‘You know, Ken, I can do stuff like this for you every day,’ he said eagerly.
Ken forced a smile, and nodded. ‘Yeah, we ’ll see.’ He could always make up errands to run. But where would he find the money to pay Stevie for them?
Crazy Dahlia was there, and Margaret. Ken absent-mindedly noticed that she didn’t look quite as good as she had the day before. Not as bad as she’d looked the first time he saw her though. Her hair was kind of messy, and she had on those big brown glasses again. But she wasn’t as pasty-pale.
Just as Cassandra called them to the table, there was a knock on the door.
‘Well, it seems we have another participant tonight,’ the medium said.
‘I’ll get the door,’ Dahlia offered.
Ken, Cassandra and the others took their seats at the table. A moment later, Dahlia returned with the new person. Ken choked.
‘Jenna!’
‘Hi, Ken,’ Jenna said in an artificially bright voice. She turned to the others.‘Ken is in my class at school. He was telling us about the seance, and it sounded so interesting, I just had to come.’
She must have followed him, Ken realized. And he didn’t believe a word she’d just said. Jenna was not the kind of person who would believe in mediums and seances.
He couldn’t see Cassandra’s veiled face, but he could tell by her tone that she wasn’t thrilled with this new addition to their group.
‘My dear, a seance isn’t for everyone. Do you have an open mind? Are you willing to connect with the spirit world? Will you be able to receive the spirits?’
‘Actually, I was thinking I’d just watch this time,’ Jenna said.
The medium shook her head.‘I’m afraid that’s not possible. You can’t simply observe a seance. Your mere presence could ruin the event. You could distract and interrupt the mood and frighten off any spirit who wishes to address someone.’
‘Then I’ll join the group and participate in the seance,’ Jenna said.
‘No, I cannot allow that,’ Cassandra declared. ‘I’m sorry, my dear, but I can feel that you are a non-believer. Please leave now.’
When Jenna didn’t move, the medium did. She came around the table and faced Jenna.
‘This is my apartment, my home. If you do not leave, I will call the police.’
Jenna gave up and went to the door. Cassandra waited until she was out of the apartment before returning to the table and beginning.
‘Join us, spirits, in our quest to find answers …’
Thank goodness there was nothing for Dahlia that evening, but Margaret’s mother returned.
‘Your mother wants to know how you’re feeling, Margaret.’
‘I’m sad,’ Margaret said. ‘I miss you very much, Mama. I think about you all the time.’
It was pretty much the same thing she’d said last Friday, but Ken thought there was something different this time. Maybe it was her tone — she didn’t sound like she was going to burst into tears. In fact her voice was almost wooden, like she’d memorized and rehearsed these lines.
‘Your mother wants you to stay busy, Margaret,’ the medium told her. ‘That’s the only way to get over your grief. She suggests that you find an interesting club to join. Birdwatching, perhaps.’
‘Birdwatching?’ Margaret exclaimed. ‘Ick! Are you for real?’
Cassandra’s voice was steely. ‘This is your mother addressing you, Margaret.’
‘Oh, right,’ Margaret said. ‘Sorry, Mom, I’ll think about it.’
‘Your mother’s leaving us now, Margaret.’
‘Don’t leave, Mama!’ Margaret cried out. ‘Stay here, please. I’m begging you, don’t go away, I’m so lonely and sad, I need you. ’
Cassandra almost sounded impatient. ‘She can’t stay, Margaret. She’ll be back tomorrow. Now let’s try to call another spirit to us. Let us all be very quiet and concentrate very hard.’
Ken began a silent chant. Mr Fisher, Mr Fisher, Mr Fisher, Mr Fisher.
‘A spirit approaches,’ Cassandra intoned. ‘It is a man. He is calling a name. I’m having difficulty hearing him. Oh spirit, please, speak louder. Mr Fisher, is that you?’
‘Dad?’ Stevie cried out.
‘Shh,’ the medium murmured. ‘Again, spirit, again, who do you wish to contact?’ She drew in her breath. ‘Your son? Your son. Stevie?’
Holding Stevie’s hand, Ken could feel the boy’s grip tighten.
‘Do you have something you want to say to Stevie? Do you have a message for him?’
Ken couldn’t breathe. Or maybe he was just feeling the tension in the boy sitting next to him.
‘What is the message? Oh spirit, I cannot hear you! Your voice. it’s too faint! Repeat! Repeat!’
And then Cassandra sighed. ‘He’s gone.’
‘Oh, no!’ Stevie cried out. ‘Dad, come back!’
‘I’m sorry, Stevie. It wasn’t a good connection. But don’t despair! We’ve made contact. He’ll come back. Maybe I’m just not strong enough. If only there was another medium here, someone else who is also sensitive to the spirit world. Perhaps together we could forge a pathway.’
That was all Ken needed to hear. ‘Can I talk to you privately, Cassandra?’
‘Of course, Ken,’ the medium said. To the others, she said, ‘The seance is over. We will meet again at the same time tomorrow evening.’
Dahlia and Stevie went to the hallway and Dahlia opened the door. Jenna practically fell in, as if she’d been leaning against it.
‘What are you doing here?’ Cassandra demanded to know. ‘I told you to leave!’
‘I was waiting for Ken,’ Jenna said. ‘I thought we could walk home together. Come on, Ken.’
Ken glared at her. ‘I need to talk to Cassandra.’
‘Ken, don’t tell her anything! I read her mind. She’s a fake!’
‘How dare you?’ Cassandra cried out. ‘Get out of here now!’
‘I’m not leaving without Ken,’ Jenna yelled.
Ken turned to the medium. ‘I’m sorry about this. I’ll get rid of her.’ He grabbed Jenna’s arm and dragged her out the door.
‘Ken, I’m serious,’ Jenna hissed once they’d reached the hall. ‘I don’t know who she really is, or what she’s up to, but she’s not a medium. This is a fraud.’
‘You’re just saying that to keep me from helping her find Stevie’s father,’ Ken accused her. ‘You don’t want me to tell her what I can do.’
‘It’s not just that! I’m telling you, Ken, I swear, I saw something in her mind. And she’s not telling the truth.’
Ken couldn’t remember ever hearing Jenna sound so fervent before.
‘Ken, just do me one favour, OK? Don’t tell her today. Think about it.’
‘I’m not going to change my mind, Jenna.’
‘Just wait till the next seance,’ she pleaded. ‘It’s not like anything can happen now. OK? Please?’
‘What difference is one day going to make?’
‘I don’t know! I just feel like — like it will make a difference.’
That sounded pretty lame to Ken, but he’d never heard Jenna sound so frantic. If it really meant that much to her.
He went back into the apartment, where Cassandra and Margaret were talking.
‘Um, I have to go.’
‘I thought you wanted to talk to me privately,’ Cassandra said.
‘It can wait till tomorrow,’ Ken said.
CHAPTER TEN
THE WOMAN WHO HAD been calling herself Cassandra pulled off her veil and cursed as the door closed behind Ken.
‘I think we’re all right,’ she told Amanda. ‘I kept my mind completely blank all the time that girl was in the room.’