The Dead Come Calling

by C. C. Wood

  Before our lips met, my cell phone rang from my back pocket. If it hadn’t been Jonelle’s ringtone, I would have ignored it. With her just out of the hospital, I had to take the call.

  Disappointed we’d been interrupted, I stepped out of Mal’s arms and pulled the phone from my back pocket.

  “Hey, Jonelle. How are you feeling?” I asked after I lifted the phone to my ear.

  “You have to help me,” she whispered harshly.

  My body went rigid and I sensed Mal’s attention focus on me, but I didn’t look at him. “What’s wrong?” I asked, my voice sharp.

  “He won’t leave!” she hissed, her voice still a whisper, but there was an edge of hysteria to it.

  “Who won’t? Have you called nine-one-one?”

  She was silent for a moment and my heart began to pound with worry. “What?”

  “Who is it? Someone you know? Where is he? Can you get somewhere safe?” The questions rolled out of my mouth in quick succession.

  She groaned. “I’m fine, Zoe. I’m talking about Sean. You have to get him out of here. He’s refusing to leave!”

  It took me a moment to realize that she was talking about Stony. Though his given name was Sean, none of us ever called him that.

  “Oh my God, don’t scare me like that again! I thought whoever drugged you was at your house.”

  Mal stepped forward but I shot him a glance and shook my head. His body relaxed when I mouthed, Stony. Then he grinned and backed up, giving me some space.

  She muttered something beneath her breath that sounded suspiciously like, “That would be preferable.”

  “What did you say?” I demanded.

  “Nothing,” she answered, blowing out a long breath. “Look, Stony insists on staying. I don’t know what kind of voodoo magic he worked on my mother but she’s agreed to leave me here alone with him tonight.”

  My eyebrows shot up. Audrey Watson was in full-on mama bear mode. I couldn’t see her agreeing to that. At all.

  “Really?”

  Jonelle laughed, but there was no humor in it. “Yeah. Apparently we Watson women are susceptible to pretty hazel eyes and a nice bod.”

  “Is it really that bad?” I prodded. “Does he make you that uncomfortable?” She didn’t reply so I pressed on. “I would feel better if he was with you, Jonelle. We’re not talking about a ghost here. Whoever drugged that Scotch is a flesh and blood person.”

  “Yeah, but that Scotch was left on your doorstep, so you’re the one who needs the protection, not me.”

  I shrugged even though she couldn’t see me. “You never know. Anyone who knows me also knows that I don’t like whiskey or Scotch. You do and you’re here all the time.”

  “Yeah, but who would want to hurt me?” she asked incredulously. “I’m nobody.”

  “You’re not a nobody,” I argued. “I’m just pointing out that it’s possible we were both targeted, not just me.”

  “Zoe…” she drawled.

  “Look, please let Stony stay there. I’ll be worried sick about you and Audrey if you don’t. You know she won’t leave you if he doesn’t stay.”

  “Low blow,” she murmured. We both knew Audrey would drive her crazy by insisting on doing everything for her, including cooking. Which meant that Jonelle might starve for the next few days since Audrey’s kitchen creations rarely turned out edible.

  I didn’t respond, merely waited.

  “God, you’re a stubborn ass,” she growled. “Fine, fine! He can stay, but I swear if he lays one of those brain cell sucking kisses on me again, I’m going to smack him.”

  “Brain cell sucking kisses? That sounds interesting. Tell me more.”

  “Zip it,” she shot back, an edge of humor in her voice. “Besides, I can’t talk about that right now.” I heard a small scuffle before Jonelle snapped, “I’m talking to Zoe, so give me some damn privacy.”

  I bit back a giggle. Apparently, Stony had grown impatient with Jonelle.

  There was the sharp sound of a door slamming in the background before she spoke again. “Okay, he’s gone, but I still can’t talk about it because knowing him, he’s got his ear pressed to the door.”

  “Okay, no more discussion of zombie kisses.” She laughed at my words. “Other than irritated, how are you feeling?” I asked, changing the subject.

