Page 91 of The Shop on Hidden Lane

“Don’t bet on it,” Luke said. He stopped in front of the main entrance of the dark house and tried the door. It opened easily.

“Unlocked,” Sophy said. “Someone left in a hurry.”

“Looks like it.” Luke pushed the door wider.

Sophy expected a sea of night inside the house. She had been prepared to heighten her other senses. But the lobby was illuminated in the subdued light of a wall sconce, just as it had been on the night of the exhibition. The doors that separated the entrance from the antechamber where she and the others had been hit with the first hypnotic suggestion were open, and so was the second set of doors. The floor lighting was on, marking the path into the display area.

Bruce rumbled softly. His attention was focused on the gallery path.

Luke studied the dog for a few seconds. “Find.”

Bruce went forward at a quick pace. Luke followed. Once again Sophy found herself rushing after them. She reminded herself that they were the experts when it came to security matters.

“You know, maybe one of us should have brought a gun,” she whispered.

“I don’t think Bruce is warning us of a threat,” Luke said. “This is histhere’ssomething interesting up aheadlook.”

To Sophy’s surprise, it wasn’t just the path into the gallery that was illuminated. So were the installations. But the mirror tiles were silent.

“The tiles have flatlined,” she said.

“Evidently Grant hasn’t recharged them.” Luke rounded a corner. “Maybe he can’t.”

“Because he’s deteriorating?” Sophy said.

“Yes.” Luke followed Bruce around another corner and stopped. “Or because he’s dead.”

“What?”Sophy turned the corner and froze when she realized they were in the hallway where Vincent’sSuccubuswas displayed.

The witchy female figure was illuminated just as it had been onthe night of the exhibition. The eyes glittered with a demonic light.Succubusloomed, triumphant, over her victim. But the original sculpture figure at her feet was no longer visible. Vincent Grant was sprawled across the base of the installation and he was very dead.

Forty-Eight

Shock caused Sophy’s senses toflare. She slammed into her talent but there was no clear note from her chimes to guide her and help her focus.

The result was a disorienting trance. It was as if she had been tossed into a nightmare. Currents of madness, panic, and violence emanated from the walls, the floor, and the sculpture. They flooded the small space, swirling around her, threatening to overwhelm her.

Just an uncontrolled trance,she thought.You’ve been here before. Youknow how to escape. Breathe.

“Sophy?”

Luke’s voice came from outside the dream. She was suddenly aware of Bruce leaning heavily against her leg. She seized on the lifelines and collected her senses. The trance energy steadied. She got control.

The first ghostly figure appeared. She knew it was Vincent. He stood in front ofSuccubus, glorying in his creation. The second ghost arrived, madness shivering in the energy around him. There was a surge of panic from Vincent. A dazzling blast of light. Vincent collapsed.

She heard herself speaking in her trance voice. “Vincent was killed by the smoking ghost.”

“That explains the cigarette butt that Bruce just found,” Luke said.

She took a couple more breaths and came out of the trance. Back in control. She realized Luke was holding her hand. She remembered that she was wearing her regular glasses, not her mirrored shades. But once again Luke was unfazed. Focused.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yes.” And she was. The familiar shot of adrenaline was pulsing through her but not in the hot, wild way that led to the ice fever. This rush she could handle. For the first time she wondered if maybe some of the disturbing aftermath of her trances was caused by the fear of how onlookers would react. She’d been burned so many times.

But Luke was different.

He released her hand and started back toward the intersection, Bruce at his heels. “We need to keep moving.”