by Diane Capri
The kitchen had a stove, a small island made of wood, and a colorful, if dated, tile backsplash in teal, yellow, and burnt orange. It was sort of retro-Spanish-looking to me.
Cass whined, clearly wanting to leave.
“It’s okay,” I whispered, not knowing why I was whispering.
On the other side of the kitchen was a small living room with an arched fireplace. It was covered in the same tiles as the kitchen back splash. I walked a bit further. There was a door that opened into a decent sized bedroom. The room was all white, minus the dust, with white linens on a rustic bed. The only color in the room came from a red, faded blanket at the foot of the bed. I moved closer, reaching out to touch the red blanket. And that’s when I noticed something, a stain maybe, peeking out from one corner. I gingerly lifted the blanket up to reveal a few rust-colored blotches dotting the white cover beneath. It looked an awful lot like blood. I backed away quickly, releasing the blanket.
As I turned to go, a photo on the nightstand caught my eye. I walked over and picked it up. Cass increased her whining. I recognized one man, the guy who I had assumed was Blake, the owner. And there was Lucas, and a woman draped over him, a very beautiful, dark-haired woman. But it was the third man in the photo who captured my full attention. When I looked at him, my skin began to crawl and I dropped the photo to the ground, bolting out the door as fast as I could with Cass at my heels.
The man in the photo was none other than the man from my bizarre sex dream. The same man whose face had been splashed across the screen during Jackson’s review—the one who’d pushed Jackson in the pool. And the same man who had shown up in the vision when I shook Kane Richards’s hand. He was clearly alive in the photo … but I was pretty sure he wasn’t anymore.
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
ONCE INSIDE THE MAIN house, I screamed. Cass began to howl, and Mac rolled off the couch and strolled over to watch his two roomies go bonkers.
For the first time since I arrived, I felt the strong urge to go back to Texas. I was living in a haunted house. I was trying to solve a murder. I had freakishly strange friends and things were getting further and further out of hand.
But was going home the solution? If I went home, I would likely fade back into a shadow of my current self. Or, even worse, I would wind up working at the local Piggly Wiggly and married to someone named Billy Joe who chewed tobacco and swore worse than Simone.
After much mulling, I decided I much preferred L.A. crazy over small town crazy any day, and I’d simply have to deal with the ghosts and murders head on.
Once I calmed down, I took myself upstairs to shower and get ready for the night. It was a little after four o’clock. The long hot shower helped take me down a few notches.
I took a little extra time dressing and putting my makeup on. At one point, Cass started pacing the floor and then jogged out of the room. I heard her paws hit the stairs and travel down. She was as agitated as I’d been. Mac, of course, followed her.
I was putting on lip gloss and getting ready to go down when I heard a whooshing sound from below, and then I heard what sounded like a heavy book hitting the floor. I started down the stairs calling for Cass, wondering what she and Mac had gotten into now. And I stopped as soon as I turned the corner into my kitchen.
Cass was there, but she was lying on the floor, whimpering, with blood oozing onto the tiles from somewhere on her body. I ran to her, horrified, bending down.
“Oh my God!” Then I looked up to see someone standing over me. Cass attempted to growl, and I felt a sharp blow to my face as what appeared to be an expensive high heeled shoe connected with my jaw. I fell back onto the floor with a thud and stared in surprise at the two people above me. Raquela Verne and Nurse Dederick.
I moaned in pain, and Mac began meowing at a high pitch, until Raquela screamed, “Shut up!” and fired a small but deadly gun at him. Thankfully, Mac got away, and I hoped he’d hidden himself under a bed.
“Why?” I cried, looking up into Raquela Verne’s wild eyes. “Why are you doing this to me?”
She sneered nastily down at me. “Because, you had to go and stick your nose where it didn’t belong! And you’re the only thing currently standing between me and forty-five million dollars! With Nick out of the way that money was to go back to my dipshit husband, and then it would all become mine—at least half of it would!” She began pacing the kitchen in agitation.
