Free The Forgotten by Tamara Thorne Page A

what’s up, bro.” A patented hearty chuckle followed. “I just wondered how the new cable’s working? Like it? Have you checked out those adult stations I tossed in?”
    Oh good, porn from my brother. What’ll he give me next? Electronic VD? “I haven’t had time to watch anything yet,” he said in the friendliest tone he could muster.
    â€œSo you don’t know if it’s hooked up correctly?”
    â€œThe local news came in fine.”
    â€œGood. The hook-up’s probably correct, then. Give me a call if it isn’t.”
    â€œWill do. I’ll talk to you later—”
    â€œHang on there, pardner. You sure don’t like talking on the phone, do you?”
    â€œI’m just busy.”
    â€œMaybe I should make an appointment so we can talk for an hour sometime.”
    â€œFifty minutes,” Will said dryly. “I’m booked a month in advance.”
    â€œWilly boy, you have no sense of humor,” said the man who didn’t realize Will had just made a joke. “Sounds like business is booming.”
    â€œIt’s busy.”
    â€œBusier than usual?”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œJust wondered. I’ve heard people get crazier when it’s hot out.”
    â€œTempers are shortened,” Will replied. “But my patients all live on the coast. Even when it’s hot, we still have the ocean breeze.”
    â€œThen why are you so busy?”
    â€œI don’t know.” Will hid his irritation. “Sunspots?”
    â€œHey, is that a joke?”
    â€œI don’t know. It might be.”
    â€œSunspots, solar flares, all that stuff, can affect satellite transmissions. Why not people?”
    â€œWhy not?” Will paused, an idea coming to him. “Is there a lot of activity right now?”
    â€œSeriously?” Pete sounded astounded that Will would ask him a real question. With good reason; Will was amazed he had, but maybe something like that could explain the deviant bird behavior, so it was worth asking. “You want to know about solar storms and so forth?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œSure. Things are pretty active right now. Magnetic storms produce solar flares. Those can interfere with radio waves. We’ll be running warnings about digital breakup during especially high activity.”
    â€œI don’t understand.”
    â€œDigital images will briefly break up, sort of pixilate, sometimes. It’s not a big deal; in fact, it’s a lot less annoying than traditional interference. But that’s not what you’re asking about. You’re asking about people acting crazy and sunspots, right?”
    â€œWell, no, not seriously.”
    â€œDon’t people get nuttier during a full moon?” Pete persisted. “That’s a fact, right? It’s the same kind of thing.”
    Why did I get myself into this conversation? “That’s supposed to be an old wives’ tale. It’s perpetuated because people expect it to happen. An especially bad accident that happens during the full moon is going to be remembered for that reason. Odds are that there are just as many accidents on other nights.” Though he wasn’t about to tell Pete, Will wasn’t all that sure there was nothing to those old tales.
    â€œOh. Do you get crazier patients when the moon is full?”
    â€œNot that I’ve noticed.”
    â€œWhat about that cat of yours? Does it get the full-moon crazies?”
    â€œMy cat? How did you know I have a cat?”
    The chuckle. “Well to hear poor old Mickey Elfbones tell it, it was more of a mountain lion. It about scared the piss out of him.”
    â€œMickey’s a big phobic, then. My cat is normal and harmless. Even during a full moon.”
    More chuckling. “Don’t go on the defense, Willy. Will, sorry. I know Mickey’s scared of cats. He’s afraid of dogs, too. In fact, he’s damn near terrified of anything