Shadows of the Past: A Supernatural Suspense Mystery (Shadow Slayers Stories Book 1)

by Nellie H. Steele

  Josie witnessed her mother’s relief. A few tears fell from her eyes; she wiped them away. “I’m glad to hear that, Josie. But I am concerned about this stalker. I wonder if he has any connection to how we got you.”

  Josie was wondering the same thing, and she intended to find out, but she didn’t need her mother hovering over her to do it. Knowing Josie had met with the man who had been following her would make her mother sick with worry. “I don’t think it does. I haven’t seen that man again; I think he just followed me because I basically fainted in his arms at the mall. It was so embarrassing.”

  “Well, now that I’ve told you the truth, at least nothing can take you by surprise. Oh, Josie, I hate to rush off and leave you with everything going on, but I have a surgery scheduled on one of my patients this afternoon and I’ve already asked a partner to cover my morning rounds. Oh, Josie, if anything ever happened to you…” Her voice trailed off.

  “Mom, I’m fine. I doubt he’s still around and even if he were, I’m practically on house arrest with these two around, so no one can get to me,” she said as a joke to put her mom’s mind at ease. “And, you’re only an hour and a half away, you’re not far. You can check on me with text any time.”

  “And you’ll tell me what’s going on?”

  “Yes, I’ll tell you what’s going on. I didn’t want you to worry like you’re doing now. I’m fine. SOMEONE,” she said, emphasizing the last word, “made a mountain out of a molehill. There isn’t a stalker, my nightmares aren’t that bad, I had a great night’s sleep last night, I’m much better, everything is fine.”

  “Are you sure? I can’t change my afternoon surgery but you could come home with me.”

  “I’m sure. I’ll be fine. I have tons of work here to keep me busy. I appreciate you changing your schedule to drive out here to tell me this in person, but I realize your patients need you. You don’t have to stay and you don’t have to worry.”

  “Okay, if you’re sure. It does ease my nerves that Damien is here, and Michael, too, to be honest. Do you promise to tell me if this man reappears? By the way, what did he look like?”

  “Tall, slim, medium brown hair, blue eyes, not bad looking, actually.”

  “Oh, that makes it a tad better.”

  “It makes it better that my stalker is good-looking?” Josie joked.

  “No. But it’s not the description of the man from the adoption agency, so hopefully it has nothing to do with that. That man was short, round and balding. He wasn’t much to look at either, between us girls.”

  Josie filed the information away for later and smiled at her mom in response as she rose from the couch. “Well, it wasn’t much of a visit but I’m sure you’re busy with work. If you need anything, call or text. I love you, Josie.” Her mom pulled her into a tight hug. After giving her a kiss on the cheek, Josie walked her to the door and watched as she pulled out of the driveway, waving as she honked the horn.

  The smile disappeared in an instant from Josie’s face as she entered the house, slamming the door shut behind her. As if on cue, Michael and Damien appeared at the foot of the stairs. “I can’t even fathom where to begin with you two. Honestly, I can’t,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief. “So, I’m not going to until I’ve had a chance to think through everything my mom just told me.”

  “What did she tell you?” Damien asked.

  “Well, I just found out I’m not really my parents’ child.”

  “What?” Damien said, shocked.

  “Yeah, they just adopted me from some private agency that gave me to them when I was a baby.”

  “Josie, I had no idea. I just wanted her to help us get you back on track,” Michael began.

  Josie held her hand up. “I don’t care what you wanted. I am furious with you right now. But I need time alone to process all this.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure, totally, I get it,” he answered.

  “Jos,” Damien started, “I… I…” He fumbled, at a loss for words but wanting to comfort her from the bombshell that had just dropped. While she realized this was Michael’s idea, it was clear Damien had been complicit; Michael did not have her mother’s number and probably had gotten it from Damien.

