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masterfully.
    I slowed my stride when I saw the broad back of Garcia, notebook in hand and Gale at his side.
    I'd know them anywhere. Instead of feeling comforted by police presence I was completely trained to respond with the fear and flight response. Which loosely translated meant: get the hell out of Dodge, as Gramps would say. However much I wanted to follow that directive, one look at Jade's face made my stride pick up again and in a few moments I was inside the room.
    Garcia turned just as I came in. Pretty aware for a mundane, I thought.
    " Whoa! Caleb..." he clapped me on the back. "Haven't you grown?"
    Just the kind of lame adult comment that made me want to judo-chop his throat. Instead, I plastered a fake smile on my face and said the obligatory, "I don't know," with a shrug.
    Gale smiled behind her hand, she was catching the lameness clue square between the eyes. "Ah, I think he's taller than you now, Raul."
    Garcia huffed and puffed, standing at attention like a rooster about to defend his coop.
    Wow, seriously?
    Jade interrupted, "I know how important it is for males to acknowledge each other's... manliness..." she began to trail off and Garcia gave her a good-natured glare. Jade spread her hands apart. "But, I thought maybe Caleb could be in on this too."
    She was just a little snarky today. I like.
    I could feel my brows jack down over my eyes and she gave me a barely there shake of her head, her hair sliding over her shoulders in a distracting way. I swallowed, completely thrown off my train of thought.
    Garcia looked from one to the other of us and sighed. "I don't know if I'm up to the tag-teaming I may get from you two." He waggled a finger. "And I'm sure this is nothing, but Ms. Tulle did phone this in and we've responded to the threat... or possible threat."
    I walked over to where Jade stood, nervously twisting the charm that was attached to her zipper on the fancy backpack I'd got her. The effort not to touch her wasn't pretty but Tulle's gaze glued to us helped me squelch it.
    " What's going on?" I asked.
    " Well..." Gale began, "Jade was working with a clairvoyance sample yesterday and found DI impregnated in it."
    That sounded... wrong. I viciously stuffed the urge to Laugh at Inappropriate Times and got the crooked mouth for my trouble. Tulle gave me an odd look and Jade's stare clearly said, cool it dumbass !
    That seemed to always make things worse. Gale had a sense of my trouble and after a quick look, rushed on before I would begin to howl.
    " Anyhow," she drew out the word, giving me The Look, "whenever a student at one of the high schools finds a DI, it's an automatic pulse to the police."
    Okay, I gave. "What's DI?"
    Jade said, "Death Intent."
    I shrugged. "So?"
    " It means the person that the garment belongs to will murder or has already done so."
    A quiet fell over the room. Not even the pulse-clock could be heard.
    Finally I asked, "So, you guys are here to pick up the sample?" I looked at Jade for confirmation because she had been looking for it. She'd promised.
    Jade shook her head. "They were here to pick it up but now it's gone."
    My brow furrowed. Garcia nodded his head and Tulle said, "I have my samples locked up each night..."
    " Pulse secure?" Gale asked and Tulle nodded.
    Garcia whistled. "That's pretty secure." He looked at her dubiously. "Are you sure that you secured the room first then..." his brows rose.
    She nodded. "Oh yes, I would always secure. Always have. And," she looked at him like he was retarded, "I had to pulse it open this morning."
    So, somebody broke into Tulle's secret stash of creeper samples, taking only the one Jade had gotten the full flesh crawl over and now it wasn't here.
    I looked at Garcia. "Sounds like someone doesn't want the sample to be found."
    Gale agreed, "Sounds like."
    Effing great. Shades of the Graysheets. I didn't say it though. It was too implausible.
    I looked again at Jade then back to the cops. She looked nervous. I didn't like this, I