Page 103 of It takes a Psychic

“I know,” she said. “But Bullinger is not my problem anymore.”

“You’re right. Thanks, again, Leona. I’ll walk you back upstairs to the entrance. I would drive you home but I can’t leave until things get organized here. You’ll have to call a car. There aren’t a lot of taxis cruising this neighborhood.”

“I’ll put it on the bill.”

He escorted her up the quartz steps and through the hole-in-the-wall below the mansion. It was not the same opening that she and Oliver had used to escape on the night of the raid. This one was larger. She assumed it was the exit point the caterers and staff had used to escape the FBPI raid.

Inside the big house they went past the pantry. The door was open. The dead waiter’s blood had dried to a terrible brown stain on the floor. Leona was aware of the disturbing whisper of dark energy, the unmistakable evidence of violent death. Roxy muttered.

“I know, I don’t like it, either,” Leona said.

Matt glanced at her. “What don’t you like?”

“Nothing,” she said.

“Leona, there’s something I need to say.”

“I figured that’s why you insisted on escorting me out of the mansion. What is it?”

“You haven’t filed a complaint about my failure to give you credit in that paper that the journal is going to publish.”

“I’ve been busy.”

“Are you going to do it?”

“No. It wouldn’t do me any good now that I’ve been fired by Hollister.It would look like petty revenge. We both know I can’t prove that I should have had credit.”

“Maybe not, but a formal complaint would create a real headache for me.”

She did not respond.

“You weren’t fired,” he continued. “Technically speaking, your contract was not renewed.”

“Semantics.”

Matt nodded. “I know. Thanks for not filing the complaint.”

“You didn’t tell anyone that I had rezzed that artifact in the lab. I know it was the scorch marks that started the rumors.”

“Can we call off the cold war?”

“Yep. Revenge is all about looking back. I don’t have the time. I’ve got a future that needs planning.”

“I appreciate it.”

They reached the front door of the entrance. Leona stopped.

“You’ve said what you wanted to say.” She took out her phone. “You can go back to your team. I am quite capable of calling a ride. Good luck with the rest of the project.”

“Thanks,” Matt said. “It’s a big one.”

“Don’t forget to hire a gatekeeper.”

He smiled. “It’s at the top of my to-do list.”

He turned away and disappeared back into the mansion. Leona walked outside and took out her phone to book a car.

She thought about what had just happened down in the tunnels and smiled. She had saved the team. This time she had not been too late.

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