“Do you have any idea what it’s like to be married to an insufferable, miserable prick like Bradley?! Fifteen years! Fifteen years of whining about his dad and Nick and all of that bullshit. Fifteen years of dealing with illegitimate children, none of whom I could give two shits about. And then I finally met someone wonderful.” Her angry glare quickly morphed into a lovestruck smile and she blew a kiss at Dederick. “A man who wasn’t so wrapped up in his own pity party that he didn’t have time for me. And then I find out that old bastard decided to leave the bulk of everything to that moron, Nick! Then Bradley tells me he has to file for bankruptcy. No way am I getting nothing after all I have put up with. So you have to go away, Evie! Such a shame, because you didn’t even need to get involved in any of this. You could have lived your silly little life singing your silly little songs serving silly little drinks to those lushes! I’ve been watching you. Bradley told me all about your sleuthing. Then when he told me you two were having lunch today at the nursing home, I knew I needed to put an end to it all!”
I groaned slightly. I could see Dederick put an arm around her. Raquela handed him the weapon, probably deciding to let him do the “dirty” work. I can only assume he got my home address from my purse that morning at the nursing home.
“You’re delusional, and so is your boyfriend,” I muttered through a very sore mouth. “You realize you’ll never get away with this.”
That’s when I heard Cass’s moan, her breathing becoming more labored. And I don’t know how it happened but I found the strength to sweep my legs out, hard, beneath Dederick’s legs. He went down with a yelp, dropping the gun to the floor. Raquela shouted angrily as she dove for the weapon. I kicked out again from my prone position on the floor. My wedge- heeled foot made contact with Dederick’s face and he grunted in pain. I quickly propelled myself forward, along the floor, and made a grab for the gun.
“No one hurts my dog! No one!” I grabbed the gun with sweat-slicked hands and aimed it at Dederick, who was rolling on the floor, clutching his nose which appeared to be bleeding profusely. Raquela, seeing I had her boyfriend in my sights, stopped in her tracks.
The three of us sat there silently, assessing the current turn of events. Just as I began to think I’d gotten the upper hand in things, Dederick shot his free hand out and roughly grabbed a fistful of Cass’s fur. He yanked her towards him menacingly. “Drop the gun or I’ll break the dog’s neck if I have to.” He made as if to punch her with his fist and I cried out in anger and frustration.
And then Bob and Janis appeared right behind Raquela. Janis winked at me although I had no idea what the two of them planned to do. Janis raised her hands and a reddish light began to pulse out of them towards Raquela. She yelped, startled, and stumbled forward in surprise. Dederick turned to glance at her and it was the split second I needed to heave my sore body off the floor, grab Cass, and pull her away from him. Janis did the light thing again and almost knocked Raquela off her feet. Raquela turned behind her, an expression of fear and anger mingling on her face.
“What the fuck?!”
Neither of them were paying any attention to me as I slid further away with Cass in my arms.
“Who’s there?” Dederick shouted, dashing from one side of the kitchen to the other. “We’ll find you, no point hiding!”
I figured I needed to man up and fire the gun. Those two would only be distracted for so long. I’d never shot anyone in my life but I didn’t think I had much choice, considering the alternative. Then I heard a shout, “Evie!”
Joshua bounded in through the patio door, almost colliding with Dederick
. He grabbed the smaller man and made short work of him, with a little help from the nearby corner of the stove. Dederick dropped to the floor for the second time in minutes, but I seriously doubted he’d be getting up again anytime soon.
Raquela stared from Joshua to me with the gun and back again, an ugly look of panic flitting across her face. With a growl, she turned, probably to try and run, but Bob was there doing the same light thing from his hands as Janis had. He pushed Raquela straight into Joshua’s arms. In a parody of an embrace, Joshua grabbed her and squeezed—hard. She struggled mightily, screaming obscenities, and I worried she’d knock him in the face with the crown of her head. I sprinted over (well, more like staggered) and dealt her a sharp blow across the head with the butt of the gun. She went instantly limp and Joshua dragged her away from the kitchen, presumably to tie her up.
