by J. A. Howell
“Because he never saw their face. I can tell you it’s a man, but that’s it.”
Of course…
“Great, so I am looking for a man? That certainly narrows it down for me.” Sarcasm colored my words as I looked toward the front of the store in annoyance. Alannah showed no offense though, her lips pulled into a straight line as she glanced toward the empty corner of the room once more.
“Not just a man, Harley. You already know him.” Alannah’s words jarred me.
“What do you mean I know him? From where?”
My mind was reeling. How well do I know this man? When did I meet this man? He had to know more. Alannah looked down sadly, disappointment in her gray eyes.
“He can’t tell me that, only that he felt their energy around you at some point. I’m sorry, Harley.”
“So then why should I help him? I have no idea who this person is and neither does he! Besides, what good will it be if I do find out? Brody’s already dead. I’ll just get a new apartment.” I couldn’t control the outburst that escaped as my whole body trembled in anger. Alannah flinched as I flailed an arm around then quickly grasped my wrist and forced me to look at her. Her face was grave, forehead pressing down over her eyes as she watched my angered expression.
“Harley, moving somewhere else is not going to get rid of Brody. He isn’t just haunting the apartment anymore. He’s haunting you. This isn’t something you can just walk away from.”
“What are you talking about?” I pulled my hand from her, taking a few steps back.
“When I first touched your hand I had a vision. I saw you die. You were lying in the snow, bloodied.” She hesitated, “I can’t be sure...but I think it’s the same man that killed him.”
“If you can sense it’s the same man then why can’t you tell me who he is?” My voice was sharp as I stared at Alannah in disbelief.
“It doesn’t work like that, Harley. I only get small glimpses. Sometimes it’s enough, but most times it’s not.”
I felt a sick, cold feeling rising in my stomach as I turned for the door. This couldn’t be real. None of this was possible. There are no ghosts, no deadly premonitions. She’s just a crazy old woman. Nobody is trying to kill me. My feet stumbled beneath me, unwilling to run despite the urge.
“I knew you were a feisty one, Harley.” Alannah’s hand clasped around mine, stopping me a couple feet from the door. “Now you listen. There is a lot more in this world than you can understand or accept right now, but I’m certainly not just some crazy old woman.” Those bright gray eyes of hers conveyed a knowing look as she spoke. “I don’t just make this stuff up. I’ve helped the police on cases before with my abilities to see things so don’t you just run off into the evening freaking out. I’ll talk to a few of my police friends about Brody. Come by here around this time tomorrow, okay?”
“Fine, tomorrow.” I mumbled before she let go of me. I wandered into the street, my mind detached from reality as her words haunted me…just like Brody.
I saw you die.
My only comfort was that the first snow hadn’t hit Midtown yet.
But it would be here soon.
Then what?
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The Sausage Incident
I felt Nolan’s eyes watching me from the kitchen as I walked into the pub the next morning, but I didn’t bother looking up at him. Despite an uneventful evening and restful sleep, I felt drained and lifeless. Even without shattering glass or visions of Claire, I could still feel Brody’s presence and I could still feel the weight of what had just fallen into my lap. Find his murderer or face a similar fate. How in the hell would I even figure out who it was? Not just a man, Harley! You already know him.
I pushed open the swinging door, glancing in Nolan’s direction to see those blue pools studying me, concern etched at the corners of his eyes. How many men did I already know? How many male customers did I see and talk to on a regular basis? It could be anyone. For all I knew, it could be Nolan. I averted my eyes from his. No. Definitely not Nolan. What reason would he have to kill his best friend?
“Harley, ya look a little ill, ya alright?” Nolan’s voice cut into my thoughts as I hung my coat and scarf on a hook in the back.
“I’m fine, Nolan,” I answered as he clanked a few dishes against the counter behind me.
“Hmmph. Have ya had breakfast yet?” He asked as he slid scrambled eggs onto two dishes. I had the feeling even if I said yes, I was about to have another one.
“No, but I’m not too hungry.”
