You did great today. Are you ready to quit yet?
Nope. I’m ready to get to the bottom of this. Why is Cope still protecting Aurelia? Doesn’t he know she’s gone?
You’ll have your chance to ask him tomorrow night. We are headed to the house at 6 pm for a lights-out, full-on investigation. Want to have lunch tomorrow?
Demeter’s? LOL
No. I have something else in mind. Pick you up at 11?
See you then. Should I wear hiking boots? It was a joke, so I wasn’t expecting his answer.
Yes. And long sleeves. Night, Cassidy.
Night, Midas.
And I did sleep, and for the first time in a hundred forevers, I dreamed about Kylie Starr. Mom was holding her. Mom’s long blond hair was sticking to her chest. She was all sweaty; she’d worked so hard to have Kylie. We were at the hospital. No, this wasn’t a dream but a memory. Dad was there too, smiling from ear to ear. I sat on the pleather couch in Mom’s hospital room. Dad leaned down, his red hair falling into his eyes. With a smile he said to me, “Watch your sister, Cassidy. Don’t take your eyes off her, okay?” I nodded in my dream, and suddenly the room changed. It kind of swirled about; I was still sitting on the couch, but I was in a different place.
We were at the funeral home. Mom had died in the hospital, something about complications, and I held Kylie in my lap while Dad spoke to everyone quietly.
Then the dream changed again. We were at home, on the blue couch, and I could hear Uncle Derek and Dad arguing. I held my sister and gave her a bottle. She was my baby now. I must take care of her.
Shh…baby Kylie. Don’t fuss so. It’s all right. I’m here. Cassidy is here.
I tuned out Uncle Derek and Dad and focused on the baby in my arms. I sang to her all the songs that Mom had sung to me. Kylie made sweet noises under her blanket like she couldn’t get enough of that bottle, but then the sounds changed. No, she changed! I could feel the change too.
She was changing in my lap, moving, scratching—growing! I decided I had to pull back the covers. I had to see her face. I had to know that she was still Kylie. With my young hands shaking, I touched the top of the blanket and stared down at Kylie while I uncovered her. It was not Kylie!
I was holding a bird, a black bird—a black owl! It began to tear at my flesh with its evil talons and pecked at me with its beak. “Kylie! No! Daddy! Help me!”
Daddy swirled away and was gone. Kylie had been stolen, replaced by the evil owl. Suddenly the thing flew away; one talon scratched into my shoulder, and then it was gone.
I woke up screaming and praying. “Kylie!” I swung the blanket off me and looked around for evidence of Kylie or the bird. There was no evidence of either.
Except for the long scratch on my shoulder.
The pain was blinding and I sat on the edge of the bed, the wound screaming. The bird had been here. And that meant somehow, Kylie had been here. And if she was here, she must be dead. I didn’t want to believe it. I couldn’t believe it.
I sat on the floor, bleeding and crying. In between nervous looks around my loft and crying jags, I called the only person I knew who would believe me. I called Midas. Forget about it being “too soon” and all. I blubbered into the phone and hardly made any sense at all. He didn’t wait for further explanation.
“I’m on the way.”
I lay on the floor and cried like it was the day Kylie disappeared.
Chapter Fourteen—Midas
Rubbing my eyes, I got dressed in the dark. By the tone of Cassidy’s voice, there was something going on at her apartment. And for some reason, I needed to be there. I had to make sure she was all right. But there was no sense in waking up my house guest.
Sara had called me little more than three hours ago and wanted to come over and talk. I welcomed that idea, but her idea of talking was to get me into bed. So was I wrong about her and Peter?
“Come on, Midas. Just for old times’ sake.” For the first time in our relationship, I didn’t say yes.
“I want to be friends, Sara. Not friends with benefits, or however that goes.”
Sara stood on her tiptoes, kicked off her stiletto heels and wrapped her slender arms around my neck. “There is nothing going on between Peter and me. If that’s what you’re thinking.”
“If I’m thinking that, you led me to believe it.”
