Murder Walk

by Melissa Bowersock

  “He wants to hang out at Tori’s for a while,” Sam told them all. “He asked if he could stay here tonight, then get with us tomorrow.” He eyed Lacey. “I told him we’d pick him up tomorrow morning at nine.”

  “That’s fine,” she said. “He can go with us to the studio.”

  Just then Kenzie came out of her room, her overnight bag in her hand. “Ready,” she said.

  “Okay.” Sam got out his car keys. “Let’s go.”

  “Where’s Daniel?” the girl asked.

  “He’s at Tori’s,” Sam said. “We’ll pick him up in the morning. Looks like today is going to be all yours.”

  “Really?” Her perplexed frown turned to a devilish smile. “Can we play miniature golf?”

  Sam laughed softly. “Sure.”

  “And get pizza for dinner?”

  “Whatever you want.”

  Kenzie beamed. Lacey could tell the girl was liking this idea of being an only child more and more.

  Maybe a little separation was just what they all needed.

  ~~~

  SEVEN

  Sam and Lacey talked quietly over coffee in the morning while Kenzie slept in. they’d stayed up late watching Frozen for the umpteenth time.

  “Maybe we should think more often about giving the kids some special time of their own,” Lacey said. “You and Daniel could go hiking or something, and Kenzie and I could go shopping or bake cookies.”

  Sam arched an eyebrow at her. “Isn’t that awfully gender-specific? How about if you and Kenzie go hiking, and Daniel and I bake cookies?”

  Lacey laughed softly. “Hey, I like the sound of that.” Then she sobered. “They grow up so fast. It won’t be long before Daniel gets his driver’s license, then we probably won’t see much of him. We need to make the most of these last few teenage years.”

  Sam nodded, sipping his coffee. “I hope he’s in a better mood today. I don’t mind cutting him a little slack over all this, but not for long. Life goes on, you know?”

  “Yeah,” she agreed with a sigh. “Even after death.” That reminded her of something. “Did you notice yesterday, when Cathy said all she wanted was for the murderer to be caught? Do you think she was talking to us? Does she know what we do? What you do?”

  Sam frowned. “Yeah, I heard that. I’m pretty sure she knows what we do. I don’t know if that was an actual plea or not. It sounded more like an off-the-cuff remark.” He shrugged. “If she’s serious about it, she can ask us directly.”

  Lacey had to agree. If the PD got stuck, they—and the Perezes—could ask Sam and Lacey to step in.

  “It’s been over a week now,” she noted. “Either the PD still doesn’t have much, or they’re keeping it very close to the vest.”

  “Yeah, no telling,” Sam said. “But if they need us, they know where to find us.”

  ~~~

  Daniel was ready for them when they arrived at the LaRosa’s at nine a.m. Although still quiet, he seemed willing enough to climb into the back seat of the car with Kenzie. Lacey was glad the scowl of contempt was not permanent.

  The shiner wouldn’t be, either, but it was definitely noticeable. Lacey noticed the edges of the red-purple mark starting to go green and yellow. Daniel’s eye was still partly swollen, but at least he could see out of it.

  “So,” Sam said as they drove toward the studio, “what was the fight about?”

  Now the scowl returned. “Freakin’ Bret Russell,” he muttered.

  “Same kid? Calling you names? You know he only does that to get a rise out of you, don’t you. If you ignore him…”

  Daniel huffed. “I did. It got worse. He started calling me a—”

  Lacey glanced back and saw Daniel’s eyes cut to Kenzie. The girl was watching him, wide-eyed.

  “What?” Sam pressed.

  Daniel stared out the side window, obviously choosing his words carefully.

  “He started saying that if Jason and I were so close”—he stressed the word—“if I could feel him, we must have been… you know.”

  Lacey turned in her seat so she could face Daniel. “Was Jason gay?”

  Daniel’s eyes widened slightly, then slid away. He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  Sure you do, Lacey thought. She wondered if that fact had anything to do with the murder. She remembered another school shooting in the news months ago where two girls ended up dead in a murder-suicide. She filed that thought away.

  Sam stared at Daniel via the rearview mirror. “Think you can avoid him for five more days? That’s all you’ve got until school’s out. The principal said she would suspend you if you get into another fight.”

