She felt the anger spreading around her body, and when he tried to lean in for a kiss, Amelia put a hand on his chest and said, “Back!”

Joel found himself knocked back a few feet and landed on his backside. “What the hell did you do?” he raged as he jumped to his feet.

Amelia looked down at her open hand, wondering what had just happened. It felt like anger spread down her arm and exploded out of her palm.

Just then, Daisy appeared at the dressing room door. “Is everything all right, Amelia?”

Amelia just kept looking at her hand in shock. Joel grabbed his jacket, and said angrily, “No, it’s not fucking all right. You can stuff your suit up your ass, bitch.”

He stormed past them and out of the shop. Daisy came into the room, took her hand, and then recoiled from her.

That made Amelia come out of her stunned silence. “What’s wrong, Daisy?”

“Nothing. Just tell me what happened.”

Amelia couldn’t even explain to herself. “I have no idea. He was chatting me up, and didn’t take kindly to me saying no.”

“What did he do?” Daisy looked really worried now.

“He got me up against the wall, and all I remember is feeling so angry and trapped—I put my hand on his chest, shouted no, and he flew back.”

“Have you ever had anything like that happen before?” Daisy asked.

“I don’t think so, I…” Amelia searched her memories and then it came to her. “Once that I can clearly remember. I was bullied at school. It went on for a whole school year. The last day of term, at the Christmas church service, one of the bullies tripped me up in front of the whole school. I felt so embarrassed, but my overwhelming emotion was anger. I shouted, I hate you, and she was knocked clean off her feet. I got into so much trouble at school and at home. My parents took me out of that school.”

“I see.” Daisy sighed.

“What do you think it means?”

Daisy shifted uncomfortably. “I’m not sure.”

Amelia was sure Daisy knew more than she was saying. “You do investigations into lots of strange things. Are you sure you don’t know?”

“Let me do some research. Why don’t you get ready for your big date, and I’ll tidy up these materials?”

“Thank you, Daisy.” She was glad for Daisy’s help. Amelia had been faced with lots of strange happenings this week, and she really didn’t want to think about what it all meant. The wound on her neck started to burn, one of the other things she didn’t want to contemplate. No, she really needed to go out with Victorija and forget. “Sounds like a good idea.”

* * *