[Charlie Rhodes 06.0] The Incubus Impasse

by Amanda M. Lee

  “I have no interest in hurting her.” Harley smiled as she turned back to me. “He’s kind of alpha, isn’t he? That can be a turn-on or a turn-off depending on when he decides to unleash that power. You need to keep him under wraps. If he mouths off to the wrong entity ... .”

  She left it hanging in such a manner that it sent chills up my spine. “Jack will be fine.” I would make sure of that. “We need to focus on whatever is taking out these women. I doubt it’s going to simply stop because we’ve arrived in town.”

  “The thing is, if it’s an incubus as you suggest, then it’s already sensed me ... and you,” Harley said. “That’s part of their makeup and how they’ve managed to survive for centuries even though they’ve been hunted by humans and other paranormals from the start. Incubi aren’t regarded well in any circle as far as I know.

  “They keep to themselves and generally try to hunt in secret so they don’t tip off law enforcement,” she continued. “It’s not like before when cities were removed from one another and local police departments didn’t talk. Everyone is aware of what’s going on here, which makes me believe that this particular incubus — if that’s what we’re dealing with — had some other issues. He’s clearly succumbing to his bloodlust, which means he’ll get worse before he gets better.”

  “So ... how do we stop him?” Jack asked. “There must be a way.”

  “We have to find him first. When we do, I find a simple beheading works as well as anything else.”

  Jack scowled. “I can’t just walk up and behead him when we find him. There has to be another way.”

  “He’ll be susceptible to magic,” Harley said, her gaze laser pointed on me. “But we’re not even certain we’re dealing with an incubus. I’ll keep my ear to the ground and try to get some confirmation. If I get any leads, I’ll funnel them to you.”

  “Maybe do it by phone,” Jack suggested. “That way I won’t be tempted to throw you off a sailboat because you just show up out of nowhere.”

  Harley snorted. “My phone is for playing Pokemon Go. I don’t like talking to people on it.”

  He shook his head. “You’re annoying,” he muttered.

  “So are you.” Her eyes sparkled as she glanced around. “I need to be going. I’ll be in touch.”

  Jack opened his mouth to say something else — I was convinced he was going to question how she planned to disappear in the midst of a crowd — but it was already too late. One second she was there and the next she wasn’t. She simply popped out of existence. It was just the two of us.

  “I don’t like her,” Jack announced when she was gone. “She’s going to be trouble.”

  I had no doubt he was right. But it also was obvious she was going to be helpful. “We’ll worry about that later. We need to question those rich, old dudes. That’s why we’re here.”

  He sighed. “Okay, but I’m still keeping an eye on her. She says the right things, but she could be lying. She’s a demon, after all. They lie.”

  “I’m glad to see you’re getting into the spirit of things,” I drawled. “We don’t have to worry about her. We have much bigger problems.”

  We tabled our discussion on Harley and went back to what we were doing. It was all we could do because we were caught in a holding pattern.

  It wasn’t a feeling I enjoyed.

  THERE WAS ANOTHER GHOST ON the water when I woke the next morning.

  “That’s four of them,” I noted as Jack joined me in front of the sliding glass doors. He was still sleepy, his eyes clouded with confusion, and he wrapped his arms around me from behind and kissed my neck.

  “Why do you think they’re showing up this way?” he asked. “I mean ... why didn’t they end up out there right from the start? Why the delay?”

  That was a very good question. “I don’t know. I think, at this point, we have to assume that the ghosts of all the women are going to end up out there. I think the location is key.”

  “Why?”

  “Our incubus — or whatever it is — wants the souls close to him. It’s no fun for him to torture them if he can’t have regular access. That means he’s somewhere on Folly Beach.”

  Jack stilled. “I hadn’t actually put that together. That makes sense.”

  “There were no ghosts on the bay last night. This location means something to our killer. We have to figure out what.”

  “Well, there’s nothing we can do about those ghosts right now, so let’s focus on the important stuff.”

