The Fourth Power

by Michelle M. Pillow

  Heather rushed through the theater and out the front door. She ran to her car and fumbled with the passenger door lock. Once inside, she searched the floor for her ring, running her hand under the seat and along the edge. Her fingertips hit metal. She worked and stretched her fingers, trying to knock the ring closer so she could grab it. Unfortunately, it rolled away from her.

  “Dammit,” Heather swore. “Come here!”

  She felt something moving against her hand, and she jerked it from under the seat. The ring was back on her forefinger.

  Heather stared at it for a moment before hurrying back inside. She ran into the theater, hoping the ring would amplify her powers and bring Julia back.

  “Grandma?” she yelled. “I should do what?”

  She searched the seating area and along the front of the small stage.

  “Julia? What should I do?”

  Heather went up the stairs along the side. The movie screen was retracted up toward the ceiling. She was able to freely search the narrow space of the back area.

  “Heather?” Lorna’s voice came from the theater. She sounded worried. “Heather, are you in here?”

  Heather came from behind a post and onto center stage.

  “Omigod, are you all right? I saw your car door standing open and thought maybe something had happened to you.” Lorna did not slow her steps as she joined her on the stage. She wore a button-down shirt and jeans, and her red-highlighted brown hair was pulled back away from her face. She was dressed for work.

  Heather hadn’t realized she’d left the car door open.

  “I was talking to Grandma Julia,” Heather said, not bothering to explain how she’d searched for her ring. “She disappeared on me, and I was trying to find her again.”

  Even though Lorna could not see ghosts without first summoning them with Vivien and Heather, she still automatically looked around the theater from the edge of the stage. “Do you want me to call Viv and have her join us?”

  Yes.

  No.

  Heather frowned. “Uh—”

  “I’ll get Viv,” Lorna decided.

  “—no,” Heather said at the same time.

  “No?” Lorna again looked around at the theater’s empty seats. “Are you sure?”

  No.

  Yes.

  Dammit.

  “Yeah, I’m sure. You have to get ready for the show tonight.” Heather came down the stage steps and moved up the aisle. She paused halfway up and turned around to study Lorna. “Are you doing all right here on your own?”

  “Oh, yeah, sure,” Lorna’s answer seemed hesitant. Heather couldn’t blame her since she’d been attacked by a demon while living in the apartment upstairs. It’s why she’d moved in with Vivien. “It helps not spending the night. And the smudging helped—helps. I don’t feel scared when I’m here alone during the day, creeped out a little maybe, but not frightened like before. Then the customers come, and it’s not so bad. I get my work done while they’re entertained and then leave soon after. Plus, your brother comes by to check on me.”

  “I noticed that.” Heather smiled as she led the way toward the front lobby. “Things are still going well with you two?”

  “Very.” Lorna almost looked dreamy-eyed. “We’re talking about him meeting my children soon. I’ve told them all about you and Vivien. They know I’ve been dating, but William and I are serious, and it is probably time they all met. I don’t know how they’ll react. I don’t expect that it will be easy to see me with someone who isn’t their father.”

  “You deserve happiness,” Heather stated.

  “I know.” Lorna nodded. “But so do you.”

  Heather didn’t ask what Lorna meant by that. The comment felt like more than a general statement between friends. It turned out she didn’t have to ask.

  “Vivien mentioned she sensed something about you,” Lorna said.

  Heather suppressed a sigh as she looked out the front doors to her car. The door was closed. Freewild Cove didn’t have a lot of crime, but there were petty thefts. Leaving her car door open had been stupid.

  “She didn’t think we should mention it, but I disagree. She said she saw a new man in your life and—”

  “Not you too,” Heather groaned.

  “Me too what?”

  “All I need is a nice guy?” Heather asked, arching a brow.

  “Beats a crappy one,” Lorna countered.

