Phil whispered a few words into the phone before hanging up.

"Well?" Sophie asked. "Don't keep us in suspense. What did they say? Am I right?"

Phil took a deep breath. "I don't want to know how you do what you do, but to answer your question, yes. Karen has a brain aneurysm. She's going to be fine. As far as they can tell, anyway. There's a simple procedure they can do, a coiling. Kind of a mini-craniotomy, a small incision above the eyebrow, where they go in and clamp off the vessel. If they're able to do this, then she'll be out of the hospital in two or three days. I think you should really put those talents to good use, Sophie. Do you always know what ails a person before it even happens?"

"No. This is the first time for that, too. Seems that ever since we've been back in Charleston, I'm able to do and see things that I've never done before. Yes, I can call up the dead, but seeing those kids through touch, and now this." She spread her hands out in front of her. "I don't know what this is, but I do wish I could've done something to prevent this. I knew something was off, a strange feeling unlike any I've had. And this is it."

"She'll be fine, Sophie. Trust me, this isn't the death sentence it was a few years ago. She's lucky she was here when it happened."

Toots agreed. "Yes, she was. What are the odds of there being a doctor in the house? The Big Man Upstairs must be looking out for that girl."

"Goebel, I want to see her as soon as I can. Will you go with me?" Sophie asked.

"Of course, I will, but in the meantime, you need to relax a little. There is nothing you can do for the young girl now, except pray."

"You're right, but it's hard knowing what I know after the fact. I feel responsible, as though I should've been able to prevent this, or at least . . ." Sophie threw her hands in the air. "I don't know anything right now other than if I don't get a cigarette, I'll die. Toots, you wanna huff with me?"

"I thought you'd never ask. Excuse us, gentlemen," Toots said. "Phil, have another cup of coffee. You look tired."

It was early afternoon by then, and the sun sparkled above them, its warmth welcoming. Toots sat down on the top step and lit two cigarettes, giving one to Sophie.

"Is there something you wanted to tell me, or did you really just want to huff?"

"I just needed a smoke. Look at my hands." Sophie held a shaking hand out for Toots's perusal.

"You're really nervous, aren't you?"

Sophie rolled her eyes. "h.e.l.l yes! If you want to know the truth, this s.h.i.t is scaring me, big-time. What if something is about to happen to one of us, and I could've prevented it? And Abby? I don't think I like this part of having a sixth sense or whatever you want to call it. Psychic, my a.s.s. If I were truly gifted, I would have known how to tune in to those bad vibes. Maybe I need to give this psychic investigation a rest for a while. I wish Madam b.u.t.terfly were alive. She'd know how to help me."

"You need to chill out. I think you and Goebel should go away for a few days. Relax. Get laid. Take your mind off this."

"You really need to screw Phil. You've been focusing on s.e.x too much." Sophie blew a white cloud of smoke out of her nose.

"My situation with Phil isn't like yours and Goebel's. You don't have lies about almost your entire life between the two of you," Toots said.

"That's a crock of s.h.i.t, and you know it. You haven't deliberately lied; you just haven't broached the subject," Sophie said. "Or have you?"

"Not in the way you think. Oh, we've talked about our youth, things we did and didn't do, that stuff. But as you know, I've never mentioned the marriages, and he's never asked. We're always on the go, doing something, or he's working. It just never seemed to come up."

"Then let it go. Tell him and get it the frig out of the way. I know you're head over heels in love with the guy. Who gives a good rat's a.s.s if you've had a few husbands? Look at it this way. If the first one hadn't died, you'd still be married, right?"

Toots laughed. John Simpson was the love of her life, but Phil was coming in a close second, even ahead of Chris Clay's father, whom she had loved very much. "I suppose when you put it that way, it's not so bad, but then I ask myself, 'Why did they all kick the bucket?' I'm afraid I'm a jinx."

"Bulls.h.i.t! There is no such thing as a jinx. Karma, yes, and, Toots, remember, most of the men you married were a bit older than you, except for Garland, Chris's dad. You weren't in love with those men. You simply felt sorry for them because they were lonely. And so what if they were all oozing in the cash department. If they hadn't left you their fortunes, then you wouldn't be able to do all the good that you do. Think of that."