  Another martyred sigh. “Yeah, I think so.”

  “I sure hope so,” Sam said.

  They pulled up in front of the little studio and both Daniel and Kenzie sat up.

  “This is it?” Daniel asked. “This is a dump.”

  “It’s rough,” Sam agreed.

  “But it’s solid, and it’s got potential,” Lacey said.

  “Potential?” Daniel snorted.

  “I think it’s cute,” Kenzie said.

  Lacey grinned at the girl. “I do, too. Come on.”

  They piled out of the car and ambled up the walkway through the dormant lawn. Lacey thought the small covered front porch could use a new coat of paint, maybe a throw rug to add some color. A Navajo rug? That was a possibility.

  Prowling the rooms inside only took a couple minutes. Kenzie inspected each, but Daniel barely looked in doorways, preferring to stand cynically in the front room.

  “What’s outside?” Kenzie asked.

  “Let’s go look.” Lacey opened the back door and led the girl outside. “Your dad wants to have a fire pit out here where he can fire his pottery the traditional way. I think that’s cool, don’t you?”

  Kenzie nodded enthusiastically. “Maybe when he’s all set up, Grampa Ben might want to come see.”

  “That’s a possibility.” Sam’s grandfather was a master potter in the old traditions. No doubt he’d be glad to hear Sam was following in his footsteps.

  There wasn’t much else to see. Lacey and Kenzie went back inside to see what Sam had in mind to do.

  “Are all ghosts going to be coming after me now?”

  Daniel’s voice was loud and strident.

  “She’s harmless,” Sam said. “She won’t hurt you. She just wants to meet you.”

  “The artist?” Lacey asked.

  Sam nodded.

  “You could have warned me,” Daniel complained. “She’s all over me. Would you tell her to leave me alone?”

  “You tell her,” Sam said, chuckling.

  Daniel ducked away from empty air and moved to the window. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared outside. “Go away,” he muttered. He hitched his shoulders up as if shrugging out from under a heavy coat.

  Lacey wasn’t alarmed if Sam wasn’t. Apparently this ghost was not one of those trapped in eternal anguish. But Lacey went back in her mind to something Daniel said.

  “All ghosts?” she repeated. “What do you mean, are all ghosts going to come after you?” She stepped up in front of Daniel. “Has Jason come to you?”

  Daniel peered up at her from under his creased brows and quickly looked away.

  Sam came to join Lacey. “Daniel?”

  The boy pulled in a deep breath and blew it out.

  “Yes. He comes to me at school and he came to me at the service yesterday. I don’t really mind him, but…” He ducked his head and clenched his arms across his chest. “She keeps trying to hug me. What’s up with that?”

  “She likes you,” Sam said. “Why, I’m not quite sure,” he added sardonically.

  “She can hug me,” Kenzie said. She stood beside her brother and waited. Daniel turned to look at her and Kenzie giggled.

  “What’s she doing?” Lacey asked.

  “It tickles.” Kenzie rubbed one ear. “She’s blowing in my ear.” More giggles.

  “What’s
her name?” Lacey felt distinctly left out. She was the only one who couldn’t sense the woman.

  Sam angled his head at Daniel.

  “It’s Thea—Theodora,” the boy said.

  Lacey turned to Sam. “Why is she here? She doesn’t seem to be bound up in tragedy.”

  “She’s not,” Sam said. “This was her place. She’s been guarding it, protecting it. But now that she knows it’s going to be used for art again, she’s happy.”

  “So is she going to stick around?”

  Sam shrugged. “I don’t know. She’s certainly welcome.”

  Kenzie was happy to have a new friend, and Daniel had relaxed now that Theodora had left him alone. Lacey went back to her original question.

  “So what does Jason do, or say? Is he just saying hello, or does he want something?”

  Daniel cut his eyes sideways. “I don’t know.”

  Lacey stepped closer. “What does he do, Daniel?”

  Daniel picked at some peeling paint on the window sill in front of him. “He… he shows me… two guys. That’s all.”

  “Who? Do you know who they are?”

  His hesitation spoke volumes. He picked at the paint chips and refused to look up.

  Sam stepped forward. “Daniel? If he’s showing you something, it’s important to him. Who are they?”

