Grace stopped herself from continuing in interrogation mode. Getting Sophie into trouble with her family was not her goal—getting answers was.
“What do you think, Danny?” She turned her focus on her brother. “Do we trust Sophie and go for a meeting with this person she believes might help?”
Danny didn’t hesitate. “I trust her. Besides, it’s the only valid choice we have, right?”
“Okay.” Grace turned back to Sophie. “How soon can you set up this meeting?”
Sophie sagged back into her chair. “I’ll check this weekend and find out if he’ll see you.”
“If he’ll see me?”
“This will be on his terms or not at all. You need to accept that.”
“Gracie,” Danny said. “I used my birthday wish to get us some answers. Don’t blow it for me on my big day!”
“You’re not supposed to tell what you wished for, you dope.” Grace punched him playfully in the shoulder. “Sophie, I’m sorry I’ve put you in this position. I appreciate whatever you can do to get me connected with this guy.”
“Great! Let’s open the presents!” Danny pushed his chair back and shooed them both toward the living room.
“Present time it is,” Sophie said with a relieved smile, rising from her chair to follow Danny’s lead.
“Definitely,” Grace agreed relieved that the conversation was turning a lighter topic.
Grace could use help from Danny’s wish to get answers during the meeting with Sophie’s contact. Answers to her questions on her abilities and answers about the mind controlling abilities the attacker was using, as well. Knowing she would be able to leverage her abilities and her training meant she was ready to take DL’s case on herself.
Chapter 12
Grace rang the delivery doorbell at the back entrance to Dhamma Ink, DL’s tattoo parlor. It was a place popular across all the city’s demographics and was one of many New Age type establishments that had sprung up in this part of Dayan Springs, in an area that was becoming a hot spot for alternative shopping and entertainment.
The back door opened to reveal a shyly smiling Zack. His gelled platinum blond hair stuck up in a series of spikes that followed the line of his skull like a rooster’s comb. The ensemble of black t-shirt, jeans, and unlaced biker books highlighted his pale skin.
“Good morning, Zack,” Grace greeted him with a broad smile, careful not to brush up against him as he moved aside to let her into the back storage area. Zack was sensitive to physical contact after suffering severe beatings at the hands of his step-father. He was now free from his biological family and under the supervision of DL and Jennifer, where he’d truly blossomed over the past two years.
“Heya, Zach, buddy. Good to see ya.” Danny’s voice was barely a whisper as he followed Grace in through the door, a wistful smile passing across his face.
Danny had often stayed at DL’s center after school when Grace needed to work in the afternoons. The boys had met there and become close friends after Zack came to live with DL and Jennifer. Despite the five years difference in age, Danny and Zack hit it off right away. Their main activity was spending hours co-designing and printing a fantasy comic book for local sale.
They considered themselves the dynamic duo: Zack was the graphic artist and Danny was the dialogue writer. The comic had quite a following until Danny’s death, and Grace knew Danny missed the time he used to spend putting it together with Zack. That was one of the painful outcomes of not sharing Danny’s situation with anyone, her little brother losing his closest friend. Another thing Grace tried not to feel guilty about.
“DL’s getting everything ready,” Zack said, his face beaming as he led her into the main area of the store. “I can’t wait for you to see the design I did. It turned out great.”
“I can’t believe you’re getting a tattoo!” Danny shook his head in disbelief. “My big sister’s getting inked,” he teased her, the usual mischievous smile creeping onto his face.
“The only reason I’m doing this is because of what it means to Zack,” Grace reminded him. “He promised it would be something small and tasteful. I couldn’t turn him down when he said he wanted to do it as a birthday present to you.”
“Yeah, yeah, but it’s just too cool.”
Grace made her way to where DL was setting up his equipment next to a reclining chair. He was a walking testament to his art. He had tattoos over most of his body—Buddhist iconography and other symbols of faith and mysticism spanning the world’s religions.
DL looked up and raised his eyebrows at her. “Ready to adorn your body with beautiful art?”
“I think I am,” Grace said, looking between Zack and DL. “At least I’m in the right hands to get it done.”
“Alrighty then. Take a seat.” DL motioned Grace toward the chair.
She settled in with Danny standing on the side opposite DL and Zack.
“Do you want me to hold your hand while they do it?” His eyes searched hers.
“I’ll be okay, kiddo.” She chuckled, flashing back to all the grueling physical challenges she went through during the police academy and the post-accident rehab. This couldn’t be as hard as those.
“Zack came up with the design all by himself. I’ll let him tell you about it,” DL said, catching her attention.
Zack stepped up beside her, a piece of drawing paper in his hands. “I know it hasn’t been easy since Danny died, and I wanted to give you something to help you feel connected to him.” He unrolled the paper to show the tattoo design.
Grace leaned over to see a beautiful, detailed rendering of a raven in flight with a scroll cradled in its claws.
“Ravens can mean several things in mythology. But the thing I like best is they can be messengers between us and the beyond and allow us to communicate with the dead. I thought it might make you feel like you could stay in touch with Danny wherever he is.”
