by Lotta Smith
“Thank you so much, Letty,” Nikki said between heavy breathing. Her shoulders heaved as she inhaled and exhaled. “Oh my God… I feel like passing out…”
“Are you okay?” I scurried by her side and clasped her elbow. Then I handed her my handkerchief. “It’s not exactly a paper bag, but cover your mouth and nose with it and try to breathe slowly, okay? Oh, no need to talk.”
Nikki nodded and breathed slowly.
Within thirty seconds, she recovered. “Thanks. Now I feel much better.”
“That’s so fabulous!” I was relieved. “So, why did you go meet Johnny on your own?” I had a hunch about the reason, but I wanted to hear her side of the story.
“Oh, sorry about all the mess. I had a moment with an angel whispering the answer to me. Well, I mean, at that time, it was just a theory only existing in my head, but I guess I was right.” Nikki glanced at Johnny as if he were a bagful of rotten garbage. “I was thinking over and over about what you told me. And if Fynn was killed instead of committing suicide, I knew that SOB might be the killer. As I went on and on with my thoughts, I couldn’t just sit around and go on with work. I took time off in the afternoon, and the next thing I knew, I was confronting him, accusing him of killing my husband.” She shook her head as if she couldn’t recall what was going through her head at that time.
The sirens came nearer, and at least four cop cars and one FBI van came to the scene. Johnny was arrested for assaulting Nikki. She and Letty were asked to give statements and talk to the police officers.
Along with the law enforcement came black USCAB SUVs.
Rick came running out from one and held me close, almost crushing me. “Mandy! Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“I’m good… thanks. You’re late, Rick…” I gasped. “For your information, you’re suffocating me.”
“Don’t bother,” he muttered without loosening his embrace around me. “At least I’m not putting you in resin to preserve you, for which I’m quite tempted.”
“Um… sorry I didn’t stay at your office until you returned,” I mumbled. “I was going to stick around, but Nikki was in trouble, and I had to leave early to help her. Except I didn’t get to help her. But Letty here shot him.”
“I assumed that.” He glanced at the pool of blood that came from Johnny, finally loosening his grasp around my shoulders. Looking me straight in the eyes, he said, “Why did you go alone and not bring someone at USCAB? Has it ever occurred to you that it’s a better idea to bring somebody with you rather than going kamikaze on your own? By the way, did I mention I happen to be an executive at a security company?”
“Look, I called Hernandez, who kindly offered to send backup. And I didn’t want to behave like the entitled, bratty wife of the CEO’s son. It didn’t feel right for me to use your manpower. You know, you might be the COO of USCAB, but that doesn’t mean I can use your staff like my own, right?”
“No, you’re wrong on so many levels,” he spat. His green eyes were more intense than usual. When I saw the bulging of the veins in his neck, I realized he was really mad.
“I’m so sorry.” And I meant it.
He took a deep breath. “Apology accepted. Don’t ever do it again. Not anymore. Are we clear?”
“Crystal clear,” I mumbled.
“Next time, you must bring backup with you, or else I’ll fire you from being the chief manager of Paranormal Cases Division at USCAB. It’s not a warning, it’s a promise. Do you understand?”
My mouth gaped open like a total idiot.
“What did you just say?” I squawked. If I recalled it right, there was no such section in USCAB that was involved with paranormal cases. Actually, I was bracing for harsher words from him, and with full disclosure, I was contemplating crying. Call me unfair, but he really hated it when I cried. Also, to be honest, I could use a little gentle hugging, kissing, and some consoling words whispered in my ear. Regardless, I didn’t see the P-word, as in paranormal, coming from him.
“I said, I’ll fire you from the job of the chief manager at the Paranormal Cases Division at USCAB,” he said, still clutching my shoulders with his hands.
I opened my mouth wider, shut it, and then reopened it. “But… you don’t have a Paranormal Cases Division at USCAB.”
“We didn’t have that particular section, but now we do.”
“Oh my God, Mandy! Congratulations on your new career!” Jackie shrieked.
