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individual owner and imprinted with their personal energy. Now, thanks to Gert handling my stone, I’d have to cleanse and rededicate it.

    She replaced the moonstone and picked up my hematite. “What’s this little black rock?” she asked as she rubbed it.

    “Hematite,” I answered, trying not to wince at the sight of her handling yet another of my crystals.

    “And this?”

    She made a move toward my jade, but I grabbed her hand before she could touch it. Pumping her arm, I smiled.

    “Thanks again for coming in, Gert.” With a hand firmly in the middle of her back, I steered her away from my desk and my crystals.

    With reluctance, Gert allowed me to direct her toward the door. “It was delightful, Ophelia. As I said, I’ve heard so much about you.”

    With a nod of her spiky head, she walked confidently through the children’s section and toward the stairs.

     

    When I arrived home late that afternoon, I let the dogs in, checked the bathroom doors to make sure they were shut, and called Abby. I didn’t have much time. Tink would be home soon.

    Abby picked up on the second ring.

    “Is Aunt Dot with you?”

    “No.”

    “Good. Why didn’t we pick up on Mr. Buchanan’s murder?”

    Abby let out a long breath into the receiver. “I’ve thought about that question all day, and I don’t know the answer.” She sighed again. “The only reason I can come up with is we don’t always sense everyone’s death.”

    “But this wasn’t a simple case of someone meeting their natural end. This man was brutally murdered.”

    “I know,” she murmured.

    “Do you think Tink knew what would happen if she letdown her guard? Were the spirits trying to give her a warning? Spirits do warn the living, don’t they?”

    “I think so,” she replied softly.

    “Okay,” I said, my voice rising, “so how do I explain to a fourteen-year-old that she might have known in advance that someone was going to die? That she might have been able to stop a murder? That she failed because she didn’t listen? You know what kind of guilt she’ll feel, and you know what that can do to a person.”

    “I also know just because you’re a psychic, or a medium, you can’t stop every tragedy. It—”

    “That sucks!” I broke in with a shout, causing T.P. to yelp in bewilderment.

    “Yes, dear.” Abby’s voice was calm. “You’ve always made your feelings on that subject quite clear.”

    Shouting at Abby would serve no purpose, so I took a deep breath to get control of myself. “How do I help Tink?” I asked in a more reasonable tone. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to answer her questions.”

    “Would you like me to come over?”

    “With Aunt Dot in tow? I don’t think so,” I replied with sarcasm. “The less we say around her, the better.”

    “I agree.”

    I heard the front door slam. “Tink’s home. Got to go.” I ended the call before Abby could answer.

    Tink blew into the kitchen and went directly to the refrigerator. “I’m starving,” she said, flinging the door open. “What do we have to eat?”

    To my tired eyes, Tink’s hair looked even blonder after her day in the sun. A slight tan had kissed her fair skin. She looked so young, so happy, and I’d have given anything to shield her from what I was about to tell her. A deep sense of sadness settled in my heart, making it ache. How was Iever going to teach this child in one night the lesson that had taken me over thirty years to learn? But unless I wanted Tink to pay the same emotional price I had, I needed to try.

    “Tink,” I said in a quiet voice. “I’d like to talk to you. Let’s go in my office.”

    Alarmed, Tink turned and stared at me. “What’s wrong? Has something happened to Abby—”

    “No, no,” I said, cutting her off.

    “Jason’s changed his mind?”

    “No. I’ll explain in my office.”

    Taking her hand in mine, I led her to the room I used for my magick. The weight of my responsibility slowed my