Toots grinned. "Yes, there is that. And speaking of good-and, no, I am not trying to change the subject-I am so excited about Abby and Chris's new project. Dogs Displaced by Disaster. Though Abby says they'll take in all animals. She's really onto something. I think I've already found a building for the canine cafe. At first, I thought about buying the bakery building from Jamie. Did you know her grandmother left that to her? I decided against it, though. That's all Jamie has left of her grandmother. That building and the property were in her family for more than a hundred years. When the real-estate market picks up, if she were to sell out, she'd be set for the rest of her life."

"Tell me you're going somewhere with this, or I'm going back inside. I want Ida to fix my face before I go to the hospital to see Karen."

Toots flipped her the bird.

"I'm talking about investing some of my many husbands'-may they rest in peace, except for Leland, the cheap b.a.s.t.a.r.d-I'm going to invest some of their money so I can open a cafe for dogs and cats. The Canine and Feline Cafe. I like that name, don't you? It's simple and straightforward."

"Yes, it's a good idea, but you'd need some rules."

"Such as?"

"I would think you would want to make sure the animals are clean. No fleas, parvo, all the bad stuff animals can have."

"You're right. I've already got that covered with the health officials. Chris has really taken the bull by the horns on this deal. You know he always wanted to be a farmer? Now let's go inside before those two men of ours get suspicious and suspect us of something wicked and vile." Toots stood up and stretched. "Besides, Abby's here. I want to catch her up on everything."

Sophie followed Toots inside. As was becoming the norm, everyone gathered at the dining table. They'd had to bring chairs in from the veranda so there would be enough seating when the camera crew arrived. Maybe it was time to invest in a larger table. One that would seat at least twenty? Thirty? The next time she and Abby went antique shopping, she would look for a new dining-room set. For now, she needed to get the camera crew settled in at the Hampton Inn, at least until she and Sophie knew what their plans were.

Clearing her mind of all things negative, or as much as one could, given the circ.u.mstances, she rubbed her hands together and prepared to do what she did best. Make people happy.

"Mavis, would you and Wade mind driving the crew over to the hotel? We'll need two cars for this. You can take the Lincoln and the Range Rover."

"Of course, I can," Mavis said, turning to Wade. "Did you have anything planned?"

He glanced at Robert, who seemed perfectly content, sifting through the latest copy of Martha Stewart Living. "I'm not dead yet," Robert said. "Go on. I've got to run over to the house and get that copy of Southern Living. You have to know the laws of physics to understand these ridiculous recipes that felon publishes." Standing, he wobbled a bit, using the table to balance himself.

Bernice saw this and was quick to act. "I'm going with you. I want to see that new mattress you were telling me about." Bernice looked at Toots, giving her a wink.

Robert perked up. "We'll have the house to ourselves, too."

Toots chimed in. "Remember what we talked about, Bernice? Just do it, okay? It's good for your heart."

Bernice flipped her the bird. For a split second, the production crew appeared stunned; then they all laughed when both Toots and Sophie returned the gesture.

"If you're ready, we can go now and get back before the traffic gets too bad," Wade said to Mavis and the production crew.

"Would it be all right if we left our equipment here, until we know what we're going to do?" Eli asked.

"I don't see why not," Toots answered. "Let's hope Karen recovers quickly. Then you all can resume filming if . . . Oh, don't mind me." She was about to tell them that Sophie might not allow the production to continue after what happened with Karen, but then she thought better of it. This was Sophie and Goebel's gig. Not hers.

Fifteen minutes later, the house was empty except for Toots, Ida, Sophie, Phil, Goebel, and "the kids." Abby hated it when Toots referred to her and Chris as the kids, but they were kids to her, just adult-sized.

They spent the next few minutes catching up with each other; then Abby suddenly bolted for the bathroom.

Concerned, Toots followed her daughter. She heard the toilet flush, and then the water running. She tapped lightly on the door. "Abby, are you okay in there?"

The door opened. Abby's curly blond hair was sticking to her neck. Sweat beaded her forehead. "I've got a bug or something. I've been sick off and on ever since I drank that nasty coffee," Abby said as she walked down the hall and up the stairs to Toots's bedroom. "You don't mind if I lie down for a bit, do you? I'm a little light-headed."

"Of course not. Make yourself at home, sweetie. Is there anything I can get for you? Soup? Ginger ale maybe?"

