Page 11 of Shattering Dawn

“And don’t get me started on what could go wrong if the subject has a criminal mind. When I closed down that research project I couldn’t help wondering how many of the people I had tested were headed for an asylum, a life on the streets, or prison.”

“Did you try to identify the unstable subjects?”

“I made a few notes about the ones who worried me the most. But there was nothing more I could do. Did your client give you anything else to go on besides a story about being kidnapped?”

“She had some photographs,” Gideon said.

“That should help.”

“They won’t do me any good. Just some fuzzy, glary splashes on a sidewalk and what she claims is a photo of the stalker’s aura.”

“Really?” Excitement lit Shelton’s voice. “She figured out how to take pictures of aura and energy prints? That’s amazing. Did she say what kind of camera she used?”

“A film camera, the old-fashioned kind that uses a mirror and prism. She shot with black-and-white film. Trust me, the results are useless.”

“Fascinating.”

“Speaking of cameras, let’s try to stay focused here,” Gideon said. “I’d appreciate it if you would get those notes for me.”

“Sure, sure. It’ll take me a while, though. The file is in my storage locker. I’ll drive over there today and see what I can find. Meanwhile,be careful, Gideon. I wasn’t joking when I said that there are some potentially dangerous people on that list.”

“Understood,” Gideon said. “I’m going to hang up now.”

“Wait, before you go. Your mother is putting pressure on me again. She’s afraid that marine biologist you were seeing broke your heart.”

Gideon groaned. “Virginia did not break my heart. Remind Mom that I haven’t been in great shape for dating recently.”

“She worries about you, Gideon. She’s not the only one. Most Sweetwaters are married and firing up a family by your age.”

“I’ll get right on that,” Gideon said.

He ended the call and dropped the phone into his pocket. For a time he sat quietly, studying the nearest painting. He had started it during the course of the Colony case and finished it in the days after Ian Luxford had been arrested.

He had no illusions about his artistic ability. He was an amateur and that was all he would ever be. Fortunately, he wasn’t trying to make a living as an artist.

No one responded well to his paintings. His own relatives told him his pictures were creepy. He usually took the unframed canvases down before he interviewed a client because they had a disturbing effect on people who were already anxious about meeting with a private investigator. But, acting on impulse or intuition—he wasn’t sure which—he had opted to leave them up today.

Amelia had done a very good job of concealing her reaction, but he had caught a glimpse of something disturbing in her response. He was almost certain she had realized that his muse was his own dreamscape.

Chapter Six

Amelia brought thecar to a stop in her assigned parking space, collected her tote, and slipped out from behind the wheel. She did not know if she had made the right move by hiring Gideon Sweetwater, but at least she had acted. She no longer felt quite so trapped. Progress. Maybe.

She tried to look on the bright side. No, Gideon was not the PI she had expected to encounter when she made the appointment, but maybe that was a good thing. True, he either didn’t believe in the paranormal or was in denial about his own talent, whatever that was, but he appeared to be serious about trying to identify the stalker. That was what mattered most right now.

She headed for the security gate that serviced her wing of the apartment complex, readying her key chain fob.

“Amelia, you’re back. Want to get coffee?”

Amelia looked up and saw Irene Morgan leaning over the railing of the second-floor walkway. She raised a hand in greeting and told herself that now was as good a time as any. She needed to have aserious talk with her friend. She did not want to take the risk of ruining their relationship but she had put off the conversation long enough. If she didn’t speak up and something bad happened she would never forgive herself.

“Sure,” she said.

“I’ll be right down.”

•••

They walked acrossthe street to Harry’s Soon To Be Famous Coffeehouse The late-fall day was mild and sunny, so they opted for an outdoor table shaded by a large umbrella. It would be easier to say what she had to say outside rather than inside, Amelia thought. Less chance of being overheard. She ordered her usual Americano. Irene went for a cappuccino.

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