To Free a Phantom (Spirit Chasers Book 3)

by Carrie Pulkinen

  “Here.” He handed her the clothes and rubbed a hand across the back of his neck.

  His neck…

  Her breath felt as if it were sucked from her lungs. An image flashed in her mind of the back of his head as she… “Oh, God. Did I…did I do that to you?”

  “This?” He gingerly ran his thumb and forefinger across the bruise. “It wasn’t you. I’m okay.”

  The fog in her mind began to recede, bringing the memories she’d so desperately hoped were only dreams into crisp focus. “I choked you.” Her hands shook. She fumbled with her bra straps, finally managing to hook the damn things together on the fifth try. Yanking her shirt over her head, she swung her legs over the side of the bed.

  Gage sat next to her and took her hands in his. “Baby, you didn’t choke me. You were channeling Colette. The ghost did this.”

  “I could have killed you.” She pulled from his grasp and finished dressing. This was her fault. Why had she gone into the theater? Was she trying to escape the rain? Why didn’t she get in her car and drive away? “I’m so sorry, Gage. I don’t know why I went in there.”

  “Hey, it’s okay.” He pulled her into his arms, and for a moment, her trembling subsided. For a moment, she allowed herself the comfort of his embrace. But she didn’t deserve it. She didn’t deserve him.

  “It’s not okay. I just…I don’t remember why.”

  “She has a hold on you. She probably called you in. I don’t know how far she can stretch from the mirror, but she may have even forced you. It’s not your fault.”

  She pushed him away. “Yes, it is.”

  “No, it’s not. Look, come with me.” He took her hand and tugged her through the living room. A massive, black duffel bag sat on the couch next to his backpack, but he pulled her past it toward the kitchen table.

  “What’s in the bag?”

  He flashed a cocky grin. “Everything we need to vanquish the ghost for good.”

  “Gage, I can’t endanger you again.” He may have fought off demons and all kinds of evil spirits in the past, but this was different. Erica had almost killed him herself, and she couldn’t let that happen again.

  He ignored her comment and picked up a manila folder from the table. “Look.” Opening the folder, he spread the papers across the surface.

  She scanned the pages: newspaper articles, obituaries, death certificates. “What is all this?”

  “I did some research on Colette DeVeau. She was an actress on Broadway like she said, but she wasn’t famous for the reasons she told you. She’s a murderer.”

  Her breath caught at the accusation. “Not Colette.” She backed away. Colette had been her mentor. She loved the theater. She loved helping, teaching. She wasn’t capable of murder.

  Gage grasped her hand. “Please, hear me out. Look at this.” He passed her a photocopy of a newspaper image. The woman in the photo had long, dark hair piled on top of her head, with shiny ringlets framing her delicate features.

  The paper shook in Erica’s hand. Her heart stammered. “Where did you get this?”

  “It’s from an article in the New York Times on February 5, 1946. Is that Colette?”

  She opened her mouth to speak, but words wouldn’t form on her tongue. The paper slipped from her hands, floating down to the floor.

  He handed her a copy of the article. A smaller version of the same photograph appeared beneath the headline: Broadway Starlet Murders Husbands, Killed by Jealous Lover.

  “This can’t be real.”

  Gage touched his hand to his neck. “She strangled her first three husbands. She had plans to kill the fourth when she discovered he was having an affair with the star for which she was the understudy. But the mistress got to her first.”

  Her head spun, and she grabbed the back of the chair for support. “How do you know it was she who killed her husbands?”

  “She kept a diary. They found it after she was murdered.”

  She inhaled deeply, squeezing her eyes shut and trying desperately to make the room stop spinning. Though she didn’t want to believe it, the pieces slowly began clicking together. The things Colette had said about Gage. That men were only good for sex and money. That he was trying to hold her back. She’d said the same thing about Mrs. Spencer’s husband. She covered her mouth to stifle a gasp. “Mrs. Spencer.”

  “She strangled her husband too. Colette probably forced her to do it…like she tried to force you.”

