by Alexie Aaron
“Whew! I don’t know about you two, but I’m famished. Let’s go raid the refrigerator. I’m sure with Burt residing in this house there are plenty of goodies in there. Mia, why don’t you let the tall stud know that we are done with the living room and Stephen would like to watch TV now,” Bev ordered.
Bev waited for her to leave the house before speaking. “I don’t know what just happened, Stephen. I saw her touch you, and I saw you feel it. I know you would wish it to be otherwise, but there is no future for you and her. She has to live out her life as a corporal being, living with and loving others of her kind. Even though you can now touch, you can’t give her what she wants most, a child.”
“Hurts,” Stephen said and held his chest.
Bev’s eyes filled with tears. “I know, honey, life, or in your case death, isn’t fair. I loved someone too, that was taken from me. But the universe has rules. Most of them we break, but some we have to not be selfish about and keep. Mia seems to have found Ted, and even though they will be interesting looking children, he can give them to her. He can support her, and she will thrive. She has spent most of her life so far in the spirit world; give her time in this world.”
Bev watched as a range of emotions crossed his face. As resolve fleshed out his features, she knew he understood her words and took them to heart. “Thank you, Stephen, you are a prince.”
He nodded and put his finger to his lips.
“I won’t say anything. Your secret is safe with me.”
Noisy footsteps pounded the porch, and the door flew open as Mia and the men pushed their way in. Cid walked into the living room and turned on the television and DVR. Murphy settled in the rocker - as two dudes don’t sit side-by-side on a couch. Bev rose and followed Mia and the boys into the kitchen.
“Burt claims he doesn’t have half a pizza squirreled away,” Mia teased.
“I don’t. We ate it for breakfast,” he admitted.
“I’ve got some leftover Thai,” Ted offered.
“Well, what are you waiting for? Reheat it and dish it up, boy, I’m starving,” Bev said, winking at Mia. “Teaching is hard work.”
Burt started to ask something but chickened out.
Bev looked at him. “Spit it out.”
“Will she be able to function… Not that she… Fuck,” Burt gave up.
“Mia can repel an entity. And hopefully the same technique will be able to help her with the emotional overload she had in the garden.”
“Mike was ill too. Upset stomach and intense headache,” Burt listed.
Mia and Bev looked at each other a moment and Bev asked, “This is the Mike who is all teeth and a camera hog?”
“Yes, that’s him,” Ted said as he dished up the food for Bev.
“I wonder,” she mused, “if the man has some unrealized gifts.”
“He drank a lot several nights before,” Mia said. “Maybe he was just a bit nauseous.”
“It’s a mystery for another time. Come on, Ted, don’t be stingy,” she pointed out. “I’ve got a thirty minute drive home.”
Ted added more to her plate. He handed her some chopsticks and stepped back. Bev smiled and started eating. Mia moved over and hugged Ted. Bev watched the two a moment before addressing Burt. “So, Hicks, I heard you relocated to Illinois. Where are you thinking of living?”
“I think someplace near here. Ted’s converting his barn space into a headquarters for PEEPs. I’m currently using one of his guestrooms until I can find a place.”
“Where’d Mike move to?”
“Lincoln Park,” Mia answered.
“Pricey,” Bev said in between mouthfuls. “If I were you, I’d look around Big Bear Lake. There are always people overextending themselves on vacation homes. I bet you can find yourself a nice property with a view. I could put out feelers for you.”
Burt brightened. “I’d appreciate that.”
Mia pinched Ted before he could warn Burt that Bev’s feelers had a price.
Chapter Fourteen
Bev took Mia aside for a moment. They looked for a quiet corner and ended up climbing the stairs and walking into what was now Ted’s bedroom. Mia hadn’t been there since she helped carried boxes up. The starkness of it startled her.
“I think he’s waiting for your input,” Bev said as she plopped herself on his bed. She patted the bed and asked, “Please sit down.”