  “Better,” she replied. “I still have a headache and my stomach is queasy, but other than that, I’m perfectly healthy.”

  “Well, I want you to stay that way.”

  “Same here, babe. Look, I can hear him breathing through the door, so I’m going to let you go, but I want you to promise me that you’ll be careful. Because now you’ve got that creepy black cloud and some flesh and blood sicko after you.”

  A chill drifted over my skin. “I promise.”

  “I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

  After we said our good-byes, I still felt the icy tingles of dread race across my skin because Jonelle was right.

  Someone wanted to hurt me, someone corporeal. Not only did I have a nasty spirit haunting me, but it seemed I’d attracted the attention of someone else.

  And I had no idea which of them would strike next.

  Chapter

  He hovered at the end of the bed, staring at the huddled form beneath the blankets.

  He’d thought long and hard about what his next step should be. His current host wasn’t satisfactory. He needed to get closer.

  Close enough to touch her.

  Then, he’d realized what he needed to do. She would never suspect his new meat suit, never question the loyalty of the person she cared about.

  Grinning, he moved closer, spreading over the lump in the bed and allowing himself to sink down into the flesh and bone.

  The meat suit fought as they all fought. It was stronger than the other, but still not strong enough.

  He settled deeper into its mind, taking control. When he knew that the battle was over, he opened his eyes, breathing deep, and smiled.

  Soon, Zoe Thorne would be his to play with and she would never see him coming.

  Chapter

  The next morning, Blaine, Mal, and I were at loose ends. Carissa called just after eight and explained that she intended to meet with a local witch. They would both be at my house after lunch.

  Since I disliked the lack of control I seemed to have over my life, I decided to focus on my search for Teri’s killer. There wasn’t much else I could do until Carissa and the witch arrived.

  After a quick breakfast, I settled on the sofa in the living room with my laptop. The TV was on, with some sitcom rerun playing in the background. Blaine left to drive Carissa to her meeting with the witch and Mal was holed up in my office, talking quietly on his cell phone. It had taken a lot of convincing for him to let me out of his sight. He didn’t want to risk my being attacked again. Until I pointed out that he had business to take care of that affected our future. All of our futures. Despite everything happening to me at the moment, he still needed to deal with the contracts and the network that wanted the show. He relented, but made me promise to scream if I even thought I saw a hint of the black cloud.

  My stomach flopped when I realized that this time next year, I would be working on an actual TV show, possibly with millions of viewers. Immediately, I decided it was best not to think about it and focused on the search results on my laptop.

  Using the database that Mal recommended, I found several interesting articles. I had a hunch that the deaths I found were related to Teri’s, but there was nothing to support my suspicions.

  I wished that I could speak with the former Sheriff Daughtry, the father of our current sheriff, but he had passed away a couple of years ago. Lamar was a kid when Teri died, so I doubted he would be much help, even if I managed to get him to speak with me.

  That meant I was on my own. Well, Mal would help when he was done taking care of business, but there was no telling how long that might be.

  As I drank my third cup of coffee, scrol
ling through my search results, one headline caught my eye. Goose bumps broke out on my flesh and I shivered as I read it.

  I didn’t question my instincts. Setting my mug down, I clicked on the article and quickly began to read when it popped up. The more I read, the faster my heart pounded.

  A Fort Worth woman was found hanging in her home, but the coroner found evidence to suggest foul play. During the autopsy, they found several clues that pointed to murder rather than suicide. Though the reporter didn’t give the full details of the crime, there was enough description for the back of my neck to prickle. The woman’s death sounded remarkably like Teri’s.

  Adrenaline rushed through my veins as I went back to the search page and typed in the woman’s name with shaky fingers. There were several articles but it was the third that had my breath catching in my chest. The headline stated there was a person of interest in the woman’s death.

  I clicked on the article and read through it. Too quickly. Still, I found a name and a photo to go with it.

  Victor Martin Kincade.

