His hand was on the knob to the door when he noticed Jason and Donovan, sitting at the dining room table. Troy was standing behind a camera in the corner while at the same time staring at a phone. Alex heard the tail end of Donovan speaking.
"—please start at the beginning."
Jason took a breath and sipped at a glass of water. Donovan waited patiently.
"Well, it started about three months ago, I guess."
Alex sighed. He wanted to get away, but more than that, he wanted to hear what Jason had to say. He shared much of his story over the phone, but Alex wouldn't pass up the chance to hear it again, to catch any important details.
He sat on the couch, well out of range of Troy's camera, and pulled out his phone and pen.
"It started out with the pictures. We'd come home and some of them would just be on the floor, or knocked face down. We ignored it. What else can you do, right? But then the noises started happening at night. Loud, and I mean loud, footsteps. Then Donna got pushed down the stairs. After that, we started calling people. No one's been able to help so far."
"Has anyone actually seen anything?"
"Donna thinks she saw a cloud of black smoke late one night when she was going to the bathroom. But I haven't seen anything. The kids haven't, either."
Donovan signaled for Troy to stop the camera. Alex looked at his messy notes on the phone. The details were scarce, but the cold attacking Alex told him the Felders were experiencing something for sure.
"Uh, Jason," Alex said, rising to his feet. Everyone looked in his direction. "Do you mind if I ask some questions, too?"
He intended the question for both Jason and Donovan. Jason nodded, whereas Donovan's expression hinted at the exact opposite of his words.
"Of course," Donovan said. "No problem at all."
"How long have you owned the house?"
"I grew up here," Jason said. "My parents sold it to me when they moved out of state. So, I've been here most of my life."
Alex didn't expect that. A most unusual answer, and one that raised more questions.
"And the activity you've been experiencing these past three months, there was nothing before that? In all your years here?"
"No, never."
Alex took notes, as well as Donovan. For a moment, it felt like they were working together.
"Any recent home renovations?" Alex asked. "Any major demolition or construction?"
"Well…." Jason struggled to think. "We put in a new shower upstairs."
Alex wrote it down, but doubted a new shower would stir up a long-dormant spirit.
"Has your family visited any place odd lately? A haunted prison? An old graveyard? Strange question, I know."
"No. Not at all. We haven't taken a vacation together in a couple of years."
Alex felt like he was grasping at straws. Something wasn't adding up.
"Anyone ever murdered here?" he asked. The question came out more callous than he meant. "Or any other slow, painful death?"
"No!" Jason said. "Until recently, this was just a normal, simple house."
The dining room was quiet as the awkward silence stretched, but Alex wasn't paying attention. He continued to stare at his notes.
Normal, simple houses didn't typically just develop supernatural problems.
In the end, he supposed that didn't matter. He wasn't hired to unearth the history of the Felder home. He was hired to chase away the bad spooks. It was similar to the amazing piece of technology he held in his hand. Sometimes, his phone had problems. He didn't know where they'd come from, or even what exactly the problem was. But Cindy would take the phone and pull out the battery, rebooting it.
As odd of a case as the Felder house was turning out to be, maybe the home just needed a reboot.
There were footsteps and muffled voices behind him, coming down the stairs.
"—lovely family."
"Thank you very much. This whole thing has been hard on them, but they're troopers. I'm so proud of them."
Donna and Amy glared at Alex, but thankfully said nothing. Donovan approached Amy and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Anything?"
She shook her head. "Nothing for certain. Just a brief flash here and there."
"Okay." He patted her shoulder, and Alex could see they were close. Donovan turned to address Jason and Donna. "If you don't mind, we'd like to prep the house. Cameras and microphones in every room. We'll take EMF readings, room temperature, all standard stuff. All we need is some proof that something is here, and then we can—"
"Whoa," Amy said.
