Page 99 of Shattering Dawn

She stopped smiling. “Well, the case may look neat and tidy to the authorities, but they are going to miss the larger picture. Someone out there has created a dangerous drug that has the ability to enhance the paranormal senses. Oh, and by the way, there can be some unfortunate side effects. A lot of people will either go insane or die.”

Gideon sighed. “Amelia—”

She ignored the interruption. “Several of the so-called test subjects died in the course of Steen’s experiments, Gideon.”

“I know.”

“But no one is going to look for the person or persons who launched those illegal drug trials. What’s more, those individuals still have the formula for the serum. It’s not fair. It’s not justice.”

“Get used to it,” Gideon said. “The ending may not be perfect as far as you’re concerned, but in my experience this is as good as it gets in the psychic investigation business. You and your friends have been producingThe Lost Night Fileslong enough to know that.”

“Okay, but I still say that if the authorities had taken us seriously after we were kidnapped the first time in Lucent Springs—if they had done their job—none of this would have happened.”

“You’re starting from a false premise,” Gideon said. He finished his sandwich. “The authorities would never have taken your lost night story seriously, because they do not accept the reality of the paranormal.”

“You’re right.” She brightened. “The authorities failed us but the fans of the podcast certainly came through when we needed them.”

Gideon smiled. “Yes, they did.”

Her phone rang just as she was about to take another bite of her sandwich. Assuming it was a call from one of theLost Night Filesteam, she glanced at the screen.Bridget Hampstead.She put down the uneaten portion of the breakfast sandwich and stabbed accept.

“Bridget? Did the McCall listing finally sell?”

“Yes, it did,” Bridget said, buoyant to the point of giddy, as she always was when she closed a deal. “A very nice young couple. They are getting help with the down payment from their parents. Thanks to your photos, the buyers were able to visualize the potential of the house. He works in construction, so he’s not afraid to tackle a fixer-upper. She’s a schoolteacher with an artistic eye. The house is perfect for them.”

“I hope so. Congratulations. Glad it finally sold. How soon do you think you’ll be able to pay me for the photos?”

“Just as soon as I get my commission,” Bridget said smoothly. “The sale closes in sixty days.”

“Sixty days.”

“That’s fast for a deal like this one. I’ve got more good news. We’re on a roll. I picked up a new listing yesterday. Another starter home. This one definitely needs your special touch—”

“Sounds interesting,” Amelia said. “I’m a little busy at the moment but I’ll check my calendar and see if I can squeeze in another real estate shoot.”

“I was hoping you could hop on it right away. I’d really like to start marketing the place. The inventory of starter homes is low right now. That means this one will move quickly.”

“You mean like the McCall house? The one that took three months to sell and for which I won’t get paid for another two months? Right. I’ll get back to you.” Amelia ended the call, picked up what was left of her sandwich, and took a savage bite.

“Let me guess,” Gideon said. “One of your check-is-in-the-mail real estate clients?”

“Yep.” She swallowed and reached for her coffee. The intuitive sense of knowing whispered through her. “ ‘Get used to it.’ ”

“What?”

She gave herself a moment to let the feeling of certainty settle in before she continued.

“That’s what you said a few minutes ago when I was whining about not getting justice. You said ‘get used to it’ because that was as good as it gets in the psychic investigation biz.”

“So?”

“So I’m going to get used to it.”

Gideon put down his coffee and watched her with a wary expression. “You’re going to get used to waiting on the check-is-in-the-mail clients?”

“Nope. Back at the start you told me there was a learning curve involved when it came to figuring out how to control my talent. You were right.”

“Okay. So? Where are you going with this?”