Around half of the girls moved on between the woman monster’s death and Grace’s care for their remains. But there were still nine girls waiting. Once their ashes were buried, some of them might find peace. But there was one other option that would help all of them find some closure and a resolution.
She took a seat beside Danny on the couch, waiting for a lapse in their current conversation. Once the room got quiet, they all turned to her.
“I’m making plans to draw the Glamour out. I’m challenging him to meet me.”
Some of the girls looked horrified, some fearful, and some, like Sabra, were stoic, waiting to hear what she had to say.
“I’m going to force him to meet me Monday night at the lake house my parents owned. It’s far enough outside of town that we won’t be interrupted. I think I pushed enough of his buttons for him to come by himself.”
“What for? Whatcha gonna do?” Sabra asked in her normal skeptical tone.
“This man is a threat who won’t go away without intervention. We can’t use normal channels of justice to deal with him. The Paranormal world won’t deal with him either. At least not fast enough to make sure other girls, or my friends, won’t be hurt. That leaves it up to me to take care of him.”
“Take care of him how?” Danny demanded.
“The only way to stop him is to kill him.” Grace’s mind was made up.
Danny jumped to his feet. “You can’t be serious. Your solution is to execute him? You’re talking about outright murder!”
Grace looked up at her brother as he stood over her, angry and confused. Grace knew him well enough to realize his reaction wasn’t because he thought the Glamour didn’t deserve justice for his crimes against the girls. It was because he was afraid of what might happen to her. Even if she wasn’t discovered for killing the Glamour, it wasn’t something that would leave her untouched emotionally or mentally.
But she was determined. She wouldn’t let this man continue to hurt girls. Now he was threatening her friends. Everything Nicco shared about Glamours indicated he wouldn’t stop on his own, wouldn’t stop simply because he was discovered or threatened.
There was only one way to deal with this type of Paranorm, and that was to put him down like the rabid dog he was. Put him down before more girls got hurt. Especially before he moved on to another city where no one knew what he was up to, and he could continue his serial killing unhindered.
“Danny, think about everything we know about the Glamour. He’s already condemned himself by what he’s done to these girls. I understand you don’t like me taking on the role of judge and executioner. But it’s the only way to stop him, and I’m the one who needs to do it.”
Danny sank back down beside Grace on the sofa, his expression changing as he worked through several emotions. Finally, he reached to grasp her hand and gave it a quick squeeze. “You’re confident you can deal with him on your own, then?” He looked into her eyes, meeting her determined gaze with a sad one of his own.
“Yes, I am. Meeting him at the lake means I have a method to dispose of the body afterward.”
Danny considered her statement, then nodded his understanding. “And I’ll be there as a backup, right?” It was more of a statement than a question.
“Definitely, kiddo.”
Looking at each girl in turn, she continued. “In fact, I want all of you to be there.”
Now all the girls looked startled. But as usual, it was Sabra who spoke up first. “Whatcha want us there for?”
“I want to give you a chance to confront the Glamour before I kill him, the chance you didn’t get when you were alive. I’m not asking for you to stay when I kill him. But it would help you move on if you confronted him for what he did to you.”
“The Glamour won’t be responsive to anything the girls say,” Danny cautioned.
“That’s not the point,” Grace corrected him. “The point is for each of you to stand up to him and tell him what you think about what he did.”
The girls glanced at each other.
“How’s we s’pposed to confront him? He can’t see us, remember?” Sabra countered.
“Danny, can you show them what I mean?”
Danny looked at her for a moment, seeming unsure. Grace nodded, confirming her resolution to share their secret with the girls.
He stood up, his mischievous smile blooming in anticipation of the girls’ reactions. He walked to a knickknack sized crystal on the nearby bookshelf and placed his hand on it, drawing in the barest amount of energy in order to materialize.
There was a collective gasp from the girls, and Sabra jumped up from her seat and rushed over to get right in his face. “Ya did this at the warehouse didn’t ya—the night we saved Celeste?” She reached out toward him. “Ya real now, boy? Live people can see ya?”
“Yes. I’m real enough to talk with people and move things around, too. Even to eat if I want!” Danny’s normal upbeat personality shined through his ear-to-ear grin.
“How long it last? How long do we get to say our piece?”
“It depends on how much energy you take from the crystal.” Danny demonstrated his corporealness by holding up the crystal he used to manifest. “I can teach you how to do it. With this sized crystal, you’ll have about half an hour to be real again.”
Grace hadn’t been sure it would be possible for other ghosts to manifest. But Danny wouldn’t offer to teach them if they weren’t able to learn how to do it. He wouldn’t be that cruel. He would have simply offered to manifest and speak on their behalf.
“Danny will teach you to manifest yourselves. I’ll bring your ashes along when I go to the lake house. Then you can all be there with us. I’ll put enough crystals in the car that you can all manifest once we’re there. You’ll have time to say what you need to the Glamour, and maybe I’ll get some of my own questions answered. Then, I will end this.”
“Okay, deal,” Sabra answered for the girls. “We wanna start learnin’ how to do this right now.”