For a few seconds, I simply stood there, panting. Bob and Janis had disappeared again. Cass was lying motionless on the floor, her breaths coming in shallow gasps. Dederick was … gone. Oh, shit. I momentarily debated about trying to find him, but I didn’t want to leave Cass, even for a second.
And that’s how Joshua found me a few minutes later, cradling Cass in my arms and sobbing. He crouched down next to us.
“Shhh, Evie. It’s going to be okay. Cass will be okay, I promise.” He reached into his pocket and quickly dialed 9-1-1. His voice shook as he explained to the switchboard operator what had happened and gave them my address. Then he hung up and gently placed his arms around me.
I ached badly all over, and my sobbing got heavier as I called out Cass’s name, stroking her fur gently.
“Evie, I promise Cass will be okay. Paramedics are on the way. I will get her to the emergency vet hospital as soon as the authorities arrive.”
I shook my head, wincing as a stab of pain shot through my neck. “No! Take her now. I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine. There’s a killer running loose in the neighborhood, and I don’t want to leave you here with that woman. Hang on, and I promise to do everything I can for Cass.”
I choked back another sob. It hurt to cry. My rib cage was killing me. I closed my eyes and heard Cass whimper. My eyes shot open and, for the umpteenth time that day, I was shocked almost speechless. “Oh my God,” I gasped.
“What?” Joshua said, looking at me and then at Cass in alarm.
About ten feet away from us stood Lucas—his colors drastically diminished. He had tears in his eyes and he was holding Hannah’s bracelet up and in his hands. I started to call Lucas’s name when the air shimmered behind him and two more figures appeared.
Pierre and Anastasia. I thought I might be sick.
“Evie, what is it? Are you okay?” Joshua kept asking me over and over.
Anastasia morphed into a jaguar and her mouth opened wide … then wider still … until it was a large, black hole … grotesquely huge on her lithe body. She roared, and then, in a horrifying visual I will never forget, swallowed Lucas entirely. Pierre smiled. “See you in the Black Tier, Evie.” Then they disappeared.
And I passed out.
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
I SPENT A NIGHT in the hospital being monitored. I had a couple of cracked ribs, a sprained ankle, and some ugly bruises. But I was alive. Dederick had, thankfully, been caught by the police and was now being charged with Nick’s murder, along with attempted murder and assault. Raquela, as his sidekick, received the same charges, but I’d been told she’d likely get off easier since the evidence seemed strong she hadn’t actually pulled the trigger on Nick that day in the bar. Nevertheless, the officers who came to take my statement assured me she’d be in jail for a very long time.
I felt horrible for Bradley, who had sent me a huge bouquet of roses and an apology. I didn’t expect to see him for a while, as I suspected he had a lot to work out.
I could also not stop thinking about Lucas. It appeared he’d been taken by Pierre and Anastasia to the Black Tier. I also knew he had found Hannah or at least knew what had happened to her. What I did not know was if I would ever see him again. And that hurt much worse than any of the physical pain I’d been through in the last twenty-four hours.
I finally made it back home, with a little help from Simone, who had Dwight pick me up at the hospital and transport me home. Both Simone and Dwight had been adamant about me staying at her place, but thankfully, Joshua stepped in and offered to temporarily move in to care for Cass and me.
One week later, Joshua walked into my bedroom where I was napping with Cass. She lay on the bed near my feet, her fur partially shaved where she’d been shot, and a red, puckered line of stitches etched across her side. Joshua bent down next to her and gently gave her the twice-daily dose of antibiotics. She loathed them, but she opened her mouth nevertheless and swallowed stoically. She lifted her head and licked his face when it was over. He laughed.
“You’re so good to her. You’re good to me, too. Thank you.” Joshua sat gently next to me on the bed. “I was thinking…” “Yes?”
He glanced down at his hands, looking momentarily uncomfortable. “I don’t know if it’s such a great idea … you here … alone.”
“I have Cass and Mac here, and now that Simone had that new alarm installed, well I feel a whole lot safer.”