  A cold heaviness formed in her chest like a block of ice expanding in her core. She’d screwed up, yet again, and this time it almost cost Gage his life. She needed to leave. To get far, far away from him before she did anything else stupid. “You almost died because of me. My hands almost murdered you.”

  “Hey.” He wrapped his arms around her. “It’s not your fault.”

  “But it is. I’m the one who got the mirror in the first place. I invited her into our lives, and then I hid her from you. You could have died, and it would have been my fault. I could have killed you.” A sob lodged in her throat, but she swallowed it down. “Just like I killed my mom.” She tried to pull from his embrace, but he caught her by the shoulders. She stared at the floor, unable to meet his gaze.

  “Look at me.” He hooked a finger under her chin, raising her eyes to meet his. “You did not kill your mom.”

  “Yes, I did. I mess up everything I touch. I need to go. Where’s my stuff?”

  He dropped his arms by his sides. “Your keys are on the kitchen counter. That’s all you had on you when I carried you out of the theater.”

  She marched to the kitchen and grabbed her keys. “My purse…my phone…” She squeezed her eyes shut as the memory returned. She’d taken shelter with the students under the covered theater entrance when the rain started. Her purse must’ve still been in her car. “Where’s your phone? I need to call a cab.”

  “Please don’t leave. I have a plan to fix this. We can fight her together.”

  “No, Gage. You need to stay away from me. I’m dangerous.”

  “You’re not dangerous; the ghost is. But I know how to break her connection to the mirror. As long as you can follow Allison’s instructions to make the portal, we can get rid of her for good.”

  Make a portal? She couldn’t even think straight; there was no way she could focus enough to make a gateway to another realm. “No. She’s put thoughts into my head. I don’t trust myself.” She paced to the front door and fumbled with the lock.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I’ll walk to the theater. I need my car. I need to go.” She unlocked the door.

  “Wait.” He sighed heavily and grabbed his own keys from the counter. “I will drive you to your car, if you promise to go home and not step foot inside that theater alone.”

  Pressure mounted in the back of her eyes as she took in his pained expression. She’d hurt him, but if he hung around her any longer, she might kill him. She could never live with herself if Gage lost his life for her. He couldn’t help her vanquish the ghost. She had to do it on her own.

  “I won’t go in the theater. I just want to go home.”

  Gage opened the door, and she followed him through the parking lot and climbed into his Jeep. He gripped the steering wheel as if he wanted to strangle it and drove her to the theater without saying another word.

  She stared out the window, unable to speak through the thickness of tears in her throat. Confusing thoughts clouded her mind like a tornado whirling through her head. Colette’s words rang in her ears: Men are only good for sex and money. He’s holding you back; he’ll try to get rid of me and it will feel like I’m being burned alive.

  Erica shuddered. Murderer or not, she wouldn’t wish that fate on anyone. There had to be another way.

  Gage stopped next to Erica’s car and shifted into park. She reached for the door handle, and he caught her other hand. “We can fix this together.”

  “No, Gage. We can’t.” She pulled from his grasp.

  “I love you.�
��

  “I know, but please…stay away from me.” She slid out of the car before he could say anything else to make her change her mind. His gaze bore into her back as she unlocked her door and climbed into the driver’s seat.

  With trembling hands, she turned the key in the ignition and buckled her seatbelt. This was the right thing to do. He wasn’t safe with her. No one was.

  Gage clenched his teeth so hard a sharp pain shot through his jaw. That didn’t go anything like he’d expected. He clutched the steering wheel and followed Erica as she drove to her apartment, keeping far enough behind that she wouldn’t notice him. She’d promised not to go back inside the theater alone, but he’d heard that same promise dance from her lips before.

  The ghost in the mirror had a hold on Erica’s mind, and until they’d vanquished it, she couldn’t be trusted to make sound decisions.

  He stopped along the curb and watched as she climbed out of her car and plodded toward the staircase. She kept her gaze trained on the ground, her posture slumped, her movements heavy.

