He tried to focus on the new data he had acquired that day, but he kept getting sidetracked by the woman sitting beside him. She was a key, a mystery and endlessly fascinating. She was one of only a handful of people he had met in his adult life who could really see him. There was something very intimate about sharing the front seat with her. He wondered if she felt the same vibe.

“What, exactly, do you plan to do once we get to the Sefton house?” Olivia asked.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “Depends on what we find when we get there.”

“The way I see it, there are two possibilities. Someone may be inside the house or the place will be empty.”

“True.”

“If there are people inside, it is highly unlikely they will invite us to take a tour of the house,” she warned.

“You’d be surprised at how convincing I can be when I work at it.”

“Is that right? How would you persuade complete strangers to let us prowl through their home?”

“I could tell them you and I are engaged to get married. That we drove past their house, decided it was the home of our dreams and want to make an all-cash offer to buy it.”

“Married? You and me? The home of our dreams? Forget it.”

He winced. She didn’t have to make it sound so completely outlandish.

“In that case I’ll go with my infallible standby story,” he said.

“What is that?”

“I’ll explain that we’re scouts for one of the big subscription video on-demand companies looking for a location for a new television series. The Sefton house is perfect but we need to see the interiors. It’s amazing what people will do if they think they can get their fifteen minutes of fame.”

“Hmm. Might work. You’ve used that story before, haven’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

He hesitated. “Turns out it takes cash to live off the grid. I didn’t spend the past five years living in a cave and foraging for my food. I had to work occasionally.”

“Those odd jobs you mentioned? The ones you do for someone who calls you an illusion talent?”

“Yes. It’s contract work for a private psychic investigation agency. Lark and LeClair isn’t the only firm engaged in paranormal investigations.”

“I’m sure you’re right. I hadn’t given the matter much thought. Where is this other agency located?”

“A small town on the Northern California coast. Scargill Cove.”

“What’s the name of the agency?”

“Jones and Jones. Their chief client is an outfit called the Arcane Society. It’s an organization devoted to paranormal research.”

“No kidding? Like the Foundation?”

“Similar, but it’s been around a lot longer. About three centuries.”

“Why haven’t I heard of it?”

“Arcane is very good at keeping a low profile.”

“Like the Foundation.”