Paranormal in Manhattan Mystery Box Set

by Lotta Smith

  “I assumed that.” He glanced at the pool of blood that came from Johnny, finally loosening his grasp around my shoulders. Looking me straight in the eyes, he said, “Why did you go alone and not bring someone at USCAB? Has it ever occurred to you that it’s a better idea to bring somebody with you rather than going kamikaze on your own? By the way, did I mention I happen to be an executive at a security company?”

  “Look, I called Hernandez, who kindly offered to send backup. And I didn’t want to behave like the entitled, bratty wife of the CEO’s son. It didn’t feel right for me to use your manpower. You know, you might be the COO of USCAB, but that doesn’t mean I can use your staff like my own, right?”

  “No, you’re wrong on so many levels,” he spat. His green eyes were more intense than usual. When I saw the bulging of the veins in his neck, I realized he was really mad.

  “I’m so sorry.” And I meant it.

  He took a deep breath. “Apology accepted. Don’t ever do it again. Not anymore. Are we clear?”

  “Crystal clear,” I mumbled.

  “Next time, you must bring backup with you, or else I’ll fire you from being the chief manager of Paranormal Cases Division at USCAB. It’s not a warning, it’s a promise. Do you understand?”

  My mouth gaped open like a total idiot.

  “What did you just say?” I squawked. If I recalled it right, there was no such section in USCAB that was involved with paranormal cases. Actually, I was bracing for harsher words from him, and with full disclosure, I was contemplating crying. Call me unfair, but he really hated it when I cried. Also, to be honest, I could use a little gentle hugging, kissing, and some consoling words whispered in my ear. Regardless, I didn’t see the P-word, as in paranormal, coming from him.

  “I said, I’ll fire you from the job of the chief manager at the Paranormal Cases Division at USCAB,” he said, still clutching my shoulders with his hands.

  I opened my mouth wider, shut it, and then reopened it. “But… you don’t have a Paranormal Cases Division at USCAB.”

  “We didn’t have that particular section, but now we do.”

  “Oh my God, Mandy! Congratulations on your new career!” Jackie shrieked.

  “Mandy, darling, I was itching to tell you that you’ll be even more fabulous if you start working in a field where you can fully utilize your talent.” Clara clapped her hands. “I’m so proud of you!”

  Rick took a deep breath. “I was meaning to deliver the news to you today, but you were already gone when I’d finished the launching process. Talk about a surprise ruined.”

  “Oh… I mean, I’m sorry?”

  Still fuming, Rick gave me a curt nod. “Apology accepted, and you’re very welcome.”

  I realized then that I hadn’t thanked him. “Thank you so much for launching a section for me.” I giggled as I clung to him. I couldn’t help it.

  “It’s okay. It’s just that we’re expanding our business to things that most of us can’t see or hear.” He chuckled, hugging me back. “You know what? Thanks to your phone call with Hernandez, we have to work the first case with the feds for free. To make up for that, your office will be located in a little corner of my office.”

  “Okay. I can live with that.” I smiled wider.

  “And 50 percent of your pay for the first case will be cut,” he added.

  “Boo! That’s not fair!” I protested, looking up at him.

  Grinning from ear to ear, he cocked his head to the side. “Who said life is fair?”

  I booed again, but a part of me wished Johnny could’ve heard his words.

  EPILOGUE

  Rick had a brief chat with the NYPD officers, and we were free to leave the scene. By that time, the FBI vans were already gone. After all, it was just an assault case with the most critically wounded being the assailant himself. Rick also talked to Letty for a brief time, apparently thanking her profusely, and I saw him handing her his card, which was a rare occasion.

  After going back to USCAB headquarters to sign the contracts to launch the Paranormal Cases Division, we headed for the cemetery where Fynn was waiting for us.

  The initial plan to have dinner at some fancy restaurant had changed, but I made a run to a burger joint close to the USCAB building to purchase takeout. I tended to get famished after a near-death experience. Okay, so thanks to Letty coming to the rescue, it wasn’t exactly a near-death experience, but both Nikki and I could’ve been killed if Letty hadn’t been driving around. Also, after listening to her describe the yummy burger and fries, I couldn’t stop thinking about them.

