Chapter Fifty-Seven

Chapter Fifty-seven

“Do you think Cutler Steen’s daughter poisoned him?” Pallas asked.

“No,” Amelia said. “But I think she figured out very quickly that someone was adulterating the version of the drug that Steen and Falcon and the rest of the security team were taking. She apparently decided not to warn her father. But she couldn’t be certain the serum would do the job so she planted the explosives on the boat as a backup.”

It was almost five o’clock in the afternoon and the entire podcast team plus Gideon and Shelton were gathered in her apartment. She had poured some expensive wine from Irene’s curated stash for everyone and was now on the kitchen side of the island, prepping the hors d’oeuvre trays that had just been delivered.

Talia March and Luke Rand were seated on the sofa. They had hired a charter pilot to fly them back to Seattle from the San Juan Islands. In the city they had picked up Phoebe Hatch and boarded a flight to San Diego. Phoebe was in a chair near the balcony door, phone in hand. She was glued to the screen.

Pallas Llewellyn and Ambrose Drake occupied the chairs that faced the sofa.

Shelton had somehow managed to commandeer the recliner. That left Gideon with a barstool. He was angled on it, one foot braced on the floor. His cane was hooked over the edge of the dining counter.

The explosion in the cove and the arrests of some men suspected of transporting and distributing illegal drugs had barely made a ripple in the mainstream media. Just another drug bust. But Phoebe was tracking the online activity and reporting in every few minutes. Evidently the Lost Night Files podcast fans were celebrating their triumph on social media and word about the closing of the case was drawing considerable attention.

Pallas looked at Amelia. “Irene decided to monitor you because she thought you might be a success story?”

“Yes.” Amelia took some plates down out of a cupboard. “Until recently Cutler Steen had written off all of us as failed experiments. Yes, we had survived, but we weren’t exhibiting any indication of psychic talents.”

Shelton spoke up from the recliner. “Like I told the government people when I was compiling that list back in the day, it’s damn hard to measure or prove paranormal talent, especially if the test subject doesn’t see any reason to cooperate in the process.”

“Eventually, though, Steen concluded that Irene might be right about Amelia’s talent,” Gideon said. “If nothing else, he wanted to know why she and the rest of you weren’t deteriorating the way he and Falcon and the others were. I think he targeted Amelia for kidnapping because she was still on her own. She lived alone and there was no close family in the area. It should have been an easy grab-and-go job, but things got complicated.”

Luke raised his brows. “Because Amelia realized she was being stalked and decided to hire a professional investigator, one who had some serious talent.”

Amelia looked at Gideon and smiled proudly. “Thanks to Shelton’s list, I got a first-class investigator.”

“That damned list,” Shelton groaned. “I never expected to see it resurface, not after all this time.”

Phoebe yelped in excitement and waved her phone. “Listen to this. We added a thousand new subscribers today and more are joining by the minute. With numbers like these we’re going to have sponsors begging us to take their cash.”

There was a short silence. Everyone looked at Phoebe.

Amelia knew they were all wondering the same thing. “And what are we going to do with that cash, assuming it does roll in?”

Phoebe stared at her, appalled. “What do you mean?”

Pallas took a breath. “She means we have to make a decision about the future of the podcast. The Lost Night Files has solved the mystery and closed the case it was created to close. Cutler Steen is dead. He won’t be running any more drug trials. Our only connection to him is Irene, and she has vanished.”

“What about the Aurora Islands Pharmaceutical Laboratory?” Talia asked.

“We can’t quit now,” Phoebe declared, passion infusing the words. “There are still so many questions to be answered. Who was making the enhancement formula? How many people on that list got one or more doses of the drug? Is the government somehow involved?”

“She’s right,” Shelton announced from the recliner. “Lots of questions left to answer.” He sounded pleased.

“Phoebe and Shelton have a point,” Ambrose said. “This is decision time for the podcast.”

