LITMIR.BIZ

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glanced at the items and shook her head, then offered me a plastic chocolate chip cookie. Trying not to be too disappointed, I took the cookie and pretended to take a bite.

      Brinda sipped her tea, and her gaze landed on the ballet shoe and sheet music again. But after a millisecond, she turned away to pour more tea into her father’s cup.

      Mr. Lakhani took a pretend sip of the tea. I took another pretend bite of the cookie.

      Brinda’s gaze returned to the shoe and sheet music. This time they lingered for a full two seconds before she looked away.

      Come on, Brinda, I pleaded silently. One more prediction. You can do it.

      She daintily dabbed her mouth with napkin, then looked at the ballet shoe and sheet music again.

      Her gaze stuck, then very slowly, her eyes glazed over.

      Yes. This was it. Brinda was going to have one more premonition for me.

      Mr. Lakhani raised the crayon bucket. She reached inside and withdrew two crayons: one pink and one blue. With the pink, she drew a starburst at the top of the paper. With the blue, she drew a long wavy line underneath the star.

      She placed the ballet shoe and sheet music on top of the drawing, and with clear eyes and a definitive nod, slid it over to me.

      A year ago, Brinda drew twelve lakes, and my family went to Twelve Lakes, Illinois.

      A couple weeks ago, Brinda drew a gold ring, and Jillian and Logan went to Ringgold, Colorado.

      Today she drew a pink starburst and a wavy blue line.

      A pink starburst. A wavy blue line.

      I froze for a moment, then started shaking as hope, joy, elation zipped up my spine and into every nerve ending. I knew where I would find Jillian and Logan.

      I whipped out my phone and did a quick internet search.

      * * *

      I gave Brinda a handful of stickers and the world’s tightest hug, waved ’bye to her dad, and left the playroom with the ballet shoe, the sheet music and the drawing of the pink starburst and wavy blue line. Down on the main floor, instead of going back to Deirdre’s classroom, I went to the lunchroom.

      Kellan was still there, using his index finger and thumb to pop a cherry tomato into his mouth. His apple was gone, but the peel was on his paper plate, coiled up like a red snake about to strike.

      I skidded to a stop. Shoved Brinda’s drawing behind my back.

      “Whatcha got there?” Kellan said.

      “N-nothing,” I said. Brinda’s drawing, I thought.

      “A drawing from Brinda?”

      “No.” Yes.

      Kellan unfolded himself from the plastic chair and sidled to the doorway, blocking my exit. “What did she draw?”

      “Nothing.” Pink starburst. Wavy blue line, I thought. A star. A river. “Meaningless scribbles.”

      He took a step toward me. “None of Brinda’s drawings are meaningless.”

      A star. A river, I thought again. “This one is.” Star River.

      “If it’s so meaningless, why do you have it?”

      “Because—” Because Brinda drew Star River. “Because Brinda gave it to me as a present.” Star River I looked it up on my phone it’s a town in Texas Jillian and Logan are going to Star River, Texas.

      Then I gasped. “I—you aren’t reading my mind, are you?” I made pleading, innocent doe eyes at him. “Please, Mr. Kellan. Please don’t.” Star River. “Because this drawing—it doesn’t mean anything.”

      His lip twitched through his red beard. “No. I am not reading your mind. I don’t have time for this anyway. I’m late for something.” He pivoted on his heel and marched out.

      Star River, I shouted silently after him, as loud as I could. Star River, Texas! I pushed the words at him as he dashed triumphantly down the hallway at a speed just slower than a sprint. Star River!

      He pulled his phone from his pocket as he rounded the corner. To look up information on Star River, no doubt.

      Kellan was going to go to Star River, Texas.

      Good. That was exactly where I wanted him to go.

      Because that pink starburst wasn’t a star. It was a water lily.

      That wavy blue line wasn’t a river. It was a brook.

      While Kellan was hundreds of miles away in Star River to lie in wait for Jillian and Logan... Jillian and Logan would be coming to Lilybrook.

      * * *

      Less than an hour later, Tristan and I stood at his bedroom window, looking out at the sunset. In the distance, a little plane coursed past a white cloud. Tristan raised his childhood binoculars to his eyes.

      “Is that it?” I asked.

      “That’s it.” He handed me the binoculars to look for myself. I adjusted the binoculars, and...yes, there it was: a white plane, marked with NWSL in navy along the side. The APR’s plane was heading south, flying John Kellan and his team to a tiny impoverished town in Texas named Star River.

      “Kellan moves fast,” I said.

      “When he wants to.” Tristan stroked my cheek with his thumb. “You did good, Clockwise. You used Kellan’s telepathy against him.”

      I twisted around so I faced him, then stood on tiptoe to kiss the soft spot on his neck, right under his ear. “Did you write the email?”

      “All I have to do is hit send.” Holding me against him with one arm, he reached over to his computer and pressed the enter key. “Done. If any of the psychics in my database get a visit from Jillian and Logan, they’ll send them to Lilybrook.”

      If a teenage brother and sister come see you, the email read, tell them to go to Lilybrook, Wisconsin. Tell them they’ll be safe here, and there are people who can help them.

      “I just hope it works,” I said.

      “It will. It may not happen with the first psychic they visit, but it will happen.”

      “They need to get here fast. Before Kellan realizes I tricked him. He’ll realize something’s wrong when we don’t show up in Star River ourselves.”

      “I’ll take care of Kellan.” Dennis came in, carrying a battered leather suitcase. Deirdre stood behind him, her hand flittering nervously to her throat.

      “I’m going to Star River too,” Dennis continued. “I’ll tell Kellan that Deirdre refused to let you two go, so I came instead, to make sure he doesn’t harm Jillian and Logan when they get there. Heath Van der Sande is coming as my safeguard. It’s standard APR procedure, and Kellan won’t be able to get into my mind to read the truth.” He met my gaze. “We’ll stay as long as it takes, Tessa.”

      “You’re okay with this, Mom?” Tristan asked. “Dad going on a case? It could be dangerous. It could be stressful on his heart.”

      “It was her idea,” Dennis said.

      Deirdre gave a resigned sigh. “Retirement made your father bored and miserable.” With an open palm, she placed her hand on his chest, right over his heart. “I’d rather he be happy. Happiness is good for his heart.”

      Dennis put his arm around her and kissed the top of her frizzy head. Tristan strode across his room. “Thanks, Dad.” As the Connellys hugged each other goodbye, I stayed back. Then I remembered that I was part of this family too.

      I leapt across the bedroom and tried to wrap my arms around Tristan, Dennis and Deirdre at the same time. It didn’t work, so they opened their arms for me, and hugged me too.

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