  I cast him a sidelong look, legitimately curious. “Like what? Did you have an idea?”

  He nodded solemnly. “There’s a restaurant on the main drag that supposedly has the best omelets in Charleston. I’m starving.”

  I choked on a laugh. Leave it to Jack to focus on food. Of course, my stomach picked that moment to growl, causing us both to grin. We were a food-oriented couple. There was no getting around that.

  The rest of our group was already in the living room when we arrived, and there seemed to be some sort of argument going on.

  “I don’t think I’m being unreasonable,” Laura snapped. “Everyone on this team is paired up, which leaves me feeling uncomfortable and isolated. That’s not fair. It makes for a hostile work environment.”

  Millie rolled her eyes as Chris adopted his best “what do you want me to do about it” look. “What do you suggest?”

  “We need to add another member to the team,” Laura replied without hesitation. “I don’t want to be an afterthought. I want to be at the forefront. I want to be a contributing member. I don’t think that’s an unfair request.”

  Chris hesitated before answering, and I could tell he was legitimately considering the suggestion. “The truth is, we’ve been considering adding another team member,” he admitted. “I want someone good with computers and technology.”

  “You have me,” Jack pointed out.

  “Yes, but your attention is split these days.”

  “Because of Charlie,” Laura muttered.

  Jack scorched her with a look. “If you’re not careful, I’ll suggest we add a dog to the group and make you his keeper.”

  Chris brightened considerably. “Oh, I read about those ghost-detecting dogs in the magazine you gave me. Apparently you can train certain dogs to be able to detect ghosts. I’m considering getting one.”

  I pressed my lips together and averted my eyes when Laura turned hostile. I found her reaction funny rather than fearsome, which only proved that I was getting used to her.

  “I want an actual person,” she hissed. “I don’t think I’m asking for too much. You guys all have your little office romances to fall back on. I have nothing.”

  “Perhaps that’s because you’re a genuinely disagreeable person,” Millie suggested.

  “Or perhaps it’s because you guys are all jerks,” Laura shot back. “I’m going to make a formal request at the office when I return – or maybe even before – whether you like it or not. I just thought I would at least pretend to go through proper channels first.”

  Chris heaved out a sigh and shook his head. “I’m not opposed to the idea. We’ll need to advertise when we get back.”

  “Actually, I happen to know a guy,” Laura countered. “He’ll be a perfect fit for our group.”

  “Oh, well, if Laura is suggesting him that means he’s probably a total tool,” Millie countered. “I don’t know about anyone else, but I would like to respectfully veto this idea before it goes too far.”

  Chris shot her a look. “Nobody is being vetoed. Laura, if your friend wants to forward his application and paperwork to Human Resources, I’ll take a moment to look things over as soon as this case is in the rearview mirror. How does that sound?”

  “I’ll email him this morning,” Laura replied primly. She seemed happy, although I didn’t miss the predatory smile she shot in my direction. It made me understandably nervous. “Now, with that out of the way, what are we doing today?”

  “I have assignments for ever
ybody,” Chris replied. “Although I’m not sure who I should send Laura with. I hadn’t gotten that far this morning before she brought up adding another team member. Um ... hmm. Let me think.”

  Laura’s eye roll was pronounced to the point I had to lower my head to avoid eye contact with her if I even wanted to pretend to be professional. “And this is why we need another team member,” he muttered.

  “We could do Rock, Paper, Scissors,” Millie suggested. “Loser has to take Laura for the day.”

  Laura’s mouth dropped open. “Excuse me?”

  This situation was spiraling out of control ... and quickly. “We’ll take her,” I offered, resigned. Even though I disliked her a great deal, I couldn’t help feeling sorry for Laura. She was being treated like a leper and it wasn’t entirely her fault. Of course, it was mostly her fault.

  “No, we won’t take Laura,” Jack countered, firm. “Millie can take her. They’re a better fit.”

  “Puh-leez!” Millie’s reaction was pronounced. “Putting us together is like trying to squeeze a Kardashian rear end into extra-small panties. It’s going to chafe.”

