“What’s the matter?” Tadin walked over to her when she hesitated.
“I don’t think I should smash this one,” she said, then turned the statuette over to get at the silver stopper. It was sealed tightly, so she used her nails to pry the stopper off. The soul of a sobbing girl emerged.
Candice didn’t know how it had happened, but suddenly she was free. She wiped the tears from her eyes and looked around frantically.
Was she in Hell?
It didn’t look like any version of Hell she’d ever seen.
No, this is still the library…
Who set her free? For what purpose?
A woman stood before her next to the spirit of a man. To the side was a mortal man wearing thick glasses, smashing figurines on the floor.
“It’s okay,” the man’s spirit said. “You’re free.”
“Who are you?” she asked, not sure if it was a trick.
“I’m Tadin — another soul, like you. This is Shelley and Maris.”
“Where’s Haures?” Candice looked around. “And Pyro?”
“Haures is back in Hell where he belongs,” said Tadin.
“And Pyro’s gone,” Maris kicked some shards of glass into the pile he’d made. “I doubt he’s coming back.”
I don’t believe this, Candice thought. She was still in shock from dying.
Suddenly she gasped and hurried around the room.
“Reagan!” she said. “Where is Reagan?”
“Who’s Reagan?” Maris asked.
Shelley handed Candice the last figurine.
“It’s her brother,” she said.
Joy flooded through Candice and her spirit started flickering.
“Reagan!” she peered into the glass. “Is he okay?”
“We’ll find out,” Shelley said and pried open the stopper.
A cloud of mist streamed out of the statue and collected into the form of a small boy. He sat on the floor and rubbed is eyes sleepily with his fists.
“What?” he said with a groggy voice. “What happened?”
It took a moment for him to get used to the light, but then he looked up at Candice with a grin.
“Candice!” he cried.
She scooped him up and squeezed him in her arms. It was unreal — a dream. After years of no closure, at last, she had her brother back.
“You are never leaving my sight again — do you hear me? Never!” she said, tears in her eyes.
Reagan laughed. The sound sent relief through Candice.
It’s okay now. It’s really okay now.
She turned to Shelley with tears rolling down her cheeks. They disappeared in tiny puffs of mist on the floor.
“Thank-you,” she said. “Thank-you so much for rescuing us.”
She set Reagan down and he tugged her shirt.
“What are we going to do now?” he asked. “Can we go play?”
“Of course,” she said, and led him by the hand to the door. “Let’s go play as much as you want.”
The two of them walked out of the library and disappeared into thin air.
Chapter Thirty:
Monday - 7:30pm
Tadin was relieved once the library shelves were empty. So many souls were released. Each one got a second chance at completing their unfinished business, or maybe just living again, like he was doing.
Shelley came over and hugged him with a smile.
“It’s over, right?” Her shoulders trembled slightly against him.
He kissed her forehead and stroked her hair.
“It is,” he said. “I think our work here is done.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Maris said from the corner of the room. He brushed his hands on his pants and gave Tadin a serious glance.
“What do you mean?” Tadin asked.
Maris paused, licked his lips, then said, “Follow me.”
Maris retrieved the briefcase from its hiding spot beneath the leather chair in the great room. He set it down on the messy desk while Shelley and Tadin huddled around it.
“What is it?” Shelley asked.
“A briefcase,” Tadin answered.
She rolled her eyes. “Obviously. I know it’s a briefcase, you dope. What’s inside it?”
“I’m not sure,” Maris scratched his neck. “Pyro tried getting away with it when Tadin was helping you. I wrestled it from him, but he escaped with the key.” He tapped the circular key hole that clasped the book shut.
“Pyro…” Shelley said. “Was that the guy with the ear gauges?”
Maris nodded.
“He’s one of Haures’s cronies,” Tadin added. “Or was, I should say.”
“Either way, he left in a hurry,” said Maris. “I doubt he’s coming back any time soon.”
They stared at the case for a long moment in silence.
Finally, Tadin said, “Should we find something to pry it open?”
They agreed and set about searching for something sharp.
It took some digging, but Maris found a letter opener shoved in the back of the drawer. He doubted it would work, but tried anyway, feeling like a man struggling with a pickle jar.
“It won’t budge!” he said after a few attempts. His hand ached from bending the letter opener.
“Let me try —” Tadin started, but Shelley took the briefcase away from them.
“Are you sure it’s really locked?” she raised an eyebrow.
“Yea…no…” Maris went red around the ears. “I didn’t actually try to open it normally.”
Shelley found the clips at the corners of the case and pushed them outwards. A smart click was heard and the briefcase popped open.
“I feel like an idiot,” Maris covered his eyes with a hand.
“We have our moments,” Shelley grinned. They looked inside the case.
The interior was lined with velvet. On the side was a small row of jars. Probably used for soul transportation, Maris thought. Beside that was a leather-bound book that probably contributed most of the weight — and on the other side, to their surprise, was two bundles of money.
“Holy crap!” Tadin took one of the bundles and flipped through it. “It’s all hundreds! You don’t think it’s cursed or anything, do you?”
“No,” Maris checked the other bundle. “What’s the point of getting away with cursed money?”
It felt real. He held one of the bills up to the light and verified it.
“Yup. It’s the real deal.”
“What should we do with it?” Tadin asked. “Use it for something fun?” He chuckled.
“I’ll tell you one thing we should use it for,” Shelley said, her hands on her hips. “A new truck for me, for starters.”
“What?” Tadin gave her a quizzical look.