“Why don’t ya sit and eat something? I don’t need ya passing out because yer starving yerself.” He placed the plates on either side of the small break table, along with two glasses of orange juice.
“So, you’re feeding me so I don’t injure myself on the clock again?” I snorted as I sat down across from him. His plate was stacked high with eggs, sausage, and biscuits. Mine had a hearty serving, but it was nowhere near the portions of yesterday’s breakfast with Aggie – “ultimate breakfast” as I had officially dubbed it. Nolan frowned at me as he took a bite of his own food.
“No, I just thought ya could use a good breakfast.” There was that look again, like I had just kicked a puppy across the room.
“Thank you.” I said in a softer tone, looking down at my plate as I dug my fork into the eggs and sausage.
“Yer welcome.” I could see the corner of his mouth pull up into a smile in my peripheral.
“Mmmm. Oh god, Nolan, your sausage is delicious!” I couldn’t help myself as the moan left my lips. Oh god, had I really just said that out loud? A loud clank jarred me as Nolan’s fork hit his plate and I looked up to find him staring at me. His eyes were wide and his hand was still up by his mouth, sans the eating utensil. He blinked for a second then pulled his mouth shut, trying not to choke on his food as he erupted in laughter, banging a fist against his chest.
“You know what I meant, Nolan.” I scowled, keeping my eyes down as I took another bite, decidedly not touching any more sausage.
“Oh...yes,” he nodded, still laughing as he tried to eat. “Right!” His shoulders shook as he tried to calm his laughter, his head bent over his plate.
“I think I’ll go sit out at the bar and finish this.” I didn’t bother looking up at him, my cheeks burning with embarrassment.
“Awww, come on, Harley.” He called after me, still giggling to himself. “It’s okay to like my sausage!”
After the sausage incident, I had done my best to keep myself busy on the front end of the pub. Only venturing into the kitchen when absolutely necessary to avoid running into Nolan. Sure enough, nearly every time I had to head back there I came within inches of colliding with him. Every time, the same stupid grin from breakfast would cross his lips.
“Aww come on, Harley. It was funny.” He called after me the last time I bumped into him. I returned to my current table, hiding the amused smirk that his teasing brought to my lips. Despite the initial embarrassment, I was glad to have something else distract me for a while. I didn’t want to think about the conversation with Alannah yesterday.
“Here’s your food, sir.” I smiled at the elderly man as he set aside his newspaper. He looked down eagerly at the steaming dish I placed in front of him.
“Thank you, dear.” He winked at me with a warm smile. I had to admit, I really preferred the early lunch customers to the drunken evening ones. Many of the older folks came around then and they generally gave me nice tips. Every now and then one of them would leave me a piece of hard candy. Something I could see my grandmother doing when she was still alive. The old man returned to his newspaper while his plate cooled and I headed behind the bar for a couple of refills.
“Well, hello there.” Aggie’s voice crept up behind me as I was in the middle of refilling a diet coke.
“Good morning, Aggie.”
“So what’s all this business about you liking Nolan’s sausage?” Her voice had that familiar sing-song tone to it once again
. I failed to hold back a giggle as a group of older women turned their attention to us, eyes wide with horror at such unladylike discussions.
“Those customers heard you, you know.” I turned my face, hiding it from the women as I smirked at her. She nodded cordially toward the women then pulled me into the kitchen, keeping an eye out for Nolan.
“You know I couldn’t resist,” she smirked. “Still though, he made you breakfast?” She wiggled an eyebrow, a jocular gleam in her eyes.
“He was already making breakfast for himself. It’s not a big deal.”
“Oh, I think it is. Men don’t usually cook women breakfast.” Aggie said staunchly. “Just proves my point. I told you Nolan likes girls with a well-fed arse.”
“Oh hush.”
“Ugh, don’t be so daft, Harley. The guy likes you, and you could do a hell of a lot worse.” She nudged my side before moving past me. “Now back to work.” She gave me a smack on my butt then took off into the front, leaving me gawking at the swinging door.
