3 Dark Energy by John O'Riley Read Free Book Online Page B

just thinking how I miss my family. I had a very vivid dream last night that we were having a picnic at the park. The weather was just gorgeous.”
    “It’s your connection to the other side.” Josephine regarded her friend with a sense of horror. “The more you think about them, the more you’ll miss them and want to pass on.”
    “I’m not going to leave you guys. It was just a passing thought because of that dream.”
    “You have to be careful,” Josephine warned.
    “I will.” Alice took a sip of her coffee.
    Helen leveled a curious gaze at Josephine. “I read in the newspaper that the entire team of Valituras in Sarasota was captured except for their leader, Frederic Rangel. Has there been any more progress?”
    “I’m afraid not. He’s probably long gone by now. I picked up some helpful information about other Valituras members in St. Petersburg and Miami but unfortunately, they’d fled their homes before the police could apprehend them.”
    “That’s a shame. They’re all cursed with immortality, right?” Helen asked.
    “That’s one of the perks of being a member of the Valituras,” Alice interjected.
    “Of course we all know the side effect is becoming a vampire,” Josephine pointed out.
    “There is that.”
    “I thought I read that one of the members is an incubus by the name of Lucifer Paddock,” Helen remarked.
    “His name is Lucius Padovani. He’s Italian,” Josephine said.
    “If someone’s cursed with immortality, they always become a vampire unless they have hardly any darkness in their soul. So it sounds like he was a good person. Maybe he was forced to work for the Valituras.”
    “You’re right, he was taken against his will. He’s been spying on Frederic to gather secrets about the Valituras. Unfortunately, it doesn’t help us because of the amnesia enchantment,” Josephine explained.
    “Didn’t he tell you anything useful before he forgot everything?” Helen asked.
    “I’m afraid not. Lucius developed amnesia several moments after he was captured.”
    “I thought it took an hour or two before that happened.”
    “Apparently, it kicks in right away for some people. Lucius and another member of their team, Ruby, both suffered from amnesia almost immediately.”
    “Too bad that spell can’t be reversed yet.”
    “Believe me, we’ve tried. I spent all day yesterday at the prison trying to restore their memories. I just don’t see any way it can be done.”
    “If anyone can do it, I’m sure it will be you.” Helen leveled an encouraging look at her friend.
    Josephine’s lips twitched in an appreciative smile. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
    After finishing an enjoyable breakfast, she reported for work at the police station. Josephine, Alex, and Jake were assigned as a team to help research the Valituras before the trail went cold. She feared it was too late for that. The three of them poured over reports and continued researching the backgrounds of the Valituras prisoners they had in custody. After a couple of painstaking hours, Josephine looked up from her computer.
    “I think we need to visit Lucius’s home and check it out again,” she said.
    “What good would that do?” Alex frowned with puzzlement.
    “For one thing, it’ll get us out of the station for awhile.”
    “All right. Let’s do it,” Alex said.
    Josephine and Jake headed for exit. When they reached the lobby, they realized Alex was missing. They exchanged puzzled looks and headed back toward their work station. Alex turned the corner of the hallway carrying a cake donut with vanilla frosting and sprinkles.
    “You can drive, Jake,” Alex advised.
    Jake grinned with amusement as they turned to leave. Soon, the three of them arrived at Lucius’s residence which was a modest white house with a small yard. Pineapple plants lined both sides of the driveway and there were a couple clusters of palm trees in the front yard. Josephine entered the house first and opened her senses to