Cassie hadn’t realized that the air conditioning had cut on. She felt the cool air forced through the vent as it brushed past her, chilling the thin veneer of sweat on her face. She paused and looked up at the ceiling. It had been so hot inside on each visit. If the AC had been on its cycle, that wouldn’t have happened. Come to think of it, had the house even had power?
Her skin pricked at the realization someone might be there. Spirits she could handle. They could only do so much damage. But someone in the flesh? She reached into her pocketbook for the small 9mm.
Cassie sucked in a few deep breaths and steadied her nerves. It could be a glitch, after all. Maybe the unit had shorted after the storm, and now that it had dried out, it was working again. Why would the crime scene guys cut it off intentionally? Wouldn’t the uncontrolled temperature damage the remaining evidence?
For all she knew about her part of the investigation, Cassie knew little about the rest. She often felt she had it best considering she didn’t have to rely on logic, science, or even deductive reasoning. Voices spoke. She listened and passed on the information. For that, they called her a hero. She rolled her eyes at the title. There were real heroes in the world. She was not one of them.
She took another trip around the room in search of whatever the dream had sent her back for. The trip had turned into a dud. Nothing had happened. Nothing had been left behind, at least not that she hadn’t seen in person on the previous trips.
What the hell had Seth been doing there yesterday? He came with nothing. Didn’t appear to have tried to take anything. Perhaps she interrupted him. But what would he have been looking for? She had checked under the mattress, in the closet, and gone through all the drawers. There was nothing.
Cassie sat down on the edge of the bed and stared up at the vent. Strands of hair fluttered in the forced breeze. “Come on, Alice, or anybody for that matter, talk to me.”
Seconds passed before she heard a creak on the floor. Cassie turned to the open doorway and stumbled as she tried to get up from the bed.
“Hello, Cassie.”