Never Forgotten - A Mary O'Reilly Paranormal Mystery (Book 3)

by Terri Reid

  Angela’s backyard was dark and completely snow covered and, except for the driveway, nothing had been shoveled. Risking her footprints in the snow, Mary moved closer, searching for a way to enter the house. The basement door was padlocked from the outside and the windows had steel bars over them. There was a small hatch at the ground level, but it was also padlocked. “Definitely wants to keep people out of here,” Mary muttered.

  “It’s him. He’s doing this to her.”

  Mary turned quickly and the ghost of the woman behind her flinched in fear. “I’m not going to hurt you,” Mary immediately reassured. “I just need to learn more about Angela. I need to stop her.”

  The woman looked like a frail and older shadow of Angela. “It’s not her fault,” she said. “It’s my fault. I should have protected her. I should have left him.”

  “Him?”

  “My husband. He was, is, a bad man. He hurt us, both of us,” she explained. “And once I was gone, he hurt Angela.”

  “But he’s dead now,” Mary said. “How can he hurt her now?”

  “Her mind isn’t strong anymore; she is too easily influenced by him.”

  “Angela is killing people,” Mary said. “She is trying to kill my friend. She has to be held responsible.”

  The mother shook her head. “No, she’s not killing them,” she said. “She wants them to love her; she’s just making my tea. My love potion.”

  “Does your love potion cause cramping and destroy liver functions?”

  “No,” she said, “No, it’s a mild tea. That’s all. There’s no poison in it.”

  “Well, whatever she’s been giving to the men she’s been interested in for the past few years has killed them all,” Mary said. “A painful death.”

  The ghost gasped and placed her hands over her mouth, “No.”

  “What?” Mary asked. “What is it?”

  “No, she wouldn’t do that,” Angela’s mother decided. “She couldn’t do that.”

  “Whatever it is, why don’t you just check for yourself,” Mary said. “You can go inside and see how she makes the tea.”

  The ghost hung her head. “I can’t go in,” she said. “He won’t let me enter.”

  “You can’t go into your own home because your dead husband won’t let you?”

  “Yes,” she whispered. “He’s powerful. He’s strong. He’s...”

  “He’s a bully,” Mary said. “He’s a mean bully and deep inside, bullies are weak and cowardly. They only prey on people they can intimidate.”

  “No, he’s powerful,” the ghost insisted.

  “So, what can he do to you now?” Mary demanded. “You’re already dead. He’s just made you so afraid in life, that you still fear him in death. What could he do if you stood up to him? What could he do?”

  The ghost shook. “I don’t know. I can’t. I couldn’t stand up to him.”

  “Then you are abandoning your daughter all over again,” Mary said, “Because if he is the one making her to do this, she needs your help now more than any other time in her life.”

  Tears streamed down the ghost’s face. “I can’t,” she pleaded. “I can’t.”

  “Yes, you can,” Mary said, moving closer. “But you have to decide not to be the victim anymore. You have to be stronger than your fears.”

  Sobbing, the ghost shook her head regretfully and faded away.

  “Damn,” Mary swore. “Just damn.”

  “Any luck?” Mike appeared by her side.

  “No, none,” she said. “Everything is bolted down tight. I’d need a tank to get into this place. How about you?”

  “Well, whoever was causing the bad vibes took a hike soon after I showed up,” he said. “So I checked out the front door and windows, sealed up just as tight.”

  “It sounds like the bad guy is her dad,” Mary said. “I met the mom back here. She claims the dad has control over Angela’s mind.”

  “Like she’s possessed?”

  “I don’t know,” Mary began, and then saw a light turn on in the house. “But I think we ought to get out of here before it gets even more interesting.”

  Mike nodded. “Good idea.”

  Mary dashed back through the hedges at the side of the house and then made her way slowly, hiding behind trees and piles of snow, until she got back to the SUV. She pulled the vehicle backwards into a driveway and turned around heading back the way she had come.