  It was a little past five o’clock when we arrived at the cemetery.

  “Mandy, Rick!” Fynn waved at us as soon as we arrived. He was fully aware that Rick couldn’t hear or see dead people, but he treated Rick just like he treated me. I could understand why Nikki fell in love with him.

  I waved back at Fynn, and Rick did the same. Fynn wasn’t stuck in the pond anymore, sitting at the bank instead.

  “Bummers… I never knew he hated me that much. I used to believe he was my life-long best friend,” Fynn responded after we informed him of what went down. He closed his eyes tightly, but the tears didn’t stop streaming. “Maybe I’d been trying not to notice his feelings about me while being aware of it deep down.”

  “Fynn, you did nothing wrong.” Clara stroked the crying ghost’s back.

  “Johnny had many hardships. Since his dad died of a stroke, his life turned difficult. He had to give up college, and the company he was supposed to join went bankrupt just weeks before he started his job there, and—”

  “Come on, Fynn. Johnny’s a coward. If he hated your guts so much, he could’ve stopped being friends with you. Instead of telling you his opinions, he chose to be jealous of you. In my opinion, he’s a spineless loser!” Clara declared, then commanded the sobbing ghost to stop bothering with a pathetic loser.

  “Clara—” Fynn hiccupped.

  “Look, Fynn,” I interjected. “After chatting with Johnny, I think he longed to be someone like you so badly, and I guess that’s part of his reason for killing you. It’s so insane to think he could replace you by killing you, but sometimes, lunacy strikes us. Though I’m just guessing, of course.”

  Fynn’s eyes widened with what appeared to be astonishment. “If that’s the case, Johnny is such a fool. The reason our superiors and the general managers used to be harder on him was because he was considered to be a candidate for the future leader. He was so hard-working, so diligent, and…”

  As he cried nonstop, Jackie cleared her throat. “Fynn, now that you’re dead, we can’t do anything about it, but you can become a superduper guardian angel protecting Nikki and Jennie.”

  “You’re so right.” Wiping tears from his eyes, Fynn nodded. “I’ve got to become a super guardian angel like you are to Mandy and Rick.”

  I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, mostly because Jackie was watching my reaction. When I relayed her words to Rick, he wasn’t that discreet as he shook his head, massaging his temple.

  “Oh, Jackie! You’re such a star!” Clara cooed, prompting Jackie to blush a little.

  Rick spoke to the air. “By the way, Mom, I’m assuming you’re the one responsible for sending Nikki to confront Johnny, am I correct?”

  “I’d prefer not to answer that question. You know, secrets are what make a woman beautiful. Mandy, remember my words.” Clara innocently tilted her head to the side, but her answer was almost a dead giveaway.

  “Okay, so you sent Nikki to the deadly confrontation,” Rick said, frowning and crossing his arms. “How did you do that? She can’t hear dead people, can she?”

  “She didn’t seem to notice the army of ghosts,” I said.

  “Of course she can’t.” Clara smiled. “I summoned an urgent conference for ghostly residents in the Manhattan and Brooklyn neighborhoods, releasing detailed information about Fynn’s murder and that justice had to be served. Anyway, word spread faster than the speed of light, and b
y noon, I was able to communicate with several of Nikki’s deceased relatives. They talked directly to her subconscious to confront Johnny, and the rest is history.”

  Rick’s frown deepened. “Didn’t you imagine it would be dangerous for her and Mandy?”

  “Oh, darling, stop frowning! You don’t want to have wrinkles here,” she said breezily, touching his forehead. “I knew it could be dangerous, and that’s why we arranged for Letty to drive Mandy to the scene and rescue both her and Nikki.”

  “Excuse me? How did you arrange my cab ride?” I squawked.

  “Everyone knows someone in this neighborhood, and by using our web of connections, you can practically reach everyone. Anyway, she was destined to be there to help you ladies,” Clara said nonchalantly. “Except I didn’t expect her to be such a terrible shot. She shot six rounds, and only three of them hit him.”

  “What else have you been meddling with in the world?” Rick groaned.

