Weeping Walls

by Gerri Hill

  “If you can, yes. Until we locate Edith Krause. We’ll hang around here until then.”

  Brady tipped his hat at her and smirked. “We aim to serve the FBI, ma’am. We’ll come around about five or so.”

  He spun his tires a bit as he pulled away, and CJ shook her head. “Prick.” Then she reconsidered. She shouldn’t be so hard on him. He was helping them out, after all.

  “Hey,” Ice said, holding up his phone. “Billy’s still not answering.”

  The smile left her face, and she pulled out her own phone again. She’d tried calling Paige earlier but hadn’t gotten an answer. She’d blamed it on a weak signal. But Paige and Billy should have checked in by now. Or else have made their way back here along the trail. She punched Paige’s number, her eyes scanning the woods behind the house. It was still several hours before the shadows would become thick, before the woods turned dark, but it would happen all too soon. She locked gazes with Ice as the phone continued to ring, unanswered.

  “Let’s get over there,” she said as she broke out into a run for her truck.

  The five-minute drive from the Wicker house to Shady Pines seemed to take an eternity. She skidded to a stop in Edith’s driveway, and they pulled out their weapons as they crept closer to the door. Nothing appeared disturbed.

  Ice went up the cinder block steps and tried the door. It was locked. CJ glanced at the windows, but blinds covered each one.

  “Knock,” she said and Ice pounded on the door.

  “FBI,” he called loudly.

  CJ tilted her head, listening. “Did you hear that?”

  “I heard movement, yes. Stand back,” he said.

  It took three kicks before the lock gave way and the door slammed open. The stench hit them immediately.

  “Jesus Christ,” CJ murmured as she covered her nose. “What the hell?”

  “Dead chicken,” Ice said quietly as he went inside first, gun in the ready position.

  CJ went in behind him, eyes scanning the room. Her heart caught in her throat when she saw them on the floor, tied together. Oh God. Her first instinct was to go to them, but her training took over.

  “Secure the trailer first, Ice.”

  He went into the kitchen, and she headed down the hall, pausing to squat down beside them. She pulled the duct tape from Billy’s mouth first, then Paige’s.

  “Is she still here?” she whispered.

  “Don’t know,” Billy mumbled, his eyes still closed.

  She touched Paige’s face, seeing her eyelids flutter open, then closed again. CJ went down the hallway, pushing open each door carefully.

  “Clear,” Ice called.

  “Clear back here,” she said as she hurried back.

  Ice was already untying them, and CJ stood by helplessly, her eyes drawn to Paige’s face, waiting for her eyes to open and show those baby blues.

  Ice looked up at her. “Looks like Paige took a whack to the back of the head too.”

  Billy groaned and sat up, holding his face. A dark bruise covered his jaw. CJ kneeled down beside Paige as they rolled her over to her back.

  “Hey, can you open your eyes?” she asked gently.

  Paige squeezed her hand tightly, but her eyes remained closed. “This carpet is filthy.”

  CJ grinned. “Yeah, it is. I’m afraid to move you, though. What hurts?”

  “What doesn’t?” Her eyes finally opened. “Billy?”

  “He’s okay.” She glanced at Ice. “Baldy is calling an ambulance.”

  “Don’t need one. Just have a little headache,” Paige said as she reached behind her, only to wince in pain.

  CJ noticed the swelling and bruise on her arm. She wouldn’t be surprised if it was fractured. She turned Paige’s head, seeing blood on the back of her neck. She gently moved her hair aside, revealing a two-inch gash at the base of her skull.

  “Oh, baby,” she whispered.

  “Baseball bat,” Paige murmured.

  “Okay, just lie still.” She looked at Billy. “What happened?”

  “We should have known, I guess,” he said, his words mumbled as he barely moved his mouth. “The door was unlocked when we got here. Power was off. She was hiding behind the couch,” he said. He held his jaw lightly. “She’s quick with that bat, man.”

  “She was possessed,” Paige murmured.

