“I’m not kidding, and I’m not lying,” I tell him.
“That’s what Charlie and your dad wouldn’t tell me that day?”
“Yeah.”
Mateo looks at the opposite wall for a few seconds. “This may take some getting used to. I’m not sure I actually believe in ghosts.”
“That’s okay. I probably wouldn’t either if I didn’t have to. As long as you’re not going to stop being my friend now…”
He looks at me. “Well, that’s not going to happen.”
“Good. Because I can’t go back to Layton if you aren’t my friend.”
“You have to come back. You make being there so much better.” He touches my hand again, and I get the tingles—the feelings I shouldn’t be having about him.
But he’s just so darn nice to me and so good-looking. Plus, I feel safe with him, like maybe that phone call from Fraser was just a dream, a really bad dream, and now, I’m awake.
“Do you have any questions?” I ask. “Or do you just want to think about it for a while?”
He runs his hand through his hair. “I have a million questions, but I don’t want to seem like I don’t believe you by asking.”
“Okay. But you should ask when you feel like it. The fact you’re still here and not screaming and running from my house is a good sign. If you want, you can ask my dad about it. He’ll tell you I’m not crazy.”
“I guess I’ll just choose to believe you for now and ask questions later.”
“That sounds good. Wanna watch a movie?” I pick up the remote.
“Sure. I think a comedy would be good.”
I laugh again. Then, I remember that Fraser might be on his way here to kill me. I’m officially losing my mind. But instead of trying to fight it, I turn on the television and start looking for a comedy while I wait for whatever will happen next.
About an hour later, my phone rings. The star-crossed lovers in the movie are about to kiss, and Mateo is leaning a little too close to me. The phone makes us both jump.
I snatch it off the coffee table. “Hello?”
“I am on my way to your house,” Noemie says.
“Okay. I have a friend over.”
Noemie pauses. “I will need to speak to you. Alone.”
“Okay, I’ll figure it out.”
“See you soon,” she says then hangs up.
Mateo has paused the movie. “Are you okay?” he asks. “I would say you look like you’ve seen a ghost, but that probably wouldn’t be very funny.”
I smile at his silly comment. “Someone is coming over to see me. She’s sort of my mentor with the ghost stuff.” I rest my hand gently on his arm.
He looks down at it then quickly raises his eyes back up to my face. “Okay,” he says.
“And she needs to speak to me. Privately.”
“So… you want me to leave?”
“No. But you probably should.” I slowly rub his arm.
“Okay. Can I come back when you’re done? I could get dinner for us and bring it back.” He raises his eyebrows as if to tempt me with his puppy dog eyes.
“Yeah. That would be good, but I’m not sure how long it will take.”
“That’s fine. Just text me. What do you want? Pizza?”
“Sure. I’m not that hungry, though.”
“Okay.” Mateo looks down at my hand still resting on his arm. He’s frozen in place. I think he knows he should get up now, but he doesn’t because he likes me touching him.
My phone rings again, startling me. We pull apart, and I answer without looking at who it is.
“Did you think sending your friend was going to scare me?”
Jade
Chapter 33
My body goes rigid. A chill hits me like an arctic blast.
“She was quite amusing with her little chants and potions. Quite an act she’s—” He starts coughing, a violent hacking that makes me pull the phone away from my ear.
I stab my finger on the End button.
“Who the hell was that?” Mateo asks.
I look from my phone to Mateo, a shiver running through me. “No one,” I whisper.
“I heard the whole thing, Jade.” He sounds angry. “And that sounded like Fraser!”
I shake my head, but I can’t get the word no to leave my lips.
“How is he calling you? I’m calling the police right now. What was he talking about, chants and potions?” He stands and pulls out his phone.
“Stop! You can’t!”
He looks down at me. “Why not? He’s dangerous, Jade!”
“I know. I’m dealing with it. My friend Noemie is coming now. You have to keep this to yourself, at least until I talk to her.”
He stares at me, his face contorted. After a few seconds, he exhales loudly and sits back down. He rests his hands on his knees and takes another big breath.
“Noemie will explain everything,” I say. “I’m not even sure what’s going on.”
“Tell me what you do know.”
The TV switches from the paused movie to the On-Demand screen, the announcer’s voice startling us both. Mateo grabs the remote and shuts it off.
When he sits back, I say, “Right after you texted me, Fraser called the first time. I was freaked out because he said he was out on bail, and he was being sort of threatening.”
“Okay, so why didn’t you call the police?” I can tell Mateo is trying to stay calm but he still sounds angry.
“I was going to, but I called Noemie first.”
“Why?”
“Because the police are the ones who let him out of jail and didn’t even bother to tell me.” I start to feel a bit annoyed that Mateo’s treating me like an idiot.
“And what did your friend say?”
“She told me she’d had a premonition and that she was on her way to deal with him. She said I should have a friend come over while I wait for her call. So I did. And then… well, you know the rest.”