She shrugged and didn’t deny it. “We just have mutual interests, that’s all.”
“You mean you, right?” I said, playing along. I had to admit the soft feel of her sweater dress was delicious beneath my hands. That was a good word to describe sex with Sara: delicious. But anything beyond that? Nope. Nothing nice about her at all. She’d changed, that was for sure. Besides, she was leaving in a few weeks. This was a game to her.
“Friends, Sara. We’re friends.” I eased her slender arms gently off my neck. “I hope you understand that.”
“Whatever, Midas. You’re being such a jerk.” Sara crossed her arms and sighed. “Well, I brought this bottle of wine with me. I plan on drinking it. You want some?”
“No. I’m reviewing these photos. You want to see?”
“No, I don’t need to see the photos. I was there, remember?”
“You never did tell me what you saw, Sara. At Oak Grove. I’d like to get the details of your observation. Use this device.” She shook her head and refused to hold it. She was too busy pulling the cork out of her bottle.
“I don’t want to talk about ghosts, Midas. I’m not like you. I don’t need to do this 24-7.” She sighed as she poured the wine into a glass.
“All right, I’ll have a glass of wine with you.” I slid the recorder in my pocket. Maybe she was right.
She must have changed her mind because she began talking in a low, thoughtful tone. “The newbie, Cassidy, she took off running, and I followed her. I think she knew where she was going from the beginning. Like she’d already been there, scouting out the place. Or at least some part of her knew. I ran after her, and when I caught up to her she was sitting on the ground, looking up at the fence.”
“Did she run into the fence?”
“I’m sure she didn’t. Something frightened her. You heard her testimony. She told it exactly as it happened.”
“Yes, but what did you see, Sara?”
She curled up on my couch and tossed a blanket over her legs. A fire roared in the fireplace, but neither of us paid much attention to it.
“Believe it or not, I saw a ghost. Yes, me, Miss Sensible Skeptic. He was a black man; he looked poor and unusually tall. He didn’t want us there; I could see that—I could feel it. I was glad to leave when we did. He just vanished, like someone switched off a light. One minute he was there, and the next he was gone. I got the feeling he’s guarding that house or something.”
“Cassidy says he’s guarding Aurelia. He must not understand that she’s dead.”
“Well, it sounds like you should help him understand that. I’m not looking forward to going back to Kali Oka Road, but I bet you are, aren’t you?”
I stared at the fire and said, “What do you think? Of course I want to go back there. And I got permission to tour Oak Grove too.”
“I never doubted you, Midas. You can be charming when you want to be.” She twisted a curl with a finger and took another gulp. “It’s going to be scary as hell going in that house, now that I know there is something really there. Imagine, my last investigation with GCP, and I’m finally convinced that there is a spiritual world.”
“Come on, Sara. You were sure there was something at the Bowery. And what about the yacht club? You saw a shadow figure there.”
“I’m not sure what I saw, not a hundred percent. But at Oak Grove, there was no denying he was there. He stared at us like he hated us. Like he’d hurt us if we tried to come in.”
“Interesting. I hope this is an actual haunt and not something else. The owl creature is a disturbing twist to this case.”
“Did you ever get a hold of Ranger? Find out
where he went and what he was doing out there?”
“Nope, I haven’t. I called him; I hope the guy is okay. I left a message on his voicemail. If he doesn’t call me back by noon tomorrow, I’ll check with his son.”
This conversation was strange. Yesterday I was convinced Sara would hate me forever. Now it was like we were friends again, chatting about the latest investigation. I couldn’t understand why it couldn’t stay like this. But we were past that now.
She sipped her wine and said thoughtfully, “If there was a way you could show the ghost Aurelia’s grave or let him know she’s gone, maybe you could help him find rest. But then again, it is possible we aren’t working on the right narrative. Can we be so sure that Cassidy knows what she’s talking about? There’s every chance that she’s just a disturbed girl who’s obsessed with the place.”
“Her sister’s disappearance is real. I checked it out. She’s not making that up. I don’t think she’s making up what she sees either.”
