The Crimson Z

by Robert Cloud, Lee Rush, Richard Savage

  "A little late for modesty, don't you think? Besides, we're both women ... so there's nothing new in this view."

  Denial hung on the tip of Anne's tongue. Surely, there had to be an explanation for the blurry figure facing her.

  "Is that lingering skepticism I see in your eyes?” The shimmering figure sighed then folded her arms across her chest. “I guess you need a little more convincing."

  "Convincing me that I'm not losing my mind,” Anne responded more to herself to the ghost or whatever it was.

  "I heard that,” the spirit chided. “I might not have a body, but I'm not deaf."

  Transparent hands reached forward then snatched the bedding away from her body. It hung in the air in front of her. Anne made a grab for it, only to have it jump out of her reach.

  "Parlor tricks,” she accused, still clinging to denial, but more convinced than she was willing to admit.

  "You didn't complain about my parlor tricks when you were getting laid by the muscle-bound blond.” A smug grin formed on her lips. “Or the hunky banker. Who really is a keeper by the way."

  "What?” Anne went still. She swallowed hard.

  "You heard me.” The woman drifted closer, then floated to a spot on the edge of the bed facing her. She extended a ghostly hand toward the necklace. “I was so weak all I could do was turn up the heat a bit. But, that seemed to be enough."

  The necklace rose from her chest, suspended between a ghostly forefinger and thumb.

  "So, did you take possession of my body or something?” Perhaps that would explain her uncharacteristically wanton behavior.

  "Girl, I planted a few lusty thoughts, then backed off. You were a pretty quick study in that department.” She grinned. “But then, with the primed Viking wannabe, you had plenty of inspiration, and the delicious banker-boy was the perfect ending to the day."

  The spirit withdrew her hand and the charm fell to Anne's breastbone with a light tap. Anne sucked in a breath, her head spinning.

  "I know you are having trouble accepting the fact that you are talking to a ghost, but the sooner you do the better—for both of us.” Virginia sat on the side of the bed facing her and hugged her knees to her chest in a very human gesture. “I was never one to beat around the bush when I was alive, and I'm certainly not going to start now. Thirty years ago, I was murdered, and I need you to help me find my killer, so that I can pass over to the spirit realm.” The specter shook her head. “I can't believe I'm saying this. For so long I didn't want to let go, but it's time. But I can't as long as I have an anchor here. I think it has something to do with the necklace, but I'm not exactly sure how."

  Anne felt like she'd just been transported into a scene from a movie, a two-bit thriller. “Okay, for the moment, let's say I believe you really are a ghost and I'm not delusional. Why would you need me to help you find a killer? Don't you know who killed you?"

  "The coward hit me from behind, so I never saw them. I drifted in and out of consciousness a couple of times, but by then I was in the dark and couldn't see anything at all. The next thing I knew, I was a ghost."

  A shudder rippled down Anne's spine at the image of the body in the storage room of her basement. Her words confirmed what the coroner had said.

  "What did you say your name was?"

  "Virginia Marshall."

  Why did the name sound so familiar? “Wait a minute. I bought the house from someone named Virginia Marshall. Is she a relation of yours?"

  The specter shook her head. “Not a chance. I'm the only child of older, only children. My parents were both gone by the time I turned twenty-seven, and I didn't have any children of my own."

  Anne exhaled a long slow breath, rubbing the tips of her thumb and first finger over her gritty eyes. In spite of the initial adrenalin rush at the first sight of the spirit, the day and event-filled night were catching up with her. “So, someone bumped you off and stole your identity?"

  The ghost nodded. “That's it in a nutshell."

  Anne leaned back against the headboard, bringing the comforter with her. “Who would want to kill you?"

  Virginia rolled her eyes and shrugged. “If I knew, then I wouldn't need your help. I led a rather hedonistic, self-centered life, but I didn't knowingly hurt anyone. I didn't have any enemies."

  "That you know of,” Anne inserted.

  "True,” Virginia conceded. “But I had more than my fair share of friends ... especially the male variety."

