“The thing is, I want to tell you to trust Wesley because I think you need it,” he continued. “You’re looking for a family tie that you can hold onto for a bit. He could give you that. From what Booker said, he seemed genuinely interested in you.”
“You and Booker talk about me behind my back, huh?”
“Booker and I have a unique relationship that is better left unexplained for the next little bit,” Galen replied. “As for Wesley, I’ve never known him to be anything less than honest. He’s a fiery guy who has gone after trespassers with a shotgun a time or two, but I’ve never looked at him and seen a killer.”
“But?”
“But we have a killer on this island,” Galen said. “Someone is killing older residents. Do you know much about serial killers?”
“I know that they’re usually men who hunt in their own ethnic groups.”
Galen arched a surprised eyebrow. “How do you know that?”
“Criminal Minds. Shemar Moore is all kinds of hot.”
Galen’s smile slipped into a frown. “I’m way hotter than him.”
“You keep telling yourself that.”
Galen poked his finger into my stomach to get me to laugh. “I will keep telling myself that,” he said. “It’s the truth. I constantly tell myself the truth.”
“Whatever.”
“You’re right about serial killers hunting in their own ethnic groups,” Galen said, sobering. “We’ve never really had a normal serial killer on this island – if normal is a word you can use for that – but I’ve done a decent amount of research.
“Serial killers tend to pick an age that means something to them,” he continued. “If some blonde did him wrong in high school, for example, he might go after blonde teenagers to get even.”
“Like Ted Bundy going after girls who looked like a girlfriend who dumped him,” I offered.
Galen nodded. “Exactly. You know more about this than I expected.”
“I watch a lot of television.”
“That makes me feel a bit worse, but okay.” He forced a smile. “Most serial killers go for younger women. They don’t go for older women.”
“Maybe you’re missing something,” I suggested. “Maybe the age isn’t what is important.”
Galen looked intrigued. “What do you mean?”
“Maybe they have something else in common.”
Galen hummed as he ran his finger up and down my arm, the movement so intimate – something I don’t think he realized – that it sent chills up my spine. “The only thing I can think of is that they were property owners.”
“Isn’t everyone who lives on the island a property owner?”
“Yes and no,” Galen hedged. “They’re all business owners, but property is a different thing altogether on this island. Property generally passes from family to family, like it did from May to you or to Wesley from his father. Property is at a premium here.”
That was both interesting and confusing. “But there are so many businesses. Even if it’s not residential property, the people here own the businesses, so that’s property ownership.”
“No, the downtown property is owned by the DDA, which controls leases and placement.”
“What is it with this DDA? They sound like megalomaniacs.”
Galen’s chuckle was warm. “They are simply interested in the economic health of the island. They own the property and structures. The business owners rent the buildings from them.”
“So they don’t own the property.”
“No.”
“But May, Bonnie and the other dead woman you mentioned did own their property,” I mused, my mind busy. “That seems like an important tie, don’t you think?”
“It’s definitely worth pursuing.” Galen cupped the back of my head and forced my eyes to him, moving his face close and causing my breath to catch in my chest. “Promise me you’ll stick close to the lighthouse until I can get someone out here to hang with you this afternoon.”
“I can take care of myself.”
Galen tightened his grip. “Promise me.”
“Okay. I promise.”
Galen stared into my eyes for a long time before releasing me and rolling back a bit. “I’m going to go into the office, but I’m hopeful I will be able to work from here this afternoon. I’m still going to see if I can get someone to come hang out with you.”
“I’m going to lock myself in the lighthouse and go through everything on the third floor like you asked. And, yes, I promise I’ll be good.”
“I trust you.” Galen’s eyes were clear. “That doesn’t mean I trust whoever is trying to hurt you. Just … be really careful. I will call you if I send over someone you don’t know.”
“I would really rather you didn’t do that.”
“You’ll have to live with it if I have no choice. Now … come here.” Galen wrapped his arm around my waist and tugged me so I was pressed against his chest. I considered fighting the effort, but ultimately rested my cheek against his beating heart and remained still. “We have exactly five minutes before we have to get up.”
“And what do you want to do with that time?” I was both excited and terrified of his answer.
“I’m doing it.”
I almost melted. “Has anyone ever told you that you have enough charm to build an entire island all your own?”
“No one as cute as you.”
“Well … you do.”
“I know.” Galen stroked the back of my head, the movement soothing. “Now, let’s talk about the fact that you thought I would have sex with you while you were passed out.”
“You said you wouldn’t bring it up again,” I protested.
“I said I would consider not bringing it up again. I’ve considered it … and then I discarded the notion. What kind of guy do you take me for?”
“Oh, geez. I’m going to have to choke you to shut you up, aren’t I?”
“Who told you I’m into that?”
“Ugh. I knew I should’ve ignored what you said and stayed in bed all day,” I complained. “This day is already starting to suck.”
Twenty-Six
“What are you doing here?”
