The lock popped on the second try. Micah breathed a sigh of relief then scrambled up to her feet. A chill trembled down her spine as she took a step inside the room. She knew this was wrong. Invading Sully’s private study was likely to piss him off when he found out. If he found out, she amended with a smirk.
She moved silent and sure across the room. This sense of purpose led her to the old wooden desk and the papers piled atop it. For a moment, she simply stared at the mess until she spotted a newspaper clipping amongst the random pages. The article read:
Officials search for identity of dead woman
A woman died after being brought to Desert Regional late Friday night. Officials are looking for any information in regards to Jane Doe’s identity. It is not known yet if Jane Doe is from the Palm Springs area.
A brief description of the patient was listed below. It claimed the woman was about five foot seven, very thin with bleached blonde hair and brown eyes. The woman arrived at the hospital wearing a tank top and jeans. She had several piercings, scars on her arms, and a tattoo of a peacock feather on her wrist. She had died of an overdose.
“Oh my God,” Micah whispered on a shaky breath. Her scalp tingled, and a shudder raced down her spine. Now she remembered. She’d gotten the tattoo when she was twenty, and most of the piercings were self-inflicted. The scars, why couldn’t she remember the scars? She frowned then riffled through the rest of the papers.
A black and white photo of a short haired woman glared up at her. Micah ran her thumb across the newsprint photo, smearing the ink and staining her skin. Could this really be who she was? She squinted at the smeared mug shot from the Tucson, Arizona police department. The photo wasn’t even that old, dated just last year.
It wasn’t her. It couldn’t be. Still, she couldn’t tear herself away. Dropping her gaze, her vision swam as she continued to read.
Identity of Jane Doe discovered
The body of a woman known only as “Jane Doe” has been identified as Kelly Lynn Banks, from Tucson. Banks was found in her apartment on the night of the 14th,. She was found with a hypodermic needle hanging from her arm and unresponsive. Paramedics were unable to revive Banks and pronounced her dead shortly after arriving at Desert Regional. Drug overdose is being listed as cause of death.
Banks was later identified by Harris Pettem, who came forward last Tuesday claiming his paramour had been missing for over a week. Pettem was later arrested on unrelated drug charges, possession and intent to sell. He was also arrested earlier this year for shoplifting, but the charges were dropped due to lack of evidence. Pettem served time for robbing a convenience store in 2001. It is not known if Banks was a partner in crime, but she is suspected in the theft of a past employer’s jewelry.
Banks is survived by her adoptive parents who live in Tucson. They did not wish to speak to the newspaper about their daughter. Further investigation shows that Banks was in and out of psychiatric hospitals since the age of ten.
Krista Howard, Ms. Banks’ aunt, had this to say, “Kelly was always a good kid, but she had some problems. When she was a kid, she claimed to see ghosts all the time, and this led to a few stays at the state hospital. Her parents did all they could for her. They just couldn’t control her. She got involved with drugs and alcohol at an early age to escape the ghosts, and we just couldn’t turn her around.”
Micah stopped reading, unable to force herself to scan further down the page. Disappointment clutched her heart and tears stung her eyes. This wasn’t what she expected. A drugged up crook and total loser wasn’t who she was. It just couldn’t be.
Leafing through the paperwork was difficult, especially while tears swam in her eyes. It looked like Sully had gathered info about her childhood, the hospital, her troublesome teen years, and even a juvenile record that should have been sealed. There was more, but instead of looking at it, she gathered it all up and wadded it in her fist. Her hand stilled just short of tossing it into the wastebasket beside the desk. With a frustrated groan, she stood and carried it out to her car instead.
Her phone buzzed on the console. Expecting to see Ben’s name, she was surprised to see Diane’s instead. Snatching the cell up, she answered.
“He told me everything.”
“Are you okay?” Micah’s stomach fluttered.
“He and Karla have been having an affair for over a year. He only told me because he thought you had already talked to me.” Diane sniffled. “You walked in on them yesterday?”