  “D, I’m really not in the mood,” she said, disappearing up the steps. Her mind was a whirlwind, but she needed some answers. She retrieved her cell phone from her office, opening her text app. She sent a message to Grayson: Need 2 c u

  Heading to her room, she gathered her purse and went downstairs to retrieve her keys before heading out the door.

  “Whoa, where are you going?” Michael asked, following her as she stormed out the door.

  “Out,” she called, not stopping.

  “Hey, are you serious? I don’t care what kind of bull you wanted to tell your mom but there is a stalker and you know it,” Michael shouted, following her.

  Without a word, she got into her car and pulled away before he could say anything else.

  He flung his arms in the air with disgust. “Grab my keys,” he shouted to Damien, “we’ll follow her.”

  “No need,” Damien answered.

  “What? Are you going crazy, too? Who knows where she is going! Or who might be there! Come on, we’ve got to go!”

  “I know where she’s going.”

  “You do?” Michael asked, shocked.

  “More or less, yeah. We can track her. Josie is terrible about losing her phone. A while back we installed a tracking app. I still have it on my laptop, I can follow her phone wherever she goes.”

  Michael smiled at him. “Damien, you are a rock star. Let’s find out where she’s headed.”

  Chapter 14

  Josie blasted the air conditioning in her car. The sun had made the car warm just as the morning’s events had made Josie overheated. She considered everything on her way to the motel. Was Grayson connected to her adoption? He wasn’t old enough to be her father; that much was clear. Could he be a brother? A cousin perhaps? Was this what he meant about her being Celine? But if she was a baby when the man had given her to her parents, how would she have childhood memories from when she was Celine. Nothing fit, nothing made sense. Were the two connected? If they were connected, she needed to know how.

  She turned onto the road Mountain View Inn sat on and swung her car into the parking lot. She spotted Grayson’s car parked right outside of room seven, where he had said he was staying. She parked her car next to his in the half-empty lot, got out and headed to the door, banging on it.

  The door opened. Grayson stood at the entrance. “Josie,” he said, surprised. “I got your text, but I didn’t realize you were coming here.”

  Josie pushed past him into the room. “I need answers and I need them right now. No more nonsense, I have to know.”

  He closed the door. “Okay, what do you want to know? And why the sudden need? Did something happen?”

  “Yes, oh yes, something happened all right.”

  “What? More memories? Another vision?”

  “Oh, no, not another vision, nope. I just had a visit from my mother, courtesy of an overzealous ex-boyfriend, who told me she thinks you’re stalking me because I’m not biologically her daughter. Yeah, some agency just gave me to her when I was a baby.”

  Grayson listened as she rehashed the morning’s events. Josie continued, “So I want to know what you know about that?”

  “I don’t know anything about how your parents got you.”

  “Really?” she retorted, crossing her arms. “You don’t know anything about it?”

  “No, I do not.”

  Josie stared at him a moment, considering what he had said and whether or not she believed it. “Are we related?”

  He pursed his lips, taking a deep breath. “Celine and I are related, yes.”

  “Please stop with the nonsensical answers. I can’t take any more.”

  “Josie, please, sit down. I’m sure what your mother told you was a shock but it will all make sense as soon as….”

 
; Josie cut him off. “Yeah, I know, I know, as soon as I remember, if ever. I don’t want to sit down and relax; this talking in circles is driving me nuts. I need some answers, now.” Despite her protestations, she sunk onto the bed, burying her head in her hands. The stress of the day caught up to her, and she began to sob. She felt someone next to her, then arms wrap her in an embrace. She picked her head up.

  “Hey, it’ll be okay,” Grayson said, stroking her shoulder.

  She wiped a tear from her face and took a deep breath. “Where are you from?”

  “What?” he asked, the question taking him by surprise.

  “Where are you from? Where did you come from? Where do you live?”

  “I doubt you’ve heard of it, why are you asking?” he asked, his face a mask of confusion.

  “Just answer, please.”

