Harmonized

by Mary Behre

  “Oh!” the redhead said as if realizing something vital. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but I’ve never met anyone who saw auras before. Do you think I can see Seth’s aura because—”

  “Jules,” the detective cut her off, pushing to his feet and moving to stand beside Zig. “Maybe we can save this particular topic for later. When you gi—er, women, are alone? If our new friend here is right, there’s a missing child out there.”

  Jules agreed and tapped her hand lightly on Karma’s. “We’ll talk more later. Let’s eat some pizza and figure out how to find this baby.”

  Seth pulled a pen and a small black notebook out of his jacket pocket. Flipping it open, he aimed his gaze at Karma. “Start from the top. Tell me everything you can about Gwyn Bremer and her son.”

  Karma spent the next twenty minutes eating pizza and going over everything she’d seen and heard regarding Gwyn. When she got to the part about the four T’s in the diary, she paused, remembering Zig’s words about breaking and entering. How could she explain having the diary without revealing that she had, in fact, picked the lock at Gwyn’s place?

  Zig, clearly having read her mind again, jumped in. “Since Karma had stayed with the victim prior to the baby’s birth, she had a key to the Bremer woman’s apartment. She had gone there to retrieve a few things for her friend when she found Gwyn’s journal.”

  Karma didn’t bother to correct Zig’s story. He was right. She had lived with Gwyn, who’d given her a key at the time. But she’d also given it back before flying to Mexico.

  Seth nodded, continuing to jot down notes between bites of dinner. “Tell me more.”

  Unlike the two jerkoid cops at the station, Seth seemed to believe her theory that Wesley lived. Seth’s expression didn’t reveal anything, but his aura, a powerful green, spoke volumes. It said this man was confident, determined, and ready to do what was necessary.

  “Harmon, you’ve been to the hospital. What did you see, Officer?” Seth asked Zig after Karma gave the detective her theory that one of the four T’s took the baby.

  While Zig gave Seth his report, Karma cleared the dishes. It was an old habit but one more thing she’d missed from their time together. Someone else to cook for her. She’d do dishes every day if she didn’t have to prepare the meals herself.

  Crossing back to the couch, she glanced at Zig, who stared back at her with pride on his face. He gave her a thumbs-up.

  She frowned. At first she thought he was thanking her for the dishes. Then he pointed to the diary and she understood. Warmth and joy spread through her like whiskey. Dear God, she’d missed that man. If only she hadn’t been so stupid all those years ago. If only she hadn’t left angry. She’d been foolish and immature and she hadn’t trusted him. If only she’d done it differently. . . She could be living here with Zig now.

  “Karma?” Seth called her name, startling her. She’d missed something he’d said.

  “What was that?” she asked, face too hot to dare to glance in Zig’s direction.

  “Did you say one of the names in the diary is a Tara?” Seth asked, opening the satchel he’d left by the door and pulling out a manila file. “That name’s familiar. Harmon, you and I need to go over the notes.”

  “In the kitchen. We’ll use the table.” Zig pointed even as Seth and Jules made their way in that direction. “Karma, can I see the diary?”

  She handed it to him and followed.

  Seth had already spread the case file on one side of the table, notes and witness statements taking up the majority of the space.

  “The report was taken by an Officer Chaz Kennilworth of the Chesapeake Beach station. Know him?” Seth asked Zig. When Zig shook his head, Seth continued. “Neither do I. He’s a rookie. Less than a year out of the academy. His report is heavy on the exact descriptions the witnesses gave at the scene, but light on actual facts. Someone needs to have a talk with his mentor.

  “Says here three witnesses were on the scene, a David and Jenny Smith and a Tara Twomey. He didn’t list their addresses or phone numbers.” Seth rolled his eyes. “Guess he figured he did a good enough job that no one would need to follow up. Idiot.”

  Zig scoured the page he’d been reading and held up a finger. “Listen to this bit. Kennilworth reports that the Smith couple was walking home across the Lesner Bridge. They were near the bottom when they saw Bremer go over. Only Twomey was actually on the bridge with her.”

