We smiled at each other and a tiny spec of peace returned to both of us. It was a gift. I knew it wouldn’t last. There was too much going on around us. I simply had to live in the moment and it was a good moment to live in.
By the time Ian had cleaned up, I had gotten us into the list of volunteers, and we’d eaten our boring pizza, I had begun to wonder about the whole Hadley/Esther thing. A creature with scaly, red wings seemed like it must have been made up. Maybe it was all one of the lies Hadley had been known for at school.
Then again, a lot of people would probably have accused me of lying if I’d told them that my best friend’s ghost had appeared to me. Since I knew the truth about the world, nothing could be shrugged off anymore. The paranormal world was vast if you were willing to accept it.
I kept my eyes on the sky as we pulled into the parking lot at Hope House. I felt like an idiot yet it seemed like the best way to be sure. I didn’t see anything, though. No real surprise there.
It was strange as we walked into the building, to find that the place didn’t look like the prison I had envisioned. It was like a mix of high school and hotel, with people chatting easily all around us. There were only a few who looked like real trouble. The rest appeared to be mixed up kids who were in need.
I suddenly found that my suspicion about Hadley seemed cold-hearted. I should find the girl and ask her more questions, show her that I was willing to listen. Sometimes, it was all that was necessary.
“Madison?” a guy asked from behind me.
I turned around and my mouth went slack. The guy who stood there was only slightly taller than me, with a wiry build, and an adorable baby-face. His dark hair and grayish blue eyes hadn’t changed. What had changed, was the fact he wore a nametag that proclaimed him to be a student therapist. He was the same age as Ian and had his life all planned out. That was amazing.
I gave him a huge smile. “Deegan, you are the last person I expected to see,” I said, delighted for him that he was doing something so noble with his life.
He cocked his hands on his hips and gave me a speculative look. “Same goes,” he said, not a trace of a smile on his lips. That was typical of him. Deegan was one of the most serious people I had ever met. “What are you doing here, Madison?”
I gestured toward the check in station. “We’re volunteering,” I said, suddenly wary since Deegan would probably know that before an hour ago, my information hadn’t been in the volunteer files.
He didn’t comment on that, instead turning his eyes up to meet Ian’s.
Ian held out his hand in a friendly way. “Ian Gregory,” he said politely.
“Deegan Hefferman,” he answered and shook Ian’s hand before he turned his eyes to meet mine. “This is the guy you spent so much time quoting.”
I shrugged and nudged my elbow at Ian. “Don’t tell him that, Deegan. He’ll get a big head,” I teased, not at all sure what the two would make of each other.
Ian smirked at me. “It’s already huge now that I know you quote me,” he said in a far more cheerful way than he had in a while.
Deegan nodded. “We were in the same grief counseling group. Every other word out of Madison’s mouth was quoting Ian,” he said and motioned to the check in station. “Come find me when you’re done and you can tell me why you’re really here.” He walked off before I could respond, that another habit of his that was all too typical.
I turned to go to that station, nearly walking straight into Ian’s chest.
He stepped aside before I’d tackled him and shot me a narrow eyed look. “You never told me you went to a counseling group,” he said, his tone a little disapproving.
I raised my brows at him. “Um, hi. I’m Madison Meyer. I found my best friend’s dead body two years ago and have a mom who considers emotion to be weakness. She wanted to have me committed after I got back to Philadelphia.” My voice was dull with the pain of those memories, the more recent horrors as debilitating as the old ones had been.
He stared at me for a moment before he turned his eyes down. “You’re calling me an error code in your head right now, aren’t you?” he asked, his tone utterly contrite.
I rolled my eyes at him. “A 404, actually,” I lied and shot him a snide little smile. “I also get snarky when you catch me off guard. Have you met me?” I asked in as lighthearted a tone as could be managed.
He glanced at me and smirked. “So you’re saying I catch you off guard in everything you say?”