  “My mother has been trying to set me up with the sons of her friends. I’m about to create a fake boyfriend to shut her up, like some bad rom-com plot. Julia has a nice guy picked out for me from beyond the grave. And now you and Viv, too?” Heather fought the urge to scream. Why was it whenever a woman of a certain age was single, people wanted to set them up with a man? It was an almost desperate psychological need within society to sort people into pairs. Yes, when it came to relationships, Heather was alone. But she wasn’t lonely. Why couldn’t people get that?

  Heather felt a hand on her arm and looked down in surprise as Lorna touched her. She was thankful that her hair was pulled back, otherwise it would have been lifting off her shoulders. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it frustrated you so much.”

  “I’m not…” Heather pulled her arm from Lorna’s grasp. There was no point in lying. Lorna had read her emotions.

  “Vivien was right. I shouldn’t have said anything to you,” Lorna said. “I just want you to be as happy as I am.”

  “I know.” Heather lightly patted Lorna’s shoulder. “I feel that your heart is in the right place. I’m just not in a headspace to think about relationships right now.”

  “Then we won’t talk about them,” Lorna said. “Besides, I have something much more interesting I need to discuss with you.”

  “Oh?”

  “Hot dog orders,” Lorna stated with mock seriousness. “Do you want pork, or do we go wild and try beef?”

  “Pork,” Heather answered with a small laugh, appreciating Lorna changing the subject. “I like the easy questions.”

  “How did your inspection go at the house today?” Lorna asked.

  “Melissa postponed until this afternoon. I’m about to head over there.” Heather rubbed her hand, feeling the tiny vibrations from the ring.

  “You go. I have everything handled here. I’m going to order supplies and do some cleaning before people show up for the movie tonight.” Lorna took a step toward the back office.

  Heather couldn’t help but feel bad leaving Lorna alone in the theater. “Maybe I should hire another person to help you out.”

  “What you mean to say is, you’re still worried about me being here alone so you’re going to waste money on a pretense to make me feel better,” Lorna corrected. “Thank you, but I promise I’m all right.”

  “Call me if that changes,” Heather said.

  “Will do. Now go. Handle your business.” Lorna waved her hand toward the front doors. “And I want a tour of this Old Anderson House I’ve heard so much about.”

  “Anytime.” Heather pushed open the front door and stepped out into the sunlight. Her conversation with Julia had proven to be unhelpful. She didn’t have any more answers than when she’d woken up that morning.

  Exhaustion was setting in. She contemplated walking down the block and around the corner to the coffee shop, but that seemed like it would take too much effort. Instead, she got into her car to drive the short distance with the excuse she’d pick up pastries for the guys. Nothing like food to provide a little extra goodwill and motivation.

  Chapter Five

  Chocolate muffins for breakfast might not have been her brightest plan.

  Heather lightly pushed at her sore stomach, trying not to be obvious in her discomfort as she watched Melissa make notations on her clipboard. It was impossible to tell how the inspection was going. Melissa gave very little away with her expressions, and her handwriting was awful. Trying to covertly read her notations over her shoulder was near impossible.

  “We’re replacing all t
he wiring next,” Heather said.

  Melissa glanced up and nodded. Out of all the inspectors Heather had worked with over the years, she respected Melissa’s no-nonsense approach to her job. She took it seriously but was always fair and worked to find solutions when there were problems.

  “I found some reclaimed tiles online to repair the bathroom floor,” Heather continued. The sound of footsteps ran across the ceiling. She glanced up. “Sorry, they’re noisy today.”

  “Uh-huh,” Melissa answered, appearing like she was only half-listening.

  “Have I tried to bribe you with chocolate muffins yet?” Heather asked.

  “Yes.” Melissa smiled when she glanced up this time.

  “Did it work?”

  “As far as the plumbing goes, you’re good to go.” Melissa tore off a piece of paper from her stack and handed the duplicate page to Heather. “Keep that for your city paperwork.”

  “Thank you.” Heather folded the paper and stuck it in her back pocket. “Seriously, that’s a huge relief.”