“What did she do? It sounded like she went and saw him, but whatever happened, he was still okay enough to call you back. Did he threaten you?”
I nod solemnly.
“That son of a—”
Car lights flash across the windows in front of the house. I jump up. “She’s here.”
I race to the front door, but I stop and peer through the window. I see Noemie walking from her car. When I open the door, she meets my eyes immediately. She looks different, more focused.
“Hello, dearest.” She steps over the threshold, puts her hands on my shoulders, and kisses me on both cheeks.
“Hi.” I gesture toward the living room. “This is my friend Mateo.”
Mateo is standing with his arms crossed over his chest. Noemie fixes him with one of her looks, probably trying to read him.
“Fraser just called,” I say. “And Mateo heard.”
“And he would like to call the police, I am sure.” Noemie begins removing her leather gloves.
I momentarily wonder why she’s wearing them, since the weather isn’t cold enough yet for gloves, but then it dawns on me. Fingerprints.
Mateo frowns. “Yeah. And I’m not sure why you think that’s a bad idea.”
Noemie glances at him then looks back at me. “I will tell you and him, but I need to clean up. And I must eat something. I am drained from what I have done.” She starts to remove her coat but stops. “And I have something for you.” She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a silver chain.
My necklace. My key. I gasp.
“I retrieved this for you.” She drops it in my waiting hand.
“Thank you,” I murmur as I close my hand around it.
“You are welcome, chou chou. Now, may I use your bathroom?”
>
“This way.” I lead her to the half bath down the hall, then I go into the kitchen to get some food for her. I open my hand and stare at my key.
Mateo comes in and asks, “Where did she find it?”
I look up at him but say nothing even though I know the answer. She got it from Fraser.
After Mateo helps me put my necklace on, we make a plate of cheese and crackers for Noemie. I pour a glass of juice to go with it.
“How do you know her?” Mateo asks quietly.
I glance down the hall, wondering how long she’ll be in there. “I told you. She’s my mentor. She was helping me with Avery.”
“Do you think she did something to Fraser?”
“I don’t know,” I say, even though I do. I know she did something to him in order to protect me.
Noemie emerges from the bathroom and comes down the hall.
I hold up the plate. “Is this okay?” I ask her.
She takes the juice from my other hand. “Yes, fine. I will wait on the couch.” Her voice was a bit breathy, and she looks washed out. I think I know how she feels because it’s what happens to me after a ghost encounter.
Mateo and I join her in the living room. Mateo takes a chair, and I sit beside her on the couch and put the plate on the coffee table.
Noemie takes a drink of the cranberry juice then eats a piece of cheese. “Thank you.” She smiles at me.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“I am fine. Mr. Fraser, on the other hand, will not be. You both need to give me your oath that what we are about to discuss will never be retold. Ever. Do I have your word?”
I answer without hesitation. “Yes.”
Noemie looks to Mateo for his answer.
“Yes,” he says after a few seconds. “But that doesn’t mean no police.”
Noemie nods. “The police will be coming, of that you can be sure, but only to tell you that Mr. Fraser is dead from an allergic reaction—anaphylactic shock.”
“How?” Mateo asks. “He was okay when he called.”
I shake my head. “No, he wasn’t. Remember when he started coughing?”
Noemie picks up another cracker. “Yes. Good. I am glad to hear it has begun. But you both need to know that I did not kill him. I only set the process in motion. It will only work if his own evil soul turns on him, as I am sure it will. Hence the reaction.”
“So he’ll be dead?” Mateo asks, eyes wide.
“Yes. Would you rather he live, young man?”
“No. I don’t know. It just seems…” He shrugs.
“This curse is complex. It is not up to me alone. Yes, I cast it, but he will simply become ill and then recover if there is nothing wrong with him. But since this man’s essence is one of evil, I expect he will not survive.”
“How did you do it?” I ask quietly.
“It is an advanced skill. I hope you will never need it, chou chou. I have only performed it once before, but I knew when I had the vision that it must be done this time. You would never be safe from him. This was very clear to me, so I prepared what I needed as quickly as I could and found out where he was.”
“You see the future?” Mateo asks.
“Sometimes… some things, I do…” Noemie waves her hand around as if dismissing the question.
“What did you have to do?” I ask.
“A combination of herbs and prayers. Houttuynia cordata and others. You do not need to know any of it. Now, I just need your assurances. I must know that you will keep my secret. You must pretend to be surprised by the news of Mr. Fraser’s death, and if you are questioned, you must keep quiet.”
I place my hand on Noemie’s arm and scoot closer to her. “I promise. You did this for me, and I will never, ever say a word.” I hug her, and she embraces me tightly.
“Thank you, dearest. Thank you,” she murmurs in my ear.
“Thank you,” I whisper back.
When we pull apart, we both look at Mateo. His eyes are locked on us, his face unreadable.
