the hall and handed me a glass of wine. I sipped my wine as we split up to finish locking up the house.
Parker and Jenna had moved to the family room, and Parker had turned the TV on and the volume down low. At least he still enjoyed watching TV, and Jenna seemed to be fine with it, too. The two of them sat on the sofa, looking like two live kids.
I watched them a bit sadly, wishing their lives could have ended differently. Wishing I could have kids like them, which wasn't going to happen. Children were not possible for me and Thulu, unless we adopted. I'd gotten that hard piece of news the year before. Thinking about it still depressed me a bit, and my mind shied away from that topic.
“Night, kiddos.” I had the urge to tuck them in.
Thulu came up behind me, sensing my mood I'm sure, and handed me the tablet with a smile.
“Night, guys,” he told them as he put his arm around me. They both turned and smiled and said goodnight.
Thulu and I went upstairs to our master suite, my mind back on the meeting with Jones tomorrow. I had to admit, I was a bit intrigued that he had called. While I still had a lot of trepidation about him, it had been eased and replaced with anticipation. That was probably a bit naïve.
I set the tablet on the small morning table. I quickly organized my notes and emailed them to Nana. Thulu and I went about our nighttime routines, turned off the lights and sat together in the window seat that overlooked the lights of the city. We liked this final bit of time together each night.
“Well, today was different.” He twined his fingers with mine as I leaned back against him. “I'm starting to get a sense of something. I'm not sure what, but it's starting to tickle a bit.”
“Jones is going to be a handful. I'm taking my gun.”
“Agreed.” We sat in comfortable silence, Thulu's arms wrapped around me, each with our own thoughts.
Chapter 9
I woke to bright sunlight and an empty spot where Thulu slept. Typical. It had taken me hours to fall asleep. My brain had been going five million directions from Sunday, as Nana would say.
Thulu, of course, didn't have that problem. No matter what went on, he could instantly fall asleep anywhere. It was not one of his more endearing qualities, as far as I was concerned. My only perk was getting to watch him quietly for hours as he slept, while my brain churned through whatever waters it was navigating.
The last few years, I didn't have as many of those nights as I'd had in high school and college. Although every now and then I'd get one, like last night.
That morning, Thulu had let me sleep in, as he often did. It was after eleven. I can't say I was completely rested, but I wouldn't be dragging that day either.
I took my shower and got dressed, except for shoes. I didn't often bother with makeup, and that day was no exception. I grabbed my tablet and headed downstairs, stopping in the kitchen.
Thulu was in the study at the computer. I wandered in with my morning coke. He preferred coffee, often trying exotic blends that rarely tasted different to me. I had to admit they smelled awesome. I just found that they rarely tasted as good as they smelled.
Thulu smiled up at me as I leaned over to give him a one-armed hug and a kiss. I rested my head on top of his as I looked at the screen and his notes.
“Where are the kids?” I asked.
“Parker is out helping Jenna learn ghost things.”
I blinked at him, but let it pass as he continued.
“I talked to Mrs. Adams this morning, but she didn't know anything more than Susan did. Another dead end. Also, neither Seung Kang's nor Blake Dodd's bodies were found. Kang is listed as on a three year sabbatical, looking for Oriental artifacts around the world. Fi, I'm not believing how much information is missing on most of these people.”
“Really?” I pulled my chair over to sit next to him.
“Well, their disappearances, anyway. No one is alerting the cops about any of them. Even Jane's body has
Parker and Jenna had moved to the family room, and Parker had turned the TV on and the volume down low. At least he still enjoyed watching TV, and Jenna seemed to be fine with it, too. The two of them sat on the sofa, looking like two live kids.
I watched them a bit sadly, wishing their lives could have ended differently. Wishing I could have kids like them, which wasn't going to happen. Children were not possible for me and Thulu, unless we adopted. I'd gotten that hard piece of news the year before. Thinking about it still depressed me a bit, and my mind shied away from that topic.
“Night, kiddos.” I had the urge to tuck them in.
Thulu came up behind me, sensing my mood I'm sure, and handed me the tablet with a smile.
“Night, guys,” he told them as he put his arm around me. They both turned and smiled and said goodnight.
Thulu and I went upstairs to our master suite, my mind back on the meeting with Jones tomorrow. I had to admit, I was a bit intrigued that he had called. While I still had a lot of trepidation about him, it had been eased and replaced with anticipation. That was probably a bit naïve.
I set the tablet on the small morning table. I quickly organized my notes and emailed them to Nana. Thulu and I went about our nighttime routines, turned off the lights and sat together in the window seat that overlooked the lights of the city. We liked this final bit of time together each night.
“Well, today was different.” He twined his fingers with mine as I leaned back against him. “I'm starting to get a sense of something. I'm not sure what, but it's starting to tickle a bit.”
“Jones is going to be a handful. I'm taking my gun.”
“Agreed.” We sat in comfortable silence, Thulu's arms wrapped around me, each with our own thoughts.
Chapter 9
I woke to bright sunlight and an empty spot where Thulu slept. Typical. It had taken me hours to fall asleep. My brain had been going five million directions from Sunday, as Nana would say.
Thulu, of course, didn't have that problem. No matter what went on, he could instantly fall asleep anywhere. It was not one of his more endearing qualities, as far as I was concerned. My only perk was getting to watch him quietly for hours as he slept, while my brain churned through whatever waters it was navigating.
The last few years, I didn't have as many of those nights as I'd had in high school and college. Although every now and then I'd get one, like last night.
That morning, Thulu had let me sleep in, as he often did. It was after eleven. I can't say I was completely rested, but I wouldn't be dragging that day either.
I took my shower and got dressed, except for shoes. I didn't often bother with makeup, and that day was no exception. I grabbed my tablet and headed downstairs, stopping in the kitchen.
Thulu was in the study at the computer. I wandered in with my morning coke. He preferred coffee, often trying exotic blends that rarely tasted different to me. I had to admit they smelled awesome. I just found that they rarely tasted as good as they smelled.
Thulu smiled up at me as I leaned over to give him a one-armed hug and a kiss. I rested my head on top of his as I looked at the screen and his notes.
“Where are the kids?” I asked.
“Parker is out helping Jenna learn ghost things.”
I blinked at him, but let it pass as he continued.
“I talked to Mrs. Adams this morning, but she didn't know anything more than Susan did. Another dead end. Also, neither Seung Kang's nor Blake Dodd's bodies were found. Kang is listed as on a three year sabbatical, looking for Oriental artifacts around the world. Fi, I'm not believing how much information is missing on most of these people.”
“Really?” I pulled my chair over to sit next to him.
“Well, their disappearances, anyway. No one is alerting the cops about any of them. Even Jane's body has
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