His rigid expression changed into a quick smile. “I do still find time for fun now and then. You know me. However, I’m considering moving back here. It’s less stressful, and Dallas isn't home. Tell me more about your involvement with Tristan and what’s been going on lately.”
Simra's excitement about Jeff and Mandy's relationship vanished at the mention of her ex. She told him about the recent events but left out the possibility of seeing ghosts. Quint was the first person she mentioned. “Tristan and I dated for six months and were engaged a year. His jealousy isolated me from everyone after he proposed. Even after I broke it off, I haven't felt safe. I didn’t discover his cruel secrets until the last year.
"He made himself seem so perfect at first, and he made me very happy. Then, I found out he sold drugs for a living later. It's a mystery how the cops never suspected or caught him. It's like he knew precisely how to fool them. No one can deceive and manipulate a person the way he does."
Simra searched for Zach without finding him and remembered what he said. "It's almost like Tristan's a demon."
She pleaded with her friend. Not even Zach could be trusted. "Please send someone to keep an eye on our grandmother day and night. Quint's a major threat. Tristan’s brother is also posing as a neurologist. Zach Hanley's threatening to take Grandmother’s life.”
Mandy turned to Simra with reassurance in her eyes. "No worries, Sim. Just point that scoundrel doctor out to me at work. We'll have the cops arrest him right away for making such horrible threats. We got it all under control. I'd like a word with the crazed lunatic before he's sent to prison though."
Simra felt somewhat better, but she sensed none of this was under their control. They needed someone or something powerful to protect all of them. She just didn't know who or what it would be. God wouldn't do it. He didn't protect her parents or grandparents for certain. Why should she trust Him to protect her and her loved ones now?
Simra caught sight of Zach giving her a slight frown in the far corner. She grasped Jeff's shoulder and pointed to the doctor. "There's Tristan's brother! He's that tall guy in the corner. He followed me here to tell me his plans."
Jeff and Mandy both stood and looked where she pointed. Jeff's gaze searched as if he didn't see him, but Zach was still there. "I don't see anyone. Describe him."
"Yeah, I don't either. Where is he?" Mandy replied.
Simra's blood began to run cold. "He's really tall and has Tristan's features."
Mandy and Jeff glanced at Simra and looked at where she stared once again. Mandy turned and placed her hand on Simra's shoulder. "Sim, are you all right? You're not seeing ghosts again tonight, are you? There's no such thing."
Jeff turned to them with questioning eyes. "Ghosts?"
Mandy gave him a sympathetic look. "She believes she saw Tristan's ghost today. I'm starting to wonder if Tristan traumatized her. She just hasn't been herself since he did all that damage."
Various emotions filled Simra. Rage, fear, sadness, and confusion made her want to scream on that crowded dance floor. There were still many buried dark secrets. One thing was certain. Simra and her family were in great danger. She didn't just imagine that threatening phone call from Quint.
Chapter 3
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16
Simra's body grew stiff the longer she gazed at Zach. People walked all around the man without appearing to notice him. Most of them acknowledged Simra, Jeff, and Mandy with warm smiles. Zach, on the other hand, was invisible. But how could she and Lucinda see him when no one else did?
Simra wasn't losing her mind! Lucinda saw him too, and Quint really did call to threaten them. That's what Simra needed to do. Prove to Jeff and Mandy about Quint. Then, at least they would believe her about something.
Simra handed Jeff her cell and showed him the recent calls from Tristan's phone. "You might think I'm making up seeing Tristan and Zach. But I have visible proof that Grandmother and I are in danger. That's where Quint called me from Tristan's phone making the threats today. If you don't do anything about it, I will. I don't care if I have to get myself killed to do it.
"I'll hunt Quint and Tristan down to end their reign of terror before I lose anyone else. Grandmother's going to be kept safe. Believe what you want about me. Either you're with me or not. But I'll warn you about feeling guilty for years if you don't help. You might wake up one day to hear that Grandmother and I got killed by an unknown assailant."
Mandy's eyes widened. "Sim!"
