“Of course I do.” Mom refused to allow Landon to drag her into an unnecessary argument. “She’s my daughter. Her safety is my primary concern.”
“So why are you giving me grief about this?”
“I’m not. I’m simply explaining that it’s unnecessary. Bay will be perfectly fine today. I’ve taken care of her protection.”
Now it was my turn to be suspicious. “You’ve taken care of it?”
Mom nodded. “Yup.”
“How have you taken care of it?” Landon asked.
Mom merely smiled. “I’ve decided to let Aunt Tillie out of her chair. If I don’t, she’ll chew through that rope and she’s hell on everybody’s nerves when she’s forced to visit the dentist, which will surely happen if she gnaws on ropes for half the day.
“But because I can’t trust Aunt Tillie to behave herself and Landon is clearly worried about your safety, I’ve decided to solve two problems with one action,” she continued.
Oh, I just knew I was going to hate this. “Whatever it is … my answer is no.”
Mom ignored my belligerence. “Aunt Tillie needs a babysitter.”
“I said no.”
“You need reinforcements.”
“What part of ‘no’ don’t you understand?”
“I think you’re a marvelous babysitter for her and she’s a terrific sidekick for you.”
“No, no, no.”
Landon leaned back in his chair and smiled. “I think that’s a great idea.”
“Oh, you think that’s a great idea?” I sneered, anger bubbling up. “If you think it’s such a great idea, you spend the day with Aunt Tillie and I’ll spend the day with Chief Terry. We’ll trade.”
“Yup. The more I think about it, the greater I think it is.” Landon folded his arms across his chest, a self-satisfied smirk in place. “This makes me feel a heckuva lot better.”
Son of a … ! How did this happen? Somewhere along the way I allowed things to fall off the rails. I had no idea when it happened, but it was too late to go back.
“Whatever.” I shoveled a huge forkful of hash browns into my mouth. “I’ll pay you both back for this.”
“You being alive is payback enough,” Landon offered.
“I’ll bet you won’t say that when you’re sleeping on the couch.”
Landon’s smile slipped. “Oh, don’t be like that, sweetie. It’s going to be a long day for both of us. I don’t want to add relationship strife to my list of things to worry about.”
“Your long day is going to turn into a long night.”
“We’ll just see about that.”
“Yeah, we will.”
CHIEF TERRY AND LANDON stood in front of the police station and watched the game antics with unreadable faces. I worked overtime to ignore them as I snapped photographs and jotted quotes in my notebook.
Infinity Echo’s prelude to a battle turned out to be more entertaining than I’d expected. Hundreds of young adults – all decked out in bright parkas and hats – raced around the downtown area as they competed to collect game pieces, characters and magical enhancements. Thistle and Clove joined the fray, though they did it from the comfort of their shop, staring at their screens from their comfortable couch only when they thought no one was looking.
As for Aunt Tillie, she was right in the thick of things. Even though I never particularly considered her good when it came to technology, she seemed to know what she was doing now. The kids who approached her were in awe.
“How did you do that?”
“That was freaking amazing!”
“You’re a goddess amongst lesser beings.”
Okay, to be fair, Aunt Tillie said that last one about herself. She wasn’t exactly wrong, though.
I crossed the street, making sure to capture a couple nice photos of Aunt Tillie. They wouldn’t make The Whistler’s next edition – that was favoritism, after all – but there was a very good chance one might make a frame in the guesthouse. Aunt Tillie looked exhilarated, as if she was having so much fun I couldn’t stop myself from smiling.
The sentiment only lasted until Landon sidled up to me. “You look like you’re having a good time.”
I refused to return his friendly grin. “I don’t believe I’m talking to you.” I snapped another photo as one of the girls – a cute redhead with bouncy curls – slapped Aunt Tillie enthusiastically on the back.
“You’ll get over the no talking to me thing,” Landon noted. “We live alone now. You’ll get lonely if you don’t talk to me.”
“I can always go up to the inn and talk to my family.”
“Yes, but they don’t let you boss them around like I do.”
I didn’t want to smile. I was legitimately angry with at him, after all. But I couldn’t stop myself. “You’re incorrigible and full of yourself.”
“I am,” Landon agreed. “I also love you and want to make sure that you’re safe at all times. I won’t apologize for that.”
“I don’t want you to apologize. I want you to find another babysitter for Aunt Tillie.”
“No. She’ll keep you safe if something happens and we get distracted.”
“Has it ever occurred to you that I don’t need her to keep me safe?”
Landon nodded without hesitation. “Yes. I think it every day. You’re strong. That doesn’t mean you can be ready for any attack or enemy. It’s impossible to do everything in life on your own. Occasionally you need people to help.”
“And that’s what you think Aunt Tillie will do? Help me.”
“That’s what I think she’ll do.”
I exhaled heavily and shook my head. “I think you’re dreaming, but I’m not too tired to argue.” I snapped another photograph, this one of Michael Kutcher and Eric Masterson. They stood alone at the edge of the melee, their gazes intent on their phone screens. They seemed like outsiders rather than participants, though. “There’re Steven’s friends.”