Tears gathered in her eyes as she looked at the drawing. “What does the scroll say?”
“It says ‘Knight of the Light.’ That part’s for you, ’cause you’re out there fighting the good fight,” Zack said.
Grace raised her gaze to Zack’s earnest face. “And where did you come up with this phrase?” she asked, having a feeling she might already know.
“I found it on the Internet one day. It popped up when I was playing around with more design ideas.”
Grace kept her eyes on Zack but her attention went back to Danny. “Am I right you might have something to do with this?”
“Maybe a little.” Danny showed no guilt about it. “I wanted to make the tattoo more about both of us. To put something in there about you, too.”
“We’ll talk about your unauthorized escapades when we get home, Mister.” She could only pretend to be annoyed since the design came out so striking.
“Do you like it?” Zack fidgeted in the silence.
“It’s fabulous,” Grace answered. “Where is it going to go?”
“We should put it on your left shoulder, near your heart,” DL answered for Zack. “That’s for several reasons.” He ticked them off on his fingers one by one. “One, symbolically, it will be near the source of the messages you want to share with Danny—your heart. Two, it will be in a place where you can it keep covered, and it won’t impact your professional image. And three, for practical reasons, we’ll use the left shoulder to avoid all the scar tissue on your right side.”
Grace grimaced at the mention of her injured arm, but the reasoning made sense. “How long will this take?”
“About three to four hours to finish all the details Zack put into the design,” DL said. “Are you ready to do it all in one sitting?”
“Sure.” Grace prepared to turn over onto her stomach. “I guess I need to strip down to give you access to my shoulder?”
“Yep,” DL said, “down to the bare naked for this one.”
Zack turned red as he fumbled to set the design down on the table. “Um, I’ll go work on more designs
while DL does the tattoo.”
“Great idea,” DL said, already returning his attention to preparing the inks. “Jason is coming in this afternoon for the final session on his tattoo. I want you to compare the designs you made against the in-progress pictures to make sure we’re on track there.”
“On it,” Zack said, backing out of the room, relief obvious on his face.
“Great kid and fantastic designer,” DL said as Zack left. “But still shy about bodies.”
Grace laughed as she started to unbutton her shirt, giving a “go on” motion to Danny with her head to follow Zack.
“Terrific.” He sounded relieved as he left the room. “Personal space and all that.”
“I’ll catch up with you in a few hours.”
As Grace got settled on her stomach, she stated matter-of-factly, “I’m going to take the case to find out what’s happening to your girls.”
Grace sensed DL stop moving for a moment, before he said, “Thanks, Grace. But I’m not sure what you can do to help. It seems like we didn’t get very far working with Billy.”
“I’m making connections that should help. Can you get me something from one of the girls who was taken?”
“Like what?” DL asked as he put on a pair of latex gloves.
“A favorite piece of clothing, a brush or comb, a favorite knickknack, anything personal.”
DL paused in unwrapping the needles. “How in the world would that help?”
Grace considered before answering. DL was already reluctant to take part as it was. She had to be careful how she presented her request.
“I have access to some special forensics we can use. It needs to be a personal object specific to one of the missing girls, one she would have used on a regular basis.”
DL was silent as he restarted his prep work.
“Okay, Grace. I’ll have to trust you on this. Stopping this guy is more important than anything I have against cops or my questions about how you’re working the case. I’ll get what you need.”
“Great,” Grace said, relieved DL wasn’t taking too much persuading.
“Now hold still, and try to relax. The first thing I’m doing is the outline, and it has to go in deep. That will be the roughest part; the rest will be easy.”
Grace took a deep breath and tried not to focus on the sensation of the needle as DL drew the tattoo. She turned her mind instead on how she would explain her abilities to DL when next they met on the case.
Chapter 13
The doorbell rang not long after Grace got back from DL’s. She walked to the door, minimizing the movement in her shoulder. DL told her the tattoo site would be sore for several days and to expect swelling. But it came out looking great, and she was happy to suffer a few days of discomfort for it.
Grace opened the door to find Sophie on the doorstep.
She held up a folded piece of paper. “I got the answer.”
“Answer?” Grace asked.
“To your request,” Sophie said while glancing around her.
“Okay, Miss Cloak–and-Dagger,’ come on in.” Grace motioned Sophie into the house.
She slipped into the hallway, her body language remaining tight, even after Grace closed the door.
“So, what was the answer?” Grace asked, holding out her hand for the note.
Sophie held the note to her chest, drawing in a deep breath and then releasing it. “I’m not sure you should go to this meeting, Grace.”
“You came over here with the note just to tell me that?”
Sophie scrubbed the side of her face. “I’ve been going back and forth about it since I heard from Anthony that you could meet with Nicco. I thought I had decided to give you the information until just now.”
“Sophie, come on. You said this is my chance to connect with someone in your world who might be willing and able to give me the answers I need. Why are you changing your mind?”
“I’m worried about how the meeting will go.”
“Why would you be worried? Aren’t I just having a conversation?”
