"You?" Fran said, doubtful.

Noni fixed on her, a glint in her eye. "I can see you will not be made a believer easily. Perhaps I can speed up your growth process by telling you Little F, whoever or whatever she is, is being neglected."

Fran began to blush. She turned to me and stammered, "What did you tell this broad about my sex toys?"

"Nothing! I swear," I whispered, barely able to conceal a smile. "What do I know? But I guess you better dust off Little F and plug her in."

"For your information, this particular one runs on batteries."

"If it'll make you happy," I said innocently, "on the way home, we can stop at 7-11 and buy some triple As."

"Try four double Ds."

"Whoa! That's more than my camping flashlight holds," I said, doing a mock double-take.

Noni put an abrupt end to our chit-chat with a startling prediction. "As for you, Kristin, you are contemplating a change. It will be a good one."

I frowned. "With Destiny?"

"You will be happy beyond your wildest dreams. The uncertainty you feel comes from external factors, not internal."

Before I could absorb all that, she added in a somber tone, "For now, you are going through a distressing period. I feel your helplessness and frustration."

"David," I said without thinking.

"These are old wounds. You must let go, but do not follow him."

"Visit him, you mean?" I asked, confused.

"No, follow him. He is a boy to you. You must let him become a man, in order to release him. Overcome the resistance. He must be free." Her prognostication gathered speed, and her features became animated. "He will be free. He is surrounded by energy beams, bathed in white light."

I couldn't follow her ramblings, but only one question mattered to me. "Will my brother live?"

"Yes, but not in the way you are used to."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I snapped. I hadn't even realized I was nervously tapping my foot until Fran nudged me.

"I am sorry, but that is it. I cannot interpret messages from the other side; I merely deliver them."

"Jesus Christ," I muttered.

Fran patted me on the thigh and buzzed in my ear, "Don't sweat. She's making this stuff up as she goes."

I turned to her and murmured, "Then how come it's so accurate?"

Noni clapped sharply. "We are ready to begin. We will commence by calling forth the natural psychic ability in each of us. I would ask you to join hands and assist me in welcoming Lauren Fairchild back to this realm."

We both glanced at her, unsure what to do.

She waved to us. "Come down here, and we will form a circle to focus the energy. I will invite Lauren Fairchild to return briefly."

With great trepidation, Fran and I switched to chairs on the other end. After considerable fidgeting on Fran's part, and a moment's pause for Shakra to bond with her again, the three of us held hands.

"Let us relax and let in the spirit," Noni said in a soothing voice. "Close your eyes, breathe deeply, and we will attempt to call Lauren Fairchild. We will begin by thinking about this woman who has passed over."

My eyes wouldn't stay shut, and when I caught Fran peeking out of half-closed lids, I almost burst out laughing.

Fran's crushing grip brought me back to my psychic senses, and I tried, not very successfully, to concentrate.

Noni's cry broke the unnerving silence. "I am getting a hit," she paused dramatically, then pointed a bony finger at Fran. "It is about you."

Fran's eyes bulged. "Me, why me? Skip my turn. Hate to hog all the psychic space."

"Soon, an old friend will come into your life. This is someone you cared about very deeply."

Temporarily interested, Fran perked up. "Man or woman?"

"Woman. Beware the consequences of a renewed liaison."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Fran asked, scornfully.

"No more messages are forthcoming," Noni replied, a touch contemptuously.

"This is bullshit," Fran muttered.

Luckily, Noni seemed more involved with the other world than what transpired inside the rec room, and she didn't respond.

"The energy particles are scattered. You must be still and focus. Soon, Lauren will join us."

We rested for at least five minutes. At one point, Fran's stillness led me to believe she was napping. A sudden twitch confirmed my suspicions.

Despite the cool temperature in the basement, my brow began to sweat. With the back of the hand that held Fran's, I wiped my forehead, which woke her up. She blinked a few times, looked at me for direction, then pointedly inspected her watch. I shrugged a reply and mouthed, "Five more minutes."

Noni, who had never opened her eyes but must have nonetheless seen our exchange, suddenly barked, "Focus! Focus! Focus! I can only bring into this room what is strongest in your minds. Visualize Lauren! Lauren! Lauren!"

In the ensuing silence, I tried to concentrate. I had almost formed a picture of the woman we were trying to revive when Noni began an eerie, low-decibel chant. "Lauren Fairchild. Lauren Fairchild."

The haunting summons must have done the trick, because without warning, Noni whipped her head in circles and cried out, "I have made contact. I am in touch with the spirit of Lauren Fairchild, and she is very agitated. I am afraid of the energy in the room. We must calm her down."

"Is she upset we broke intoa"" I began in a small voice before Fran kneed me. I rephrased the question. "Is Lauren angry about us getting into her doctor's files?"

