Julia made a point of cocking her hip to the side as she looked around the theater. “You ask a gal to show, but you don’t bother to bring me anything worth looking at. Where’s that boyfriend of yours?” Julia grinned at Heather. “That one has a backside a girl can—”
“No, Grandma,” Heather interrupted.
Sue held very still, happy the spirit wasn’t paying attention to her. She wished she could fade into the shadows and hide until it was over.
In. Out. In. Out.
“Ah, let her talk,” Vivien said. “Martin does have a great ass. Must be all that heavy lifting.”
Julia laughed.
Lorna moved to stand closer to Sue. She turned her back on the ghost and said softly, “Just humor 1920s Julia. She’s a handful but won’t hurt you.”
Julia didn’t appear to hear Lorna. She gravitated closer to Vivien. She seemed to float more than walk even though her legs moved. The cigarette disappeared. “That looker of yours isn’t hard on the peepers, either.”
“I’ll tell him you said so,” Vivien said.
“Do better than that. Next time you summon me, make sure you bring me something to look at. I may be dead, but I’m not dead.” Julia winked and laughed. “Oh, see if you can get him to take a shower upstairs.”
Sue watched the interaction, tucking her head a little and drawing her arms in to make herself small. This definitely wasn’t anything close to what she’d been expecting. She thought maybe there would be a white misty figure floating around, moaning warnings. Julia was vibrant and lucid.
That didn’t make her any less scary, though.
In. Out. In. Out.
Sue stayed motionless, praying Julia didn’t single her out again.
In. Out—
It wasn’t to be.
Julia turned to face Sue and smiled. “So you brought me another.”
Sue glanced to Heather and then back again.
“Julia, this is Sue Jewel. She just arrived in Freewild Cove,” Heather introduced. “Sue, this is Julia Warrick, my sometimes grandmother depending on her age.”
“Does the kitten speak?” Julia asked.
“I…” Sue swallowed. “Yes.”
Julia pointed a finger close to her face. Sue leaned away.
“Boo!” Julia exclaimed.
Sue jumped in fright.
Julia laughed. “That never gets old.”
“Julia, behave,” Heather said in exasperation. “It’s late. We’re all exhausted. Please try to focus.”
“Hmm.” Julia hooked her thumbs into her pockets and slowly walked around Sue, examining her. “You found a ring?”
“Uh, yes, ma’am,” Sue answered.
“Show me your paw, kitten,” Julia ordered.
Sue held up a shaking hand to show her.
Julia leaned in to look at it. She reached for Sue’s hand. Icy prickles brushed against her skin and sent a shiver down Sue’s arm.
“Ah, yeah, that makes sense now,” Julia said. “That’s why you look like you’ve already been fitted for a Chicago overcoat. If you’re not careful, the tailor is going to finish it, you understand?”
Sue shook her head in denial. She didn’t understand. Not at all. She rubbed her cold hand.
“What’s a Chicago overcoat?” Heather asked.
Julia frowned. “A little sensitivity, doll, please.”
The scolding sounded odd coming from the brash spirit.
“Does Sue’s ring mean something in particular?” Lorna asked.
“Can’t you see it?” Julia turned to Vivien. “Her aura looks like someone took a bat to it.”
Sue stiffened and hugged her arms to her stomach.
“I don’t see auras,” Vivien said.
“Oh, not yet? Sorry, I must be ahead of myself. Time when you’re dead is a funny thing.” Julia sighed. “It’s dusty, bruised, but it looks like there’s a little,” Julia gestured to Sue’s breasts, “spot of something there.”
Sue glanced down at her chest to the bedhead kitten.
“A guy, perhaps? First stirrings of love?” Julia arched a brow. “Makes sense with that ring and your particular problem. You need to learn to trust yourself. Not an easy thing, harder for you than most.”
“I knew it!” Vivien exclaimed as if she couldn’t help herself. “You met a guy tonight, didn’t you?”
“Viv, not the time,” Heather chided.