“What was that all about?” Nolan’s voice held an amused tone as I looked back towards him. Just how much of that conversation had he caught?
“ I...um...nothing. I have to go get refills.” I mumbled, slinking backwards toward the front.
“Harley!”
“What?!” His shout startled me, causing me to jump as the swinging door just barely missed me.
“Watch where you’re going.” He smiled and shook his head before turning back toward his office.
As soon as it hit six in the evening, I pulled off my apron and tossed it on a hook as I quickly wriggled into my jacket. I was wrapping my scarf around my neck when Nolan stepped out of his office, glancing out toward the front before turning his attention to me.
“Yer not wasting any time getting out of here tonight.” He smirked as he leaned against the door frame. I fought back the smile that threatened to surface on my lips once again.
“I needed to run by a store before they close.” I said, as I slipped the strap of my bag across my chest.
“Oh,” He nodded, “I thought ya might be upset because of this morning.”
I pulled my lips tight but the corners curled up as I shook my head at him.
“No, I'm over it.”
“Ya should do well here then if ya can take a good teasing every once in a while.” Nolan laughed, watching as I zipped up my jacket. His blue eyes seemed to twinkle as he smiled at me. I liked this Nolan, the one that seemed to smile and joke more. If only he would stick around. “Well, I best not be keeping ya from yer business.” He stood up straight, looking back to his office before his eyes flickered to mine again, cheerful and bright.
“Yeah, I need to get going.” I gave him a warm smile as I turned for the front, “I'll see you in the morning.”
“Be careful getting home,” Nolan’s voice was soft as he his gaze held mine and seemed to charge the air around me
“God, why don't you two just kiss and get it over with?” Aggie's voice cut in, instantly breaking whatever strange pull I’d started to feel and causing me to look away awkwardly. Nolan turned toward Aggie with a sharp stare, but she only flashed her usual unabashed grin before disappearing back to the front with a tray of food. Nolan cleared his throat, his hands shoved into his pockets as he turned back towards me for a moment.
“Night, Harley.”
“Night.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Emily
Alannah was standing behind the counter in the back when I walked into Morrigan's Realm that evening.
“Ah, there you are.” She motioned for me to come over to her, “I talked to my friends at the police station. They said they would be able to bring over his case file for me to look over and see if anything pops out.”
“That's good then, right?” I gave her a hopeful smile. She nodded encouragingly.
“Yes, it certainly can't hurt.” She patted my cheek. The tightness that had been building in my chest on the walk over eased slightly at this gesture. She reminded me of an older version of my mother with the way she talked and her mannerisms.
“So then, should I just come back tomorrow?”
“Yes, they said they would stop by early in the afternoon, so by the time you get off work I will hopefully have some news for you.” She said, moving out from behind the counter then heading for the stairs. “Come on up. I was going to fix some tea. Do you like chamomile?” She looked back towards me. She really, really reminded me of my mother.
“I love chamomile.” I grinned as I followed her up the stairs. The small charms hanging from the handle jingled as she pushed the door open. Her apartment upstairs was an enchanting little treasure trove of rich purple, blue, and green fabrics and textures. The chairs and sofa were all mis-matched but fit together perfectly. Various tables and shelves lined the walls, all filled with little trinkets and statues – some of fairies, others of gods and goddesses.
Maybe after all this mess was behind me I could have my mother up for a visit so that they could meet. I still couldn't believe how hard it had been to hang up with my mother. You spend so much time ready to move out from under your parents' protective wing, yet once you are finally on your own, all you want to do is go swooping right back under it. Funny how that works sometimes.
Alannah motioned for me to sit down as she made her way into the kitchen, setting the kettle down on a burner as she turned on the stove. I continued to look around her living room as I waited. My eyes found a picture of Alannah, a bit younger, holding onto a small girl with similar strawberry blonde ringlets.
“Is this your daughter?” I asked, holding up the picture frame as I looked to her.