  “It’s gotta be the same Tara from the diary,” Karma said, her heart pounding.

  “I have to play devil’s advocate here,” Jules piped up. “But if your friend was afraid of this woman, why would she be with her on a bridge in the middle of the night? It doesn’t sound reasonable to me.”

  “I can’t explain that. When Gwyn wakes up, I’ll ask her. But we need to find her baby first.” Karma sighed and tugged out the picture of Wesley. She needed to reassure herself that his blue aura still glowed.

  “Any change?” Zig asked, taking the picture and hanging it on his refrigerator door with a magnet that read Save a donut, kiss a cop.

  “Not since last night. Maybe he’s okay. Maybe whoever has him knows about the CAH and is taking care of him.” Please let him stay healthy.

  “All right, here’s what we’ve got. First, I need to remind you, Harmon, this isn’t our case officially. We need to get Reynolds and O’Dell involved.”

  “But sir—” Zig began but fell silent when Seth held up a hand.

  “I know they’re not friendly to psychics. Even knowing Jones and I are engaged to two of them, the detectives are, uh . . .”

  “Incapable of conceiving of paranormal abilities because their collective brains are even smaller than their favorite appendages and engaged less often?” Jules added with a smile.

  “Right, what she said,” Karma agreed with a grin. “I like the way you think, Jules.”

  Seth sighed heavily, but there was a twinkle in his eye for his fiancée. “Be that as it may, it’s still officially their case. They will hammer your ass to the wall of the station if they think you’re invading their turf, Harmon. Personally, I couldn’t give a damn what they say about me. So I’ll be the one to let them know the Bremer case has had a new development. If we get the collar, you’ll get the credit, but for now, let me take the heat.

  “In the meantime, you’ve got work to do. Start with the names you have. Tara Twomey; there can’t be too many of those in the city. Next, check out the birthing center. See if you can get addresses on Toya and Tracye.” Seth turned to Karma. “You can help. Go back to Gwyn’s place and see if you can find this Tina person. If you find out where she lives, let Zig know.

  “If this is a kidnapping case and not a murder-suicide attempt, we don’t want to scare off the kidnappers. Observe from a distance. Don’t talk like you think Wesley is anything but dead. But move quickly and keep in touch with me. If you’re right, then the baby is out there and sick and needs to be found as soon as possible. Do what you can to get through the list of names tonight. I’ll handle the case from the station side. Let’s make sure if Wesley Bremer didn’t die on that bridge that he doesn’t die before we can locate him.”

  “Karma and I will stay together until this is solved.” Zig took her hand in his. “When we know something, you’ll know something. I appreciate you coming here and hearing her out.”

  “Seth, I hate to do this to you, but I have to go. I told Shelley she could stay at our place tonight. Dev and Beau are staying at theirs.” Jules gave Karma an apologetic look. “My sister’s getting married tomorrow to Seth’s partner.”

  Karma’s heart jumped in her throat. “Seth’s partner is Dev Jones? Devon Cary Jones?”

  Seth’s eagle eye turned on Karma again. “Know him?”

  “Sure, she does. He’s her cousin,” Zig said with a smile that faltered when he must have seen the panic that had to be showing on
her face. “And the McKinnons don’t know you’re back, do they? I know you said you didn’t contact them four years ago but I thought you’d have done it when you came home this time.”

  “No,” she replied slowly, swallowing hard and wishing it could wash away her embarrassment. “I wanted the timing to be just right. One thing led to another and I haven’t been able to make it. I got back and Gwyn was in the hospital. I’ve been so focused on her that I haven’t been to see my dad yet.”

  Seth and Zig both narrowed their eyes at her in obvious suspicion. Karma’s knee started jiggling, she had to concentrate to keep her leg still. Only Jules seemed delighted to hear about a potential for a family reunion.

  “I’ll keep the secret about you being in town.” She gave Karma a quick hug. “I just hope I get to be there when Dev sees you again. He brought one of my sisters back to me.” She opened her mouth then waved her hand in the air. “It’s another long story; we’ll have to save for later. I really gotta go. Seth, are you coming with me or do you need to stay here and work?”

