Damned and Cursed (Book 2): Witch's Kurse

by Bullion, Glenn

  Something behind Jack caught Tiffany's attention. Her eyes lit up as she rushed past her father, pushing open the outside door. Jack turned to see Tiffany's friend Jenny heading up their sidewalk. He frowned, as he had no idea what was going on. The two girls hugged in front of the house and gushed over each other's costumes. Jenny dressed up as a ninja.

  Jenny's mother sat in a mini-van in the middle of the street. She waved at Jack and smiled. He couldn't muster a wave in return, but did manage to nod his head.

  Dread gripped his soul as she put the mini-van in drive and pulled away. He watched the van disappear down the street and make a right turn. The clues started to come together in his head, like a puzzle. He didn't want to ask the question. He was terrified of the answer. But he couldn't stop the words from coming out.

  "Uh, what the hell is going on?"

  Both girls stopped giggling long enough to face him.

  "Jenny's coming trick or treating with us!" Tiffany said.

  "Oh, is that so? And when did this happen? Is that how parents do it now? They just drop their kids off at some stranger's house?"

  "You're not a stranger, Daddy. All the parents love you. You're the Dad who yelled at Mrs. Galloway."

  "Ah, wonderful. If I had to guess, Jenny's not the only one coming, is she?"

  "Just a few more," Tiffany said innocently, looking as angelic as she possibly could.

  "Clever," he said.

  Jack glanced at Jenny. One thing he didn't think about when he first took Tiffany in was the fact that the girl would make friends. That meant he'd be exposed to other loud, hyper little girls, and their equally obnoxious mortal parents. He didn't like Jenny, but Tiffany's friends were important to her. He'd try to be nice.

  "So, a ninja."

  Jenny threw her hands up in what he guessed was some kind of martial arts pose.

  "Yeah! My mom and dad won't let me carry around a sword, even though it's fake. It's not like I could even do anything with it. But they don't want me carrying a sword because they said violence is bad."

  "That's because they're stupid. Jenny, let me ask you something. Is there something wrong with your jaw that you can't close it, and you have to breathe through your mouth?"

  The girl looked up, deep in thought. "I don't think so."

  "Eh, okay, whatever. Just try to reign it in a little, okay? Save some air for the rest of us."

  True to Tiffany's word, a few more girls showed up. A total of three of Tiffany's friends, book-ending with Melissa. Stacy, Melissa's mother, took the time to walk her daughter to Jack's yard.

  Jack frowned as the female pair approached. Like mother, like daughter. Both showed an inappropriate amount of skin. Stacy wore jean shorts and a shirt one size too small, hugging her breasts and exposing her navel. Not exactly October-friendly apparel. She smiled at Jack as the girls shrieked and chased each other around the yard.

  "Thanks for taking the kids out," she said. "It's all they've been talking about all week."

  "Ah, all week," he said, glancing at Tiffany. "Hey, it's what I live for. It should be so much fun."

  She touched his arm. "I hear you're single now. Are you okay?"

  Jack mustered the control to not grab Stacy's hand and break her wrist. The touch was a clear message. She was more than happy to be the rebound.

  The mention of his past relationship brought no pain. Perhaps, just like the curse treated his body, his heart healed fast as well.

  "Yeah, I'm single once again. And I'm fine."

  "Well, listen, if you need anything, just let me know."

  "Uh, sure."

  Stacy gave her daughter a hug and left. The girls stopped running and formed a line in front of Jack. Melissa stepped forward and looked up with a smile.

  "Hi, Mr. Jack. Look at me. I'm a gypsy." She did some kind of weird dance. "You look really cute today."

  "Shut up, Melissa. Save that shit for the stage. Are you shooting for candy or one-dollar bills?"

  Her eyes widened. "You mean some people give out money?"

  "And that answers my question. Don't worry. In nine or ten years, you'll be able to get all the dollar bills you want, and break your father's heart at the same time."

  "I don't have a dad."

  "Ah, what a shocker." He looked over the group. "So, are you little munchkins ready to take that next step toward diabetes?"