Head bobbing out of control, Noni replied, "No. Something else is bothering her, something having to do with a message sent but never received. Do either of you have any idea what this means?"

Wide-eyed, Fran and I both shook our heads.

A hint of panic coated Noni's words. "We must shift the vibes to a more peaceful tempo. Immediately, bow your head and think of the best day of your life, and I will do the same."

I obeyed, remembering the day Destiny and I first made love.

I wondered what came to mind for Fran.

I almost leaned over and asked when Noni said, "That's better. Lauren pleasantly surprised me by joining in this exercise. She wants us to know that her special day was the child's birth."

"She's here?" Fran boomed, disbelieving, as I said, "Which child?"

"She wasn't specific. I simply felt her full heart welcoming another being to this planet."

"It must have been Ashley," I whispered to Fran.

"Could have been the brother, or a hoax," she muttered. Ever the skeptic, she squinted at Noni and demanded, "Have Lauren tell us something about herself no one knows so we can make sure she's the right spirit, that another one didn't get bored and pop in for the shindig."

"Fran!" I hissed.

Noni overlooked the obvious insult. "Very well. A child herself, she witnessed the murder of another child."

I lost my breath.

Fran didn't miss a beat. "Good enough! Let's get this sideshow on the road."

Noni rotated her head several times, lowering it to her left shoulder, then her right, and back again before she became still. "You may now reach out to Lauren with your inquiries."

"I'll do the talking," I said in a low voice to Fran before loudly addressing Noni. "Does Lauren have any regrets about killing herself?"

"Only one: That the message has not been received."

"What message?"

"Please," Noni cautioned, "don't ask questions about this. It will only upset her again."

"Okay, here's another one: Has she found peace?"

"Yes, eternal."

"Was she murdered?"

"No."

"Was her death an accident?"

"Most certainly not."

"Does dying hurt?" I asked, more for myself than to solve the case.

"Not as much as living."

"Hmm. Is she still in pain?"

"No. Her balance is restored."

"Can she tell us what caused her distress?"

"The signals are mixed on this. Please be more specific."

"Was it Nicole?"

"No."

"Cecelia?"

"I'm receiving a very strong reading." Noni paused. "These two women are strongly intertwined, but not in death. They are destined to meet in another life."

"Is it Dr. W? Is that why Lauren committed suicide?"

Noni's head bobbed uncontrollably. "No, but there is considerable energy there."

"Enough with the twenty questions," Fran said, exasperated. "Spit it out: Why did she bite the dust?"

Noni's body jerked, and her eyes flew open. "That's it. She is leaving. She will not remain in an environment that is clearly hostile."

Not sure whether I was talking to an aggravated Noni or Lauren, I nonetheless tried to smooth things over. "Wait, not so fast. Could I say something?"

After Noni responded with a sullen look and pout, I opted to forego the intermediary and attempt direct contact.

I pulled my hands away from the circle and folded them in my lap. As if praying, I said softly, "I'm not sure if you can hear me, Lauren, but if you can, I want you to know I wish we had met." I stopped, suddenly self-conscious, before I added, "I would have liked you as a friend."

Having said my peace, I stood to leave, but Noni yanked my arm and slammed me back into the chair. "You've done it!" she said, ecstatic. "I've never witnessed this before. You've brought her back, and she has something important to tell you."

Fran groaned, but I waited, riveted.

A full minute passed before Noni began to speak. It took several seconds for me to realize the words, delivered in a husky voice, must have been Lauren's own.

They made the hair on my arms stand on end.

"I put my hand to her chest and looked into eyes that were dead. Nothing I said or did could make her respond. She just laid there, silent, as I rubbed her head, begging her, willing her to make a sound."

"Holy fruits! What did you make of that?" Fran asked the instant we left the house. "That last bit sounded erotic. Ask me, Lauren was having an affair. Oldest reason in the book for suicidea"unrequited love."

Squinting, I covered my eyes from the bright sunlight and almost ran into her as we both hurried down the uneven sidewalk. "I doubt it's that simple."

"What did you think of that Noni? Unknown would be a better name for her. Those kooks are dangerous. They should be state-regulated, have to get licensed, the whole nine yards. Some poor sucker out there might take 'em seriously. You didn't buy that home-spun hamming, did you, Kris?"

"Not all of it," I said hesitantly as I dove into the car. "But there was a ring of truth to some of it. And we might have found out more if you hadn't pissed Lauren off."

Fran slammed her car door shut. "You gotta be kidding. You're telling me you believed the garbage that came out of that Clairol's mouth?"

"Clairvoyant," I corrected, starting the engine.

"What a waste of good time and air. That's the last time you'll catch me at a sightseer's."