Free Submissive by Moonlight by Sindra van Yssel

surprised I even knew Jerry, so that’s not it.”
    Nolan frowned. This was the hard part. It was still tempting to tell her that it was his idea, that he wanted her help. But he never had been one for taking the easy road. “I was directed to enlist you in the search. The way you found the girl.”
    She stared at him for a long moment. “Witchcraft? Psychic powers? You’re asking me to look into a crystal ball?” Her tone was as derisive as any skeptic’s, and he supposed he couldn’t blame her. “I thought you were pretty clear that you didn’t believe in such things.”
    He gritted his teeth and took a deep breath. “It wasn’t my idea. And I didn’t know you did the crystal-ball thing.”
    “I don’t, in fact. Tried, when I was younger. I don’t seem to have the gift. What gave whoever it was the bright idea to send you? Or did you volunteer hoping to get into my pants again?”
    “Been thinking about that, have you?”
    “No.” But she blushed and looked away.
    “At least,” he said, “I’m honest with you. It may not get me very far, but I always give you the truth.”
    “Actually, you evaded my question.”
    “Did I? Well, then. I did not volunteer hoping to get into your pants again. It was the chief’s bright idea, and I objected. But I most certainly would not turn down the opportunity.”
    “Fine.” Marisa put her hands on her hips. “And yeah, I’ve been thinking about it. Now back to business.”
    Well, then, he had a chance. He filed that away for later and moved back to the subject of Jerry. “So did you help him out with this spell?”
    She shook her head. “No. He didn’t understand magic very well. And there was something wrong with him. He was scared. But he wasn’t in his right mind, and I wasn’t going to mess with that. I suspect he was drunk or on drugs or something. I told him to come up and talk to me—”
    “That wasn’t very safe.”
    “Jerry wouldn’t hurt me. But anyway, that’s what he said, that it wasn’t safe for me for him to come up here. Then he said thanks anyway and hung up. I didn’t know he was missing, though.”
    “It’s been in the Record .”
    “I only pick up a copy when I go into town.” She sighed and then stepped back. “Come on in, Nolan. I’m worried about him now. Let’s see what we can do together.”
     
    SHE WASN’T SURE she could help. Other than a few hunches like the one that stopped her from helping Jerry with the spell, she’d been anything but psychic lately. She hadn’t even had any cryptic dreams. She didn’t know what to make of it.
    She closed the door behind him.
    “If we find Jerry, and he doesn’t want us to tell his parents, what are you going to do?”
    Nolan shrugged. “It depends on the situation. But if he’s all right and not doing anything illegal, well, I’ll have to tell them he’s safe and sound, but I don’t have to go beyond that.”
    “You’ll get in trouble. His dad is a powerful man.”
    Nolan shrugged again.
    Marisa considered him. Her first take had been that he was one of those people simply too smug in his own belief system to not tell others they were wrong. But maybe that wasn’t it. Maybe, as he had said, he was simply honest with her. Either way, she was sure he wasn’t lying. “Okay, then. I’ll try to help. But I’m not sure what I can do.”
    “Well, we’ve tried police work and come up with squat for clues. We might as well try your mum—your way.”
    “My mumbo jumbo?” She chuckled at his discomfort.
    He sighed. “Your way. Whatever it is.”
    “Psychic visions. Prayers to the Goddess for insight.” She regretted the words. It wouldn’t make him feel any more comfortable. Maybe she too needed to push. To rub it in that he was coming to her for help. It wasn’t very mature of her. Especially since she didn’t expect to succeed.
    He just nodded. “Do your thing.”
    “Maybe in a few days, when the moon is full.” She’d been looking at the forecast, and