“Neurologists and pharmacists would be the likely choices. Registered nurses, doctors are also possible. Still it would narrow the search considerably.” Jael paused, wondering how long it would take to run through the possibilities. In Crystal Falls, there couldn’t be that many, but surrounding towns, especially Billings, would add to the possibilities. “Travis might be able to find out at the hospital if any vecuronium has gone missing without raising any alarm bells.”
She’d dated Doctor Travis Smith for a short period after his divorce, and they had remained close friends when they agreed their relationship wasn’t working. He was still in love with his ex-wife; the only reason they’d split was his job as the emergency room doctor required long hours, and Peg was tired of playing second fiddle to his career.
“Let’s not explore that option yet. I’ll check with the M.E., but first I need to find Annabell’s body.” Cleg took his phone back from her and clipped it onto his belt. His expression was somber, and it was clear he was wishing he’d stopped the killer before the fourth woman had met her end. “Did any of the women get a good look at their killer?”
Jael nodded. “They were all able to give a good description. I spoke with them separately so their stories wouldn’t be influenced. I can tell you what he looked like, but how’s that going to help you?”
“Actually, the Captain might approve you sitting with our sketch artist. It would require a little explanation, but it could save lives. He’s a hellhound, so he’ll understand our interesting situation. I’ve got to go, but I’ll let you know what I find.” Cleg eyed Death for a moment, and there was a touch of hostility in his gaze. “Keep her safe.”
Death nodded. “Always.”
Jael rose form the sofa, drawing Cleg’s attention. “I can take care of myself.”
“My dear sister, I never doubt you there, I only meant you fit the type of woman the killer is looking for. Stay out of danger. I’ll be in touch soon.” Cleg strolled toward the door when she called out to him.
“There’s another thing, I think he might be targeting women who have broken down. Both Maddie and Shelly were traveling through. They stopped at a rest stop just before hitting Johnsonville Road. It’s possible he’s doing something to the cars.”
“I’ll check into that.” He called to her seconds before he opened the front door, and disappeared leaving her alone with Death.
Chapter Four
“What am I supposed to do now? I can’t just sit here knowing those women are waiting for justice, or Heaven forbid he’s out there stalking another woman.” Jael paced, unable to stay still. With Jamie and Annabell feeling safer in Thanatos, the spirits weren’t looming about waiting, but she knew they were just as anxious about getting it over with as she was.
“Kochanie, he’s right, you are the killer’s type. You go chasing after him, and you are putting yourself in danger. You’ve done what you could for the moment, now let Cleg handle it.” Death sat on the sofa, his gaze following her as she paced.
She stopped in front of the sofa. “Why do you call me kochanie?”
“Because that’s what you are to me.” He explained it as if it was obvious.
“When mom passed, she said the Grim Reaper is the first daughter of each generation. I’m to pass this on to my child. That’s why we could never be.”
“We could if you gave us a chance. There’s no reason you couldn’t swell with child and carry your legacy on. Is that why you’re pushing me away?” He raised an eyebrow at her.
“You’re dead, that is the reason I couldn’t have your child.”
Death let out a lighthearted chuckle. “Dead? What gave you that impression?”
“I don’t know, maybe the fact no one else can see you?”
“Cleg can see me.” He glided toward her until he stood in front of her.
“That’s because he’s the heir to Hell’s throne. If no one can see you that means you’re not human. I can’t be with someone who can’t be there when I need him.”
“I’m always there for you. All you have to do is call me.” She turned around when he paused.
Debate crossed his strong features. She wanted to say something, but his eyes held hers, causing her voice to fail her. He reached for her hand. “Jael, I’m not dead nor have I ever been born. I’m a thought brought into creation. I can make people see me if I want, there just never seems to be a reason.”
“A thought?”
“Yes, a thought. There was a need for someone to teach each Grim Reaper their job, to oversee the dead as they find their way to the light, and to make sure those who don’t deserve the light never find it.”