“Well?” Julia came closer until the cold radiated over Sue’s entire body. “Do tell. Details, kitten, details! The afterlife is so dull. The dead are dead, and the living never talk to me. Who’s the bright spot?”
“Oh, uh...” Sue again looked at her chest but didn’t see anything beyond the bedhead kitten. “I don’t know what it is. I just met him. He gave me directions when my bus broke down. His name is Jameson Lloyd, and he owns the coffee shop.”
“Not in town long enough for a booty call, huh?” Vivien teased under her breath with a playful shake of her head.
Julia turned to Vivien and demanded. “Is he worth ogling?”
“Oh, very much so.” Vivien nodded, grinning. “Jameson Lloyd? Really? Score.”
“Tell me,” Julia said.
Sue opened her mouth, but she couldn’t think of what to say.
“Nice. Charming. Modest. You never hear him bragging about himself,” Vivien supplied for her. “Everyone in school liked him from the jocks to the geeks. He never picked on Heather and me, and even defended us once.”
“Good, good,” Julia nodded. “What else?”
“Goes to church,” Heather added, her words not as confident as if she tried to come up with details for her grandma. “Says nice things about his mother. Sponsors a little league team. Helps ladies with their groceries. Holds open doors for people. Um, I think someone mentioned he brought coffee and pastries and opened his house to people after those apartments caught fire years back.”
Sue found herself smiling. Jameson did all that?
“Nice. Bring him by so I can see him, will you kitten?” Julia arched a brow and waited for Sue to nod. “That’s a good kitten. Welcome to the club, Sue Jewel. Good luck. Hope you’re around long enough to enjoy your new beau, but if not, I’ll see you on the other side.”
Julia started to fade.
“Grandma—ah, Julia, wait,” Heather said.
Julia’s translucent body returned; only her clothing changed from the pantsuit to a dress with small flowers. She looked older with fine lines around her eyes and a less aggressive smile.
“How can we help Sue?” Heather asked. “Her dead husband is coming after her.”
“Not the first time, is it, kitten?” Julia asked Sue, though the question sounded rhetorical. Her voice was softer than before as if age had mellowed her. This version of Julia was less intimidating, somehow.
Sue shook her head. “No.”
“We want to do a séance and banish him,” Lorna said.
Julia frowned and shook her head. “No, that’s a terrible idea. Don’t do that.”
“Earlier, you were saying something about smelling and seeing.” Heather came to stand by Sue and placed a hand on her shoulder in support.
“I gave you the clues you need,” Julia said.
“Please, Grandma, we need more.” Heather went to the woman and lifted her hands to let them hover near her shoulders. “You told me that you sent us the rings and brought us together to help each other heal from our individual pains. Tell us how we help Sue. We don’t need riddles. We need you to explain. The five senses, right? Smell, taste, sight, sound, touch. That’s what you said earlier.”
Julia nodded. “How far has it gotten?”
“Smell—” Heather started to answer.
Julia held up her hand to stop her. “Sue.”
“Um,” she glanced at Heather, who nodded at her in encouragement. “I smell his cologne and other things that remind me of him—gun oil, um, cigarettes. I taste his favorite liquor sometimes, instead of what I’m eating or drinking. I
t burns but I don’t get drunk from it. That part has gotten better since I met these ladies.”
Sue wished she sounded more confident but talking to a ghost was nerve-racking. The midnight coffee probably didn’t help her anxiety either.
“The window,” Lorna prompted.
“Tonight, I saw his face reflected behind me when I was trying to unlock the theater door,” Sue said. “He didn’t look well.”
“Then I’m guessing he didn’t die well,” Julia said.
“Car accident. He was drunk and veered in front of a semi. It sent the car into a ravine.” Sue glanced at the others and didn’t say more.
“You should tell them,” Vivien urged. “We’re here to help.”
“Um.” A tear slipped down Sue’s cheek, even as she tried to hold it back. “At the time, he had me wrapped in plastic in the trunk of the car.”
Lorna gasped lightly and covered her mouth.
“Shit,” Heather swore.
“Yeah,” Vivien agreed with her.