  As she disappeared up the steps, he slammed on the gas and headed home. Damn it, he had to fix this. Erica needed his help…whether she wanted it or not. She needed him. And he needed her.

  It was only a matter of time before she went back to the theater, and he planned to make damn sure he met her there when she did. Inside his apartment, he opened his laptop and hacked his way into the theater’s video surveillance. When D.A.P.S. had done their investigation a few years ago, he’d tapped into the system to use the existing cameras to gather paranormal evidence…with Mrs. Spencer’s permission. What he was doing now was highly illegal, but fuck it. Erica’s life was at stake.

  He found the feed for the parking lot camera and positioned the live image on a monitor in his office. The theater was a five-minute drive from his house. The second he saw her car pull in, he’d be out the door and on his way to meet her. His bag full of supplies sat packed and ready by the door.

  Hopefully, between the charge he’d be emitting into the air around the ghost and Allison’s crystal, Erica would be able to create the psychic portal beneath the spirit and force her into it. But with the mindset she’d had this morning, who knew? She wasn’t thinking clearly. He needed a backup plan.

  Portals were made of energy. The PILFER machine he planned to use to break the spirit’s bond from the mirror would charge the air with positive ions. If he set up another device next to the crystal to create another energy field, all Erica would need to do was tap into the energy already there. Give it a psychic boost to connect it to the spirit realm.

  He trotted to the living room and shoved the machine and an extra battery pack into his bag before racing back to the office to check the screen. The parking lot still sat empty. He let out a breath. He had a plan of attack, and the equipment to execute it. If he could send a shadow demon back to hell, he could handle a murderous ghost.

  But what if Erica couldn’t create the portal? What if she started channeling the ghost as soon as she entered the building and didn’t have control of her mind? He tapped a pen against the desk and stared at the screen. He needed a backup for his backup plan.

  Allison wasn’t going anywhere near the evil spirit, and all the other mediums he knew would probably pass based on the danger factor involved. Well, all but one. He picked up his phone. Tina hadn’t realized she had psychic tendencies until a year ago, when her fight with the shadow demon triggered her ability. She could see spirits…and demons…but she didn’t have much more experience in mediumship than Erica. She would help him, though, and having two inexperienced mediums was better than nothing.

  He dialed her number.

  “Hey, Gage. What’s up?” Her cheerful voice wouldn’t stay cheerful once he answered her question.

  No point in beating around the bush. “I need your help.”

  “Uh oh. That sounds serious.”

  “It is.” He told her what had happened with the ghost. “Erica has the power to create the portal, but she’s not thinking straight. I expect her to show up at the theater any time now, and I have to be there to help her. I know you said you wanted nothing to do with ghosts after what happened to you and Trent, but I’m desperate. Allison can’t help.”

  Tina paused, inhaling deeply before she responded. “No, Allie can’t. You know you can count on me, though. Trent too. You did save his soul from a shadow demon.” The smile behind her voice was evident, but so was the apprehension.

  “I can’t take all the credit. That was a group effort.”

  “And this will be too. I don’t know how much help we’ll be, but we’ll be there.”

  “Thanks, Tina.”

  He pressed the end button and ran through a mental checklist. He had the gear. He had psychic help for Erica. Trent would keep Tina grounded; Gage would ground Erica. But if he was holding onto her the entire time, he’d need help with the gear.

  He dialed Lindsay’s number. “Want to help me vanquish a murderous ghost?”

  “Hell yeah. Let’s do it.”

  Erica set the small crystal Allison had given her in the center of her living room. If she was going to help Colette cross over, she first needed to be sure she could create the damn portal to begin with. She stared at the stone and imagined a white light coming down from the universe, like Allison had told her to do.

  She tried to focus on the light, but so many thoughts raced through her mind, she couldn’t focus. Her stomach churned every time an image of Gage flashed behind her eyes. Pressure built in her chest until she thought her heart would explode.

