Dead Speak

by Pandora Pine

  Cole and Carson might have some ideas or ways to speak to the child that Tennyson hadn’t thought of or tried out yet. He especially wanted Cole in the room now that he was a father and knew what it was like to have that parent bond with a child.

  It had taken longer than usual to drive from Boston to Salem thanks to icy roads, so that by the time Ronan parked the Mustang in front of the shop, it was dark and his nerves were frayed.

  “Are you sure you’re going to be okay to do this?” Ronan asked with concern in his voice.

  “I’ll be okay. I’ll get Carson to cleanse me before we start. Plus, I should eat something. It’s been a while since lunch.”

  Ronan pulled Tennyson into his arms. “I’ve missed this,” he whispered.

  Tennyson had missed their closeness too. “Are you coming home with me tonight or going back to Dorchester?”

  “Is that an invitation?” Ronan smiled against the warm skin of Tennyson’s neck.

  “It’s an invitation if you’re saying yes.” Tennyson snuggled closer to Ronan in the semi-darkness of the sidewalk.

  The door to West Side Magick was yanked open. “For the love of God, you two. Get in here before someone calls the cops!” Carson laughed.

  “We were just hugging each other.” Tennyson rolled his eyes.

  “Yeah, well, we all know what hugging leads to.” Carson held the door open for them. “We ordered from Lotus Blossom. It’s all laid out in the reading room.”

  “Damn psychics,” Ronan muttered.

  “Don’t worry, Ronan. I ordered your shrimp lo mein.”

  “How did you know that I-” Ronan snorted. “Duh, psychic.” He shook his head.

  Tennyson didn’t have to be a psychic to know Ronan was just bantering with Carson to take his mind off what he needed to speak with his friends about. That was one of the things he loved most about Ronan. He was thoughtful like that.

  Yes, he was in love with his surly detective, but now was most definitely not the time to think or talk about that.

  “Hey, brother.” Cole pulled Tennyson in for a hug before he’d even taken his coat off. “We’ll most definitely talk about that later.” He burst out laughing when Ten rolled his eyes.

  “Let’s get down to the business about this group reading with Michael Frye,” Carson said when Cole let Tennyson go.

  “Jesus Christ, Carson,” Tennyson said with exasperation in his voice. He loved these men like brothers, but sometimes he wanted to bounce their heads together. “Can I at least take off my coat and fix a plate to eat before you get all up in my business?”

  Carson made a motion with his hand like he was locking his lips and then throwing away the key.

  “If only!” Tennyson looked heavenward, as if God would actually answer his prayer for five minutes of peace and quiet. He slipped off his coat and went for the crab rangoon and fried rice. While he ate, Ronan filled the others in about what had happened with Tony.

  “So, you’re thinking that with the three of us working together, we might be able to get Michael to open up about what happened to him?” Carson asked when Ronan finished talking and Tennyson’s plate was empty.

  “He’s been so closed-mouthed about what happened that night. How he got taken, by whom, and what happened. I don’t want to get tough with him, but with Tony under arrest, we’re running out of time.” He’d never had to lay down the law with a child spirit before and this was his last chance before that kind of drastic measure had to be taken.

  “Not to mention that whoever did this is still out there, free and able to do this to another child,” Ronan said, his voice tight.

  “You’re going to have one hell of a shiner in the morning.” Cole shook his head. “Your friends always treat you like that?”

  “Only the ones I accuse of raping five-year-olds and then arrest for murder.” Ronan shrugged as if his eye was the least of his worries.

  “Do you think that’s what happened to Michael?” Cole asked.

  “Could be one of the reason’s Michael’s so reluctant to talk,” Tennyson agreed.

  Carson stood up and started cleaning up the Chinese food cartons. Ronan stood to help him.

  While the others were cleaning up, Tennyson took some cleansing breaths and tried to find his center. Moments later he felt hands on his shoulders. He knew they were Carson’s. His friend had the unique ability to calm his racing emotions and quiet all of the other spirits trying to reach out and speak to him.

  When Carson moved away, Ten opened his eyes. He saw the room was only lit by candles which were reflecting off the clear glass of Carson’s mother’s crystal ball. The other men, his friends, were sitting quietly around the table.