  I turned so fast I accidentally smacked into Jack’s chest because I was laughing so hard. He didn’t miss my expression and looked to be as amused as I felt.

  “Rock, Paper, Scissors won’t be necessary,” Chris offered. “Millie, you’re going back to the docks because you’ve already built a rapport with the individuals there. I think it would be best if Laura went with you.”

  “Yes, because she will be a big hit with the guys on the docks,” Jack drawled.

  Chris shot him a quelling look. “As for you two, I have something special in mind. It’s geared toward Charlie’s interests. I think she’s really going to like the assignment.”

  I was already sold. “I’m all in. Just tell me where you want me to go.”

  Twelve

  Our assignment was to visit the Old Charleston Jail. It was supposedly haunted and one of the most notorious parcels of land in the city.

  I had no idea why it was important to this case.

  “I don’t understand why Chris insisted we come here,” I admitted as Jack paid the tour guide standing on the steps. We were still twenty minutes from showtime, so we could talk ... and commiserate about our bad luck. “I thought we were going out on a boat.”

  “I’m going to get you out on a boat,” he promised. “As for this ... you know Chris. He heard this place was haunted and figures it’s worth a shot. As if we’ll somehow stumble across a ghost who will have all the answers.”

  His poor attitude was on full display and it chafed a bit. “You don’t have to go inside,” I suggested. “I can do it without you. There’s a coffee shop just down that way. Why don’t you head over there and wait for me? I promise not to dawdle.”

  “Um ... no.” He immediately started shaking his head. “I’m in this with you. You’re not wandering around by yourself.”

  “I doubt the incubus is in there.”

  He glanced around to make sure nobody was listening and then dragged me several paces away so we could talk more freely without risk of anybody eavesdropping. “Don’t say that word when someone might overhear. We don’t even know that we’re dealing with a ... monster.”

  I had to laugh. “I’m glad you’re getting back to your old self. I happen to be fond of Professional Denier Jack.”

  “Ha, ha.” He lightly flicked the spot between my eyebrows. “I’m not saying it’s not possible. The first rule of conducting a successful investigation is to remain open to everything and only dismiss a possibility when there’s no other choice. I think I forgot that rule at some point, and I’m trying to be responsible about this.”

  Something occurred to me. “Because Laura and Chris said your focus has been on other things of late, right?”

  He frowned. “You’re still my focus. They’re not wrong about me shirking my duties, though. I need to be better about it because ... well, just because. I like to think of myself as a diligent employee, but I’ve been distracted.”

  “I can see that.” I smiled and patted his arm, my eyes going to the ornate building serving as a backdrop. “This place is really supposed to be haunted?”

  “That’s what they say.”

  I plucked the tour brochure from his hand and gestured toward a bench in the shade. We had time to kill. “Let’s see what we’ve got.” I started reading the brochure. “The jail was operational from 1802 to 1939.”

  “So we’re dealing with really old ghosts,” Jack muttered.

  I ignored him and kept reading. “It’s four stories with a two-story octagonal tower. Back in the day there was a hospital, workhouse and poorhouse here. The property was designated for public use.”

  “A workhouse is where runaway slaves were punished,” Jack noted, leaning closer. “I don’t get the feeling this was exactly a happy place. No wonder there are ghosts here.”

  I smiled to myself at his change of heart. He talked big but had a good heart and he loved history ... just like me. Sure, he was more likely to shut down paranormal possibilities immediately, but that would change as his world expanded. I didn’t have a single doubt about that.

  “Some 19th-century pirates were housed here, which is kind of cool,” I offered.

  “I doubt they looked like the hot pirates in Pirates of the Caribbean.”

  “Slaves were held here after Denmark Vesey’s planned slave revolt,” I noted. “He sounds interesting. I don’t know why I’ve never heard of him before. He bought his own freedom and was accused of planning a rebellion. He supposedly was going to organize a bunch of people — obviously slaves and former slaves — to kill the masters and then they were going to escape Charleston and sail to Haiti.

