Kipp fell into stride with me again. He smirked, clearly aware of my obvious change in the subject. “I loved being a cop.”
At the end of the street, the road forked and Kipp pointed to the left down Grand Cedar Lane. “What did you like about the job so much?”
“Not sure if I can give you one answer. I loved everything about the job—the adrenaline, the mystery and the end result of catching a killer.”
Seemed dangerous and depressing to me. Even I could get pulled down in the dumps if I’d helped too many ghosts in one month. The loss and sadness they suffered had always been pretty soul draining. To see what the family goes through, the despair they endure, not a job for me. However, part of me understood some of the appeal. “So you’re after the rush?”
Kipp winked. “A rush only equaled by one other thing.”
I ignored his drawback to regions south and focused the conversation away from naughty land. “Do you have any family?”
“I have a brother, Brett, who’s two years younger than me and works for the fire department.”
“Y’all are cops and firemen?”
“Mainly cops—generations of them, in fact. Brett was the first one to choose another career path. When you live and breathe community service, it tends to stick. I’ve known since the age of four what I wanted to do.”
He brought up a good point I had yet to consider. “Speaking of that, how old are you?”
“Twenty-eight.”
So young to have lost his life, but I wouldn’t go there. “Are you close to your brother? Maybe you’re staying around for him.”
He shook his head. “My brother and I are close, but I’m positive my sticking around has to do with Hannah’s case. I can feel a real pull to solve the case.”
No arguments from me. He’d know better than I would. “I can go and talk to your brother if you like—tell him you’re here and all.” Had I just offered to help him? When did I ever freely offer to do more for ghosts? Oh right, never!
He gave a sweet smile. “I appreciate your offer, but I’m sure that he has been through enough. I don’t want to make the situation any harder for him than it already is.”
Saddest thing I’d ever heard.
We stayed quiet for a few minutes and continued down the street. Kipp finally swiped his touch against my elbow, which sent a shiver down my spine. “So tell me, Miss Tess, why are you single and going on dates with complete fools?”
It took me a second to recover from his touch. “Isn’t it obvious?”
Kipp shook his head. “Not to me.”
“Well…” I glanced down to my feet and stared at the pavement. “I’ve had a few men come and go, but it’s hard to keep a normal life with my ability. The act of trying to hide my gift all the time is exhausting.” I looked back at him. “It’s not worth the energy to try to appear normal.”
“I don’t think you could pull off normal even if you tried.”
My eyes narrowed on him. “I beg your pardon?”
“You’re far from normal and it has nothing to do with your ability.”
My cheeks heated. “So says the ghost who needs me to help him.”
Kipp said nothing more and I kept my gaze glued on the road ahead. It’d been so long since I’d been at ease with anyone and Kipp made my level of comfort soar. Not only did I have an explosive attraction to him, but he knew of my darkest secret. Of course, the one man who accepted my ability was the one man I could never have.
Life stinks!
Kipp stopped at a two-story, middle-class home with a two-car garage on the front. “Come on, let’s see if she’s here.”
I didn’t move an inch. “Are you forgetting something?”
“Not that I am aware of.”
“I ain’t dead.” I squeezed my arm to show I still consisted of flesh and bones. “I can’t go lurking around someone’s house. I’ll get arrested. You go and bring her out here.”
“She probably won’t believe me unless you’re there.” Kipp flashed a smart-ass grin. “Besides, you’re with a cop, why worry?”
I folded my arms across my chest. He couldn’t win every time he wanted me to do something. “Hmmm…I wonder why I’d worry. Maybe because the cop is a ghost and can’t do a damn thing to help me if I get cuffed.”
His eyes hooded, a smolder formed within their depths and his smile shifted to sultry. “Cuffs! Now that sounds like a great idea. Would you like to discuss it?”
I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out. Every time I disagreed, he used something sexual to lure me in, and dammit, I hated having a weakness. I huffed and walked forward, hearing him chuckle behind me.