Then, he nods. “You risked your life for Jade, so I will do whatever I can to protect you. Your secret is safe with me. I promise.”
“Thank you,” Noemie says, inclining her head. “And now I must go. I need to go home before anyone discovers I am missing.” She stands.
“Have you had enough to eat?” I ask, following her to the door.
“Yes. I am fine. Remember now, you must be surprised. You will have to be good actors.” She stops at the door, turning back to me.
A wave of gratitude and anxiety courses through me. “I promise. Thank you so much.”
“I will call tomorrow to discuss our plan for Mr. Avery. Good-bye now.”
I watch her through the window until I see her taillights pulling onto the main road. When I turn back to the living room, Mateo is staring at me.
Jade
Chapter 34
“So we just wait now?” he asks. “For the news that he’s dead?”
“Yeah.” I walk back to the couch. “Please don’t start in, though. I need to think. I need to figure out what to do.”
I sit and bend over at the waist, covering my face with my hands. Mateo sighs but doesn’t say anything.
I start replaying the sequence of events. Fraser is dying or dead. He called me. I called Noemie. Noemie went there. He used a phone to call me. Noemie didn’t say anything about a phone. A sinking feeling hits my stomach.
I snap my head up. “Mateo?”
“Yeah?”
“What about the phone records?”
“What records?”
“The records of his calls to me? If he called me and I didn’t call the police and then suddenly, he’s dead…”
Mateo’s eyes widen. “Oh no. I didn’t think about that.”
My heart seems to stop for a few seconds as I stare at Mateo, trying to process what to do next.
“You should call your dad and then the cops. It will look bad if you don’t.”
“And what if he doesn’t die?”
“It’s okay. You have me as an alibi. And maybe he won’t be able to identify Noemie.”
“He has to die. There’s no other good option.”
“I know. But for now, just call your dad. Tell him Fraser called you, and you waited and called me. Tell him all the truth except for Noemie.” Mateo picks up my phone from the coffee table and hands it to me.
I pull up Dad’s number. I take a deep breath and close my eyes, preparing myself for what I have to do. I think about calling Noemie first, but there’s no time. I need to do this before it’s too late. I hit Send.
Dad answers on the second ring. “Hi, honey. What’s up?”
“I need you to come home. Fraser called me. He’s out on bail.” I try to sound sufficiently freaked out, hoping Dad will believe it, but I’m not sure I succeed.
“What? Did you call the police?”
“No. Mateo is here with me. I was too scared. Fraser threatened me and—”
“Hang up. I’ll call them. I’m on my way home.”
A little while later, Dad comes whipping down the driveway. I watch through the window as he jogs to the house, then I open the door for him.
He steps inside quickly and closes the door behind him. “Are you okay?”
I nod and try to look scared. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
“What did he say?”
“He threatened to make me disappear if I told anyone he called. So I asked Mateo to come over. But then Fraser called again, and I got scared.”
Dad seemingly accepts my explanation. “Jesus, Jade. I can’t believe he got out and they didn’t call us.” He hugs me. “I’m so sorry. You must have been terrified. I called the police, and they’re sending someone over.”
<
br /> We wait in the living room for the police to arrive. A female officer comes to the door, and Dad lets her in.
“I’m Officer Perkins. Are you the reporting party?”
“Yes. Please come in and have a seat,” Dad says, leading her into the living room.
“I’ll stand, thank you,” she replies. “I’m familiar with the case, but I work for the town of Manchester, not Beverly. Beverly officers and state police have gone to the residence Mr. Fraser listed on his bail documents.”
“Where is that?” Dad asks.
“I’m not sure, but I’ll stay until he’s been arrested. Jade, can you tell me about what time he called?”
“Yes. I can look it up.” I pick up my phone and scroll to recent calls. When I see my call to Noemie immediately after the two calls from Fraser, a twinge of panic hits me. I tilt my phone to make sure no one else can see the screen. “The first two calls were at four thirty-two and four thirty-three. Then I texted Mateo. He came over, and I told him.”
I close the screen on my iPhone and hold it in my lap. Officer Perkins writes down what I said. I wonder why she won’t sit down. She looks very uncomfortable standing and writing.
“And why didn’t you call us then?” she asks, glancing up at me from her notepad.
“I was scared. He… Fraser… told me not to tell anyone.” I grip my phone in my lap.
“And you are Mateo?” she asks, gesturing to him.
“Yes.”
“Can you spell your full name?”
While he’s responding, another cruiser pulls into the driveway, with blue lights flashing.
Perkins’s radio squawks. “I’m off at Northwick Carriage.”
“Who’s that?” Dad asks.
“My sergeant,” Perkins says briskly. Then she turns back to Mateo. “And you agreed with Jade not to call the police?”
“No. I wanted her to call. But she was scared. And then when he called again, I convinced her to call her dad.”
Ever Lost (Secret Affinity Book 2) Page 19