“I leave you to it, then. Work your magic, Midas. Rescue the damsel in distress. You were always good at it. I just don’t need rescuing anymore.” I couldn’t help myself. I touched her soft hair and toyed with a curl.
“I’m going to miss this. I enjoyed these times, talking to you about things.”
“Talking about the supernatural, you mean. Never about our future, or kids, or anything beyond Gulf Coast Paranormal. You talk about it constantly. Can you understand that a girl needs more sometimes, Midas? I admit your handsome face makes it hard to leave, but I have to go. I have to see what’s beyond the next door. And your first love will always be the next investigation.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Are you kidding me? You’re the one with the contract to appear on a reality television show about paranormal investigations. But you say I’m the one obsessed with ghosts.”
“I’m going to do what I always wanted to do, and that’s act. I love it. Once I leave GCP, all my investigations will be fully scripted.” She raised her glass as if she wanted to make a toast to herself. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m not a sellout. I’m doing what’s best for me. You had a chance to bring this whole thing to the big screen, and you didn’t want it. Remember?”
“Sure, I remember. Peter is still ticked about it.”
Then it got quiet. I stayed on my side of the couch even though my body had other ideas. If it was over, it was over. If I wanted to keep Sara with me, I’d have to marry her. And no matter how I played that out in my mind, that was a marriage that wouldn’t work. Probably because for the first time ever I had to admit that I didn’t love her. Not like a man needs to love the woman he marries. I enjoyed her, respected her, and appreciated her. Liked her. Loved things about her, but I didn’t love her.
And she knew it.
She was doing the best thing for herself. I wasn’t going to stop her. “I think you should tell the team tomorrow so they can celebrate with you. It’s a step up, Sara. You do what’s right for you. We’ll be fine.”
She sipped more of the wine and giggled. “I’m sure you will. If a certain fellow redhead has anything to say about it.”
“We’ve only known each other a couple of days.”
“She needs you. You like it when they need you. Maybe that was the problem with us, Midas. I just didn’t need you enough. Not like that.”
“Stop talking like that. Let’s stay in touch, Sara. Not just say it. Let’s do it.”
“If you think we can, I’m for it. I’m sorry I was such a witch to you earlier. I do want to be friends again.” She finished her glass, and I poured her another one. “Hey, can I crash here tonight? I don’t think I want to drive. Imagine…I finally break into Hollywood but can’t go to the first filming because I’ve been arrested for DUI. Wouldn’t that be peachy?”
From there our conversation went to her new job as a lead actress on her hot new show. She revealed the pay she was offered, and it was staggering. We talked about her getting an apartment in LA somewhere. She had a cousin, Serenity, out there. I thought that was the perfect California name. She’d agreed to let Sara stay for the first six months until she could get everything together. After a while, Sara hunkered down on the couch, and I covered her with a blanket and kissed her forehead. “Night, Sara.”
“Night, Midas. I’m going to miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too.” I clicked off the light and went to my bedroom. I didn’t bother changing my clothes. My brain didn’t allow me to sleep. Not yet. I had to toss around the various factors of our current case. And of course, I thought about Cassidy. I didn’t know why I was so drawn to her…it wasn’t like I had a specific thing for redheads. And it wasn’t because she had a vague resemblance to Sara. There was something else for sure. Why was I thinking about her? Was it because everyone else was assuming that I was romantically interested in her? Finally, I felt tired and was able to close my eyes. I didn’t dream, but then I rarely did. When my phone rang, the sound startled me.
“Yeah? Hello?”
“Midas…there’s this bird…” It was Cassidy. She was crying and sounded frightened. I immediately flung the covers off and sat up. She continued, “I think I’m bleeding.”
I told her I was on the way and got dressed as quickly as possible.
I had every intention of tiptoeing out of the apartment, and I would have cleared it if I hadn’t stubbed my toe on a dining room chair. I swore silently, but it didn’t matter. Sara heard me and got up off the couch.
“So now who’s up for a booty call? Or a midnight snack.”
“No booties are calling, Sara. Go back to sleep.”
