Grave Homecoming (A Maddie Graves Mystery Book 1)
Page 13
“I’m right,” Maude said. “I’m always right, by the way, but I’m especially right on this front. You’re trying to come to grips with your ‘peculiarity,’ and that means you’re eventually going to have to tell Nick. When you do, and he doesn’t shun you, you’re going to have to accept that he’s your match.”
“I … Christy knows.”
Maude raised her eyebrows, surprised. “You told her? I’m proud of you.”
“I didn’t tell her.” Maddie told Maude about the previous night’s excursion.
“Wow, that’s a lot of information for one old woman to absorb,” Maude said. “Okay, first off, how much danger do you think the Stilton girl is in?”
“I don’t think it’s good.”
“Well, we need to keep an eye on her,” Maude said. “I think most of the teenagers in this town are dead weight, but she’s one of the good ones.”
“I would be worried about her if she was one of the bad ones, too.”
“That’s because you’re a walking angel,” Maude said. “I’m going to ignore the Nick situation. I have a feeling he’s piecing things together on his own. He’ll approach you when he’s ready.”
Maddie was floored. “No. He can’t … .”
“The boy isn’t dumb,” Maude said. “He’s been searching for a reason for years. He wants to know why you cut ties. He needs a reason before he can woo you. Now that you’re back in town, it won’t take him long to find that reason, because he desperately wants to woo you. This is good.”
“This is not good,” Maddie argued. “And who says woo anymore?”
“You’re right,” Maude said, patting her hand. “This is not good. It’s actually great. What about Christy? Do you think she’ll tell anyone?”
“She says she won’t.”
“Then she won’t.”
“But … she’s gossipy.”
“She’s also loyal,” Maude pointed out. “She won’t betray you.”
“I hope you’re right,” Maddie said, rubbing her forehead. “I just wish … I just wish I could be sure.”
Maude wrinkled her nose. “Have you talked to your mother about this yet?”
For the second time in less than five minutes, her grandmother had managed to stun Maddie. “You know she’s here?”
“I know,” Maude said. “She won’t leave until I do.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Because a mother is never supposed to outlive her child,” Maude said, fighting back tears. “How is she?”
“She’s good,” Maddie said. “I think she’s still trying to get a hold of the whole … .”
“Death?”
Maddie nodded. “She shows up out of the blue, and then she disappears for a couple of days.”
“Well, she’ll get used to it,” Maude said. “The next time she’s here … can you… ?” Maude looked uncertain.
Maddie reached over and clasped her grandmother’s hand warmly. “We’ll all have tea.”
“I’m going to have bourbon in mine,” Maude said, pushing the serious thoughts out of her mind.
“Well, that sounds fun.”
Maude shook her head to dislodge the melancholy. “So, let’s go back to talking about Nick. How long do you think it will be until you two hit the sheets?”
Maddie pressed her eyes shut. It was like an ongoing nightmare, and she just couldn’t wake up.
Seventeen
When Sarah Alden found her again, Maddie was ready. It had been almost twenty-four hours since the woman had disappeared on the bluff. Maddie had no idea if she’d remained to watch the show, but when Sarah appeared on the front porch of Magicks the next night, Maddie was sitting outside and sipping from a glass of iced tea.
“I knew you’d find me.”
“How did you know?” Sarah’s form was more solid. She’d obviously been practicing.
“Because you want to be able to rest,” Maddie said.
“Is that what all ghosts want?”
“I think so,” Maddie said. “I think there are some who want to stay for other reasons.” Her mind traveled to Olivia momentarily. She hadn’t been lying when she told Maude she hadn’t seen her mother in days. She was starting to get worried. “I think most people just want to make sure that everything is going to be okay with their loved ones so they can move on.”
“That’s not what I want.”
“What do you want?”
“Retribution.”
Maddie nodded, understanding. “You want to make sure that whoever killed you pays, don’t you?”
“Is that wrong?”
“No,” Maddie said. “I want to help you.”
“Because you want him to pay?”
“Because I want you to be able to rest,” Maddie replied. “And also because I don’t want anyone else to get hurt.”
“So, how do we start?” Sarah asked.
“Well, I need information,” Maddie said. “The police haven’t made your name public yet. I’m not sure if that’s normal for Blackstone Bay. It’s not normal for the city. Most homicide victims are known within twenty-four hours in Detroit, for example. When I mentioned your name to my friend, she didn’t recognize it. Did you live in Blackstone Bay?”
“Is that where I am?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve been here before,” Sarah said, her movements across the front porch mimicking pacing (even though she had no feet). “I want to say I haven’t been here for years, but I’m not sure that’s true.”
“What do you remember about your life?”
“I was a secretary for a law office in Traverse City.”
“Is that where you lived?”
Sarah shook her head. “I actually lived in Williamsburg. It’s a really small town just outside of Traverse City.”
“Okay. That’s a start. Were you dating anyone?”
Sarah sighed. “I think so.”
“That’s fuzzy, too?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I can’t be sure, but I think that you’re fighting your memories,” Maddie said.
“You’ve dealt with this before?”
“Unfortunately.”
“So, how do you cure it?”