She tried to wrap her mind around his explanation, but at that moment rational thoughts were beyond her. Maybe, once she had more sleep, she’d consider his words again.
As if summoned by her need to do something her cell phone rang. She snatched it off the sofa cushion, slid her finger over the screen and hit speakerphone. There was only one person who had that ringtone, her paramedic partner.
“Hello, Nathan.”
“The Lieutenant needs us to cover a shift. There was a riot last night, two of the paramedics on duty were injured. Paul is home with a concussion, his partner’s in the hospital.”
Sinking down onto the sofa, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes, listening to Nathan’s husky voice. Since Nathan transferred from the fire department to the ambulance squad, she wanted more than just friendship with him. His deeply muscled body, sandy brown hair, and green eyes haunted her dreams. Nathan was a natural flirt, any interest he had showed never seemed to convince her that anything could be between them. She stood by waiting, doing her best to be content with their friendship. Now she was trapped between two men she couldn’t have.
“I have something going on.” Not wanting to explain what she was busy with, she quickly added, “When do I need to be there?”
“We have an hour before the shift starts. Do you want me to pick you up?”
“Sure. I’ll be ready.” Ending the conversation, she turned back to Death. “At least work will keep my mind off of this.”
Death smirked at her. “I will be going with you to watch over you.”
“I can do my job without a bodyguard. I was a paramedic first, I can’t give that up.” She eyed him, anger teasing along the surface.
He raised his hand in front of him. “I said nothing about your profession. I only want to make sure you’re safe.”
Safe. She wasn’t sure if she should be touched by his desire to protect her or insulted he thought she couldn’t protect herself. In the end she decided on touched, after all there was a serial killer stalking her town.
* * *
Jael had just changed into her uniform and was coming down the stairs from the loft when her doorbell rang. “Please let there be no deaths on the job tonight.” She mumbled to herself as she went for the door.
Opening it, she found Nathan looking as attractive as ever. His dark blue uniform fit snugly over his muscled body, earned from long hours in the gym. His shaggy sandy brown hair and piercing green eyes made him look more like a surfer than a paramedic. Heat raced through her body just from looking at him.
“Come in. I just need to grab my keys.”
Strolling back toward the kitchen where her keys hung, she found Death waiting next to the bar. How she was supposed to get through the night without talking to Death, in turn making herself look like an idiot talking to thin air, she didn’t know.
“What are you doing here?” Nathan asked.
“Nathan?” Jael asked, glancing from him to Death.
“He can see me,” Death explained.
Her heart skipped a beat. Was Death making himself visible on purpose? Explaining Death as a ride along without prior permission was going to be difficult if not impossible. “How?”
“He’s fae.”
“What the hell is going on here?” Nathan asked, his gaze traveling between the two of them.
&n
bsp; This night just got a hell of a lot harder. Jael wanted to curse her luck.
“Nathan, don’t you think you should tell her now?” Death’s voice was hard, but nowhere near as deadly as his stare.
“Leave us. I’ll tell her.”
“What are you two talking about?” Jael felt as if she’d missed something important.
Death moved across the room, giving them some privacy, the tension heavy in the air. “What was he talking about?” Jael stood to face Nathan.
Nathan stepped farther into the kitchen, avoiding her eyes. “With his presence here it’s clear you’re the Śmierć.”
“What?” Jael didn’t know what a Śmierć was and she didn’t understand what that had to do with anything.
“It’s the Polish version of the Grim Reaper,” Nathan explained. “I can see him because my father was different. It was passed down to me, somewhat like your gift was passed from your mother.”
“What do you mean? You can see spirits, too?”
“No. But I have my own gift.” He paused as if he weren’t sure how to continue. “As Death said, I’m fae, my gift is to heal. It’s why I became a paramedic.”
