“I didn’t kill anyone. You’ve got to believe me,” he insisted.
“How did you know about the peanut powder?” Sonja asked.
“Excuse me?” he asked, turning to her.
“How did you know about the peanut powder? It was incinerated when the spirit tried to attack Frank and me. We didn’t tell anyone else about it.”
Handy looked dumbfounded. “I didn’t,” he lied. “I just knew that it could have been used to spike the marinade.”
“No,” Sonja sighed. “I don’t think so.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Did you find out the truth?” Sonja asked. “That Jake might not be your son?”
“W-What?” Jake asked. “What are you talking about?”
Handy sighed. “Jake, you’re my son,” he whispered.
“No, I’m not,” he said straight out. “My mom left my dad when I was born. She told me that, like, a million times.”
“That was me,” he said. “She moved away from me when you were born.”
“Maybe, it was you,” Sonja cut in. “Maybe not.”
Turning toward her, Handy sneered. “He’s my son, do you hear? Not Shakeman’s.”
“When did you find out? When you helped balance the accounts on Perry Pitman’s accounts after she died?”
“You did help with that,” Jake agreed. “But what does that have to do with anything?”
“You realized that she was getting payments from Tanner,” Sonja continued. “Every few months for years.”
“Fine,” the cook spat. “I did see. I saw his payments right beside mine.”
“Then you confronted Shakeman about it?”
“Of course, how could I not? I asked why he was giving money to my son. He claimed I was wrong, that he was his son.” He shook his head, turning to Jake. “How could he call you a son? When had he ever spent a single warm moment with you? I was the one who was there your entire life, helping you when you needed it.”
Jake was pale with horror. “Y-You killed him? For real?”
“I did it for you,” he insisted. “Because I’m your real father. Not him.”
“You’re a murderer,” Jake screamed, stumbling away from Handy. “You’re a murderer.” Dashing from the room, he disappeared through the front door and out into the night.
Thomas watched him go, a look of utter pain on his face.
Sonja pressed stop on the tape recorder. “Dickson, call the sheriff.”
CHAPTER 19
* * *
“It was great seeing you,” Sonja told Maddy as they stood outside on the front driveway of her home. “Even if it was under somewhat paranormal circumstances.”
“With you, it’s never not paranormal,” Maddy joked.
“Sorry about that,” she confessed.
“Hey, we’re both mediums. What can you expect?”
“It looks like news about my weird relationship with ghosts it getting out more and more. My dad knows, Frank knows, multiple people in town know, and now Jake and Dickson know, too.”
“Speaking of Dickson, what is he planning to do about Shakeman’s whole waffle menu?”
Sonja smiled broadly. “He’s scrapping the whole thing. I guess it’s his way of saying thanks for me catching his best friend’s murderer.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“And, despite their history, he’s given Jake his job back as a host. I guess he really wants to try and help him out—teach him about money and business.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, experiencing something terrifying like a demonic possession has a way of bringing people closer together.” She shrugged. “Also, if Jake really was Shakeman’s son, Dickson says he feels responsible for him.”
“I still don’t know how you get to be twenty-one and know nothing about saving money. I mean, I’m only twenty, but I know a thing or two.”
“Well, when no one teaches you, it can be hard.”
“I’m glad I have you to teach me more about the paranormal.”
“Hey, I wasn’t a TV psychic like you.”
“That’s not me anymore,” she noted. “That part of my life is long gone.” She sighed.
“I know.”
“But if you need a second opinion on a case like this one in the future, give me a call.”
“I will,” she nodded, glad to have a friend like her.
“Hey,” she smirked, “maybe next time you can come out to my grandparents’ farmhouse for a visit.”
“I’d love that,” Sonja agreed. “As long as I’m not stuck dealing with dead bodies and ghosts all over again.”
Maddy raised an eyebrow. “I make no promises.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to,” Sonja sighed, knowing that neither one of them had control over what fate might throw their way.
“I better get going if I want to make it to Idaho before it gets dark.”
“Good idea.”
The woman embraced in one last hug, and then Maddy climbed into her car, waving as she drove off and disappeared down the road.
Just as Sonja was about to head back inside, she spotted Frank’s police cruiser driving up. He smiled at her as he pulled into the circle driveway. Parking, he got out.
“You just missed Maddy,” she informed him.
“That’s okay,” he replied. Approaching his girlfriend, he leaned down and gave her a kiss. “I came to see you.”
“Oh?” she smiled, wrapping her arms around him. “What can I do for you, officer?”
“Actually,” he cleared his throat, “I wanted to thank you for your help on this last case.”
Raising an eyebrow. “You do?”
“That tape you made won’t hold up in court, of course. I don’t think the judge would appreciate your séance approach to police work.”
She paused, knowing where this was probably going. “But?”
“But, Handy already signed a full confession, so we’re all squared away.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
“But just because your séance did the trick this time doesn’t mean you can go snooping around on your own or doing other stuff like that from now on. Next time, you need to go through me.”
“Got it,” she gave him a thumbs up. She knew that, in the future, she would continue to investigate paranormal happenings around Haunted Falls whether it was related to police work or not. Still, she promised to be better about communicating with Frank.
“Good,” he whispered, kissing her again. “Now, when do I get to try this new Prime Steak Waffle I keep hearing about?”
“Well, seeing as Dickson got rid of the new menu, I’m not going to be selling it at the diner.”
“Oh,” he frowned. “I see.”
“But there isn’t any law against me cooking it here at home.”
His smile returned. “I like that answer.”
“Why don’t you come inside and I can whip one up for you,” she smirked, holding his hand and leading him toward the door. More than ever, she knew that she loved him.
She hoped that as he learned more about her paranormal abilities, and the utter strangeness that was her life, that she never scared him off.
High Steaks Waffle (The Diner of the Dead Series Book 16) Page 8