  "Then, why would anyone kill you?"

  "Greed."

  "Greed?"

  "When my parents died, I inherited an indecent amount of money. My father was always taking out patents on his inventions. One of them ended up being worth a lot of money."

  Anne covered her mouth and tried to stifle a yawn, but failed. “So, maybe the person who killed you might have been a stranger who simply broke into your house."

  "Unlikely. I'm almost positive it had to be someone who knew me, who knew my habits and had something to gain.” The ghost pursed her lips, a crevice forming between slender, arched brows. “Besides, having the supplies and time to brick me into the closet in the cellar certainly suggests premeditation."

  Sobered by the images taking form in her mind, Anne nodded, unsure of what to say when it was obvious this ghost, Virginia, thought that someone close to her might have been the one responsible for her death. Anne's eyelids drooped, and she blinked them open.

  "Look, why don't you catch a few z's, and we'll start to work in the morning,” Virginia said, moving to the end of the bed again.

  "Sounds like a plan,” Anne responded, fatigue making her voice husky. She closed her eyes. “Please let this all be a figment of my imagination,” she murmured under her breath, hoping the morning wouldn't bring any more surprises or hallucinations.

  "Not a chance, Annie, my girl. Not a chance. You're stuck with me."

  Chapter Six

  "Wake up sleepy head!"

  "Deb, go away.” Anne groaned, pulled the covers over her head. Her first thought was that she should never have given Deb a spare key. Her second was that she could smell bacon cooking.

  She pushed the covers off her face and came face to face with a luminescent face of a woman. She squawked out her surprise, sleep falling away and the bizarre events of last night flashed in instant replay in her mind. Instead of her incorrigible friend, she looked up into the shimmering features of the specter she'd thought she imagined last night.

  "Good morning,” Virginia said with a grin. “Hunky banker boy will be here in half an hour for the brunch you promised him. It was right after you had the sex in the water and before he—.” Virginia grinned.

  Anne gulped in a deep gasp of air. “Oh, God. I should have set my alarm..."

  The covers rolled away from her body without the aid of visible hands. “Virginia!"

  "That's my name,” the laughing luminous figure quipped. “And if you don't want your stud to catch you in the shower, you'd better get your butt out of bed.” She floated to a prone position three feet off the ground, then grinned. “Perhaps that isn't such a bad idea. Water sliding over those delicious pecs does have a certain appeal. He could make Adonis weep from envy."

  "You're as bad as Deb,” Anne chided, but without censure. The sense of the bizarre was fading. And she was starting to enjoy the exchange.

  "You bet!"

  Anne swung her legs over the side of the bed and headed for the en suite. She paused at the threshold and turned back. “If you've been haunting the place for so long, why didn't you appear when I first moved in?"

  "I couldn't. I know this is going to sound strange, but I was too weak."

  "So, how does a ghost recharge their spooking batteries?"

  Virginia rolled her eyes, but didn't comment. “It depends on the ghost. For me, it was sexual energy."

  Anne blinked. “But you don't have a body to have sex."

  "Not me, silly.” Virginia floated toward her, then by her into the bathroom. “You."
/>   "Me? Specifically me, or just anyone?"

  Transparent fingers lifted the pendant from around her neck. “I think it's whoever is wearing the necklace.” Virginia dropped the pendant and grasped Anne's shoulders.

  A pleasant tingling sensation skimmed across her skin where Virginia had placed her hands.

  "This necklace binds us together. As long as you wear it, you can see me, and your energy gives me strength."

  Anne looked into Virginia's eyes and knew that she had to help her. For all her brash talk and over appreciation for sex, there was something in her eyes, a sadness, which touched Anne. “My energy? Are you some kind of personal energy vampire?"

  "Nothing like that. From what I've been able to tell. There is a tremendous burst of energy generated when people climax. The more often you and hunky banker boy climax, the stronger I get. At the rate you're going, I'll soon be invincible.” Laughter danced in dark eyes.

