Do the right thing.
Without knowing the outcome, Bert relentlessly drove Logan back to Oakville until he ended up in the very last place he should ever have gone. Gustavia’s front step.
***
Finn’s daughter, Samantha, was already asleep in Gustavia’s spare room when Fritzie went on full alert. Ears back, he dashed toward the front door just as a heavy thud shook it in its frame.
Chaos erupted as the house alarm shot to life with a blare followed by Sam’s piercing shriek. “Daddy…”
“Go to Sam,” Gustavia gave Finn a shove as she snatched up Fritzie with shaking hands and keyed in the code to shut the alarm down.
In the blessed silence that followed, her ears rang for a moment, and then she heard it. The faint sound of crying coming from outside.
Finn strode into the room cradling his daughter, her eyes wide with fear. He was just in time to see Gustavia yank open the front door and peer into the night.
“What do you think you’re doing. Get back in here.” He moved to pull her away from nearly certain danger but she shrugged him off. Just at the edge of the shadows cast by the motion sensor spotlight mounted above the door, she could see a dark form.
“Shh. Listen.”
Then Finn heard it, too. A ragged voice repeating, “Help me. Please, I’m sorry. The right thing.”
Sirens rang out in the distance and the shadow slid deeper into the night. Gustavia knew he would be long gone before the first flare of red and blue reached the house.
She was still standing there in the open doorway when Zack pulled up in front and parked illegally. Even with the excitement coursing through her veins, Gustavia quirked an eyebrow at her brother as Kat stepped out of the car. Angrily, he brushed off her quizzical look and demanded to know why she wasn’t still locked inside the house where she belonged.
“He wasn’t trying to hurt me. It wasn’t Billy. It was Logan out here crying for help.”
“I don’t care if he was bringing you the Hope diamond,” Zack punctuated each word by poking her in the shoulder and taking a step forward to drive her back indoors, “you stay inside the house.”
“She’s right, son,” Julius spoke from just behind him startled Zack. “And so is he,” the ghost wagged a finger at Gustavia.
Turning on his heel, Zack stalked back outside slamming the door behind him and joined his deputy in what he knew was a futile search through the neighborhood. His gut had already told him the danger was minimal and it was already too late Logan would be well out of reach. It was why he hadn’t bothered calling in for extra backup but none of it made up for Gustavia’s foolish behavior.
The early spring mix of melting snow and emerging mud crept into Zack’s running shoes like frigid slugs but he kept on walking until it also cooled his temper enough to go back and take his sister’s statement.
“For the fifth time, we heard a thud, the alarm went off. Finn took care of Sam while I turned off the alarm and that’s when I heard him crying outside. I opened the door, he saw me and pleaded for help then ran off. That’s it. There’s nothing more to remember.”
Julius chimed in to say he was certain it had been Logan and not Billy outside Gustavia’s door. Estelle returned from a quick trip to Hayward House to report there had been no disturbance there.
“What I don’t understand is why he would come to me of all people and ask for help. I didn’t like him before he turned into some kind of skin Muppet.”
“Don’t you mean puppet?” Kat asked knowing Gustavia probably had some logical reason for her word choice. Gustavia logic.
“Hey, you watched what you watched when you were a kid and I watched what I watched. No judging.”
Chapter Fourteen
For a dimly lit neighborhood type bar, Bottles was surprisingly clean and well kept. Two competition-sized pool tables took up space in the quieter back section of the building while the front area held booths and a handful of four-tops that filled up fast on live karaoke night.
This was where Tyler found Zack and to his surprise, it was where he also found Julius.
Man and ghost were embroiled in a heated discussion over a set of notes sitting on the table. Tyler watched with interest as Zack saw him coming and surreptitiously slid some of those notes off the table and out of sight.
“It won’t work. We had a perfectly good plan, why have you changed it?” Julius nodded to Tyler and continued to insist on an answer.