Mia complied and turned to face her aunt who had backed up against the headboard.
“I want to know what Angelo did to you.”
“I’m not exactly sure. All I can tell you is what is absent.”
Bev nodded for her to continue.
“I no longer have a tumor. I also have no emotional memories of my time with Burt or Whitney, and there is all this white noise when I think of Murph. He stripped away my emotional attachments. In Murph’s case it set him free. He no longer has a tether. In the others’ case, I’m not sure.”
“What do you remember of being in his care, the hospital if you will,” she coaxed.
“I remember a tall ceilinged place. My head rested in a cradle similar to, if not the same as, one I saw in the Egyptian collection at the Field Museum. There were these grey ladies that came in and rubbed things into my skin. I felt the balms clear through to my bones. Could they have healed my stress fractures that way?”
“Anything is possible, I suppose. How did you get there?”
“I was unconscious. I don’t know.”
“How did you get back home?”
Again Mia had to shrug her shoulders and claim she didn’t know. She didn’t offer Bev any more information about Angelo. It wasn’t her place. “Why all these questions?”
“Mia, you did something I don’t think you’ve realized yet after our session. You reached out and touched Stephen Murphy, and he felt it.”
Mia’s eyes opened wide and then narrowed. “But I’ve touched him before, and he’s felt it.”
“That was when you were in bilocation and near a vortex,” Bev dismissed. “This time you were corporal. Your flesh moved into his dimension, and he felt it.”
“Maybe it was caused from him being in my head, my body?”
“My opinion is that you have for whatever reason developed a power that may come in useful. If you can touch Stephen then you can certainly defend yourself against a ghost. You can cause pain.”
“Thank you for telling me this. Thank you for coming.”
“I couldn’t resist. Ralph insisted.” Bev raised an eyebrow. “Okay, serious stuff is on the back burner. I have a half hour before the driver returns. I want you to tell me all about your new boyfriend. I had to get it secondhand from Bernard who absolutely loves him. He’s already had Ralph look into save the date cards.”
“Honestly, those two. Ted and I’ve only been together for a short time, but the attraction has always been there.” Mia started by explaining the chemistry and proceeded to tell her aunt how she figured out she was in love with the tech. “He’s so wonderful, Bev. I find myself thinking about him all the time. I worry, I’m going to be like Father.”
“Charles is besotted with Amanda. Are you telling me you’re besotted?”
“Yes.”
“The good thing, as far as I can tell, is that it’s mutual. This family trait is dangerous. Loyalty above common sense. Well, you know that from personal experience. I rather have you take after Charles than Amanda. She is one selfish bitch. What worries you about this?”
“Just what you said. Look at my life without parents.”
“There is an important thing you’re forgetting.”
“What?”
“Ted’s not a self-absorbed son of a bitch. He is generous and seems to put you first. You being besotted with him is just that. You adore him. He adores you. Win win. You’ll probably have a ton of children - although I think two is best. Get used to never being alone, because he enjoys your company.”
“Actually, he’s an inventor, a genius. It’s going to be me that has t
he trouble of staying out of his way,” Mia confessed.
Bev clapped her hands together. “Wake up! None of this is a bad thing. You poor neglected darling, you have no idea, do you? Take it from this oversexed broad, I’ve been in quite a few relationships, and, Mia, you are in a great one. I expect to be called Auntie and not Grand Aunt, do you understand? And I don’t babysit.”
“Gotcha.”
“Now let’s get out of here before we embarrass the owner of these colorful sheets.”
“They’re Batman sheets.”
“Whatever. Come on, help an old lady up.”
Mia got to her feet and tugged Bev out of Ted’s bed. They walked down the hall a bit before Mia excused herself to use the washroom. Bev continued down the stairs. She looked in on Cid and Murphy and then headed to the kitchen where she found Ted alone making a fresh pot of coffee.
He smiled at her and asked, “Would you like a cup? It will be ready in a few minutes.”