  “Don’t thank me yet. I’ve noted quite a bit of things you’ll want to address.” Melissa pulled another page from her stack and handed it to Heather. “I won’t put this in an official report since we’re not here for that yet, but I will look for these things the next time.”

  “Understood.” Heather kept that list in her hand as she walked Melissa to the door. The sound of footsteps pounded upstairs again, and she automatically glanced upward. Who was running around on the job like that?

  “You shouldn’t have kids running around in here,” Melissa said. “It’s too dangerous.”

  “Kids?”

  Melissa pointed up. “That sounds just like my kids playing. I had to carpet my second story just to muffle the noise.”

  “It does, doesn’t it?” Heather frowned. Even though several of the guys had children, there shouldn’t have been any running around on the job site. “I’ll take care of it.”

  “I’ll send you my bill,” Melissa said, heading for the door.

  Heather thanked the woman before hurrying up the stairs. Several thuds sounded and then more running. The second story consisted of four bedrooms, two on each side of the wide landing that served as a hallway between them, and a shared bathroom that was a straight shot from the stairs. If she turned around, she’d see a door next to the first floor staircase that would take her to the third story.

  The sound of laughter came from one of the bedrooms. She went to the door to look inside. No one was there.

  A strange sensation prickled her spine. It was difficult to explain, but it was a feeling that came over her whenever a darker spirit was present. Darker didn’t always mean evil. Sometimes it meant the spirit was upset or carrying an emotional burden, which could make them dangerous if they decided to lash out, or annoying if they decided to glom onto her energy.

  She glanced at her grandmother’s ring and frowned. Why was a needy ghost showing up at Old Anderson House now? There was a theory that renovations sometimes stirred spirits. The idea was they didn’t like their environments disturbed. Though she’d seen some evidence of it, she always attributed it to the ghosts using the workers’ energy to manifest. A bunch of strong, hard-working men had to look like a supernatural buffet to some spirits.

  The sounds of work came from the third floor. She heard the unmistakable rhythm of the nail gun. The faint sound of Johnny Cash singing about his heart came from a radio. That meant it was most likely Thomas. He had a thing for older country.

  Footsteps came from the room across the hall. Heather went to that door to check. Aside from a stack of drywall and a few buckets, it was empty. The energy wasn’t as strong in the second bedroom, but she still felt lingering traces of it.

  As a mother, the idea of children’s spirits being trapped in the house saddened her. It would account for the lighter footsteps.

  Heather went into the open area between rooms and waited. The running sounded in a third bedroom. She didn’t go to the door as she watched to see if anyone would come across. If Melissa had heard the play, that meant the guys would as well. It was only a matter of time. The last thing she wanted was to lose half her crew to otherworldly fear and to have to deal with the rumors that Old Anderson House was haunted.

  To most people, rumors of a haunting would be a laughable anecdote to tell friends. For a Warrick, it was another coal on the ever-burning gossip fire.

  A soft giggle came from one of the rooms, but she couldn’t be sure which.

  “Is someone in here?” she asked softly.

  “You’re it!”

  Heather nearly jumped out of her skin as a figure jumped from one of the bedrooms. She inhaled sharply and stumbled back, only to catch herself before falling down the stairs. Her heart hammered violently.

  When her eyes focused, Heather saw Jan staring at her with a worried expression. The child stood with her hands frozen at her sides. She wore a long-sleeve t-shirt splattered with red paint and a pair of cargo pants. After a moment, she lowered her arms.

  “There’s no reason to be afraid,” Jan said.

  “You startled me.” Heather tried to force a light laugh to put the child at ease. “Is your dad around?”

  “January?” Martin called as he came down the steps.

  “She’s down here,” Heather answered.

  He emerged from the stairwell. “I told you, no playing while on the job site. You’re supposed to be doing homework in the tower.”

  “That nail gun was too loud,” Jan answered.