  “Not much. You know, Rick, our ability to talk to living humans intensifies during this time of the year, but it will wane as the holiday season ends.” Clara shook her head. “Anyway, I think I’ve worked more than my share, and I could use a nice vacation. There’s this trip to a very pristine beach in the better world starting before Halloween, and I’m so tempted to join the tour. So, Rick, Mandy, live your lives full and enjoy every moment, okay? Jackie, thanks for being with Mandy and Rick. You enjoy every moment too, okay?”

  “Okay. I will,” I said.

  “Thank you!” Jackie bounced.

  Listening to my interpretation, Rick took a deep breath. “So, will you come back for next Halloween?” he asked.

  “I’ll come back, of course.” Clara flashed an elegant smile. “Actually, I can come back anytime, but I don’t want to be that kind of mother who periodically meddles with her son’s marriage. Anyway, I want to visit Dan tonight and have some alone time with him. It’s not like he can hear me, but sometimes he talks to me, and I absolutely love it!”

  Waving her hands and blushing a little, she disappeared.

  Jackie and I waved back at her, and Rick joined us.

  * * *

  About a month following the fiasco and Johnny’s arrest for assaulting Nikki and me, and murdering Fynn, a letter addressed to me was delivered to the Paranormal Cases Division at USCAB. The sender was Nikki.

  “Wow, I got mail from my unofficial first client!” I said, excited. I wasn’t talking to myself. As Rick had previously said, the office of the Paranormal Cases Division was set up in a corner of his office, so basically our working condition had almost gone back to the way it was when we were with the FBI. The only difference was now Rick had a bigger office, and I got a fancier desk. When I didn’t have cases, I helped him with some administrative tasks, and when I actually had cases, he connected me with the best manpower available. To be honest, I was quite fond of my new arrangement.

  “That’s interesting. What did she say?” he asked.

  “She says she had the wedding Fynn had booked, as it was nonrefundable. Wow!” My eyes widened as I registered who was in the photo.

  “What?” Rick’s eyebrows shot up.

  “Oh my God, with whom? I thought her love for Fynn was true and something lasting forever. I didn’t expect her to tie the knot with another man so soon!” Jackie shrieked. Then she looked at the photo and furrowed her eyebrows, seeming confused. “Oh… maybe that’s not how I assumed.”

  “Right. Actually, Nikki tied the knot with her late husband. Look at this photo.” I stood up and took it to Rick’s desk. “Voila!”

  “Wow!” Rick chuckled. “That’s a hell of a wedding and a funeral mixed together.”

  In the photo, Nikki was all smiles in a gorgeous wedding gown. With one hand, she was holding her daughter’s hand, and with the other, she was clutching Fynn’s smiling photo in a frame. At her foot, Mr. Bubbles, the orange cat, sat proudly.

  “It’s odd.” Rick blinked as he looked at the picture. He pointed at Nikki’s left shoulder. “It might be some glare, but it looks like his face.” He indicated the framed photo of Fynn.

  “Wow, can you see that? What a coincidence!” Then I added, “Well maybe it’s no coincidence. It can be one of those ghost photos that most people can recognize as paranormal activity.”

  Fynn was seen photobombing in it. With an arm entwined with Nikki’s, he was stroking Jennie’s head, looking so loving and, at the same time, like a proud dad and husband.

  Admiring the photo, Jackie concluded. “Good thing everyone looks so happy.”

  “Yes. It’s such a lovely picture.” I couldn’t agree more.

  * * *

  Want to read about Mandy and Rick’s next adventure? Keep reading for a sneak peek of Speak of the Wicked right now! Then go read it all! FREE on KU.

  Sneak Peek: Speak of the Wicked

  PROLOGUE

  Mid-June, approximately two months prior to my wedding with Rick…

  “Oh my God! What is this world coming to?” demanded a young woman in her high pitched voice.

  My ears perked up. I had my share of craving for juicy gossip, and I sensed one when it was on my way. Also, I was in one of the stalls at The Mark’s powder room. Actually, their powder rooms happened to be one of the most gorgeous ones around the world that could possibly cater as a high-end café or conference room. The floor was gleaming, the hand towels—ones made of Egyptian cotton and not the paper towels—were neatly stocked for you, and there was this mahogany desk and extra-comfy chairs out of the stalls so that you could sit down and relax.

