Shadows in the Night

by J. J. Franck

  “So let me get this straight. If my job isn’t finished here on earth, I get to stay and finish it before I go to the hereafter?”

  “That kind of explains why I’m still here. At least that’s what I figured so far.”

  “It still doesn’t make sense.”

  “Mine is not to question why. If I don’t clear my name, then I’ll always be known as a dirty cop. I worked too hard to have it ruined by my death.”

  “You don’t remember anything about who shot you?”

  “It was dark, I was waiting for you.”

  Avery did a double take at hearing him say the words. She hadn’t really thought he was serious earlier in the day when he said he would meet up with her after work.

  All Kirt did, was quickly look away realizing he just confessed to technically stalking Avery. All he could do was smile sheepishly which touched Avery knowing now that Kirt had feelings for her even in death.

  “Did you ever consider who knew you would be there?”

  Kirt appeared puzzled for a moment as he thought back to that time. Avery didn’t wait for him to answer. She just continued.

  “Your brother heard you when we talked earlier in the day.”

  “You leave Jake out of this.” Kirt snapped.

  Kirt didn’t want to think about his brother being the culprit who shot him. Granted they hadn’t been close in recent years, but the fact he would do this was too difficult to comprehend, even for him who had seen the evil deeds people did in the name greed.

  “I’m just saying.” Avery snapped.

  Avery could tell Kirt didn’t like where she was going with their conversation. It was in the look that he gave her but she knew if she were ever going to rid herself of his specter she would have to help him to the other side even if it was uncomfortable for him to pursue this topic. She really didn’t know the dynamics of their relationship, but all through the ages brothers had a rivalry that resulted in death. Cain and Abel was a perfect example of that scenario.

  “How did you get the key?” she said reminding Kirt what he told her earlier.

  Avery knew that the key Kirt had given her before he died was important to him. And the fact they found the briefcase full of money contested to the fact it probably was a part of some illegal operation given the amount that was in it. The one thing in Kirt’s favor was the fact he was as surprised by its contents as Avery was.

  Kirt walked over to where Avery stood but didn’t answer her. He just stood there for the longest time just staring at her as Avery finally continued.

  “You said you found it in your brother’s room,” she said reminding him of their earlier conversation.

  Avery knew she really didn’t have to remind Kirt where he found the key. That fact was weighing heavy on him because it confirmed the reality his brother was involved in some illegal activities. And possibly the internal investigation into Jake’s actions was in fact right on.

  “Well, so what if I did. It doesn’t prove a thing.”

  Avery rolled her eyes as she walked over to the freezer for another ice pack to give Kirt. But then stopped when she realized giving him an ice pack would not help him given he actually was non-existent. She let the freezer door go and then walked over to the stacks of one-hundred dollar bills sitting on the coffee table and picked one up. Avery returned to where Kirt stood and shoved it in his face.

  “It’s a lot of money. They must pay you guys well,” she snapped knowing full well the money was ill gotten and not from working a legitimate job.

  “Let’s not jump to conclusions.”

  “I’d say he would have some explaining to do.”

  “He’s my kid brother for Christ sake, he wouldn’t kill me over this,” he said pointing to the briefcase on the coffee table.

  “Maybe he didn’t know it would go that far.”

  “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

  “You have to start facing facts.” Avery quickly added hoping that Kirt would come to terms with what the facts were telling them.

  “I can’t,” is all Kirt managed to say but then stopped.

  Kirt glanced at the clock and realizing the lateness of the hour and then turned back to Avery. “Maybe you should eat something before you go to work.”

  Avery sensed Kirt didn’t like arguing with her anymore than she liked arguing with him. It made her feel uncomfortable, as she never liked confrontation no matter with whom. To avoid any further discussion she quickly did as he suggested and walked over to the cupboard to see what she could eat for breakfast. In reality, Avery wasn’t really hungry, but after looking at her selection, nothing seemed to appeal to her either. Then she opened the refrigerator, there was a sparse selection of food in there also. The carton of milk had an expiration date of last week and some Chinese take out from a time she couldn’t remember. There was a container of Greek yogurt but that wasn’t even enough to tempt her. She just shut the door and then turned back to Kirt as he moved to the living room area. It was as if he purposely put distance between them.

  “I don’t think I better,” she said.

  “Maybe a cracker would settle your stomach,” Kirt said almost knowing what Avery was feeling.

  Avery stared at Kirt for the longest time and then gave him a look as if to say he wasn’t getting off that easy.

  “Getting back to your brother. What are you going to do about him?” she asked.

  Kirt walked over to the coffee table. He reached down for the briefcase as if to grab a stack of bills but his hand passed right through the wads of cash. This angered him, as it was a reminder that he no longer existed.

  “It sure is a lot of money,” Kirt said with a frown.

  “It has to be his.”

  “Yeah, but I don’t want to believe it.” Kirt snapped and then quickly continued. “This is going to kill our parents.”