Everyone in the dining room went quiet. Amy peered into the kitchen doorway. Donna was checking the lasagna in the oven, and noticed Amy's gaze. She quickly joined her husband in the dining room, taking his hand in hers. Troy backed up near Alex in the living room, pointing his camera ahead.
"What's wrong?" Donna asked. "Do you see something?"
Donovan placed a hand on Amy's back as she took the lead.
"Amy? Talk to me."
"It's like a black fog," she said. "Donna was standing right by it. You guys don't see it?"
"We don't see anything."
Alex peered around Jason's shoulder to get a peek into the kitchen. Amy had dropped to one knee, like she was staring into a child's eyes. First Donna, and now Amy, had seen the black fog. Alex was curious as to what his own senses would interpret it as.
He saw nothing.
At first, he thought he'd just missed it. Being in the back of the group, he'd reacted too slowly, and whatever Amy had seen was long gone.
Then she talked to it.
"Hi," Amy said. "My name's Amy."
"Careful," Donovan said. "Maybe you shouldn't speak to it."
Alex leaned close to Troy. "What's she talking to?"
"Shhh," Troy said. "Amy sees things the rest of us can't."
Alex continued to watch Amy speak to thin air. He was surprised that he didn't see anything at all. He knew he was unique. With all his unusual powers, he wasn't sure the word psychic actually applied to him. Still, if Amy saw a black fog, certainly he should have seen something as well.
The truth, so simple and pure, smacked him across the face. He couldn't believe it didn't come to him sooner.
"Holy shit," he muttered. "She's a fake."
Troy lowered the camera and stared at Alex. Alex thought he was quiet, but wasn't quiet enough. Troy's mouth opened and closed as he searched for words.
"W-What did you say?"
Alex purposely kept his voice low. "I said, she's a fake. Amy isn't really psychic."
Troy said nothing. He didn't look surprised, more like someone who got caught with their hand in the cookie jar.
"You knew about this?" Alex asked, although Troy's eyes gave him the answer.
Troy grabbed Alex by the wrist and tried to lead him away. Alex didn't consider himself a violent person, but the last thing he'd tolerate was anyone putting their hands on him. He shook free easily and flashed Troy a look that suggested, quite simply, not to do that again. Troy, to his credit, held up his hands in a show of peace.
"Mr. Donovan," Troy called. "The battery's running out in my camera, and I forgot a few things. Alex and I are going to head to the van."
Donovan didn't even turn around.
"Fine, fine."
"Actually, we could really use your help."
Whether it was the preposterous idea of Donovan carrying equipment, or the tone in Troy's voice, the elder man turned around. All he did was lock eyes with Troy before standing upright next to Amy.
"It's okay," Amy said. "Whatever it was, it's gone now. I don't see it anymore."
"Yeah, I bet you don't," Alex said under his breath.
Alex and Troy crossed the living room, with Donovan ten feet behind. They left the house, but didn't walk toward the van. Alex enjoyed the warmth of the outside. Troy stopped in the middle of the yard, with Donovan finally catching up.
"You knew about her, didn't you?" Alex as
ked.
A voice rang out across the street.
"Yo, Alex!" Nate called. "You need me over there?"
"I'm alright, thanks," Alex said, waving.
Donovan and Troy glanced at each other in confusion.
"What's going on here?" Donovan asked.
Troy shook his head. "He knows."
"Knows what?"
Alex pointed to the house.
"I know Amy isn't psychic. So, everyone knows about this. I'll bet the Felders don't know."
"Keep your voice down," Donovan said. He took a deep breath. "Yes, of course we know about Amy. She may not be psychic, but she's still a very valuable part of our team. I handpicked her, along with Troy and a few others, when I started researching the paranormal."
"You picked a fake psychic on purpose?"
Donovan laughed, once again resembling Santa Claus. "Well, my first choice would have been a real psychic, but they don't exactly fall off trees. Amy is the next best thing. She's a psychology major at our college."
Alex searched their faces, looking for a clue. Confusion was written all over his face.