“Yes,” Micah said. “I tried to call you.”
Diane laughed, sounding hurt and relieved at the same time. “He beat you to it. Ben is all about covering his ass. He promised it would never happen again, that he’d broken it off with her.”
“What are you going to do?” Micah asked, her heart aching for her new friend.
“I’m going to stay with my mom for a week or so. I told him to get his shit out of the house and to be gone when I get back from L.A.,” Diane said through tears. “You’re in charge of the office until I get back.”
“Um, what about Karla?”
“She’s been fired. I doubt you’ll see either of them,” Diane said. “They’re lying low right now. Micah, I am so sorry that I accused you.”
“It’ll be okay, Diane. We’ll figure everything out when you get back. Take as long as you need, and I’ll hold down the fort.”
Diane breathed a sigh full of relief. “Thanks for being my friend.”
“I’ll see you when you get back.”
****
Later, at home, Micah spread the papers across the bed. “This is horrible!”
“Are we talking about you or your friend now?” Anna asked. “Honestly, I can barely keep up. You keep switching back and forth.”
“Ben’s a dirty bastard, for sure,” Micah said in exasperation. “But I’m talking about the stuff Sully had in his office. Just look at it.”
Anna stopped pacing the bedroom to stare at Micah. Her features tightened, and her mouth opened then closed before she began pacing again. Finally, she stopped at the foot of the bed and simply watched as Micah rearranged the various pieces into chronological order.
Micah ran a fingertip across a faded Polaroid picture depicting a skinny girl in long braids. A string of numbers was penned onto the bottom of the photo in smeared ink. She assumed it was the identification number from when she’d been adopted. Picking up the picture, she stared at the face of the seven year old girl, desperate to connect or at least feel some flicker of recognition. There was none, not even a hint.
Freckles dotted the girl’s nose. Her molasses-colored eyes were downcast, and her mouth was turned down. She looked absolutely dejected. Long, brown braids hung past her shoulders on each side, and she was dressed in a plain white dress with no embellishments. On her feet was a pair of scuffed pink tennis shoes, both untied. One knobby knee was bruised and scraped.
She tossed the photo aside and picked up some of the later paperwork. One was an arrest record, an ugly mug shot and description at the top of the page. This one was for public intoxication and resisting arrest. The black and white photo revealed a woman with choppy blonde hair. She wore an unattractive snarl, and her mascara had run down her face.
A tingling chill raced up Micah’s spine as Anna reached out to touch her. “None of this means anything. Not anymore.”
Micah didn’t say anything in return as she scanned over the record for what seemed like the tenth time. No matter how many times she read over the papers and looked at the few photos included in Sully’s secret stash of information, things didn’t look any better.
“I don’t even know the real me, but I hate her.” Micah tossed everything back onto the bed and shut her eyes. “Kelly Banks was a loser, and a thief and junkie. Did you see the autopsy report? There was a cocktail of drugs and alcohol in her … in my system.”
Anna grimaced then dropped her hand away from Micah’s shoulder. “I know, sweetie, but you aren’t this Kelly person anymore.”<
br />
Micah swiped at a tear that trickled down her cheek. How long had Sully known about this, and why had he kept it hidden? Did he think she couldn’t handle what he’d found?
“None of this matters.” Anna gestured at the pages strung across the bedcovers. “This is about a total stranger. You are Micah Munroe now.”
“But I’m starting to recall things. Like, how did I know how to pick that lock?” Micah shied away from Anna’s outstretched hand. “I remember the blonde hair and brown eyes. Other things, fragments, are drifting back to me. I saw shadows back then, but couldn’t handle it. It drove me bat-shit crazy.”
Micah took a deep breath and swiped at her wet eyes. “I wish I had never found this. I was better off not knowing.”
“Stop,” Anna said, quiet warning in her voice. “The past doesn’t define who you are. There’s no sense in clinging to it. Let it die.”
