Elizabeth Basque - Medium Mysteries 02 - Silver Lake by Elizabeth Basque Page B

you seen that?”
    “ Look.” Garrett’s tone was soft but threatening. “I don’t know what you’re implying about Lana. Bella disappeared after my father’s death. With all of his money.”
    “ Really,” Julie said.
    “ Really.”
    “ Well, you can verify this information if you like. It was made in Ireland, for Bella, by a famous jeweler. He even signed a contract that he would never make another. Your father, Mack, wanted Bella to have something that was hers and hers alone. I guess that doesn’t count for much.”
    “ I don’t have to check anything out,” Garrett responded, but I detected a hint of doubt. Just a hint. “What’s next on your list? You had three things you wanted to tell me.”
    This time, Julie took the lead. “What would you say if we told you that we were followed here this morning? A man, a thug, tried to keep us from visiting you.”
    “I would say that’s highly unlikely, and has nothing to do with me. I’m not sure I believe you. Why would anyone do that?”
    “ That’s what we would like to know,” I said. “More importantly, who would want to stop us?”
    “ Again with the accusations,” he answered wryly. “This is becoming tedious. And, begging your pardon, if such a thing did occur, how did he fail?”
    “ Let’s just say he was scared off.” I looked down at my nails, hiding a smile at the memory of Mack frightening the guy.
    “ All right, have it your way,” Garrett took his feet off the desk and leaned forward. “So far, you haven’t told me anything of interest. What’s the third thing you want to tell me?”
    Julie wanted so badly to tell him about Lana’s lover. She opened her mouth, but I put my hand on hers.
    “You will be interested in that, Garrett, I guarantee you. But you won’t be happy about it, so could I please ask you some questions first? As I said, Mack is dear to me, and I’d like to know what events occurred before he died. It would bring him peace.”
    At this, Mack swooped down to just beside Garrett’s desk. Julie and I wanted answers. But Mack really wanted to know the truth.
    There was a framed picture of Garrett and Lana on the desk, and Mack gathered his strength and gave it a shove. It fell over forward, face down.
    Garrett jumped. “How’d you do that?” he asked, glancing around warily.
    “I didn’t do anything.”
    Before I could say any more, Mack moved in back of Garrett and put a hand on his son’s shoulder. Garrett tensed, sucked in a breath, but then relaxed. Mack stayed that way for a moment, while Garrett looked out his window, lost in thought. I didn’t know what Mack was doing. Perhaps he was sending memories or emotions to his son. Finally, Mack removed his hand, but he stayed next to his son.
    “I don’t know what’s going on,” Garrett sounded spent, almost defeated. “I have tried not to look back. But somehow, I feel like I should tell you.”
    Julie and I held our breath.
     
     
    Chapter Eighteen
     
    “My father was a good man,” Garrett began. “It took a long time for me to realize it, but I understand that now. You know my mother died shortly after I was born. It wasn’t easy, especially back in the 80s, to be a single father. He worked a lot, and was out of town often. I resented him for not spending time with me like other fathers, and I think somewhere inside of him, he constantly fought off blaming me for my mother’s death.
    “ But when he was around, he took a real interest in me. We had fun together. He took me all over the world in the summers and on school breaks. He gave me a love for horses. He told me all about my mother, so that I would never forget her.”
    Garrett paused. This was going to be tough, I thought to myself. But I wouldn’t have missed Garrett’s side of the story for the world. Mack was still behind Garrett, but rising slowly, steadily upward. And except for the picture knocked over, Garrett had no inkling of any supernatural presence.
    “The horse he