“Are we talking about keeping it going?” Amelia asked. “Because that would fit perfectly with my own career objectives.”

“ Yes ,” Phoebe said.

Ambrose smiled. “I’m in. Hell, I’m a writer. I can always use the plot material.”

Pallas picked up her wineglass. “I agree. We can’t quit now. We’re just getting started.”

“There must be more people like us out there,” Phoebe said. “People who need investigators who specialize in cases involving the paranormal.”

Talia pushed her glasses higher on her nose. She looked intrigued. “If we’re serious about this, we have to start turning a real profit.”

“Whoa,” Gideon said. “You all need to slow down and give this some careful thought. I’ve been doing this investigation work for a while, and I can tell you, it’s not as simple and straightforward as you seem to believe—”

A series of sharp raps sounded on the door. Amelia and everyone else in the room except Gideon went still.

Gideon, cane gripped in his left hand, was on his feet, heading for the front door.

Shelton eased the recliner to the upright position and stood.

“Hang on.” Amelia whipped out from behind the island and hurried toward the door. “Let’s not overreact here. It might be the real estate agent who tried to contact me while I was in Lucent Springs, the one with the waterfront listing. I could really use a high-end client.”

She reached the door a step ahead of Gideon and went up on her toes to get a good look through the peephole. She groaned when she saw a familiar face.

“Relax, everyone,” she said. “It’s Dr. Pike, my ex-therapist.”

The others were all on their feet now. No one looked relaxed.

Another short, sharp series of raps sounded on the door.

“Amelia? Are you in there? It’s Dr. Pike. Please answer the door. I’ve been worried about you.”

“I’m fine, Dr. Pike,” she said. She started to unlock the first of the three locks.

“I’ll open the door,” Gideon said, easing her aside. “I’ve got a few questions for Pike.”

“Oh, for goodness’ sake,” Amelia muttered. “He’s harmless.”

“That’s what you thought about your neighbor Irene.” Gideon raised his voice. “Stand back, Pike. Hands where I can see them. I’m going to open the door. One wrong move and you will not be a happy camper.”

“Amelia,” Pike yelped. “I’m on my phone. I’m calling nine-one-one.”

“I’m all right, Dr. Pike,” she shouted. “Honest. Gideon, stop fooling around. You’re embarrassing me. Open the door.”

She was mildly surprised when he did just that.

Pike stumbled backward, clutching his phone. He stared at Gideon and then he saw Shelton, Luke, and Ambrose looming in the front hall. Panic flashed in his eyes but he did not run.

“Amelia?” he said.

“Come in, Dr. Pike. It’s time you met my friends. Would you like a glass of wine?”

“You heard her,” Gideon said. “Come in. I want to talk to you.”

Pike moved nervously into the hall. Gideon shut the door before he could change his mind.

Amelia herded the crowd back into the living room. “Sit down, everyone. Dr. Pike, let me introduce you.” She went around the room. When she was finished she smiled. “This is my therapist, Dr. Norris Pike. He was trying to help me deal with a little phobia I developed a few weeks ago.”

Shelton spoke up sharply. “Pike? Dr. Norris Pike? Editor of the Pike Journal of Parapsychology ?”

Pike widened his eyes. “You know my work, sir?”

Shelton chuckled and held out his hand. “Longtime subscriber and occasional contributor. You have been gracious enough to publish a few of my papers. I write under the name S. W. Sweet.”

“What a pleasure to meet you.” Pike seized Shelton’s hand and shook it with great force. “I have admired your work for years. Your theories on the para-physics of aura resonance are brilliant. This is a wonderful surprise.” He looked around. “Can I assume we are among like-minded friends?”

Shelton chuckled. “We are.”