  Anne could feel an answering grin tug at the corners of her lips. If her house had to be haunted, at least it was a lusty ghost with a sense of humor and not one trying to drive her out of the house.

  "I've got to scoot,” Virginia said. “Or breakfast will be ruined."

  The shimmering specter vanished, and Anne shook her head. Before she bought this house, her life had been mundane and downright boring.

  "It certainly isn't any more,” she whispered, then twisted the faucets. If she thought yesterday was remarkable, she had a feeling today would be as well. She washed quickly. “You deserve to be sore after yesterday,” she murmured when she rubbed the cloth across her pubis, but she was glad that she wasn't.

  By the time she'd finished her shower, Anne had decided against a bra. Virginia might be making breakfast, but she had a feeling Jason would be providing dessert. Her blouse allowed a hint of a shadow of her nipples to show through, and she put on a silky summer skirt that rippled around her calves. She looked in the mirror and was startle by the vibrant woman looking back at her. Her green eyes sparkled, and a smile played on her lips. Even her hair seemed to have a new luster.

  "Everything's ready,” Virginia said from behind her.

  Anne jumped and swung around.

  "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you, but this has been fun. I didn't realize how much I...” Her words faltered and her expression sobered. “I didn't realize how much I missed entertaining until you moved in. For so long, I vented my anger and frustration at being killed before I'd had a chance to live. I terrorized anyone who dared venture into my home. Now, it's starting to feel like our home."

  Anne's heart contracted in sympathy. “We'll find out who killed you and set things right.” The promise surprised Anne. Her life had rested solidly in the mundane until just two days ago. Taking up residence here had shown her Virginia wasn't the only person missing out on life, but at least she had the chance to change her life while she could still do something about it.

  "Hustle, hustle, girl.” Virginia said with a grin, there's a sporty little vehicle pulling into the driveway.

  "What are you a psychic as well as a spook?” Anne teased.

  She shook her head and pointed to the window.

  Anne made it to the foot of the stairs before the doorbell rang. She saw Jason's silhouette in the frosted glass window of the door. Her heart skipped a beat in anticipation. Why couldn't she have met him first instead of Mark? But then, if she had, she might not truly appreciate him or the feelings he shared. His openness had surprised, even disconcerted, her at first, but now his declarations of love enveloped her like a warm blanket.

  Her own feelings were a little jumbled. As a sexual partner, he sated her completely. She was already in lust with him. Anne grinned. Could she fall in love with him as well? It was a definite possibility. For now, however, she would take this blossoming relationship day by day and not worry about a future, only savor each moment. She grinned. “Deb, you would be proud of me."

  She gripped the antique glass doorknob and opened the door, her heart racing and her breath quick. No matter how undecided she was about her feelings for Jason, the thought of seeing him again made her very happy and a little shy even though he'd seen, touched, and tasted parts of her body in ways no one else had.

  "Hi,” she said, opening the door wide and stepping back. “Everything's almost ready."

  His slow smile and the affection in his eyes melted any lingering reservations she had about seeing him again. He cupped her face and leaned forward, brushing his lips across hers, lightly at first, then more deliberately.

  "You know, I have a confession to make,” he said with a grin. “After you broke up with Mark, I was planning a not so accidental meeting, but I like the way things worked out better."

  "I do, too.” Anne reached up and slid her hand along his jaw, smooth, and freshly shaven. In less than twenty-four hours, he'd slipped into her life and body in ways Mark never had in all the weeks they'd been together. She was glad Mark hadn't touched her like that. Perhaps Virginia had helped or perhaps her experience with Sam contributed, but whatever the reason, sex with Jason felt as normal, and as necessary, as breathing.

  "Stop making gah-gah eyes at lover body or my lovely breakfast will burn,” Virginia exclaimed as she appeared at her elbow.

  Anne started, startled by Virginia's protest.

  Jason quirked an eyebrow. “Are you all right?"

  "Fine.” Anne gave a soft laugh. “I almost forgot about brunch."

  "That's good,” he said with a grin. “I'd like to think I can distract you."