  Okay, so I had no idea why you need a pricey desk and chairs at the bathroom. It’s not like you feel the urge to sit down and drink a cup of tea in the same room where someone else might be excreting water or something grossier.

  Anyway, it was almost written in the law that gossips heard in the bathroom should be good. If I recalled it right, people from every espionage agencies are listening to all the details of conversations conducted in bathrooms with extra attention. So I was getting ready for a truly juicy rumor. Actually, I was so finished with my business and ready to leave, but I stayed in. I didn’t want to come out in their mid-gossip and miss the juiciest part.

  “Come on, Kayla. We’re living in this crazy world. Have you looked at the people protesting nonstop 24/7 between Fifth and Madison? Ha. That’s how everything is. We’re in a crazy world,” chimed in another woman. “The society should stop spoiling them. They should get a job or something.”

  Except, assuming from the fact she was luncheon-ing at The Mark, the woman herself should be pretty much spoiled. I wasn’t naïve enough to believe that hard working tweens frequented luncheons at Manhattan’s official boldly lavish hotel. Especially, when the particular luncheon happened to be an invite-only occasion.

  “Technically, they’re working. My dad and some of his friends are paying them to protest across the town, so they’re not a bunch of spoiled brats. Okay, Mia. So we’re in a messed up world. But then again, just because the world is whacked up doesn’t mean the next most eligible bachelor should go insane. Oh my—God!” Kayla inserted a very bad word between Oh my and God! “Can you believe Rick Rowling, the heir of the lovely multi-billion dollar empire USCAB, is marrying that little peasant girl—whatshername? Mindy? Landy? Or Lindy?—whatever crap her is! She’s so out of our league, you know. I really liked him! They should ban people in our league marrying outsiders!”

  I half-expected Mia to mention if Kayla’s idea got actually enforced, people in their league would be congested by extra-disabled individuals due to too much incest resulting in the dominance of recessive genes, but she didn’t.

  Perhaps the term incest or inbreeding weren’t listed in her vocabulary. Also, I had a hunch that genetics wasn’t something they cared about.

  I knitted my eyebrows, feeling awkward. Indeed, the girls seemed to be talking about me. In my knowledge, I knew only one Rick Rowling who happened to be the heir of USCAB—short for United Stat
es Cover All Bases, a security-based conglomerate—and if I recalled it right, he was going to marry me pretty soon.

  Hiding in the stall, I felt my blood boiling. I was so uncomfortable being trapped in that particular bathroom stall. First of all, people usually called me Mandy, instead of Mindy, or Lindy, or Landy. Isn’t it rude to mistake someone’s name over and over? I thought. Besides that, I wasn’t a peasant. Okay, so I wasn’t made of money, or my family came with a ton of money. Then again, Mom and Dad always reminded me that they should have been filthy rich if only they’d managed to keep me from heading for med-school in North Carolina, which I never got to graduate from.

  As I thought defiantly, the mean girls went on dissing me—mutilating me into bits and pieces.

  “Have you seen her hideous dress? What kind of a hillbilly matches a Dior dress with a Fendi purse? So lame. Maria Grazia Chiuri should have herself, just to get the hell out of the misery to look at her work ruined.” Mia let out an evil cackle.

  “So true! Or else, she’d stabbed her eyes.” Kayla agreed. “Rick must have gone insane. Yeah, right. I think I’ve finally found the answer. He might be filthy rich, good-looking, and sexy, but he’s insane. Okay, I don’t want him anymore. After Max Spencer tied the knot with that slanty-eyed bitch from Hong Kong, my attention was focused on Rick, but that doesn’t mean I’m obsessed with him. I so don’t want to spend a few years with a lunatic.”

  “Yeah, he’s a lunatic. Or else, he’d suddenly developed some issues with his eyes. I’ve heard about so many icky, nasty diseases that could permanently screw your vision, and eventually kills your brain,” Mia said breathlessly. “That’s so gross.”

  “I know!” Kayla chortled. “Oh, don’t forget she’s fat. I’m sure their kids would never inherit the Rowlings’ side of good looks.”

  I was contemplating between yelling, “Hello? I might be a tad bit on the chubby side, but I’m not deaf!” and kicking the door out and bitch-slapping the mean girls with unwashed hands.