  “I’m coming,” he said then cocked his head at Karma. “Why did you say your last name was De La Cruz?”

  “It is. My name is Carmelita Rosanna McKinnon De La Cruz. It’s part of my mother’s heritage. The mother’s surname is kept by the baby too.”

  “And you didn’t want me to know you were related to the McKinnons because . . .” He helped Jules with her coat, but kept his gaze on Karma.

  “Because we had a falling-out a long time ago. When they learn I’m back in town, I’d rather they heard it from me.”

  Seth opened his mouth, but Jules placed her hand over it. “Relax, lambkins. She’s called you for help to find a missing baby. Remember?”

  Seth kissed his fiancée’s hand then tucked it in the crook of his arm. “Fair enough, precious.”

  Karma was puzzled at the detective’s term of endearment for his fiancée until she saw the way the other woman shined like a jewel at his reference. Ah, precious Jules. It was kinda sweet. And a little too corny for her tastes.

  Seth glanced at Harmon. “Tread carefully. If you’re right, this will make your career. And I don’t want you getting another Silver Star the way you earned it last October.”

  “What happened last October?” Karma asked when Jules paled.

  “He nearly died saving my life.” Jules spoke to Karma but her gaze was pinned on Zig. Her aura pulsed a beautiful shade of pink.

  But it was the look in Zig’s eyes, the chagrin, and his inability to look at Seth that had the ugly beast of jealousy uncoiling in Karma’s belly.

  She hadn’t expected him to be single when she returned. She hadn’t expected to see him at all. And she certainly hadn’t expected to feel so damned hurt and jealous.

  I’m here to find Wesley Bremer.

  Nothing else mattered.

  Not Jules’s aura.

  Not Zig’s feelings for the pretty redhead.

  And certainly not the green-eyed monster currently taking up residence in her belly.

  ***

  Zig shut the door behind Seth and Jules. Leaning his back against it, he waited for Karma to come out of the bathroom. He’d seen the light fade in her eyes a few minutes earlier but didn’t know why. One second she’d been smiling and the next, it looked like someone had punched her in the stomach. Her face flushed, her eyes misted, and she came up with some excuse to escape the room, leaving him to show Seth and Jules out.

  Was Karma sick? Worried?

  Damn, they hadn’t been back together twenty-four hours and already he felt her pain as acutely as his damaged shoulder. What was he thinking? They weren’t back together. She was only at his place because of a missing baby. And when the baby was found, she’d leave him again.

  His chest ached, physically hurt at the idea of watching her walk away again. Sonofabitch, he couldn’t do this to himself. He needed to keep her at arm’s length. Remember that what he was experiencing weren’t true feelings. Just memories of when they’d been together in college. Hell, he didn’t really know her anymore.

  Sure, you don’t.

  He knew her walk, the way she smelled, that damned adorable way she arched her eyebrow when searching for an aura. Truth was, he knew more about her today then he had all those years ago.

  Old anger and resentment burned inside him. Dammit to hell, he needed to let go of the past.

  Zig marched to his bedroom and retrieved his laptop. Striding back to the couch, he set it up on the coffee table and started searching.

  He’d focus on work. First up, find Tara Twomey and information about the Tidewater Birthing Center. Next, he’d locate Tracye and Toya. He’d find the baby, tonight, and get Karma the hell out of his life. Permanently.

  It would be better if he could hate her. Much easier than living with the ache in his chest that bloomed every time he imagined her leaving him again. The not knowing why she had abandoned him was the worst part. What had he done wrong?

  The door creaked opened and she padded down the hall. He rose from the couch until he could see her from the kitchen doorway.

  Her floral jacket draped over her arms at her waist. Wow, she looked delectable. The woman always had known how to dress to accentuate her best features. Her royal-blue dress hugged every stunning curve of her body.

  Time hadn’t just been good to her; it had offered her its platinum service. She was all womanly curves, soft and alluring. The kind of body that could make any red-blooded American male’s pulse beat a little faster.