Jeff studied the number on Simra's phone with a stern expression. "I believe you, Sim. I promise to keep you, Ms. Reece, and Mandy safe. The duration and frequency of these calls proves something's shady. What else can you tell me about this guy other than he's a drug dealer?
"Please also give me the type of phone Tristan has and with what company. I'm going to find out Quint's exact location. Then, I'll gather evidence against him and have him arrested."
Mandy interrupted, "What about Tristan?"
Jeff's gaze shifted between the two young women. "I suspect Tristan's already dead."
Mandy's eyes wavered with confusion. "What makes you think that?"
A slight flicker of pain surfaced in Jeff's eyes but vanished in an instant. "I believe Sim's being honest about seeing Tristan and his brother. There are true cases where people see the dead. Restless and vengeful spirits never rest until they're put to rest."
Jeff looked away and then turned back to them. "Besides, Tristan's phone is in Quint's possession. Quint has motive to kill him. Tristan owed the guy money. Now Quint's making threats toward Sim and her family. Why? Because Sim's probably the only person with whom Tristan was involved.
"Tristan didn't associate with his family and didn't have many friends according to Sim's description of him. So to cover his tracks of murdering Tristan, Quint lies to her. He gives us a story about Tristan committing suicide. I'm also doing research on Dr. Hanley."
Mandy sat back in her seat as though stunned speechless. "Everything sounds right about Quint, but it's still difficult for me to believe in ghosts."
Simra sighed with frustration at her cousin but with relief that Jeff believed her. She noted his pain at the mention of spirits; however. Somehow, she'd find time to speak with him more about it. The trouble was finding time alone with her best friend. Tristan and Zach seemed to be everywhere!
"Thank you, Jeff. I've never heard of Quint until he called me. Tristan never mentioned him." She gave Jeff more information about the calls and Tristan's phone.
The detective reached for a small notepad in his pocket and took notes. He even wrote down Tristan and Simra's phone numbers with the duration of each call. "Yeah, I think I know what's going on here. Don't worry, Sim. We're getting to the bottom of this. I'm storing my number in your phone. Call me at any hour if something happens. This situation's very dangerous, and we should all take precaution. Even you, Mandy."
"Got it," Mandy replied, still seeming not to take the matter about spirits seriously.
Simra's eyes grew heavy with the need for sleep. The hour grew late, and all day had exhausted her. Her mind and body needed rest from all the chaos today. Tomorrow might be worse, and she needed to be prepared.
Simra turned to the detective with her body weary from fatigue. “Jeff, it's been a long day, and it's getting late. I need to get some rest tonight and must head home. Is there anything else you need to know before I leave? And what do I owe you for helping me?”
Jeff smiled at his friend until concern shadowed his face. ”Don't worry about the cost. We're family. Go home and get some rest. Remember, call me if anything happens. I'll start digging for answers tonight and in the morning. I'll let you know what I find. Just be careful, Sim."
Simra gave Jeff and Mandy a tight hug. “Thank you both so much. You two be careful too. I’ll be fine. You don’t know how much this means.”
Mandy squee
zed her cousin with affection. "Would you at least like me to stay with you?"
Simra paused for a brief moment. Perhaps that wasn't such a bad idea. Maybe Tristan and Zach would leave Simra alone if they knew someone was in the house with her. Then, Simra shook her head to object.
That would place Mandy's life in great danger. Tristan might see Mandy as a threat or as someone in the way. Simra refused to think of the possible consequences.
"Absolutely not. I'm fine by myself, but I'll let you know if I need you later. Thanks, cousin."
Mandy exchanged worried glances with Jeff after Simra hugged them again. "Call us at any hour, Sim. We love you."
"I love you too." Simra's gaze shifted to where Zach had been. He was gone. Why did he vanish so often?
Simra hurried from the building and got into her car. Why did she feel safer inside the church than anywhere else? Shivers crawled down her body from the feeling of an evil presence lurking again. The feeling seemed absent in the church. Maybe it was because there were people inside.
