Cannonball started to shake his head, but stood up instead. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. From an inside pocket, he drew out a coin, which he flipped to Jude.“This quarter was in his pocket when his body was recovered. I’ve kept it with me ever since.”
Jude looked down at the shiny Canadian coin in the palm of his hand. “Sometimes it helps to have an object that belonged to the spirit. If we can make contact, do you want to know?”
“Yes, and I need that back before Sunday.”
“You got it. See you this afternoon at the water park.” Jude and the others turned and walked away.
“Do you think this chat helped?” Fitzgibbon asked.
“I don’t know. My guess is that he might show his people our description what Everly saw. At this point, I think it’s the best we can hope for.” Ronan sighed and pressed the button to call the elevator.
Jude agreed with Ronan. He didn’t think this conversation helped to move the needle. It would be up to Ten, Cope, and Everly to see if they could use the coin to contact Rooster. At this point, the dead daredevil might be the only one who could talk some sense into his determined son.
11
Cope
Thankfully, Heidi stayed until the end of the group reading. There had been so many spirits stepping forward with family members desperate to speak with them that Cope and Ten extended the reading so that everyone could hear from their loved ones. Unfortunately, Rooster Jackson did not show up. Cope was starting to think he was the one person who could get his son to stand down from his foolish stunt.
“Heidi,” Cope said, reaching for the woman’s hand. “Thank you so much for hanging in there with us.”
“You’re work is incredible. Very uplifting. I just wish there was a way you could use those gifts to stop my husband from going over the falls.”
“We’re working on it. Our husbands are at Cannonball’s meet and greet. They’re hoping to have a word with him when the event ends. Apparently, my niece gave a very detailed account of what’s going to happen on Sunday, which the guys typed up and gave to him. They’ve got a copy of it for you too. There’s a lot ofphysics and math involved, which is why I gave Stu my phone number. I’m hoping he can hook up with your husband to see if there’s a safer way to do the stunt,” Cope said. It had been very fortuitous that a math whiz had been in the crowd for the group reading.
“A safer way?” Heidi shook her head. “Is such a thing even possible?”
“We’re not sure,” Ten admitted. “My daughter keeps checking to see if her vision has changed and so far, it hasn’t.”
“How is it possible that someone so young has those kinds of gifts?” Heidi asked, wearing an awed look.
Ten laughed. “I’m not sure. I saw my first spirit when I was thirteen. Everly’s been seeing them since the day she was born. We used a surrogate to have her and the woman who helped us has incredible gifts herself, which Everly inherited. I’m doing the best I can to work with her so that she understands what she can do and to keep her safe. There are a lot of people who’d use her talent for nefarious purposes.”
Heidi nodded. “I can see where that would be a problem.”
“Especially now that more people know what she can do. I didn’t know she’d speak to Cannonball in front of a room filled with talented psychics, but now the word is out about her gifts.” Ten sighed. Worry lit in his eyes. “But that’s another problem for another day. What was it that you wanted to talk to me and Cope about?”
Heidi sighed. “I don’t want my husband to die. I don’t want my son to grow up without his father. Do you know what’s going to happen to us if Cannonball…”
Cope exchanged an uneasy look with Tennyson. They both knew what was going to happen. The problem was how to present it in a way that wouldn’t send her running out of the room screaming. “Yes, we know what’s going to happen.” Cope was very reluctant to detail Heidi’s future.
Looking back and forth between the psychics, she reached out for Cope. “Please, tell me. I can handle whatever it is.”
“Okay,” Cope said, feeling weary to his bones. How the hell was he supposed to tell this woman that her entire life was going to collapse? “If Cannonball dies, you’re going to be hit with a ton of bills from the search and rescue teams that will eventually locate him and recover his body. We’re talking thousands of dollars here.”
“Oh, Christ. We don’t have that kind of money.” Heidi shook her head. “What else?”
“You’ll be forced to sell your home and move in with your parents, just like Cannonball’s mother had to do,” Tennyson continued.
“Over my dead body!” Heidi swore.
Cope shook his head. “That’s what it will come to.”
“What?” Heidi looked back and forth between them.
“All of the stress of the money troubles, combined with living with your parents will drive you to hurt yourself. Twice.” Cope watched as horror and understanding hit Heidi like a tornado.
“I try to commit suicide?” Heidi looked as if Cope’s words couldn’t have shocked her more.