“Julia, why can’t we do a séance and send him on his way before things get worse?” Lorna asked. “That worked with others.”
“You saw what rode in on Glenn’s visit.” Julia put her hands on her hips and frowned. “If you think summoning that demon with Lorna’s cheating ex was bad, what exactly do you think is going to travel through the veil on the back of a wife-murdering anger ball like Sue’s husband? You girls are going to need to start thinking these things through for yourself. I gave you my book. I’ve given you the rings. You have the tools and the magic. You’re smart girls, but you need to use your noodles. I can’t keep giving you the answers.”
Sue swiped at her eyes.
Demon?
She couldn’t ask the question.
Julia stared in her direction. Her form wavered like desert heat coming off a hot blacktop. Her voice sounded farther away. “Some things others can’t do for you. Remember that. Inner strength does not come from outside. It can’t be given.”
In a blink, Julia disappeared. The light stopped flickering and shone brightly on the stage.
Sue looked around the seating area. “Where did she go?”
“She’s said all she’s going to say,” Heather said. “The rest is up to us.”
“It’s late,” Lorna said. “We need sleep if we’re going to figure this all out.”
Vivien went to the boxes of candy and handed them out. “Eat. You’ll feel better after some sugar.”
Sue followed their example and put a piece of chewy candy in her mouth, even though she didn’t want to eat it. She was too shaken by what she’d seen.
“If it were me, I wouldn’t want to be alone,” Lorna said, picking the pillows up off the floor. “So, as long as Sue says yes, I’m voting slumber party.”
Sue nodded, relieved not to be alone for the night.
“Good, come on,” Heather took two of the pillows from Lorna and shuffled toward the stairs. “We’ll hit this problem with fresh brains in the morning.”
Chapter Nine
How Sue could fall asleep after such a night, she would never know for sure. Perhaps it was because she felt so drained after the séance and sharing of emotions. Hank, Julia, ghosts, séances, rings, magic, demons—what the hell was she supposed to do with all that? Have a mental breakdown?
The night had started so… strange, beautiful, hopeful? With Jameson, she was able to forget herself. Such a sweet and simple thing to forget and be in a moment.
Lorna, Heather, and Vivien had shared the bed while Sue took the couch. She was grateful for her new friends, her only friends really. Even though she was tired when she woke, she couldn’t fall back asleep and instead took a change of clothes down to the lobby to dress. She thought of Jameson and the store, wanting to see him and also wanting to do something nice for her friends. Lorna had brought her a few supplies the day before, but she didn’t have any real groceries to serve everyone breakfast.
Sue stared at the window where she’d seen Hank’s face, unable to force her hand to push the door open. She looked so hard her vision blurred the glass. Her heart beat a little too hard, thump-thump-thumping in her chest and throat and ears. She tried to breathe past the fear. Vivien had been right in her analogy. She was the scared horror movie teenager under the bed, watching the feet of her attacker in the moments before he grabbed her. It wasn’t a matter of if the attack would come, but when.
“Some things others can’t do for you. Remember that.”
Julia was right. She couldn’t ask the others to face Hank. He was her demon. They didn’t deserve to be dragged down with her.
“Okay, Hank,” she whispered, “I’m here but leave them—”
Movement in the glass proceeded a firm knock. Sue gasped and jumped back in fright. A uniformed officer waved at her from the sidewalk.
It took Sue a moment to react. The man motioned down to the door handle before giving it a small shake to show it was locked.
Sue forced herself to calm as she reached to open the door.
The officer stepped inside. “Morning, ma’am, I’m Officer Hill. I’m looking for Sue Jewel. She around?”
Sue nodded. “That’s me.”
Fucking Kathy.
“We had a call this morning from St. Louis asking us to do a wellness check on you,” Hill explained.
Sue forced a smile; it was an old habit to hide what she was feeling. “I’m well. Just here on a little vacation.”
“Glad to hear it. Would you mind if I take a look at your license so that we can tell St. Louis we definitely talked to the right woman?”
Sue nodded and drew her purse around to her front to dig inside. She pulled out her wallet.
