Harmonized (5 page)

Jules cleared her throat. “I'm a woman, not a girl.”

“Please, come in.” Crap! He'd left Seth standing in the hallway. Zig gestured them both into the room. He quickly deposited the pizza on the coffee table while the couple strode through the door, hand-in-hand.

“I swear, you call me a girl just to annoy me,” Jules said to Seth before giving Zig a big hug. “Hi, Z. Great to see you.”

Zig laughed and hugged her back with both arms despite the ache zinging to his left shoulder. She'd have definitely noticed and fussed over him if she thought he was still in pain. “Hi, Jules, thanks for coming over.”

Seth emitted a growl that had Jules laughing. She released Zig then swatted her fiancé on the arm. “Seth, you're going to scare the man acting like that. Cut it out.”

Karma rose from the couch, her expression friendly but cautious again. She stood several feet away, twisting her fingers together, a nervous smile on her lips.

Zig stepped to her side to make introductions. “Detective Seth English and Jules Scott, this is my old, uh”—
don't say girlfriend
—“my—my friend, Carmelita De La Cruz. Actually, it's Carmelita Mc—”

“Call me Karma,” she cut him off, extending her right hand to Seth. “Nice to meet you both.”

Zig wasn't sure why she'd stopped him from mentioning her father's last name. That was a question he could save for later.

Seth shook her hand then propped his hands on his hips. “So you're the lady who thinks we got it wrong in the Bremer case? Thinks the baby's alive.”

“I don't think it,” Karma said, crossing her arms over her chest like an Amazon warrior ready to do battle in her pink floral heels. “I know it.”

Karma shook her head when Zig said, “Why don't we all have a seat?” and gestured to the couch. There was no way Karma was squeezing into a seat next to another doubting cop.

“I'll stand.”

“Me too,” the detective said.

Jules, a pretty redhead, gave his arm a gentle tug. When the couple faced each other, Karma gasped.

The passionate ruby aura emanated from the center of Seth's chest. The look of love on his face matched the warm red color pulsing from Jules. Their auras blended together, engulfing them both in a lovely crimson glow. It was far more romantic than any armed, semi-naked toddler deity.

Zig cleared his throat then rubbed his eyebrow to indicate hers was arched. Cheeks heating, Karma looked away.

“Seth, let's hear her out,” Jules said to her handsome dark-haired fiancé. She kept her gaze on Karma. “It's why we came, right?”

Seth slowly lowered himself to the couch. “Excuse me, Karma, but before you start I want to know why you called us over here in the first place.” He directed his question at Zig. “The Bremer case is homicide. Not my division.”

“Because it's not really a homicide,” Zig said, moving to stand beside Karma. Without making a show of it, he slipped his hand around one of hers and gave it a light squeeze of support. The simple touch had her pulse playing a salsa beat in her veins. Her fingers curled so easily around his, for a breath it was like they were college students again. Together and in love. The two of them against the world.

If only . . .

Zig didn't dance around the subject but jumped right into the story. “Detective, I called you over because you are the most likely person to listen to Karma and believe what she has to say. Like Jules, she's crifted.”

Two pairs of eyes, one set green and the other dark brown, zeroed in on hers. There was no accusation, no doubt. Merely curiosity.

“Do you see ghosts?” Jules asked, her voice light, but there was something in her aura. A slight shifting at the edge of her earthy brown aura to a brilliant lemon-yellow.

Karma recognized the color of hope when she saw it and it eased her fears. “No, I don't see ghosts. I see auras. Like yours. You have this rich soil-brown aura with a bright sunlight-yellow glow on the edges. I'd say you're a plant lover, right? You work with flowers or trees a lot? It's your job or maybe a hobby?”

“Wow, that's amazing!” Jules beamed. “You're right, I work with plants all the time. Hobby and job. I manage April's Flowers. Do you see everyone's aura? How do you know what the colors mean? I've tried to research online but—”

“We're getting off topic, Jules.” Seth patted her hand with a tender smile then turned his sharp eyes on Karma. “Okay, you see auras. I take it your crift is why you believe the Bremer baby isn't dead.”

Karma nodded as if he'd asked a question. “I see auras only around living people. Once they die, the colors fade for me.”

“Really?” Jules leaned forward. “I see them only around the dead.”

Karma sank into the open spot on the couch next to Jules. “I thought you talked to ghosts. You see auras too? Can you see them in pictures?”

As if reading her mind, Zig handed Karma her purse. She retrieved the photo. “Do you see auras here?”

