Page 25 of Counting Quarters

Toni's face contorted into a lopsided scowl. “Nice observation, Sherlock.”

She opened her arms to present the matching set on her body and glared. “Do they pay you the big bucks to use that spectacular brain of yours?”

He ignored the sarcastic jabs and continued with his thought. “They have three other DNA samples littered all over them. Whoever did this wasn't worried about leaving a trail behind.”

“She isn't the first victim who can't remember what they did to her.”

“What do you mean?”

“I've been seeing others. Whatever Rayner did to these girls, he had the forethought to cover up his tracks, even after they had passed.”

But how had he managed to wipe their memories on the other side? It seemed like an impossible violation of the balance of life and death.

“I'm wondering the same thing,” Kyle replied, and then his eyes widened as he realized what he'd done.

I tilted my head curiously. Did he just answer my thoughts?

We stared at each other for a beat too long, where I could swear he silently confirmed, before Toni cleared her throat and reminded us of her presence.

“There are others like me?”

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. They always acted like they were the first to go through this sort of thing.

Still, I answered, “Yes,” in a clipped tone.

Toni noticed the attitude and looked me up and down, her lips pursed in disapproval. I didn't care if she was offended—she was dead. And the last thing I needed was another spirit lingering around me the way Hailey insisted.

Kyle ignored the quiet tiff.

“We need to find a way to unlock their memories of their last moments. It's the only way we'll get any answers. No one who participated is talking, and Beau hasn't been seen in months.”

“What am I supposed to do while you guys figure it out?” Toni whined.

“What have you been doing?” Kyle asked.

“I'm not really sure. I guess I've been stuck wandering around. It feels like it all happened yesterday.”

“Well, sit tight. Hopefully, we'll get some answers soon.”

He winked at her, and she practically melted to the floor. I wanted to gag at how easily she was manipulated. She agreed, and then scowled at me right before she disappeared into thin air.

“You could have warned me,” he said when we were alone again.

I shrugged. “I wasn't sure if it would work.”

He began bagging up the clothes again, and I thought the conversation was over. Once they were securely locked away, he leveled me with a look.

“You've been holding out on me.”

“I could say the same about you.”

We held each other's gaze once more, challenging the other to spill their secrets. It felt like an eternity passed as I stared into those silver eyes before a calmness washed over me. We each understood that we couldn't. It was almost as if we said more like this than we could ever say with words.

“Let's go home.”

Home. My chest ached at the word for some reason. At the idea that we shared the same meaning behind it.

He reached for the door handle, then paused. “Everything that just happened stays between us. No one can know what I just showed you. Not even Tabitha.”

Any other time, I would have hesitated. There wasn't much I kept from Grammy, especially because she always seemed to be a step ahead of me. But now that I had my own place and a reprieve from her domineering ways, I knew I could keep this promise.

Not to mention, I couldn't afford for anyone to find out about my gifts, either. It was a risk showing them to him. But he'd returned the favor by showing me one of his, so we were even.

“Agreed.”

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