“Mandy, darling, I was itching to tell you that you’ll be even more fabulous if you start working in a field where you can fully utilize your talent.” Clara clapped her hands. “I’m so proud of you!”
Rick took a deep breath. “I was meaning to deliver the news to you today, but you were already gone when I’d finished the launching process. Talk about a surprise ruined.”
“Oh… I mean, I’m sorry?”
Still fuming, Rick gave me a curt nod. “Apology accepted, and you’re very welcome.”
I realized then that I hadn’t thanked him. “Thank you so much for launching a section for me.” I giggled as I clung to him. I couldn’t help it.
“It’s okay. It’s just that we’re expanding our business to things that most of us can’t see or hear.” He chuckled, hugging me back. “You know what? Thanks to your phone call with Hernandez, we have to work the first case with the feds for free. To make up for that, your office will be located in a little corner of my office.”
“Okay. I can live with that.” I smiled wider.
“And 50 percent of your pay for the first case will be cut,” he added.
“Boo! That’s not fair!” I protested, looking up at him.
Grinning from ear to ear, he cocked his head to the side. “Who said life is fair?”
I booed again, but a part of me wished Johnny could’ve heard his words.
EPILOGUE
Rick had a brief chat with the NYPD officers, and we were free to leave the scene. By that time, the FBI vans were already gone. After all, it was just an assault case with the most critically wounded being the assailant himself. Rick also talked to Letty for a brief time, apparently thanking her profusely, and I saw him handing her his card, which was a rare occasion.
After going back to USCAB headquarters to sign the contracts to launch the Paranormal Cases Division, we headed for the cemetery where Fynn was waiting for us.
The initial plan to have dinner at some fancy restaurant had changed, but I made a run to a burger joint close to the USCAB building to purchase takeout. I tended to get famished after a near-death experience. Okay, so thanks to Letty coming to the rescue, it wasn’t exactly a near-death experience, but both Nikki and I could’ve been killed if Letty hadn’t been driving around. Also, after listening to her describe the yummy burger and fries, I couldn’t stop thinking about them.
It was a little past five o’clock when we arrived at the cemetery.
“Mandy, Rick!” Fynn waved at us as soon as we arrived. He was fully aware that Rick couldn’t hear or see dead people, but he treated Rick just like he treated me. I could understand why Nikki fell in love with him.
I waved back at Fynn, and Rick did the same. Fynn wasn’t stuck in the pond anymore, sitting at the bank instead.
“Bummers… I never knew he hated me that much. I used to believe he was my life-long best friend,” Fynn responded after we informed him of what went down. He closed his eyes tightly, but the tears didn’t stop streaming. “Maybe I’d been trying not to notice his feelings about me while being aware of it deep down.”
“Fynn, you did nothing wrong.” Clara stroked the crying ghost’s back.
“Johnny had many hardships. Since his dad died of a stroke, his life turned difficult. He had to give up college, and the company he was supposed to join went bankrupt just weeks before he started his job there, and—”
“Come on, Fynn. Johnny’s a coward. If he hated your guts so much, he could’ve stopped being friends with you. Instead of telling you his opinions, he chose to be jealous of y
ou. In my opinion, he’s a spineless loser!” Clara declared, then commanded the sobbing ghost to stop bothering with a pathetic loser.
“Clara—” Fynn hiccupped.
“Look, Fynn,” I interjected. “After chatting with Johnny, I think he longed to be someone like you so badly, and I guess that’s part of his reason for killing you. It’s so insane to think he could replace you by killing you, but sometimes, lunacy strikes us. Though I’m just guessing, of course.”
Fynn’s eyes widened with what appeared to be astonishment. “If that’s the case, Johnny is such a fool. The reason our superiors and the general managers used to be harder on him was because he was considered to be a candidate for the future leader. He was so hard-working, so diligent, and…”
As he cried nonstop, Jackie cleared her throat. “Fynn, now that you’re dead, we can’t do anything about it, but you can become a superduper guardian angel protecting Nikki and Jennie.”