Jules tugged on her left earlobe, staring hard at both pictures. Slowly she shook her head. “No. Sorry. I've never seen auras anywhere but around ghosts. Except with one person.” She darted a quick look at her fiancé then blushed. “Do you see auras in pictures?”

“Yeah, I see them everywhere. If the person is alive, there's this spark of color in the eyes. I see it when we're in person, in actors during movies, even in black-and-white photographs. On the street, I see auras so often, I've learned to tune them out for the most part.”

“Have you always seen them?” Jules asked.

Karma nodded, easy with the questions posed by this woman. “I saw them some as a child, but it wasn't until puberty that I realized not everyone could do it. Something happened at puberty and wham!” She clapped her hands together once in emphasis. “I recognized I could see auras around every living person in the world, except one.”

Karma shot a glance at Zig, whose eyes were lit with interest and that same amusement he always had when she sought out his aura. He tapped a finger to his eyebrow and Karma brought her attention back to the detective and his fiancée.

“Oh!” the redhead said as if realizing something vital. “I hope you don't mind me asking, but I've never met anyone who saw auras before. Do you think I can see Seth's aura because—”

“Jules,” the detective cut her off, pushing to his feet and moving to stand beside Zig. “Maybe we can save this particular topic for later. When you gi—er,
women
, are alone? If our new friend here is right, there's a missing child out there.”

Jules agreed and tapped her hand lightly on Karma's. “We'll talk more later. Let's eat some pizza and figure out how to find this baby.”

Seth pulled a pen and a small black notebook out of his jacket pocket. Flipping it open, he aimed his gaze at Karma. “Start from the top. Tell me everything you can about Gwyn Bremer and her son.”

Karma spent the next twenty minutes eating pizza and going over everything she'd seen and heard regarding Gwyn. When she got to the part about the four T's in the diary, she paused, remembering Zig's words about breaking and entering. How could she explain having the diary without revealing that she had, in fact, picked the lock at Gwyn's place?

Zig, clearly having read her mind again, jumped in. “Since Karma had stayed with the victim prior to the baby's birth, she had a key to the Bremer woman's apartment. She had gone there to retrieve a few things for her friend when she found Gwyn's journal.”

Karma didn't bother to correct Zig's story. He was right. She had lived with Gwyn, who'd given her a key at the time. But she'd also given it back before flying to Mexico.

Seth nodded, continuing to jot down notes between bites of dinner. “Tell me more.”

Unlike the two jerkoid cops at the station, Seth seemed to believe her theory that Wesley lived. Seth's expression didn't reveal anything, but his aura, a powerful green, spoke volumes. It said this man was confident, determined, and ready to do what was necessary.

“Harmon, you've been to the hospital. What did you see, Officer?” Seth asked Zig after Karma gave the detective her theory that one of the four T's took the baby.

While Zig gave Seth his report, Karma cleared the dishes. It was an old habit but one more thing she'd missed from their time together. Someone else to cook for her. She'd do dishes every day if she didn't have to prepare the meals herself.

Crossing back to the couch, she glanced at Zig, who stared back at her with pride on his face. He gave her a thumbs-up.

She frowned. At first she thought he was thanking her for the dishes. Then he pointed to the diary and she understood. Warmth and joy spread through her like whiskey. Dear God
,
she'd missed that man. If only she hadn't been so stupid all those years ago. If only she hadn't left angry. She'd been foolish and immature and she hadn't trusted him. If only she'd done it differently. . . She could be living here with Zig now.

“Karma?” Seth called her name, startling her. She'd missed something he'd said.

“What was that?” she asked, face too hot to dare to glance in Zig's direction.

“Did you say one of the names in the diary is a Tara?” Seth asked, opening the satchel he'd left by the door and pulling out a manila file. “That name's familiar. Harmon, you and I need to go over the notes.”

“In the kitchen. We'll use the table.” Zig pointed even as Seth and Jules made their way in that direction. “Karma, can I see the diary?”

She handed it to him and followed.

Seth had already spread the case file on one side of the table, notes and witness statements taking up the majority of the space.

“The report was taken by an Officer Chaz Kennilworth of the Chesapeake Beach station. Know him?” Seth asked Zig. When Zig shook his head, Seth continued. “Neither do I. He's a rookie. Less than a year out of the academy. His report is heavy on the exact descriptions the witnesses gave at the scene, but light on actual facts. Someone needs to have a talk with his mentor.

“Says here three witnesses were on the scene, a David and Jenny Smith and a Tara Twomey. He didn't list their addresses or phone numbers.” Seth rolled his eyes. “Guess he figured he did a good enough job that no one would need to follow up. Idiot.”