  They didn't even know what diabetes was, and cheered anyway. Jack found himself smirking. Their energy was infectious.

  "We're gonna get some serious candy," Tiffany announced. "And we'll stay up until midnight eating it."

  "Nice try," Jack said. "The candy gates close at nine thirty. If your parents aren't at my house by ten o'clock to pick the rest of you midgets up, I'm dropping you off at animal control."

  Halloween was off and running. Jack didn't realize it until he was herding a gaggle of little girls, but he'd hoped their first Halloween would be between Tiffany and himself. Father-daughter time. But Tiffany was having the time of her life, laughing and smiling. She got along great with her friends, and after studying them through the night, he saw Tiffany was the center of the group. In such a short time, she'd come a long way from the quiet new girl in class that could barely read.

  Jack watched his daughter carefully as they pillaged each house. Several times an adult in costume would lunge from behind a tree, or from in between parked cars. Part of him worried about Tiffany. She'd seen horrible things with her own eyes, and she still suffered from nightmares. But she wasn't traumatized at all by Halloween. A sense of pride took hold. Tiffany was strong, just like him.

  Despite being in the company of her friends, Tiffany didn't forget her father.

  It was a simple moment. They'd just raided another house, and the girls ran back toward the sidewalk. Jack thought they would turn, but Tiffany ran smack into him, hugging him. The girls kept going, but Tiffany remained, sharing a moment with her father.

  "I'm having fun," she said. "Thanks for taking us trick or treating."

  "You got it, partner."

  "Hey, Tiffany!" Melissa called. "Come on! We've got more houses."

  Halloween, even with the extra cargo, was going much better than he thought it would. Even Tiffany's friends made him chuckle occasionally.

  They were in the middle of their last block when his phone rang. He smiled when he glanced at the screen.

  "Victoria. Happy Halloween."

  "Jack. I called as soon as I found out. Are you okay?"

  "Uh, yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

  "You…haven't been keeping tabs on Erica?"

  "No. Why would I do that? We're two grown adults who decided a relationship wasn't for us. You'd think I'd spy on her? I'm not a stalker."

  The silence stretched.

  "Erica's dead. She's been murdered."

  Jack froze. He was vaguely aware of someone tugging his hand. Tiffany gave up after a moment, and followed her friends to the next house.

  "Who? How?"

  "I don't know the details. I just got the call from one of my guys. Jack, God, I'm so sorry. She moved to some town called Sandy Cliffs."

  "Montana," he said. "She told me that much."

  "Yeah. Look, I'm still in India. I'll catch the first flight out. Alex is getting ready to leave for a case down in Florida, but I know he'll drop it for me."

  "What are you talking about?"

  "We'll get together, head out there. Maybe Alex can find her ghost."

  "What for?"

  Victoria said nothing for a moment, stunned. "So you can talk to her, of course."

  "Why would I want to do that?"

  "Jack, stop. Don't act like you're not hurt. Not with me."

  "Of course I'm shaken up, but the last thing I'm going to do is track her ghost down. I'm at peace with how we left things. I'm not pining for some lost girlfriend. And who says there's even a ghost to find? Victoria, I appreciate it, I really do. I know you've always got my back. But don't bother flying back. Tell the dem
on freak to go to Florida. It's really okay."

  "I…can't believe you're just going to let this pass."

  Dark thoughts began to swirl in his mind.

  "I didn't say that."

  "Are you sure you're okay?"

  "I will be. Trust me. I'll go and look into things myself."

  "Do not destroy half the state of Montana."

  A twisted expression crossed his face that rivaled anything from the cheap plastic masks that passed him by.

  "Now would I do something like that?"

  "If you need anything, call me immediately."

  Melissa's mother used similar words in his front yard not long ago. Despite his jumbled thoughts, the affection he felt for his sister pushed to the surface. The difference between Melissa's mother and Victoria was the vampire meant every word she said.

  "I will. I'll talk to you later."

