I realized then that her offer came from more than just a need for someone to organize her affairs. Just like with her shamanic skills, I’d underestimated her. She was more observant than she let on. She knew perfectly well that I was bored and restless, so she was trying to do what she could to help me while still maintaining Roland’s rules.

“Thank you,” I said, genuinely meaning it. “I’ll do my best.”

A relieved grin spread over her face. “Good. Now that that’s settled, tell me how your appointment went.”

I smiled back at her obvious glee. I’d found a doctor in Huntsville and had a checkup this morning, continuing to get good marks. “You can see for yourself. There’s a folder on the counter with something you might like.” The doctor had sent me home with some ultrasound printouts of the twins. Candace hurried back inside, and moments later, I heard a delighted shriek. Laughing, I returned to my book.

When I started working for Candace the next day, I wondered how Lara had managed to do her job for years without going insane.

To be fair, it wasn’t like the phone was ringing off the hook. Candace had a separate line for business, and I only got a handful of calls that day. E-mail requests were about the same. Still, I was kind of amazed at the varied personalities I had to deal with. It was easy for me to tell the difference between a major haunting and a minor one, and the latter usually got scheduled out later. Some people didn’t take that too well. Equally frustrating were those who didn’t even know what they were asking for.

“It’s like an occasional knocking in the walls,” one man explained to me on the phone. “Usually when the air-conditioning kicks on.”

“You have central air?”

“Yup.”

“I don’t suppose ... it might actually be something going on with the air-conditioning?”

He considered this for a few moments. “Doesn’t seem likely. It’s never done it before. I’ve had this system for years.”

“Well,” I said patiently, “things wear out over time.”

“I dunno. I’m pretty sure it’s a ghost.”

I sighed. “Have you had any other signs? I mean, have you actually seen an apparition or felt any cold spots?”

“No,” he said after another long pause. “But I’ve sometimes felt warm spots.”

“Warm spots?” I asked. “That’s not usually an indicator of a spectral presence.”

“Well, they’re there. Even when the air-conditioning’s on, it still feels pretty hot in the house.”

I gritted my teeth. “If the air-conditioning’s broken, that would explain the noise and why it’s not cooling your house.”

The guy was obviously still skeptical. “I think it’s a ghost. Do you think she can come out and take a look?”