Red Ochre Falls

by Kristen Gibson

  “Of course, Tess,” Garrett said all syrupy, like he liked her. “I’ll be back in the office next week. Stop by and I can show you the new equipment.” Was he talking about his equipment, because it sure sounded like it? Did he just give her his 1000-watt smile? What was happening?

  Confusion and rage shook me, so I walked out. Just like the time I left college. I kept going and didn’t look back, even as Garrett called to me. He only tried twice, so I figured he wasn’t really trying. Anyway, he must have gone back inside to ask Tess to marry him, or whatever, because I made it all the way to the turnstile and there was no sign of him.

  I gave my badge to the guard, walked out the front door, and called a cab.

  The cab smelled like stale smoke and a bunch of strange things I didn’t want to think about, but at least it was a ride. I noticed the driver’s card and a couple photos of his kids posted up front. The cabbie, his name was Harry, asked me to repeat the address a couple times—he seemed a little anxious by the whole Coroner to funeral home drop-off, but money is money, and he drove me anyway.

  Harry the cabbie tried to ask me about stuff. I gave short answers until he got the message to leave me alone. I stared out the window wondering why I let things get to me so easily. Tess and Garrett had lived together, and I wasn’t dating him, so I had no right to get upset over their closeness. Except, I really wanted to have something with him, and we needed to find out what happened to Chloe. Their reunion was interfering with us finding answers.

  Call me an amateur, but I had no idea what to do next. The investigation wasn’t going well, and my hasty exit would make the next conversation with Garrett awkward.

  Oh well, nothing I could do to change it now. I needed to get back to the apartment and figure things out. An old blue truck almost crashed into us, but the cabbie made it back to the parlor in good time. I paid the fare and tipped the guy a few bucks. No sense taking my bad day out on Harry.

  CHAPTER 13

  It started to rain, and I’d forgotten my rain gear in Garrett’s car. Today was not going my way. I could run inside and curl up in a ball, but I thought ice cream might help me feel better. Ryder’s car was still there, so there was time for a grocery run. I pulled my keys out and rumbled off to grab something to satisfy my need for sweets.

  The grocery store was parked up. Probably full of people buying goodies for their Labor Day celebrations—I was going to need a lot of chocolate sauce and whipped cream to get through the weekend alone.

  By the time I got inside the store, the rain had soaked me clear through. I dripped and squeaked my way over to the freezer section. My outlook improved as I scanned countless varieties of frozen pies, cakes and desserts until I found what I wanted—jackpot. I opened the freezer door and a blast of icy air hit me. I tried to move quickly, but my hands were frozen as soon as they grabbed the container. Carrying ice cream in already cold hands was painful. I should have picked up a basket. The freezer door slammed shut as I turned to leave. One step, and I bumped into Garrett.

  “Planning a party?” he sounded friendly.

  “It’s not a party unless there’s chocolate,” I said, and brushed past him.

  “You look cold. Can I carry that for you?” He took the ice cream and we walked over to the toppings. I may have drooled over the chocolate, marshmallow, and caramel sauces, but it was hard to tell since I was still dripping wet.

  “So many choices,” I searched for the right one, and waited for him to explain himself.

  “I like the milk chocolate, or hot fudge.” He grabbed them both. “What do you think?” He held up both jars for me to choose.

  Things could get ugly if he expected me to share after what happened earlier. I gave him a sideways look.

  “Why don’t we get both?” Garrett started walking toward the dairy case. He seemed to have a plan, so I followed and watched as he poked around the cooler. After he picked up some whipped cream, he turned and looked at me. “You know, we really ought to have dinner first.”

  “This afternoon hasn’t gone too well, and I’m soaking wet. Ice cream was going to be my dinner.” I sounded pathetic.

  “I have something else in mind. Let me grab a few more things. Then we’ll get out of here and get you out of those wet clothes.”

  I raised my eyebrows at him.

  “Don’t worry, it’s just food…for now.” He flashed a warm smile my way, so I did the same for him. It was hard to stay mad when he was obviously trying to make amends.