I chuckled and patted his stomach. “Of course you do, Ian. You’re an expert in that department.”
He looked away from me, his slight smile still in place. “I’m not thinking about making out with you. Nope. Not even a little,” he said and held up his hand to show me his crossed fingers.
I laughed, delighted by that silly little moment with him. It was fun and showed me he really was seeing me as something more than his little sister’s best friend.
After we’d checked in, we were directed toward the kitchen. “It’s a crazy day. One of our residents walked out and we’ve got several people out sick,” the receptionist informed us as she shot a harried look toward the kitchen.
I had thought it would be an easy job that would leave me time to talk to people about both Hadley and Esther. It turned out that easy was the last thing the job could be called. The harried kitchen staff fell on us gratefully and put us to work.
We served food, cleaned up messes, loaded dirty dishes onto trays, and in one case, broke up a fight. Despite all the tedium, it was great. There was a feeling of accomplishment, of helping people who were at a crossroads.
Granted, all we did was help to feed them. It still felt good. I was a cog in the machine which helped people who weren’t dissimilar to me at all.
By the time the meal was over, I was exhausted. All I wanted was to go home and . . . no. I had to find out what they could tell me about Hadley and Esther. It was why I had come.
“You two are amazing,” the massively pregnant cook stated, holding the small of her back as she smiled at us.
She was a pretty woman who wasn’t quite thirty. She had curly, light brown hair, and the kind of eyes that captivated anyone who looked at her. She had been sweet and friendly all evening, a woman I considered a friend already.
I smiled in return, a little worried by how tired she looked. “We were happy to help,” I said and motioned to a chair. “You look like you need to sit down.”
Julie gave me a tired smile and shook her head. “This is my last day before I’m out on maternity leave. I can handle a few more minutes,” she said and glanced from one to the other of us. “Are you two going to be regulars around here?”
Wow. Maybe I’d found the perfect place to ask my questions. “I do plan to. I know a girl who volunteers here every day after school. She was telling me it was a great place.”
Julie narrowed her eyes and cocked her head to the side. “What’s your friend’s name?”
“Hadley Novak.”
She let out a pained sound and rubbed at her eyes. “That girl,” she said in a weary tone. “Hadley is one of our residents, or she was. She snuck out earlier today and hasn’t been seen. This is her third strike.”
I faltered, not sure what to make of that information. Hadley had been known for lying. I had been so blinded by her obvious fear for her best friend, I had ignored all the signs.
Ian took hold of my elbow and guided me over to lean against the wall. “Maddie?” he asked like he thought I was about to pass out or something.
I blinked and looked at Julie. “I . . . hope your baby is healthy,” I said quietly and turned to leave.
Ian stayed close to me, pulling me to a stop when we were out in one of the hallways. “Breathe, Maddie,” he said, his hands on my shoulders.
I let out the breath I’d been holding and scowled. “Infinity in all her nastiness is nothing in comparison to her sister. How dare she. She used Emma, played on my sympathy for anyone trying to figure out what happe
ned to their best friend. If I ever see that girl again, I’m going to—”
“Maddie, stop,” Ian cut in, shaking his head as I turned my glower on him. “Think about it. If Hadley had come to you guys and told you she was a resident here, you wouldn’t have believed a word she said. I don’t know if any of this is the truth. I don’t know if it’s a lie either. You’re a paranormal investigator now, Mads. Investigate. Don’t jump to conclusions.”
I clenched my hands into tight fists, then slowly counted to three. As usual, it worked. I felt far less combative and more clear-headed.
I leaned forward to rest my brow on Ian’s chest. “Thank you, Ian,” I said quietly, more grateful than I could express to have him there with me.
He eased me back and kissed my brow. “Let’s see what else we can find out. I’m good with volunteering here with you too.” He shot me a snide little grin. “Now that I know how many guys around here want you, I’ll hang around to watch your back.”
I rolled my eyes at him and turned to walk further into the building to find Deegan. Maybe he would be able to tell us something. I doubted he would. It was worth a try, though.