Jael stood there listening to him, but she wasn’t sure what to say. She didn’t doubt Nathan. After all, if she could see ghosts, why couldn’t he heal someone? A few weeks ago she didn’t believe any of this existed but now anything was possible.
“Let me show you.” He took her hand, wrapping his over it. She had a cut on her hand, slicing deep through the soft skin between her thumb and index finger from a few days ago, when Death showed up while she was cooking, causing her to cut her finger instead of the potato. A warm glowing sensation surrounded her hand. It didn’t hurt, but made her gasp in surprise.
When he let go, her hand was healed. There wasn’t even a scar, no sign of the wound at all.
“Now, why couldn’t I get that?” she asked, awed.
He let her hand fall away. “It’s not as wonderful as it seems. It takes a lot out of you, and you should have seen it when I was a teenager and came into the gift. I couldn’t control it and made a freak out of myself more than once.”
“Have you ever used this on a call?”
“Last month. Remember the little girl who nearly drowned?”
“You saved her?” Memories from calls where mysteriously the patient recovered flooded back to her.
“Yeah. She was so young. If I couldn’t save a little girl like that, then what use is my gift?”
She didn’t know what to say. Forfeiting speech altogether, she nodded knowing she would have felt the same way. The deaths of children were one of the hardest parts of her job.
* * *
“Tonight’s shift hasn’t been too bad for a Friday night.” Nathan leaned back in the booth they normally sat in at Dolly’s Diner. On coffee breaks, they always stopped by Dolly’s. They were regulars along with a lot of the other paramedics, firefighters, and the police department. Dolly treated them well and didn’t mind them hanging out. When they stopped for food, she did her best to get it out right away in case they received a call.
A couple police officers walked in, discussing the riot from the night before. They nodded, sharing a friendly hello. The fire and police departments were across the street from each other, both having BBQs, picnics, parties, and other events together. Interfacing and getting along well.
“Have a care, Nat. We still have two hours. Don’t say things like that until we park in the bay at the house and the locker room is in sight.” Last week was the first week since she’d started back full time since her mother’s death. Before that, it was part time while she dealt with all the arrangements, cleaning out her mother’s house to rent out or sell. Adjusting back to full time had played havoc on her sleep schedule and it didn’t help Death had interrupted her.
Death’s presence in the ambulance had made the small space tense. Even now he sat next to her silently scanning the diner. What was the reason for the hostility between them? She made a mental note to ask Death about it once they were alone.
“You’re too superstitious. Get over it. Tonight is going to be quiet. I know you want excitement, but not tonight,” Nathan teased.
Jael rolled her eyes and lifted her coffee cup to signal to Dolly that she needed more. Suddenly, the quiet night ended with the radio cracking to life.
“ER seven. Johnsonville Road, mile marker thirty-seven. Code thirty-two, major trauma.”
“On our way,” Nathan said into the radio before reaching down to take a last gulp of coffee.
Jael threw money on the table while giving him a look that could kill. “This is all your fault.”
“Blame me if you want, but it’s not going to change the situation. We gotta roll with the flow, sweetie. I’ll even buy breakfast when this is all said and done to make it up to you. Now get your butt in gear.”
“Thanks, Dolly,” they hollered, heading out the door.
Nathan slid the ambulance into drive, light and sirens blaring as they headed toward the scene.
“Johnsonville Road,” Jael muttered.
“What is it?” Nathan asked as they sped along, rushing toward the call.
“She’s not dead yet or she would have come to you.” Death laid his hand on her shoulder.
“What the hell are you two talking about? We don’t know anyone is dying.” Nathan didn’t look away from the road but his forehead was furrowed in confusion.
“It’s a long story but there’s a serial killer on the loose. I think he’s favoring Johnsonville Road because of how quiet it is in the middle of the night.” Jael looked to Death, the first trembles of fear showing. Fear of what she’d find when they arrived at the scene. Fear that the killer could be lurking nearby and see her.