  Garrett proceeded to snag a cart and filled it with our goodies, then added cheese, bread, salami, grapes, and wine. We checked out and he walked me to the car.

  “Nice ride. Can I borrow it sometime?”

  “It’s a loaner. But I know a guy who knows a guy.” We both laughed.

  “See you back at the parlor,” he winked and took the groceries with him.

  We parked next to each other back at the parlor. Ryder was in the back office when we came in. He looked at me and did a double take.

  “Lost a fight with a fire hose,” I joked. “I’ll change and come right back, so you can give me the rundown and get out of here.”

  “Cool.”

  I sloshed down the hallway from the office to the stairs then squeaked my way upstairs. I was drying out, but would need a hot shower to ever feel warm again. All I needed was a quick shot of heat, so I threw off my clothes and jumped in the shower. For five minutes, the water beat on my back and neck. I quickly washed then dried off and got dressed.

  I got back downstairs and noticed Ryder had left.

  “Did I make him mad?”

  “No, I just gave him a hint and he took it.”

  “You shouldn’t give Ryder the wrong idea, I don’t want to get in trouble. I acted weird earlier, but it was because you were busy getting cozy with Tess instead of getting answers about Chloe’s death. Whatever you two had or have going, is up to you. I just want to find out what really happened to her and put it to rest.” It was mostly true.

  “I was trying to get answers.”

  “Look, this isn’t a game. My mom and I need this job, and we need a roof over our heads.” It needed to be said.

  “I’m not playing,” he looked serious. “I didn’t tell you Tess could be manipulative, but I expected she might try. I cared about her before, but even then she had her faults. It was important for you to be there not only to ask questions, but I needed to see how she responded when you prodded, unrehearsed, about Chloe’s death.”

  “Oh,” I said quietly.

  “Having you there to ask questions gave me an opportunity to watch her respond. The more you pushed, the more uncomfortable she appeared.”

  “I caught her fidgeting. She sure poured on extra sweetness for you, though. You noticed all that?”

  “Yes, of course. I played into it to find out how bad she wanted us out of there. She only got sweet to distract us from the real issue—something doesn’t add up about the exam, or the report. I thought you could tell.”

  “No. I thought you still cared for her. I—I feel terrible for walking out like that.” I sank thinking of how childish it must have looked to him.

  “You may not have understood, but it worked like a charm.”

  “What did?”

  “The plan.”

  “It did? You mean you got the information?”

  “Not exactly, but I have a good idea of where to find it.”

  Garrett picked up the sack of groceries and walked me to the back hall. He put the ice cream in the freezer above the fridge used for keeping lunches and drinks cold then took me out the back door where we parked our cars. The rain had cleared, although everything was still wet.

  “It’s nice enough, I thought we could eat out here.”

  I looked at the paved driveway and our cars and wondered if he meant for us to sit on the side porch. A puzzled look crossed my face.

  He held up a finger, “Stay here, I’ll be right back.”

  He came out with a
large plaid blanket and shook it out over a spot near my car. “It gets boring eating inside all the time,” he said. “I got this to sit outside and catch some actual daylight on slow days.”

  My eyebrows raised, impressed by his impromptu picnic. The blanket had a backing, so we wouldn’t get wet.

  Garrett ran back inside and brought out some plastic cups. He used a pocketknife combo to uncork the wine then poured two glasses and handed one to me.

  “Cheers.”

  “Cheers.” We clinked glasses.

  Garrett sat down with his drink and patted a space near him so I’d sit. As I sat down, he pulled out paper plates and filled them with bread, cheese and other foods. He gave me a plate and we started to eat.

  “Thanks, this is nice.”

  “My pleasure, I thought you could use a change of scenery. I did a lot of work on that apartment, so I know it’s nice, but it’s small.”

  “It is smaller than our old house, but at least it’s a roof, you know?” I sighed when I looked at him then took a drink of wine. “Besides, I like old homes like this. They have a lot of history and character.”

  “And a lot to repair and replace,” he chuckled then made a sandwich out of some salami, bread and cheese.