“Of course it will, I’ve done my research on Ellis, this is exactly the type of thing a cheap con man like him will fall for. He won’t be able to resist.”
“And how much research have you done on Billy the Earthwalker?”
Zack’s features twisted as he snorted in derision, “Earthwalker.”
Pointing to himself, Julius said, “Ghost,” the Captain Obvious was implied.
Sliding into the booth next to Julius and pulling the notebook over for a quick glance, Tyler jumped into the conversation, “He’s right, Zack. If it was just Logan we were dealing with, your approach would be foolproof. Billy’s more than a complication and until we have a better idea what motivates him, there’s no way to predict his end game.”
“Ellis showed up at her place last night and now I’m not good with using my sister as bait. Sorry if that throws a crimp in Caspar’s plan but it’s not going to happen.”
Julius puffed up and prepared to square off against Zack who, it appeared, had no intention of giving so much as an inch. Tyler had just prepared himself to play referee when Finn and Reid walked in together.
Having had the longest association with the group of women involved, Tyler knew perfectly well they would do whatever they thought was necessary whether anyone liked it or not. But, he understood Zack wanting to protect Gustavia since he felt the same way about Julie.
Finn slid in next to Zack while Reid snagged a chair from an empty nearby table and made himself comfortable at the end of the booth. After the greetings were dispensed with, Tyler flashed a pointed look at Zack then turned to Julius, “I’d like to hear your plan.”
First, Julius went over the information about how he had let Billy into the world while Tyler made notes on a newly acquired tablet device. Then, he asked Tyler to give a brief summary of events to date.
As Tyler spoke, Zack’s expression darkened. He’d been kept out of the loop for months now and on top of that, every single one of them had suppressed evidence that might have led him to Logan’s capture long before.
When it was over, he lurched to his feet and slammed his hand on the table for emphasis, “I could arrest every single one of you on obstruction charges. What did you think you were playing at?”
Struggling to keep an amused smile off his face and maintain a mild, even tone in the face of Zack’s mood, Finn simply asked, “And would you have believed us if we had told you everything?”
“Probably not,” Zack continued to bluster, “but I had a right to know when it was my sister in danger.”
“Sit down, young man.” Julius’ command brooked no refusal. “You all have a common enemy, let that be enough to bind you. Time is short and my energy is limited so if you don’t mind, let’s get on with it and you can save your recriminations for later.”
Still glowering, Zack relented and took his seat.
“The way I see it,” Reid finally spoke, “is that Billy wants to live again and the way to do that is to gain complete control over Logan’s body. To do so, he must either blacken or weaken Logan’s soul so he has complete control or kill it entirely but he is unsure if the latter would kill the body as well.” He looked to Julius for a nod of confirmation.
“Let’s say I drank the Kool-Aid and I believe all this…” Zack couldn’t come up with a suitable word to describe the theory so he just circled a finger at his temple, “why is he still gunning for my sister and Julie? Stupid to keep going after them than to hole up somewhere and do his dirty work in private.”
It was a good questio
n.
“Galmadriel thinks Billy uses Logan’s anger as his anchor to the body. What happened last night says his control is nowhere near as complete as we thought. Logan managed to slip it long enough to beg for forgiveness. Billy will need to pull off something big to make up for that and her guess is that he won’t wait long.”
“I’d feel sorry for the man if it wasn’t my woman he was after,” Finn nearly growled the words.
“Right then, what does Galmadriel suggest? Something to do with the second set of notes Zack’s hiding?”
“It’s not going to happen. She wants to use Julie and Gustavia as bait,” Zack insisted.
Julius shot Zack a raised eyebrow. “No, Julie and Gustavia will not be bait, they will be the trap. Here’s how it will play out…”
***
While Julius was laying it out for the men, Estelle gathered the four women together to prepare them for a planning session with Galmadriel.