He nodded thoughtfully. “True. But this is a big place, and you sometimes work late hours.” He rubbed his neck. “The thing is, my mom is leaving.”
Would miracles never cease? “Your mom’s leaving?”
“Yeah. She wants to try to get back into acting and thinks she has a better chance on Broadway. She’s leaving for New York in a week. Things between her and I have been … tense, and we both think some space would be a good thing. I don’t have a place right now, and you have that guesthouse.” He turned and smiled winningly. “I won’t bother you. Trust me, I will let you have your privacy. I would be there, though … just in case you needed me.”
So Becky was leaving. I knew she’d caused Roger’s death, but I also knew proving it was going to be next to impossible. And I wondered if she’d ever tell Joshua the real truth about his father, assuming it hadn’t been Nick. The only thing that made me feel somewhat better was I knew Becky would face a review. If not now, then at the end of her life, and she’d have to atone for her bad choices just like the rest of us when we died. Hopefully, as she went forward into her future, her good deeds would outweigh the bad ones.
“What do you think?” Joshua asked me.
I realized I’d been silent for too long. “That place is a mess,” I said, cautiously. “I’ve only been inside once and it was filthy. I can’t imagine anything works.”
He chuckled. “I worked for the Red Cross, remember? You can’t imagine the places I’ve slept. Part of the job requirement was that I was able to make repairs … not just to people but also to buildings, cars, you name it. I can fix that place up, no problem.”
He was a good salesman. “One problem though. I don’t own this place. I would have to talk to Simone.”
“I know. I already did.”
“What? Really?”
He nodded. “That girl really loves you. She stayed the entire night when you were at the hospital, in the chair next to your bed.”
I had a vague memory of someone being there. But I was so hopped up on pain killers, I could barely remember my own name let alone notice someone else in the room with me. “She was?”
“She was, and she was very worried. When I mentioned the guesthouse to her and how I could be of help, she said—”
“Wait!” I held up a hand. “Let me guess. It involved the “f” word.”
Joshua barked a laugh. “How did you know? Anyway, she called the guy who owns this place, and he didn’t have a problem with me moving in. I think, maybe, he’s hoping I might be able to make some repairs and upgrades to the property while I’m here.”
For a minute, I didn’t say anything. Joshua glanced down to scratch Mac who was purring loudly (the sneaky feline had crawled up onto
Joshua’s lap seconds after he sat on the bed).
Honestly, I wasn’t sure about Joshua living here. I mean, I should have been happy my friends were concerned about me and wanted to be supportive. But what about my privacy and setting boundaries between Joshua and I? We were co-workers, after all. And there was his budding relationship with Simone. Then I remembered poor Cass nearly dead and me not too far behind.
“Yeah. Okay.” Cass lifted her head and looked at us both. “On one condition.” Cass closed her eyes.
“Sure. Name it.”
“We need to come up with a list of house and property rules. I mean, set some basic boundaries and figure out who takes care of what on the property.”
“Okay. Boundaries are good.”
His head was still bent down looking at the top of Mac’s head but I could tell he was smiling.
“And this is a trial thing. Two months. My mother gives her new hairdressers two months at her shop and if it doesn’t work, if the hairdresser can’t curl hair right or add an extension correctly, that’s it.”
Joshua smiled mischievously. “Pretty sure I can’t do either of those things.”
I rolled my eyes. “You know what I mean.” I grimaced. “And you can’t fire me if I kick you out!”
“Wouldn’t that be weird, though? I mean, if I did something that warranted an eviction … why would you want to continue working with me?”
I sighed. “Good point, but all the same. Deal?”
He reached out to shake my hand, grinning broadly. “Deal.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
THREE DAYS LATER and still no Lucas. Kane Richards left a couple of messages about my coming to New York. I had not returned his calls. I still wasn’t feeling great. But more importantly, I was deeply concerned about the vision I’d had when I shook Kane’s hand. I had to find out who the evil dream guy was and how much of a threat he posed. I knew, sooner or later, I needed to make a decision about going to New York. I just wasn’t ready yet.