“Most spirits eventually just remember,” Maddie said. “As they get stronger, they get more control.”
“You don’t want to wait for that to happen, do you?”
Maddie shook her head. “I have a bad feeling.”
“About the girl in the car last night?”
“I have a bad feeling about her, too,” Maddie admitted. “I’m just not sure if the bad feelings are related.”
“Can’t you ask your … spirit friends?”
Maddie smirked. “I don’t have spirit friends. Well, I do, but my ‘peculiarity’ doesn’t work like that.”
“How does it work?”
“If I knew, I’d find a way to shut it off.”
“Why? You’re helping people.”
“Am I?”
“You’re helping me,” Sarah said. “I have a feeling I’m not the first ghost you’ve tried to help.”
“I don’t always succeed.”
“No one does,” Sarah said. “Why should you be any different?”
Maddie shrugged. She had no answer to the question. “I think we need to try and jog your memory.”
“You want to go back to the alley, don’t you?”
Maddie nodded.
“Let’s go.”
“Are you sure? It might be traumatic.”
“More traumatic than dying?”
“Probably not,” Maddie conceded. “You don’t really remember dying, though.”
“Oh, that’s where you’re wrong,” Sarah said. “I don’t remember much else, but I remember dying clearly. I remember gasping for breath. I remember the blood pooling in my lungs and drowning me from the inside. I remember a man standing over me and watching me until the last breath left my body.”
“That’s horrible.”
“Okay,” Maddie said, getting to her feet. “Let’s take a walk.”
“IT looks different in the dark,” Sarah complained.
Maddie had been careful during the walk, making sure no one was lurking in the shadows and listening to her talk to herself. Once she got to the alley, she was reasonably sure no one would discover her. One rule of a small town is that it basically shuts down after dark. Even the twenty-four hour minimart on the edge of town closed before midnight. It was still relatively early, especially by city standards, but the streets of Blackstone Bay were empty.
“Okay, go back to when you died,” Maddie instructed. “Was it light or dark?”
“Dark,” Sarah said.
“Put yourself back in your body,” Maddie said.
“Oh, I wish,” Sarah grumbled.
“You know what I mean,” Maddie said, ignoring the sarcasm. “You were on the ground here.” Maddie pointed. “Can you, I don’t know, lay down?”
“I don’t have a body.”
“You can pretend.”
Sarah scowled, but she did as she was told. Maddie didn’t take the attitude personally. She knew Sarah wasn’t really mad at her. She was just mad at the situation.
“Okay,” Maddie said. “You’re looking up. Where was he standing?” Sarah pointed and Maddie moved to the spot. “Here?”
“Yes.”
“How tall was he?”
“About six inches taller than you.”
Maddie did the math in her head. “That puts him right around six feet. What does his body look like?”
“He’s fit. He’s got broad shoulders. His waist is narrow. He clearly works out.”
“What is he wearing?”
“It’s hard to tell,” Sarah said. “Everything he’s wearing is dark. His coat is longer, though.”
“Like a trench coat?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. Good. What about his hair?”
“It’s too dark to see a color.”
“Is it longer or shorter?”
“It’s medium length, kind of brushy on top,” Sarah said.
“Good. Does he say anything?”
“No.”
Maddie was disappointed.
“Wait. He whispers something.”
“What?”
“Was it good for you.”
“That’s what he wants to know?” Maddie was horrified.
Sarah nodded.
Maddie swallowed. “Think hard. Do you recognize his voice?”
“It’s familiar,” Sarah said. “I just can’t place where.”
“That’s good,” Maddie said, trying to encourage Sarah. “It’s a good start.”
“We still don’t know who it is.”
“We know more, though,” Maddie said.
Sarah was back on her feet. Her transparent body had gone rigid, and she was peering into the darkness behind Maddie. “Someone is coming.”
Maddie’s blood ran cold. She turned quickly, ready to defend herself. The figure that appeared in the dim moonlight was a familiar one, and it filled Maddie with dread.
“What are you doing here, Mad?”
NICK had no idea what made him turn down the alley when he left the police station on his way home. His mind had been busy all day, his interaction with Maddie and Christy the previous evening plaguing him. He knew he was close to figuring out Maddie’s secret. He was just missing one piece.
The alley wasn’t technically on his way home, but he wanted to check it out again in the dark. The scene had been officially cleared the day before. The state crime team claimed there was nothing of interest left there to discover. Nick wasn’t so sure.
When he started down the alley, he was lost in thought. He didn’t expect to discover anything. He really just wanted to take a look. The case wasn’t even technically his, but it’s not every day that murder visits Blackstone Bay. It was cause for concern for everyone, including him.
When he heard a voice, he slowed his pace. He was hopeful that he was about to discover something. As he got closer, he realized he recognized the voice, and the bottom dropped out of his world.
“What are you doing here, Mad?”
Maddie’s body was rigid, but her face softened when he moved closer. “Nicky?”
“Yeah, it’s me.”
“What are you doing here?” Maddie asked, confused.
“I think I’m the one asking questions right now,” Nick said, his tone grim. “I asked you first.”
“I … I was just taking a walk.”
