Uaio begin, Ellie mirrored her hostess and added sugar to her owhen took a breath and reached into her pocket. “Since you are being so kind, I might as well take this and hand it to you until we are done.” Knowing that normally she wouldn’t have bothered mentioning the phone in her pocket rec her enter, Ellie took the opportunity to delete the versation that had been recorded. “Like I said before, I feel like I am at my grandma’s pce.”

  Rubbing her palm lightly, Tatum smiled and reached over and picked up the device. “Quite alright, Agent. We all fet things don’t we?” She patted the phone fidently, “Let’s start over. How I assist?”

  “Angelie Kino.” Thinking about her girlfriend, Ellie quickly blurted out the name. “I..um, following up on her death. I was hoping you could maybe shed light on why she was found at the..” Ellie looked up in thought, “..Crow farm.”

  ting down from three, Tatum poio the kit when the t hit zero and a little bell started ringing. “Ses.” She mentioned in a light southern drawl. “The mind works better with energy, allow me to think about the name while I get our little meal out of the oven.” With a light curtsy, Tatum disappeared from the sunroom with awirl from her flowery dress.

  Finally aloh her thoughts once more, Ellie looked around the room she occupied. Except for the ers, the room was pletely covered in windows which also included the roof. Hanging from well-pced pstic hooks, Ellie noticed bd e lights that reflected the Halloween season. Pnts that Ellie reized for their medial and herbal value sat on little metal shelves so that they absorbed light a even in the coldest time of winter.

  -So rexing. I thought this was going to be difficult.-

  Laughing to herself after spotting the marijuana pnts in the far er, Ellie quickly came to uand why it seemed Tatum was so friendly and willing to help.

  -Helps to be stoned. Man, I wish.-

  Sipping oea, Ellie recalled the few times in college that she’d gotten high and loved the idea of being that rexed again.

  -Unfortunately, I work for a very uptight agency.-

  Something glinted and caught Ellie’s peripheral vision. Fag where the shine had e from, She noticed that it came from a set of rocks that covered the soil for what looked to be an aloe pnt. Curiosity got the better of the agent and she set her tea down and walked over to ihe blue-white robsp; No sooner had she reached down to grab a handful, Ellie heard a set of footsteps and turo face the noise. “Beautiful. I don’t know that I have ever seen something so soothing.” She pointed all over the room. “Again, this pce is almost a little heaven from the world.”

  Setting the tray of fky triangle puffs oable, Tatum walked over and stood beside Ellie. “Kyanite.” She paused and winked one of her hazel eyes, “It is said to promote spiritual and psychic awareness, almost like an awakening.” Taking Ellie’s hand into her own, Tatum gently coaxed her back to the table. “Butter is there beside the ses.” Tatum helped Ellie back to her seat and then sat down as well. “I know the name, but it was from reviewing the criminal case that had been filed.” She buttered her own triangle, “I ’t say that I have ever truly met Angelie.” She shrugged before taking a bite, “Sorry.”

  fortably seated and enjoying the food given, Ellie lightly waved off the answer. “It was a long shot.” She took a few sips of the Earl Gray, “Let me share what I do know, Miss Bckwell.” Ellie felt her mind clear for a moment as she visualized Angelie’s hand against her cheek. “I know she was doing something she called important at the Crow farm.” She snapped her fingers, “It was you saying awakening..” Ellie looked over at the blue rocks again, “..that made me recall her saying something very simir. Have any idea what that could have meant?”

  “I am sure she thought it was important, Agent Miller.” Tatum thoughtfully remarked, “I tell you with plete certainty that I didn’t get into the busihat went on up on the farm.” Sighing lightly, Tatum daintily sipped more of her tea, “Perhaps you are looking for your answers in the wrong pce, Agent.” Setting the cup bato its saucer, Tatum stood up and walked to a windooio a maple tree that had lost most of its leaves for the season. “You see that the tree had the leaves, they are surrounding it, right?” Tatum looked and saw Ellie nod, “That was the easy part. Autumn has e and the tree is going to hibernate.” She paused, “It took looking beyond the obvious to determine how the leaves turn e and gold.” Folding her arms over her chest, Tatum grinned. “Look beyond what and iigate why.”

  vinced by the length and way she’d structured the ahat wasn’t an answer, Ellie felt for the first time that she’d been ‘wyered’ by Tatum. “You are quick as a ferret, Miss Bckwell.” Ellie quipped and got up out of the chair to stand toe to toe with Tatum. “My question wasn’t about what went on up there.” Briefly pausing, Ellie half-smiled. “I asked you what it meant to be awake or awakened.” Pointing her fi Tatum, Ellie doubled down on her line of questioning. “I suspect you kly what went on at that farm.” She folded her arms to match Tatum, “I did a little background che you before I came here.” fident that she had an angle, Ellie pressed. “I was shocked to see that there was no information on you until 1984. Nothing. It was like you did.” Watg for a rea, Ellie was a little disappointed when Tatum’s face remained calm. “Alright, Let’s go on.” Pig up a couple of the kyanite rocks and juggling them in her hand, Agent Miller probed further. “I found it odd that someone atum wouldn’t be known.” She poio the barren tree, “So I did a basic search through birth records firls atum born from 1930 to present.” Ellie poio a few leaves that were well beyond where they should have nded. “It turns out that Tatum is a pretty rare name in this area. I fouly six birth certificates with the name.” Scratg the side of her mouth for a moment, Ellie finished up. “Oddly, when you correte that to the owner of the farm, Denise Crow, one name lined up to be about the same age. Tatum Brakwell.” She chuckled, “Brakwell, Bckwell? Not a very good alias.” Ellie peered into Tatum's gentle hazel eyes. “You might not have participated in what happe that farm, but I suspect you kly what went on up there. It is why you worked so hard to destroy the evidend break the cases.”

  “Have a seat Agent Miller.” Tatum’s southern voice came out a little more stern. Waiting until her guest resumed her seat, Tatum once more poio the ses. “Good.” Tatum sat down and leaned ba her chair. “Yes, awakened is an important thing.” She paused and waited until Ellie started eating once again. “Accept that there are things that I and ’t tell you for your own safety.” Tatum saw the fusion cross through Ellie’s brown eyes, “What she told you was not a lie, furthermore her awakening n so her unique skills as a soldier could be employed.” Tatum paused for a sip of tea, “Whatever you are thinking, Agent Miller, Captain Kino was not the enemy.” Reag across the table to pick up the few kyanite rocks Ellie had picked up, Tatum almost hissed her few words. “The enemy is far far more ing.”

  Expeg more of a fight from her hostess, Ellie did the best she could to hide the shock that flowed in her mind. “So that is all I am going to get about the subject of being awakened?” Blinking and looking away from Tatum after she’d affirmed the question, Agent Miller finished her buttery biscuit, “Let’s assume for a moment that I ighe things I dug up on you, sio be ho it doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Alright. Go on.” Tatum smiled.

  Switg her inquiry from the obvious target of the farm, Ellie tapped on her for a moment. “The terrorist atta Petersburg, the same night that Angelie died.” Ellie paused, “I know for a fact she was there.”

  “Alright.” Tatum kept smiling and then raised her eyebrows, “Curious. What makes you think it was a terrorist attack?”