hallucinations. She had gone through that before, after Bonnie had been killed. But she had found Bonnie was not a hallucination. Just a spirit sent to comfort her.
But there was no reason to think that what she was going through now was anything but a hallucination. Jenny was not her own child as Bonnie had been. She was a stranger. Eve felt a chill run through her. This whole episode was strange and unsettling and she wanted it to go away.
â Iâm scaring you. I didnât mean to scare you. Youâre not ready. I thoughtâbut I wonâtâIâm sorry. I wonât do it anymore. â
Eve felt as if sheâd frightened a helpless doe and sent it flying away from her.
Okay, get control. What was happening? Assume it wasnât a hallucination. Stranger things had happened to her. Reach out.
âJenny, are you trying to communicate with me?â
No answer.
âBecause, if you are, we have to figure this out. I was caught off guard because this hasnât happened to me before. When I work on a skull, it doesnât usually want to have a conversation.â She shook her head. âWell, thatâs not quite true, it did happen to me once before, and that may be why I got a little nervous. I was working on a very nasty, vindictive man who only wanted to bring me into his world and hurt me. I had to fight to get away from him. I know thatâs not what you want.â
No answer.
The doe had truly fled and wasnât returning.
She should try again anyway to make sure that Jenny wasnât hesitating in the shadows, waiting.
âLook, itâs not as if I donât believe that there are spirits among us. My daughter, Bonnie, comes to visit me, and she was one of the lost ones, like you, Jenny. Itâs just that I find it strange, and Iâm a little at a loss. Youâll have to help me.â She paused. âIf thatâs your choice?â
No answer.
âOkay, maybe I blew it. I hope I didnât if you need something from me.â She sat down in her chair at the worktable. âBut in the meantime, I have a job to do. Iâve got to return a face to these bones. Iâll be doing a lot of things that will seem strange to you. Or maybe not. What do I know? You may be psychic and all-knowing and that kind of stuff, but somehow I donât think so. I measure, I stick markers in your face, then I start sculpting. Youâll have to be patient.â
And so would Eve.
Still no answer.
*Â Â Â *Â Â Â *
âAre you all right, John?â His fatherâs hand grasped Nalchekâs shoulder as the gurney with Ron Carstairs was rolled by them to the medical examinerâs van. âAnything I can do?â He grimaced. âStupid question. Youâd think after working law enforcement for more than forty years, Iâd know better. But you always want to find some way to help when itâs a friend. Hell, he spent Thanksgiving at our house last year.â
âYeah.â Nalchek could feel the moisture sting his eyes as he watched them put Carstairs into the van. âHe didnât want to come out here with me, Dad. He thought I was crazy to spend so much time on this case.â
âYour mom and I have wondered why youâ Never mind. Water under the bridge.â
âWhich means you thought I was crazy, too.â
âNonsense. You had a rough time in Afghanistan, and it was natural that there were aftereffects that made you a bit edgy on occasion. Iâm just grateful that it translated to sensitivity and not callousness.â
Nalchek watched them close the doors of the van. âI should have been with him.â
âYou couldnât know there would be any trouble. Ron Carstairs could always take care of himself. Whatever happened must have been a complete surprise. You were the one in the woods and vulnerable to attack, John. Why would anyone think it necessary to go after