Then again, she felt the presence at work. There were people at the nursing home. She fought sleep on the way home. Simra parked in her garage, walked inside, and switched on the lights.
Glancing around the house, she tried to make sure she was alone. She needed to get some rest before the brothers appeared to her again. Surely they had the decency not to bother her while she slept.
Simra rushed inside the bedroom, changed into her purple silk pajamas, washed off her makeup, and brushed her teeth. She slipped underneath the plush covers of her bed. Trying to avoid seeing Zach or Tristan, she forced her eyes closed. How could Zach be an angel of God when he behaved just like his brother? Zach seemed just as "fallen" as Tristan.
Becoming lost in a doze, Simra's heart stopped when Zach's concerned voice drifted down the hall. “Simra, you're not safe here.”
It had to be a dream. Covering her entire body under the thick comforter, she avoided him. Simra squeezed her eyes tighter and pretended to still be asleep. This wasn't real.
His voice seemed to grow closer. “This is reality. You must face it. Allow me to help you. Azazel’s coming. We can stop him if you just listen and cooperate with me.”
Zach read her thoughts again! Impossible. Sliding from her bed, she followed his voice into the den. “What do you and Tristan want? Why can't you both leave me and Grandmother alone? You or God don't want to help us! You said yourself that God sent you to collect her soul. He allowed Tristan to do this to her, and He's allowing him to harass us. Get out of my head, and get out of my house!”
The lamp beside the couch clicked on by itself. Zach sat in the plush emerald chair. “Yes, God does allow some evil things to happen in society but not all. These things are caused by the fallen angels and their dark ruler. Not Him. They don't realize it when they curse a mortal, but the Lord later uses their curses to a man's advantage. It makes men better and stronger individuals if they choose to accept His help.
"Great is their reward if they accept His salvation. Jesus, His Son, is the answer. I need you for two important missions. One is help me find Azazel’s corpse and destroy it before he hurts you and many others. Two is tell my mortal parents to take proper precautions against him. Let me take you to them.
"My mortal parents can't see me, but they can see you. My brother's dangerous, and he wants to kill them. We must stop him before it’s too late. Destroying him is the main reason I'm here. You’re the only one who can help me put an end to his madness. Then, I'll leave you alone. Until then, Azazel's a threat to me, you, and countless others.”
The angel paused, and his troubled gaze shifted. "There's no more time to explain. We'll discuss this later. You're not safe here. Allow me to take you to safety where he can't get to you."
Simra's heart dropped to her stomach when a loud bang and shattering glass came from the bedroom. Her nose twitched to the faint aroma of smoke again. The door to her room creaked open. Her heart pounded. Simra waited for someone to make their appearance. Silence filled the place for several seconds.
No one came. Zach's eyes lit with fire. The frigid chill around them caused her teeth to chatter. She hugged herself and took steady steps toward the bedroom.
Zach stepped behind Simra and reached for her shoulders. His gentle hands warmed her soul. “I wouldn't go after that noise. We both know who’s inside your bedroom. This will cause even more complications.”
His nearness soothed her, and she melted beneath his tender touch. Simra shook her head of such thoughts about trusting him. She pulled away from Zach to go into her bedroom. Simra switched on the light.
Her small mirror got shattered to pieces. Something Zach said must have angered Tristan. Was he there the entire time?
Simra hurried back into the den to tell Zach about the mirror. She searched the entire room and found him nowhere. “Zach?”
No one answered. Alarm reeled inside her, and she switched off the lamp. Although the sheer curtains were closed in the den, the city lights showered through them. They allowed her to see down the hall.
Someone standing behind her caught her eye in the hall mirror. She couldn’t see how tall he was. It must be Zach.
Clasping a protective arm around her, he pulled her closer. Chill bumps spread across her arms from his frigid touch raking against her skin. Zach’s presence never made her feel this way.
Numbness seized her entire body when Tristan breathed a cold whisper against her ear. “Don’t trust Zach. He wants you all for himself and is a liar. You belong with me.”