  Both hands shook as he shoved the phone back in his jeans. Erica was destined to die. That was a simple fact. But it was supposed to happen far later, after she'd lived a long life, when she was ninety years old, had three children, nine grandchildren.

  It wasn't supposed to happen when she was trying to get a fresh start on life, after her view of the world had been destroyed.

  In a way, Jack was responsible.

  He shook the thought from his mind. It was not his fault Erica was dead.

  It was her murderer's.

  He meant what he told Victoria. He was over Erica. Still, the thought of her no longer smiling in the world brought emptiness. Someone out there made the world a worse place.

  For that reason, that someone would die.

  "Jack? What's wrong?"

  Tiffany stared at him. Her friends were three houses ahead. Jack put on the best smile he could and met his daughter, grabbing her hand.

  "Nothing, partner. Let's go get some more candy."

  Halloween was his daughter's night. He gave her a kiss before she rejoined her friends. They would finish the block, and then go home to investigate their loot. Her friends would go home, and he'd put Tiffany to bed.

  Then he'd start to make plans.

  *****

  Tiffany hadn't said a word to Jack the entire drive home from school. She'd been hot and cold the past few days, and now the faucet was on the cold side. She stared out the passenger's window, her arms crossed. There was only silence, with the occasional exaggerated sigh. A message to Jack in case he didn't know how she felt.

  "It's just a business trip, partner."

  "I don't want you to go. I'll miss you."

  "I'll miss you, too. Don't worry, we'll talk on the iPads every day."

  "Why do you have to go?"

  "It's just something I have to do. I have to make some money every now and then, put food in that belly of yours."

  She finally sat straight in the seat. "You'll call me every day?"

  "Not just call. We'll see each other every day. Both our iPads have cameras. I love technology."

  They stopped at a red light. Tiffany shrugged out of her backpack and set it on the floor at her feet. She turned to face him, her expression taking on a serious look.

  "Okay, Dad. There's something really important we have to talk about."

  He tried not to laugh. "Oh? What's that?"

  "I don't need a babysitter."

  "Yeah, you do."

  "No, I don't. Listen to me, now. Whenever Andee is over the house, I just do stuff I'd do anyway if she wasn't there. Watch movies, take a bath, eat dinner. I can do all that even if I don't have a babysitter."

  "But I won't be there at all. What about food?"

  "Just put the pizza place's number on the refrigerator. I can call them. And I can make cereal. I make you cereal all the time."

  "And washing clothes?"

  "I'll just make sure my clothes don't get dirty. I won't have to wash them."

  "Who will take you to school and pick you up?"

  "I can talk to Melissa's mom. She can pick me up, and I can ride with them. Then after school she can drop me off."

  He could no longer hold in a chuckle.

  "Wow, you've really put a lot of thought into this."

  She beamed, and Jack almost felt bad stating the obvious.

  "You still need a babysitter, Tiff."

  Pouting, she crossed her arms once again and faced forward. "I don't need a babysitter. That's such a stupid word. Babysitter. I'm not a baby! I'm nine years old."

  "We'll just call this one a Tiff-sitter."

  "That's even more of a stupider word."

  "I know it sucks, but the reason I'm sticking you with a babysitter is because I love you."

  "Why can't I just go with you?"

  "I don't want you to fall too far behind in school. And…" His eyes grew dark. "You should never see the business I do."

  "This isn't fair."

  Erica flashed through his mind. The good times and the bad. Eating dinner at his home, visiting her at the hospital, passionate time in the bedroom, that final cold stare she gave him before leaving.

  "Tell me about it."

  They'd arrived home. Tiffany's mood seemed to brighten as she sat on the couch and turned on the TV. Jack opened the refrigerator to plan dinner.

  "Whoa there, partner," he said. "Homework first."

  "Ah, sorry. I forgot."

  He checked his phone as Tiffany settled in at the breakfast bar. No missed calls or texts. Irritation came over him. He needed to leave soon. The longer he waited, the colder the trail got. Everything was in place, except for one last piece, that refused to call him back.

