Harmony 01 After Dark by Jayne Castle Read Free Book Online Page B

protested.
    "Paint your wall. Miss Smith. I'll pick you up tonight at seven."
     
     
    Chapter 6
     
     
    "So WHO'S THIS guy you're going out with tonight?" Zane Hoyt helped himself to a can of Curtain Cola from Lydia's small refrigerator. "Someone you met at the museum?"
    "Sort of. He's a new client." Lydia peered into the hall mirror and adjusted the gold hoop in her ear. "It's a business meeting, not a date."
    "Sounds boring."
    Whatever else Emmett London was, Lydia thought, he was definitely not boring. She met Zane's gaze in the mirror and smiled.
    Zane had just turned thirteen. Dark-haired and dark-eyed, he was slim, energetic, and hitting the awkward stage when he badly needed a man's firm hand on his shoulder. Unfortunately, there was no adult male in the picture. His father, a ghost-hunter, had been killed years ago in the catacombs. His mother had died in a drunk-driving accident shortly thereafter. Zane was being raised by his aunt, Olinda Hoyt. They lived downstairs on the third floor.
    The majority of Lydia's so-called friends and colleagues at the University had disappeared after the Lost Weekend incident. Zane and Olinda had befriended Lydia at a time when she had found herself badly in need of friends. She was deeply grateful.
    "The important thing is that Mr. London is going to pay me big bucks to help him find a lost family heirloom," Lydia said.
    "Huh. Still sounds boring." Zane paused hopefully. "Unless we're talking about something from the catacombs?"
    "Nope. It's an Old Earth antique."
    "Why do you want to mess around with Old Earth stuff? I thought you wanted to get back underground."
    "I do. But before I can attract that kind of business, I need to establish my reputation as a private consultant. That means I'll take any business I can get."
    "I guess." Zane took a swallow of cola and wrinkled his nose. "So is it okay for me to study here tonight with Fuzz while you're out?"
    "Sure." Anything to encourage his educational efforts, Lydia thought. "Fuzz enjoys the company."
    Zane was a budding dissonance-energy para-rez. Unless he was forcibly prodded into a different path, his career prospects were all too obvious. It was almost a given that he would join the Guild when he turned eighteen and become a ghost-hunter. To make matters worse, he was thrilled with the image of himself in leather and khaki.
    Lydia was doing her utmost to discourage him. At best, ghost-hunters were little more than high-priced bodyguards, in her opinion. Bodyguards, furthermore, who could not be depended upon in a crunch, as she had discovered at her own expense six months ago. At worst, they were gangsters.
    Zane was too bright to waste his life in a dead-end muscle job. She might not be able to keep him from doing some ghost-hunting on the side, but she was determined that he get a college degree and study a respectable profession.
    She sat down in the chair across from him. "Zane, before Mr. London, gets here, I want to ask you a question. This is real serious, okay? So please don't tease me."
    He gave her a quizzical look. "Something wrong?"
    "Maybe. Last night someone summoned a ghost and sent it into my bedroom to frighten me. Today, at work, I got a weird phone call about it. I think it must have been someone from the neighborhood. Any idea who it was?"
    Zane sputtered on a mouthful of cola. "Are you kidding? None of the guys I hang with are strong enough yet to actually summon a ghost."
    "How about one of the older boys? Derrick or Rich?"
    Zane took another swig of his soda while he pondered that. "Jeez, I dunno, Lyd. I don't think so. Maybe it's someone new in the area."
    "I was afraid you'd say that," Lydia muttered.
    "A lot of the guys would probably tell you they could do it, but don't believe 'em. They like to flash a lot of amber around, but I've never actually seen any of 'em do much except maybe get a couple of flickers going." Zane eyed her closely. "You sure that wasn't what you saw? Some