"A lot of people won't even let us in their homes without a psychic," Donovan explained. "They watch too much damn TV, and think a psychic can solve anything. So, Amy plays the part. She's great at reading people, watching them, helping them keep calm."
"Her looks don't hurt, either," Troy added.
"Troy…."
He held up his hands in self-defense. "I'm serious! I'm not trying to be a jerk or anything, but it helps. She comes in and does her thing, keeps things chill and relaxed while I set up our gear, and Mr. Donovan gets statements. I hate to sound this way, but the fact that she's hot goes a long way to keeping things under control."
"Unreal," Alex said. "Sex sells, even with paranormal investigation."
"Let's make a deal," Donovan said. "You keep this to yourself, and we won't tell them you're a con-man."
Alex was more stunned than angry.
"Excuse me? Con-man?"
"What was in that envelope Jason gave you? Are you actually charging for being here?"
"Aren't you?" Alex said with a shrug.
"What could we possibly charge for?" Donovan said, struggling to keep his voice even. "We're trying to help this family."
"I am, too. And the arrangement I made with the Felders is none of your business—"
"How old are you, Alex? You barely look older than Troy. You have no equipment of any kind. How do you plan on gathering any evidence? Please don't tell me you told the Felders you're actually psychic."
Alex rolled his eyes. He wasn't going to argue with Donovan any longer. He simply wanted to do his job, and go home.
"Deal," he said. "I'll keep my mouth shut, and you won't tell them about my nasty conning ways. We'll keep our distance, and try to figure out what's going on in there."
"You're getting ahead of yourself. Again, we haven't even begun to collect evidence—"
"Something's in there," Alex interrupted. He was already to the front door. "I just don't know what yet."
Donovan said nothing. He didn't need to. The doubt and contempt in his eyes were apparent. Troy, however, didn't look quite as convinced.
CHAPTER 2
The atmosphere had finally reached a somewhat relaxed state in the Felder home. The Felder family obviously felt more at ease with company, other people to share their feelings with. Troy had all the gear prepared and recording. Donovan had interviewed the rest of the family. He'd even convinced Kim to say a few words on camera, much to Alex's surprise.
Alex had walked the house several times. Besides the general cold assault on his body, there was nothing else. Jason watched him, but didn't approach. Alex wasn't sure whether it was because Jason wanted to let him work, or if Donovan was whispering bad things in his ear. Either way, Alex didn't care.
Dinner was ready. Donna offered their guests a piece of lasagna, insisting there was plenty for everyone. Only Alex and Amy declined. He sat on the sofa and played with his phone as the dining room turned into a madhouse. Loud conversation, laughter, family stories being told. Keith tormented his sister by taking lasagna from her plate, to which she would smack his shoulder and yell. It was a fun, refreshing sight. Even Donovan looked like he was enjoying himself. For a brief time, supernatural problems were all forgotten.
Alex wondered how long it would last.
He was in the middle of a text conversation with Cindy when there was a flash of movement to his left. He looked up to see Amy standing above him, smiling.
"You mind if I sit down?"
Gesturing to the empty spot next to him, Alex scooted over to make room. Amy sat next to him and crossed her legs. He sent Cindy a quick message that he'd be back soon. Cindy was in the middle of describing the latest low budget movie she was watching on the Syfy channel.
"Childhood sweetheart?" she asked.
"Uh…what?"
Amy reached across his lap and tapped the wedding ring on his finger, an action he wasn't comfortable with. Ever so subtly, he tried to scoot away further.
"I guess you can say that," he said. "We've known each other since we were five."
"Yeah. I wouldn't think someone our age would marry so young, unless it was a childhood sweetheart kind of thing."
Alex just smiled, already uncomfortable with the conversation.
"Anyway, I just wanted to check on how married you were, if I had a chance or not."
He knew he was young, and there was plenty left to learn in what he hoped would be a long life, but Alex was never aware there were different degrees of being married.
"Well, yeah, umm…I'm pretty married."