“He’s targeting attractive blonde women in their twenties, it’s why I’ve accompanied Jael this night,” Death explained, turning sideways in the jump seat in the patient area to look at her.
Nathan shot a quick glance at her. “You didn’t think this was worth mentioning? As a first responder you could be placing yourself in more danger.”
“I know, and it’s part of the job. I will be fine. Cleg is working the case, so knowing my brother, the perp will be caught quickly.” Jael tried to reassume Nathan as well as herself.
As they neared the scene, flashing lights lit the night sky like fireworks on the fourth of July. Police, fire, and now paramedics lined the side of the road. Nathan steered the ambulance at an angle behind the fire truck, leaving enough room they could do a quick three point turn to rush the patient back to Crystal Falls Hospital. Cleg’s white police issued SUV stood out amongst all the marked cars just ahead.
Jael turned in her seat to look at Death. “Can you do something so that if there are others with supernatural blood, they won’t see you? I don’t want to have to explain why you’re here.”
“Anything for you, kochanie.” Death nodded and came to the front to exit with her so they wouldn’t have to explain why the rear door opened by itself.
By the time Jael and Death came around the ambulance Nathan had already pulled out their medical bag. She snatched the cardiac monitor off the shelf and shouldered it before reaching back in to pull out the stretcher.
“There’s no need for any of that.” Cleg called to them as he strolled to them. “DOA, the M.E. is on the way.”
“Another victim? It can’t be Annabell, or we wouldn’t have been called.”
“Another victim? Annabell? Jael, what the hell is going on?” Nathan looked from her to Cleg.
Her big mouth got not only herself but Cleg in deep this time. She had too many secrets now not to watch what she said around others. Nathan might know her secret but it wasn’t her place to tell Cleg’s or even about the murders.
Cleg gave a brief nod. “He’ll find out eventually. With five murders, the media will be running the story soon.”
“Five?” Nathan’s eyes bulged with shock. “How do you know about this if no
one else does?”
“It’s a long story, Jael can explain. First…Jael, I need a minute alone.” Cleg turned on his heels, stomping away without waiting to see if she followed. Twenty yards off, just far enough out of Nathan’s hearing, Cleg stopped and waited for her to join him. “What’s he doing here?” He nodded to Death.
She laughed at the worry that lined her twin’s face. If he wasn’t careful he’d be a wrinkle mess before he was thirty. “He’s been following me around like my shadow on a sunny day. Don’t worry, no one besides you and Nathan can see him.”
“Nathan?” His eyebrow rose up in question.
“Nathan is fae, a healer. Supernatural blood in Nathan allows him to see Death.” Now she was telling Cleg what Nathan was when she just told herself she couldn’t reveal her brother’s destiny, not even to her partner. This was a double standard at its best.
“You’ve got to be kidding me. I’d have never guessed.” Cleg looked to Nathan. “Just keep in mind that anyone with enough supernatural blood can see Death unless he cloaks himself from it. If he’s going to follow you around like a damn guard dog, make sure he stays hidden. We could both lose our jobs and worse if anyone finds out what we are.”
“I’ll make sure he does. Now tell me what you stopped me from seeing.” Jael looked off in the direction of the scene. With all the emergency lights highlighting the darkness she couldn’t see anything beyond a few vehicles. She had a feeling that it would be like the others from the crime scene photos Cleg showed her. A woman lying on the roof of the car, pieces of her skin torn from her body, her throat slit. If he held to pattern, it would be another blonde in her twenties.
“Amber Brown, twenty-two, from Denver. She was passing through when her car broke down. Just like the others. Has she not appeared to you yet?”
“No. She might still be by her body, watching. Death explained sometimes they do that when they’re not ready to leave. Can you get me closer?”
Cleg tipped his head back in a gesture to Death. “You haven’t had enough time to gather control over your powers, or you could make yourself invisible to travel through the others unnoticed. However, in the meantime, Death can make you invisible with his touch.”
A Touch of Death Page 4