  Daniel shook his head. “I don’t know one. I’ve never seen him. He’s… older.”

  “And the other one?”

  Daniel’s mouth thinned into a hard line. His words, pushed out through clenched teeth, were barely above a whisper.

  “Bret Russell.”

  Lacey looked from Daniel to Sam and back. “Did he shoot Jason? Did he kill him?”

  Again, Daniel held back, not at all eager to continue the discussion. Lacey guessed he could feel her and his father’s intensity, though, and he finally caved.

  “I don’t think so,” he said quietly. “I think it’s the other one. But Bret was there.”

  Lacey put a hand on Daniel’s shoulder. “He was there when it happened? Is that why he’s picking on you?” She looked up at Sam. “He knows Daniel can feel Jason, so he’s afraid that Jason will tell him… exactly what he’s told him. Sam, we have to go to the police with this.”

  Daniel’s mouth dropped open in shock, and not the good kind. “No! We can’t. I—I don’t know anything for sure. It’s just… visions. The police won’t believe me. They’ll think I’m nuts.”

  The three of them were locked in a silent struggle, Lacey pleading to Sam with her eyes, Daniel pleading for something else.

  “If we know the truth,” Sam said finally, “we’re obligated to let the police know.” Lacey brightened, while Daniel scowled. “But,” he continued, “we need to be sure. Maybe we can find out who this other guy is. If and when we’re sure of our facts, we’ll take it to the police. But not before. Okay?”

  He pinned both Lacey and Daniel with an intense stare. Lacey nodded immediately; Daniel seemed less enthused but after a moment, agreed with a reluctant nod.

  “Okay. That’s enough for now. Let’s get those cleaning supplies out of the car.”

  Lacey had brought two brooms and dustpans, some rags and sponges, cleanser, vinegar and lots of towels. While she and Kenzie swept the old linoleum floor, Daniel and Sam washed windows. Kenzie giggled when the pile of dirt she was sweeping up suddenly whirled into a mini dust devil at least ten inches tall.

  “Theodora?” Lacey asked.

  Kenzie nodded with a laugh.

  This will be interesting, Lacey thought, if Theodora stays. What better place to be haunted than a medium’s art studio? And who knew if her spirit might inspire Sam’s work? Yes, this will be interesting.

  Once they’d cleared out the most immediate dirt and grime, Sam began to visualize how he wanted the studio set up.

  “I want a work table here,” he said, motioning toward the dining area between the living room and kitchen. “We can pick up an old used table from a garage sale or Craigslist. Then I’ll put my wedging table here. The whole front room will be the display area. The bedroom will be for supplies.” He looked around and imagined the finished studio. “Yeah. This will be good.”

  When he started figuring out where he would need shelves on the wall, Lacey tossed a pair of gardening gloves to Kenzie. “Let’s go pull weeds out back.”

  The June gloom had burned off and the late morning sun was getting warm. Lacey was glad to see not many weeds except around the base of the fence. They were all dead; this yard hadn’t seen water since winter. Most of the weeds pulled easily, and it didn’t take long to accumulate a small pile of them.

  She noticed Daniel pacing the little back porch, cell phone to his ear.

  By the time she and Kenzie had gotten most of the weeds, she glanced at her watch and saw it was eleven-thirty. Good time for a lunch break. She pulled off her gloves and headed for the house, Kenzie following behind.

  “Sam,” she called. “I’m thinking of going to get sandwiches. I saw a Subway shop just a few blocks away.”

  “Chicken Teriyaki,” he said, still jotting notes on a rough plan.

  “Can I have turkey?” Kenzie asked.

  “Sure thing.” Lacey looked to Daniel.

  He held his phone against his shoulder to mute it. “Meatball,” he said.

  “Okay. Be back shortly.”

  She tossed her gloves on the kitchen counter and grabbed her pack. She was surprised when Daniel met her at the car.

  “Do you think you could pick up Tori? She, uh, wants to see.” He looked hopeful and embarrassed at the same time.

  Lacey tipped her head. “Wants to see… the studio?”

  He bit his lower lip. “She wants to see… the ghost.”

  Lacey muffled a laugh. “Sure. You’ll have to show me where she lives. Come on.”

