‘You’d better tell him all of it.’
‘What’s going on?’ Jake asked looking back and forth between the two of them.
Restless, Olivia rose from the couch, needing some space between her and Jake while she organised her thoughts and tried to work out where to start.
‘My father has been leaving me little gifts, mementos of my childhood, for a little while now,’ she began.
‘You’ve been in contact with him?’ Jake’s expression darkened.
‘No,’ she shook her head, ‘I haven’t; the first time was a couple of weeks ago. He left a doll on my porch during the night.’
‘What sort of doll?’
‘My doll specifically, the one I was holding the night of the fire.’ She moved towards the desk and opened the drawer retrieving the doll and handing it to Jake.
‘Jesus Olive,’ he examined it closely, ‘is this blood?’
She nodded slowly.
‘I would imagine if you had it tested it would be my mother’s blood.’
‘You said gifts?’ Jake’s eyes narrowed, ‘what else?’
He watched as her eyes fell on the little golden puppy chewing on the corner of the rug.
‘We found Beau in a box on the porch last night; he was wearing a collar with the name Truman on it.’
Hearing his name, the puppy leapt up and scrambled over to Olivia and tried to climb her leg.
‘Beau?’
‘I changed his name,’ she picked him up and stroked his head as he nuzzled into her licking her face. ‘I’m sure you can appreciate why.’
‘How is he doing it? I thought you said he couldn’t cross the protection line.’
‘I don’t know,’ she shrugged. ‘He shouldn’t be able to, I’ve gone over and over it in my head and the only two answers I can come up with is either he doesn’t intend me harm or he is getting someone else to cross the line and leave things.’
Is there anything else other than the doll and the puppy?’
‘Not at the house.’
‘Explain.’
‘Theo and I went into town this morning,’ she elaborated, ‘we needed some supplies for Beau. We went to the Bailey’s store and then to the coffee shop. When I got back to my car it was unlocked and on my seat was my favorite childhood book, the one my dad used to read to me almost every night. I looked up and there he was across the street, just standing there looking at me as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he wasn’t even trying to hide.’
‘For God’s sake Olive,’ Jake stood abruptly, ‘why the hell didn’t you report it? He’s a convicted felon who’s on the run and he’s dangerous.’
‘There was no point,’ she put Beau back down on the floor watching absently as he ambled over to Theo and began to play tug of war with the hem of his jeans.
‘No point?’ Jake shouted angrily, ‘that wasn’t your call to make; you should have reported it immediately.’
‘And just who the fuck was I supposed to report it to Jake?’ she shouted back as her temper flared, ‘the Chief of police who thinks I am in league with my father? Or maybe I should have told Deputy Walker who thinks I murdered his brother? Or perhaps I should have tried Deputy Helga, who has been my own personal stalker for weeks now. I could have invited her over, we could’ve painted each other’s toenails and I could’ve told her all about my daddy sending me sick little presents designed to remind me of the worst night of my life?’
‘You could have told me,’ he replied quietly.
‘I just did,’ she answered crossly, ‘but you have no idea what this feels like. To know that the people who are supposed to protect you think you’re a cold blooded killer. To know that the whole town is whispering behind my back wondering if I am the same as my father; to come home shaken up after seeing my father for the first time in twenty years to find my home violated and that shit smeared all over my door? And you think I should go to the police? Well I’m sorry Jake but I don’t trust the police.’
‘You can trust me,’ his eyes were dark and hurt.
‘I do trust you,’ she sighed shaking her head, ‘but you already said yourself the Chief pretty much has you on a tight leash, you’re operating on limited resources. I do need you to help me figure all this out but we can’t involve the police department.’
‘Fine,’ Jake conceded, ‘as long as you promise to call me straight away when something happens, not fill me in hours later because I happened to drop by.’
‘Fair enough,’ Olivia nodded, ‘and in the interest of full disclosure, I should probably tell you that there’s a demon trapped in the woods.’