“No, I’ll pee myself if we get stuck in traffic. Ted, can I ask you a complicated question?”
“Sure.”
“What are your intentions towards my niece?”
“I want to become Mr. Ted Cooper,” he answered.
Bev raised her eyebrows. “Mia comes with a lot of baggage.”
“I’m aware of that, and so do I.”
“But you don’t have a ghost in love with you?”
“Not yet.”
Bev laughed.
“Can I ask you a serious question?” Ted asked.
“Fair game, go ahead.”
“If Angelo wiped Mia’s emotional memory of Burt and Whit away, could he also have planted the idea that she should be in love with me?”
“No. You can’t make someone love someone else. It’s been tried on me. I’ve tried it. Magic or science, nothing can make another person love someone, unless they have loved them all along.” She watched as he digested the information. “You’re relieved I see.”
“I didn’t think it was fair. I wanted to make sure it was real. It feels real. I just didn’t want her to wake up one day and realize Angelo caused this and leave me. I think it would kill me.” Ted looked into Bev’s eyes. “I love Mia. I will protect her. I will take care of her to the best of my abilities. I will not stand in her way of growing with her talents. I will be there for her when the sadness comes.”
Bev nodded and was quiet a moment before speaking. “Not that it counts, but you have my blessing. Don’t wait too long. Life has a habit of getting in the way. Take her home to mother, and then wed her,” Bev advised.
Ted walked over and hugged her. “Thank you.”
“Thank you, Ted. Now let go, you’re messing my hairdo.”
Ted did as instructed. Bev patted him on the hand and smiled. “So tell me about that young stud in there?”
“Single, young, vulnerable, smart, young,” Ted warned.
“I hear you. How young?” Bev asked, not waiting for the answer as she walked out the door.
Mia met her in the hall. “Your driver has arrived,” she told her.
“Cid, hand me my coat.”
Cid launched himself off the couch and grabbed Bev’s coat and helped her on with it. “Can I walk you out?”
“Please,” Bev said winking at Mia. “Call me if you need anything else.”
“I will, thanks.”
Bev took Cid’s arm and walked very slowly out the door.
Mia shut the door after them. She put her back to the door a minute and smiled. This morning there had been doubts. This afternoon there were none. The only thing that came in between was a visit from her aunt.
Chapter Fifteen
Mia’s phone rang. She checked the number and was surprised to see Audrey McCarthy’s name in the caller ID. “Hello?”
“Mia, forgive me this intrusion. I begged your number from Mr. Dupree; I won’t tell you what I had to agree to do to get it from him.”
“You don’t have to apologize, Audrey.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Much better. I think I have a handle on what was ailing me. You sound odd. You wanna come out with it, and save us all this small talk?”
“God, I love your directness. Alan called. His, our, client Hagan Fowler tried to choke himself to death in his cell this morning. They have taken him to the hospital in Green Ridge. I understand that’s not too far from you.”
“I know it well.”
“I’m en route and should be there in twenty minutes. He’s stable according to Alan. What I’m proposing is this: Hagan isn’t in the prison, and this may be the only time we may be able to talk to him face to face. Alan has okayed me to visit him and will add you to the list if you agree. Burt asked me to do a little research – actually, I begged him. I could use a person of your experience with me. I’d ask the guys, but I don’t want to be outranked.”
Mia laughed. “I’m hardly a pushover myself, Audrey.”
“I didn’t mean it that way. I just thought we worked well together. Say you’ll be there.”
“I’ll be there. Audrey, how dangerous is this guy?”
“He killed his family with an axe.”
Mia swallowed hard. “I’ve had some experience with axe men. I’ll meet you in the lobby.”
“Thank you!”
Mia ended the call and went in search of Ted. She found him, Cid and Burt inside the command truck looking at some of the stills Burt shot of the interior of the mansion.
