Page 3 of Mend My Soul (Shattered Hearts of Carolina Ghost Psychic Mystery Romance #2)

Chapter Three

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ANSON

Rae Lee turns her back, walking toward the water’s edge. Neither myself nor Agent Reed have given her anything to go on other than the victim was found here. So, if Rae Lee is drawn to the water, it’s not because of the spectacular view. I’m confident she senses something.

“What can you tell me about the victim?” I ask Agent Reed.

Moira gave me a high level explanation over the phone after I assured the ISB Agent I never share any details with Rae Lee about the cases she’s asked to consult on. While Rae Lee familiarizes herself with the location, We might as well review the details again.

“Xavier Martin. Age twenty. A fisherman spotted his body on the riverbank as the sun was coming up. Near as we can figure, the boat launch stopped it from moving further down river, but we’re still uncertain how far downstream the body traveled.”

“Any chance he was pushed?”

“Possibly.” She slips her hand into her pocket. “Autopsy showed a skull fracture likely rendered him unconscious. The presence of water in the lungs drew the medical examiner to conclude the victim died by drowning.

“So he was alive when he went into the water. What’s the riverbed like?”

“Upstream is exposed rock until springtime. The Army Corps of Engineers dug this section for flood control. The postmortem report included lacerations to exposed skin on the head, neck, and hands; contusions to the shoulders and legs. All injuries were consistent with the current carrying the submerged remains downstream.”

“That’s what I was afraid you’d say. Xavier Martin could’ve hit his head on a rock, or been hit over the head and dumped.” I’m sure Agent Reed has pondered this. “How long was he in the drink?”

“Approximately three days.”

If there was a struggle, any evidence underneath the fingernails was compromised by the water before resurfacing. Damn.

“Toxicology?”

I watch Rae Lee take a seat at the end of the dock. She stares down into the water.

“Negative for drugs and alcohol. And before you ask,” Moira interrupts my stream of thought, “there’s a bridge over the river about five miles upstream.

According to the locals, the water level the last day anyone saw Xavier was low.

Larger rocks could’ve been a few inches underneath the water.

There was heavy rainfall the day before the body washed ashore, possibly transporting the deceased from where they were injured to the boat ramp. ”

I noted the video monitoring sign by the entrance to the ramp, but suppose there’s little chance of surveillance cameras outside this area.

I scrub my face, frustrated for the agent. “Nobody reported this kid missing?”

“Nope. When he didn’t show up for his shift, his boss thought he quit.” Moira shrugs. “The guy didn’t know anything was amiss until we told him.”

I recognize her head shake, and her expression. I’ve worn it myself, trying to figure out how people can discount other’s situations, especially if there’s any sort of animosity. Which it sounds like there was if the boss expected Xavier Martin to quit without giving notice.

“Parents?” Family? Didn’t anyone care or try to contact him over those three days?

“Deceased. Martin lived alone. A co-worker said he moved a teardrop trailer from one wooded area to the next. He couldn’t afford campground fees or parking tickets. To make matters worse, a group of three fourteen-year-olds committed a string of arson.”

“Lemme guess—”

“Don’t bother.” She pulls up a photo on her phone of a charred camper. A forensic team couldn’t pull prints from the burned-out shell if they tried. “We’ve had it stored in an evidence trailer for months.”

I blow out a deep breath. “And I wondered why you were desperate enough to call in a psychic.”

“Not cold enough for a cold case, Detective Ames?” she laughs. “All of my leads ran dry months ago. What do I have to lose?”

As I give Agent Reed her phone back, Rae Lee is getting up. She approaches us, her hands cupping her elbows. A sure sign something is bothering her.

“Anything?” I ask.

I’m setting the bar low for Moira. It’s not like Rae Lee to walk away from an investigation with no impressions of the crime.

Hell, I’ve watched this woman run out of restaurants when another diner has brought an unexpected guest along with them, who recognizes Rae Lee’s talent and won’t leave her alone.

“I’m sorry. The person you’re investigating isn’t here. Not by the water, anyway.”

Moira frowns.

“You got no other impressions?” I prod.

Taking out a digital recorder, I gesture to confirm with Agent Reed that she’s okay with me recording the conversation.

“I received a lot of residual energy, but nothing jumped out at me, and no one approached me to speak. Not even a boater or fisherman who might’ve come here a lot when they were alive, and wanted to show me how special it was to them.

Excuse me if my assumption is wrong, Agent Reed.

But if you found your victim here, I doubt they had a connection to this place. ”

“I feel silly asking this, but would their spirit go elsewhere?” Moira inquires.

“Absolutely. They may go home, or some place important to them during their lifetime. They may also attach themselves to a loved one, or sometimes a not-so-loved-one?” Rae Lee’s shoulder bounces.

“Like a haunting?” Moira blanches.

“Yes,” Rae Lee replies, matter of fact.

Moira looks at me as if to say, What good does that do if I don’t know if anyone pushed Xavier?

I blow out a breath, because I can’t agree more. If the kid fell, he wouldn’t be out for retribution. Not unless someone was unkind to him in life.

“Do you happen to have anything of the deceased’s?” No different than Moira, Rae Lee is grasping at straws.

“I watched a show about people with abilities touching objects, otherwise I wouldn’t have thought to check this out of the evidence locker.” Moira opens her shirt pocket and removes a small plastic bag. Inside is a delicate bracelet.

