“My sister? Have you heard about her?” Nick had no idea why it was suddenly so important for him to make contact with his family. His stepfather he wanted nothing to do with…nor his mother for that matter. But his sister was all he’d had in the world back then, and now she was about all he had thought about lately. “Her name is Ana Stark. Any word on her?”
“She is lost to me. I have done what I could, but I do believe that she is with someone that is keeping her…safe, I think. I do have my feelings out there.” Nick corrected Carlton. “Feelers. I have my feelers out there. Should you need anything else? I have a reading lesson with Miss Kari. And her baby, she does talk to us, and it is such a joy to hear her.”
“No, you go ahead. But when you find out anything, just let me know.”
Carlton assured him that he would. Standing in the hall, Nick looked at the pictures that were lining the walls and wondered if any of them had this much trouble with their relatives. As he made his way into the bedroom again, Connie, Steele’s grandmother, appeared. She looked in a fine temper, as Carlton would say.
“I should have known you’d have that old buzzard helping you. Should you like the information I have?” Nick smiled and told her he was just coming to find her. “Don’t try to kid an old woman. I’ve been around a good deal longer than you, and can spot a lie when I see it. A good one, but a lie all the same.”
“I’m sorry. I knew that you were helping Aster with Addie, and I thought that she might be safer with you and not Donny.” She smiled at him. “He’s only twelve, but I think he has the mind of a much older teenager.”
“He’s just testing his waters. Poor young man.” Nick leaned against the wall and waited for her to tell him what she knew. “Addie is being hunted. I’m sure the buzzard told you that, but what you might want to know is who your stepfather is hooked up with. It’s Joel Delaney.”
“Why does that name…I think I’ve heard the name before, haven’t I? The dead man from the other day, right?” She nodded and told him to think hard. “I haven’t been able to do that for a few days now. I know I should rest, but there…Addison is here, and I’m scared out of my mind that I’ll hurt her.”
“It’s what your stepfather wants you to think. And Delaney, he was killed in Evangeline Simon-English’s home.” Nick nodded, then when it hit him he stood up straight. “Yes. One and the same. And this man, this Delaney person, he’s got it in his head that Addie belongs to him. No matter what the circumstances of their lives.”
“And now he’s hooked up with my stepfather. Christ.” She only tisked at him, and Nick told her he was sorry. “They can’t come here, not on this property or in the house. Steele did something to it, and now only the ones we invite will be able to come here.”
“Delaney might be able to. She is his, or at least he believes so. And I’m afraid that he might be able to bring Dane here as well.” He was going to talk to Steele about that. There was something there that might help them, he was sure of it. “You should also know that the Wooten woman is on the run now. The police have put out a manhunt for her, but I don’t think they’re having a great deal of luck finding her. I’m working on that too with Steele and his mother, Beth.”
Nick never understood all the things that Steele could do, but recently, since meeting and marrying Kari, his powers had been coming out more and more. Like the protection around the house. Before any and all ghosts could come here. Now only a few could enter, and those were usually very old and related somehow to the ghosts already here. And since Beth had started to help them out with smaller things, he’d noticed that there were more and more ghosts that hung around the yard too. He looked at Connie when she cleared her throat.
“I’ve called in a few favors to have them keep an eye out for them, but you know that sometimes it’s hard to get what you need across to some of the dead.” Nick knew that as well. They had a hard time adjusting to being in a state that rendered them incapable of doing the things they used to do. “But I am working on it. It’s frustrating, but I’m working on it.”
“Does Steele know all this?” She told him he did. As did Kari. “I should maybe leave here, don’t you think? I mean, the type of anger that my stepfather has, it might be too much for Steele to deal with. Especially with his baby on the way.”
“Nonsense. You’re going to stay here or I’ll have to be very upset with you.” She looked at the closed door to the room that Addie was in. “She’s waking. And so you know, there is no knowledge that she has any powers beyond talking to you in her dreams. I’m not sure what she can do, but she’s stronger than she was before. A great deal.”