Ever Lost (Secret Affinity Book 2)

by Melissa MacVicar

  This seems plausible. Plus, it explains the time lapses between all the calls. Dad gets up to let the sergeant in.

  “What time was the third call?” Perkins asks.

  I open my phone to look at the recent calls again. I wish I could delete Noemie’s calls, but I’m afraid the officer will notice if I hit any buttons. “Um…”

  The sergeant, a skinny man with large blue eyes and a very short haircut, walks in. Perkins turns to greet him. I manage to get one of Noemie’s calls deleted. When she turns back around, I pretend to be looking for the call from Fraser.

  “Five fifty-eight,” I tell her.

  “And the call to your father?” Perkins asks, writing in her notebook.

  I delete the second Noemie call while she’s got her head down. “Um… six forty-three.”

  Dad comes over and sits next to me. I’m feeling safer, sandwiched between him and Mateo.

  “I have some information for you,” the sergeant says. “When they arrived at Mr. Fraser’s residence, they found him unconscious. They’re attempting to revive him now.”

  I gasp and put my hand on my chest. “What?”

  “What’s wrong with him?” Dad asks.

  The sergeant shakes his head. “They don’t know. An ambulance has been called.”

  Both Perkins and the sergeant turn their attention to me. I begin to hyperventilate. My reaction is not an act. I am truly freaking out now.

  “I can’t breathe,” I tell them.

  “Put your head down between your knees,” Perkins says, stepping closer.

  I do as she says and try to take deep breaths.

  “Can I look at her phone just to confirm the times?” Perkins says.

  I flinch then feel a hand on my back.

  “It’s okay, Jade. It’s okay,” Mateo says soothingly.

  “Yes, here,” Dad says, handing her my phone.

  I say a silent prayer of thanks that I got those numbers deleted.

  “Is it the unknown caller?” Perkins asks.

  “Yes,” I mumble.

  The adults cross the room and talk in hushed tones by the door. Mateo stays with me.

  “You’re doing fine,” he whispers.

  “What about you?” I ask.

  “I’m good.”

  A phone rings. I look up and see the sergeant pull out his cell. He has a brief conversation with someone then continues to talk quietly with Dad and Officer Perkins. They come back over to the couch a few minutes later.

  The sergeant’s face looks gravely serious. “I have an update, Jade. Mr. Fraser was pronounced dead at the hospital a short time ago.”

  I gasp and put my hand over my mouth. Mateo hangs his head and clasps his hands together on his lap.

  The sergeant continues. “An autopsy will be performed, but it appears to be some kind of allergic reaction.”

  Dad shakes his head. “This is so crazy.”

  “Jade, are you okay?” Perkins asks.

  Tears sting my eyes. I nod and wipe them away.

  Perkins nods. “Well, he won’t be bothering you now. But I’m sure his death is very shocking.”

  I hug myself. “I can’t believe it.”

  I really am astonished that what Noemie did worked. She killed him. She killed him, and no one will ever know she did it.

  Dad comes over to sit beside me and pulls me into a hug. “At least you’re safe now. I’m sorry he died but…”

  Safe. I guess I am. And I can’t help but feel a guilty sort of gratitude for Noemie. She risked everything for me, and it worked.

  Jade

  Chapter 35

  Dad hands me the phone. “It’s your mom.”

  I take it and say, “Hi, Mom.”

  “Are you okay?” she asks.

  “Yeah. Fine. I just can’t believe he’s dead.”

  “I know. I’m so sorry this all happened.”

  Mom is still in Pennsylvania with Mike and Charlie at Brendan’s parents’ weekend.

  “I’m just tired now and want to go to bed. I wish it was all a bad dream.”

  “Me too. Hold on. Charlie wants to speak with you.”

  “Mom, no!”

  “Jade?” Charlie says.

  “Yeah.”

  “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “Yeah.”

  “We should talk tomorrow.”

  I close my eyes, praying for strength. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Do they know how he died?”

  “An allergy of some kind.”

  “Hold on,” he says, and then I hear him whispering something to Mike or Mom. A few seconds later, he whispers, “Okay. I’m in the bathroom. Was it Noemie?”

  “I can’t talk about it right now, Charlie. My dad wants to talk to my mom again.”

  He sighs. “Call me tomorrow. Please?”

  “Here’s my dad,” I say, my throat tight, tears threatening.

  I hand the phone to Dad and run upstairs to my room.

  A satellite truck is in our yard. I’m sure the rest of the press is camped out at the Fraser family home or at Layton. Mateo, Dad, and I stand at the window and watch the reporter and crew milling around. When that gets boring, I scroll through the television channels for any reports on the story. I’m supposed to go back to school tomorrow, but now I don’t know if I will.

  “How am I supposed to go anywhere?” I ask Dad.

  “Hopefully, they’ll be gone by the end of today,” Dad answers. “Will you be all right if I go into work?”

  “Yeah. Mateo, can you stay?” I ask him.

  He nods. “Yeah. Sure.”