“Why wouldn’t he tell me he’d figured out who I was?” Micah’s shoulders dropped, and she turned her back to the disappointing discoveries. What Anna said made sense, but how could she turn her back on an entire lifetime? “He knew I was trying to figure these things out. He didn’t even mention it.”
“Maybe he did it to protect you.” Anna shrugged. “He probably knew you’d be upset by what he’d found. It’s all bullshit anyway.”
“I have a right to know, Anna!” Micah shouted. “I feel so betrayed.”
A weird feeling settled in the pit of Micah’s stomach. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to vomit or cry. She didn’t have time to contemplate it though, because Thomas St. Clair appeared in the doorway.
“Sullivan is in trouble,” he said then advanced several paces into the room.
Anna flitted backward to avoid him. Her eyes were large and full of fear.
Micah tossed the paper aside. It drifted to the floor on the other side of the bed. Even though she was upset and angry with him, she couldn’t help the overwhelming sense of fear and worry that suffocated her. “What do you mean he’s in trouble?”
Thomas closed the distance between them, and his hands dropped onto her shoulders. “Shadows ambushed him. He was sent on a big job…”
Anna frowned then cut him off. “What job? The shepherds haven’t been any busier than usual.”
“Sully managed to reap the souls he was supposed to, but Natalie interfered. Not all of them got through the doorway,” Thomas said.
Goose-bumps arose on Micah’s arms. “She’s the little girl from your apartment.”
Thomas nodded, and his gaze shifted away. “She turned the souls against him as soon as they lifted from their bodies. There were just too many of them.”
Tears distorted her vision, but she blinked them away. She didn’t have time to cry; she had to help Sully. “Do you know where she took him?”
Thomas gripped her shoulders tighter, making her wince. “You know it’s a trap, don’t you? It’s not really Sullivan she wants. If you go, you will die.”
Anna’s face clouded, and she squished her eyes shut. “Reapers have no power over the dead, just the living.”
“She wants me?” Micah said on a shaky breath.
Anna’s head snapped around to look at Micah. “You can’t go. It’s suicide.”
A shudder of fear crawled down the length of Micah’s spine. “I have to help him.”
“She can’t go,” Anna said with a snarl.
Thomas shook his head. “I agree. She shouldn’t, but what choice do we have? Sullivan can’t do anything against them. They’ve crowded his mind with their will and are probably torturing him. They were strong enough to convince him to go with them.”
Anna opened her mouth to argue, but Thomas cut her off. “Would you have me ignore the danger my friend is in?”
Anna stood toe to toe with the tall man. “Would you have me send mine to be slaughtered?”
Micah pushed an arm between them, the action sending tingles of chill all the way through her. She didn’t understand how Thomas could feel so corporeal while Anna remained misty and transparent. “Enough, you two. I’m going, and that’s final.”
Anna glared up at Thomas as though he’d somehow put the crazy notion into Micah’s head. Finally, they backed away from each other. Thomas sat heavily on the end of the bed while Anna drifted to Micah’s side.
“Please, Micah, don’t do this. You’re mortal. They’ll kill you,” Anna said on a sob.
Micah sighed. “I love him, Anna. I can’t let them hurt him.”
Her friend stared at her a moment. It appeared there was something else on her mind, but she was unsure of how to say it. “If they’re in Sully’s mind and making him do what they tell him, he might hurt you. Please don’t go. There’s gotta be something else we can do.”
Micah bit her bottom lip. Anna had a point. However, she wasn’t going to sit aside and allow them to do as they pleased to Sully either. She turned to look at Thomas. “How many are there?”
Thomas shrugged. “Hard to say. While I was held there, she brought several over to her side. The thing is … I saw only about a dozen that were constant. It’s like once she’s got them, they disappear.”
“Maybe she did something to them,” Micah said then sat next to Thomas. “I nicked her hand with the dagger, but she didn’t die or disappear like the others.”
“Maybe you have to cut them like you’re killing them,” Anna said with a grimace.
