Lily Dale: Discovering Part 22

She can't find you now, though.

She's in jail.

Unless . . .

What if, by some fluke, she's out?

What if she follows the trail Laura tried so hard to cover and finds her way to New York City?

If she finds her way here, to this h.e.l.l's Kitchen address, and asks Liz about Laura, Liz- who can talk to a wall-is bound to spill the details.

I can always ask her not to, if anyone comes looking for me.

But that might make her suspicious.

She might go to the police.

Then what?

Laura glances at her watch and tries to sound casual as she tells Liz, "I have to get going. I've got a new temp job and I've never been to this address before."

"Oh, where is it? Maybe I can give you directions."

"I'm pretty sure I know where I'm going."

"But you don't want to get lost,"Liz persists. "What's the address?"

Laura consults the sc.r.a.p of paper in her hand. "It's Thirty Rocke feller Plaza."

SIXTEEN.

Lily Dale

Thursday, October 11

3:31 p.m.

"Wow, you're moving in slow motion today,"Evangeline comments as she and Calla head toward home after school beneath a shared umbrella. "Are you feeling okay?"

"It's not that, it's just . . ."Calla hesitates, idly watching a pair of spirit orbs floating past them.

This morning, she had been planning to tell Evangeline on the way to school about the detectives. But then they started talking about Jacy, and about Cornell, and then Blue gave them a ride, and she didn't get the chance.

Now that the meeting is imminent, she's not sure she's in the mood to discuss it.

Then again, Evangeline knows something is wrong.

And sometimes, she reminds herself, it helps to talk about things. Lately, her tendency has been to keep things bottled up until her emotions explode every which way. That's not good for anyone.

And the Lily Dale gate is visible just ahead. Time is running out.

"So, remember how I told you that I had to talk to the police back in Florida about what happened?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, they're here now, and they want to talk to me again. And I'm kind of scared."

"About what they're going to tell you?"

"About that,"she takes a deep breath, "and about what I'm going to tell them."

Quickly, she fills in the details Evangeline didn't already know about the baby, about Darrin's murder and the connection to her mother's.

"Wow, Calla."Evangeline drapes a supportive arm around her shoulders. "Do you want me to come with you to talk to the detectives?"

"No, I know you have your Crystal Healing cla.s.s in a little while."

"I can skip it."

"No, you should go. I'll be okay. My grandmother will be there."

"What about your dad?"

Calla shakes her head. "He doesn't know ."

"Don't you think he should?"

"Yes, but I don't want him to hear every last detail. At least, not from me. If he's there, I know I won't be able to talk."

"I don't think I would, either. Wow, Calla. Poor you."

Yeah. Poor me, she thinks.

But she forces a smile at Evangeline. "I'll get through it. Things can only get better, right?"

"Definitely."

They've reached the gate, which is untended at this time of year. As they pa.s.s the gatehouse, Calla is surprised to see a man sitting there. Then she realizes he's wearing Victorian clothing, and isn't exactly solid.

He tips his hat at her with a smile, and she can't help but smile back.

"Hey, what did Blue want to talk to you about this morning?"Evangline asks. "Wait-don't tell me. He wants to go out with you again, right?"

"Wrong."

"Really? Because I figured that the second he saw you with Jacy, he'd want you back."

"He never had me,"Calla points out.

"Yeah, funny how he didn't realize that, don't you think?"

She doesn't know what to think about Blue, and right now, he's not the Slayton she's worried about.

"Evangeline, he said his father wants to talk to me about my mother."

"Whoa."

"I know ."

"That's pretty amazing. When it comes to David Slayton, there's no fooling around. He totally means business. Unlike his son."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, Blue Slayton is a big fat fraud. I've been hearing people say that for years, but I figured they were just jealous. Nope. He's about as psychic as that rock."

She gestures at a large boulder on the side of the road. As she looks at it, Calla sees a familiar impish figure materialize on top of it: the little Depression- era kid she's seen a few times now.

He balances on one foot, pretends to lose his balance, then turns and grins at Calla, clearly taunting her.

Half amused, half irritated, she turns away.

"You don't know for sure that Blue isn't psychic,"she points out to Evangeline.

"Come on, I just pointed out that if he were so psychic, he would have figured out that he didn't have you wrapped around his finger like all the other girls, and maybe he would have figured out that you were into Jacy, too. But he didn't, did he? Did he ever even ask you about it?"

"No,"Calla admits.

"And did you hear the stuff he said about your Florida trip? I mean, you weren't exactly lounging around on the beach in a bathing suit, were you?"

"No, but-"

"If Blue had any intuition, he would have sensed that you weren't okay. I mean, it's not like I'm the best medium in town- or anywhere close- but even I had a feeling something was wrong last weekend."

"I know ."

"So why didn't he?"Evangeline doesn't wait for a response. "I'll tell you why not. Because he fakes his abilities."

"I never heard him say he was a medium,"Calla points out. "It's not like he's got a s.h.i.+ngle hanging with his name on it."

"No, but people are always saying he's, like, the son of this supergifted medium."

"I thought people are always saying he's a fraud."

Evangeline shrugs. "Different people say different things. You've hung out with him. What do you think?"

"I think it must be really hard to be Blue Slayton."

And she's got to get in touch with David Slayton as soon as possible.

Blue gave her his cell phone number but warned her that he doesn't like to keep it turned on when he's traveling and doing readings. He says it interferes with spirit energy.

"Well, does he check his messages?"she asked, wondering how Blue feels about not being able to reach his father if he needs him.

"Usually. But not every day."

Great. David Slayton is in England through the weekend, conducting a series of psychic seminars. If he doesn't get her message before she leaves with Dad on Friday after school, she'll have no choice but to wait until Monday and wonder what he can possibly have to tell her about Mom.

There's an unfamiliar dark sedan parked at the curb when Calla reaches her grandmother's house.

"They're here,"Evangeline observes. "Are you sure you don't want me to come in with you?"

No. She isn't sure at all.

But Evangeline has her cla.s.s to go to, and anyway, Odelia's car is here, too. She'll lend moral support if Calla needs it.

Who is she kidding?

She'll definitely need it.

"I'll be okay,"she tells Evangeline.

"Call me later and let me know how it goes."

"I will."

"And tell them everything, Calla. They need to know ."

"I will,"she promises again, and steps out from beneath Evangeline's umbrella.