  “I’m from a town called Bucksville. It’s in Maine. See, I told you you wouldn’t have heard of it.”

  Josie’s heart dropped. It couldn’t be a coincidence. He was from the same town that her parents had gotten her from. “How are we related?” she asked.

  “Josie, I…”

  “HOW?!” she demanded.

  “You’re my wife.”

  “Looks like it’s right up here,” Damien said, tracking Josie’s phone with the map on his phone.

  Michael crept along the road, searching for where Josie’s car may be. “There it is!” Damien said, pointing out the window. Michael eased the car into the parking lot and pulled into a space on the opposite end of the lot, far enough away to be hidden to the casual observer but with a view of Josie’s car.

  “Mountain View Inn,” he said, reading the sign posted at the entrance. “What is she doing here?”

  “No idea, but that’s her car for sure.”

  “Guess we’ll wait and see.”

  “Should have brought snacks, I didn’t realize we were going on a stakeout.”

  The revelation hit Josie like a ton of bricks, it was the second time today that an admission had shaken her to her core. She sat in silence trying to process the information. She had prepared herself for him to be some long-lost relative, someone connected to the dumped-at-birth story her mother had confessed to her but she had never expected this. A brother, a cousin, perhaps even an uncle, but not a husband.

  She shook her head; it was impossible. She had been given away as a baby and she’d never been married before, certainly not to Grayson. He couldn’t be telling the truth. But why would he lie? It was too much for Josie to process. “No,” she stated, “that can’t be. I’ve never been married.”

  “I can’t explain it, but we are husband and wife. Well, Celine and I are husband and wife.”

  Josie stood. “No, no, no, you’re lying. I’m not married to you. I was given away as a baby and I’ve never been married.” She headed for the door, wanting to be away from here.

  “I’m not lying, Josie, please wait.”

  “No, I’m leaving,” she said, distraught. She opened the door and rushed out into the blinding sunshine toward her car.

  Grayson caught up to her before she could get in, grabbing her arm. “Josie, please, wait. We have to talk about this.”

  “No,” she asserted, pulling her arm from his grip. “No, this is nonsense. I’m not listening to any more of this.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “None of your business.” Josie climbed into her car.

  “Josie, you’re upset, please, wait, don’t leave like this.”

  It was no use; Josie slammed the door, fired the engine and raced out of the parking spot and lot. “JOSIE!” Gray called behind her but she did not stop.

  Michael and Damien watched the motel room door behind Josie’s car open. Josie came rushing out, followed by a man. They appeared to be arguing.

  “We have action,” Michael said, calling Damien’s attention to the drama unfolding near Josie’s car. “Who is that?”

  “No idea, never saw him before.”

  “Boyfriend, perhaps? Looks like they’re arguing about something.”

  “Boyfriend? I doubt that.”

  “What else explains it?”

  Damien pondered it for a moment. “Nah, it doesn’t add up. Josie isn’t that sneaky, why would she lie about seeing someone new? And it’s not her style to meet him at some cheap motel.”

  “Who is he, I wonder? I have half a mind to go ask him.”

  “I’m not so sure that’s a good idea.”

  “Probably right. Whoa, there she goes. We should follow her.” Michael started the car, throwing it into gear and heading after Josie.

  “Yeah, wow, whoever he is she sure is mad at him. Don’t get too close, I can still track her phone so we’ll see where she’s going.”

  Josie drove down the road, trying to remain calm and not drive erratically but she was a ball of emotions. She couldn’t even pinpoint what emotion she was experiencing. Was it anger, shock, upset, sadness, disbelief? Was it some combination of them all? It had been one shock after another today. The day had started off well and tumbled from there. She was glad she had gotten a good night’s sleep or else the day may have proven too much for her sanity. As it was, she had no idea where to go or what to do right now. She considered driving herself to her parents’ house but she didn’t want to alarm her mother. She had no desire to go home and deal with her roommates nor did she want to deal with Gray.