“Yes dear...that's Emily. She was such a sweetheart.” There was a sad fondness in the way in which Alannah spoke that made me wonder.
“Was?”
“Mmm, yes. She went missing shortly after that picture was taken.” She answered me as the tea kettle began to whistle behind her, then busied herself with setting up a tray of tea and cookies before carrying it over to me.
“So, you never found her?” I ask as she handed me a cup of tea then settled onto the chair across from me.
“Never,” Alannah let out a sigh as her sad gray eyes looked over the picture of her and Emily. “She is one of the cases I was never able to help with. Never got any sort of feelings of where she might be or what might have happened. She just vanished.”
“I’m very sorry, Alannah.” I reached a hand out to her and she took mine in hers, her lips pulling into a big smile.
“It’s alright dear. Maybe I can help you though, I think Emily would have liked you. She was a very special girl. She had an inner glow to her. Just like you.” Alannah’s words tugged at my heart. Until yesterday evening, she and I had been complete strangers, but right now she felt like the closest friend I had in Midtown, and the only other person that knew what I was going through.
“I don’t know how to thank you enough for helping. I have no idea how I’m going to find Brody’s killer.” I took a sip of tea, attempting to soothe the anxiety that lingered with my words.
“I’m going to do whatever I can, I promise you that. I just don’t know how much it will end up being until I get my hands on those papers. What is important for you right now, Harley, is to keep yourself open.”
“Open to Brody?” I looked at her a bit confused.
“Yes, now that you know Brody is trying to communicate with you, keep your mind open to it. Keep an eye out for signs, warnings. The more open you are, the more he can come through.” Alannah took a sip of her tea, her gray eyes still on me.
“But, I’ve seen him multiple times. How would that have happened if I wasn’t open enough?”
“He was coming through much stronger then. Sometimes, they can come through stronger, drawing on the energy within that place or person. Other times, unless we are completely open to them, they can’t get through.” Alannah paused for a moment, thinking over her words. “And Harley, s
ometimes when we are really having trouble hearing them, sometimes we need to give them a bit of our own energy. Don’t be afraid to let him in.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Sometimes you just have to let them in, Harley. All the way. Just let go, and let him in.” She nodded, “If all else fails and you can’t seem to understand what he is trying to tell you, or you just don’t know where else to look, invite him in and he will show you.”
I didn’t know if I liked the sound of that. Maybe her search tomorrow would come up with something and I wouldn’t have to resort to “letting Brody in.” It was bad enough knowing he was haunting my apartment. I didn’t need to become possessed by him as well. Alannah and I finished our cups of tea without much more talking, each of us lost in thought. Mine were of Brody, and I’m sure hers were of Emily. After I finished my cup, I placed it on the tray.
“Thank you for the tea. I should probably get going now.” Alannah pulled herself to her feet to see me off.
“Be safe, Harley.” She pulled me into a hug when we reached the bottom of the stairs, and it took everything in me to let go of her. I didn’t want to go back to my empty apartment where who knew what sort of dreams I would have that night.
“You will be okay tonight. I can promise you that.” She whispered in my ear before letting go. “There is something very different about you, Harley. That’s why Brody reached out to you. And although it won’t be easy, I think you’ll make it through all this mess okay.”
“Thank you, Alannah.” I needed her words more than she would ever know.
“Keep your chin up, girl. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She winked at me, her gray eyes dazzling. I smiled back and she gave my hand one last squeeze before I walked out the door.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Comforted
By the time I finished my morning shift the next day, it was still too early for me to go see Alannah. I made a detour to the apartment first to check on Remy and put down some food in case I was out later than planned. I spent a few minutes petting him, and he seemed quite content to be left alone to his usual conquests, scampering out of my arms with a toy mouse in his teeth. At least one of us was content being here. For once, I thought I had found my own haven. Somewhere I felt comfortable and safe, far away from Jackson. Clearly life wouldn’t be that easy on me. I was beginning to dread every moment I had to spend here, but I didn’t have any other options currently. Besides, according to Alannah, there was nowhere I could hide.