As I approached the house, I glanced around, but the neighborhood remained quiet. I scooted toward the side of the house and hid behind a large bush, since I couldn’t knock on the door and ask to speak to Hannah.
A window above me glowed with light. I stood on the tips of my toes and peeked up into the home. Two people watched television and ate popcorn while they sat on a large, plush pumpkin-color couch. I assumed they were Hannah’s parents, but they didn’t hold my interest for long.
On the matching loveseat, Hannah sat with her legs curled up as she watched the movie. I recognized her long blonde hair and small frame from the newspaper articles I’d seen on her disappearance.
“I’m going to go in and get her,” Kipp said.
I nodded. “I’ll wait here.”
Without another word, Kipp melted through the wall. He only took two steps before Hannah jumped to her feet and shock shone in her big blue eyes. Her expression went through wild emotions, as Kipp must have explained the tale of craziness, which was now my life.
After a little while, Kipp pointed toward the window and Hannah’s gaze followed, looking at me. Doing the only thing I could think of, I smiled and waved. She returned the wave and looked back at Kipp as if he’d said something to her.
Hannah nodded and they walked toward the wall. I lowered from my tippy-toes and stepped away, but remained hidden behind the bush as they joined me outside.
My stomach took a hit and a lump formed in my throat—Hannah was so young. So many milestones left to experience and all of her dreams had been ripped away. I dug down deep, praying for strength. “Hi, Hannah. I’m Tess.”
Her eyes widened. “You can hear me? You can see me?”
I made a face. “I’m talking to you, am I not?”
“That’s just so weird.”
Yeah right, I’m weird—you’re the ghost! I nearly laughed, but refrained because although the conversation had been light, the agony in Hannah’s expression remained profound. “You’ve stayed here with your family for all these years?”
“I didn’t know where else to go.” Her voice trembled. “I didn’t want to leave my parents and they didn’t want to let me go. So I stayed.”
My throat tightened. A wave of sadness washed over me. I craved to hug her, to take away the pain so prevalent in her eyes, but I held no power to do so. If I touched her, I’d go right through her. Seeing that would only frighten her, I wouldn’t go there.
It appeared, though, Kipp held an equal heartache for her. His despairing expression revealed the same emotions I experienced. He grabbed Hannah and took her into his arms. Apparently, being both ghosts, they held the ability to touch. I stood stunned. I’d seen them cry before and even that had shocked me, but this I hadn’t expected.
Kipp overpowered Hannah’s small frame while he embraced her tight. She sank into him and grabbed onto his shirt, sobbing. It’d been five years since her life had ended. Five years alone, without anyone to talk to, without a single moment of warm touch, and within her sobs, the agony and loneliness came through.
He whispered soft words and ran his hand along her hair. My heart swelled with warmth. Everything about the man—ghost—was perfection. Not only did he have the looks and personality, he had a heart—one that broke in this moment.
Being a cop clearly hadn’t been just a
job for him. He cared for the victims of the crimes and it hadn’t been only a paycheck. More so, he wanted to set right the tragic path their lives.
I melted into a pile of goo, yet at the same time, awareness struck me. Everything made sense. The reason why Kipp hadn’t crossed over had nothing to do with finding his killer—he stayed to save Hannah’s young soul.
Many minutes passed before Hannah backed away from Kipp, wiped the tears from her face and took a seat on the bench resting in the gardens. I sat next to her and Kipp knelt in front of her.
“Are you okay to talk about what happened to you now?” he asked.
Hannah nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay now and thank you. I’m sorry I fell apart.”
“I think you’re entitled,” I said. “Actually more than entitled to fall to pieces, but we need you to focus just for a little while. Can you tell us anything at all?”
Her expression showed what I’d seen from most ghosts after I asked the question. She appeared puzzled. “I know I’m dead, and I know the man I loved killed me.”
“The man you loved?” Kipp repeated.