  "He's a delicious distraction,” Virginia interjected, now lying on her side, her ghostly head resting on her hand, level with Jason's shoulder. “I could turn up the heat.” She turned and started to blow in his ear.

  "No!” Anne exclaimed. At a quizzical look from Jason, she added, “I know exactly what you mean.” She looped her arm though his and led him from the foyer to the kitchen. “I mean, I hope I can be a distraction as well."

  Jason stopped abruptly on the threshold of the kitchen doorway. “Wow!” he said. “When you said you were going to make brunch, I wasn't expecting a feast."

  Anne's jaw dropped at the elegantly set table. Cinnamon buns and muffins were piled in pyramids on delicate china. Orange juice filled a crystal pitcher. Matching goblets sat at each perfectly appointed place setting. Where on earth did all the beautiful dishes and silverware come from? Could spirits conjure as well as create havoc? “I wanted to surprise you."

  Hopefully, Virginia didn't have any more surprises in store for her, but she expected she might. Anne glanced at the grinning ghost now standing by the stove, raised her eyebrows, then glanced toward the table silently asking where she'd found all this.

  "Sex toys aren't the only thing I stored in the attic. This was my grandmother's stuff.” The specter's expression sobered. “I was a gourmet chef by training, though I didn't have to work for a living. Grammy always expected me to put all her fancy dishes to good use when I married."

  A familiar ache squeezed her heart. Virginia lost so much when the faceless murderer stole her life from her. Anne vowed to live every day to the fullest and to take risks she never would have before, including those with her heart.

  "Earth to Annie,” Jason said. “Is everything okay? That's the second time you drifted away."

  "Sorry, I'm a little sleepy."

  "Did you sleep at all?” He looked toward the table. “This must have taken hours."

  "Like a log. You wore me out,” she teased.

  He laughed. Anne marveled how much she loved the sound, the deep rumbling in his chest, so completely male. Her father had left when she was a toddler, so she grew up with her mother and grandmother that had soured on the male race.

  "Girl, brunch is going to burn if you don't rescue it."

  "I'd better get breakfast out of the oven,” Anne said, reaching for the oven mitts. She lowered the door then leaned over. There was a rectangular, glass casserole on the middle rack filled with an egg mixture
, dotted with slivers of green onion, and bits of bacon, and splashes of orange from the cheese. “This looks delicious!"

  "You sound surprised,” Jason observed.

  Virginia laughed. “Get out of that one."

  "It's the first time I've ... made it."

  "It's a baked bacon-cheese frittata."

  "It's a baked bacon-cheese frittata,” Anne echoed, then lifted the glass pan from the oven carrying it to the table.

  "Aren't you going to offer the poor man coffee?” Virginia waved a hand toward the coffee maker on the counter with a full carafe. “Or perhaps you want to start with a piece of that delicious bod."

  "Coffee?” Color creeping along her cheeks, Anne pulled two mugs from the cupboard. “Cream and sugar?"

  "Black and sweet,” Jason said, standing beside her. From behind, he put his hands on her waist then dropped a light kiss on her neck on the sensitive spot below her earlobe.

  Anne let go of the handle of the glass carafe, then turned. “If you keep doing that I'm going to pour the coffee all over the counter.” She inhaled the earthy scent of his soap encircling her and felt the heat of his body. Never had she been more aware of pure male virility. Her nipples pinched, poking against the fine fabric of her blouse. The soft cotton of her blouse rubbing against the tight nubs of flesh made her breasts ache for the touch of his hands.

  "If you keep looking at me like that I won't care about coffee, or anything but burying myself in you."

  She followed his gaze to the needy peaks. It was as if her breasts were reaching out, begging for his touch. She raked her teeth over her lower lip. Why couldn't she control her reaction to him? Was it because of Virginia? Or had she really unearthed a new, sensual side of her personality.

  "But it would be a shame to waste this lovely breakfast.” He slid his hands under her blouse, cupping her breasts with his hands. He circled the wrinkled areolas with the pad of his thumb. “Besides, anticipation will only add to the pleasure later."