Grace wasn’t surprised by how fast Sabra took up the offer to learn the trick from Danny. The other girls didn’t look so confident. They might not all follow through and go with her to the lake. The best she could do was give them the choice. The rest was up to them.
Grace left Danny taking the girls through how to use the crystals, and went upstairs to do her yoga, meditate, and get ready for work. About two hours later, she came downstairs to find Sabra and several other girls manifested and moving around the room, touching things and picking up objects.
“We’re making great progress,” Danny reported. “By the time you get home from work, we’ll have everyone doing it!”
“Great! I’ll leave you to it, then.” Grace grabbed her backpack and keys and headed toward the door.
Grace wanted to check on the flowers and the note as she headed out to work to make sure they were still secure and waiting on the front step. She pulled open the door to have what must have been two dozen loose red roses cascade onto the floor at her feet.
She had her answer from the Glamour.
Chapter 45
Late the next afternoon, Grace stopped by the hospital to check on Billy and see how his family was holding up. When she arrived at his room, she found Anthony, looking somewhat bedraggled, in what had become his permanent place, sitting outside in the hall. Sophie must have brought him a change of clothes recently as he was at least wearing something different than the last time she visited. She nodded to him as she entered the room, not surprised to find Mrs. Winiarksi at Billy’s bedside.
“Hi Mrs. W.” She greeted her with a hug.
“Gracie, good to see you, honey. The crew left a few minutes ago. They’ve all gone to grab a bite to eat.”
“And you didn’t join them?” Grace admonished her.
“No, I don’t have much of an appetite these days. Not with Billy still playing Sleeping Beauty.” Her half-hearted attempt at a joking reply was tinged with sadness.
“Why don’
t you at least walk down to the cafeteria to see if they have anything that might interest you? Even if it’s a slice of chocolate cake? It would be good for you to stretch your legs for a bit, and getting something in your stomach will help keep up your energy for sitting with Billy. I can stay with him while you’re away.”
Mrs. Winiarksi eyed her. “Okay, I appreciate your offer. Maybe I’ll go take a walk down there. See if I can find something to tempt me. Would you like me to send Anthony in to join you?”
“Yes, I would like that,” Grace admitted, surprised at herself.
Mrs. Winiarksi unfolded herself from the chair, slowly straightening as several joints popped. She put a hand on her lower back and stretched a bit before turning and walking through the door.
A few seconds later, Anthony came into the room.
“Would you shut the door, please?” Grace requested before he got too far into the room.
He raised the door stopper with one foot to let the door swing shut, making sure it closed with only a small thump.
“How are you getting along with Billy’s family?” She took a seat next to the bed and laid her hand on Billy’s arm.
“They are marvelous, especially Mrs. Winiarksi.” He took a seat opposite her, sounding surprised by the experience. “They are generous and welcoming. They let me come in and see Billy all the time. They even bring me food when they stop by to see him. They don’t ask questions about me staying out in the hallway.”
“Not what you expected?”
“No, not at all. Sophie always gives me a hard time about my attitude toward Norms. She tells me I spend too much time on the stage seeing them as an audience rather than as real people. Sophie is around them all day with her job. She always has a more open attitude toward them than me,” he admitted as he followed her lead and took Billy’s other hand.
“And now?” Grace prompted him.
“She is right. Being here with Billy’s family makes me realize how foolish I have been.”
“Well, Billy’s family is fantastic, especially his mom. They’re a second family to me, which makes me biased when it comes to them. Not all Norms are as open and supportive. But it’s good you’ve stepped off the stage to get to know some of the Norms.”
“I am not glad this happened to Billy,” he said, gesturing to Billy’s bandaged head. “But regardless of how this all turns out, I am glad I met him and you, Grace.”
Grace shifted in her seat, turning to look at Billy. “How’s he doing?” she redirected.
“The doctors say the brain swelling has gone down some but not as much as they would like. According to the doctors, it is not unusual to keep someone in an induced coma for several weeks. They are not overly concerned at this point, only hoping to have more progress by now.”
“There’s a chance he might not come out of this, isn’t there?” Grace asked. “He may never get better? I’m not trying to be negative about his chances, but I also want to be realistic about what might happen from here.”
Anthony grew solemn at Grace’s questions, searching Billy’s still face before answering. “I understand what you mean. I think it is still too early to be sure. But there is a chance Billy could never wake up again.”
It was what Grace needed to know. She couldn’t talk to Mrs. Winiarksi or Billy’s brothers about it. They needed to focus all their positive energy into believing he would get well. She needed to face the reality of the situation as it gave her even more reason to stick to her resolve and finish things with the Glamour like she planned.
Grace leaned in close to Billy, wrapping her arms around his still form to hold him in an awkward hug and lay her cheek against his rough unshaven one.
She whispered into his ear. “Keep fighting to come back to us, Billy. Your family needs you, and Anthony needs you. Danny and I need you, too.”
Tears pooled in her eyes, and she blinked rapidly to stay focused. “I’m going to meet the Glamour at Mom and Dad’s lake house tonight. I’ve challenged him to face me there, and I plan on making sure he never leaves again. If you were awake, I’m sure you’d tell me I’m doing something foolish and try to stop me. But I’m not.”