  A few minutes later she was parking the car in the same spot it had been before she left. She crept around the back of the house and carefully climbed up the backstairs. She nearly screamed when Mike appeared beside her.

  “Shhh, you scream and you’ll mess everything up,” he said with a grin, “Just wanted to let you know that Bradley’s still sound asleep. But just in case, I hung your robe over the chair in the kitchen.”

  “Thanks, Mike. That was really nice.”

  “You know, you should really get one of those lacy robes, in black,” he said.

  “I like my terry cloth robe,” she said. “Besides it’s warm.”

  He rolled his eyes. “We’re not talking warmth here, we’re talking sexy.”

  “You’re talking sexy,” she said.

  “No, I’m talking to sexy,” he said with a wink and then he started to fade away. “Sweet dreams Mary.”

  She slowly turned the doorknob and slipped inside the house. The robe was right where Mike had promised, she slipped it over her clothes, tugged off her boots and crept up the stairs.

  Made it, she thought, once she had closed her bedroom door behind her. She turned around and saw that her bed was turned down and a set of sexy black lingerie she had been given as a gift was lying across the sheets.

  “Go read a Sears catalog,” she said, picking up her sweats and t-shirt and heading into the bathroom to change.

  Chapter 34

  Mary pulled Bradley’s car up to the Emergency Room entrance. “I can walk, Mary,” Bradley said. “I don’t need to be brought through the Emergency Room.”

  She looked at the yellowish hue of his skin and the dark circles under his eyes and her heart dropped. “It’s not for you,” she said brightly. “This is the only way I can get valet parking.”

  She hopped out of the car and saw the young officer she’d met two days before. “Hi, Tom,” she said. “How are you today?”

  Tom snapped to attention. “Fine, Miss O’Reilly, thank you. How are you?”

  “I’m great,” she said. “Would you mind taking the keys to the Chief’s car and holding on to them for me? I’m just bringing him in for some blood work, but I won’t be staying and I don’t want to be in anyone’s way.”

  “No problem, Miss O’Reilly,” Tom said. “Will you be coming back to get him when he’s done?”

  “No, one of our friends will be doing pick-up, I have a couple things I have to do.”

  “Okay, I’ll keep an eye on it for you.”

  “Thanks, Tom.”

  Mary helped Bradley out of the car and they walked through the entrance and down the hallway to the labs. “You don’t have to walk me,” he said, breathing heavily. “I can make it myself.”

  “Yeah, but this gives me a chance to put my arm around you in public,” she teased.

  “You’re humoring me,” he said.

  “Yeah, but don’t get used to it.”

  He chuckled. “I won’t. Listen, I do appreciate your help, even though I growl a bit.”

  She smiled at him. “No problem. Are you sure you don’t want me to stay? I can go find the other “curse” victims later.”

  “No,” he replied, shaking his head. “I don’t know how long I’m going to have to wait for results. I’ll give Rosie or Stanley a call when I’m done.”

  Once he’d registered with the receptionist, Mary left him comfortably ensconced in a waiting room chair with a selection of magazines within reach.

  “Be careful out there,” Bradley said.

  “You too, don’t let them take more blood
than necessary.”

  He shivered. “Nice thought, thanks!”

  She laughed. “See you tonight.”

  Officer Tom Killoran was faithfully guarding Bradley’s SUV. “Have any problems, Officer?” Mary asked with a smile.

  “No ma’am,” he replied. “Nice and quiet here.”

  “Excellent,” she said, “Thanks for watching it.”

  “Have a nice day, Miss O’Reilly,” he said.

  “Please, call me Mary,” she replied. “You have a nice one too, Tom.”

  Mary pulled out of the hospital parking lot onto Stephenson and turned left. She was planning on driving out to Pearl City to visit another law enforcement officer who had died from the curse.

  She stopped at Park Avenue and was about to continue when her cell phone rang. She glanced down, the number didn’t look familiar. Pulling over to the curb, she answered her phone.

  “Mary O’Reilly.”

