"You're welcome to--" Gabriel turned as if watching her walk away. "You are coming, aren't you?"
"Of course. I set up the interview. You aren't stealing my witness. I believe there was also the promise of a mocha."
Patrick winced. Listening to Olivia was like hearing the understudy in the lead actor's role, trying to emulate the original but falling short. It sounded like Liv; it was not Liv. And as Patrick climbed out, he could tell Gabriel knew it.
"You wished to speak to me?" Gabriel said to him.
"I was...I, uh, was telling Liv that you guys need to be careful. With the ghost."
"All right..."
"I don't know much about them, and maybe this research isn't all that important for my book. In fact, I'm thinking of going in an entirely new direction."
"If that is an a
ttempt to avoid paying your bill--"
"I'll pay. I'll write you a check right now. And then you're done. You can get back to your regular work."
Sunglasses covered Gabriel's eyes, but Patrick could still feel them fixed on him. Looking for Patrick's angle, certain he had one. Then Gabriel glanced toward Liv, getting into the passenger seat, and with that Patrick knew he'd lost. Gwynn's Matilda had come home to him, and she wanted this. She wanted the case, and she wanted to work with him. That was enough.
Gabriel opened the driver's door. "Lydia will send your bill along with a report of our findings to date. If you wish to know any further details on our investigation, you will have to ask her to reopen your file, at the agreed-upon rate."
FIFTEEN
GABRIEL
Gabriel and Olivia had arrived at the apartment of one Angela Vogler. Twenty-six years old. Elementary school teacher. Currently home for the summer.
Fourteen months ago, Ms. Vogler had been driving along a rural highway outside of Chicago. She'd been returning to the city after breaking it off with her fiance. Despite her emotional turmoil, she'd stopped upon seeing a young woman at the side of the road. A blonde in a white sundress.
Ms. Vogler was Rose's former client. The one who'd fled after a second session. The one Rose had a prophetic dream about, suggesting Ms. Vogler might be a suicide risk. Yet she was, fourteen months later, still alive and, moreover, had agreed to see them.
As Olivia made the introductions, Ms. Vogler turned to Gabriel and said, "You look like your aunt," with a small smile that suggested this was not cause for alarm. Had it been, Olivia would hardly have linked their story to Rose.
"As I explained on the phone," Olivia said, "Gabriel's aunt, whom you know by her professional name of Rosalyn, has been threatened with legal action. We're hoping to compile enough contrary evidence to convince the plaintiff not to file suit. The best way to do that isn't to gather statements from satisfied customers, but from those who expressed dissatisfaction."
"Like I said on the phone, I wasn't dissatisfied. I just...I decided a psychic wasn't right for me." Her cheeks reddened. "I shouldn't have gone to one in the first place. It's not really my thing." She glanced at Gabriel. "No offense to your aunt. She was super nice. It just wasn't for me."
"I know that Rosalyn contacted you after you left," Olivia said. "Your mother wasn't pleased by that, and we're concerned it could be misinterpreted as a predatory practice. Calling to lure you back."
"No, no. It was clear she was just checking up. My mom can be a bit protective. And psychics really aren't her thing either. But Rosalyn only asked how I was doing, and she never called again. She didn't even bill me for the session I walked out on. I was ready to pay. I can still do that."
"No need," Olivia said. "But we would like to ask a few questions about the nature of your visit. Anything you tell us is in complete confidence. Once we hear your story, we can determine whether the complainant's lawyer might try to call on you as a witness."
Ms. Vogler's eyes rounded. "A witness? In a lawsuit?"
"We're trying to make sure it doesn't go that far," Olivia said. "And if it does, then the more you can tell us, the less likely it'll be that you'll be summoned. Now, we have some idea what you spoke to Rosalyn about, but she wanted to protect your privacy, so we'll need to ask for the full story from you."
Ms. Vogler's version matched what Rose had told Gabriel. She'd come to Rose for reassurance that what she'd seen on the road that rainy night had not been a ghost.
"Which is obvious, right?" Ms. Vogler gave an embarrassed laugh, her hands fluttering. "It just--it seemed so real, and I had to know. I was just..."
"Compelled?" Olivia said.
Ms. Vogler nodded. "Exactly. This overwhelming compulsion to get an answer. To have someone tell me I didn't see a ghost. I know it sounds silly..."
"Unnerving is what I'd call it," Olivia said. "You try to help someone, and she not only took off but tricked you into thinking you saw a ghost. I'd want answers, too. Preferably the kind that said I didn't see a ghost."