  Dad says, “I won’t be long. If the police come back, call me. I don’t like the way the news is making it sound like Fraser’s death was suspicious.”

  “Okay.”

  “If your mother calls, tell her to call me on my cell.”

  He leaves, and Mateo flips the channel back to New England Cable News. My phone chimes with a text.

  Charlie: I just want to talk. Ignoring me is mean.

  I throw the phone back onto the table, and it skids across a catalog.

  “Charlie?” Mateo asks.

  I nod. “I really want to talk to Noemie. I don’t know why she’s not answering.”

  Mateo picks up my phone.

  “What are you doing?” I ask.

  “I want to see what he said.”

  “It’s none of your business!” I reach for my phone, but he stands and keeps reading.

  “You should call him. Just let him know you’re okay. He’s right. It’s mean not to.”

  “So now you and Charlie are new BFFs?”

  “No, but he cares about you, and he sort of saved your life, so you owe him at least a text,” Mateo says.

  I stare at Mateo, wondering how he can be trying to help Charlie in this situation and how he can be so damn hot. He’s wearing jeans and a rust-colored T-shirt that makes his bronze skin sort of reddish.

  I sigh. “Fine. Give me the phone.” I extend my arm to him just as it rings. The caller ID says Noemie. I answer it eagerly. “Hello?”

  “Hello, Jade. I am on my way. We must take care of Avery today in order to put this behind us.”

  “Noemie, you can’t come here. There’s a news crew outside. And I have to tell you about the police. We called them because of the phone records.”

  “You can tell me in the car. Now, you need to leave there and meet me somewhere on the main road without being seen. Can you do this?”

  I look at Mateo. “Yeah. We’ll try. I think I know a way.”

  Jade

  Chapter 36

  Pine needles and leaves crunch under our feet.
We hustle along the path behind my house. The trail comes out at the edge of the club property beside the main road. The air is crisp, autumn sneaking in all around us like a thief stealing summer. I wear a sweatshirt with the hood up, not only to hide my identity but also for warmth.

  Noemie is waiting right where I told her, beside the remnants of a stone wall that marks the property. Mateo and I get in the car quickly, me in the front and him in the back.

  “How are you?” Noemie asks. She’s wearing black pants and a jean jacket, and her hair is wrapped in tight bun. Her eyes are less bright than usual, and I wonder if she’s still suffering from the ill effects of dealing with Fraser.

  “I’ve been better,” I say.

  She pulls the car out onto the road and starts driving. “I’m sorry about all of this, chou chou.”

  “After you left,” I say, “I realized they would find Fraser’s phone and see he called me. It would look weird that I hadn’t called someone, so we called my dad. I’m sorry for not telling you first, but I didn’t want to risk another call to you on my phone. Luckily, everything with the police was fine. They don’t seem to suspect anything.”

  “That was very smart. I was in such a state from what I had done, I did not plan properly. Thank you for your quick thinking.”

  Mateo leans between the seats. “But won’t those herbs show up in his system? Won’t they know something is weird about how he died?”

  “Perhaps. Herbs are generally not a cause for concern, though. Drugs. Alcohol. Poison. These are the things they test for. People ingest herbs all the time with no ill effects. Plus, it was not the herbs that caused his death, as I have said. It was much more.”

  Mateo sits back. “Did you tell her about Charlie?”

  I whip my head around and frown at him. “That’s none of your business.”

  Noemie looks concerned. “What has happened, chou chou?”

  “Charlie and I broke up. And I don’t feel like talking about it right now.” I glare at Mateo.

  “I am sorry, dearest. This is very hard. I will respect your wishes and keep quiet until you are ready talk. Mateo, if you would like some advice on this matter, I will freely offer my services for all you have done for Jade and me.”

  “Advice?” Mateo asks.

  “Yes. I see your heart. It’s as clear to me as your face. I can provide guidance to a young man in your position.”

  “He’s not in any position, Noemie.” I fold my arms over my chest and frown at her.

  Mateo leans forward again, a small smile on his lips. “Yes, I am. And there are better positions I’d like to trade it for.”

  I sigh. “Teo…”

  Noemie smiles. “We should save this talk for another time. I should not have digressed into matters of the heart on our way to perform the task at hand. Mateo, would you like to join us for Mr. Avery’s spirit ceremony?”

  “No!” I say at the same time that he replies, “Yes!”

  I ignore him. “We should drop him off somewhere to wait. Or he can stay in the hall and keep guard.”

  “I’m not your watchdog,” Mateo says. “And yes. I’d like to come,” he tells Noemie.

  “Fine,” I huff, crossing my arms again. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  The art history room is empty.

  Noemie points to the left. “You may sit in that desk over there, Mateo, but please do not get involved. You will see something you have never seen before today. A spirit finding his peace.”

  For once, Mateo looks worried, as if he thought he was all in for this show but now he’s not so sure.

  “What did you bring?” I ask Noemie.

  “I only brought you, chou chou. This is your banishment. You do it as you wish.”