My body jerked to a stop as we walked past a large window which looked out onto a garden. Flying over that garden was a man with red, scaly wings. That creepy thing looked me straight in the eye . . . then vanished like it had never been there at all. Holy blue screen of death. It was true. I had seen it.
FOUR
My brain felt like it might explode. I thought through all the things I had learned in my two weeks of research, trying to think of what creatures had red, scaly wings. There had been several gods listed as being half bird, half human in form. The guy I’d seen had been grotesque, nothing that could ever be mistaken for human.
Was it possible I had imagined it? Could there be an explanation other than that a winged guy was flying over Hope House?
“You okay?” Ian asked, obviously seeing my startled look.
“You didn’t see it?” I asked, my eyes still fixed on the window.
Ian shot me a confused look. “I guess not. What did you see?”
I swallowed hard and bit my lip. I would figure it out without worrying Ian unnecessarily. Hadley’s words played through my mind, though.
She had told us that if the winged guy picked you, you disappeared from existence. Was that her exaggerating to make a point or could that creature mark its victims by sight? A cold shiver worked its way up my spine again. Hadley was missing.
I couldn’t stand around and worry about myself. I had to figure out what was going on and let Erkens know about everything. I had a feeling my long lecture from earlier would be nothing in comparison to the one he’d give me the next day.
I practically ran to the reception desk, relieved to find Deegan right there. He was a friend. We had learned to deal with our grief at the same place. Maybe he would trust me enough to tell me what was going on.
Deegan rubbed his chin, his eyebrows squished together as he looked at me. “Something wrong, Madison?” he asked, flicking his eyes toward Ian like he thought Ian might have done something to me.
I didn’t react to that. I just shot off questions in rapid fire succession. “Hadley Novak, what time did she leave here? Did she tell anybody where she was going? Did you find anything on Esther Colbert? Why did—”
Deegan held up his hands in a surrendering gesture. “Madison, stop.” He waited until I’d shut up before he went on. “Why are you asking me about Hadley and Esther?”
I took in a shaky breath and blew it out. “Because Hadley came to my boss this afternoon and tried to hire him to find Esther. Now, Hadley is missing and I have a bad feeling about all of this.”
Deegan groaned and tipped his head to look at the ceiling above him. “I can’t talk about resident’s files with you. They’re private,” he said and shook his head. “What I can tell you is that Esther isn’t missing. She went home.”
I furrowed my brows. “There was real fear in Hadley’s eyes. She was scared to death for her friend.” Hadn’t she been? It had all seemed wrong to me, her reactions off in some way.
He motioned for us to follow him into an office behind the reception desk, apparently not willing to talk about what was going on where anyone could hear us. It was a good idea no matter how it irritated me to hide in an office. All I wanted was answers. If he couldn’t or wouldn’t give them to me, I’d have to find them on my own.
When he’d closed the door behind us, I whirled on him. “Don’t jerk me around, Deegan. Something is going on. I know it.”
He stepped over and leaned against the desk in the center of the room, his eyes full of compassion. “I get it, Madison. I was there. I saw how you suffered after Emma’s death. You and I both had a lot to deal with.” He raised his hand to stop me as I tried to interrupt. “Esther isn’t missing. Hadley is a mixed up kid who believes that her lies will make people like her.”
I folded my arms and scowled at him. “Deegan, when your dad died and your mom started drinking, you acted out as well. You turned yourself into a bad guy. I almost shut down completely because of my own grief. You and I learned together how to deal with our anger. I still use the techniques they taught us to hold back the anger and pain. Hadley IS grieving. She is scared to death for her friend. I will not dismiss her fear because she is a messed up kid. You and I were both messed up kids not so long ago.”
“I’d say we probably still are.”
“True enough.” I motioned to Ian with a tiny smile. “I was reminded a few minutes ago that jumping to conclusions was a bad idea. If you’re right and this is all a lie, that’s fine. If I don’t look and something really has happened to those girls, I doubt either of us will ever really recover.”