“Where?” Landon craned his neck so he could study the boys. “Aren’t they a man down?”
I nodded. “Danny. I think he’s the shyest of the group. I basically had to bribe him to help Clove the other day. She wouldn’t stop crying about Thistle stealing her game stuff, so I sent Danny to teach her how to use the game.”
Landon furrowed his brow as he stared long and hard at the boys. “They don’t look worried. They don’t seem agitated that their friend was arrested. Heck, the only thing they look to care about is that stupid game.”
“I’ve decided that the game is like a narcotic,” I offered. “I think people get addicted after one dose and they can’t help the way they act.”
“You’ve played,” Landon pointed out. “You didn’t get addicted.”
“I didn’t really play. I watched over Thistle’s shoulder while she played.”
“Fair enough.” Landon leaned closer and gave me a quick kiss. I didn’t remember I was angry with him until he finished, so my scowl was late. “You can be as angry as you want. Your safety is my number one priority. That’s simply how it works in our world.”
“And what if I feel you’re being a bit smothering?”
“You can make up for it by bossing me around later, you know, turn the tables on me.”
I made a face. “It doesn’t count as punishment if you want to be smothered.”
“Now you tell me.” Landon poked my side and took a step back. “I’m going to talk to Steven’s buddies and see if they know where he is. I don’t think he’s dumb enough to turn back up, but I’ve been wrong before.”
“You have,” I agreed. “Like when you agreed Aunt Tillie was a good sidekick for me.”
“I still think that’s a perfect job for her.”
“You would.”
I waved goodbye before lifting the camera and taking more photos. I spent the next thirty minutes snapping away, chuckling a few times when Aunt Tillie started barking out instructions for the people she deigned worthy to be on her team. When I turned back to the spot where
Michael and Eric stood before, I found it empty. Landon was gone, too.
Hmm. Maybe he took the boys to the police department for questioning. At least it was warm there … and they had hot chocolate. Yum. Hot chocolate. I was just about to take a break and suggest to Aunt Tillie that we run to the police station to warm up – and indulge in chocolate goodness – when she hurried to my side and pressed her phone into my hand.
I knit my eyebrows. “What is this?”
“I need you to hold it and walk around.”
“Why?”
“Because I have to go to the bathroom.”
“So take it with you.” I tried to hand the phone back, but she refused to take it.
“No way.” Aunt Tillie vehemently shook her head. “You need to walk around with it so it thinks I’m still moving. If I take it with me to the bathroom I will lose movement points.”
“There are movement points?” I was mildly dubious.
“It’s a very complicated game.”
“Whatever.” I stared at her screen. “If I agree to hold this for you, will you go to the police station with me?”
Now it was Aunt Tillie’s turn to make a face. “Why would I possibly want to do that? You know how I feel about ‘The Man.’ I don’t want to purposely spend time with him if I don’t have to.”
“They have hot chocolate and a working furnace.”
“Oh, right.” Aunt Tillie brightened. “That sounds like a great idea. I can charge my phone in there, too.”
“Yes, because that’s what’s important.”
“It totally is.” Aunt Tillie increased her pace as she headed for the senior center. “I won’t be gone long.”
“You’re not supposed to go in there,” I reminded her. “You’re banned.”
“Hey, when you have to go, you have to go.”
She had a point.
Because it was there and I had nothing to do but wait while she was doing her business, I shoved the camera in my pocket and focused on Aunt Tillie’s phone screen. I decided to test the game by moving, because I had trouble figuring out how to differentiate between players. After walking a good half block I realized which light designated Aunt Tillie.
I clicked on that light and looked at her stash of items, which was so large it carried over to three pages. I laughed at some of the names she’d given the lists – like “Thistle Would Kill for These,” “Clove Would Cry for These” and “I Would Bribe Someone With Wine For These” – and was so lost in thought I didn’t hear the phone dinging until it grew so loud it was impossible to ignore.
I closed out of the storage pages and stared hard at the screen, frowning when a blue light appeared almost exactly on top of Aunt Tillie’s pink light. “What the … ?”
I lifted my head and found myself staring into Abby Kennish’s dead eyes. She stood with the other ghosts, bobbing in unison, and met my gaze with muted interest. “He’s here,” she intoned.
“Oh, well, great,” I muttered, shaking my head. “This is just perfect.”
“He’s behind you,” Abby whispered.
My stomach twisted. “I cannot believe you sought me out.”
Abby didn’t speak. It was another voice, one I recognized, and one that caused a chill to run down my spine. “Why wouldn’t I come looking for you?”
It was a struggle to maintain my composure, but I managed it … barely. “Why would you?”
“Because you’re playing,” the icy voice said. “It’s about time. I’ve been waiting forever for you to get with the program. We have a date with destiny, you and me.”
Twenty-Nine
I swallowed hard and slowly turned, taking a moment to register that I’d managed to walk farther from the crowd than I’d realized. I could still see the game participants – at least some of them – but they were intent on the battle and no one bothered to look in my direction.