Micah considered this, but came up with nothing for an explanation.
Thomas frowned at Micah. “She’s one of the strongest shadows that I’ve ever come across.”
Micah stood to pace across the room. Anna didn’t even complain when Micah passed through her a couple times. “Where did she take him?”
Thomas watched her pace. “She’s a creature of habit. She’ll go somewhere she feels safe and in control.”
Micah pursed her lips, thinking. Something about this just didn’t feel right. Anna had said Sully only had power over the living. Grimms had power over the dead, yet her dagger had had no effect on Natalie. “We need to find out more about this girl.”
Thomas cast a thoughtful glance at the floor. “She isn’t like an ordinary shadow.”
Anna’s image flickered. “I’m on it. Don’t do anything until I come back. Please? Sully is strong. He can hold on just a little longer.” With that, she disappeared.
Thomas stood now and glanced down at Micah, who was fighting another bout of frightened tears. He said, “Thank you.”
She wiped the moisture away with the back of a hand. “I’m not doing this for you.”
“Sullivan is a lucky man.” He squeezed her shoulder one last time before turning away. “I’m going to see if I can locate where they’re holding him. Maybe I can get close enough to see what’s going on.”
Micah watched him walk toward the doorway. “Don’t get caught.”
Chapter Eighteen
Sully lifted his head off the cool, hard concrete. His vision was bleary, everything cloudy and unfocused. When he finally managed to find his voice, it was hoarse and croaky. “Where am I?”
A shadow lifted from the corner of the room then moved fast toward him. It growled an obscenity before lashing out and striking him across the face.
Sully’s head whipped to the side, and blood bubbled out of his mouth. “What the hell, dude?”
He scrambled up to his feet and met the overlarge shadow head on. The man growled in his face, revealing badly yellowed, crooked teeth. The shadow’s beefy arms were made of pure muscle. He tossed Sully onto the floor and didn’t even grunt with the effort.
The air puffed out of Sully’s lungs when he struck the concrete. He was unable to draw in more air as the shadow’s gargantuan foot came down on his chest. A couple of Sully’s ribs cracked beneath the weight. The shadow’s laughter echoed throughout the cramped enclosure.
“What are you doing?” a child’s angry voice asked. The soft tap of her shoes carried her into the dim room.
The sha
dow huffed an apology then scrambled back toward his previous haunt. He stood with hands clasped in front of him, his gaze lowered to the floor where Sully was now kneeling.
Natalie crossed the short distance and stood in front of Sully. “Poor guy,” she sighed. “I don’t think anyone’s coming for you. Maybe that bitch just doesn’t love you like we thought.”
Blood from his split lip seeped into his mouth. He spat it onto the floor then twisted his head to glare up at her. “Good.”
The girl’s face twisted into something ugly. “How is that good? You’re going to be tortured until we find a way to kill you. Then you’re going to bend to my will and become one of these things you call shadows.”
She patted his cheek with a delicate touch. “We’re already dead. Your scythe doesn’t work on us, remember? How are you going to fight back, Reaper?” Her pats became harder, like her voice. The next time her palm landed on his cheek, it felt as if he’d been struck by solid steel. Pain radiated up through his cheek, behind his eyes and into his head. He winced, but didn’t cry out.
Natalie laughed, the sound high-pitched and threatening. “Why don’t you get your weapon out? Hmm? Perhaps we could use it on you.”
“Fuck off, brat,” Sully snarled then pushed himself backward until his back met the wall. Using its rough surface, he pushed up onto his feet.
Natalie’s black gaze watched his movements. A slow smile spread across her face as she turned back to look at the hulking shadow against the wall. Sully didn’t like that look one bit.
Natalie said, “All right, Dennis, he’s all yours.” Then she disappeared.
All Sully heard in the dimly lit room was the shuffling sound of Dennis’s heavy feet and a sinister chuckle.
****
Light the Shadows (A Grimm Novel) Page 17