Deegan looked over at Ian and for the first time in the entire time we’d been friends, a small smile came to his face. “You never win a single argument with her, do you?” he asked snidely.
Ian grinned at me and hooked his arm around my shoulders. “Nope. I’m cool with that, though. That will of iron is one of my favorite things about her.”
“Until you get clubbed over the head with that iron of hers?”
Ian laughed and shook his head. “Last time I got clobbered was when I was teaching her to change a tire.”
I let out a loud, fake laugh and jabbed my elbow into his center. “Oh, how fun to be talked about like I’m not here. Want me to leave?”
Ian’s eyes danced with something very close to his old mirth. “No, Mads. I don’t want you to leave,” he said and looked at Deegan. “You know what it was like for Madison when Emma was killed. You said that. The thing is, I can imagine what it’s been like for Hadley. Her sister is one of those classic mean-girls who’s probably made her feel inadequate all her life. She’s a kid and if the Esther girl is missing or not, she would feel like she’s been abandoned. She’s had a rough time.” He made it sound like he really did understand, despite the fact he hadn’t even really remembered the girl before a few hours ago.
Deegan considered him for a bit, then looked at me. “I would lose my job and probably get sued if I talked to you about Hadley’s case. All I can tell you is that she is a resident, that Esther is not, and also that Esther left here with plans to take a backpacking trip through Europe. Hadley couldn’t accept the fact her friend wanted to go somewhere without her.”
I let out a long sigh and inclined my head. “Okay, fine. Where is Hadley, though? Julie told us that she didn’t return here.”
“That’s true although she didn’t have to. This isn’t a prison. It’s a counseling center.”
I folded my arms and stared him down. “Do you honestly believe that Esther walked off, left her friend behind without any word?” I asked, starting to feel foolish for not having paid more attention to the way Hadley spoke.
There had been fear for Esther. She had also kept her eyes fixed on the table for most of the interview. That was a classic sign of lying, to be unable to look the person y
ou lied to in the eye.
It hadn’t all been false. I was positive. The compassion she felt for her friend, the anger she felt over the way Esther was treated by her family, it had been genuine. There was no doubt in my mind.
Deegan sighed in a weary way. “Hadley and Esther had a tumultuous friendship. They were competitive and despite all the ways they were good for each other, they also fed each other’s insecurities. They weren’t even talking by the time Esther left, so it doesn’t surprise me in the least that she didn’t tell Hadley where she was going.”
I groaned inwardly. Didn’t it figure. The first time a possible client came by, it turned out to be nothing more than a teenage girl who was a pathological liar. Awesome.
The image of that winged creature came to me again. It didn’t matter if Hadley had lied about some of it. She had told the truth about other parts. The winged guy was real, so to me that meant other parts of her story had been real as well.
I looked at Deegan and gave a little shrug. “I’ve seen a lot of things in the last few months. The thing that bothers me most isn’t the fact I found out my best friend was murdered, it’s this.” I waved my hand in his direction. “The kid I met in Philadelphia was a serious guy who was a troublemaker. He also had compassion. Whatever has turned you into this heartless automaton, you should work on changing that. If you’re actually going to be a therapist, it might be nice if you cared again.” I turned and walked out of that office, more determined than ever to figure out what was going on at Hope House.
By the time we’d gotten to my car, I had managed to calm the anger that had risen inside me. Somewhat. All I needed was the tiniest distraction. Fortunately for me, Ian seemed to be in the mood to be helpful, at least sort of.
He took hold of my arm and turned me to face him, his eyes a little cold. “Maddie, what is going on with you? What did you see?” he asked, apparently not having forgotten like I’d hoped he would.
“Hadley wasn’t lying about all of it,” I said with a shiver, my eyes flicking toward the building. “The winged guy is real.”
The Black Merchant Page 3