It didn’t matter now. She was in greater hands than mine. Hands that truly knew how to heal. He’d help her understand that none of that was her fault.
And if he was as just as I hoped, her mother would spend eternity burning for her transgressions.
I fought so many things at once. Pain, agony, helplessness, and anger. The anger was all mine. I clenched my jaw so tight, my teeth hurt.
After swallowing hard, I tried again with Quentin. “Angel,” I said, waving him closer.
“I’m sorry about that girl, Charley. I didn’t know.”
“I didn’t either, hon. But what can I do for Quentin?”
“I don’t know. He’s still alive. That’s not really my area.” When I turned back in disappointment, he said, “But he’s like the girl. He’s not thinking right. Maybe you could do what you did with her.”
I started to argue with him but stopped and rethought his suggestion. It was certainly worth a shot. I petted Quentin’s blond hair and let my energy gather in my core. Let it build and swell like a rising storm. But before I could send it out, Quentin looked up, his cerulean blue eyes glistening with fear and uncertainty. I let the energy inside me disperse and touched his handsome face. As though it took him a moment to recognize me, he furrowed his brows, then blinked and rushed into my arms.
We sat like that a long time, on the back deck of the restaurant, swaying to the music streaming from inside. Well, I swayed to the music. After a long while, I glanced at my gang. Amber was standing close by, wringing the knit cap in her hands. Angel was sitting against the wall next to us. He seemed very curious about Quentin, and I couldn’t believe I’d never introduced them.
Captain Eckert was leaning against the bright red railing that encircled the restaurant in thick wooden planks. It was a beautiful place and a stunning view.
“What’s wrong with him?” the captain asked.
I pasted on my best glare. “I’ll deal with you later.”
Though the captain wasn’t used to being treated so harshly, especially by one of APD’s lowly consultants, he didn’t argue. He didn’t threaten. He just stood there, observing, probably taking notes and weighing the possibility of getting me fired for mental instability.
After a while, Quentin finally pulled back and told me he couldn’t get on the cable car. He couldn’t go home.
“Is it the girl?” I asked him.
A look of surprise flashed across his face, but it didn’t last. He knew who I was, what I was, and that we had a lot in common. He nodded.
“I saw her, too,” I signed. “She was scared and lost.”
He gaped at me. “She was scared and lost?”
“Yes, she crossed through me. She didn’t want to at first, but I … convinced her. She was very hurt by her family.”
“They abused her?” he asked.
I nodded. “Bad.”
“Like hit her?”
“And worse. She was so scared.”
He looked down. “I could feel that, too. I could feel how dark her world was. How empty. It made my stomach hurt.”
“Mine, too, but how did you feel that?” I was beginning to realize Quentin could do more than just see the departed.
“I didn’t tell you.”
“So, tell me now,” I said. I reached over and ruffled his hair.
That got his attention. He smoothed it into place, peeking at Amber, then did the same to mine, ruffling my chocolaty locks while wearing a mischievous glint in his eyes. My hair was a mess anyway, so I just left it.
“If the spirit touches me, I can see how it feels,” he said.
“Wow. That’s crazy.”
“It’s messed up. I don’t like it.” He shrank back when he thought about it.
“I’m sorry. Sometimes the departed carry a lot of baggage.”
“Like suitcases?” he asked, confused.
I chuckled. “Sorry, hearing idiom. Like they have a lot of problems weighing them down.”
“Oh, yeah. Just like people, I guess.”
“Yeah, but that’s super cool that you can do that.” When he stabbed me with a dubious stare, I said, “Try it on Angel.”
“Screw that, pendeja.” Angel jumped up, but I took his arm before he could vanish on me and jerked him back down. “This is Angel.”
Angel graced him with the ever-popular head nod, then stuck out his hand to shake. Quentin shook his hand, then asked him, “Do you know ASL?”
Angel shrugged, so I interpreted.
“No, man, I’m sorry. I wish I did.”
I relayed that message but added, “He will learn.”
Angel’s brows shot up, and he nodded in agreement. “That’d be cool.”