Suddenly Psychic (Glimmer Lake #1)(25)

“Fine.” She sighed dramatically. “If you’re going to insist on being boring…”

Mark barked out a laugh and shut the door after she climbed in the car. He walked around and Robin closed her eyes in the sun-warmed cab of his pickup truck.

Warm. Lovely. She felt warm. She felt… alive.

Mark got into the truck and started it, letting the engine warm up. He looked at her with an odd expression.

“What?”

The corner of his mouth twitched. “I don’t know. You seem different.”

“Me?” She shrugged. “Still me.”

“Thank goodness.”

She wasn’t sure what that meant, but she checked her phone while the truck warmed up. A few texts from her mother. Another from a customer wanting to know about the new desk she’d put on the shop’s social media feed.

As the truck pulled out of the parking lot, Robin glanced up. She saw the face of her mystery man appear in the dappled shade of the woods behind the sheriff’s station. Before she could open her mouth, he was gone.

Again.

She didn’t say anything to Mark. What could she say?

Hey, honey, so I’ve started seeing ghosts.

No, no. It’s fine. Pretty sure it’s just an early menopause symptom. Like hot flashes or weight gain.

No, I don’t think hormone replacement therapy is going to help with this one.

She felt her phone buzz and touched it to open the group text between her, Monica, and Val that had been going for roughly ten years, ever since Val finally gave in and got a mobile phone.

Monica had texted: Okay, so I have a super-gross job for Val, and she’s refusing to do it. Another text a moment later. She can’t text because she’s driving, but she says I’m being unreasonable.

What is it?

She needs to touch those bones they found in the back of the car and find out if they’re related to the weird stuff we’re experiencing. But she won’t because she says I’m being gross.

Robin winced. It was actually a really good idea. But also horrible. But also maybe helpful? She texted back: V said she doesn’t get anything from people though. Are bones people?

Good point. I’ll bring that up. A pause. She’s agreeing with you, bc of course she is.

Robin texted, Maybe she can touch the chains?

I’ll suggest it.

A few minutes later, another text came in. Okay, she says she’ll touch the chains and the lock, but we have to go with her because it could be super horrible, which is fair.

When?

Tonight.

Tonight?

Tonight. Remember S said the bones were going to the crime lab in Sacramento tomorrow.

“Right.” Robin bit her lip. “Mark, can you pick Emma up from the library tonight?”

“She really needs to get her license,” he muttered. “We never had to chauffeur Austin when he was a senior.”

“Austin also didn’t get grades like Emma, so maybe we shouldn’t compare—”

“You know what? Agreed. Let’s not get into comparing Emma and Austin. Yes, I can get Emma. You need to go over to Monica’s?”

To Monica’s… and the morgue. “Yeah. To Monica’s.”

“No problem.”

She texted back: Tonight is a go. Let’s break into the morgue and make Val touch some old gross bones.

Monica texted back: Val says chains only. She only touches old gross bones if they belong to millionaires who want to pay her mortgage.

Robin bit her lip to keep from laughing.





Chapter 9





“Does Glimmer Lake even have a morgue?” Val asked. “Where are we going?”

“The hospital.” Monica was driving her minivan into Bridger City because how else would three middle-aged possible psychics go out investigating the bones that had mysteriously ended up in their car when they drove into a lake?

“Are we sure driving your minivan is the best idea?” Robin said. “Should we park around the block maybe?”

Val turned around, her eyes narrowed. “You think someone is going to be suspicious of a minivan in a hospital parking lot?”

“Well…”

“You know, a lot of private detectives use minivans in their work because they’re both inconspicuous and also have a lot of cargo room.” Monica read a lot of true crime and it showed. “Also, they’re very comfortable when you have to wait a long time.”

“The legroom is pretty great.” Robin sighed. “I’m going to have to get a new car eventually.”

“I hate that,” Val said. “Can you buy one online?”

“Can you?”

Monica said, “Gil always bought our cars at the end of the year and the end of the month. He said you get the best deal during that time. Something about sales quotas.”

“I inherited the Subaru from my mom. I loved that car.”

Val pursed her lips. “You probably shouldn’t have put it in the bottom of a lake then.”

“Thanks. Great advice.”

Monica’s low chuckle broke the tension in the car. Val looked over her shoulder and winked at Robin. Monica didn’t laugh much lately. Hearing it put a smile on Robin’s face even if Val was being kind of bitchy.