  Sam had met Tori but Lacey had only heard about her. It’d be interesting to see the girl and see her interaction with Daniel. First relationships could be tough. Lacey hoped Daniel’s wasn’t.

  As soon as she pulled up into Tori’s driveway, the girl sprinted out the front door. She was average height and slim, her long brown hair whipping behind her as she dashed to the car. She wore skinny jeans and a t-shirt.

  Daniel waved to her through the windshield.

  “Okay, Romeo,” Lacey hissed. “Get out and open the door for her.”

  Daniel blinked at her, his brain taking a moment to catch up. “Oh, yeah.” He climbed out of the front seat and opened the back door. Tori beamed at him and left a quick kiss on his cheek as she slid past him into the back seat.

  “Hi,” she said to Lacey.

  “Hi.” Lacey put a hand back between the front seats. “Nice to meet you. I’m Lacey.”

  Tori shook hands and smiled. “Nice to meet you, too.”

  Daniel settled in the front seat and pulled on his seatbelt, then glanced back at Tori. “Seatbelt?”

  “Oh, yeah.” The girl pulled on hers and sat back.

  “Okay, next stop, Subway,” Lacey said.

  By the time they got the sandwiches and sodas and got back to the studio, Lacey already liked what she saw of Tori. The girl was relaxed and confident, as willing to yank Daniel’s chain as she was to beam him a happy smile. She was not averse to poking a finger in his side when he was being too serious. Her bubbly nature was contagious.

  “So do you see the ghost, too?” she asked Lacey.

  “No,” Lacey said, setting the brake on the car. “I don’t have the right DNA.”

  “I hope I do.” Tori immediately grabbed bags and helped carry in lunch. She and Daniel walked side by side, she bumping his hip with hers.

  Inside, Sam and Kenzie were ready for lunch. There was nowhere to sit except the kitchen counters, but Kenzie had pulled paper towels off the roll Lacey brought and had placed “napkins” all around the kitchen.

  “Hi, Kenzie; hi, Mr. Firecloud,” Tori called.

  “Hi, Tori,” Sam said. “What do you think?�
� He waved around the studio.

  “I think it’s cool,” she said. “Where’s the ghost?”

  She glanced around. No one said anything, but suddenly Daniel was scrunching up his shoulders and ducking his head.

  “Would you… stop that!” He pushed empty air away and stepped aside, hiding behind Tori. The girl’s eyes widened as she searched the place he’d just vacated.

  “Where is she?” she asked.

  Kenzie giggled, and then she was the one ducking her head. “That tickles!” she laughed.

  “Can you see her?” Lacey asked Tori. The girl shook her head. “Me, neither, but she’s definitely here. Okay, who’s hungry?”

  After a quick lunch, then touring Tori around the studio, explaining the plan, they locked up and headed home. The mood had lightened considerably, thanks to Theodora’s antics, Tori’s sunny disposition and Daniel’s response to it. Lacey thought the girl was just exactly what he needed.

  They took a vote on plans for the afternoon, and bowling won. Sam helped Kenzie with her delivery and she was delighted to bowl a 59. The rest did better, but not by much. Daniel and Tori were too busy teasing each other to get serious about the game, and Lacey and Sam just enjoyed the silliness. It was a laughter-filled break from the more serious issues they’d all faced lately.

  When Sam and Lacey drove the kids to their respective homes that evening, Tori bounced out of the car.

  “Thanks for including me, Mr. Firecloud, Lacey. That was fun. I’ve never eaten lunch with a ghost before.”

  “It was very nice to meet you,” Lacey said. “And Daniel will walk you to your door. Ahem.” She angled her head at Daniel.

  “Huh? Oh, yeah. Sure. Come on.” He scrambled out of the car and they strolled up the walkway holding hands. To Daniel’s supreme embarrassment, Tori planted a kiss on him in full view of the others. The poor boy’s face fairly glowed pink as he walked back to the car.

  “I like her,” Lacey said as they pulled away. In the rearview mirror, she could see Daniel looking sideways to avoid meeting her eyes, but a tiny smile curved his mouth.

  At the LaRosa’s apartment, Kenzie skipped beside Lacey while Sam draped an arm across Daniel’s shoulders. Lacey was glad to see the boy abandon the cynical scowl, at least for a while. It had been a good day.