“Can I take it out of the bag?”

Moira agrees, dumping the gold chain into Rae Lee’s palm.

Rae Lee folds her fingers over it, closing her eyes.

“This belonged to someone who died, but the last person it belonged to wasn’t the original owner.

It’s a cherished possession. I can feel a strong connection…

A string connecting two hearts… And a feeling of…

Hope?” A sunny smile breaks over Rae Lee’s face and she tilts her chin toward the sky. “Like things can only get better.”

Unfortunately, they didn’t for the victim.

“Anything else?” Moira needs more to go on.

“An X.” Rae Lee pauses. Her brows move up and down to decipher what it means. “Xander?”

Xavier.

“And three. There were three people this belonged to, but only two have a solid imprint on it.”

“Why?”

“The last person didn’t own it long enough.”

“How do you know?”

“I have a jewelry business, Agent Reed. I create and sell necklaces and other trinkets to boutiques. The stones I use have healing properties.” Rae Lee lifts the vibrant orange sunstone pendant wrapped in silver wire that hangs around her neck.

“The energy is bi-directional. The easiest explanation is the wearer gets the benefits of the stone. The stone absorbs, or reflects, negativity from the wearer. Don’t get me wrong, it can also absorb the good stuff. Happy feelings, sentiments, love.”

“May I?” I interrupt Rae Lee, returning the dainty bracelet to Agent Reed.

While Rae Lee and Moira discuss the properties of gemstones, minerals, and other inanimate objects, I inspect the 14K engraving on the broken clasp, and then the intricate double links covered by tiny gold hearts.

While Rae Lee is designing pieces she has cautioned me about how easily intricate jewelry is damaged.

I’m curious how several of the fragile hearts got bent.

However, I can’t risk asking now, in case it leads my medium to any conclusions.

“It’s very pretty, isn’t it, Anson?” Rae Lee surprises me by asking.

The piece of jewelry is outdated by a good thirty years, and not my girlfriend’s usual style. She wouldn’t wear something like this.

I pop the bracelet into the evidence bag Moira is holding open.

“You’re certain a third person owned it?” I’m confused about the imprinting.

“You know I hate it when you ask me for certainties. Cold, hard facts are your realm.” Rae Lee’s nose wrinkles and her lips twist. She thinks before she speaks again.

“I can only tell you I got the impression the second person who had it and passed it on was optimistic. Giving it away was like a new beginning for them.”

“Do you know if the giver was male or female?”

“Can I see it again?”

As soon as it’s in Rae Lee’s sight she blurts, “Male. Definitely male. I’m sorry, Moira. I wish I uncovered more for you to go on,” Rae Lee apologizes.

“Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I know it wasn’t that you’d solve this case. Thank you for your time, though. I appreciate your willingness to make a detour at the beginning of your vacation.”

“It wasn’t so far out of our way,” I reply.

If anything else comes to you—” Moira gives Rae Lee her business card.

Rae Lee assures her she will.

The agent is grateful I intend to send her the audio recording of her discussion with Rae Lee, so she can review it once we’re back from our trip. We separate. Rae Lee and I get back into the car to continue our drive south.

I read Rae Lee’s body language when she crumples her mask, tossing it in the backseat. So much for that.

Thirty minutes later, she remains quiet.

“Wanna talk about it?”

“Not really,” she starts, leaning her elbow on the window and her forehead in her hand. “I wish I were of more help.”

“I know you do.”

“Why weren’t there enough pieces? Why didn’t any more come to me?” She chuffs. “How could I have not seen anything, Anson? Do you know how hard I have to concentrate to keep everyone out?”

“Yes.”

She covers her lips with her pinky. “Is it insane that, at a peaceful reservoir boat slip, I experienced exactly what I’d want to at a peaceful reservoir boat slip? Why am I complaining when plenty of times I’d give my right leg for a few hours as a normal person?”

“It’s not complaining, in my book, when what happened was unexpected. Out of the norm.”

Rae Lee is used to putting up with a lot of bullshit from people who should’ve followed the light.

“Do you think Agent Reed thinks I’m a phony? What if a different medium has the answers, but because I found nothing on my walk, she won’t trust a second opinion?”

“Slow down. You are the second opinion.” I rub her knee.

“Moira’s disappointed because she hasn’t been able to solve a case.

That’s hard for an investigator. But when we left, I didn’t get the impression she regretted calling in a psychic, or that seeking your help wasn’t worthwhile.

Remember, I’m the one who thought you were full of shit, Raleigh .

” I flash my girlfriend a smile, wink, and add, “In my humble opinion, your intuition hasn’t led you wrong yet. ”

Rae Lee sighs, rolling her eyes. The corner of her lip tips up, and I’m assured Rae Lee just needed to blow off steam.

Sometimes, I bring the stress of police work home.

Except, I can’t imagine how hard it is for someone who can’t disconnect from whatever bothers them.

I almost canceled our reservations for this weekend, and found somewhere else to take Rae Lee, because I worried she wouldn’t be able to get away on a historic getaway.

“I love you,” I remind her.

“Love you, too.” She sits up, leaning over to peck my cheek.

“And you have Agent Reed’s card if you think of anything in the interim.”

“I’d prefer to focus on having fun with you on vacation now instead.”

“That’s the spirit.”