“You’re so right.” Wiping tears from his eyes, Fynn nodded. “I’ve got to become a super guardian angel like you are to Mandy and Rick.”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, mostly because Jackie was watching my reaction. When I relayed her words to Rick, he wasn’t that discreet as he shook his head, massaging his temple.
“Oh, Jackie! You’re such a star!” Clara cooed, prompting Jackie to blush a little.
Rick spoke to the air. “By the way, Mom, I’m assuming you’re the one responsible for sending Nikki to confront Johnny, am I correct?”
“I’d prefer not to answer that question. You know, secrets are what make a woman beautiful. Mandy, remember my words.” Clara innocently tilted her head to the side, but her answer was almost a dead giveaway.
“Okay, so you sent Nikki to the deadly confrontation,” Rick said, frowning and crossing his arms. “How did you do that? She can’t hear dead people, can she?”
“She didn’t seem to notice the army of ghosts,” I said.
“Of course she can’t.” Clara smiled. “I summoned an urgent conference for ghostly residents in the Manhattan and Brooklyn neighborhoods, releasing detailed information about Fynn’s murder and that justice had to be served. Anyway, word spread faster than the speed of light, and by noon, I was able to communicate with several of Nikki’s deceased relatives. They talked directly to her subconscious to confront Johnny, and the rest is history.”
Rick’s frown deepened. “Didn’t you imagine it would be dangerous for her and Mandy?”
“Oh, darling, stop frowning! You don’t want to have wrinkles here,” she said breezily, touching his forehead. “I knew it could be dangerous, and that’s why we arranged for Letty to drive Mandy to the scene and rescue both her and Nikki.”
“Excuse me? How did you arrange my cab ride?” I squawked.
“Everyone knows someone in this neighborhood, and by using our web of connections, you can practically reach everyone. Anyway, she was destined to be there to help you ladies,” Clara said nonchalantly. “Except I didn’t expect her to be such a terrible shot. She shot six rounds, and only three of them hit him.”
“What else have you been meddling with in the world?” Rick groaned.
“Not much. You know, Rick, our ability to talk to living humans intensifies during this time of the year, but it will wane as the holiday season ends.” Clara shook her head. “Anyway, I think I’ve worked more than my share, and I could use a nice vacation. There’s this trip to a very pristine beach in the better world starting before Halloween, and I’m so tempted to join the tour. So, Rick, Mandy, live your lives full and enjoy every moment, okay? Jackie, thanks for being with Mandy and Rick. You enjoy every moment too, okay?”
“Okay. I will,” I said.
“Thank you!” Jackie bounced.
Listening to my interpretation, Rick took a deep breath. “So, will you come back for next Halloween?” he asked.
“I’ll come back, of course.” Clara flashed an elegant smile. “Actually, I can come back anytime, but I don’t want to be that kind of mother who periodically meddles with her son’s marriage. Anyway, I want to visit Dan tonight and have some alone time with him. It’s not like he can hear me, but sometimes he talks to me, and I absolutely love it!”
Waving her hands and blushing a little, she disappeared.
Jackie and I waved back at her, and Rick joined us.
* * *
About a month following the fiasco and Johnny’s arrest for assaulting Nikki and me, and murdering Fynn, a letter addressed to me was delivered to the Paranormal Cases Division at USCAB. The sender was Nikki.
“Wow, I got mail from my unofficial first client!” I said, excited. I wasn’t talking to myself. As Rick had previously said, the office of the Paranormal Cases Division was set up in a corner of his office, so basically our working condition had almost gone back to the way it was when we were with the FBI. The only difference was now Rick had a bigger office, and I got a fancier desk. When I didn’t have cases, I helped him with some administrative tasks, and when I actually had cases, he connected me with the best manpower available. To be honest, I was quite fond of my new arrangement.
“That’s interesting. What did she say?” he asked.
“She says she had the wedding Fynn had booked, as it was nonrefundable. Wow!” My eyes widened as I registered who was in the photo.
“What?” Rick’s eyebrows shot up.