  “He was arrested before the uprising and executed, even though no one died,” I continued. “They say his ghost haunts the hallways, still looking for the wife and son he couldn’t free from slavery. That’s kind of sad.”

  When I risked a glance at Jack, I found him watching me with a cocked eyebrow. “What?”

  “I think there are very few happy slave stories,” he said. “You’re right, though. That is a terrible story. What else do we have in store for us?”

  “That woman that Detective Carter mentioned was housed here,” I volunteered. “Lavinia Fisher. She’s considered one of the first female serial killers ... although there’s an argument that she didn’t kill anybody, so her execution might’ve been a mistake.”

  Jack pursed his lips and slid his arm around my shoulders. “What’s her story?”

  I settled in at his side. It was a comfortable moment — even though we were talking about murder and mayhem — and I wanted to enjoy it. “She reportedly invited travelers into the Six Mile Wayfarer House — I’m assuming that’s where she lived — and asked them questions about their occupations to determine if they had money.

  “If she felt they did, she sent them up to their rooms with a cup of poisoned tea,” I continued. “Once they were asleep, her husband supposedly stabbed them to death. There’s a wild legend that says Lavinia would wait until they were passed out to pull a lever to drop the contents of the bed into a pit under the house.”

  “I’m guessing that wasn’t a real thing,” Jack said dryly. “That sounds like something straight out of a Scooby-Doo episode.”

  “Right?” I grinned. “But it’s interesting to think about. They say she roams the halls of the jail, too.”

  “What for?”

  I shrugged, thinking back to what a Michigan witch once told me. “I have no idea. As far as I can tell, most ghosts stay behind because they were either ripped so abruptly and violently from their lives that they don’t know they’re dead ... or they want retribution. That’s just a hypothesis. I’ve never been able to prove it. I haven’t always been able to see ghosts. At least … I don’t think I have. I wanted to. Now, apparently, I can.”

  His fingers were gentle as they moved my hair away from my neck. “It’s
as good of an explanation as anything. Does it frighten you to see them?”

  It was an honest question so I thought it deserved a well-thought-out answer. “Not really. Maybe when I was younger. They’re not really a focus for me. I’ve known other people who fixate on seeing ghosts. I see them only some of the time, but maybe it’s all of the time and I’m not always looking. I’m not sure why it is the way it is for me.

  “I mean ... like Bay,” I continued, reminding him of the blond witch at the heart of all this. That was our first case together. We were looking for Bigfoot but met witches instead. Of course, I kept the family secret for them. It wasn’t something I felt comfortable sharing. “She’s been able to see and talk to ghosts her entire life, and I think they take over at times. It’s not comfortable for her. I’ve never had that problem.”

  Jack shifted on his seat. “You mean Bay who lived in the witch town? I didn’t know she could see and talk to ghosts.”

  I realized my mistake too late. “Oh, well ... .”

  Jack cocked his head. “There was real magic in Hemlock Cove. Of course there was. I should’ve seen that. You covered for them.”

  “I didn’t cover for them,” I said hurriedly. “I just ... I wouldn’t want anyone else sharing my secret. They’re good people. I really liked them. They offered me help, and I still talk to Bay every few weeks. She calls to make sure I’m okay. I promised to go back one day so we could explore our magic a little more.”

  He massaged the back of my neck. “I’m curious. How many other magical creatures have you found and covered for?”

  The question made me distinctly uncomfortable. “Um ... .”

  “You don’t want to say.”

  “It doesn’t feel like I should. Going forward, obviously I would keep you in the loop. I made a promise, though.”

  “To the Winters family?”

  My stomach heaved and I didn’t answer. He’d been knocked unconscious at the home of Aric and Zoe Winters. He hadn’t witnessed Aric and his daughter Sami turning into wolves and chasing after the bad guys. He wasn’t present when Zoe showed off her mage powers. All he knew was that something weird had happened.