“Whatever you do, don’t argue with her.” Amethyst advised. She’d been in the room with the angel when Julius had tried it and still remembered the feeling of being choked by energy.
Kat had no intention of arguing. As fear ran through her like water, she doubted she would be able to squeak out a single word in the presence of an angel. Her grandmother, the same one who laid out the cards and talked to the dead, had also prayed over the bread those activities put on the table. Granted, Madame Zephyr’s view on heaven didn’t exactly track along the same path that her church-going friends followed, but she was devout in her beliefs and had passed those along to Kat.
Amethyst must have seen something of that fear in the colors of Kat’s aura because she reached out with her healing touch to pluck away some of the tension. Kat closed her eyes; there were still times when she felt safest in the dark.
“I am here.” Amethyst had described the sound of the angel’s voice as sounding like a trumpet but with a bell-like quality but Kat was still unprepared for the deep vibration and ringing resonance of Galmadriel’s speech. Or for the volume.
“Tone it down some.” Hearing Estelle caution the angel was what pried Kat’s eyes open just the tiniest bit. “You’re shaking the chandelier.”
When the angel responded with an, “I am sorry,” at a much lower, gentler volume, Kat couldn’t resist and took a quick glance. At first, all she saw was light surrounding a vague figure. Dazzled by the brilliance, Kat could not make out any distinguishing features before squeezing her eyes closed again. The brightness was just too much for her.
Galmadriel noticed and abruptly, the glare reduced to a bearable level. Directly into Kat’s mind she said, “You may open them now. I forgot to adjust. It will not happen again, you have my word.”
Such a feeling of well-being washed over Kat that she little choice but to obey. Without the light and sound show, Galmadriel looked almost ordinary. At first.
Wavy auburn hair fell to the angel’s shoulders and framed a heart-shaped face with pale blue eyes under gently arched brows in that same auburn color. She looked like a soccer mom. Early thirties, russet colored sweater over brown slacks. You could walk right past her on the street without a second thought.
But, when Kat glanced away to gauge her friend’s reactions and then looked back, the angel’s appearance was completely different. She was now a brunette, a decade older with brown eyes above wide cheekbones and a slightly squared jaw.
Fascinated, Kat blinked slowly and when she opened her eyes again, she saw a teenager with jet-black hair, a pierced lip and kitted out in full Goth style clothing and makeup.
The only thing that remained unchanged was the angel’s voice.
Three rapid blinks and three new versions later, Kat was wondering if she could blink one eye then the other and catch the change as it happened when she realized the others were already discussing Logan.
“…still hope for him,” Estelle was saying, “if we save brute force as a last result and work with whatever humanity he has left.”
Galmadriel focused on Gustavia to ask, “Will you be able to put vengeance aside after your previous experience with this man?”
Gustavia opened her mouth to answer then snapped it shut again while she gave the question the serious consideration it deserved. “Honestly, Logan doesn’t deserve my forgiveness but he will have it anyway because I don’t want to carry that much negativity around.”
“That will do.” Galmadriel’s gaze next rested on Julie. “And you—will you also be capable of forgiveness?”
“I believe I can. What he did was horrible but what Billy has done to him is worse.”
The angel nodded then morphed into a child with blond hair in ringlets, dressed in a pinafore. Kat shivered when the girl opened her mouth and spoke in that resonant, adult sounding voice. “During his lifetime, the earthwalker believed the division between masculine and feminine was indicative of intelligence and ability.”
“Nice way of saying he was a misogynist. Very PC.” Amethyst approved.
“PC?”
“Politically Correct.” Julie supplied the definition.
Galmadriel, now looking as she had during each encounter with Amethyst, shrugged and continued, “If everything goes according to plan, those traits Billy considered weak and beneath him will be his downfall.”
Then, with no more changing of bodies and an economy of words, the angel laid it out for them.
It started with Julius using his tenuous connection with Billy to goad the earthwalker back to prominence.
