I jabbed her with an elbow. “Leslie, we’re at the man’s funeral, with his family!”
Leslie let out a sigh. “Sorry, but that guy gave you nothing but trouble. I’m not sure I even understand why you wanted to come.”
I stared down at the casket again and shook my head. “I don’t know. I just felt compelled. I can’t explain it.” And that was the truth. I’d had no intention of attending Nick’s funeral. Yet after Jana’s phone call, I’d found myself packing. Looking down now, I realized I’d come for some sort of closure; the police photos had been such a mess. Part of me wanted to make sure it was all real and he was truly dead, which of course wasn’t going to happen, since it was a closed casket.
“What is it, Sophia? You look like you’re thinking.”
“I don’t know. It’s ridiculous, but I guess part of me expected him to pop up. To not really be dead, you know?”
“If he was alive then he’d still be trying to kill you. This is a good thing.”
“I guess I just always hoped for a different ending. Like maybe he’d come to his senses and apologize for his obsession with me.” It wasn’t likely; Nick had never apologized for anything in his life.
“I think they’re ready to start,” Leslie whispered, gesturing to the pulpit. “We need to take a seat.”
I allowed her to lead me away and we walked to our seats three rows back. I turned my attention to the front of the chapel. The pastor began to read the standard verses, demonstrating to those in attendance that Nick moved on to a better place. Leslie smirked and I caught the irony. My world was a better place now that Nick was gone.
I turned my gaze to the ridiculous gold casket. Trust Bexx Senior to choose something so gaudy. He probably saw even his son’s death as an extension of himself.
I straightened in the pew, turning back to the pastor. His mouth was moving but no sound was coming out.
That’s when I noticed something else odd out of the corner of my eye. I blinked once to clear my vision, and stared hard. Surely it was a trick of the lights. Caskets didn’t move.
I had just about convinced myself, when the top rose. I sucked in a breath and clenched my eyes shut, certain I was having a nervous breakdown that had been a year in the making. I waited several seconds, then slowly opened them, silently praying that my mind was done playing tricks.
Apparently, it wasn’t.
Nick was sitting upright, looking straight at me, a confused expression on his beautiful, unmarred face. His mouth was moving but no sound was coming out. Then it was as if someone turned the volume up.
“It wasn’t me,” he said over and over.
Panicked, I panned the room. Why wasn’t anyone screaming or pointing or running for the door? Why wasn’t his face beaten to a bloody pulp?
I felt a squeeze on my hand, and Leslie whispered, “Are you all right? You got really pale all of a sudden.”
“Don’t you see that?” I pointed to the front of the chapel.
Leslie cast a quick glance to the front, then looked back at me with concern—no fear, no terror…nothing to indicate that she saw anything amiss.
“See what?” she asked.
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and got to my feet, steeling myself. Even though it was the last thing in the world I wanted to do, I forced my gaze back to the front. A wave of dizziness washed over me. My head began to swim and everything went dark.
I came to, surrounded by a circle of concerned faces. Nick’s funeral, I remembered instantly.
“Sophia?” Leslie leaned over me, a worried look on her face.
I sat up on the stairs and blood rushed to my head. Birds chirped overhead. “We’re outside. What happened?”
Leslie shook her head. “I don’t know. The preacher was saying a passage, and the next thing I knew, you were on the floor. Jana asked one of the men to carry you out here for some fresh air.”
Jana, standing next to Leslie, handed me a bottle of water and chimed in, “It looks like you fainted. I’m sorry for making you come. This is obviously too much for you.”
I chugged the water and nodded, rising from the cold cement of the steps, wobbling a bit in my heels just as the other funeral attendees drifted out the door and away to the cemetery. My head ached and I rubbed my temples and looked over at Leslie. “When did the casket come out?”
Leslie frowned and gave me a critical look—leading the way to the car we had waiting.
“They brought the casket out a couple of minutes ago when you were still out cold. It was so odd…you just started shaking during the reading then you asked if I could see something, and the next thing I knew, you were already hitting the ground.”