  “But what he is doing, is wrong. And this might somehow be tied to your death.”

  No matter how wrong it was Avery knew Jake had to be stopped. If indeed he was the one who caused Kirt’s death then he would have to pay for that crime. It wasn’t right that he should get away with his evil deeds with the death of his brother. For Avery, that only made the problem worse. And the fact, he thought by killing Kirt the investigation into his illegal operation would stop, was difficult for Avery to fathom. Granted she didn’t have any brothers or sisters, but Avery was always lead to believe that there was a bond between siblings that was hard to break.

  “He’s my brother,” Kirt yelled.

  “Still doesn’t change the facts. You being his brother didn’t stop you from being killed!”

  Kirt just stared at Avery in a way that startled her. It angered him that Avery was making him think about his brother in ways he never wanted to think about before.

  Avery couldn’t help herself when it came to Kirt understanding who was responsible for his death. She knew Kirt was having a hard time separating the boy he grew up with from the man who was more worried about his own skin than the demise of his brother.

  “He wouldn’t,” Kirt whispered.

  Avery raised her hands and then shrugged her shoulders. She turned and walked over to the window and glanced down at the street below. Finally, she turned back to Kirt.

  “I’m only saying.”

  “I don’t want to hear this anymore,” he snapped.

  Avery just shook her head. She didn’t want to argue with Kirt over this. It was a sad fact to face, the fact that your own brother might have been the cause of your death. But in reality, it might be something he would have to come to terms with if he were ever going to pass to the other side. Avery wondered now if she had any unresolved issues that would cause her trouble in passing. Dying was hard enough, and now she contemplated problems with passing to the other side without any glitches.

  “I’ve got to get ready for work.”

  “You are not going to stay?”

  “And spend the day arguing with you. No way!” she snap
ped and then hesitated before continuing.

  Avery pointed to the briefcase on the coffee table and then looked sternly at Kirt.

  “You sit here and look at that money and think about your brother being innocent in all of this.”

  She knew it was difficult for Kirt to come to terms with the fact his brother may be involved in the illegal drug trade that Kirt had been trying to take down. But he had to understand that if he didn’t take a position against Jake, then it would only get worse. More innocent people would die. Granted Jake may not have known it was Kirt in the park that night when he pulled the trigger, but that didn’t change the fact that he meant to kill whoever was there. It doesn’t forgive him for choosing to sell drugs to unsuspecting kids who didn’t know better, or that the drug could, in fact, kill them.

  Avery walked out of the room and was thankful Kirt chose not to follow her. For some reason, it bothered her that he was so protective of his brother when all indications pointed to him being involved in all of this. She had enough on her mind. She didn’t need his dysfunctional relationship with his brother clouding up her thoughts also.

  Avery didn’t think Kirt was rational. She only hoped that he would spend the day analyzing what had transpired recently so that once she came home possibly the two of them could come to some conclusion and put an end to all of this. Plus the idea that all that drug money was sitting on her coffee table was unsettling.

  At this point, Avery didn’t know what to do with it. If she turned it over to the authorities, they certainly would wonder how she acquired it and in reality, Avery didn’t think they would believe her that Kirt’s spirit is haunting her. The fact she had the key that opened the locker made her look like a part of the whole drug operation.

  Avery even toyed with the idea of taking the briefcase to the precinct and just leaving it on the front steps, but how could she be confident that the right people would discover it. Or the fact they may have camera’s watching the outside of the building. That was the last thing she needed, was to be caught on a surveillance video leaving drug money for the cops to find. How would she explain that to her parents? Plus, she didn’t want their last thought of her as being involved in any illegal activities.

  So many thoughts raced through her head giving her a headache on top of the pain in her head she already had. All she knew was at the end of the day she would have to come up with something in order to put her life back in order.

  CHAPTER 15

  Avery quickly got ready for work. When she walked back into the living room, Kirt was nowhere to be seen. A part of her wished he was a figment of her imagination, but then there was that part of her that enjoyed her little interactions with his spirit or whatever it was that was filling her mind. Avery attributed it to the fact that Kirt died in her arms and must have left an unforgettable impression on her. There had to be a reason why he chose her to help him to the other side. Avery felt a lot of it had to do with the key Kirt gave her before he died. Somehow his haunting of her had to do with that and nothing more.

  It occurred to Avery that maybe her fixation with that key was causing her to imagine Kirt’s image. But then she realized there was no way for her to know where to look for the locker it opened. It was Kirt’s suggestion about Penn Station that lead them to Schwartz where the locker was located. Avery shook her head because there was no way she ever would have thought to go there with that key. She knew his haunting of her, was not a figment of her imagination, Kirt’s apparition had to be real. This whole adventure was not a dream Avery was having that Avery would wake from soon. Avery came to terms with the fact if she were ever going to rid herself of the specter of Kirt, she would have to see this through no matter how difficult the end result was. But then it hit her, did she really want to see him go?