The plan was a little dangerous, a little daring, and more than a little elegant in its simplicity.
Kat knew the men were going to hate it but it would work.
Now all they had to do was wait.
***
Before Galmadriel took her leave, Kat worked up the courage to speak.
“Galmadriel, may I ask you a question?” Just at the end, her voice quavered as Kat twisted her hands in her lap hoping she wasn’t way out of line.
“You may.”
“Is there a way to…?” Not sure how to frame the question without hurting Estelle’s feelings, Kat swallowed hard then continued, “I see spirits everywhere,” she ended lamely.
“That is a statement not a question. However, you would like to know if there is a way to retain a certain amount of privacy when needed.”
Relieved, Kat chanced a sidelong look at Estelle then nodded.
“That’s exactly it. No offense Estelle, but they’re everywhere. I never get a moment’s peace and sometimes they tell me inappropriate things about the people in the room. I know they mean well but sometimes I just want to be left alone.” The words fell from her lips in a rush.
“None taken.” Estelle assured.
“Close your eyes.” Galmadriel reached out and with a touch, showed Kat how to erect a simple barrier that filtered out most spirit energy. Speaking directly into Kat’s mind she explained, “This will not work on Estelle or Julius. Since you have channeled them they can now vibrate within your unique frequency, but I believe they will respect the boundary.”
Galmadriel withdrew her presence to let Kat try on her own. A flexing of intention and the barrier shimmered into place as easily as blinking.
“Thank you. I promise I will only use it when absolutely necessary.”
“To everything a balance.” Was that humor in the angel’s eyes? Kat thought so.
“I will return when I am needed. Until then, be watchful.”
Kat’s ears actually popped with the changing pressure from Galmadriel’s departure. Then, an echo of her voice sounded in the room, “Do not forget the key.”
“The key?”
“Equinox is getting closer. We should plan a get together this weekend to see if we can find the last key.”
Chapter Fifteen
With all eight of them crowded in front of the spring themed stained glass window, Julie could not help but take a moment to reflect on the journey that had brought this group together.
> She saw herself a year ago standing here alone, worried about the future of Hayward House and wished she could tell that lonely, scared woman from the past to keep the faith, things would change for the better.
She watched Zack step forward to scan the window looking for anything that might help them locate the final key. The math clue Julius had given to Kat made no sense yet so they decided to start with the magic garden, spring style.
Julie smiled at Tyler as he sat poised with his laptop, ready to note down their findings on one of his famous lists. No matter what they turned up this time, she already had all the treasure she needed—a loving husband, a home no longer in grave need of repair, a group of friends who made up her new family, and a few extra months with her beloved Grams.
Like the other windows, its centerpiece was a large tree depicted in the lighter, fresher greens of spring. Below the tree, a carpet of new grass studded with abstract flowers was rendered with intricately cut glass in bright, Easter egg colors that provided a visual balance and counterpoint to the pale blues and whites of a gently clouded sky.
While they watched, Gustavia sidled up to Julie and whispered, “Look at them. Do you see it? Chemistry.”
“Oh, I see it.” It was nothing overt, more like an extra bit of awareness between them but if you were looking, it was hard to miss.
“And how does that make you feel?” Julie tried to imitate Freud but her fake German accent was so bad it came out sounding more like French.”
With a giggle, Gustavia replied, “Well, Sigmund, it makes me feel all fluttery inside. And like, maybe, we could give them a little nudge.”
Gustavia met Julie’s grin with an exaggerated eyebrow waggle and raised her voice to ask, “Find anything?”
“Yes,” Kat glanced over her shoulder. “We’ve either found a set of red herrings or multiple possibilities.”
Intrigued, the other six crowded even closer while Kat showed them. “There’s a set of pins the same as the ones that held the painting of Julius on the first window.” She lifted her chin toward him and Zack swung them into place.
Wherever She Goes (The Psychic Seasons Series Book 4) Page 11