“It must be the lack of food,” I said.
By the time Nick was lowered into the ground, the sun was going down. Some of the crowd dispersed, leaving just us stragglers behind to place flowers and weep our goodbyes. I stood hand-in-hand with a sobbing Jana and stared off into the distance, looking anywhere but the casket for fear of hallucination. And that’s when I noticed the hooded figure watching us from behind one of the trees. It was still light enough that I could make out the height and build and, damn it, if I wasn’t once again seeing Nick—or, at the very least, Nick’s ghost. I looked down at the casket and then quickly back up, as if something was daring me to look again. He was gone—just a tree. Was Nick still alive? Surely I’d been hallucinating at the church, or had someone been sending me a sign that Nick had staged his own death? I concentrated on the spot longer, convincing myself it must have been another figment of my imagination.
When I managed to pull myself out of my trance I realized Jana had left my side. I turned and almost walked smack into Bexx Senior. Where had he come from? He was a stocky, attractive man, despite his years. His salt-and-pepper hair had once been dark and his eyes, although slightly hooded now, were still the most penetrating brown puppy dog eyes—just like his son’s.
“Hello, Sophia, sweetheart. Feeling better?”
“Yes. Thank you. I’m so sorry that I caused such a scene.”
His head just nodded. “So I understand you’ll be staying with us for a few days.” He rested his large hand on my back, a little low, as usual, for my comfort.
“I’m staying with my friend Leslie.” I shot a glance at Jana, who obviously hadn’t told him. Jana shrugged and gave me a hopeless look.
“Nonsense, you’ll stay with us,” he boomed.
“Thank you, but I promised Leslie,” I said, pointing to her standing on the other side of Jana.
“Well, then you and Leslie will have dinner with us.” He said this as more of a fact than a question and guided us back to his limo. I would have protested, but Jana had mentioned she had something important for me back at the house. The driver was waiting with the door already open.
“Hello, Ms. Marcil.”
“Hello, Lawrence. Nice to see you again,” I replied with a warm smile. “The car you sent for me is right there and my bags are in it.” I’d come straight from the airport. Bexx Senior had paid for my plane ticket and made all the arrangements. This had irked Cullen further but I didn’t see the harm in allowing him this one last thing. After all, he’d just lost his only son.
“Grab the lady’s bag and let the driver go,” Bexx Senior said to Lawrence as he shut the door. Within seconds he’d grabbed four chilled glasses from the limo bar and handed one to each of us; they were filled with a dark liquid. I’d never been a hard liquor drinker, but I’d learned long ago never to refuse anything from Bexx Senior.
The drive went quickly and before I knew it we were being guided up the stairs and into the house. So many memories. I should have known Nick wasn’t done torturing me. I thought of the last time I’d seen him, begging to have coffee. Should I have done it? Would he still be alive if I had? Did I want him to be alive?
He had tried to kill me.
I shook the thoughts away. There was no way I could stay for dinner. I needed to get out of here and back to Ir
eland.
“Jana, you mentioned you had something for me.”
“Yeah, I do. It’s in my room. I need to talk to you in private anyway. Follow me.”
“Sure,” I said, following her up the stairs and down the long hallway. Her room was on the right. It was large and meticulously clean. She walked to her dresser and lifted an envelope. “Nick, umm, left this for you.”
“What?” I took the letter, holding my breath. “Why would Nick leave this for me? How did you get it?”
I paused, shifting my gaze to her. She gave me an awkward look.
“Jana, I don’t want this. I can’t deal with anymore guilt right now.”
“It’s not that.”
“Then what is it?”
“Nick was an ass, but he was really worried about the guy you were involved with. He said he thought there were things you should know about his—”
“Come on, Jana,” I said, cutting her off. “Your brother was just being jealous. Cullen is the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Tears trickled down her face.
