Page 11 of Ghost Falls
Ronan and the others were waiting in the hall. “Everything good with Nana Kaye?”
“Yeah, they’re gonna order room service,” Jude said. “We don’t mind keeping Ezra for the night if you don’t want to risk moving him when we come back later.”
“We’ll see how it goes,” Ronan said, heading down the hall toward the bank of elevators. “Sometimes he sleeps like the dead, others a pin dropping would wake him up.”
“Been there,” Cope agreed. He was glad Wolf was out of that stage. Lizbet could sleep through anything.
“So kids, just a reminder,” Fitzgibbon began, “we can sit at the back of the press conference, but we can’t interrupt. Got it?” he asked, as the elevator doors opened.
“Got it,” all three kid chorused, running inside.
Cope didn’t know how long a boring press conference about Cannonball’s attempt to do what his father couldn’t was going to keep the kids’ attention, but he and Jude needed to be there when it ended to try to speak with Cannonball and Heidi. If worse came to worse, Fitz could take the kids out of the room.
When the elevator arrived on the fifteenth floor, Cope followed the signs pointing in the direction of the media room. The room had a podium at the front. Several microphones were set up and ready to go. There were rows of chairs where members of the media were sitting and chatting with each other. Cameramen were at the back, fiddling with their equipment.
“CJ!” Wolf shouted and bounded off toward his new friend. Aurora and Everly ran after him.
Cope spotted Heidi and her son sitting at the back of the room, trying to look invisible.
“Maybe the kids are the key to talking Cannonball out of this stunt?” Jude asked.
Cope shook his head. “Nothing’s changed. At least not yet.” Everly had shared her vision of Cannonball’s fate after she’d shown Tennyson. He could see the same outcome. Time was running out to save him.
“Let’s go sit near Heidi. Maybe Cope can have a little chat with her.” Jude headed off in the same direction as the kids.
“I have no idea what to say.” Cope wasn’t usually at a loss for words, but how did you tell a wife that her husband was going to die?
“We need to treat this situation differently,” Tennyson said softly. “The usual clients we meet with come to us after the tragedy occurs, not before.”
Cope agreed wholeheartedly. “How do you suppose we handle this?”
“Let’s just have a regular conversation. Ask Heidi what she does for a living and then casually mention that we’re here in Niagara Falls for the convention. There are signs all over the hotel advertising PsychicFest, she must have seen them.” Ten’s eyes were glued to the soon-to-be-widow, who was fussing with CJ’s hair.
Nodding, Cope headed in their direction. He took the seat beside Heidi, while Ten sat to his left. Cannonball’s wife was dressed in a cream pantsuit with a pink silk blouse. She looked as if she were about to head into a business meeting with captains of industry, rather than attending a press conference for her husband’s stunt. “Hey, Heidi, it’s great to see you again.”
The woman startled at the sound of her name. “Oh, right, we met you on the boat this morning. I’m sorry, but I don’t remember your names.”
“I’m Cope Forbes and this is my friend, Tennyson Grimm.” Ten offered the woman a bright smile and a small wave.
“Where have I heard your names before?” Heidi wore a puzzled look.
“Maybe you saw them on some of the media around the hotel for the psychic convention that’s in town?” Cope asked carefully. He didn’t want Heidi to think they were cranks or worse, con men looking to cash in on Cannonball’s success.
“Oh, right, yes. I’m interested in going to the group readings, but my husband thinks the paranormal is a bunch of bullshit that only gullible people believe in.” Heidi offered an apologetic look.
“I get that. I really do.” In the over twenty years Cope had been using his gifts to help people, there were plenty who thought he was a nutcase or a fraudster. “Do you still have the sterling silver heart necklace your mother gave you for high school graduation?”
Heidi’s eyes widened. She reached into her blouse and pulled out the small heart. “I wear it every day, but you must know that from all of the pictures of me posted on social media.”
“Maybe so,” Cope shrugged, looking unaffected by Heidi’s response. “What’s not on social media was the fact that you’d wanted a new car, a red punch-buggy, but your mom couldn’t afford it, so she gave you a piece of her heart.”
“You can’t possibly know that,” Heidi said, looking stunned.
“But I do,” Cope said, leaning in closer. “I also know that Cannonball isn’t going to survive the falls.”
Heidi froze. A knowing look came into her dark eyes. “Oh, I get it. This is some kind of scam. You’ll only tell me how to save my husband if I pay you. Well, the joke’s on you. We’re flat broke. Carl spent all of our savings on his ridiculous stunts. I have nothing at all to give you.”
“Unfortunately, we don’t know how to save Cannonball.” Cope wished the opposite were true.