“I just got a call from Audrey McCarthy…” Mia informed them and continued to tell them the gist of the phone call. “I’m heading up there, but I’d like to go wired. Not obviously. I don’t want the cops to confiscate a digital voice recorder if you get my drift.”
Burt smiled and patted her on the back. “I have to admit you’re thinking along the right lines. Ted, what can you rig up in the next five minutes?”
Ted looked at her, and Mia could tell he wasn’t seeing her as his girlfriend but a part of a device. “How about an ear com, and I’ll tape from the truck?” He looked at her now as his girlfriend and said, “You’re not driving up there alone.”
“Ted, what about that thing you’ve been playing with? Sandy something?” Cid asked.
“I’m not sure it will work.”
“Ah, who is this Sandy?”
“Sandy spy cam. It’s a teeny little digital video recorder.”
“How small?” Mia asked.
Ted held up his hand and went inside the barn and came out holding a pair of black Wayfarer glasses. Mia whistled. She knew those used to be Mike’s sunglasses. Ted had popped the lenses and put in clear ones. “He left them in my car,” he explained. “It’s a dual feed set up. The right stem is normal and the left is infrared, but that’s the part that doesn’t work.”
“Too close to the body, too much human interference,” Mia said.
“Exactly, but the other feed works. Here, let me put them on.”
Mia held her hair out of the way.
Ted put the glasses on Mia, and Cid couldn’t help but comment, “Naughty librarian.”
Burt shushed him. “Ted, get your stuff. We don’t want Mia to be late. I’m going too. I’ve got a list of questions I’d like Mia to ask if Audrey doesn’t cover it. Unfortunately they are in my head.”
Mia ran to the bathroom and did her best to get used to the glasses. The stems of the glasses were a little heavy, but she secured them with a few bobby pins. She thought she looked smart in the glasses. “Naughty librarian indeed,” she scoffed.
Audrey was waiting in the lobby when Mia arrived. Audrey watched as the diminutive woman scanned the lobby. Once she located Audrey she continued to look around. “I’m glad you came. Nice glasses.”
“Thanks, my contacts were irritating my eyes,” she lied. “I don’t normally wear them. Too heavy,” she explained. “Where’s Hagan?”
“He’s on the third floor in a secure area. Evidently the jail sends inmates to this hospital with anything they ca
n’t deal with onsite. We just have to check in. I hope you brought your ID.”
“No problem. I am a little nervous though,” she admitted.
“Is that why you keep looking around?”
“Oh, no, that’s to check on the lost ones that refuse to leave the premises. One day I’m going to spend some time here herding them towards the light.”
“Is there really a light?”
“Don’t know. I just use that phrase. Most people think there is.”
“Oh. Have you ever had a near death experience?”
“Several, but let’s not waste time on the past,” Mia said in a tone that pretty much told Audrey she wasn’t going to talk about it.
They got off the elevator and walked over to the guard. Audrey presented her credentials as did Mia when asked. He asked them to have a seat while he checked with the attending doctor.
“Mia Cooper, why am I not surprised?”
Mia winced as she recognized Dr. Walters’s voice.
“Remember when I said you needed to hang around a better class of people? Convicts are in the wrong direction,” he scolded.
“Dr. Walters, this is Audrey McCarthy. We are here to bring cheer to Hagan Fowler. And maybe ask him a few questions,” she added, giving him a cat-that-ate-the-canary type of innocent smile.
“Hagan is a very disturbed man, ladies. He is in restraints and has a neck brace on so you’re going to have to get pretty close to him if you want him to see you. He can’t turn his head or move his limbs. He can, however, hurtle foul abuse at you.”
Mia met his eyes and nodded. He narrowed his and wondered when his favorite patient started wearing glasses. “Mia, stop by before you leave. My office is on the fourth floor annex.”
“Will do.”
He nodded to the guard, and he ushered them down the hall towards Hagan’s room.
“He’s cute. I love the been up forty-eight hours straight, dark circles and caffeine jitters look.”