  “Hello, Mary, this is Luke, Dr. Thompson, we met yesterday at the hospital,” he said. “I was the one who ran you over.”

  “Yes, I remember you,” she answered with a smile. “How can I help you?”

  “Well, I told you about my sister-in-law and I think I might have found something that makes me think she might not have left voluntarily,” he said. “Do you have time to come by and take a look?”

  “Why don’t you call the police?” she asked.

  “Well, it could be nothing,” he said. “And I would hate to make a false accusation. I’d be happy to pay you for your time.”

  Mary thought about the nice nest egg she’d received when she left the Chicago Police Force and shook her head. “No, you don’t need to pay me,” she said. “I can come by today. When would be a good time?”

  “The sooner the better,” he said. “My brother’s away from the farm for a while and I think there’d be less problems if he’s not here.”

  “Fine, I can drive over right now. What’s your address?” she asked, not wanting him to know she’d already been there a number of times.

  He gave her the address and they hung up. She turned the car around and headed out of town towards Orangeville.

  The drive was lovely. The sun was shining and glistening on the fields of snow. She had the radio blasting to an oldies station and she was singing along to “Here Comes the Sun.” It was going to be a great day.

  She arrived quickly at the Thompson Farm and pulled into the drive. Luke Thompson was dressed in jeans, a flannel shirt and a worn chore jacket, very different than the pristine doctor garb he had on the day before. He motioned to her to pull her vehicle back behind the house and followed her around.

  “Hello,” Mary said, as she was getting out of the vehicle. “Thanks for...”

  His punch just caught her jaw and she was knocked back against the car.

  “You should have stayed out of our business,” he said, fists clenched and ready for the next hit.

  Mary turned and stared at him; she rubbed her chin with her hand and waited. He moved closer.

  “You should have left good enough alone,” he said, raising his fist for another blow.

  Mary pivoted and caught him in the stomach with a roundhouse kick that sent him falling backwards. “And maybe you ought not to pick on girls anymore,” she said.

  He screamed and lunged at her, grabbing her around the knees and dropping her to the ground. She moved to dodge his fists, rolling one way and then the other. He had her arms pinned, so she couldn’t push him off. She lifted both knees and pushed up, loosening his hold. She rolled away and jumped up. He charged, she sidestepped him and kicked his back propelling him forward. He rammed into the SUV and dropped to the ground, motionless.

  Panting with exhaustion, Mary stumbled forward. She stood a few feet away from him for a few moments, trying to detect any telltale movement. Nothing. She moved closer, wanting to check for a pulse. She bent over and his hand reached up and grabbed her hair. He yanked her to the ground and punched her in the face.

  Mary screamed and tried to get loose, but his hand was buried deep in her hair and he jerked it back, twisting her neck.

  He pushed her up against the vehicle, pinning her arms and legs. He pulled back on her hair, exposing her neck. He lifted his other hand and stroked her collarbone. “I could gut you, right here and now. One quick cut along the jugular, just like we do to our chickens,” he whispered. “But, I have something much better for you. You like helping bad women so much, you can keep them company.”

  His hand slipped up and tightened on her neck, cutting off her air pipe. “Go to sleep, bitch.”

  Mary watched in horror as daylight darkened to black.

  Chapter 35

  “Well, I’m afraid I don’t have good news,” Dr. Thorne said, walking into the examination room. “There has been increased liver damage and we don’t know what’s causing it and, therefore, what we can do about it.”

  “We think it might be linked to something I drank,” Bradley said. “We should be getting the test results back this afternoon.”

  Dr. Thorne breathed an audible sigh of relief, “I’m relieved to hear that. Be sure you bring those results in to me as soon as you get them,” she said. “I don’t mean to sound dramatic, Chief Alden, but you really don’t have any time to spare.”

  Bradley nodded. “Understood.”