  "What do you think?" Jack asked. "Chicken alfredo? Steak smothered with mushrooms?"

  Tiffany's choice wasn't a surprise. "Pizza!"

  "We can have pizza only if I make it."

  "Yes! You cook great, Dad."

  "Damn right I do."

  He'd only just set the shredded cheese and sauce on the counter when his phone rang. He rolled his eyes when he saw the name and number, and put the phone to his ear.

  "About goddamn time," he answered. "Do you always take this long to return phone calls?"

  "Uh, hi, Jack. Nice to talk to you, too."

  "I left a message for you four hours ago."

  "And now I'm calling you back. I was out running around. I don't have a cell phone."

  "That's because no one likes you."

  "Ah, I've missed you so much."

  "Anyway, down to business. Can you do it or not? If not, I have to come up with other plans right now."

  "Babysit Tiffany? Sure, I can do that."

  "Not just babysit. I'm leaving town. I shouldn't be gone long, but I need someone to stay here, in the house."

  "Yeah, that's not a problem. I don't have anything going on right now."

  "Why does that not surprise me? When can you get here?"

  "Well, I got that picture you sent earlier. So, if the coast is clear, right now."

  "Hold on." He lowered the phone. "Hey, Tiff, do me a favor and switch the laundry out downstairs for me. There's an empty basket down there."

  "Okay."

  Jack watched Tiffany climb down from the stool and head toward the basement door. He put the phone back to his ear as her footsteps grew softer.

  "Alright, hurry. You've got maybe a minute."

  "Okay, okay."

  The phone went dead. Ten seconds of silence passed before there was a quiet hum. A patch of wall under the stairs leading to the second floor vanished, replaced with a circle with a shimmering edge. Through the circle Jack could see a figure, and behind the figure a bedroom. The figure wore a familiar trench-coat and carried a small suitcase.

  Jack smiled as the figure stepped through the portal, from a bedroom a state away, into Jack's living room. He could certainly rock a trench-coat. With the coat and suitcase, he almost looked slick, debonair even. Jack knew nothing could be further from the truth.

  Kevin Mishnar reached behind him and placed a hand next to the portal. He slid hi
s hand across, the portal following his palm. The portal closed on itself, once again leaving nothing but a bare wall.

  "Hey, Jack," the witch said, setting his suitcase at his feet. "How's it going?"

  Jack nodded in greeting. "Glinda."

  CHAPTER 13

  Kevin looked around curiously at the home of Jack Kursed. It was nothing like he'd expected. Victoria mentioned a few times that despite their age difference, Jack was far wealthier than she was. Yet Victoria lived in a mansion, and from what Kevin could see, Jack's home was certainly no mansion.

  It was a beautiful home. There were very few walls that Kevin could see, just a few beams scattered about wrapped in painted drywall. It was almost like a large studio apartment. The kitchen flowed into the dining room, which flowed into the living room. From the kitchen he could see the large flat screen TV in the living room. The kitchen was huge, which didn't surprise him, considering how much Jack bragged about cooking. There was a breakfast bar with what looked like the beginnings of dinner and homework.

  The house was cozy. Kevin could see a loving family running about, living a suburban life.

  The image was shattered when he looked at Jack. The cursed human looked exactly the same as the last time Kevin had seen him. Imposing, with a dark look in his eye, like he was trying to figure out what chaos to cause next. Jack always dressed nice, like he was on his way to a meeting.

  The sights didn't line up right in Kevin's mind. Jack standing in the middle of the typical suburban home.

  "Not what you were expecting?" Jack asked.

  "Uh, well, not really, I guess. This is a pretty nice place."

  "Unlike me."

  "Well…yeah."

  Tiffany's voice moved as she came up the stairs.

  "Okay, Dad. I switched the laundry. Is the pizza in the oven? I'm starving."

  She froze as she rounded the corner and saw Kevin. The young girl still wore her school clothes, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. The girl must have had some magical quality about her, if she was able to reign in Jack's behavior.

  She set the laundry basket down and waved politely.