‘What?’ Jake looked up sharply, ‘seriously?’
‘Okay here’s the short version, try and keep up,’ Olivia sucked in a deep breath. ‘The serpent seal branded into all the murder victims is actually a demon seal. The two serpents represent demon brothers one named Seth and the other Nathaniel, as in Nathaniel Boothe the man Theo knew back in 1695. It turns out he wasn’t a cleric at all but a demon disguising himself as a priest. You gotta love the irony, anyway, he followed Hester to Mercy and she trapped him in a devil’s trap in the woods and sealed it with her own blood. The place where he was trapped was named after him, hence the name Boothe’s Hollow.’
‘Wow,’ Jake dropped back down to the couch trying to assimilate the information, ‘There really is a demon in the woods?’
‘Yes,’ Olivia confirmed, ‘that’s the presence I have been feeling.’
‘But you didn’t feel it back when we were kids?’ Jake frowned thoughtfully, ‘we played in the woods all the time.’
‘No, I didn’t feel it back then, it must have been dormant.’
‘So what has changed recently?’
‘The murders,’ Olivia answered.
‘You think the murders are directly linked to this demon Nathaniel?’
‘They would almost have to be wouldn’t they?’ Olivia replied, ‘each of the bodies was branded with the seal and dumped in the woods with body parts missing. Maybe they are sacrifices of some sort, some part of a raising ritual?’
‘It does make sense doesn’t it,’ Jake mused scratching the stubble at his jaw thoughtfully, ‘so the murders back in ‘94 would mean someone was trying to raise the demon even back then.’
‘That’s what I thought,’ Olivia nodded, ‘but whoever it was must have been interrupted before they could complete the raising.
‘But why wait twenty years to try again?’ Jake asked, ‘I hate to say it Olive but it’s not looking good for your dad.’
‘I’m well aware of that’ she murmured quietly, ‘that’s why we have to figure out the truth before the ritual is complete and a demon is let loose on Mercy. Last time Nathaniel managed to manipulate everyone into a witch hunt. Could you imagine the kind of damage he could do now, with access to social media and the Internet, not to mention modern technology.’
‘Jesus,’ Jake breathed, ‘he’d probably make Charles Manson look like a saint.’
‘Exactly.’
‘Who’s Charles Manson?’ Theo interrupted.
‘I’ll tell you later,’ Olivia brushed the question aside.
‘So where do we go from here,’ Jake frowned, ‘I don’t exactly have any experience with demons and raising rituals.’
‘None of us do,’ Olivia shook her head, ‘we’re just kind of winging it here but I suppose the logical place to start would be to find out how Hester locked Nathaniel in the trap and how it could be broken. If we could find out how the murderer intends to open the trap maybe we can figure out a way to stop him.’
‘So how do we figure out what spell Hester used?’ Jake asked, ‘not to be funny but the woman’s been dead three hundred years.’
‘I’m re-reading all her journals to see if there is even a slight mention of it. To be honest what we need is her Grimoire but I have no idea where it could be, if it even still exists.’
‘I need a bee
r,’ Jake grumbled.
‘I’ll get you one,’ Theo moved towards the door, ‘Olivia?’
‘No thanks.’
As Theo disappeared into the kitchen the doorbell rung, the strident sound startling them out of their musing. Following after Beau who scrambled frantically on the wooden floor and skidded out into the hallway barking, Olivia scooped him up into her arms and opened the door.
‘Mags?’ her mouth fell open in shock as she took in her dearest friend.
‘Pick your jaw up Olivia before someone trips over it.’ She smoothed her cashmere coat absently and removed her leather driving gloves, tucking them inside her handbag.
‘You didn’t have to come all the way out here,’ Olivia said, uncomfortably aware of the word ‘murderer’ scrawled untidily across the door right next to her.
‘I wouldn’t have had to if you’d answered your phone.’
Olivia let out a silent curse, she’d meant to phone Mags yesterday but got sidetracked when they’d discovered the seal and then she’d completely forgotten.
