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Generally just disturb the peace. But this disturbance is definitely of more dimensions.
The light shimmered and grew, then just as quickly it was gone.
All right, Michael Robertson, where were you just now?
Take it easy, Charli, I wasn t in here. I was in the kitchen watching Maddie do the dishes
when I felt this guy s presence.
I could tell by the look on his face he knew why I d asked. I reached out, without
thinking, to touch him. I m sorry, Michael, I didn t mean to accuse you of anything.
Ethan was standing beside me, his arm around my shoulder, then suddenly he
moved behind me and encircled me with both arms. As we watched, Michael s essence,
whatever it was made him visible to us, moved faster then started turning blue. Just as
quickly it returned to the rainbow hues I normally saw.
He s jealous of me, Charli. Ethan whispered in my ear but I knew Michael heard.
I saw him start to laugh.
Yeah, I am. I m her husband. But I m also the one who told her, just a few days ago, to get
on with her life. He moved toward us then stopped. I m here to look after her. To protect her.
I don t know from what. And if you re there for her, you can help me. I like you, Ethan. I hope
you can take care of her when I m gone.
With that, he vanished.
Hell. Now I not only have to convince you I want to be part of your life, I have to
satisfy your dead husband, too. Ethan s lips started on the soft hollow beneath my ear
and wandered up and down my neck, coming back to the one spot he knew I really
liked. Fast learner, this man.
I pulled away. Ethan, let s just slow down here. Please? I want to get through all
this business Michael s here about before I allow myself to get seriously involved with
anyone. Can we?
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Kelsy George
I knew I was frowning at him, but it was a frown of concern, not anger. He knew it,
too. He stepped toward me and used his knuckle under my chin to tip my head back.
Yes, love, we can. I ll wait. I d wait forever for you to be mine. He leaned closer,
touched my lips with his then turned to go. At the door he stopped and turned back.
Get some sleep, sweetheart, tomorrow is going to be a busy day.
For the first time in five nights I slept well, with no interruptions. I would be awake
and energized when I started a new day.
76
Deja You
Chapter Nine
My return to Harmon Court was not the inconspicuous arrival I would have
wished. Instead, we were met by a welcoming committee of disenchanted tenants. They
waited in the inside hall, all of them complaining softy to one another about the
problems with the building. I don t know how they knew I was coming back here this
morning. Unless&
Stan. He must have opened his big mouth. The man s the worst gossip I know.
If they d known what my plan was I d probably have had a hero s welcome.
Instead, all they wanted to know about was Ruthie and what happened in my
apartment. I gathered Stan Medlar had lived up to his name and meddled, telling
everyone about my furniture rearrangement. Morbid curiosity I could deal with. It was
the other feeling, something I could only describe as dread, emanating from the
building itself that made me uneasy.
I turned to Ethan as we opened the inside so-called security door.
Michael s right. So are you. There is something here. Now I know it s here I can
feel it as soon as I put my hand on the door.
It s as if there s some black cloud hanging over this place. It s strong. Ethan
looked around as though he might see something. Nothing was visible to me, so I
doubted he d find anything.
I hobbled into the middle of this crowd, Ethan tight to my back. I was glad I could
walk, once again wear my shoes. I d have lacked a lot of the clout I d need to do what
we had planned if I d had to be carried in. My feet still hurt, but at least I was mobile.
Ethan was taking no chances with me, I guess. During the last twenty-four hours
he d been my constant shadow. Wherever I went, he was a step behind. Michael
showed up occasionally but seemed to think Ethan was doing a good job and didn t
need his constant supervision. I had no idea where Michael disappeared to, but each
time he left he seemed to be more accepting of my budding relationship with Ethan.
Make it flowering relationship we were long past the budding stage after just six days.
For one whole day after I revealed my plan to Ethan I had done nothing but sit in a
chair and listen to a busy, well-connected man make the necessary arrangements to
help me get my plan underway. His first call brought Roland Driver in a hurry. It
seemed helping me had also become a mission for the good doctor.
After he outlined our idea to Roland, Ethan made the necessary bank transfers, by
phone, to put the money in place for Roland to make the purchase of the building.
Ethan s friends from the inspectors office had been busy. By ten o clock they d given
Simon, Jr. I never heard anyone refer to him by his other name a list of infractions
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Kelsy George
that would have choked a horse. And no time to fix any of them. By noon the lawyers
were drawing up the necessary paperwork for the sale. A man with some background
in this city could obviously move mountains.
For this slime of a slumlord the easiest way out was to sell the building to the first
chump who looked interested.
Enter Roland Driver, playing the role of chump to perfection.
I turned to Ethan for his support. He rubbed his hand up and down my back. Just
once. But I knew he was solidly with me. Thanks. I can handle most of this, I think, but
anytime you think I need help? Feel free to jump right in.
His answering smile told me I was covered.
Bobby Turner, who occupied 1D, across the hall from Stan Medlar, spoke first.
So, Miz Robertson, whazzup? What s happenin in yo apartment, huh? This
young black man had a beautiful young wife and a baby on the way. He was maybe
twenty-five or six, his wife Serena a couple of years younger. This building was all they
could afford. I wanted to make a difference for them. Their baby was due in about five
months. Maybe this was the date we would aim for. At least for the major changes.
Bobby was currently unemployed, laid off by an aircraft giant near Seattle that had
left a lot of people jobless over the past few years. His wife was a teacher s aide in one
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