“Okay, I will if you’ll stop banging the furniture around.”
“Good night, Sara.”
“Good night, Midas.” She lay back down, flipped her back to me and covered up with the blanket.
I left as quietly as I could.
Chapter Fifteen—Cassidy
I slid the chair out from under the door and let Midas in. “What happened? Was it Mike again?”
“If it was Mike, I wouldn’t be calling you. It was the bird. The owl, I mean. It was here.” I carefully made my way to the nearest kitchen table chair.
“Wait, where are your towels?”
I nodded toward the kitchen linen drawer. “In there. And there’s a first aid kit under the sink. I haven’t even looked at this thing yet, but it feels like a pterodactyl got a hold of me.”
Midas grabbed everything he needed and returned with a grim look on his face. “I need you to lift your shirt so I can see it.” He slid on plastic gloves from the kit and waited.
“Close your eyes for a sec.” He did as I asked and after a few seconds I said, “Okay, you can open them.” I clutched my shirt to my chest and gritted my teeth as he began probing the area with his gloved finger. I couldn’t look him in the eye. This was all too weird. Midas moved my hair out of the way so he could get a better view of the cut.
“I think you might need stitches, Cassidy.” He began blotting the blood away.
“I hope not. I hate needles. Ow! Shoot! That hurts. Is it real bad?” I twisted around like a kid who wanted to see the injury but was afraid to look at it.
“Bad enough to need a few stitches, I think. Be still and I’ll try to stop the bleeding. What happened?”
“Look, I know it’s late and this is a huge imposition, but I swear it was that owl. The one from the painting—Ranger’s owl.”
He didn’t say anything for a minute, just cleaned the wound and applied four or five bandages along with some antibiotic cream. I began to feel like I’d done the wrong thing. During Mike’s short stay here, he’d installed a mirror over the kitchen sink. Did I mention he liked looking at himself? I could see Midas clearly in the mirror, his furrowed brow, his serious expression. “Midas? Did you hear me? I’m sorry I called this late.”
“No need to apologize, Cassidy. I’m sorry this happened. Who’s to say me involving you in this case hasn’t stirred up something he
re?” He glanced around the loft as if he were in a ghost-detecting mood. “Tell me exactly what happened.”
“Well, it started with a dream about Kylie. I was back at the hospital the day she was born. I was holding her when my Mom died. Dad told me to watch her, that actually happened. But then the scene changed a few times. Hold on a second. I’m going to go grab a shirt if you don’t mind. I’ll be right back.” I padded to my bedroom and rummaged for a large t-shirt. I cringed a little as I pulled it over my head, but I didn’t waste time hanging around. My bedroom didn’t feel safe anymore. I didn’t want to be in here.
Back in my kitchen, Midas was tidying up the mess. I sat back down in the chair and pulled my knees up, wrapping my arms around them.
“You said the scene changed a few times?”
“Yes, I was at the hospital and then a few other places, and the whole time I had this bundle in my arms. I thought it was Kylie. Then it wasn’t Kylie, it was that owl! I was holding it in the blanket, but it got out. It scared the hell out of me! I woke up, and the thing was still in my room, flying over me. It scratched me and then vanished.”
Midas pursed his lips as he listened. With a nod, he said, “Show me where you were.”
“Okay.” I tucked my hair behind my ears and went back to the bedroom. I turned on the light this time because that feeling of dread hadn’t yet disappeared. “I sleep on the left side. That’s where I was.” I noticed a few drops of blood on my sheets, probably from where the thing had scratched me.
“Do you mind?” He wanted to check out my bed.
“No, go ahead.”
He lay down where I usually lay and put his hands behind his head. I tried not to stare at his muscular body or imagine what it would be like to snuggle up next to him. I glanced around at the corners of the ceiling and didn’t find whatever it was he was looking for. He sat on the side of the bed and began looking behind my pillows and under my bed. If he asked to search my nightstand, I’d have to draw the line.
Ghosted on the Gulf Coast (Gulf Coast Paranormal Trilogy Book 1) Page 9