  I stare at Noemie, sort of mad that I didn’t know this upfront. I liked that scented pillar from the Bunker Hill job. Calling it the “Bunker Hill job” makes it sound as though we robbed a bank together or something. I sigh and shrug off my hoodie. I throw it to Mateo then walk over to stand in the center of the room.

  “Mr. Avery, I need to talk to you,” I announce.

  Nothing.

  I try again. “It’s time to chat, David. Come see me.”

  The sloshing begins in the hall. I brace myself for his appearance. When he comes into view, he’s the very wet version of himself but with a normal face.

  “What is it?” he asks.

  “Fraser is dead.”

  Avery gasps. “Dead?”

  “Yes. Everyone is safe. You can finally be at peace.”

  I wish I knew whether he had a grandmother or someone else in his family who might be on the other side. I should have done more research, but there’s no time now. I tilt my head back and look at the ceiling, focusing on the voices and the light and the relief they will bring Avery.

  I start to pray, reciting the English version of Noemie’s prayer, which she taught me during one of our sessions. “I ask God and the angels to remove any earthbound demon and other entities. Dark shields and dark energy. Dark devices and dark connections to the body, the aura, the soul and the rope.”

  “But is Blakely all right?” Avery asks. “He shouldn’t get away with it. He’ll just do it again.” His face smooths over, his features gone. A head without a face is possibly more terrifying to look at than all the other grotesque things he’s shown me this month.

  “Blakely is fine. You need to free yourself from the bonds holding you back.”

  The hum of the others begins softly. The low rumble gradually gets louder. I hear other languages, all different pitches. Some sound as though they are singing.

  “Who’s there? Who is that?” Avery whips around, water flying off his clothing.

  A dull light begins to glow in the far corner of the room. I’ve lost a sense of Noemie and Mateo. I’m alone with Avery. My body feels light, as if I could float to the ceiling.

  “It’s your family. They want you.” My body lifts off the floor, staying level with his.

  He drifts closer and we hover together, face to face. His body starts losing the watery look.

  “You can go to them. I’ve taken care of everything here,” I whisper.

  The human Avery emerges. He’s perfectly clear now. The teacher. The son. The hero. Our bodies mirror one another, poised in a symbiotic dance. We are together and weightless. No possession. No danger. Just two souls communicating.

  “Are you sure you’ll be okay without me?” he asks.

  I nod. I can feel his concern for me and all his students. “Yes. I promise. We all will be.”

  The light suddenly flares, like a stick of dynamite exploding. We turn together to face it. The chatter of the voices intensifies. They form a noisy chorus, undulating like waves.

  “Oh my God,” Mateo mutters.

  The seal between Avery and me breaks. The sensation momentarily steals my breath. I gasp and close my eyes.

  “Good-bye, Mr. Avery,” Noemie says.

  I open my eyes and see him floating away. Raising my hand, I wave to him as he drifts closer to the light.

  “Good-bye. Thank you,” he says.

  The light flashes again, and he disappears.

  All the energy is suddenly gone from the room. A static-like shock hits me, and I sink to the floor, landing softly on my feet. I blink several times, returning to the here and now, then over at Mateo and Noemie. Noemie smiles at me. Mateo’s mouth is dropped open in shock.

  “Beautifully done, chou chou,” Noemie says.

  And indeed, I have to agree with her. This ceremony was my best by far.

  Mateo

  Chapter 37

  So the girl I’m sort of in love with is a medium, and her medium friend murdered our evil art history teacher because he was threatening to murder
again, after failing the first time. That’s what I call a pretty darn crazy weekend.

  And never mind sort of in love—I am definitely in love with Jade. That’s the only explanation for how I feel about her. I know she’s not ready for a relationship with me, but I continue to torture myself by being around her all the time. She has become my best friend at Layton, and I think I am hers, so it’s not like I’m not enjoying myself when we hang out, but I wish we could be more than friends. Her friend Noemie even said she’d help me with Jade, in so many words, but I haven’t had the nerve to contact her. Noemie did, after all, cause the death of a man without leaving any trace of what she’d done. That fact is terrifying if I allow myself to think about it.

  But just last week, Jade heard from her best friend in Nantucket that Charlie might be hooking up with someone else. Jade was devastated, and I had to console her without being a jerk and saying, “I knew it.” A guy like Charlie wasn’t going to stay single for his senior year. Plus, he’s probably just trying to use that girl to forget about Jade. I don’t think guys are that hard to figure out, but apparently they are if you’re a girl.

  So now that it’s been over a month since they broke up, I think I might be ready to make a move. I can tell Jade still isn’t sure about moving on after Charlie, but she’s also showing signs that she might be getting closer. She’s doing things like hugging me a bit longer, touching my arm when we talk, and calling me instead of waiting for me to call her. Like tonight, for example, she texted me to come over and watch movies. I wish I could say I played hard to get, but I didn’t. I answered right away, and I’m on my way there now. What a sucker I am!

  But maybe tonight will be different. Maybe tonight will be the night she finally decides she wants to be more than friends. It will have to happen eventually. Someday, she’ll have to admit that Charlie isn’t coming back, and she’s missing out on something really great with me.