I was beyond annoyed when I found Lilac on the front porch after I’d finished breakfast. She had a bright smile on her face, a pair of short shorts that looked as if they were in danger of falling into a crevice and never returning showing off her toned legs, and a tiny bra top (complete with fringe) that revealed enough cleavage that I momentarily thought I might’ve stepped into an alternative world that only allowed strippers to inhabit the island.
“I’m happy to see you, too,” Lilac said dryly, smirking as she pushed past me. “I don’t think I’ve ever had such a warm welcome in my entire life.”
Part of me felt guilty. The other part – the bigger part – was certain I was about to be overwhelmed with agitation. “I’m sorry.”
“Are you really?”
“Not even a little,” I admitted. “I’m tired. It’s been a long two days.”
“I heard all about your adventure last night,” Lilac said, taking me by surprise when she shut and locked the door, testing the handle a few times before pointing toward the stairs. “Why do you think I’m here?”
I already knew the answer. “Galen.”
“Yup.”
“He said he would call if he sent anyone over,” I argued. “He didn’t call. I’ve had my phone with me all day. I think that’s against the rules.”
“He said you would say that.” Lilac didn’t appear bothered by my tone. “He said to tell you to suck it up or he’ll explain how he can see in the dark so even though you thought he didn’t see you change your clothes last night … he did.”
I tightened my jaw. “He told you that?”
Lilac held her hands palms up and shrugged. “Men are pigs. What can I say?”
“I’m going to kill him.”
“That would be a shame given the fact that he’s openly flirting with you. Every woman on the
island wants to claim him for herself.” Lilac headed toward the stairs. “I can’t remember the last time he showed this much interest in a woman.”
“I suppose you think that makes me lucky,” I groused, frowning as I followed Lilac. “What are you doing?”
“It definitely makes you lucky,” Lilac confirmed. “You’re too tense to realize that right now – and I get that – but it definitely makes you lucky.”
“It doesn’t make me feel lucky.”
“Have you seen him shirtless?”
“Yes.”
“Without his pants on?”
“Yes.”
“Without his boxers on?”
Lilac was relentless, but I refused to meet her gaze. “Technically … um … yes.”
“Then you’re definitely lucky.” Lilac’s grin widened. “And you need to give me every detail while we’re going through the stuff on the third floor.”
“Ugh.” I covered my eyes with my hand. Lilac’s enthusiasm would prove contagious. I could already sense it. The last thing I wanted was to admit my attraction to Galen and then have it parroted back to me when Galen returned in time for dinner. “I’m guessing you still believe you’re incapable of keeping a secret, right?”
“Pretty much,” Lilac confirmed, climbing the stairs. “I can promise to try to keep what you say to myself, but I think my record is eight hours if it’s a good secret. There’s nothing I can do about it.”
“You could force yourself to keep a secret.”
“What fun is that?”
She had a point, but still … . “Let’s just see what we can find on the third floor, shall we? We’ll keep the gossip to a minimum.”
“Oh, sure,” Lilac said dryly. “That sounds like a great way to spend a morning.”
“SO WHEN DO you think you’re going to sleep with him?”
Lilac promised to refrain from asking too many questions if I agreed to focus my full attention on searching the shelves and crates. She lasted five minutes before cracking.
“I’ve already slept with him three times,” I pointed out. “Granted, I was extremely out of it for two of those times, but I remember the third very well. He snores … and drools.”
“Honey, I’ve seen him at the beach,” Lilac said. “If snoring and drooling is the worst that you have to put up with, you’re coming out way ahead.”
I wanted to argue the point, but I’d seen him without a shirt numerous times now and I couldn’t find a single thing to bolster a contrary position. Instead I turned my attention to the search. “Do you really think there’s something up here that’s worth killing me over?”
“I don’t know,” Lilac replied, sitting on the floor next to one of the crates and sifting through its contents. “I knew May to say hello to her and even hang out at some of the music events on the beach. She was always friendly and fun, but she never struck me as the sort of person who was hiding expensive things.”
The statement struck me as odd. “How exactly would one act if they were hiding expensive things?”
“I don’t know.” Lilac’s shoulders hopped. “Perhaps they would carry around a shovel or something. Maybe wear an eye patch. Oh!” She jutted out her finger. “I bet that sort of person would walk with a limp.”
“Why a limp?”
“Because half the demented people I’ve seen in horror movies have limps.”
I really couldn’t argue with her logic. “I just wish I had an idea of what we were looking for,” I said, grabbing a huge book from the bottom of a shelf and flipping it open. I widened my eyes as I read the first page. “What’s a Book of Shadows?”
Instead of answering right away, Lilac made a face. “Seriously? You’re like the worst witch ever. How can you not know what a Book of Shadows is?”
“I must’ve missed that day at witch school.”
Lilac snorted. “I know you meant that in a sarcastic way, but I’ll bet that your mind just flashed to Hogwarts, didn’t it?”
Sadly, she was right. “They didn’t have a Book of Shadows at Hogwarts.”
“They had wands. Real witches don’t have wands. Harry Potter was not realistic.”
“And yet real witches are somehow realistic,” I grumbled, turning a page in the book. “Holy eye of newt! This is a book of spells.”