I was in The Whistler’s parking lot, partially obscured by several large trees in the cement island a few feet away. I liked the trees, especially in the spring when they flowered with bright pink blooms, but right now I absolutely hated the stupid things.
“Hey.” It was a lame greeting, but I didn’t know what else to say. “What are you doing out here? I thought for sure you’d be with everyone else gearing up for the big battle.”
Danny Roberts merely smirked. “I have more important things to deal with right now.”
“Uh-huh.” I tilted my head to the side and stared at the police station for a long moment, willing Landon or Chief Terry to wander outside. I wasn’t in immediate danger – at least it didn’t feel that way – but I knew this situation was fluid, and the presence of the ghosts a few feet away only compounded what I’d already recognized as a sticky situation. “And what would those important things be?”
Danny’s smile was sly … and chilling. “What do you think?”
“I think you’re a sick kid,” I replied without hesitation. “I think you’re so sick that I didn’t see past that shy façade and recognize you for what you really are. If you want to know the truth, I’m a little angry with myself because of that. I’m not happy at all.”
“I’m not sure I understand what you mean.” Danny’s tone was clipped as he shifted from one foot to the other, the hand not holding his phone planted firmly in his pocket. “I am shy. I’m a shy young man who everyone overlooks and no one pays attention to.”
That sounded a bit too self-serving and pathetic. “Is that your problem? No one pays attention to you.”
“What makes you think I have a problem?”
“The four women you murdered seem to think so and I’m on their side.”
Danny stilled, an emotion I couldn’t quite identify flitting across his face. “What are you talking about?”
“Abby Kennish, Heather Walters, Jennifer Ripley and Laura Patterson.”
“Are those names supposed to mean something to me?”
“You slit their throats. I would hope the names mean something.”
This time I recognized the emotion Danny struggled to tamp down. It was fury.
“I didn’t kill anyone,” Danny shot back. “Why would you say anything of the sort?”
I shifted my eyes to Abby and found the ghost watching Danny with a remote detachment that didn’t feel right given the situation. Danny had killed her. He ripped her from a life she’d barely begun living. She should be angry, even want revenge. She most certainly shouldn’t be one corner of a bland square that floated in the cold and watched my every move.
I felt guilty for summoning them – although I wasn’t yet certain how I’d managed it – and I was determined to help them cross over to the other side. Anything had to be better than the quarter-life they were living.
“What are you looking at?” Danny asked, snapping my attention to him.
“I’m not looking at anything.” I cleared my throat to give myself time and come up with a new plan of attack. The most important thing was to keep Danny talking. Aunt Tillie would come looking for me as soon as she finished her bathroom break. She wouldn’t want to be separated from her phone a moment longer than necessary. I simply had to hold out until she showed up. Once Danny’s attention was split he’d be easy to take down. He was probably armed – that’s why his hand kept moving to his pocket – but I was hardly helpless. “So why did you kill them?”
Danny managed to rein in his temper, but just barely. “Why do you keep saying that? It’s not true. I have no idea why you suspect me of something so absurd.”
“Really?” He clearly wanted to play games. That shouldn’t have surprised me – he was a game player, after all – and I realized relatively quickly that I might be able to use his obsession to my advantage. “If you’re not here because you’re a killer, why are you here?”
“You took something of mine.”
“I’m sorry, but … what?”
“You took something of mine,” Danny repeated, gesturing toward Aunt Tillie’s phone in my hand.
“From you,” Danny corrected. “You’re the one playing.”
“No. I’m simply holding her phone while she takes a bathroom break.”
Danny shook his head. “No, you’re playing. I’ve seen your photo in the game. I tried to talk to you about it yesterday, but you acted like you didn’t understand the game. I figured that was part of your strategy even though I kept seeing your photo … like, constantly. Whenever I’ve tried to find you, you disappeared from the map feature. I want to know how you’re doing it.”
Several ideas collided in my head, and for one brief second I thought maybe I’d misconstrued something about the situation. Maybe Danny wasn’t a murderer. Maybe … . My eyes trailed to a curious Laura as she moved slightly out of formation and tilted her head left and right as she regarded her killer.
“He’s the one,” Laura supplied. “He put the knife to my throat and … he’s the one who put me in the darkness.”
“And I’m the one who pulled you out,” I said quietly. “I’m sorry. I’m going to fix it.”
Danny glanced around, confusion etching across his features. “What are you even talking about?”
I remembered Danny couldn’t see the ghosts and regrouped. “It doesn’t matter. I was figuring things out in my head. I was talking to myself.”
“Do you do that often?”
“You’d be surprised.”
“Nothing surprises me.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter.” I adopted an authoritative tone. He was young. Perhaps he was prone to bullying. I’d learned to bully from the best of them. Speaking of the best … I could really use Aunt Tillie and Thistle about now. “Tell me why you killed those girls.”
“I just said … .”
I waved a hand to cut him off. “I know what you just said. I don’t believe you. I know you killed them.”
“Oh, really?” Danny barely managed to pull off smug, but he crossed his arms over his chest all the same. “How do you know I killed them?”
“They told me.”
A Breath of Witchy Air Page 28
