Free a Touch of TNT (An Everly Gray Adventure) by L. j. Charles Page A

was “suspended” when he’d been here to wash windows. With that thought another shiver chilled my bones.
    When we stepped off the elevator, we faced a glass wall that had NORTH CONSTRUCTIONwritten in discreet black lettering to the right of a beveled door. I squeezed Mitch’s hand and nodded at the door. “There aren’t any fingerprints.”
    “And how much satisfaction will you get out of fixing that oversight?” he asked with a wink.
    I planted my hand firmly against the door and pushed, then twisted it a little to smear the handprint. Foggy images of the receptionist with a bottle of Windex and a soft cloth flashed through my mind. Damn. My fingers were still acting hinky.
    The receptionist greeted us with slightly raised eyebrows. Her cherry red lips surrounded professionally whitened teeth, the contrast jarring in its intensity. She had a smooth, pale complexion framed by straight, black hair, and her eyes didn’t hold a trace of welcome.
    “Woman’s the closest thing to a ghost I’ve ever seen,” I whispered through tight lips. Another chill scurried along my spine.
    Mitch rested his hand on my shoulder, heavy and reassuring.
    “How may I help you?” The sound of her voice resonated cool and brittle against the new-age music that played softly in the background.
    I considered the décor of the office, and what it might tell me about North, while Mitch chatted up the receptionist. Black, white, and gray tones blended into stark lines, and the only seating option a modern sofa that looked less than body-friendly. Made my colorful dress stand out against the bland background.
    When Ms. Ghost left us with a promise to check on Mr. North’s availability, I glanced at Mitch, then nodded at the sofa. “He must not want clients to get too comfortable while they wait for appointments”
    “Yeah? You think that’s some kind of seat? Looks more like modern art.”
    I tucked my hand into his. “It feels like we’ve stepped into a vacuum what with the lack of color and the ghost of a mannequin that greeted us. Granted I don’t hang out with the rich and famous, but this is a business. Isn’t there usually some hustle and bustle, people doing things, phones ringing, the sound of commerce? I don’t know, something, anything to indicate life beyond the abyss?”
    Mitch glanced around. “If this were a white-glove investment firm or top-of-the-line attorney’s office, I’d say it fit my expectations. Except for the music. They’d be piping in classical in a high-class office.”
    “But this is a construction company.” Doubt drifted through my voice.
    “My point, exactly.” He shrugged, careless. “But then my work is either outside or in government offices. I’m not up on the latest in the business world.”
    Ms. Ghost reappeared and gestured for us to follow her. As we paraded down the hall I had the distinct impression it was only a matter of time before we disappeared into a different dimension. Eerie. Gave me the willies.
    There was a large semi-circular alcove cut into the left side of the hallway with a desk, telephone, and computer. The woman sitting behind the desk was slightly older than the receptionist, but she had the same black hair, done in a sleek bob, and the same cherry red lipstick. Must be a requirement to work here—red lips and black hair. North obviously went for the vampire look in his choice of personnel.
    She stood as we entered her alcove. Rail thin and slightly shorter than me, her lips curved in a plastic smile. “What can Mr. North help you with?”
    Her voice was low with a soft, monotonous rasp, like she didn’t use it much.
    “A house.” Quick and to the point. Not my usual style, but I didn’t want her to pick up on the way my body was quivering.
    “A consultation, then. I can fit you into Mr. North’s schedule in the next day or two if you’re interested in building a personal residence, but if you have a more complex construction issue, he doesn’t have any