  “I appreciate this…picnic.” The tension I’d felt since he told me we were going to see his ex-girlfriend eased.

  “No problem.” He clinked my glass again before he took another drink from his. We ate, drank, talked and watched the sky clear enough the sun burst through high clouds over us.

  At one point, he caught me staring at him. I sat up straight and tried to act like it hadn’t happened. Instead, I just blurted out what I’d been thinking. “What’s going on with you?” It came out too abruptly, so I tried to cover. “I mean what’s going on between you and Derek.” It was a fair question. Derek acted strange around him and I wanted to know why.

  Garrett shot me a sly smile. Even though he didn’t owe me an explanation, I hoped he’d let me in on the big secret.

  “You know there are a lot of stories to go with this old place. And since we’re in the business we’re in, there are even some pretty good ghost stories.”

  I figured this was a stall tactic, but a ghost story sounded interesting. He watched to see if I was receptive to hearing it, or maybe he was hesitant to scare me since I’d be alone tonight. Thinking about being alone made me hope Garrett would have a reason to stop by tomorrow. Although, I didn’t want to wish people dead just to see him, I sure thought about it.

  “This used to be ancient Indian land. The heads of many tribes would assemble near an old ceremonial tree that sat on this very property.” He pointed to the corner of the parking lot.

  There was no tree that I could see, just asphalt and a dumpster.

  “People came from all over to discuss leadership appointments, land disputes and other important issues. This was a gathering place, and a place of ceremony where the ancient people danced, celebrated, and gave thanks to the Great Spirit.”

  Garrett settled in and told me more of the story. “Sometime around 1865, a wealthy tycoon named Samuel Davis made a deal to take over the land. He agreed to split some of it with several businessmen he knew.”

  I leaned in, grabbed a couple grapes and snacked on them while Garrett told more of the story.

  “Davis made plans to clear most of the land and build Amelia, his bride-to-be, the finest Victorian home in the area. This home. And if that gesture wasn’t impressive enough, he planned to build another home for her sister over there.” Garrett pointed across the street to the Davis and Sons Funeral Home.

  “Just before the land was taken over by Samuel Davis and his cronies, an Indian Shaman came and warned the men not to tear the trees down. Davis agreed, but later found out Amelia had secretly met with a young Indian near the great ceremonial tree. When Davis found out, he didn’t ask questions. He just bulldozed the lot, trees and all, as a symbol of his power and dominance.”

  “What happened to Amelia and the young man?” I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. I had to know more.

  “Amelia claimed they were just friends, but Davis called off the wedding. He kept his promise to give Amelia’s sister the house across the street, partly to torment Amelia. Considered tainted by scandal, Amelia’s sister took her in, and she lived there the rest of her life.”

  “Did anything happen to Davis?”

  “The way I heard it, the Shaman paid Davis a visit and told him, ‘It is one thing to take a man’s land, and quite another to take his heart.’ The Shaman told Davis that he, and anyone who owned the home would be haunted by ancient spirits until they made amends for the offense.” Garrett eyed me. I sat mesmerized.

  “But, if Samuel Davis lived here, why isn’t this place named Davis and Sons Funeral Home?”

  “Because Samuel Davis found out the Shaman was right. Davis’s old journals give accounts of the house’s first ghost sightings. Davis feared he’d go insane. He swapped houses with his ex-fiancée and her sister. The women moved here, and Davis settled in with one of Amelia’s cousins over there.”

  “He doesn’t sound like a very nice guy.” I wondered if Samuel Davis was a distant relative of Derek Davis.

  “He wasn’t a good guy, and his offspring didn’t turn out much different, in my opinion.” Garrett took a drink of wine and looked distant.

  “Is Samuel the one behind the Davis and Sons Funeral Home?”

  “He’s ancestor to our very own Derek Davis. Although, Samuel didn’t start the funeral business, that happened after my Great-great Grandpa Mackenzie, a cabinetmaker by trade, took over this house in the 1920s when Amelia’s family vacated.