Abby curled up on the bed, pulling the duvet over her feet. "No thanks, Mom. If I had to eat anything right now, it would just make me sicker. Go on down and tell Chris about the tables you ordered for The Canine and Feline Cafe. He thinks I'm teasing him."

Toots smoothed Abby's hair back, surprised at how warm her skin felt. "Okay, but you call me or Chris if you need anything. If you don't start to feel better in another day or so, I think you should go see Dr. Pauley. You're like me-you rarely get sick."

"Sure, Mom, whatever you say," Abby whispered, then closed her eyes.

Unsettled, Toots left the room, quietly closing the door behind her.

Chapter 14.

As Toots made her way downstairs, a quick and disturbing thought brought her to a complete stop before she reached the last step.

What if Abby is really ill? As in terminally ill?

"No," she said out loud, not caring if anyone heard her. Abby had been trying to do too much. The poor girl was physically exhausted. Restoring the Clay Plantation would exhaust an Olympian. Add the prep for the Dogs Displaced by Disaster, and it was no wonder Abby felt bad.

Negative thoughts breed negative actions, she reminded herself. She took a cleansing breath before joining the others gathered around the dining-room table.

Toots was surprised to see someone had returned the chairs to the veranda and stacked the camera equipment neatly in the corner. The cable wires were coiled on their spools and the lights pushed against the wall. Probably Goebel. The guy was a true gem. She hoped Sophie would marry this man, as he was a keeper.

Frankie and Coco frolicked with the new babies Abby had supplied them. Both dogs had been quiet today, as though they sensed something was off kilter. Toots thought that the two were smarter than some of the people she knew.

Squaring her shoulders back, reminding herself to keep positive, she entered the dining room. "Sophie, before you go visit Karen, would you mind reading for me?" Toots asked upon entering the dining room. She didn't want to tell anyone her thoughts about Abby, for fear that saying them out loud might make them real. Silly, yes, but she wasn't trusting her daughter's welfare to fate. She'd already jinxed eight men to their grave.

All eyes focused on Toots, but no one commented. A tense silence filled the room. Sophie spoke up. "I think it's a good idea if we go all the way and have a seance. I want to contact my spirit guide. I need some advice." Sophie glanced around the table, daring anyone to make a smart comment. She said this as though it were totally commonplace.

Ida, Chris, Goebel, and Phil all cast surprised looks at Sophie.

"Don't tell me you're chickening out. You've done this before," she said, stating what they all knew.

"I'm all for it," said Goebel. "Might just clear up all these negative vibes you've been having."

"If you're going to do this, at least that crew won't be here to witness it," Ida said, then added, "Even though that's why they're here in the first place."

"Just exactly what's that supposed to mean?" Sophie cracked.

Ida, as always the picture of perfection, gave up a wry smile. "Whatever you want it to mean."

"I can see you're back to your usual b.i.t.c.hy self."

"Stop it, you two, before I kick both of your a.s.ses," Toots admonished the two women, suddenly feeling more like herself because this was the norm for them. "You both still act like you're in the seventh grade. Now let's do this before Bernice and Robert return. He's already afraid that Sophie is going to cast some deep, dark evil spell on him. I'm not sure how he'd react if he stumbled upon us in the middle of a seance."

"If we don't get started soon, he'll find out. It won't take him and Bernice all day to scope out that new mattress. I hope he doesn't give Bernice another recipe for any more of that off-the-wall Indian s.h.i.t she's been forcing us to eat."

"For once, I agree with you," Ida said. "I had enough Indian cuisine when I was with Dr. Sameer." Ida looked at Toots and Sophie, daring them to comment.

Toots rolled her eyes, and it felt d.a.m.n good to do so. "I refuse to go there, Ida. I know what you're up to, and he was not a doctor. He was a fraud and a perverted panty sniffer."

Ida's beautifully made-up face turned crimson. No one had told Phil about Dr. Sameer's tastes in lingerie.

Sophie chuckled out loud until it turned into a genuine belly laugh. "Phil, aren't you just dying to know who Dr. Sameer is? Perhaps you've heard of him? He operates The Center for Mind and Body in Los Angeles, specializes in OCD."