“Oh, geez, Jana, I’m sorry. That was insensitive. Listen, I promise I’ll take it with me. I just can’t deal with it right now, okay?” I reached out and made myself take the letter.
It felt like a weight in my hands. Not that it was heavy, but I sensed something dark and ominous about it.
Chapter Fifty
Don’t Get Dead
Leslie pointed to the corner of the coffee shop where Rissa sat at one of the tables, sipping from a cup. I smiled and took in the larger woman, with her deep olive complexion and jet-black curly hair. Not much had changed about her in the last year.
As if she sensed us watching her, she rose and beckoned us over, smiling broadly as we reached her and pulling me in tight to her large bosom. I hugged her back, and then disentangled myself.
“Sophia. I hardly recognize you. Have you lost weight? And your hair has highlights now. I love it.”
“Thank you, Rissa.” I laughed. “I missed your hugs. You remember my best friend, Leslie?”
“Of course. Nice to see you again, my dear.”
Leslie reached out her hand and Rissa pulled her in for a hug as well.
I sat in the chair across from Rissa and waited for them to follow suit.
“I can’t believe you came,” Rissa said.
“Can I get you ladies something?” the waitress asked, approaching the table.
“I’ll have coffee,” I said.
“Me two,” added Leslie.
I turned back to Rissa as the waitress flipped our cups and poured.
“Of course I came.”
We waited for the waitress to finish, then Rissa spoke.
“I wasn’t sure how long you’d be staying. I was so sad to hear about your fiancé.”
“Ex-fiancé, and you don’t have to say that. I know there was never any love lost between the two of you.”
“Oh, you! You were always so good at seeing through me. He treated you badly and your Gigi, well she just never liked him and she was the best judge of character I ever met. Oh how I miss her.”
“I miss her too.”
“I know, honey,” she said, reaching across the table. “I’m sorry. I’m babbling. I just miss our little chats. Not to mention you were the best tenant I ever had. The couple I have in there now drive me crazy.”
“You mentioned that on the phone the other week?” I laughed.
“Well that’s how crazy they’re driving me. Can’t even remember what I’m saying or to whom.” She grinned.
“Anyway, I was telling Leslie on the way over here about my cousin Ann and how she was murdered when I was a kid. You mentioned on the phone that she was onto some big story or something.”
“Yep. That’s most likely what got her killed.” Rissa nodded.
“Did she say what the story was about?” I asked before taking a sip of my coffee.
“No. She had a bunch of questions though, about your family history, and she wanted to see some spiritual script or scroll that your Gigi had?”
I nodded, knowing full well Ann had seen the script, my script on the life cycle. That was what her book was about.
“Just a second, darling,” Rissa said and broke away.
“You’re still working a lot, eh?” I asked when she returned.
“Of course. Gotta keep busy, you know. My friends stop working and they all kick the bucket. Not me. I’m gonna live forever.”
I smiled. “You and Gigi were peas in a pod.”
“That’s the highest compliment, child. Anyway, I hate to cut this short but I should go. My son works for me now, but he’s not always good at dealing with the negotiations,” she said, getting to her feet as sprightly as a seventy-year-old woman could. She glanced around the restaurant impatiently as if looking for the waitress.
“It’s okay, Rissa. Go on. I got the coffee,” I said.
”Thanks, darling.” She bent down to give me one last hug. “You have a safe trip and come back and stay with me sometime. Old ladies get lonely, you know.”
“I will.”
“And be careful,” she said, turning to go. “Last time I said goodbye to a young woman heading to Ireland, she never came home.”
“Who?” I asked.
Rissa’s phone rang again. “Just a minute… Hello. Yes, they have a few concerns we want to discuss—yeah and the hot tub warranty, but not much else. I’ll be there in ten.”
She hung up the phone. “Sorry about that.”
“No problem,” I said, rising. “Go sell your house.”
We hugged again and Rissa lingered as she let go.
“I mean it, Soph. I promised your Gigi that I’d look out for you. Take care over there.”