  Especially his. He could tell himself that it was purely a physiological response to seeing her in that tight dress. That it was his libido overriding his pride and telling his ego to take a hike.

  And he’d be lying to himself.

  “Did Seth and Jules leave?” Karma asked, her expression unreadable.

  Zig nodded. “Finally warming up? I didn’t think you’d ever take that jacket off.”

  Karma draped her thin coat over the back of one of the kitchen chairs. “Yeah. It took me long enough.”

  She paused, as if uncertain what to say next. Not that he had a clue either. So they stared at each other, ignoring the awkward dancing elephant in the room.

  Ask her. Now.

  Why did you leave me? he wanted to say. The question arrested on his tongue. His gut churned at the idea of talking about the past. Although, not as much as when he thought about letting her walk away without learning the truth.

  “They seemed nice.” Karma’s words startled him.

  She leaned on the wall next to the hallway leading toward his bedroom. Her hands behind her back, one knee bent hiking up the hem an inch, and her long neckline arrowing down to her impressive breasts. Her pose, with the doorway to his bedroom just over her shoulder, was seductive, sensuous.

  And that was totally his dick making that connection.

  Karma yawned wide. So much for seductive. It was then he noticed the dark circles smudged beneath her eyes. Her smile weary.

  Zig sat back down, hoping she’d follow. She did. When they were side-by-side, he said, “Yeah, they’re good people. Especially Jules. You should have met Seth before she came along. The uniform guys used to call him Detective Grim. Got a serious rep for being surly. He’s not like that anymore. She’s really good for him.”

  “She cares a lot for you. Loves you, I think.” Karma fiddled with the hem of her short blue skirt. “Must be hard for you to see her with another man.”

  “Huh?” Where the hell had that come from?

  Karma rolled her eyes, straightening her back. “Her aura got all pretty pink when she talked about you nearly dying for her. She still cares about you. More than you realize. And I saw the way you looked at her too. And the way you didn’t look at Seth at the end. If you tell her how you feel—”

  “Whoa, I think you’re misreading your auras.
” Zig laughed his surprise.

  Bad, bad move.

  Karma narrowed those glittering eyes on him. And damn, if that didn’t turn him on. He might not be crifted, but he knew the look of a jealous woman when it threatened to stab out his eyes.

  He’d never liked the look of jealousy on his previous lovers. But on Karma, it made him want to preen like the only male peacock in a sea of hens. Why was that?

  Hadn’t he just decided to move on with his life? Get Karma out of it for good? Now he was glorying in her reaction. He was losing his damned mind.

  She muttered in Spanish, which made him crazier. God, she got under his skin like no one he’d ever known.

  “You’re speaking Spanish again, Karma.” He waited for her to switch to English, but she fell silent instead. So he decided to set at least one record straight, because the last thing he needed was for her to spout her assumptions to Seth. “Karma, Jules and I never dated.”

  “I didn’t ask. Don’t care. You’re a grown man and we haven’t seen each other in years,” she said slowly. Her slightly accented words revealing how un-apathetic she felt. The sound made his lips twitch until she added, “For all I know, you could be gay now.”

  She was lying. He could see it in her eyes. She definitely cared. And his damned foolish heart skipped a happy extra beat because of it.

  A small part of him reveled in the idea that she could feel jealousy or regret after dumping him. But his momma taught him never to play with people’s emotions. Even the ones who’d hurt him.

  He held up his index finger in a silent request to speak.

  “First, not gay. Got enough ex-girlfriends over the last eight years to prove that. Second, I never dated Jules. Never wanted to. She’s a friend. I met her during a case. The same case where she met Seth. There was murder, stolen diamonds, and she ended up kidnapped. She feels she owes me, that’s all.”

  Minus the bleeding-all-over-her part.

  In that freakishly perceptive way of hers, Karma leaned closer, staring searchingly into his eyes. “She said you’d nearly died for her? Sounds reasonable that she’d feel she owes you, but the color of her aura wasn’t obligation. There was tenderness there.”