“How are you enjoying our town?” Hill asked.
“It’s lovely,” Sue said. “I’m actually thinking of staying.”
Shit, why did I say that? What if Hill tells the St. Louis cop who then tells Kathy?
“Hm.” He nodded.
Sue handed him her license. “I’m sorry this ended up being a thing. I guess someone was worried about me. I texted her last night, and it should all be cleared up by now.”
“There seems to be some concern that you might do yourself harm,” Hill said as he wrote down her license number. “If you’re struggling, I can leave you the name of someone to talk to.”
“Thank you, but I promise I’m fine. My mother-in-law tends to fall on the dramatic side. She just lost her son, my husband, and…” Sue’s eyes went to the glass to search for Hank.
“I understand,” Hill said. “But I’m going to leave you that number just in case. Better to have it if you need it than not.”
“Thank you.” Sue forced her gaze back to the man.
“Glad to see you’re not in any danger, Mrs. Jewel. If that changes, be sure to give us a call. That’s why we’re here.” Hill handed her the license and a business card for a counseling center. He gave her a kind smile. “Welcome to Freewild Cove. I’m sure I’ll see you around.”
Sue doubted the police would appreciate a call to investigate a ghost attack.
“Thank you.”
The officer gave one last nod before pushing through the door. The cool morning breeze blew against her briefly as it shut. Her eyes followed the cop.
The door closed, and Hank’s sunken face reflected where the man had been. Sue made a weak noise and covered her mouth to keep from screaming. Hank grinned at her, his smile too large for his face and his dark eyes filled with a familiar sickness. He disappeared as quickly as he appeared.
“Who were you talking to?” Lorna suppressed a yawn as she moved to join her. She still wore her pajama pants. “Did someone try to show up early for their booking?”
“No, it’s nothing,” Sue dismissed.
Lorna went to the door and leaned into it, close to where Hank Had been. Sue gasped and started to reach out to stop her, but Lorna pulled away.
“Police?” Lorna asked in surprise. “What did they want?”
&
nbsp; “My mother-in-law called them when she couldn’t find me,” Sue said. “I forgot to call and ask her permission before running out of my haunted house.”
Lorna frowned. “So she called the cops? That’s a little controlling, isn’t it?”
Sue shrugged. She kept an eye on the door to make sure Hank stayed out of the reflection. Maybe if she smashed the spirit glass she could get rid of him? How mad would Heather be? The twenty-thousand-dollar check in her purse would cover the damage.
“Sue?” Lorna touched her arm, jolting her out of her thoughts.
“The cop needed to make sure I wasn’t a danger to myself,” Sue said. “Kathy told them I was suicidal.”
“What?” Lorna frowned in annoyance. “You’re not suicidal.”
“No, I’m not. She also told them I am addicted to pain killers.” Sue looked at her hands, unable to meet the woman’s eyes.
Lorna ran her hand down Sue’s arm to take her hand. “That’s what that was.”
“What?” Sue stiffened. At the touch, her hair began to lift with a static charge, and she felt Lorna’s concern flowing into her.
“That need to be numb. Vivien felt it too when I healed you that first night. That gnawing, desperate need.” A tear slipped down Lorna’s face. “The pleasure of being wrapped in the dull warmth of unfeeling bliss.”
Sue pulled her hand away. “I’m not addicted.”
Lorna tried to smile, but the look was strained with pity.
“But I could have been. I felt the pull, the charm of being lost, of turning off the pain, of forgetting as my mind faded into the white noise of a land where nothing mattered.” Sue ran her hand along her ribs. “I had resisted for years, but the night of my accident, they put something in my IV. I thought I was dying in that trunk, and then I woke up numb in the hospital. I didn’t want my ribs to heal because I didn’t want the excuse to be sedated to go away. I wanted to drift in the white noise forever. Eventually, the bruises went away, the funeral was long over, and I had no more excuses. Hank’s smell had started appearing. The doctors said my head injury could cause side effects. So I flushed the pills.”
The Fifth Sense Page 10
