potions?”
“I’ve never gotten into it that much with her. She tried to drag me into the occult when she found out I had certain...sensitivities, but I shut her down.”
“Must be a genetic thing from your—dad?”
“Yes, dear old dad is a powerful brujo.”
“Okay, wait a minute.” He splayed his hands on the table and hunched forward. “I know you never told me that. I thought your dad was a musician who told fortunes.”
“He’s a musician and a brujo.”
“Is that why he and your mom divorced?”
“Oh, it was one of many issues.” She sipped her tea and then wrapped her hands around the warm cup. “He was all in favor of developing my psychic talents, but Mom put the brakes on that.”
“Wow.” Eric tapped his chin with his fingertips. “It’s weird that you got this case.”
She snapped her brows together. “Why is it weird? I’m working serial killers in the West. We’ve got a serial killer in the West.”
He smoothed his thumb across the back of her hand. “I’m just saying. It’s a coincidence.”
“Like it’s a coincidence that Liz Fielding was wearing the same necklace and may be a member of the same coven as the woman who was involved in your kidnapping?”
His thumb stopped its circular motion on her hand. “What are you saying? Like you mentioned before, I’m working serial killers in the Western Division, and here we are.”
“Maybe it’s some force at work.” Her hands encompassed a ball in the air. “Maybe we’re meant to work this case—together.”
“Then let’s do it.” He encircled her wrists with his fingers. “Tell me what you know about witches and covens.”
“I wish I knew more. My mother told me that people used to come and see Dad for help, mostly communicating with dead relatives. He acted as a medium.”
“You were too young to see any of this, right?”
“Oh, yeah. Dad left before I was five.”
“He remarried?”
“No.”
“Your half sister?”
“My father’s a musician and a brujo. He didn’t need marriage to procreate.”
“So he handed down his gifts to another daughter? One whose mother didn’t mind the development of the talent?”
“Mind? She may have encouraged it. There are a few women who would seek out a brujo just for that purpose.”
“To have a baby with him?”
She nodded over the steam rising from her cup.
“What kind of woman would use a baby as a pawn?”
Christina coughed. “You can never understand other people’s motives.”
“Seems pretty low to me.”
“Anyway,” she continued, tapping the table as if to bring his focus back, “that’s about all I know. I’m not sure what kind of witchcraft Vivi practices.”
Eric sketched out the symbol on a napkin. “Do you think she’s in the same coven as Nora and Liz?”
“I don’t know, but what about your guy in San Diego and the other woman in Portland?”
“We’re going to have to comb through the files and look for the link. We weren’t looking at witchcraft, were we?”
“Nope. We got our break tonight.”
He drained his cup. “Let’s call it a night and see if we can link the other two murders to this coven. Where is your father, anyway?”
“Mexico. Why? Did you think you could use him for research?”
“Where’s Vivi?”
“Great. You’re going to try to question her? I think she’s in Big Sur.”
“We can always make a return trip to Kindred Spirits.”
“One thing at a time. We need to make sure this theory applies to the other two victims, or we’re dead in the water.”
“I have a feeling about this one.”
“Now that makes two of us with feelings. We should open our own detective agency.”
“And compete with my little brother, Judd?”
“Ah, but does Judd have feelings? ”
He snorted. “He actually has very few of those.”
“Let’s head back. I’m really curious to look at those case files now.”
Tossing his half-full coffee cup into the trash, he asked, “We are going to bed first,
“I’ve never gotten into it that much with her. She tried to drag me into the occult when she found out I had certain...sensitivities, but I shut her down.”
“Must be a genetic thing from your—dad?”
“Yes, dear old dad is a powerful brujo.”
“Okay, wait a minute.” He splayed his hands on the table and hunched forward. “I know you never told me that. I thought your dad was a musician who told fortunes.”
“He’s a musician and a brujo.”
“Is that why he and your mom divorced?”
“Oh, it was one of many issues.” She sipped her tea and then wrapped her hands around the warm cup. “He was all in favor of developing my psychic talents, but Mom put the brakes on that.”
“Wow.” Eric tapped his chin with his fingertips. “It’s weird that you got this case.”
She snapped her brows together. “Why is it weird? I’m working serial killers in the West. We’ve got a serial killer in the West.”
He smoothed his thumb across the back of her hand. “I’m just saying. It’s a coincidence.”
“Like it’s a coincidence that Liz Fielding was wearing the same necklace and may be a member of the same coven as the woman who was involved in your kidnapping?”
His thumb stopped its circular motion on her hand. “What are you saying? Like you mentioned before, I’m working serial killers in the Western Division, and here we are.”
“Maybe it’s some force at work.” Her hands encompassed a ball in the air. “Maybe we’re meant to work this case—together.”
“Then let’s do it.” He encircled her wrists with his fingers. “Tell me what you know about witches and covens.”
“I wish I knew more. My mother told me that people used to come and see Dad for help, mostly communicating with dead relatives. He acted as a medium.”
“You were too young to see any of this, right?”
“Oh, yeah. Dad left before I was five.”
“He remarried?”
“No.”
“Your half sister?”
“My father’s a musician and a brujo. He didn’t need marriage to procreate.”
“So he handed down his gifts to another daughter? One whose mother didn’t mind the development of the talent?”
“Mind? She may have encouraged it. There are a few women who would seek out a brujo just for that purpose.”
“To have a baby with him?”
She nodded over the steam rising from her cup.
“What kind of woman would use a baby as a pawn?”
Christina coughed. “You can never understand other people’s motives.”
“Seems pretty low to me.”
“Anyway,” she continued, tapping the table as if to bring his focus back, “that’s about all I know. I’m not sure what kind of witchcraft Vivi practices.”
Eric sketched out the symbol on a napkin. “Do you think she’s in the same coven as Nora and Liz?”
“I don’t know, but what about your guy in San Diego and the other woman in Portland?”
“We’re going to have to comb through the files and look for the link. We weren’t looking at witchcraft, were we?”
“Nope. We got our break tonight.”
He drained his cup. “Let’s call it a night and see if we can link the other two murders to this coven. Where is your father, anyway?”
“Mexico. Why? Did you think you could use him for research?”
“Where’s Vivi?”
“Great. You’re going to try to question her? I think she’s in Big Sur.”
“We can always make a return trip to Kindred Spirits.”
“One thing at a time. We need to make sure this theory applies to the other two victims, or we’re dead in the water.”
“I have a feeling about this one.”
“Now that makes two of us with feelings. We should open our own detective agency.”
“And compete with my little brother, Judd?”
“Ah, but does Judd have feelings? ”
He snorted. “He actually has very few of those.”
“Let’s head back. I’m really curious to look at those case files now.”
Tossing his half-full coffee cup into the trash, he asked, “We are going to bed first,
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