  “Possessed?”

  “Like Spiderman. A ninja Spiderman.”

  CJ frowned and glanced at Billy. “What? Spiderman?”

  “She flew over that couch. Quick as lightning,” he said, then groaned again as he held his jaw.

  “Quick as lightning? Edith Krause? Are you sure it was her? I mean, I’ve seen her. Come on,” she said.

  “A ninja,” Paige said again.

  “And she swung a mean bat. I feel like my teeth are falling out.”

  “You probably have a broken jaw, man,” Ice said. “You’re damn lucky. You both are.”

  Yeah. Damn lucky. CJ took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She didn’t care that Ice and Billy were watching. She sat down beside Paige, her hand touching her cheek lightly, just needing some contact. Her beautiful face was etched in pain, the blond hair she loved to run her fingers through was caked with blood. Yet Paige still clung tightly to her hand. Her eyes opened again, enough for them to make contact, and CJ held her gaze, wanting so badly to tell her she loved her. Last night seemed so long ago. But Paige’s eyes slipped closed again, and CJ let out a frustrated sigh.

  She looked across the room, finding Ice watching her. She gave a weak smile.

  “It stinks in here,” she said.

  “No shit.”

  “God only knows what’s on this carpet,” Paige murmured, causing them all to laugh.

  * * *

  CJ and Paige’s gazes locked together until the slamming of the door cut them off.

  “Two ambulances in one day,” she said as they watched it drive away. “Some kind of record for us, huh?”

  “Yeah. Usually it’s the coroner’s van,” Ice said. “They said she’s okay. Not even a concussion.”

  CJ nodded. “I know. It’s just…scary.” She met his eyes. “I know, our line of work, there are risks we take. But now…hell, Ice, she told me she loved me.” She was certain she was grinning like a teenager. “She said she loved me.”

  “Well, I hope you told her too and didn’t freeze up like some guy.”

  CJ laughed. “I am so not some guy.”

  “Does that mean you did?”

  Her expression turned serious. “I did. And it was…so special, that moment. I’ll remember it always.”

  He surprised her by pulling her into a tight hug. “I’m happy for you, CJ. You deserve some love in your life.”

  She clung to him tightly, this man who was her partner, her rock. Then it occurred to her—and probably him too—that this was the first time they’d ever hugged like this. They separated, each looking a tad embarrassed.

  Ice cleared his throat. “So…where do you think Edith is?”

  “The only place she can be. The Wicker house.”

  “Yeah. I was afraid you’d say that.”

  “Come on,” she said, heading to her truck. “Let’s put an end to this. You want to call Brady? Get some backup?”

  “What? You think we can’t handle her?”

  “Well, Spiderman and all,” she said as she pulled away. “I’m more worried about you, actually.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I’m going to need you in the house with me,” she said with a quick glance his way.

  He nodded. “We’re partners. I’m with you.” He paused. “There’s just one thing. They took the generator and the lights.”

  “Yeah…it’s going to be loads of fun.”

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  CJ stared at the sky, watching in disbelief as dark, ominous clouds gathered, hiding the early afternoon sun. Shadows were already creeping in from the forest, the tall pines out back of the house looking sinister and th
reatening. The dead sentinels standing guard nearest the house were but skeletons, their bony fingers sprawling out as if protecting it from unseen forces. She pushed the front door open slowly, listening. All was quiet.

  “Stay here,” she said.

  “Where’re you going?”

  “Up to the second floor.”

  “What the hell for?”

  Telling him she was going up to see if a ghost was going to talk to her—help her—seemed a bit, well, irrational. But what the hell?

  “I’m going to see if there are any friendly ghosts around,” she said.

  “Jesus, CJ, I’m freaked out enough,” he said. “Do you have to talk like that?”

  “I’ll be right back.” She paused. “I think maybe you should give Brady a call after all.”

  “Yeah. Okay.”