Amy leaned away and straightened her hair. She accepted the rejection with a smile. She recrossed her legs, trying to draw attention to them, as if giving Alex a hint of what he was missing out on.
"Can't blame a girl for trying," she said. She leaned close once again, but not to be intimate. "Can you really talk to spirits?"
The shift of tone in the conversation was jarring, but Alex welcomed it. It was much better than trying to avoid her flirtation.
"I can."
Amy couldn't contain her excitement. "Wow, that is so amazing! Don't worry, I won't tell Troy or Mr. Donovan. Although, they wouldn't believe you anyway."
"Somehow, I'm not surprised."
Her smile faded. "Troy told me you know about me."
Alex held up his hands. "Hey, no judging here."
"Maybe you should be working with them instead of me."
He looked her over. The bubbly personality, the bright smile were gone. Her deception truly ate at her.
"Hey, if you help people, who cares how you do it?"
"Yeah, I help people," she said sarcastically. "While Troy and Mr. Donovan are doing the real work, I'm misleading them. Like smoke and mirrors."
"Trust me, doing the people part, it doesn't get any more real than that." Something dawned on him as he watched her. "Have you ever seen anything real?"
"You mean on one of our cases?"
Alex nodded.
"Not really," Amy said. "On the first case I helped out with last year, there were some weird things. Objects moving on their own, that kind of thing." She glanced at the dining room table and leaned forward. Everyone was still laughing and talking. "I've never seen a real ghost."
He almost read her mind. "And that's why you signed up?"
"They found me, actually. But yeah, I want to see a ghost. Don't get me wrong. I love helping people. But I want to know what's on that other side."
He couldn't stop the smile. The things he could tell her. There were plenty of odd things to see on this side.
The cold chill came without warning. It felt like a gust of wind, moving with a mind of its own. It came from the stairs and rolled over Alex and Amy on the couch. The hairs on his arms and neck stood up. Alex got the sense the chill was moving to the dining room.
"Maybe, just maybe, you'll get your chance,"
he whispered.
"Holy shit, Alex," Amy said. "Are you okay? You're freezing."
Without realizing it, Alex leaned over and huddled to himself, trying to keep warm. He kept his eyes locked on the dining room as Amy rubbed his arms. He wasn't sure if she was simply being compassionate or had reverted back to flirt mode.
The laugh that followed was low and eerie. It blended in so well with the dinner conversation that Alex wasn't sure if it was real.
"Oh, God," Amy said. Her hands went still on Alex's arms. "What is that?"
She heard it as well, through her contact with Alex. With a mere touch, he could grant someone a peek into the spirit world, even if it was something as simple and terrifying as a disembodied chuckle. He'd learned to control the ability, and maybe should have kept Amy from hearing. But having a witness and another set of eyes and ears wasn't a bad idea.
The laugh was female, but very rough, like it belonged to an elderly smoker. It was unnatural, as it didn't pause to breathe. It just laughed, and laughed. The volume intensified, but everyone at the table continued to eat and talk. Amy scooted closer to Alex and squeezed his arm.
"They don't hear it?"
"Nope." Alex had seen many horrible things, but he wasn't so hardened that the voice didn't set him on edge. "And let the fun begin."
"What do you—?"
The lone empty chair at the table twitched. The conversation stopped as everyone turned and stared. One more twitch, with a little more force. Then the chair flew across the room. It sailed behind the couch and crashed into the wall, knocking a picture down with it.
Everyone at the table stood up. Keith ran from the dining room and got as close to Alex as he could. Donna seemed hurt, but only for a moment. Picture after picture fell from the walls, like they were dominoes.
"Troy, are you recording this?" Donovan asked.
"Oh, it's recording," he said, pointing to multiple cameras. There was excitement in his voice.
"That's all it will do," Kim said, waving her hands around. "It's not going to hurt us. It just wants attention."
Demons LLC (Damned and Cursed Book 7) Page 4