“This would be more than just a conversation. It would be an introduction into the Paranorm world. If you went to this meeting, you would need to be careful.”
“What do you mean, ‘be careful’?”
“Be careful of what you say and how you act—show respect. Nicco is a powerful man in our world. Putting you in front of him means taking a risk you might upset him or put yourself on his bad side.”
“You make it sound as if I should be afraid of him.”
“This is serious, Grace,” Sophie said. “In our world, Nicco’s word is the law. If he doesn’t like what you’re doing, he can make sure you stop doing it, for good.”
“Are you saying I can get myself killed if things don’t go well?”
“No, no, I’m not saying that,” Sophie said. “But they have means of getting Paranorms to do what they want.”
“They? I thought we were only talking about Nicco, here.”
“Nicco and his Family,” Sophie corrected. “They can permanently block a Paranorm’s power if one becomes a problem. It’s worse than death for most Paranorms, never being able to use their gifts again for the rest of their lives. Paranorm families ostracize anyone who undergoes the schiavitù del potere, and many who experience it commit suicide afterward.”
Grace stopped in the middle of forming her next question when it sunk in what Sophie was saying. If it didn’t go well with Nicco, he might cut her off from her new abilities. A part of her felt relief at the idea of not having to keep control over her abilities at all times. But a gut level fear replaced that elation when she realized what it meant for her and Danny. She wouldn’t be able to see him or speak with him. It would be like having him die all over again.
“So the choice is to not go to the meeting and stay ignorant of what’s happening with me? Or to go to the meeting and risk having it go all to hell? Is this the only way? It has to be Nicco, no one else?”
“I’m sorry, Grace, but this is how you can officially enter our world and find out what you need to learn.” Regret colored Sophie’s voice. “I can’t get you a meeting with the head of The Family, but Nicco is one of the most powerful members of The Family and can help you. Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Yes! I need to move forward and stop living blind about all this. I need answers for us… and to understand how to use my abilities to make a difference. It’s a done deal.”
Sophie looked like she wanted to argue more but shook her head and held out the note.
Grace unfolded it and read the name and address written there. The time penciled in below was for the next morning at eleven a.m.
“This Nicco is the guy?” she asked.
“He is. My cousin Anthony works for him at the theater. He got a meeting for you.”
“Tomorrow morning?” Grace mentally checked her schedule and confirmed she was available.
“Mondays are their off days. It was the best time to meet with Nicco,” Sophie explained. “Can you make it? It wouldn’t be wise to get the appointment and then not be there.”
“I can be there. And thank you for doing this. I know it wasn’t easy for you and put you at risk. Thank you from both me and Danny.”
“Okay,” Sophie accepted. “Anthony will be there tomorrow to do the introductions. They’re old fashioned in that way.”
Grace stifled a groan. She had seen Sophie’s drop-dead gorgeous cousin around the community on occasion. Walking around with his nose in the air and a new boy toy following and hanging on his every word. Grace didn’t object to the boy toys, only Anthony’s arrogant attitude toward them and everyone else. She consoled herself that his role was a minor, temporary inconvenience. He’d do the “introductions,” then she would get answers from Nicco on her own.
“Right.” Grace nodded. “I’ll meet Anthony at the theater at eleven tomorrow.”
“And Grace,” Sophie said, turning to leave. “When I said be careful with what you
say, I meant don’t tell Nicco too much, especially about Danny and his ability to be real.”
“You didn’t tell anyone about Danny?” Grace asked, surprised.
“The only thing I shared is you are a new Paranorm who can see and talk to ghosts. Nothing about Danny and definitely nothing about your ability to bring him into the world physically. And I won’t say anything to anyone about it either.” Sophie’s gaze was fierce. “You’re my friend, and Danny is like a younger brother. I may need to tell them about your clairvoyant abilities to get you recognized as a Paranorm, but I will not do anything to put Danny in danger.”
The vehemence in Sophie’s voice took Grace aback. She hadn’t considered Sophie’s fondness for Danny in all this. Nor the position it put her in to be aware Danny was a ghost and around still. It wasn’t anything she anticipated when she agreed to share Danny’s situation. Grace hoped this wouldn’t lead to trouble for Sophie down the road.
“Is this something Nicco might use to control me?”
“Control you—yes, but also control Danny. Maybe harm him. I don’t know what they could or would do. But I’d rather you not take a chance,” Sophie said, grasping Grace’s arm.
Grace laid her hand on top of Sophie’s and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“Don’t worry. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure Danny stays a secret and out of harm’s way.”
Sophie nodded. “I know you’ll do fine. You thrive under pressure. Keep your cool and watch what you say, and you’ll be okay. Good luck on getting those answers. I wish I could do more for you, but this is the only way forward.”
“No, you’ve done more than enough. It’s time for me to do my part.”
Sophie gave Grace a quick hug and left the house. Grace finished shutting the door as Danny appeared next to her.
“What’s that?” He pointed to the note she held.
“The information for my appointment with Sophie’s contact.”
Glamorous: A Grace Bishop Novel (Grace Bishop Novels) Page 6