“I will, but who moved to Ireland that you know? Maybe I can look them up for you when I get back there.”
“Moved? Oh you mean left for Ireland.”
“Yeah, you said.”
“Oh, that. I was talking about Ann, silly. Didn’t you know that’s where she was murdered?”
Chapter Fifty-One
Troublesome Travel
Opening my eyes and taking in that stale airplane smell, I wondered why I’d wakened; although the seat on the plane next to me was now empty, so maybe the man had gotten up to use the washroom. Whatever it was, I’d gone from enjoying a dream about Gigi to a drowsy but vague consciousness. I closed my eyes and drifted back off. If I could just have five more minutes with her.
“Dollface, what are you doing up so late? Your mom is gonna kill me if you go home with circles under your eyes again. Is Leslie up too?” Gigi asked.
My voice cracked. “No. We went to bed hours ago. I—I dreamt about that girl again.”
“Ann, you mean?”
“The blonde from the back of the book.”
“Why don’t you go back to sleep?” Gigi suggested.
I gave her a wide-eyed look and shook my head. “What happened to her?” I asked.
Gigi wrapped an arm around my back and patted it. “Come on downstairs. We’ll have a cup of warm milk and honey.”
I managed a nod and trotted down the stairs after her.
“So, why are you scared, Sophia? You’ve had nightmares since you were little.”
I sat on a chair and watched as she heated and stirred the milk.
“I don’t like this one,” I said, and she ruffled my hair.
“Well, you know it’s just a dream, right?” She handed me my cup. It was sweet, just the way I liked it.
“It’s not!” I said indignantly. “It’s real and that man, he scares me. He has a knife. I feel like he sees me?”
Gigi bit her lip.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Did you hear me talking to Rissa about that yesterday?”
I shook my head no.
“No, that’s right you couldn’t have, you were outside with Leslie,” she mumbled and looked away momentarily. She sighed and then turned back and stroked m
y face. “I’m not going to lie to you anymore. Your mother doesn’t want me to talk to you about such grown up matters. She thinks fifteen is too young, but maybe if I tell you the truth you won’t be so afraid. You’re right about that man. He did hurt Ann and she’s dead, but he can’t hurt you. He can’t see you because you’re not really there. Those dreams you have are of the past.”
I studied her, trying to understand.
“You remember the family album I showed you, don’t you?”
I nodded.
“Well, my sister was about your age when she started having dreams like that, too.”
“About Ann?” I whispered.
Something about the tenderness in Gigi’s eyes made me believe it was going to be all right.
“No—not Ann, but others. She was sensitive and she dreamed too. Don’t be afraid of your dreams. I know this one is scary because it’s violent, but they aren’t all like that and this gift is magical. Right now you dream of the past, but someday, who knows, maybe you’ll dream of the future and you’ll be able to help people…and yourself.”
I sat up and rubbed the side of my face. It had gone numb from leaning against the window of the plane, most likely because I was trying to burrow away from the man beside me who was snoring loud enough to wake the dead. I shivered and pulled my pashmina higher. After that night with Gigi in the kitchen, the nightmares faded and eventually stopped.
So why had they returned? I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten about my chat with Gigi. I was magical—I sure didn’t feel like it. I wondered what she meant about helping myself. How much had she known? I closed my eyes and drifted off again, but all I could see was Penelope naked and tied up. I needed to phone her the minute the plane landed.
Chapter Fifty-Two
Alive Again
Leaving the house, I headed for Dublin. The air was lush with blossoms, thick and scented on the trees. I was meeting Penelope first for some shopping and then Lucille later for lunch. And while I enjoyed Dublin, with its architecture and spirited pubs, my favorite part of Ireland was unrolling the window and allowing the warm breeze to stir my hair. This was the reason why Cullen chose to live on the outskirts. The countryside was simply beautiful, a rolling ocean of green interrupted only by cottages, churches, and ruminating sheep, with crumbling stone fences dotting the lush natural beauty.
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