Death by Chocolate (The Davenports 2)

“That’s two questions.” She held up her pointer finger and middle. “I know from watching shows things can be attached to the person. If that’s my issues, moving won’t help.” She shook her head. “My turn. How long have you been doing this?”

“A little over a year. Before now, work kept me so busy traveling I had little time for much else,” he answered honestly.

“What changed?”

“I got stationed locally. We’re opening up a new location in town, and it’s been a game changer.”

“Oh, that’s nice.”

“It is. I loved traveling when I was younger, but I find I want to slow down and enjoy my friends and family.”

“Perfect timing.”

It helps when you co-own the company. Part of him felt guilty. Lying could be more than directly telling falsehoods. Omission counted, too. Still, he liked forming a relationship with someone who had no clue who he or his family were. It gave him a sense of normalcy he didn’t often experience.

“It was. Have you ever personally dabbled in the occult, or been exposed to it recently?”

“Are we talking horoscopes?”

Shaking his head, he gave her a small smile. “No. Ouija board, séance, or ghost walking tour.”

“No. Do tours really lead to this?” Her eyes widen.

“Well, there can be an attachment situation.”

“That’s terrifying.”

“Are you on any sort of medication that might make you hallucinate?”

She scoffed. “No.”

“I know this seems ridiculous, but we have to ask. Do you have a history of mental illness?”

She gritted her teeth. “No. Do you?”

“I had a bout with depression years ago, but otherwise, no.”

“Oh.” She hadn’t expected him to be so honest.

He grinned. “I know this is invasive. Believe me when I say it’s necessary. If we had to call in someone else to help, they would expect this groundwork to be covered.”

“Do you think it’ll require that?” she asked.

“I’m not sure. We try our best to prepare for all situations. We want to get you back into your apartment, comfortable and safe as soon as we can.”

She nodded her head. “What can I expect?”

“The first thing we’ll do is observe. Our camera crew will set up. We’ll bring in our equipment and do EVP. That’s electronic voice phenomenon. We may also bring a Spirit Box. It uses radio signals to allow a spirit to communicate if it wishes.”

“How is that possible?”

“The machine sweeps through stations continuously, and the spirit can manipulate them to create words and phrases. You’ve watched the shows ... it’s the thing that makes them sound like a robot. It can be creepy, but it’s effective.”

“What about the machine that shows the stick figures?”

“I think you mean the 3D mapping camera. Is there anything else you have questions about?”

“None you could answer without investigating. I just want this taken care of, so I can put it behind me and move forward.” Her voice wavered.