“Of course it’s a book of spells.” Lilac made an exaggerated face. “What did you think you would find in there?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know what to do about any of this. In some ways it’s been easier to pretend it’s not happening. I have plenty of other things to focus on, after all.”
“Naked sheriffs?”
“I was going to say a new grandfather I didn’t know existed.”
“That’s a big deal, too,” Lilac conceded. “This is all going to settle eventually. Once it does, you’ll be able to think about the rest of it. You’ll be able to enjoy the anticipation of seeing Galen naked. You’ll be able to dabble with magic and have fun. You’ll be able to sit on the beach and have a drink and absorb the fun of a single day instead of fear the next morning.”
“Oh, wow, that was almost poetic.”
“Thank you.” Lilac beamed. “I wanted to be a poet when I was a kid.”
“Really? I wanted to be an intergalactic space warrior.”
“Princess Leia?”
“You know it.”
“Everyone wanted to be her.” Lilac shifted her eyes back to the crate. “A lot of this stuff looks interesting in an abstract way, but I have no idea what we’re looking for so I don’t know if it’s really interesting.”
“It’s all interesting,” May announced, popping into view in the middle of the room. She forced a smile when she caught me staring. “Hello, dear.”
“Don’t ‘hello, dear’ me,” I snapped. “Where have you been? A lot has been going on and we need answers.”
“It’s not easy to control my movements yet,” May complained. “I’m doing the best that I can. If it was easy everyone would do it.”
“Oh, whatever.” I rolled my eyes.
“You just reminded me of your mother when you did that.” May heaved a sigh, a whimsical expression crossing her face. “I really wish I could talk to you about her – that’s why I came today, after all – but we have another problem.”
“My whole life is problems,” I shot back. “What specific problem are you talking about?”
“The big one,” May answered. “He’s here.”
“Who is here?”
“The man who killed me. I remember. I remember everything.”
Oh, well, crap.
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN he’s here?”
I didn’t know May very well, but I got the feeling she was something of a drama queen. There was always a chance I misheard her.
“He’s here,” May hissed, mimicking gripping her hands together. “He’ll be at the door in a second.”
“Who?” Lilac asked, hopping to her feet and dusting off the seat of her pants. She didn’t look particularly worried. “Why are you so worked up, May? It’s good to see you, by the way.”
Instead of reacting with kindness, May made an exaggerated face and opened her mouth. Whatever she said died on her lips, though, when she blinked out of existence.
“What was that?” I asked, confused.
“I have no idea.” Lilac shuffled to the window and looked out. “I don’t see anyone. Do you have any idea what she was talking about?”
“I don’t even know the woman,” I grumbled. “I would love to be able to sit down and have a long conversation with her about a few things.”
“I’m sure you would.” Lilac knit her eyebrows. “She said that the man who killed her was here, but I don’t see a car in the driveway or a shadow in the yard. Maybe she’s confused.”
“Maybe,” I conceded. “Maybe she had dementia before she died and no one noticed. Can ghosts have dementia? You know, carry it over from life to death?”
“I have no idea, but May didn’
t have dementia before she died,” Lilac replied. “I saw her the day before and … her mind was still as sharp as ever.”
I tilted my head to the side as I regarded Lilac. She looked a bit misty as she swiped at her eyes. “You really liked her, didn’t you?”
“She was a dear lady,” Lilac said. “I know it’s hard for you because you never got to know her, and I’m sure you can’t help but wonder how things would’ve been different if she tried to see you when you were a kid, but … she really was a great lady. I hope you get to know her some now that she’s back from the dead.”
“Can you please not say it that way?” I asked, my mind wandering to the cemetery. “I picture zombies when you say that, and now that I know how the cemetery works it freaks me out.”
“They’re mostly harmless,” Lilac argued. “They’ve gotten out once or twice, but we think we have all the gaps plugged now.”
“That’s … comforting.”
“Yeah.” Lilac enthusiastically nodded. “Well, I don’t know what May was talking about, but there’s clearly no one down there. Maybe she simply got confused and remembered who killed her and the memories jumbled in her mind.”
“I guess that’s possible.” I looked at the shelf. “Maybe she thought it was the past rather than the present.”
“Maybe. It will be much better when she has control of when and how long she can pop up,” Lilac said. “Then you’ll be able to have an actual conversation.”
“Yeah, I can’t wait for that,” I admitted. “I want to ask her why she divorced Wesley Durham and then proceeded to pretend they were married one day a week for several decades. I still can’t wrap my head around that one.”
“Some people love each other but can’t live with each other,” Lilac explained. “Wesley and May were like that. They fought like lions and bears some days … and they did it publicly, not caring who witnessed the fights. I think, if times were different, they would’ve been able to make the marriage work full time.”
I wasn’t sure what she was getting at. “Meaning?”
“Meaning that Moonstone Bay is ahead in some respects when it comes to social issues, but it’s behind in others,” Lilac answered. “Back when Wesley and May got married it was expected that the man would work and the woman would stay home and raise a family.
Witchy Dreams Page 100