  His picture was below the paragraph that named him and, as I looked at him, I finally understood the expression my blood ran cold.

  The chill that seized me went deeper than my skin. Black pinpricks danced in my vision, blurring it. Blinking rapidly, I sucked in a huge gasp of air when I realized I’d been holding my breath.

  The sense of foreboding was so strong that it took everything I had not to run upstairs and dive into Mal’s arms.

  His brown hair was cut short, almost military. The features of his face were even and regular. Shockingly normal, considering he was a predator of women.

  But his eyes gave him away. They were like chips of glacial ice, light blue and utterly cold. Whatever looked out from those eyes, it was pure evil and not quite human.

  I heard a low moan sound behind me and twisted my head to see Teri hovering behind the couch, her arms wrapped around her waist.

  “Oh God, oh God, oh God,” she whispered, rocking her body to and fro as though she were trying to comfort herself. “It’s him.”

  The horrible tone of her voice made my stomach feel sick. Quickly, I shut my laptop and got to my feet. I’d already taken a step toward Teri before I realized that there was no way for me to comfort her. I couldn’t touch her or hug her to help ease the pain.

  “Teri,” I murmured, reaching out a hand toward her. “I’m here. You’re safe.”

  She moaned again, an agonized sound that created a tremor in my muscles. It was a haunting sound, painful and terrified all at once.

  “He can’t hurt you anymore, Teri,” I stated, inching closer to her. For once, the chill of her presence didn’t feel cold against my skin. Probably because my flesh already felt as though it were encased in ice. “It’s over, Teri.” I kept repeating her name, hoping that it would keep her mind anchored in the present rather than letting her fall back into the past.

  She blinked rapidly and I thought I saw a tear trickle down her cheek, but I couldn’t be sure. I had never seen a ghost cry before. Wail and sob, yes, but there were never tears, only dry eyes, burning with fury or sometimes envy.

  “He can never hurt you again, Teri,” I repeated. “He’s not here and, even if he were, he wouldn’t be able to see or hear you.”

  Somehow, my quiet words broke through the trance that had taken over her. Teri’s body straightened slightly from its hunched position. Her arms, still wrapped around her waist, were no longer tight but slowly relaxing. Her eyes lifted to mine and I knew she was completely back in the present.

  “You okay?” I asked her softly.

  After a brief hesitation, she nodded.

  “Good,” I whispered.

  We stared at each other in silence for a long moment.

  Finally, she blurted, “I don’t want you to look for him, Zoe.”

  Her words surprised me. “Why?”

  “Because he’s dangerous.” She shook her head vehemently. “I’m so selfish,” she said, her voice harsh. “I didn’t even think about your safety, only that I would finally, finally, have justice.” Her eyes were bleak as she looked at me. “I didn’t even consider that he might kill you too if he’s still alive. If he realizes what you know, I have no doubt that’s exactly what he’ll try to do.”

  I inched closer. “I wanted to do it, Teri. Remember?” I placed a hand on her arm, or at least I tried to. “I offered to find him.”

  She shook her head violently. “You have to stop, Zoe. I would never forgive myself if something horrible happened to you.”

  “Teri…”

  “NO!” she yelled, her voice echoing throughout the house.

  I heard my office door fly open and the thump of feet running down my upstairs hallway. Mal pounded down the stairs, his face twisted in a snarl. I watched in shock as he vaulted over the railing when he neared the bottom of the stairs.

  “Where is it?” he demanded, his head turning and twisting, looking for something.

  “Where is what?” I asked him.

  “I heard you scream no. Where is the damn thing?”

  “It wasn’t me, Mal. I didn’t scream.”

  He straightened from his crouch, staring at me with wild eyes. “You didn’t?”

  I shook my head. “It was Teri.”

  Mal’s eyes widened. “That was Teri?”

  It was the first time anyone other than me, or Carissa, had heard Teri outside of recorded voice phenomenon. Sure, she could touch people if she concentrated, but never before had she been heard by someone who wasn’t clairvoyant.

