Coalescence (Camden Investigations Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

ghost hunting.
    But Iris responded, possibly privy to the commotion via
telepathy. “Is everything all right in there, Sis?”
    DJ closed her eyes and clenched the blanket, her back
pressed against her bedroom door. I’ve got to try to be more distracted.
It’s the only way to keep this from happening.
    “Come on, Sis. Just let me know you’re okay in there.”
    “It’s just Mom,
Iris.” Again.

Chapter Three

 
 
    I RIS OBSERVED Mitchell as if he too were some
kind of unidentified entity. They were standing at the rear of her car, with
the trunk open, in the parking lot of Starbuck’s. That was quite normal. The
way Mitchell stared into the bag wasn’t.
    The brown-haired man gazed into the bag containing the
strange object with apprehension. He kept his hands embraced on the car as if
he feared it might pull him away somewhere. If this man was afraid of something
like that happening, Iris feared he was just another nutcase too willing to see
what he wanted to see.
    Iris was doubtful about Mitchell. Specifically, his
qualifications and motives to assist in her investigation. He called himself a
scientist, but he hadn’t finished his degree and instead worked as a
photographer. She hoped liked hell he wasn’t doctoring pictures for supermarket
trash magazines. Yet when Mitchell appeared just as perplexed by the dial as
she was, it began to alter the word “suspicious” from capitalized to lowercase
in her mind. It was as if he was afraid to handle it, possibly because he was
out of his depth to validate whether or not it possessed extraterrestrial
origins. Or, could it be he was simply afraid of its supposed ability to levitate
and fly about homes?
    Lead investigator of Eyes on Colorado’s Skies, the man
appeared boyish for someone just past thirty. He wore a green button-down
shirt, blue jeans, and boots. Iris wondered if this man was the authority of
extraterrestrial events he claimed to be. Considering his attire, she desired
any excuse to deride his credentials. He claimed to have been working on his
PhD in Theoretical Physics when he abruptly quit because of financial concerns.
Why would a career-oriented person turn to UFO hunting if money was a problem?
Investigating the paranormal sure didn’t pay the bills.
    Her ultimate reason to ghost hunt was her psychic
ability. What was this man’s inspiration? She drew in a long breath and
resisted the temptation to judge further. She took her eyes off the
intangible—what Mitchell might represent as a personage—and perused
his attire. Okay, judging again. But jeans didn’t exactly scream professional.
Her friends were often attired in this means. Apparently, paranormal
investigators lacked dress codes, fashion sense, or both. She dug her toe into
soft gravel. “So, are we going to analyze this thingy sometime today?”
    Mitchell raised a hand to caution. “What are your last
Geiger readings from the EMF?”
    “Gamma. Not really enough to kill us—if we minimize
exposure.”
    “Good idea. We should minimize contact. I’ll just take a
quick peek to photograph it.” Mitchell’s eyebrows rose in wonder as it slid out
of the bag. “Will you trust me to secure this somewhere safe, away from human
contact?” He didn’t wait for an answer, snapping off three consecutive shots.
    “I would. But first, can you answer the very nagging
question I’ve had running through my mind since yesterday: Where did this come
from?” Iris postured, hands on hips.
    “I thought about that during my drive here. Right now, I
would classify this item as unidentified.” Mitchell tucked the object back into
its hiding place.
    “Unidentified, but not a UFO?”
    “I realize you observed it in flight. But you came into
this investigation looking for a poltergeist. It could stand to reason, no
matter what this object is, that it levitated because of your haunting and not
by extraterrestrial means.”
    Iris paused to consider. So he wasn’t quick to claim
alien