  Gage was the most amazing man she’d ever met. Her best friend. Her lover. But she couldn’t be with him now. Not when she’d almost killed him.

  She shook her head to chase the thoughts from her mind and refocused on the crystal. On the light. Every muscle in her body tensed as she willed the portal to open. Nothing happened. Her efforts were as futile as a kid who’d seen Star Wars and tried to use the Force to move things with his mind.

  She needed to relax. How could the energy flow if she’d clenched and clamped down every aspect of her being? Deep breaths. Inhale. Exhale. Slowly, one by one, she relaxed each muscle in her body. She sat cross-legged on the carpet, ignoring the raging storm of doubtful thoughts in the back of her mind and opened her heart to the universe.

  A beam of pale, white light formed around the crystal, extending up through the ceiling. Tiny flecks of silver sparkled in the light, dancing like dandelions in a spring breeze. Her stomach fluttered. She’d done it. She’d created a portal. A tapping sound on the window drew her attention away from the light. As soon as her focus shifted, the light dissipated, closing the gateway.

  “Sandra.” She shot to her feet and raced to the window. “I think I can help you. Come in.”

  The spirit shook her head, her sad expression tearing at Erica’s heart.

  “Why not? Oh! The salt.” She grabbed her hand-held vacuum and sucked up the line of salt in front of the window.

  Sandra drifted in through the glass, her excited gaze lingering on Erica’s. “I felt the portal when you made it. It called to me, but I couldn’t get in.”

  Erica’s heart raced. “I did it right then. I’ll make another one.” She returned to a seated position, clenching her fists in her lap. “Are you sure this is what you want? I doubt I can bring you back once you cross.”

  “I don’t belong here.”

  “Okay. Here goes.” She tensed her shoulders, focusing her energy on the crystal, imagining the light.

  The spirit cut her gaze between Erica and the stone. “I don’t feel it. Are you sure you’re doing it right?”

  She exhaled and unclenched her fists. She had to relax or this would never work. “I’m too excited. Give me a second to calm down.” She breathed deeply, relaxing her body, allowing her gaze to go unfocused on the crystal. The light shimmered and dissipated. The ghost looked at her expectantly.

  With one more deep inhale and exhale, the
portal grew, a beam of warm, white light extending up into the universe.

  An ethereal tear rolled down Sandra’s cheek as she placed a frigid hand on Erica’s shoulder. “Thank you.” She floated to the light and disappeared in a shimmering mist.

  Erica gasped and pressed a hand against her chest. There had been no pain. The ghost didn’t scream or appear to feel as if she were being ripped from the Earth. It had been a peaceful crossing. Sandra was finally at rest.

  Could Erica do the same for Colette? After what the ghost had made her do to Gage—what it had done to Mrs. Spencer—she had to get rid of her. If she could convince the wicked spirit the crossing over would be painless, surely Colette would want to leave. She wouldn’t possibly choose an eternity trapped inside…no, not trapped inside…attached to a mirror.

  She still had a hard time believing the spirit she’d considered a trusted mentor could be so evil, but the evidence proved it was true. And since Erica was the one who brought her into their lives, she had to be the one to vanquish her. She wouldn’t endanger anyone else.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Gage stopped in the coffee shop parking lot across from the theater, in the space closest to the exit, facing the street. His friends would be showing up anytime, and then they’d form their plan of attack. Sure, between hacking into the security system and staking out the entrance, his actions could’ve been considered creepy. But he’d much rather be accused of stalker-like activity than face the consequences of letting Erica handle a serial killer ghost on her own. Even if she did figure out how to detach the spirit from the mirror and force her to cross over, the lasting effects a ghost that strong could have on her mind would be detrimental.

  His heart raced as Erica parked at the theater and slid out of her car. His suspicion that she’d try to handle this alone had been spot-on, but he’d been hoping she’d prove him wrong. She scanned the parking lot, probably looking for his Jeep, and tiptoed toward the entrance. He followed, slinging his heavy duffel bag over his shoulder and darting across the street.