Beau scrambled and wriggled in her grasp at the thought of a new person to play with.
Mags’ gaze passed over the enthusiastic dog to rest on the glaringly obvious letters on the door.
‘I can explain,’ Olivia started as she tried to juggle the wriggling puppy.
‘There’s no need,’ Mags answered seriously, ‘I know about the murders. We need to talk.’
‘Oh,’ she replied taken aback, ‘well come in.’
She stepped back and allowed Mags to pass by and hang her coat on the rack by the door. Leading her into the library where Theo was handing Jake a beer she passed the dog over to him, so he wouldn’t start chewing on Mags the second he hit the floor.
‘Theo, Jake, this is Mags,’ she introduced them, ‘Mags, Theo and Jake.’
Jake swallowed his mouthful of beer and his gaze landed on Mags, his eyes narrowing as he took in her impeccable and expensive suit and low practical heels.
‘You’re Margaret Hale aren’t you?’
‘You’re good with names,’ her mouth tightened into a thin line.
‘I’m good with faces too,’ he replied, ‘you were at Evelyn’s funeral.’
‘What is he talking about Mags?’ Olivia asked in confusion, ‘why would he think you were at Aunt Evie’s funeral, you never knew her.’
‘That’s one of the things I wanted to talk to you about,’ Mags answered quietly, ‘the truth is I knew your Aunt very well. We were together for over forty years.’
‘What?’ She gasped, ‘what do you mean together?’
‘I mean we were a couple,’ she sighed. ‘We loved each other but very few people actually knew about us, which was the way we wanted it.’
‘I don’t understand.’
‘I have so much to tell you,’
Olivia’s expression hardened.
‘So start talking.’
Mags glanced across at Theo and Jake.
‘Whenever you have to say to me you can say in front of them.’
‘Very well, you have always believed that Evie didn’t want you but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The night your mother and grandmother died, Evie was also attacked.’
‘What?’ Olivia frowned in confusion.
‘Your Aunt was the first victim; she was stabbed and left for dead in this very house. Her injuries occurred before the attack on your mother and grandmother. She was discovered when the police came to inform her of what had happened. It’s a miracle she survived given how much blood she’d lost. She was in hospital for months, when she was finally able to return home, she was asked if she would take custody of you.’
‘She still said no,’
‘She didn’t want to,’ Mags told her sympathetically, ‘she loved you and wanted you desperately but she also knew it wasn’t safe for you here, so close to the demon.’
‘You know about the demon?’ The shocks just kept on coming.
‘Yes,’ she nodded, ‘Evie still wasn’t strong enough, it took years for her to fully recover from her injuries and even then her health was never the same. She herself was never the same; something changed that night, she became more secretive, there were things she wouldn’t even tell me. I asked her why she wouldn’t have you and her answer was always the same. She said it wasn’t safe for you here in Mercy, you were too young. So she sent me to find you and take guardianship of you.’
‘So why didn’t you?’ Olivia asked, ‘I was nearly nineteen by the time I met you.’
‘We lost you in the system for a while, we simply couldn’t find you. In the months after your father’s arrest Evie was still in hospital recovering. You bounced between foster families and one of them changed your name to protect you from the media.’
‘I changed it back when I turned sixteen,’ Olivia murmured.
‘That’s when we finally found you.’ I moved close by and kept an eye on you while you finished high school, then when you got into the college I was guest lecturing at it seemed the perfect opportunity to introduce myself, without actually having to explain who I was.’
‘So you lied to me?’ her eyes were dark and filled with grief, ‘the last ten years have all been one gigantic lie.’
‘No, it wasn’t like that.’
‘Then what was it like?’ she shouted, ‘at any point you could have told me the truth but both of you decided you knew what was best for me, without even consulting me.’
‘Olivia please.’
‘Why now? Why tell me now?’
‘Because you are in danger,’ she replied worriedly, ‘because if the demon rises he is coming after you.’
‘Why me?’