I understood his surprise. I hadn’t expected her murder would lead back to a man she’d been emotionally involved with. “Why would he kill you?”
Her eyes lowered with shame. “I made him angry.”
Kipp reached up, took her hand in his and his expression showed nothing less than complete sympathy. “What made him so mad?”
A tear ran down Hannah’s cheek. “I wanted to share a life with him and start a family. We were soul mates.”
“But…” Always a but.
She wiped her tear away. “He was married.”
Kipp’s eyes widened. “You were having an affair?”
“We weren’t having an affair, we were in love.” Hannah’s tone became sharp before her voice softened with immeasurable sadness. “He was angry because I wanted more from him.”
I couldn’t stop the question from blurting out of my mouth. “What did you want?”
Hannah’s voice sounded trapped in her throat. “I’d grown tired of the secrets. I told him I wanted him to leave his wife.”
“Apparently, it didn’t go over so well,” I retorted.
Hannah snorted. “Obviously not.”
The side of Kipp’s mouth arched before he focused back on Hannah. “Did he say anything to you when he hurt you?”
“Only that he loved me, but I’d ruin everything for him if I said anything. He just kept apologizing.”
Kipp studied her. “Who killed you, Hannah?”
“Percy Mills.”
“I’ve never heard of him.” He nibbled on his bottom lip. I did my best to not notice how sexy he looked.
Hannah made a face. “Why would you hear of him?”
“I’ll explain later.” Detective Kipp was down to business. “But for now I’ve got a couple questions for you, if you don’t mind answering.” At Hannah’s nod, he continued. “What does Percy look like?”
“Handsome.”
Kipp urged her on with a wave of his hand. “I need more than that.”
“Early thirties, clean cut, blond businesslike hair and the most stunning blue eyes known to man.”
“Businesslike hair?” Donald Trump, the President, Steven Spielberg—I couldn’t imagine the look.
Hannah used her hand to demonstrate the look. “Like proper, never a strand out of place and always perfect.”
“Half of the population.” Kipp shook his head in apparent frustration. “Was he a police officer?”
“No,” Hannah replied. “He worked for an insurance company in Southaven.”
I quirked an eyebrow. “An insurance adjuster?” A cop made sense. He’d have experience with death, know police procedures and have the ability to hide evidence as he clearly had done to keep under the radar. An insurance adjuster? No, I didn’t believe that for one second.
“Yes, he told me that,” Hannah said.
Kipp gazed at Hannah intently. “How much did you know of Percy?”
“Everything,” she answered in a wistful tone. “We were in love.”
Got it, she loved the guy, but he killed her. I couldn’t get past the fact she had yet to show a single moment of dislike for the man who ended her life. Something was off here.
Kipp obviously didn’t care or had yet to notice, since he continued without pause. “Do you know where Percy lives?”
She shrugged. “He never told me where he lived and never took me anywhere but to a house he rented.”
Rented, my ass!
“Have you ever seen his wife, learned her name, anything of that sort?” Kipp asked.
She winced at the mention of wife. “He kept us separate and I never asked about his other life. Our life was the only one I was ever concerned about.”
I wanted to shake her to break the spell of love woven over her, but Kipp remained calm. “Did you ever go to his workplace?”
She shook her head. “He’d never let me. With his wife and all, he said he didn’t want to hurt her.” She sighed. “He had such a gentle heart.”
I glanced to Kipp with a “can you believe her” look and he gave a quick nod in agreement before he focused back on Hannah. “I know your family wants to bring you home. Do you know where you’re buried?”
Hannah glanced down at her hands and her lips pursed as if searching for an answer.
I suspected we’d sit for a while. Ghosts only remembered what they needed to cross over and anything that took place since their spirit materialized. She’d remembered why she died because she needed the information to move on, but other than that, I doubted she’d remember anything of importance.
“The night was so dark when I…” She never looked up. “After I woke up, everything confused me. I couldn’t think straight. All I wanted to do was get home to my parents.”
