I let my mind shift to the semitrance state that would let me see ghosts too weak or inexperienced to pass over. Around me, everything seemed to go still, the wind chimes faint and distant, the gardens blurring.
"Hello?" I said. "Is anyone here?"
I kept turning and calling out, but no one answered. A sharp shake of my head and I was back to Earth.
"Ms. Vegas?"
I spun as a security guard peeked around a hedge.
"Didn't mean to startle you. Were you calling for someone?"
"Actually, yes," I said with a rueful smile. "I'm hopelessly lost."
He laughed. "This place is a maze, isn't it? Come on then, and I'll walk you back."
THE ANGEL OF THE SOUTH
DURING A BREAK BETWEEN INTERVIEWS, I decided to send the babies a get-well gift. As for what to send… well, that was a problem. I get a kick out of the twins-I even babysat them during one council meeting- but they were the only little ones I'd had extended contact with since I'd been a child myself.
My first thought was a balloon bouquet… until the FTD florist in Syracuse told me they didn't recommend balloons for kids- choking hazard, apparently. So I went with stuffed animals. Rabbits. Perfect.
I spent the rest of the afternoon following my schedule and using the spare time to poke around the house and meet the crew. To my disappointment, I didn't bump into Bradford Grady.
Grady was a bona fide star with a wildly popular show exploring haunted European locales. That was where the money was: television. Right now, I had a prime monthly spot on The Keni Bales Show and I was a regular guest on Knight at Night. But my own show? That was the dream. Always had been… even though I personally preferred a stage to a soundstage. With Keni's show skyrocketing in the ratings, now the second hottest daytime talk show in America, I had two offers-one from a major network, the other an up-and-coming netlet.