  Nodding, Tennyson focused all of his energy on Michael Frye, reaching out to the boy with his mind. He didn’t need to speak out loud, but thought maybe he should for Ronan’s benefit. “Michael, if you can hear me, my friends and I need to speak with you.”

  The silence in the room was nearly deafening. Trying to reach out to the boy without a parent or treasured item in the room was a longshot at best. Ten hadn’t spoken to the boy since his funeral and that was days ago. It was possible their tenuous link had been broken.

  “Hello, Tennyson,” Michael said. The boy was standing next to Carson and was staring curiously at the other psychic.

  “Hey there, Michael.” Carson was all smiles. “I’m Carson Craig. It’s nice to finally meet you.” Carson’s attention shifted to the left and suddenly tears shimmered in his eyes.

  “Why are you crying, Carson?” Michael looked puzzled.

  “Because you brought someone very special to see me tonight.” Carson nudged Cole before swiping at the tears in his eyes. Cole gasped in return.

  “What’s going on?” Ronan whispered loudly.

  “I’m not entirely sure,” Tennyson said, “but there’s a woman here with Michael who I’m guessing is Bertha Craig.”

  Carson nodded. “Hi, Mama.”

  “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your handsome friend?” Bertha made her way across the room.

  “Mom, this is Tennyson Grimm.” Carson still looked like he was struggling to catch his breath.

  “Michael’s told me a little bit about you.” Bertha turned around. “This must be the mean cop.” She pointed at Ronan.

  Tennyson burst out laughing. “Ronan, Bertha is asking if you’re the mean cop.”

  Ronan shook his head with a smile. “I’m just trying to find out who took Michael away from his family, so if that makes me mean, then yes, I’m the mean cop. Ronan O’Mara at your service, Mrs. Craig.”

  “Shit, son, tell him to call me Bertha.” Carson’s mother laughed.

  “She’s laughing and asking you to call her Bertha.” Tennyson turned his attention back to Carson and Cole’s mother. “I don’t understand why you’re here with us tonight, Bertha.”

  “Would you like to tell him, Carson? Or should I?” Bertha crossed her arms over her chest.

  “You heard my prayer?” Carson exchanged a shocked look with Cole. “I mean I know you listen to me, but I didn’t know if even you could pull this off.” Carson shook his head.

  “What’s he talking about, Ten?” Ronan looked more confused than ever.

  “I had a feeling Michael was all alone on the other side and needed someone who could help him navigate things over there. I asked Mom to be his guide. They aren’t family and didn’t know each other in life, so I didn’t know if she could find him. It’s sort of like thinking you’ll actually find Elvis or Jim Morrison on the other side. The chances are slim to none unless you knew them in life.”

  “Wait!” Ronan moaned. “So, I won’t run into Marilyn Monroe after I check out?”

  “It’s not likely you will, Ronan.” Tennyson reached a hand out to comfort him. He had no idea Ronan was such a big fan that he’d be looking for the blonde bombshell on the other side.

  “She was just so misunderstood in life, you know. I’m betting every man in this ro
om understands her pain.” Ronan shrugged and turned his attention back to Carson. “Thank you for asking your Mom to help Michael.”

  Carson nodded. “Mom, since you heard me asking you to find Michael, did you also hear why we need to speak with him so badly?”

  “I did, Carson. I spoke to Michael about the things you need to know and I think he’s ready to answer your questions now. Aren’t you, Michael?” Bertha turned back to the little boy who’d moved to stand behind her.

  “Bertha said I’m brave,” Michael agreed, his gap-toothed smile in full effect.

  “You sure are,” Carson agreed. “Do you remember who took you from your house on that bad day?” Carson’s voice was gentle.

  Michael nodded. He reached out to take Bertha’s hand. “It was Officer Buddy.”

  “Michael said Officer Buddy took him.” Tennyson looked up at Ronan while his spoke. The cop’s posture slumped in his chair. He rebounded quickly and pulled out his phone and seemed to be flipping through it before sliding it across the table to Carson.

