himself once again studying the young woman with the wide eyes who was supposed to help him.
The girl who spoke to ghosts, or so Eddie said.
He paused for a moment. She was stunning, and in a way a woman like Helena would never understand. Those eyes of hers! Blue as the sky and framed by rich dark lashes. Her face was a classic oval that no amount of money could buy. Her dark hair was long and naturally wavy. He couldn’t avoid noticing that her body was shapely, lean, athletic—with curves in all the right places. Curves that weren’t exposed by a low-cut neckline or contained in sausage-skin pants.
Startled by his assessment—and trying to tell himself that it was so positive because he really disliked Helena—he stood again, glancing at her apologetically.
“I’m sorry, Madison. I’m fumbling all over the place.”
“No, I’m sorry. I dropped the keys,” Eddie muttered.
“It’s understandable, Eddie,” Madison said. “And I’m just fine.”
“I was driving competently all day, I swear it,” Eddie insisted, half-humorously.
Sean grinned. “We know. We drove with you.”
“All right. I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” Eddie said.
“As I said, I’ll see Alistair,” Sean told him. “Can you tell them I’ll be there, midmorning?”
“Definitely, and he’ll be glad to see you—and Madison, too. Will you come and assure him he has friends?” Eddie asked he SddiDefiniter.
“Yes,” Madison said. “Of course I will.”
Eddie nodded, his expression grateful. “They’re giving Alistair a sedative tonight. Doctor says he’ll sleep for hours.” He looked at Sean again. “If the cops could just understand what this has done to him, how he’s feeling…they’d know he couldn’t have done it.”
Helena put a hand on his shoulder. “Are they keeping the studio closed, Eddie? What about the work you have going on?”
“We’re still down tomorrow. We’ll be back up in a day,” Eddie said, frowning.
“You have so many people depending on you for their livelihood, dear,” Helena said softly. “Like Madison.”
“I’m okay with whatever you choose to do,” Madison told Eddie. “As I’m sure everyone at the studio is.”
Eddie almost smiled. “The police want to go through the studio once more. And then, apparently, it’s all right for business to go on as usual, even if your son had been accused of murder and a girl died horribly on your property. Oh, Sean, I’m assuming your team will want to search the place, too?”
Sean nodded. He was fairly certain that Eddie believed their relationship meant there was someone who cared actively seeking the truth. He also realized that Eddie Archer had read up on the Krewe of Hunters. And he might have called them in simply because he had a greater belief in the FBI—or because he’d learned something about the Krewe and hoped that one of them could just speak to a ghost and come up with the answer he wanted.
It was never that easy. But tonight wasn’t the time to tell Eddie that the Krewe worked like any other law enforcement agency, searching out clues, forensics and facts.
“Eddie, you need rest,” Sean said. “I know it’s hard, but try to get some sleep.”
“Yes. Yes, thank you,” Eddie murmured. “Oh, hey! It’s late. How about dinner? Would you like me to cook something?”
Normally, Sean would’ve said yes.Cooking would have taken Eddie’s mind off his situation. But he still had things to do, things he wanted done that night.
“We can stop at an In-N-Out Burger, if that works for you, Madison?”
“Nothing like a burger,” she said.
They moved to the door.
“Thank you so much for coming.” Helena nodded her head regally.
“Thank you for your hospitality,” Sean said.
Madison waved to Pierce, who was hovering behind the group. He solemnly raised a hand in farewell.
As they went out to the front, Eddie followed them, pointing to a new Prius in the driveway. “I’ll hit the key guard on the gate,” he said.
“And get in, get
The girl who spoke to ghosts, or so Eddie said.
He paused for a moment. She was stunning, and in a way a woman like Helena would never understand. Those eyes of hers! Blue as the sky and framed by rich dark lashes. Her face was a classic oval that no amount of money could buy. Her dark hair was long and naturally wavy. He couldn’t avoid noticing that her body was shapely, lean, athletic—with curves in all the right places. Curves that weren’t exposed by a low-cut neckline or contained in sausage-skin pants.
Startled by his assessment—and trying to tell himself that it was so positive because he really disliked Helena—he stood again, glancing at her apologetically.
“I’m sorry, Madison. I’m fumbling all over the place.”
“No, I’m sorry. I dropped the keys,” Eddie muttered.
“It’s understandable, Eddie,” Madison said. “And I’m just fine.”
“I was driving competently all day, I swear it,” Eddie insisted, half-humorously.
Sean grinned. “We know. We drove with you.”
“All right. I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” Eddie said.
“As I said, I’ll see Alistair,” Sean told him. “Can you tell them I’ll be there, midmorning?”
“Definitely, and he’ll be glad to see you—and Madison, too. Will you come and assure him he has friends?” Eddie asked he SddiDefiniter.
“Yes,” Madison said. “Of course I will.”
Eddie nodded, his expression grateful. “They’re giving Alistair a sedative tonight. Doctor says he’ll sleep for hours.” He looked at Sean again. “If the cops could just understand what this has done to him, how he’s feeling…they’d know he couldn’t have done it.”
Helena put a hand on his shoulder. “Are they keeping the studio closed, Eddie? What about the work you have going on?”
“We’re still down tomorrow. We’ll be back up in a day,” Eddie said, frowning.
“You have so many people depending on you for their livelihood, dear,” Helena said softly. “Like Madison.”
“I’m okay with whatever you choose to do,” Madison told Eddie. “As I’m sure everyone at the studio is.”
Eddie almost smiled. “The police want to go through the studio once more. And then, apparently, it’s all right for business to go on as usual, even if your son had been accused of murder and a girl died horribly on your property. Oh, Sean, I’m assuming your team will want to search the place, too?”
Sean nodded. He was fairly certain that Eddie believed their relationship meant there was someone who cared actively seeking the truth. He also realized that Eddie Archer had read up on the Krewe of Hunters. And he might have called them in simply because he had a greater belief in the FBI—or because he’d learned something about the Krewe and hoped that one of them could just speak to a ghost and come up with the answer he wanted.
It was never that easy. But tonight wasn’t the time to tell Eddie that the Krewe worked like any other law enforcement agency, searching out clues, forensics and facts.
“Eddie, you need rest,” Sean said. “I know it’s hard, but try to get some sleep.”
“Yes. Yes, thank you,” Eddie murmured. “Oh, hey! It’s late. How about dinner? Would you like me to cook something?”
Normally, Sean would’ve said yes.Cooking would have taken Eddie’s mind off his situation. But he still had things to do, things he wanted done that night.
“We can stop at an In-N-Out Burger, if that works for you, Madison?”
“Nothing like a burger,” she said.
They moved to the door.
“Thank you so much for coming.” Helena nodded her head regally.
“Thank you for your hospitality,” Sean said.
Madison waved to Pierce, who was hovering behind the group. He solemnly raised a hand in farewell.
As they went out to the front, Eddie followed them, pointing to a new Prius in the driveway. “I’ll hit the key guard on the gate,” he said.
“And get in, get
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