‘I don’t know,’ she shrugged helplessly, ‘that is one of the things Evie wouldn’t tell me. I’m not like you both, I’m not a witch, and I have no power.’
‘Then what possible use are you to me,’ she whispered coldly.
Mags flinched as if she’d been struck. Olivia knew she was being harsh but she couldn’t seem to help the words falling from her mouth. She’d never felt so betrayed and in that one moment she wanted Mags to hurt as much as she’d hurt her.
‘Evie asked me to give you this, if the murders ever started again,’ she reached into her pocket and pulled out a key on a silver chain. ‘The key opens a safety deposit box at Old Mercy Mutual Savings and Trust. I don’t know what the box contains but she said you would know what to do with it.’
Olivia took the key from her wrapping her fist around the cool metal, her eyes never leaving the woman she’d thought of as her only family for the last decade.
‘Olivia I am truly sorry.’
‘Save it,’ her voice was low, ‘I don’t want to hear your excuses or apologies. I trusted you but it turns out it was all a lie, I never really knew you at all.’
‘Olivia,’ she took an involuntary step towards her.
She stepped back shaking her head.
‘I think you’d better leave, I don’t think we have anything left to say to each other.’
‘Alright,’ Mags sighed, ‘but when you’re ready to talk I’ll be staying at the Three Broomsticks, the B&B on Bleaker St.’
As Olivia said nothing, but just watched her with unfathomable eyes, she turned and headed out the door.
They heard the front door click closed and for a moment all three of the stood in silence.
‘Olive,’ Jake took a step towards her.
‘No,’ she once again backed away, her fist clenched around the key so tightly her fingers turned white, ‘leave me alone… just everyone leave me alone.’
She turned and bolted up the stairs and slammed her bedroom door closed behind her.
‘You know I’m beginning to wonder how much more she can take,’ Jake murmured his gaze fixed on the stairs, ‘the knocks just keep coming.’
‘She’s stronger than she looks,’ Theo answered following Jake’s gaze, ‘she’ll be
alright… eventually.’
Jake sighed and turned back to Theo.
‘I’m going to head out, I hate feeling useless, I’m going to go back over all the victims’ case notes from both murder sprees and see if I missed anything.’
Theo nodded as he followed him to the door with Beau tripping over his feet playfully as he went. He watched Jake climb into his squad car and pull out of the driveway and found his gaze pulled to the cruel red letters slashed across the door. His lips tightened into a thin disapproving line and with his mind made up he went in search of a bucket and scrubbing brush.
Olivia sat on the window ledge gazing out of her window towards the edge of the woods and the shore of the lake. The key swung absently as it dangled from her fingers. She tried to take in everything Mags had said to her but it all kept churning over and over in a mess of resentment and anger. Mags was the one person she’d thought she could rely on and it turns out she hadn’t known who she was at all.
She shivered and glanced up at the sky. The sun had begun to dip low on the horizon casting long shadows across her room. Flicking a quick look at the fireplace it burst merrily into flame, filling the room with sudden warmth. Before her gaze could return to the woods her attention was drawn by a sudden clatter up the staircase and a scratching outside her door followed by a low whine.
Unfolding her legs from under her she dropped down off the window seat and placed the key in the little trinket box on her nightstand. She barely had the door to her room open when a ball of wet soapy fur raced past her, losing his footing and skidding across the floor and into the opposite wall with a dull thud. Shaking her head in resignation she grabbed a towel from the bathroom and scooped Beau up into her arms, trying to dry him off as he rolled and fidgeted.
‘What is the world have you been up to?’ she murmured.
Theo stalked into the room looking like a thundercloud and in not much better condition than the dog, his jeans and sweater soaked straight through and covered in soap suds.
‘Should I even ask?’ she couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips.
‘We were cleaning the porch and Beau here decided it was playtime,’ Theo muttered as he kicked off his wet boots and headed into the bathroom, a moment later she heard the shower.
Mercy (The Guardians Series 1) Page 35