“Maris rammed it into the bay,” she replied.
“What?” Tadin turned on him. “You did what?”
“Hey — I had to!” Maris held up his hands. “Aleister was in the bed of the truck and there was no other way to stop him. So, I just pummeled him…”
Tadin crossed his arms.
“Fine. A new truck. And repairs for your car, too, I suppose.”
“I probably have to pay to have my old truck lifted out of the ocean,” Shelley said, not looking at either of them. She probably felt guilty that most of the money would go towards her.
“Well, there goes any fun from this cash,” Tadin rolled his eyes. “We’ll have to earn some the old fashioned way.” He sighed. “Nothing in life is free, is it?”
“Not even smashing demons back to oblivion,” Maris added with a smirk. This made Tadin laugh and the mood lifted. “It does come with a great deal of satisfaction, though.”
After another good laugh, Shelley lifted the book from the case and examined it.
“Aha,” she said. “Look. This must be what the key went to.”
She tapped a thick leather clasp holding the book shut. A tiny lock was fixed into the clasp, like an old diary — except this one was heavy-d
uty.
“What does the cover say?” asked Maris.
“Nothing,” she handed the book to him. “It’s blank.”
He turned it over in his hands. It felt old. The corners were worn down and fraying.
Odd, he thought. Whatever this book contained had to be sensitive to forego a title on the cover.
“Well?” Tadin said. “What do you think?”
“I think I’m going to hold onto this thing,” said Maris. “Maybe back home I can crack it open. I bet there’s something valuable in here. Maybe some addresses for demon lords, or something like that. I dunno. I hope so, at least.”
Tadin gave him a stony glance.
“Whatever’s in there,” Tadin said, “promise me you won’t go running after trouble, now that we’re finished with Haures.”
“Of course,” Maris grinned. “After all the fun we just had — what kind of fool do you take me for? If I find anything, I’ll just upload it online and let some real paranormal investigators do the hunting.”
“Good,” Tadin said, pulling Shelley closer. “Now, what do you say we get out of here? We have a gallery to run in the morning.”
“A boring art gallery sounds good to me,” Shelley rested her head against him. The two of them left the apartment first, and Maris heard their voices getting softer and softer as they went.
“I’m pretty sure Kismit is worried about us,” said Shelley.
“Are you serious? That cat has a death wish for me!” Tadin replied. “I’m serious! He’ll be disappointed that I’m coming back in one piece.”
Their banter disappeared and Maris was the only one left in the apartment.
He gave one last look around the place, hefted the briefcase into his hand, and shut the door behind him.
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Pronunciation Guide
Aleister (AL-is-TER)
Candice Quimby (CAN-diss QUIM-BEE)
Fehling (FAY-ling)
Haures Grantley (HOH-rez Grant-LEE)
Kismit (KIZ-mit)
Linda Vlock (Lind-AH v-LOCK)
Maris Roberge (MAIR-iss ROE-berjh)
Nessus (NESS-us)
Reagan Quimby (RAY-gan QUIM-BEE)
Redgie Macyntire (Redge-EE Mack-in-TIRE)
Shelly Macyntire (Shell-EE Mack-in-TIRE)
Tadin Hough (TAY-din HOFF)
Verin (VAIR-in)
Special Thanks
First and foremost I would like to thank God for the many blessings He has given me over the course of my life. I wouldn’t be where I am today without His guidance and salvation.
To my beta readers, I cannot tell you how thankful I am for all of your feedback. Sam Harden, thank-you for your attention to detail. You showed me areas of the story that I hadn’t even discovered yet. Joseph Taylor, my best friend, your encouragement got me through some of the dark times of doubt when I didn’t want to go on. Thank-you for reassuring me that the self-doubt was just my mind playing tricks on me. Allyson Stewart, you were there with me as I graduated from the University, and you listened to my dreams of being a writer. Thank-you for telling me that life isn’t worth the living if you don’t follow your dreams and dare to live large. Benjamin Heller, you were the first person to read my book in a weekend and spot the typo in the very first sentence. Thank-you for showing me where my story could be stronger and setting my mind at ease when issues came up in the text. And last but not least, Andrew Hanscom and Scott Anderson, you’ve read many of my screenplays, and were excited to read my first novel. Thank-you for your enthusiasm and belief in the independent spirit.
I would be remiss if I did not thank my family for putting up with me locked away in my bedroom or staying out late at the library for an entire year. To my brothers Joseph and Michael, thank-you for keeping me sane and reminding me that it’s normal to take a break once in a while. My sisters, Kristy, Chelsey, Maxine, and Jessica, thank-you for providing the greatest inspiration for Shelley. I believe there is a bit of each of you ingrained in Shelley’s personality. And most importantly, my mother. Thank-you for investing in the electric typewriter all those years ago. When I ran out of ink and paper, you were always there to run to the store and get me more. You are my first reader, and I am so thankful that I am your son. I love you all.
About The Author
Franklin Kendrick earned his Video Production degree from the University of Southern Maine in 2010 and has since worked on many television programs. Most recently he has acted as Assistant Editor on Titanic At 100: Mystery Solved on History Channel, and also Season One of Ice Cold Gold on Animal Planet.
Franklin is a lifelong bibliophile and Lego Maniac. He lives in Maine with his family and his boxer puppy, Daisy.
You can follow him on his blog at:
www.franklinkendrick.blogspot.com.
Macyntire & Hough (A Paranormal Romance) (The Macyntire & Hough Saga) Page 17