Zig scoured the page he'd been reading and held up a finger. “Listen to this bit. Kennilworth reports that the Smith couple was walking home across the Lesner Bridge. They were near the bottom when they saw Bremer go over. Only Twomey was actually on the bridge with her.”

“It's gotta be the same Tara from the diary,” Karma said, her heart pounding.

“I have to play devil's advocate here,” Jules piped up. “But if your friend was afraid of this woman, why would she be with her on a bridge in the middle of the night? It doesn't sound reasonable to me.”

“I can't explain that. When Gwyn wakes up, I'll ask her. But we need to find her baby first.” Karma sighed and tugged out the picture of Wesley. She needed to reassure herself that his blue aura still glowed.

“Any change?” Zig asked, taking the picture and hanging it on his refrigerator door with a magnet that read
Save a donut, kiss a cop
.

“Not since last night. Maybe he's okay. Maybe whoever has him knows about the CAH and is taking care of him.”
Please let him stay healthy.

“All right, here's what we've got. First, I need to remind you, Harmon, this
isn't
our case officially. We need to get Reynolds and O'Dell involved.”

“But sir—” Zig began but fell silent when Seth held up a hand.

“I know they're not friendly to psychics. Even knowing Jones and I are engaged to two of them, the detectives are, uh . . .”

“Incapable of conceiving of paranormal abilities because their collective brains are even smaller than their favorite appendages and engaged less often?” Jules added with a smile.

“Right, what she said,” Karma agreed with a grin. “I like the way you think, Jules.”

Seth sighed heavily, but there was a twinkle in his eye for his fiancée. “Be that as it may, it's still officially their case. They will hammer your ass to the wall of the station if they think you're invading their turf, Harmon. Personally, I couldn't give a damn what they say about me. So I'll be the one to let them know the Bremer case has had a new development. If we get the collar, you'll get the credit, but for now, let me take the heat.

“In the meantime, you've got work to do. Start with the names you have. Tara Twomey; there can't be too many of those in the city. Next, check out the birthing center. See if you can get addresses on Toya and Tracye.” Seth turned to Karma. “You can help. Go back to Gwyn's place and see if you can find this Tina person. If you find out where she lives, let Zig know.

“If this is a kidnapping case and not a murder-suicide attempt, we don't want to scare off the kidnappers. Observe from a distance. Don't talk like you think Wesley is anything but dead. But move quickly and keep in touch with me. If you're right, then the baby is out there and sick and needs to be found as soon as possible. Do what you can to get through the list of names tonight. I'll handle the case from the station side. Let's make sure if Wesley Bremer didn't die on that bridge that he doesn't die before we can locate him.”

“Karma and I will stay together until this is solved.” Zig took her hand in his. “When we know something, you'll know something. I appreciate you coming here and hearing her out.”

“Seth, I hate to do this to you, but I have to go. I told Shelley she could stay at our place tonight. Dev and Beau are staying at theirs.” Jules gave Karma an apologetic look. “My sister's getting married tomorrow to Seth's partner.”

Karma's heart jumped in her throat. “Seth's partner is Dev Jones? Devon Cary Jones?”

Seth's eagle eye turned on Karma again. “Know him?”

“Sure, she does. He's her cousin,” Zig said with a smile that faltered when he must have seen the panic that had to be showing on her face. “And the McKinnons don't know you're back, do they? I know you said you didn't contact them four years ago but I thought you'd have done it when you came home this time.”

“No,” she replied slowly, swallowing hard and wishing it could wash away her embarrassment. “I wanted the timing to be just right. One thing led to another and I haven't been able to make it. I got back and Gwyn was in the hospital. I've been so focused on her that I haven't been to see my dad yet.”

Seth and Zig both narrowed their eyes at her in obvious suspicion. Karma's knee started jiggling, she had to concentrate to keep her leg still. Only Jules seemed delighted to hear about a potential for a family reunion.

“I'll keep the secret about you being in town.” She gave Karma a quick hug. “I just hope I get to be there when Dev sees you again. He brought one of my sisters back to me.” She opened her mouth then waved her hand in the air. “It's another long story; we'll have to save for later. I really gotta go. Seth, are you coming with me or do you need to stay here and work?”

“I'm coming,” he said then cocked his head at Karma. “Why did you say your last name was De La Cruz?”

“It is. My name is Carmelita Rosanna McKinnon De La Cruz. It's part of my mother's heritage. The mother's surname is kept by the baby too.”

“And you didn't want me to know you were related to the McKinnons because . . .” He helped Jules with her coat, but kept his gaze on Karma.