The Seance by Heather Graham

been locked.
    Although even if it had been locked, he would have forced it open, anyway, he had to admit.
    He was definitely on edge, he thought, but he’d also heard someone scream.
    â€œYou tell me,” Jed said to Dan. “What the hell is going on in here? I heard a scream.”
    Dan rolled his eyes. “Sorry.” He stepped back so Jed could come in and closed—and locked—the door after him. “Good to see you, Jed. The screamer was Ilona, Tony’s fiancée. She got spooked after Ana insisted on playing with the Ouija board.”
    â€œThat’s why the dim lights, huh?”
    â€œUh-huh,” Daniel agreed dryly.
    By then they had reached the parlor and Ana leapt up and rushed over to meet him, giving him a quick hug. “You made it.”
    â€œI said I’d come,” he told her, looking past her to Christina Hardy, who was slowly rising. She was one of those women with the ability to do normally awkward things with the sinuous grace of curling ivy. She walked over, a small smile on her face, and gave him a quick, friendly hug in greeting. “Welcome. There’s still barbecue in the kitchen.”
    â€œGood. I’m famished.”
    â€œHi, Jed,” Mike said. “You know Tony, but have you met Ilona?”
    Jed nodded toward the woman at Tony’s side. They’d met briefly at the funeral. “Nice to see you again,” he told her.
    â€œYou, too,” Ilona said.
    â€œDid you know Jed’s a famous writer?” Mike asked.
    â€œI’m not really famous,” Jed said quickly, embarrassed.
    â€œSpeaking of which, guess what name those two—” Mike paused to indicate Ana and Christina “—just dredged up. Beau Kidd.”
    Jed frowned. Even if his nerves hadn’t already been on edge, the name would have stung. Damn it, he thought. He hadn’t caused what had happened to the cop. He had just built fiction around the facts of what had already happened.
    Yeah. Fiction that clearly skewered the man.
    â€œBeau Kidd?” he said, and he knew that his voice was harsh.
    â€œOh, Jed, don’t sound so mad. We were just playing with the Ouija board,” Ana said.
    â€œAfter talking about the recent murder,” Dan explained.
    â€œOuija board?” Jed said skeptically.
    â€œHey, blame Ana, not me,” Christina said lightly.
    â€œI’m telling you, it spelled out his name,” Ana said stubbornly.
    â€œCome in the kitchen, I’ll warm up some food for you,” Christina said.
    â€œDon’t bother,” Ana teased. “He used to be a cop. He even eats cold pizza.”
    â€œWell you don’t have to eat cold barbecue,” Christina said firmly, then stared at him with those crystal-blue eyes of hers and smiled slowly. “Thanks for coming.”
    He shrugged a little awkwardly. “Sure.”
    She strode past him, smooth and sleek. He followed.
    She was already reaching into the refrigerator by the time he stepped into the kitchen. She handed him a beer.
    â€œSo how’s it going?” she asked after he thanked her, helping herself to one, as well, and leaning back against the counter. A subtle grin curved her lips. “When does your next book come out?”
    He arched a brow. “Last month, actually.”
    â€œOh. Sorry.”
    â€œThat’s cool.”
    â€œI should have kept up.”
    â€œAmazingly, the entire world doesn’t rush out to the store the minute a book of mine comes out.”
    She flushed. “Yeah, well, I’m one of Ana’s best friends. I should have known.”
    â€œNot even all of Ana’s friends rush out the minute I have a book on the shelves,” he assured her.
    She smiled and dug into the refrigerator again. He realized with an inner smile that she had planned for his arrival as she pulled out a microwave-ready plate with chicken, ribs and corn on the cob.
    He hadn’t been lying when he’d