Nick didn’t believe her for a second. Maddie had never overtly lied to him – at least as far as he knew – but she was lying now. She was on edge. “You were taking a walk in the alley where you discovered a body?”
“I … .”
“Don’t lie to me again, Maddie,” Nick ordered. “Don’t you dare lie to me.”
“Nicky … .”
“Tell me what you’re doing here.”
Maddie’s eyes filled with tears. Nick could see them – still unshed, but not for long – glinting in the corners of her eyes. “If I tell you, you’ll never talk to me again.”
Nick didn’t care. “Tell me.”
“Please, Nicky,” Maddie said, her voice breaking. “I don’t … you’ll hate me.”
“I don’t think that’s possible,” Nick said. “I need to know, though. I deserve to know. You owe me. What are you doing here?”
Maddie sucked in a breath, her chest heaving. “I’m psychic. I can also talk to ghosts. I was here talking to Sarah Alden, trying to get her to remember who killed her.”
Nick pressed his eyes shut. The information should have surprised him, but it didn’t. He’d caught himself wondering that very thing since his conversation with Detective Kincaid earlier in the week. Then, when Maddie discovered a terrified and frightened child, his suspicions had kicked into overdrive. After that, he’d spent days wracking his childhood memories for clues. When he looked back – when he studied those years with Maddie through the eyes of an adult – he saw a lot of things he’d missed. “How long have you known?”
Maddie shifted uncomfortably. “Since elementary school.”
Nick nodded stiffly. “Did Olivia know?”
“Yes.”
“Was she … like you?”
“Yes.”
“What about Maude?”
“No.”
“She knows, though, doesn’t she?”
“She does.”
Nick pressed his lips together and inhaled deeply through his nose. He ran his hand through his hair as he considered how to progress. “What did Sarah Alden tell you?”
“I … you don’t want to ask more questions about me?”
“I do,” Nick said. “I need to collect myself. I need to focus on something else right now, so we’re going to talk about Sarah Alden while I think.”
“Okay,” Maddie said, fighting to keep her voice even as she recounted her session with Sarah. When she was done, she watched Nick expectantly.
“That’s not much to go on, but I’ll see if any of it can help,” Nick said. “Tell me about Jennifer. Why were you really at Kissing Point last night?”
“I saw danger in her cards.”
“What kind of danger?”
“It was nothing specific,” Maddie said. “That’s why I had to find her.”
“Is she in danger from the man who killed Sarah?”
“I don’t know.”
“Could the danger you felt revolve around Dustin?” Nick asked.
“I don’t know.”
“What do you know?” Nick snapped.
Maddie reared back in the face of his anger. “The visions don’t come with a road map.”
Nick held up his hands to still her. “I’m sorry I yelled. I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m just … I’m really pissed at you.”
“Because I’m a freak,” Maddie said, he
r voice small. “I told Maude this would happen.”
“Maude wanted you to tell me, didn’t she?”
“Yes.”
“What about Olivia?”
Maddie gripped the ends of her long hair with both hands worriedly. “Mom always told me never to tell anyone. She said … she said people wouldn’t understand. She said people would ostracize me if they knew.”
“Even me?”
“She never talked about you specifically.”
Nick licked his lips, his mind busy as he tried process everything. “I need to think about this.”
“I know.”
“I’m just so … you lied to me,” Nick said, his heart twisting painfully. “You lied to me for our whole lives.”
“I was scared to tell you.”
“Why? Did you think I would tell someone?”
“No,” Maddie said. “I thought you would run away, and you were the best friend I ever had. I was terrified of losing you.”
“So, you shut me out and forged a new life because you were scared to tell me,” Nick said. “That’s what happened, isn’t it?”
“I … yes.”
“Was it worth it, Maddie?” Nick hissed, taking a step away from her. He was so angry he was afraid he would shake her if he didn’t put some distance between them. “Was it worth shredding everything to keep a secret that didn’t need to be kept?”
“I … .”
Nick couldn’t listen to one more lame excuse. “Just don’t.”
“Nicky … .”
Nick raised his hand to ward off whatever she was about to say. “I can’t even look at you right now.”
“Nicky … .” Maddie’s voice was anguished.
“Go home, Maddie,” Nick said. “Just … go home. I need to think.”
Eighteen
Nick stared out at the stars from his back porch, lost in thought as he warded off the cold. He should’ve been in bed hours ago – an early morning shift at the police department was looming – but his mind was clouded.
Why hadn’t she just told him? Why was she so terrified of what he would do? Was he so bad of a friend that he’d given her a reason to believe he would walk away?
Maddie had always been shy. When they’d met on the first day of kindergarten, Maddie spent the morning cowering in the corner while the rest of the kids played – and mercilessly teased her. Nick had been drawn to her – even then – and the overwhelming urge to protect her manifested early.
By the time they hit middle school, that protective instinct was ingrained in his very being. If anyone even looked at her funny, he would pound them. When high school hit, Nick’s chest was broad enough to absorb the vitriol lobbed at her from every direction. He always recognized what it was: jealousy. Maddie was sweet, and she was beautiful, and she was thoughtful. That scared the girls who didn’t measure up.