  Back in the day, a number of cabinetmakers made caskets for burying the dead. Grandpa had the idea to create a formal place to hold funeral services, and found this old beauty. The business was such a success, a few years later, one of grandpa’s school friends—a member of the Davis Family—copied his idea, and opened Davis and Sons Funeral Home.”

  There was bad blood between the families, but whatever was on Garrett’s mind went beyond an old rivalry. I searched his face for answers, as if studying Garrett would provide more insight into what happened between him and Derek. Garrett caught me looking and he loosened up. The distant look was replaced by a focused energy on me, and telling the story.

  “I don’t think Grandpa Mackenzie knew about the curse until after he turned this place into a funeral home. There were stories, even articles, about the place being haunted, but as far as I know, we haven’t had a ghost around since my crazy Grandpa Stanley claimed to see one at his grandma’s funeral. He told us the ghost chased him to the third floor where he hid under a chair for a couple hours until his dad found him.” Maybe Grandpa Stanley had seen a ghost, it would explain a lot.

  “When we were little, mom warned us to be kind to others and pray hard that the curse would miss us.” Garrett looked at me and smiled, only I was not smiling. “Don’t worry, you should be fine. The whole story was probably made up to keep us all in line and in church.”

  Garrett lowered his voice. “I think, if you look up,” he leaned me back onto the blanket then stretched out next to me and stared at the sky, “on nights like this, you can sometimes see the Great Spirit keeping watch overhead.”

  My eyes practically popped out of my head as I searched the chaos above looking for some sign of ghosts, or the Great Spirit.

  Garrett let out a hearty laugh. “I was just kidding about the Great Spirit in the sky thing. You just looked so intense, I couldn’t help myself.”

  “Ugh!” I rolled onto my side. “I cannot believe you. You really had me going.”

  He laughed and put his hands behind his head. I reclined and felt flush thinking of this strong, beautiful man beside me. Garrett turned onto his side, leaned his head on his hand, and looked deeply into my eyes. My heart fluttered. I did not know what to do.

  I wanted him to kiss me, but was afraid I might
jump his bones if given even the slightest opportunity. What was he going to do? So many thoughts raced in my mind. Now if I could contain my excitement and my desire, I’d be fine. Get out of your head, girl! What was that? Get out of your head and look at that fine man staring at you right now!

  Our eyes locked, and I felt a fiery urge. My breath caught as Garrett leaned closer. I contemplated what I would do if he actually kissed me, only, he pulled back.

  “Are you going to be okay here tonight?”

  Wondering if he was up to something I stuttered, “I—I think I’ll be fine. Why?”

  “No reason. I just wanted to make sure you could handle staying here since I told that story.” Perhaps, he realized it might not have been a good idea to share a ghost story with me when I’d be alone again tonight.

  Stung a bit by the concern and not a romantic advance I huffed, “I can handle myself.”

  “I’m available in case you need anything.” He obviously didn’t buy my act for a second. “You’ve got my number and I can be here as fast as you need me.” He smiled and turned to get up. His hand reached out to help me up, so I grabbed it and stood up with to him.

  Being near Garrett warmed me even though the temperature outside felt like it had dropped thirty degrees. I shivered at a cold breeze. He moved the bag, lifted up the blanket and shook it out. Then, as he wrapped me up in it his body tensed. I waited for him to make a move, hoping he would grab me and kiss me passionately, just so I would know what his lips felt like. Paradise. I imagined paradise. The electric charge we shared lasted a few seconds, but felt like the heat of an eternal sun.

  He leaned closer and pulled the blanket tighter around my shoulders. “It’s getting late, let’s clean up and head inside.”

  “Mmm-hmm,” and head nodding was all I could muster.

  We got inside and sat for a while. We talked almost an hour before a call interrupted us. We reached for the phone at the same and laughed. I used one of my standard greetings and took the caller’s questions while he listened. I stood up to grab some paperwork, so I could give the caller details about a viewing. Garrett walked over by me and waited for me to put the phone down before he touched my hand.