  I turned to ask her what she’d done, but she was gone.

  “Teri?” I called.

  “Is she gone?” Mal asked.

  I nodded, walking through the bottom floor of the house, calling for her. She never returned.

  “I think she needs some time to calm down,” I explained to Mal. “She was really upset.”

  “What happened?” he asked. The wild-eyed look had left him, though his hair was still a mess from running his fingers through it.

  I walked back to the sofa in the living room and picked up my laptop. “Come here and I’ll show you.”

  Mal sat next to me, his thigh pressing against mine. The memory of what happened on this very couch a week ago made heat curl in the pit of my stomach. Though we slept in the same bed every night, Mal never did anything other than give me a chaste good night kiss and cuddle me into his side. As I felt the flex of his thigh against mine, I experienced a sudden desire to turn and straddle his lap.

  “Zoe?”

  I shook my head, guilt filling me. I shouldn’t be letting my hormones hijack my brain during a time like this. Teri was more important. “Sorry. I got distracted.”

  The slant of Mal’s lips told me without words that he knew exactly what I was thinking about.

  “Stop looking at me like that,” I admonished, focusing on opening my laptop.

  “Like what?” His mouth was inches from my ear and I felt his warm breath stir my hair.

  “Like you haven’t eaten in a week and I’m a big ole steak.”

  He chuckled, pressing a kiss to my neck right below my ear. “Maybe I’m hungry.”

  I shivered. “Mal…”

  His teeth lightly nipped my earlobe. “What?”

  “It’s not dinnertime,” I replied smartly, using my palm to push him back a little. Now was not the time.

  He grinned but let me put space between us. It took me a moment to remember what I had been doing before lust fogged up my brain. The man was dangerous to my intelligence.

  I opened my laptop and signed in. The article and Victor Martin Kincade’s picture popped up on the screen. “Teri saw this and that’s what freaked her out,” I explained. “She said this was the man who killed her. She was really upset.”

  “May I?” Mal asked, reaching for the computer.

  I handed it over without resistance, watching the way his brow furrowed as he read the words on the screen. When he was fini
shed, he shut the machine and set it on the coffee table.

  “Holy shit,” he muttered, staring blankly at the TV. I could tell by his expression that he wasn’t truly seeing what was on the screen. “So he killed more than one woman?”

  I nodded. “I believe it was a lot more.”

  Mal’s eyes turned to me. “Why do you think that?”

  “I set my search parameters using Teri’s death as the basis. There were many women in the five years before and after her death who died by hanging. Quite a few in the DFW area.” I took a deep breath. “It’s just a hunch, but there are several in the months before and after Teri’s death that are eerily similar. It also made me suspicious when I realized that most of these women were prostitutes, junkies, or exotic dancers.”

  Mal’s mouth tightened. “Women who would already be considered high risk in terms of crime.”

  I nodded. “I don’t think that’s a coincidence. He chose women who were more likely to be estranged from their families. He counted on the fact that the police and others wouldn’t question a death that appeared so much like suicide.”

  “A serial killer,” Mal muttered beneath his breath. “Damn.”

  “Teri wants me to stop searching for information on him,” I stated.

  Mal shot me a look. “I agree with her.”

  “Mal,” I began.

  He shook his head. “No, Zoe. You have enough on your plate right now. Someone tried to drug you and you have a nasty spirit intent on harming you. That’s enough to deal with.”

  “I promised her,” I argued.

  “She changed her mind,” Mal retorted.

  My teeth clenched together. “I’m not giving up.”

  He studied me for a long moment and I could sense the wheels in his sharp brain turning. “You’re just going to do it anyway, aren’t you?”

  I hated the way he was looking at me because it made me feel small and horrible. I hated disappointing people, which was why I put up with my mother’s issues for as long as I did. However, I knew I couldn’t give in to the urge to capitulate. If I caved now, I would be setting a precedent for my future relationship with Mal. He would expect me to comply whenever he demanded.