“I had a feeling that might be the case after a couple of sessions with Amelia,” Pike continued. “But I didn’t want to alarm her. I knew she was already afraid she might be delusional. And at that point I couldn’t be certain she wasn’t. I intended to ease her into the possibility that she had developed some genuine psychic ability. The next thing I know she disappears into the desert for a couple of days with a man she never mentioned in therapy. Given her phobia, that just didn’t make sense. I was convinced she was in terrible danger but I knew the police wouldn’t pay any attention to me.”

“Excuse me.” Tired of being discussed as if she wasn’t in the room, Amelia clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. She looked at Shelton and Pike. “It’s a lovely day. Why don’t you two take some chips and wine out onto the balcony and chat? Sounds like you have a lot to talk about.”

Ten minutes later Shelton and Pike had been banished to the balcony with their snacks and wine and were engaged in animated conversation.

Phoebe looked up from her phone. “Another wave of subscribers is rolling in. Paying subscribers. We’ve hit critical mass, people.”

Talia took charge, as she was inclined to do. “Pallas, Amelia, The Lost Night Files is our creation. We need to make the decision. Do we move forward or do we shut down the project?”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Phoebe bounced to her feet and waved the phone. “Before you decide, you need to know that we just got our first sponsor. An outfit called the Foundation. What’s more, the operation is offering to give us some actual grant money.”

“What’s the Foundation?” Gideon asked.

“Some kind of private research firm, apparently,” Phoebe said, reading off her phone. “The director is a guy named Victor Arganbright.”

Luke grimaced. “It’s legit. Headquarters are in Las Vegas. They’ve got ties back to the old Bluestone Project. But I should warn you there may be a few catches. The Foundation has cash but it also has links to a small government entity, the Agency for the Investigation of Atypical Phenomena.”

It was Gideon’s turn to wince. “Government connections can get…complicated.”

“Just ask someone who writes thrillers,” Ambrose said. “Someone like me, for example. Do you have any idea how many clandestine intelligence and investigation agencies and businesses are funded by government money? And none of them know what the others are doing.”

The balcony door opened. Shelton and Pike walked back into the room. Both men were flushed with enthusiasm.

Shelton held up an empty chip bowl. “Can we get another round?”

“Yes, of course.” Amelia went back behind the island. “We’re celebrating because we just got our first sponsor and it’s offering grant money.”

“Congratulations,” Pike said.

Shelton squinted a little. “Who or what is the sponsor?”

“It’s called the Foundation,” Phoebe said. “Ever heard of it?”

Shelton stared at her, astonished. “Well, I’ll be damned,” he said in reverent tones. “I thought that operation was just a legend.”

Pike whistled softly. “So did I.”

“It’s real,” Luke said. “For better or worse.”

“That settles it as far as I’m concerned,” Amelia said. “With that kind of backing, we can make the podcast work. I vote we keep it going.”

“So do I,” Talia said.

Pallas nodded. “I vote yes, too.”

Amelia raised her wineglass. “We’re in this together.”

“Until we get answers,” Talia said.

“Until we get answers,” Pallas concluded.

“ The Lost Night Files will ride again,” Phoebe said.

Luke looked at Gideon and Ambrose. “Why do I have the feeling that life is going to remain interesting?”

Ambrose grunted. “You must be psychic.”

Talia looked at Shelton and Pike. “We could use a couple of researchers with some scientific expertise in the paranormal.”

“Absolutely,” Pallas said.

“Definitely,” Amelia added.

Shelton brightened. “I’m in.”

Pike was intrigued. “So am I.”

Gideon cleared his throat. Everyone looked at him.

“You’re talking about getting involved with a mysterious sponsor that maintains clandestine government connections,” he said. “You’re going to be dealing with complicated contracts. There will be a lot of cash that will have to be protected and invested. You’ll need to consider the financial side of things. Taxes. Payouts to the principals. Expenses. You will have to come up with a solid business plan.”

Amelia gave him a glowing smile. “Luckily we have you on the team.”

“I had a feeling I was doomed to become the bookkeeper,” Gideon said.

Shelton chuckled. “I told you that business degree would come in handy someday.”