Guessing there was more to the story than Ida wanted him to know, he shook his head. "I don't believe I've heard of him, but I'm in Charleston, not LA. We have a clique of doctors at the hospital who seem to know a bit of everything, so I can ask them if it's important."

"No!" Ida shouted, practically jumping out of her chair. "It's not important at all. Forget you ever heard the name." She stared at Sophie and Toots, her eyes glowing like two daggers. Sophie knew when she'd pushed Ida to the limit.

"Let's discuss something pleasant. Like dead people and guardian angels," Sophie declared, as if she hadn't partaken in the previous conversation. "We're still set up in the formal living room?" she called out as she retrieved the winegla.s.ses and candles from the hutch in the kitchen.

"Of course," Toots said, following her. "Phil, you are going to join us, I hope?"

"d.a.m.n straight I'm joining you. I haven't had this much fun since the last seance we had in LA, when you contacted Abby's father."

Toots recalled that day and never wanted to experience anything like that ever again. Abby's life had been on the line, and, thankfully, Sophie had used her superb skills to contact John, and it'd worked. And it was the first time she'd really kissed Phil. Really kissed. Just thinking of it sent a delicious shiver down her spine.

Sophie hurried through the preparations. "The tablecloth hasn't been washed, has it?" she asked Toots.

"No. I gave Bernice strict instructions that she was not to wash any of the items we use during a seance, or, I told her, we would kill her," Toots replied.

Goebel and Phil looked at one another, then at Toots.

"Phil, you don't ever want to get on the wrong side of these old girls here," Goebel informed him, though he was smiling.

"I think I've figured that out already."

They all took part in setting up the table for the seance. Ida rimmed the winegla.s.ses with salt and placed one on each corner of the table. Salt was supposed to ward off any evil spirits they didn't want to come through. Toots lit the candles and placed a rocks gla.s.s in the center of the table. Once everything was ready, Sophie indicated that they should take their places at the table.

Sophie took the seat at the head of the table, with Toots taking the seat to her right and Ida the seat on her left. Goebel sat next to Toots because he knew Sophie wouldn't like him sitting beside Ida, because she thought Ida had the hots for him. She smiled when he sat down. Phil sat next to Ida. The rule of thumb was that each of them should sit at a corner representing a cardinal point of the compa.s.s. Sophie had told them this was very important, and they always remembered when she said that because they all knew this was in no way a joke. Sophie had proven herself too many times.

With the heavy drapes tightly closed in the formal living room, and with only the candles for light, the atmosphere immediately became subdued, silent, except for the ticking of the grandfather clock. Sophie took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment. When she felt the calm, peaceful feeling telling her she was open to the spirit world, she raised her head and said in a low, sultry tone, "Let's all join hands." She reached for Toots's and Ida's hands. "As you all know, I like to say a prayer before we open the doors to the other side."

The setting was perfect to receive spirits, ghosts, or an ent.i.ty of any kind, or to open one's mind to receive guidance.

Sophie closed her eyes and bowed her head. The rest of the group followed her lead.

"Please clear my mind of any remaining negative thoughts and energy so that I may receive guidance from those wiser than I." Sophie hadn't used this method of prayer before. She really wasn't here to communicate with the dead. She wanted to contact her guardian angel in hopes of receiving advice regarding Karen's health crisis. She also hoped to gain new insight into her latest ability to see through the eyes of another by touch.

A chill permeated the room, and the candles flickered. Sophie spoke in soft tones. "We have made contact with a spirit guide. Let us all place our fingertips on the gla.s.s to receive answers to any question asked." She stopped for a few seconds as the others touched the rocks gla.s.s. When they were all interlinked, each felt a small electric shock. Phil almost pulled his hand away, but Toots whispered, "Not yet." Sophie continued to call for guidance from her spirit guide. They all kept their heads lowered, waiting for her instruction, as this was different from the seances they were used to.

"Spirit guide, if you are here with us, can you communicate with us by guiding our fingertips to slide the gla.s.s we have placed in the center of our table?"

Ever so slowly, the rocks gla.s.s moved slightly to the right.

"If I am interpreting the movement correctly, can you move the gla.s.s to the right for yes, and to the left for no?"

They all watched as the gla.s.s slid to the right, the tips of their fingers feeling the magnetic-like pull as the spirit guide took control.

"Yes," Sophie said in a low voice.