  The past few days were not an illusion, Avery was confident of that. Because once Avery walked back into the living room, she turned to the briefcase that was still sitting on the coffee table. It was real, contesting to the fact that her little adventure the other evening was not something she dreamed up. Avery figured Kirt was probably just sulking because of their argument over his brother. But Avery knew the words had to be said. If Kirt were ever going to pass over to the other side, he would have to come to terms with every aspect of how he came to die in the park, no matter how difficult that would be for him. Granted maybe Jake, in fact, wasn’t the one who pulled the trigger, but he most certainly was involved in it in some way.

  For an instant, Avery laughed to herself thinking even in death emotions ran deep when it came to Kirt. Again the thought of her own passing filled her mind. Would there be unfinished business that kept her spirit from moving on to the other side? But for the life of her, she couldn’t think of anything that would keep her here on earth. Granted there were a lot of things she would have liked to have done, traveled more was basically the only thing that came to mind. Because in reality, her whole life had been spent getting an education so she could be where she was today in her life.

  Avery would have also liked to have gotten married and had children, but there again, she was always so busy working on getting her education and then finally getting her dream job. She never took the time to develop a personal relationship with anyone. Somehow, she didn’t think those things were enough to keep her spirit in this world. Kirt’s inability to pass seemed more to do with how he died.

  For some reason, Avery didn’t think it was actually Kirt’s time to die. That may have had a lot to do with him not passing to the other side or embracing the light that beckoned most people when they die.

  Avery walked over to the kitchen counter and took her Med’s knowing they would be the only thing that would get her through the day. She finally, turned around and glanced around the room. Avery was proud of the fact, how she lived her life. Granted it was going to be a short life, but there was nothing to be ashamed of. And then her eyes rested on the briefcase sitting on the coffee table. It troubled her leaving the apartment with that lying about in the open. In reality, she lived her life on the up and up, not ashamed of anything she had ever done. But if in fact, she died on her way to work today, she didn’t need anyone finding that money in her apartment. All the questions it would raise troubled her, not to mention what they might assume. Quickly Avery walked over and closed the briefcase. Avery picked it up and then lifted the couch skirt and slid the briefcase under the sofa, so it was out of view from anyone entering the apartment. Avery quickly smoothed the skirt, so it was back in place. She especially feared her mother discovered it because she had been known to drop in from time to time unannounced since her diagnosis.

  Avery knew that before the end of the day she would have to decide what to do with all that money, no matter what Kirt had to say. She could not risk dying before getting it out of her apartment and having her parents wonder about how she lived her life. That briefcase brought with it, too many unanswered questions. There was nothing in her life to tie her to Kirt or his brother at this point. And given the undercover operation at the library, Avery didn’t need for fingers to be pointed in her direction without her being able to defend herself against any allegations of being involved in selling drugs at the library. She cringed at the thought of anyone thinking she was involved in anything illegal, especially selling drugs to unwitting students.

  It still troubled Avery when walking out of the apartment knowing what she told Kirt about his brother was the truth, as hard as it was for him to swallow. She wondered now if Kirt would ever come back to her? Was his time on earth finished? Was finding out that possibly his brother was involved in his death, what he needed to pass to the other side? A part of Avery hoped it wasn’t, she missed seeing him before she left for work.

  As Avery walked outside and felt the brisk air of fall, she couldn’t get over how good it felt to be alive. She quickly walked down the street, but before crossing the street to the park, she stopped for an instant. For some unknown reason, Avery found it difficult to enter the
park. Avery glanced at her watch and decided she had enough time, so she took the sidewalk around the park rather than walk through. Passing the site where Avery found Kirt a few evenings ago was unsettling for her, even after a few days. Avery didn’t know if she would ever be able to walk the path next to the fountain again without being reminded of that night. But for now, all she wanted was to forget it ever happened.

  Once Avery got to work she headed for her office to start the tedious process of cataloging books. It was a never ending process, but a process that had to be done. Avery was thankful Jessie was assigned to the information desk that morning, so she didn’t have to stop and make idle chitchat with her. All Avery wanted right then was just to be left alone to catalog the new books that came in last evening and then go about shelving them and not having to talk to anyone.

  Jessie had become suspicious of Avery lately given her recent weight loss. Avery had never really been overweight, so losing ten pounds in the last month had become quite noticeable. Even with the cotton smocks, they wore over their street clothes wasn’t enough to hide the fact she was losing weight.

  The morning flew by, and Avery skipped lunch so she could leave early that day. All the while Avery worked she was on the lookout for the drug dealers that Kirt had been watching earlier in the week. But as she shelved the various books on different floors, they were nowhere to be found. Avery wondered now if possibly Kirt’s death caused a change in their operations. It bothered her that they chose Bobst to sell their wares in the first place given the many other locations in the city for their illegal activities. Avery knew there was too much money in the drug trade for them to give it up completely, but at least it wasn’t being done at the library under her nose.

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