“Turns out paranoia runs deep in the psychic world.”

“Why?” Olivia asked.

“Why what?”

“Why did you hunt monsters for this Jones and Jones outfit?”

“I told you. Money.”

“There are easier ways for a man with your talents to make money. You chose a very dangerous line of work.”

“My talents aren’t good for many things. Hunting bad guys is one of the few—”

“Forget it,” Olivia said. “Back to our problem. What if there is no one inside the Sefton house?”

“That will certainly simplify things,” he said.

“We’re going to break in.”

“You don’t sound shocked.”

“I saw that coming a mile off. And don’t you dare call me an oracle.”

CHAPTER 20

I don’t think the dream-home story would have worked,” Olivia said. “This house is one of the most depressing architectural structures I’ve ever seen. It’s a gargoyle of a house. It would make a good location for a television series featuring a haunted mansion, though. That angle might have been effective.”

She was standing on the back porch of the Sefton house watching Harlan insert a narrow length of metal into the lock that guarded the door. Her handbag, with the camera inside, was slung across her body, leaving both hands free. There had been no sign of anyone—not even another vehicle—for the last five miles of the trip, but the need to keep the artifact close was impossible to ignore.

The big house had probably been an imposing residence in its day—ominous but impressive. Three stories tall, it squatted in the center of a small clearing. The windows on the ground floor had been boarded up. Those on the upper floor were covered with ancient curtains. The surrounding forest cast the structure into permanent shadow.

“I told you, the television story always works.” Harlan pushed open the door and stood quietly for a moment, gazing into the rear hall. “I feel sorry for any real estate agent who tries to market this place.”

“What’s wrong?” Olivia hurried forward to see what had caught his attention. The waves of disturbing energy hit her with the force of a small thunderstorm when she stepped through the doorway. “Yikes. You’re right. Even people who don’t have a strong psychic vibe are bound to notice this kind of heat. Everyone reacts to the feel of a house, and this one reeks of bad energy.”

“There’s a reason it’s hard to sell properties that have a history of death, especially violent death.” Harlan moved deeper into the shadowed hallway and switched on a flashlight. “Every house has a story. Let’s see what this one can tell us.”