  Josie drove without direction for a while, eventually ending up at the local park. Josie parked the car and made her way down the closest path. She had no particular destination in mind but the walking helped her focus on something other than the insanity that she had heard earlier today. She came to a bench shaded by a large oak tree. She sat down on it and watched the others in the park, laying out on the large grassy area or playing with their dogs. This had been her a year ago, carefree, happy, living life without thinking too much. Now her life was a wreck. She was on the verge of a mental breakdown and it seemed the man she invited into her life had already had one.

  She took some deep breaths, trying to calm down and focus her energy on creating a plan to get herself back together. She watched life pass by her for a good while until she gathered enough strength to return home. She still had no interest in discussing anything with anyone but she needed to be home.

  As she stood to leave, pain shot across her head from temple to temple, forcing her to sit down again. She gasped, grabbing her head and squeezing her eyes shut. Visions shot across her mind, all pouring in at once. Gardens outside of a large white house, swimming in salty water near the beach she had seen before, Grayson smiling at her, holding her hands as they sat in front of a large fireplace, a dark haired man with white streaks at both temples handing her a drink, a blonde woman, her hair in an up-do laughing with her. Some visions she barely had time to process they all came so fast. Her brain pounded as though it was ready to explode out of her head. As quickly as it had began, it passed. The pain subsided; the thoughts stopped spilling into her head at lightning speed.

  She didn’t grasp what was going on, but the experience left her shaken and wanting to go home. She hurried back up the path to her car and turned toward home.

  When she reached her road, she glanced in the rearview mirror. There was a car following her. As it came closer, she recognized it. It was Michael’s car. They both pulled into the driveway.

  Josie jumped out of her car. “Were you following me?” she asked, her voice loud and shrill.

  “Who is he, Josie?” Michael said, slamming his door and approaching her.

  “So you were?”

  “Who is he, Josie?” He persisted with his question. “New boyfriend? Is he the guy that set you up with the new doctor? Is this why you’ve been sneaking around?”

  “I’m not doing this with you. It’s none of your business,” Josie shouted as she began to head to the house.

  Michael wasn’t giving up. He followed her into the house, continuing the argument. “Is this the re
ason you broke it off with me? Were you already seeing him?” Michael was livid with jealousy, still raw from the one-sided end to their relationship.

  “I said I’m not discussing this with you, not after what you did calling my mother, following me, and not when you’re in this mood.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry if I’m in a mood. I’m sorry that I’m wondering if the guy you just met in a motel room was the reason our relationship ended so abruptly. And I’m sorry I was concerned about some crazy person stalking you so I followed you to make sure you were okay.”

  “You are a real piece of work, you know that? You insisted on staying here because you had to be the hero and save me from this so-called stalker. Then you call my mother to come 'handle me’ and then you follow me to spy on me. Are you serious? And the real reason has nothing to do with keeping me safe, it’s all about whether or not this guy is competition for you.”

  “Yeah, I love how you keep avoiding answering that question. Is he?”

  “Guys, maybe let’s take it down a notch? It’s been a really stressful day for everyone,” Damien interjected.

  Michael sighed, placing his hands on his hips and shaking his head. Lowering his voice, trying to remain calm, he said, “Look, Josie, I’m sorry. I’m trying to understand what is going on. You know I still care about you and yeah, I’m jealous if you’re seeing him but mostly I just want you to be okay.”

  “He’s not the reason we broke up. I hadn’t even met him then.”

  It took Michael a moment to comprehend the information. “So, who is he, Josie?”

  “I’d like to know that, too,” Damien added.

  Josie wasn’t sure how to explain but she couldn’t keep hiding it, they had both seen her with him, there was no sense in lying. Taking a deep breath, she began, “It’s hard to explain, I don’t even really understand it myself but he’s the guy who brought the music box, and caught me in the mall when I fainted, and was talking to me the next day at the office supply store.”