“Is it? But you must know I helped her last night.”
“No one knows better.” She paused. “As I think you’re aware.”
He looked at her inquiringly.
“You had three books on parapsychology on the coffee table. One I left when I came down for a visit. I read it in the gatehouse because I didn’t want Jessica to see it around the manor. I’ve never read the other two. Where did you get them in the middle of the night?”
“I sent one of the Secret Service men at the gate to an all-night bookstore in D.C. They were very obliging as long as I didn’t leave the property. I spent several hours scanning them.” He smiled. “And since I didn’t get any sleep, I wasn’t going to take my usual morning run.”
“Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?”
“Heaven forbid. You have enough problems.”
Her gaze narrowed on his face. “Then I assume you found what you wanted in those books?”
“I overheard what you told your sister in the bedroom last night. That was enough to pique my interest. So I hit the Internet and then hunkered down with a few books.”
“And you found out I was a freak.”
“But not the only one. Not even the first one.”
“What?”
“Did you think you were the only case who came back with a little baggage on the side? Professor Hans Dedrick discovered four cases similar to your own. One in Greece, one in Switzerland, and two in China.”
“Dedrick?”
“Trauma, Memory, and the Way Back. It was written in 1999. You didn’t read it?”
She shook her head in bewilderment. “And I even combed through the libraries trying to find something, anything . . .”
“It was published by a university press in Great Britain. As you’ve noted, I’m an expert at retrieving information. I’ll let you borrow it if you like.”
“I’ll get my own copy as soon as I get back to school. Did Jessica mention anything about me?”
“Not a syllable. It’s natural that she’d be very protective. She’s spent a good many years caring for you. Your talent is somewhat ‘unusual,’ and she wouldn’t want you to be misunderstood.”
Jesus, he was clever. He had watched and listened and put the puzzle pieces of their lives and relationship together. “And do you understand?”
“Do you mean believe? Perhaps. I spent a lot of my early years in the East, and I’ve seen stranger things. It certainly doesn’t make me uneasy.”
Melissa studied him. “No, it only interests you. Jessica told me you dealt in information, and I can see how you’d be good at that. You gather and dig and analyze. . . . You find it exciting, don’t you?”
“Yes. Since I’ve been cursed with boundless curiosity, it’s definitely an addiction.”
“And dealing with Cassie is a quick fix for a few weeks of boredom?”
“I’m not quite so callous. I wouldn’t use that nice kid just to relieve the monotony. I help her, she helps me.” He chuckled. “Though I didn’t realize until you appeared on the scene how intriguing the next few weeks may prove to be. When did you realize you had this bizarre talent? Your sister didn’t mention anything about it in her book.”
“She didn’t know about it. She was so happy she’d brought me back that I didn’t want to spoil anything for her. I wouldn’t have told her about it if we hadn’t run into this problem with Cassie. She’s not like you. It makes her damn uneasy.”
“I can see why. She impressed me as being a very solemn, pragmatic lady.”
“She’s had to be pragmatic. It’s not as if she doesn’t have a great sense of humor. She didn’t have much chance to—”
“Okay, okay. I didn’t mean to insult her. She seems to be a very caring woman.” He changed the subject. “You didn’t answer me. When did you realize you were broadcasting on a different wavelength?”
“About five months after I came back. It scared the hell out of me.” She stood up. “Now, take your curiosity and stuff it. That’s all you’re going to get out of me.”
“You can never tell. I haven’t even started yet.” He got to his feet. “Let’s be perfectly clear. You’re warning me to stay away from your sister and Cassie?”
“Where did you get that idea? Cassie needs you.”
“And do you need me, Melissa?” he asked softly.
“Yes, but I’m working on it.” She bent down and retied her left running shoe. “So don’t get used to the idea. You’re going to be replaced.” She straightened. “Jessica is the most decent human being on the face of the earth. I won’t have her hurt.” She held up a hand as he started to speak. “I don’t care that you don’t intend to do it. Right now the most important thing in her life is getting Cassie well. If Cassie dies, she’ll be devastated. So you’re going to make sure she doesn’t die. You’re not going to walk away if you see something more interesting on the horizon. You’re going to stay until Cassie’s on the road to recovery if it takes years.”