  She hurried up the stairs, cringing as the fourth step squeaked with her weight. She paused, halfway expecting to hear running feet beside her along the stairs and was actually disappointed when she did not. The only sound she heard was her own breathing…and the pounding of her heart.

  “Now would be a good time for some help,” she murmured. She waited. Nothing.

  She walked up to the landing, looking into the shadows. Outside the windows, it was nearly dark. She didn’t dare put her flashlight on for fear someone—something—would see it from the third floor.

  “Come on,” she whispered. “Where are you?”

  She waited. Thirty seconds. Ninety. Still nothing. Damn. Had she been imagining everything this whole time? She shook her head in frustration, then retraced her steps, finding Ice still standing in the doorway.

  “Well?”

  “Nothing,” she said.

  “Okay. Now what?”

  “Now we search the house.”

  “Look how dark it got,” he said, his voice crackling with nervousness. “It’s still early. What is it? Two? Three?” He looked behind him as dark clouds blanketed the woods around the house.

  “I know. Brady?”

  He shook his head. “I got no service.”

  She frowned. “We’ve had service out here all along.” She pulled out her own phone. Nothing. She looked at him, eyes wide.

  “Don’t look at me like that,” he said.

  “Like what?”

  “Like you’re thinking some damn ghost or something is blocking our signal.”

  She tilted her head. “You got a better idea?”

  “Yeah. You know, maybe the cell tower…maybe it’s—”

  “What? On the fritz or something?”

  “It’s a possibility.”

  “Sure it is,” she said. “But regardless, we’re cut off.”

  He shook his head slowly. “Oh, man. I got a bad feeling, CJ.”

  “Yeah? Well, fuck it. We can do this.” She clicked her flashlight on, glad she’d remembered to grab Paige’s instead of her own dim light. “Let’s start in the kitchen.”

  “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

  Ice followed close behind her, their lights crisscrossing along the floor and walls as they entered the kitchen. They stopped, their lights shining on the closed door to the pantry.

  “They left that door open,” Ice whispered.

  CJ nodded. She walked slowly toward it, reaching out to grab the knob. It was locked. She glanced back at him and shook her head.

  “Oh…man,” he murmured.

  She turned him around, pushing him out of the kitchen.

  “Dining room. Let’s see if the door to my laundry room is locked too.”

  “We should wait for backup,” he said.

  “I thought you said we could take her,” CJ replied.

  “Yeah, that was when we were outside in the daylight,” he said. “Ninja Spiderman, remember?”

  “I’m more worried about what’s on the third floor,” she murmured.

  “What are you talking about?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing. But any backup we’re going to get isn’t coming until five. That’s when Brady said he’d send someone. So come on. It’s just us.”

  The dining room door stood open, as it had been. Being an interior room without windows, it was completely dark inside. Their flashlights did little to brighten it. CJ walked purposely toward the door to the small closet. As with the kitchen door, it had been left open. It too was now closed. She wasn’t surprised to find it locked as well.

  “I think it’s safe to say she’s here at the Wicker house,” she said in a near whisper.

  “Yeah. But where?”

  “She’s on the third floor,” she said. Oh, Edith could be hiding in one of the secret rooms, sure, but CJ didn’t think so. Whatever was going to happen, it was going to happen on the third floor. How she knew this, she couldn’t be sure, but she knew it with certainty. She reached out, grabbing Ice’s forearm and squeezed. “Be ready for anything,” she said.

  “We…we should wait for some backup,” he said again.

  “It isn’t Edith Krause I’m worried about,” she said, walking past him.

  Back out in the foyer, she was almost disappointed that the front door remained open. It was yet another sign that she was on her own. But she kept hearing that voice in her head, that voice that told her not to go up to the third floor.

  I can’t help you up there. He is too powerful.

  She didn’t mind admitting she was afraid, if only to herself. She pushed down her fear and headed up the steps. She felt Ice behind her even though he hadn’t said another word. She could tell by the shaking of his light that he’d rather be anywhere other than here. She stopped, listening. Nothing.