  “Since when?” Martin shook his head at his daughter before turning to Heather. “I’m sorry if she was causing trouble. I told her to stay in the cupola while the inspector was here.”

  “No trouble,” Heather said. Realizing she still held the list of issues Melissa had given her, she shoved the paper into her pocket for later.

  “You, math, now,” Martin ordered. “Don’t make me tell you again.”

  Jan hardly looked scared. “Me, math, done. I sent it in already.”

  “Social Studies?”

  “We won the war.”

  “Which war?”

  Jan crossed her arms over her chest and leaned to the side in a sassy pose. “The big war.”

  “English?”

  “Done.”

  Martin sighed. “English?”

  “What?”

  “English?”

  Jan dropped her arms and matter-of-factly stated, “Dad, the book is stupid.”

  “But you’re not stupid, so I know you can read the book and write that report.” Martin gestured his hand toward the stairs, silently ordering her to go up.

  Heather watched the interplay in silence, feeling very much like an interloper in the private conversation. Martin was clearly not just a handsome face. Somehow seeing him as an involved father only made him all that more attractive. When father and daughter looked at each other, she easily recognized the love beneath the thin layer of parental frustration and young girl rebellion.

  “Negotiation,” Jan demanded.

  “Ice cream,” Martin stated.

  “And pizza,” Jan countered, “with my choice of toppings.”

  “No candy toppings on the pizza and finish the paper first.”

  “And I get a dog,” she added.

  “Not a chance. It’s not fair for him to be alone in the house all day.”

  “I want to use the nail gun.”

  “Not while I’m on a job.”

  “Then I want two scoops.”

  “B grade or higher on that report, and I’ll take you for three.”

  “Fine. Deal”

  “Fine.”

  Jan made a show of stomping as she went up the stairs, supposedly to do her homework.

  “Don’t bother Thomas,” Martin called after her.

  Heather listened to Jan’s footsteps. The child was precocious. Martin definitely had his hands full.

  He ran his hands through his hair and sighed. “Is this a problem
? I promise I’ll keep her out of the way. She’s enrolled in an online school. My sister was staying with us to help out, but she flaked on me. I don’t have anywhere else to leave her.”

  “Online schools. What a strange world we live in. We didn’t even get a computer in school until I was in eighth grade, and it had a giant green monitor.” Heather gave a small laugh. “As long as she stays out of the dangerous areas, I don’t care if she comes to work with you. I imagine it’s challenging to be a single parent.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate that.” He looked like he wanted to say more, but he turned to go upstairs.

  Heather followed him as far as the bottom of the stairwell. A pair of work gloves was shoved into his back pocket. The image drew her eyes to his firm backside, and she found herself trying to stop him from leaving. “Can I ask, why is she in an online school? It seems like it might be easier just to let her go to the public one.”

  He stopped halfway up only to come back down. “Jan does better this way. She’s an imaginative kid. Teachers haven’t always appreciated that about her.”

  Heather was instantly sorry for the question. She could sense she touched upon a sore subject. No parent liked to feel like they were being judged for their choices. “I didn’t mean for that to sound like I was criticizing the choice to homeschool. You’d know what is best for her, of course.”

  He again looked like he wanted to speak only to stop himself.

  “I’m sure she learns a lot coming to work with you,” Heather said. “I think it’s great children have more options for school these days.”

  “It is, and she does. She likes working on the houses and asking questions, but I promise I won’t let her interrupt the work or cost you any money.” Martin glanced up the stairs and then back at her. “I was worried she would miss out on socializing with other kids, but…”

  Heather waited for him to finish. When he didn’t, she prompted, “But?”

  “She doesn’t,” he finished flatly, as he pulled the work gloves from his back pocket and held them in a fist.

  “Is there something on your mind?” Heather inched closer to him and lowered her voice. “If I offended you, or if you’re worried about something, please say. I don’t want you to feel tense around here. There is a ton of work to do, and I have other jobs that I’d like to hire you for.”