and obeyed. Fifteen ticks of the wall clock sounded before he said, “Four.”

  Levi shook his head. “No. It’s five. Close, though. One more, okay?”

  “It’s your turn to guess.”

  Levi gritted his teeth. Fuck. “Okay. Pick one.” He held the cards out to the boy, who screwed up his face in concentration, waved his small hand over the cards, and then selected one with a flourish. Levi couldn’t help but grin. “Ready? Concentrate.” He closed his eyes as numbers floated in his mind . . . seven, two, four? Giving up, he said, “Four.”

  Stuart giggled and turned the card for him to see the seven of diamonds. “You missed! Do I win yet?”

  “No.” Levi ignored the child’s crestfallen expression. “Get this one and you win.” He chose a card and aimed his gaze at Stuart, who had squeezed his eyes shut in a show of concentration. “Take your time.”

  “Twenty!” He bounced up and down on the couch and grinned.

  Levi sent him a droll glance. “You don’t fool me. You know there isn’t such a card.”

  “I don’t like this game. You can win. It’s okay. I’ll let you.” He studied the rubber toes of his tennis shoes before glancing toward the closed door. “Can I have a candy bar from that guy?”

  “What guy?”

  “The guy out there. He has sandwiches and candy bars. And chips.”

  Curious, Levi stood and opened the door. A man with a cart full of sandwiches, snacks, and soft drinks handed the receptionist a bag of chips and a package of cupcakes. Levi turned slowly to look at Stuart, whose eyes were bright with anticipation. Delighted, he gave the child a wink. “What would you like, Stuart?”

  “ A Butterfinger!”

  Levi reached in his pocket for his wallet and bought the candy, then handed it to Stuart. “Want a bottle of water or soda to go with it?”

  Stuart nodded. “Water.”

  Levi paid for that, too, then closed the door again. “Here you go.” He gave the boy the water bottle. “How did you know he was out there? Did you hear him?” Levi asked as he eased down onto the other end of the couch. Stuart was having trouble with the bottle cap, so Levi reached over and gave it a twist. “There you go, pal.”

  Stuart’s blue eyes flashed up at Levi. “We’re not really pals.”

  “No? Well, I hope we will be. Even though you don’t enjoy the games I like to play, we can still be friends.”

  Tearing the wrapper away from part of the candy, he took a big bite to expose the bright yellow crunchy insides. “They’re not fingers,” Stuart assured him.

  “Or butter,” Levi noted. “Butterfingers is a word for someone who is clumsy.”

  “It is?”

  “Yes.” He waited while Stuart enjoyed the candy and took a swig or two of the water. “So, did you hear the guy out there in the outer office or what?”

  “I didn’t hear him.” He gave Levi the side-eye. “I sort of felt him.”

  “How did he feel? How did you know he was selling candy bars?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You do know. Tell me how it felt. Or did you see something in your mind? Did you suddenly think of something?”

  Stuart scrunched up his face. “I guess I . . . I could see feet walking into the office out there and I . . . I smelled chocolate.”

  “You . . . smelled? You’re sure? You smelled chocolate?”

  “Uh-huh. ʼCause that’s what I like. Cheetos are good, too. But I love Butterfingers.” To prove it, he took another huge bite of his.

  Levi sat back against the cushions, watching as Stuart chewed happily and sucked more water from the plastic bottle. It never ceased to amaze him how psychic powers manifested themselves from practitioner to practitioner. “And if you’d had a taste for Cheetos, would you have smelled cheese?”

  Stuart stared up at the ceiling for a few moments. “Yeah, maybe. Or I would have seen orange fingertips.” He smiled. “You get those when you eat them.”

  Levi shifted so that he could look at the boy, straight on. “Do you understand, Stuart, that everyone can’t do what you just did? Know that someone is on the other side of a closed door and know who it is and what they’re doing?”

  “They can do it if they want, probably.” He took another drink. “You can call me Stewie or Stu. Your wife said I can call her Trudy. She calls you Levi, but Dr. McClain calls you Mr. Wolfe.”