“Oh my God, with whom? I thought her love for Fynn was true and something lasting forever. I didn’t expect her to tie the knot with another man so soon!” Jackie shrieked. Then she looked at the photo and furrowed her eyebrows, seeming confused. “Oh… maybe that’s not how I assumed.”
“Right. Actually, Nikki tied the knot with her late husband. Look at this photo.” I stood up and took it to Rick’s desk. “Voila!”
“Wow!” Rick chuckled. “That’s a hell of a wedding and a funeral mixed together.”
In the photo, Nikki was all smiles in a gorgeous wedding gown. With one hand, she was holding her daughter’s hand, and with the other, she was clutching Fynn’s smiling photo in a frame. At her foot, Mr. Bubbles, the orange cat, sat proudly.
“It’s odd.” Rick blinked as he looked at the picture. He pointed at Nikki’s left shoulder. “It might be some glare, but it looks like his face.” He indicated the framed photo of Fynn.
“Wow, can you see that? What a coincidence!” Then I added, “Well maybe it’s no coincidence. It can be one of those ghost photos that most people can recognize as paranormal activity.”
Fynn was seen photobombing in it. With an arm entwined with Nikki’s, he was stroking Jennie’s head, looking so loving and, at the same time, like a proud dad and husband.
Admiring the photo, Jackie concluded. “Good thing everyone looks so happy.”
“Yes. It’s such a lovely picture.” I couldn’t agree more.
About the author
Hi! My name is Lotta Smith. I’m the author of Paranormal in Manhattan Mysteries and Kelly Kinki Mysteries. I love everything comedy, from novels, TVs, to movies. In my teenage days, I was addicted to mysteries that involves amateur sleuth duo of a hot male professor and a quirky female student—with a light touch of romance sprinkled on top. So I went to medical school, partly because I wanted to see real dead bodies, and mostly because I was determined to meet sexy professors (specializing forensic pathology, perhaps) and go a-sleuthin’.
I got to see dead bodies and learn about the danger of petting zoos (sometimes, kids have their lips bitten off by…say, a pony!) but unfortunately, sexy professors were absolutely nonexistent. Recently, I realized that I’m a hopeless unromantic.
I’m hard at work writing new books.
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And… keep on reading for the beginning of the next book, Speak of the Wicked, which will be coming soon!
Sneak Peek: Speak
of the Wicked
PROLOGUE
Mid-June, approximately two months prior to my wedding with Rick…
“Oh my God! What is this world coming to?” demanded a young woman in her high pitched voice.
My ears perked up. I had my share of craving for juicy gossip, and I sensed one when it was on my way. Also, I was in one of the stalls at The Mark’s powder room. Actually, their powder rooms happened to be one of the most gorgeous ones around the world that could possibly cater as a high-end café or conference room. The floor was gleaming, the hand towels—ones made of Egyptian cotton and not the paper towels—were neatly stocked for you, and there was this mahogany desk and extra-comfy chairs out of the stalls so that you could sit down and relax.
Okay, so I had no idea why you need a pricey desk and chairs at the bathroom. It’s not like you feel the urge to sit down and drink a cup of tea in the same room where someone else might be excreting water or something grossier.
Anyway, it was almost written in the law that gossips heard in the bathroom should be good. If I recalled it right, people from every espionage agencies are listening to all the details of conversations conducted in bathrooms with extra attention. So I was getting ready for a truly juicy rumor. Actually, I was so finished with my business and ready to leave, but I stayed in. I didn’t want to come out in their mid-gossip and miss the juiciest part.
“Come on, Kayla. We’re living in this crazy world. Have you looked at the people protesting nonstop 24/7 between Fifth and Madison? Ha. That’s how everything is. We’re in a crazy world,” chimed in another woman. “The society should stop spoiling them. They should get a job or something.”
Except, assuming from the fact she was luncheon-ing at The Mark, the woman herself should be pretty much spoiled. I wasn’t naïve enough to believe that hard working tweens frequented luncheons at Manhattan’s official boldly lavish hotel. Especially, when the particular luncheon happened to be an invite-only occasion.
