“Mrs. Merrick. Rose. Were you a bad mother?” Sebastian asked the question casually, and saw the horror bloom in Rose’s eyes. And the fury light in Mel’s.

“No. No. I love David. I only wanted to do my best for him. I only—”

“Then don’t do this.” He took her hand, and his touch was so gentle, so comforting, that the threatening tears retreated a little. “You’re not to blame for this. Trying to make it so you are won’t help find David.”

Mel’s fury fizzled out like a wet firecracker. He’d said exactly the right thing, in exactly the right way.

“Will you help me?” Rose murmured. “The police are trying. And Mel … Mel’s doing everything she can, but David’s still gone.”

Mel, he mused. An interesting name for a long, slim blonde with a chip on her shoulder.

“We’re going to get David back.” Agitated, Mel sprang up again. “We have a few leads. They may be slim, but—”

“We?” Sebastian interrupted. He got a quick image—here, then gone—of her with a gun gripped in both hands, her eyes as cold as frozen emeralds. “Are you with the police, Miss—?”

“Sutherland. Private.” She snapped the words at him. “Aren’t you supposed to know things like that?”

“Mel …” Rose said with quiet warning.

“That’s all right.” He patted Rose’s hand. “I can look, or I can ask. With relative strangers, it’s more polite to ask than to intrude, don’t you think?”

“Right.” With what was certainly a snort, Mel dropped into a chair again.

“Your friend’s a cynic,” Sebastian commented. “Cynicism can be very valuable, as well as very rude.” He started to steel himself to tell Rose he couldn’t help. He simply couldn’t open himself to the trauma and risk of looking for another lost little boy.

Mel changed everything. Just, he supposed, as she was meant to.

“I don’t consider it cynicism to recognize a charlatan masquerading as a samaritan.” Her eyes were hot when she leaned forward. “This psychic business is as phony as a ten-dollar magician in a shiny suit pulling rabbits out of his hat.”

His brow quirked. It was the only sign of interest or irritation. “Is that so?”

“A scam’s a scam, Mr. Donovan. A young child’s future is at stake, and I won’t have you playing your mumbo-jumbo games to get your name in the papers. I’m sorry, Rose.” She stood, almost vibrating with anger. “I care about you, and I care about David. I just can’t stand by and watch this guy hose you.”