Page 114 of The Lady Has a Past

Otto exhaled heavily and appeared to brace himself for rejection. “I want you to assist me with the demonstration I am scheduled to give to the members of the Department of Parapsychology at the college where I hope to obtain a position. I need someone Iknowhas some strong talent. If I advertise for volunteers I’ll get fakes and people who are delusional. I must have someone with at least some proven ability.”

“Forget it,” Simon said. “I told you, I’m never going onstage again.”

“I’m not asking you to go in front of an audience,” Otto said. “The only people who will be present aside from you and me are the faculty members who will vote on whether to accept me as a researcher.”

“That’s an audience,” Simon said. “I’m no longer in show business.”

Otto gave a bleak nod and picked up his teacup. “I was afraid you would refuse, but I had to try.”

Lyra set her cup down on the saucer. “How about me? You said I had some talent.”

“What the hell?” Simon said.

“It would be an interesting experience,” Lyra said. “I’ve always been curious about the theories of paranormal energy. It’s exciting to know that some serious research is going on. I would love to assist Dr. Tinsley.”

“Can’t you see that Otto is trying to take advantage of what he thinks will be a money-making opportunity?” Simon growled.

“No,” Lyra said. “I don’t believe that. I think Dr. Tinsley sincerely believes in the paranormal and he wants a chance to prove that there is such a thing as extrasensory perception. What better way to go about it than by engaging in serious research in a properly equipped laboratory?”

“What makes you so sure Otto isn’t a fraud?” Simon said.

Lyra smiled. “Simple. He found you and identified you as someone with genuine talent.”

“He used me.”

“No, that’s not true.” Otto slammed his cup and saucer down with enough force to send tea sloshing over the side. He paid no attention. He shot to his feet. “I didn’t use you. We worked together. We were a team.”

“You needed me to make money,” Simon said. “Admit it.”

“You needed me to take you out of that orphanage before they decided to lock you up in an institution.”

Lyra sipped tea calmly and lowered the cup. “Sounds like you needed each other. No, I take that back. I’d say you rescued each other.”

Simon and Otto swung around to face her.

“Do you mind if I ask why your act broke up?” Lyra said.

“Ask Simon, not me,” Otto muttered. “He’s the ungrateful wretch who walked out. Never bothered to tell me why, either. Just packed his bags and said he was going to try another career.”

“Where were you when Simon decided to leave?” Lyra asked.

“Seattle,” Otto said. He glared at Simon. “It was at the end of a one-week engagement. We sold out the theater every night. Why did you leave? And don’t tell me it’s because you decided we were a couple of con artists. We gave legitimate demonstrations to audiences who were interested in the paranormal. Yes, we made money doing it, but we were not charlatans, damn it. Your talent is real. Your readings were real. Everything about the show was real.”

Simon stalked across the room and stopped in front of the window. He clasped his hands behind his back and looked out at the view of the sun-splashed Pacific.

“Not real enough,” he said. “I finally figured that out in Seattle.”

A charged silence gripped the room.

“I don’t understand,” Otto said. “You have a genuine talent. Hell, you’re using it to make a living now as an investigator.”

“I’m not talking about my ability,” Simon said. “It was in Seattle that I realized I could never be what you wanted me to be when you took me out of the orphanage.”

“What did you think Otto wanted you to be?” Lyra asked gently.

“A replacement for his son—hisrealson. The heroic one who survived the Great War only to come home and die of the flu in Seattle.”

“Simon,” Otto whispered. He sounded stricken. “No. It wasn’t like that. Where did you get the idea I saw you as a replacement for Edward?”

---