I could’ve let Hannah struggle, but my heart ached for her. Most of the time, I helped ghosts so they’d leave me alone. To help one because I truly wanted to, I never thought the day would come. “Do you remember the last place you were—not when you died—but what you were doing before?”
Hannah pondered for many seconds before she whispered, “We had spent the night together at his rented house. He drove me home afterward, but I picked a fight about what I wanted. I’d never seen him so angry and before I could make sense out of anything, he pulled off the road and dragged me into a forest.” She glanced up and misery weighed on every part of her expression. “If I’d never got mad, never said anything…”
Silence drifted around us.
Think, Tess! Say something to make her feel better!
I came up empty.
Kipp finally broke the awkward pause. “Something doesn’t add up here. There’s no way you could’ve gone to the safe house if Percy wasn’t in law enforcement.”
“Safe house? Law enforcement?” Hannah stared wide-eyed at him. “You said that before, but I’m sure he’s not a cop.”
“I don’t think he told you the truth,” Kipp said.
The sadness in Hannah’s expression deepened, and coming from a dead woman, it was grave sorrow indeed. “He lied to me?”
“Only a cop would have access to the house, but there’s no Percy Mills on the force.” Kipp cocked his head. “Did you ever see his identification—anything with his name on it?”
Hannah wrapped her arms around herself and glanced at the ground as she shook her head.
“When you went for dinner, he never pulled out a wallet?” I did a little digging of my own. We were losing her focus and sometimes ghosts needed a push to remember things.
Hannah didn’t even look up to shake her head again.
Kipp glanced at me and frustration weighed heavy in his expression. I understood perfectly. The conversation with Hannah had gotten us nowhere. Before I voiced more questions, Hannah gasped, startling me enough to jump.
“He lied to me.” Finally a little reaction from Miss Blinded-By-Love. “He made it all up.”
>
Kipp ignored her outburst. His gaze stayed on mine. “We need to go back and tell Zach everything we learned here.” He stood, looking down at Hannah. “Give us a couple days to see if we discover any leads, but if you need to find us, come to 2500 Cedar Bark Cove…”
Before he finished, Hannah lunged off the bench, fists tight and face taut with anger. “Fuck him.” Who knew she’d been even capable of such language. “Fuck him and the white horse he rode in on.” She proceeded to march across the yard toward the sidewalk.
“Where are you going?” I called after her.
Hannah glanced over her shoulder with an icy glare. “I’m going to hunt him down and haunt him.”
Chapter Four
Back at the house, I might have been a wee bit grateful and curious what promises Zach had made to Caley to make her leave. She might love me, even believe in my ability, but hearing about Hannah would throw her over the edge and I didn’t want to have to explain.
I plopped down onto the loveseat. “Hannah said she had an affair with a married man, stated she planned to go public and Percy Mills killed her because of it. Do you know him?”
“I’ve never heard of him,” Zach replied. “He isn’t part of our precinct.” He pondered, and finally said, “Nope, I’m sure he’s not a cop in Memphis, I would have heard the name before.”
I didn’t hold the same confidence. There had to be thousands of cops who worked the Memphis streets. “Do you have a photographic memory or something?”
“I never forget a name.” Zach smiled. “Call it good police work.”
Hence why I’d make a terrible cop. I couldn’t remember a name even after introductions. It’d always been my downfall. My neighbor had told me his name three times and I still couldn’t figure out if his name was George or Gary—maybe even Gavin.
“Which is why I suspect Percy Mills is not his real name,” Kipp said.
“Maybe he’s not a cop, though, just someone who broke into the safe house,” I retorted.
“Impossible.” Zach apparently understood the conversation between Kipp and me despite the fact he only heard my side. “You need a code to deactivate the alarm. If anyone entered without the code, the department would’ve been notified.”
Supernaturally Kissed (Frostbite, Book One) Page 5