She squeezed him harder. “I have to risk it—for the girls he hurt, for everyone he might hurt in the future, and for you. I’m as prepared as I can be, but I’m not sure whether I’ll be coming back home tonight. If I don’t, I want you to know I love you. You’re the best big brother and friend—better than I deserve. You’ve always inspired me, and it’s your example I’m following tonight. You have to get better, Billy. Please get better.”
She gave his stubbled cheek a solid and lingering kiss, then straightened back up in her seat.
“Grace?” Anthony questioned her once she regained her composure. “What are you planning to do?”
Grace grimaced at him, glad to have something to be annoyed in order at to move on from her tears. “I’m taking care of the Glamour tonight.” She poured her commitment to her plan of action into the tone of her voice.
Anthony scrutinized her face for a moment. “I see. You are planning on doing this alone, I take it?”
“Yes, I am.”
“No way in Hell! It is too risky. I’m going with you. Who else are you going to take with you to have your back? Billy is lying here now because we risked having a Norm help us try to capture the Glamour.”
Grace bristled, but the weight of guilt she felt over what happened to Billy was too heavy to deny.
“And which Paranorms do you trust enough to help you? Don’t you dare mention Sophie’s name. There’s no way I would let my cousin risk herself. She’d have no idea how to fight such a creature. I am the only one—”
“You?” Grace’s stare turned hard. “What training in combat do you have? When have you become an expert in fighting, spending all that time doing shows at the theater?”
Anthony opened his mouth then shut it without saying anything as his face grew red.
“I’m sorry.” Grace rubbed her forehead with the palm of her hand. “That was a real asshole thing to say.”
“But it is true,” Anthony said with sagging shoulders.
“Billy had the training but not the Paranorm powers to protect himself from the Glamour. You have the Paranorm powers but not the training. I have them both. I don’t see me finding anyone else like me to bring along to the party. And I won’t risk someone else getting hurt because I wasn’t willing to go it alone.”
Anthony answered with a small nod.
“You should stay here with Billy in case the Glamour pulls a fast one and comes here instead of meeting me. I wouldn’t put it past him to pretend to be willing to meet me and then use the opportunity to get access to my friends. This is where your Paranorm powers can really be a help to me.”
“I could send for someone else to watch Billy—” he began.
But Grace interrupted him. “No, you’re the one I trust to keep Billy safe. No offense to the other Paranorms, but if I’m going to risk everything tonight, I can’t be worrying about whether someone is doing their job here. I know you will, and it will let me focus on what I need to do.”
She knew Anthony didn’t like what she was saying, but he couldn’t argue with her logic, either.
“If something happens to me tonight—”
“Grace—”
“No, let me finish. If something happens to me tonight, tell Billy how much I love him, and I tried to do the right thing. He’ll understand, and in time, he’ll forgive me for doing this. Tell him I was my usual unbendable stubborn self, and I wasn’t willing to accept your help or put anyone else at risk. I had to do this myself. Will you do that for me?”
Anthony didn’t point out that he might never deliver the message to Billy if he stayed in a coma. He bowed his head a moment then looked back into her eyes, accepting her decision. “Yes, Grace, I will.”
“And please explain to Sophie for me. I didn’t have time to catch up with her before I left tonight.”
&nbs
p; “She is over at DL’s right now, keeping an eye on him and Beth, but I will tell her if anything happens.”
At the mention of DL, Grace looked at her watch. She had a few more minutes before she needed to hit the road. She should call him and let him know what was going on before she did.
Grace stood and circled around the bed to where Anthony was sitting. She surprised him and herself by giving him a quick hug. “Despite everything that’s happened, I’m happy I got a chance to know you, too,” she whispered.
Then she released him to open the door and slip out into the hallway.
As soon as she got to the parking lot and pulled herself back together, she made the call to DL. He picked up on the second ring. Grace’s throat tightened at the sound of his voice.
“Grace, I’m glad you called. I was about to check in with you to see how Billy’s doing.”
“He hasn’t changed much. Some reduced swelling in his brain, but no major progress to report. The doctors say it’ll take some more time.”
“I’m sorry he hasn’t seen much improvement. We’re all sending our prayers to him and his family.”
“I’m sure they appreciate that. All the help they can get, right?”
“Definitely. Speaking of progress, how’s it going with our ‘new friend’?”
Grace walked him through her plans to meet the Glamour, including the chance she was giving the girls to find closure in confronting him.
“I would ask you to swing by and pick me up on your way. But I know you can’t do that—I’d just be a liability for you at this point. I’ll settle for saying thank you for what you’re doing for the girls…and asking you to take care of yourself.”
“Thanks, DL. I want you and Beth safe tonight,” she said relieved, not wanting to start another discussion about the feasibility of her plan. “I hear Sophie is there watching out for all of you?”
DL barked a laugh. “Sophie’s got Jennifer and Beth and bunch of my girls here doing a ‘Tarot Reading party.’ It was a clever way to get them off the streets and away from the Glamour, and they’re having a blast. Could be an all-night thing. Maybe even a slumber party afterward.”
Glamorous: A Grace Bishop Novel (Grace Bishop Novels) Page 21