  “Was this Officer Buddy, Michael?” Carson held the phone up for Michael to see.

  The boy shook his head no. “That’s not Officer Buddy.”

  “Michael says that’s not the man who took him,” Carson repeated to Ronan.

  “Thank Jesus,” Ronan whispered.

  Tennyson looked over at the phone display and saw that Carson had showed Michael a picture of Ronan and Tony together. Both men were smiling and dressed in suits.

  “Officer Buddy came to your school?” Carson asked.

  Michael nodded. “I recognized him when he came to my house. He wanted to meet Max.”

  “Your puppy, right?” Tennyson asked.

  Michael nodded. “When I brought Max to the fence, Officer Buddy asked me if I would come and help him look for his lost dog, since I was such a good dog owner. He said I’d get a medal and be on television when we found his dog and that my Mommy and Daddy would be so proud of me…” Michael’s voice trailed off.

  Tennyson’s heart broke for the little boy. Whoever the bastard was that took Michael knew exactly what buttons to push to get the boy to go with him quietly. “What happened after you agreed to help Officer Buddy find his dog?”

  “We drove in the car for a while and then when we got to the place where the dog got lost, he told me I had to take my pants off so they wouldn’t get dirty. Then he hurt me.” Michael looked up at Bertha, who silently nodded. “He hurt my bottom.”

  Tennyson gasped. Michael had just confirmed his worst fear. The bastard who’d taken Michael had raped him before he’d killed him. “Oh, Michael.” Tennyson’s voice broke.

  “What?” Ronan was out of his seat at Tennyson’s side in an instant. “What is it Ten, what did he say?”

  Tennyson shook his head, unable to say that word out loud.

  “R-A-P-E,” Carson spelled.

  Ronan wrapped his arms around Tennyson. “I’m so sorry, Michael. I promise you I’m going to find the bad man and put him in jail forever.”

  “Officer Buddy can’t go to jail. He’s a police officer.”

  “Ronan’s a special kind of police officer, Michael. He’s the kind who can send bad Officer Buddys to jail.” Carson smiled at the boy. “Mom, is there anything else you can tell us that can help us find this monster?”

  “Dark hair and blue, icy eyes. His breath smelled like cinnamon,” Bertha said softly as she wrapped her arms around the little boy.

  Shit, that could describe almost anyone. Tennyson looked down at Ronan, who was still kneeling at his side. The detective looked plum worn out. What he needed to do was get him home and into bed after a hot shower.

  In the morning they could go through the Officer Buddy roll call list and see if there were any cops with dark hair and icy blue eyes who also had a penchant for cinnamon gum or breath mints.

  37

  Ronan

  Tennyson’s small apartment was nothing like Ronan thought it would be. He didn’t know if he was expecting to see crystal balls, candles, and chakra charts all over the place, but the apartment was done in modern furniture and painted in tranquil shades of blue.

  He didn’t have much of a chance for the grand tour of Tennyson’s place. As soon as they were inside, Ten swept him into the bathroom and got a hot shower ready for him. Ronan was in no mood to object to being pampered. He figured he deserved it after the day he’d been through.

  A fresh fluffy towel and a pair of Tennyson’s sweatpants were waiting for him on the bathroom counter when he finally got out of the shower. Ten had also left him toiletries to use. There was a razor, a new toothbrush and some skin care products for him to choose from. Ronan was blown away by Tennyson’s thoughtfulness.

  In all of the time they’d been together, Josh had never been this considerate. The more he compared Josh with Tennyson, the more Ronan wondered what the hell he’d seen in his ex-husband in the first place.

  Now that Ronan was clean and smelling fresh, he felt like he had a bit of a second wind. The first thing he wanted to do was kiss Tennyson breathless and thank him for everything he did to support him today.

  When he opened the bathroom door and padded in bare feet back to the living room, he found Tennyson sitting in the middle of the living room floor bathed in candlelight. Instead of disturbing him by speaking, Ronan walked carefully over to him and sat down beside him.

  Ronan couldn’t help noticing how relaxed Ten looked right now. He was wearing black yoga pants and a tee shirt with a peace symbol on it. Ten’s face was relaxed and to be honest, he looked years younger now than when he’d hopped in the shower half an hour ago.