  “It’s quiet,” she whispered. “Too quiet.”

  Ice touched her back, and she jumped, startled. “Sorry,” he murmured.

  She took a deep breath, then went up another two steps, her weapon held out in front of her. She was nearly embarrassed by the pounding of her heart. It was so loud in her ears, she imagined Ice could hear it as well. She glanced back at him, but his gaze was fixed on the second-floor landing. Though he appeared a little pale, his face was etched with a look of determination that wasn’t foreign to her. He may be afraid of this house, afraid of whatever ghosts might haunt it, but the look on his face told her he was ready to do his job. That was comforting, although it did very little to ease her apprehension as she slowly inched up another two steps.

  What was left of the remaining daylight barely illuminated the second-floor windows. Nonetheless, she clicked off her flashlight and shoved it inside her jeans at the waist. She held her weapon with both hands now, stepping into the hallway, her glance immediately going to the third floor. She peered into the darkness, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

  “Let’s check these rooms,” she said quietly, even though she doubted Edith would be hiding in them.

  Ice slowly pushed open one of the bedroom doors. This was the empty room, and there was no place for her to hide. They went to the other room, the one that was still furnished. It faced west but even then, there wasn’t enough light left in the sky for them to see without their flashlights. CJ felt perspiration on her neck as she squatted down and looked under the bed. She saw movement and nearly screamed.

  “Shhh. She’ll hear you.”

  “Son of a bitch,” she muttered as she grabbed her chest in fright.

  “What?” Ice asked urgently. “What is it?”

  CJ shook her head as she stood back up. “Go out in the hall, Ice,” she said.

  “What?”

  “Give me a second.”

  His eyes widened, and he nodded, backing out of the room and closing the door. CJ took several deep breaths, trying to tell herself she did not just see something under the bed. She clicked her flashlight off, plunging the room into near darkness.

  “You hiding?” she finally asked.

  “He is angry with her. She was supposed to kill them.”

  CJ didn’t know if she meant Lizzie or Paige and Billy. Probably all three. She fel
t a tightening in her chest. “Are you afraid of him too?”

  “This is the safe room” was all she said. Then, “You mustn’t go up there.”

  “Is Edith up there?”

  “Yes. She has the ax. She’s to use it on you.”

  “Nice to know,” she said.

  “If you go up there, you will not return.”

  CJ blew out her breath. “Guess we’ll have to see about that.” She turned to go, then stopped. “Did I really see you there under the bed? Because if I did, I may need to get into a new line of work.” She gave a quick, uneasy laugh. “Okay. Never mind.”

  “She…is the key.”

  “The key?”

  “To unlock the evil.”

  CJ frowned. What the hell did that mean? She shook it away, needing to focus on the task at hand, not try to decipher the words of a ghost. Back in the hallway, Ice was pressed against the wall, his eyes darting around.

  “Well?”

  She slid her gaze up the stairs to the third floor. “We go up.”

  She walked to the bottom of the stairs, then paused, glancing back at Ice. Their eyes held for a long moment, both of them finally nodding. As she took the first step, she heard it. Boards creaking overhead. They looked up at the ceiling, as if they could see through it. Footsteps moved over their heads, walking faster now.

  “She’s up there,” CJ said quietly. “She…she may have an ax.”

  “Yeah? Bring it on. My nine-millimeter trumps her ax,” Ice said. “Let’s get this over with. I want to get the hell out of here.”

  CJ wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but she was expecting something. But after five steps, then six, there was still no sign of…of anything. She barely had time to register those thoughts when a ferocious roar rumbled down the stairs, bouncing off the walls around her. Ice’s eyes widened and his mouth opened but no sound escaped. He heard it too.

  “What…what the fuck is that?” he finally managed.

  Before CJ could even think of answering, she was thrown against the wall, her head slamming back, and she nearly sunk to her knees. Feeling as if an iron hand circled her neck, she struggled to draw a breath.

  Ice grabbed her, trying to pull her down the stairs, but something…some force held her back.