  “I can be Levi to you, Stu. You don’t mind if I call you Stuart now and then, do you? I happen to like your name.”

  “Sure.” He regarded him, somewhat warily. “You like it?”

  “Yes. It’s a noble name. A good name for a boy or a man.”

  He grinned at that. “Levi.”

  “Yes?”

  “Just saying it. Levi. Are you named after jeans?”

  Levi chuckled. “No. I’m named after a man in the Bible. Leviticus.”

  “Levit—?”

  “Leviticus,” Levi repeated, more slowly. “He was quite a character.”

  “Was he your relative? Like an uncle?”

  “No.” Levi grinned. “He lived and died a long, long time ago.”

  “Like Jesus?”

  “Yes. Like Him.”

  “Steffi at the shelter says that my mommy and daddy are sitting with Jesus now.” He put the rest of the candy bar in his mouth and chewed. His eyes glittered with quick tears.

  Levi’s heart deflated. Christ, what was he supposed to say to that? He decided to steer clear of that conversation. Let Dr. McClain handle that topic. “Let’s play a different game. This one is more fun. I promise.”

  Stuart rolled his blue eyes. “What now, brown cow?”

  Levi shook his head and stifled another grin. He reached into his pants pocket for a few coins. “Let’s see here.” He kept the change hidden in one hand and selected a nickel, holding it in his other fist, which he presented to Stuart. “Guess what kind of coin I have in this hand and you can have it.”

  The boy’s eyes brightened and he scooted to the edge of the couch cushion, turning to face Levi. He chomped on the candy bar and stared at Levi’s closed hand for a few seconds before a grin slowly overtook him. “It’s a nickel!”

  Inordinately pleased with the boy’s ability, Levi opened his fingers. “Correct. Take it. It’s yours.”

  Stuart giggled and snatched the coin from Levi’s palm. “Let’s do it again!” He set the remains of the candy bar and water onto the side table and shifted to his knees, facing Levi. He bounced, animated by his winnings.

  “Okay.” Levi put his hands behind his back to transition the dime from one palm to the other, then brought his closed fist
around to Stuart again. “Guess.”

  No more than three seconds ticked by. “A dime!”

  “Wow.” Levi opened his hand, letting Stuart grab the dime. “You’re good at this.”

  “I am! Let’s do it again.” Stuart was all smiles and still bouncing.

  Levi tipped his head forward a little, meeting Stuart’s avid stare. “What do you see? How do you know what coin I have? Or is it a feeling?”

  Stuart heaved a sigh and stilled. “Aren’t we going to play?”

  “We are, once you answer me.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Yes, you do. You don’t smell coins, do you?”

  Stuart bugged out his eyes and presented an exaggerated scowl. “No. That’s dumb.”

  “So, how do you know?” As he spoke, he hid his hands from Stuart and slid another dime into his palm.

  “I see it. In my head.” Stuart grinned. “It’s a dime.”

  Levi let him have the money. “You’re amazing.”

  Stuart stared at the three coins. “I have a quarter now.”

  “That’s right. Do you like math?”

  “It’s okay.”

  “What do you like to study in school?”

  He wrinkled his nose and looked up at the ceiling. “I guess I like reading the most. And science. I like when we talk about animals and bugs.”

  Levi extended the final coin to him. “Here’s another quarter to add to it for being such a good sport. I’ve enjoyed playing these games with you.”

  Stuart accepted the quarter, but kept his gaze averted. He stuffed the coins into his back pocket and then finished off his candy bar.

  “What you just did, other kids can’t do. You understand that, right?” He waited for the boy’s nod. “When you’re grown up, you could decide to use these special talents in ways that can help other people. That’s what Trudy and I do.”

  “How do you help?”

  “By locating lost people and sometimes we help the police find bad guys.”

  “Are you like the Avengers or the X-men?”

  Levi chuckled. “In a way, I suppose, but not as powerful.” He stretched his arm out along the back of the couch. “When I was about your age, I saw people who had died. Sometimes they are called ghosts. I think of them as spirits.”