  Sitting here in the quiet gave Ronan time to study his lover a bit more closely. He knew Tennyson had been doing his best to relay the information that Michael Frye had been telling him and Carson, but, Jesus, to hear the spirit of a five-year-old child admit that he’d been raped before he’d been strangled must have been a God-awful thing to hear. Ronan didn’t know how Tennyson found the strength not to lose it then and there.

  Over the years he’d spent on the police force, he and the members of the BPD had been shot at and nearly blown up a time or two, but having said that, Ronan still thought that Tennyson was the strongest man he knew.

  “You smell good,” Tennyson murmured a few minutes later.

  “You have an impressive collection of soaps and lotions.” Ronan pressed a kiss to the side of his cheek.

  “It’s the middle of winter in New England. It’s important to keep your skin hydrated.” Ten smiled.

  “You took such good care of me today, Ten. I don’t know how I would have gotten through this day from hell without you.” Ronan rested his head on Tennyson’s shoulder. Back during his time with Josh, there wouldn’t have been tender moments like this, just rough fucking followed by falling asleep on their own sides of the bed.

  This was better. Everything with Ten was better.

  “I was having an interesting conversation while you were in the shower,” Tennyson said quietly.

  “Oh? With who?” Ronan had a crazy thought that Ten had been chatting away with Marilyn Monroe here in the comfort of his living room.

  Tennyson snorted. “Not with Marilyn, but with a redheaded bombshell; your Mom.”

  That was not the answer Ronan had been expecting, but it shouldn’t have surprised him nonetheless. “Hi, Mom,” Ronan said to the empty room. He wasn’t sure how he felt about doing this here and now, with no warning and no time to prepare for a conversation that was thirteen years in the making.

  Tennyson turned his head to smile at Ronan. “Thirteen years and all I get is a puny, ‘Hi, Mom?’” Tennyson laughed. “She’s got a point, Ronan,” Tennyson whispered, knocking his shoulder against Ronan’s.

  Ronan felt tears prick the back of his eyes. After all he’d seen over the weeks he’d spent working with Tennyson, he didn’t doubt the man’s talent for a second, but after hearing those words, he knew without a shadow of a doubt t
hat his mother was in the room with them. That was his mother’s sassy attitude to a T. “I’ve missed you so much, Mom. I hardly know where to begin.”

  “I’ve been there with you through every step you’ve taken, Ro Your Boat. You’ve never been alone, even when you felt like you didn’t have a friend in the world, I’ve been by your side.” Tennyson reached for his hand, threading their fingers together.

  Ronan couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You were there for Josh?” he asked through tears that were now falling freely down his face.

  “I hated that prick for you. He was all wrong,” Tennyson whispered. He pressed a kiss against the side of Ronan’s head.

  “I knew you’d hate him,” Ronan muttered.

  “So then why did you marry him? As if I don’t already know?”

  “I didn’t want to be alone, I guess.” It felt good finally admitting it out loud. Telling Tennyson and his mother at the same time was a bonus.

  “You know.” Tennyson confirmed.

  Ronan nodded. He knew better than to argue with his mother when she was right. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes, Mom. A lot of them.”

  Tennyson nodded. “But you learned a lesson and moved on, didn’t you?”

  Ronan snorted. “Some lessons are harder than others, but I always got back up.”

  “Of course you did. You’re my son. That’s how I raised you.”

  Pride surged through Ronan’s body. At least he’d gotten one thing right. He’d turned out to be the man his mother had raised him to be.

  “I can’t tell him that, Erin.”

  Ronan could see Tennyson blushing. “Tell me what?”

  “She’s very persuasive, your mom.” Ten rolled his eyes and laughed.

  “Like mother, like son. Now tell me or I’ll have to tickle it out of you.” Ronan moved closer.

  “She says that I’m good for you. That we’re good together.” Tennyson buried his face in Ronan’s shoulder.

  “You’re right, Mom. We are good together. Tennyson is good for me in every sense of the word. I guess I haven’t been so good at telling him that.”