  “Well, put your shirt back on, so you don’t have all of the nurses swooning,” she said with a smile. “Then go back home and rest. Lots of fluids and when I say lots, I mean that when you feel as if you couldn’t stand putting another bit of liquid in your system, drink two more gallons. Understand?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Bradley said, reaching for his shirt.

  “Good,” she replied. “I want those results this afternoon and then I’ll see you again tomorrow morning. If things don’t look better, I may need to hospitalize you.”

  “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” he said.

  “Yes, let’s,” she said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  She left the room and Bradley slid off the examination table and turned to get his shirt. He heard the door open behind him. “Sorry, Doc, is there something else you need?” he said, turning.

  “Angela? What are you doing in here?”

  Angela closed the door behind her and pressed the lock. “I just wanted to see how you are doing,” she said. “I’ve been worried about you.”

  “Well, thanks for your concern,” he said. “But I’m doing fine.”

  She moved closer and Bradley stepped back. “You don’t look fine,” she said. “You look a little yellow. You look sick.”

  Bradley felt like a mouse with a cat in the room and he didn’t like that feeling. He moved forward, “Listen Angela, you need to leave this room.”

  She moved closer, “I’m sorry, Bradley.”

  He shook his head in confusion. “Sorry, for what?” he asked.

  She shrugged and smiled. “For this.”

  She stabbed a hypodermic needle into his arm and pressed the plunger down.

  “What the hell?”

  Bradley staggered backwards. Angela caught him and placed him in a nearby chair. “It was the only way, darling,” she said. “I had to do it for us.”

  Bradley’s vision was blurring and it was hard for him to remain conscious. “Angela,” he groaned. “You can’t do this.”

  Opening the door, she reached over and pulled a wheelchair into the room. “Oh, darling, not only can I do this, I am doing this. And, I’m going to get away with it.”

  She rolled the chair next to Bradley and shifted him into it. He tried to fight, but his limbs were not cooperating. “Darling, the medicine is helping you relax,” she said, running her fingers through his hair. “You look like you could use a little relaxation.”

  She bent in front of him and buttoned up his shirt, and then she pulled his jacket over his arms and shoulders and zipped it up. “There you go,” she said, all nice and warm. “Don’t want you catching
cold.”

  She propped the door open and pushed him out of the room and down the corridor. At the end of the lab area, near the reception desk, an orderly stopped and watched them approach. He put his clipboard down and hurried to the door. “Here, let me get this door for you,” he said, and opened the door leading to the main corridor.

  “Please,” Bradley groaned.

  “No need to thank me, Chief,” the orderly responded smiling, “Have a nice day.”

  “Thanks, you too,” Angela said.

  She pushed him towards the Emergency Room entrance. Standing at the doorway stood one of his officers, Tom Killoran. Angela pushed him right up to the officer.

  “Are you taking the Chief home?” Tom asked.

  Angela smiled, “Yes I am,” she said, “He needs his rest.”

  Tom nodded. “Yeah, we don’t want anything to happen to him.”

  “Would you mind walking us to my car,” Angela asked. “He seems a little worse for wear today and I think I’m going to need some help getting him in it.”

  “No problem, ma’am, I’ll be happy to help.”

  They walked outside and found it was beginning to snow. “I’ll just run and get my car,” she said, “If you’d just stay here with the Chief.”

  “My pleasure.”

  Kneeling down next to the wheelchair, Tom shook his head. “Wow, Chief, you’ve got all kinds of good-looking women taking care of you,” he said. “You are one lucky guy.”

  Bradley took a deep breath and tried to concentrate. He only had one chance.

  The car pulled up and Angela stepped out of the driver’s door. Bradley looked into Tom’s eyes.

  “Being...taken...against...my...will,” he said. “Help me.”

  Tom didn’t see Angela stop and tense up. Instead, he laughed and patted Bradley’s shoulder. “Good one, sir,” he said. “But you used that one the other day, and I nearly fell for it then.”

  Angela released her breath. “He’s such a tease,” she said brightly, “Even when he’s sick. Come along, darling; let’s get you in the car so this nice officer can get back to work.”