She almost got shoved into the glass. Tristan was pushed by Zach lunging at him from behind. The two brothers hurried after each other as quick as light traveled. Simra gripped onto the chair and gasped in surprise at their velocity. A normal human could never move at their speed. The brothers weren’t fighting but were trying to catch each other.
Neither of the brothers could be trusted. Siblings always had similar personalities. Only Jeff and Mandy could be trusted during this time.
Simra screamed in a wild panic when Tristan placed his hand on Zach’s head. Her ex-fiancé pinned him against the wall in defeat. She needed to get out of there but didn’t know where to go. Nowhere was safe.
Chapter 4
"Say to those who have an anxious heart, 'Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you'." -Isaiah 35:4
The house phone’s shrill rings caused Simra to fall off the couch. Her rear end plopped onto the hard floor, but she ignored the throbbing pain. Simra’s desperate hands grabbed the phone on the small table beside the couch. The troubling image replayed in her mind of Tristan pinning Zach against the wall.
Simra began remembering how everything went black during the moment. Something didn't feel right. Her body ached with a strange weakness she'd never felt. Her limbs quivered from it, and her skin became clammy. Was she feverish?
She picked up the phone and answered in a rush. “Hello?”
Lucinda’s voice quaked on the other end of the line. “Azazel’s trouble. Past done. Live for now. It’s only way to freedom. Live in God’s will, not your’s…not Azazel’s.”
Simra squeezed the phone in her trembling hands as she rushed into the bedroom to change clothes. Her grandmother seemed to remember her. “Grandmother, are you safe? What are you trying to say? What’s happening to us?”
Simra’s throat grew heavy from dread when Lucinda started mumbling with panic in her voice. Tristan’s wicked laughter echoed in the background. The phone slipped from Simra’s hand and crashed onto the hard floor.
Simra stormed out of the house and jumped into the car. She wouldn’t dare let him harm her grandmother. Sick or not! Her tires squealed out of the driveway. She needed to make it to the nursing home before it grew too late.
Perhaps Tristan was a demon there to hurt Lucinda and anyone who got in his way. Worst of all, Zach came to collect her grandmother’s soul. But why did T
ristan choose Lucinda to curse? The three of them shared a dark past that Simra knew may never be revealed.
Her grandmother had once forgotten her family and the ability to speak. But tonight proved otherwise. Lucinda seemed very aware of the danger around them. Someone else must have dialed Simra's number from Lucinda's room. It was impossible for her grandmother to remember any phone numbers.
Something was wrong, and Simra would prevent anything from happening to anyone else she loved. Her family’s safety came first. After parking at the Alzheimer’s home, she ran out of the car. With juddering hands, she unlocked the code to get inside the building.
Bonnie rushed to the door and greeted Simra with concern reflecting in her widened eyes. “Miss Reece, is something wrong?”
Simra hurried past the nurse and answered her in a rush of words. “Did Grandmother just use the phone?”
“I’m not certain. There’s a phone in her room, but there’s no way she remembers how to dial any particular numbers. Why?”
Simra placed a hand to her own brow, shook her head, and stopped at the doorway of her grandmother’s room. “I just need to see her.”
Simra stepped into the room, and her gaze stopped on Lucinda. Lucinda sat on her bed and rocked back and forth. She mumbled words Simra couldn’t interpret. The lamp illuminated a dim light in her room.
Simra pulled Lucinda against her. The biting air caused her to shiver next to her grandmother. The faint aroma of smoke began to fade. Warm fog drifted from Lucinda’s lips when she breathed.
Simra reached for a blanket to wrap around Lucinda. She searched Lucinda’s fragile body to see if Tristan harmed her in any way. Relief washed through Simra when she found no wounds. She pulled away from her grandma, and the cold sank its teeth into her own body.
Tears filled Simra's eyes as she framed Lucinda’s face in her hands. “Oh Grandmother, please talk to me like you did earlier. What happened? Did Tristan call me from your room?”
Immortal Memory (Book One) Page 3