Of Fire and Storm

by D. G. Swank

  I stared down at the pavement, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks.

  “Piper, please don’t be embarrassed.”

  This was the first time a man had turned me away, and it stung my pride. A lot. But more than that, I felt like I’d just lost him for good, even if Jack Owen had never been mine to begin with. “We’re wasting time. We need to get you inside.”

  “Piper.”

  “Drop it Jack, okay? It was a stupid mistake.” I took off for the sliding glass doors. While it wasn’t exactly sensible to barge in before the patient, I couldn’t bear to look at him. I needed a few moments to get myself together.

  We walked up to the counter and got him checked in, then sat down to wait.

  Jack leaned over to me and lowered his voice. “I’m sorry that I hurt your feelings.”

  “Don’t be silly. It was a misunderstanding.”

  I caught his frown in my peripheral vision.

  We were silent for several minutes, and when the silence became unbearable, I pulled out my phone and called Mrs. O’Keefe to give her the good/bad news. Thankfully, she took it all in stride. She’d lived with “Beatrice” for long enough to expect the eviction wouldn’t be without complications. When I finished, they still hadn’t called Jack to the back, so I announced, “I’m going to check on Rhys.”

  “Good idea.”

  I quickly sent her friend a message. How’s Rhys?

  She answered right away. Sleeping, but she’s not ready to talk to you yet.

  Let me know if she needs anything.

  “How she’s doing?” he asked as I put my phone in my lap.

  “She’s sleeping.”

  “She just needs time. She’ll forgive you.”

  “You keep saying that,” I said, unable to keep the bitterness out of my voice, “but we both know there’s a good chance she won’t.”

  Detective Powell walked in through the sliding glass doors and gave me a strange look as she approached us. “I didn’t realize you’d gotten hurt, Piper.”

  “What?” I asked in surprise.

  Jack gave me a sheepish look. “I got blood on your shirt when we hugged in the parking lot.”

  I glanced down, and sure enough, blood was smeared across my blouse. What was a little blood, on top of the layers of soot? It wasn’t like I could ever wear it again.

  I turned to face the detective. “Are you here to take our statements?”

  “Yes, but there’s something else.” She sat down in one of the empty chairs in front of us. “We found a body…but it’s not Lars Benson. It’s another student from the university.”

  Jack sat up straighter. “We could be looking at a repeat of Durham.”

  Her lips pressed together. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

  “Is there any connection to Lars’s disappearance other than that they’re both university students?” Jack asked.

  “It’s too soon to say yet. They’ve only just taken her body to the morgue.”

  A female student.

  Jack nodded, his face perfectly blank. “Do you have a cause of death yet?”

  “No,” she said, obviously holding something back. The look on her face told me she was conflicted about how much to share.

  “But…?” I prompted.

  “She has a strange marking at the base of her throat.”

  “What kind of marking?” Jack asked.

  “The pathologist says it looks like an oval burn, but it has something in the middle.”

  “What?” I asked.

  She grimaced. “I really shouldn’t do this…”

  She pulled out her phone and unlocked the screen, then glanced around before she turned the screen sideways and held it in front of us.

  I leaned closer to look, careful not to bump Jack’s head. The picture was of the hollow of the victim’s neck, branded with a dark gray, sideways oval directly in the center. There was a tiny gap of normal skin above it, topped with an upside-down semicircle with about an eighth of an inch of a straight line at the top.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “I was hoping you could tell me,” she said.

  Jack studied it for a few more seconds before sitting back up. “It looks primitive, but it’s nothing I recognize.”

  “Would you tell me if you did?” she asked bluntly, still holding up the phone.

  He gave her a soft smile. “Detective Powell, after this afternoon, I think you deserve the truth. And the truth is I don’t recognize it, but I plan to research it when I get a chance.”

  She nodded. “Thank you, and I think we’re on equal footing after what happened. You can both call me Olivia. Please.”

  I nodded. “What did you and Officer Stedman tell the others?”

  “I don’t think they’re ready for the truth yet, so we said a bear wandered into the house and caused all the damage. We said you ran from it.”

  “And they believed that?” I asked incredulously. “If Officer Stedman recognized me, it wouldn’t be too hard for them to figure out who I am. And what about the fire in the garage?”

  “I don’t think they totally bought it, but they didn’t fight me on it.”

  I nodded. People were willing to swallow just about anything to avoid believing the unbelievable.

  Jack started to ask her a question as my phone vibrated. I picked it up and tensed when I saw the name on the screen. “It’s Beth.”

  Is she calling about Tommy? I wondered. Worry filled Jack’s eyes.

  “Who’s Beth?” Olivia asked.

  “A homeowner with a tricky ghost situation,” Jack said as I answered the call.

  “Hello, Beth,” I said, trying to sound chipper.

  “I can’t take it anymore,” she wailed.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, catching Jack’s gaze.

  Lucky for me, she spoke loud enough for him to hear her. “This thing is driving me crazy. It’s making loud noises, and it’s so cold upstairs I can barely stand to be up there. I want you to come make it go away now.”

  I stared hopelessly at Jack.

  He grimaced. “I still haven’t found an answer.”

  Neither had I. “That thing is a scared little boy, Beth,” I said, trying to hide my frustration. “But I’ll be right over.”

  “If you don’t make him go away, then I’ll call someone who will.” She hung up before I could respond.

  Jack and I stared at each other for a second before he said, “Obviously we have to go deal with this.”

  Olivia scooted to the edge of her seat. “Did you say little boy?”

  “Yeah,” I said, feeling heartbroken. “A five-year-old.”

  “And he’s a ghost?”

  I nodded. Then, judging from the horror on her face, I realized she thought all ghosts were like the one she’d just seen. “Edna was an aberration. I’ve only had one other really dangerous ghost before this one, and I’ve definitely never seen a vortex like the one that appeared in Mrs. O’Keefe’s kitchen.”

  She watched me as though she was still struggling to digest all of this.

  “I’m sure you’ve heard people talk about going toward the light,” I said. “That’s usually what it’s like. A bright tunnel appears, and I convince the ghosts to go toward it.”

  Her eyes went wide. “I have so many questions.”

  “And if you’ll help us, I’ll be more than happy to tell you what I can, but I have to go deal with this problem.”

  Jack started to stand, and I gently pushed him back down. “You’re not going anywhere until you get that gash stitched up.”

  “You’re going on your own?” he asked, sounding incredulous. “After what just happened?”

  “I’ve been dealing with ghosts for two weeks without you,” I said, sounding more curt than I’d intended. “I don’t need you.”

  He flinched and the glimmer of pain and shock in his eyes was enough to prove I’d hit home.

  I was hurt and scared, and when I got that way, I lashed out like a wou
nded animal. The only person who knew how to handle me at my worst was Hudson—Rhys was a close second—and Hudson was at work, and Rhys…

  “Get your stitches and go home, Jack,” I said, trying to sound cold and aloof.

  He leaned closer and lowered his voice. “Does this have anything to do with…earlier?”

  I could see Olivia’s interest perk up. She really was terrible at hiding her emotions. But I wasn’t about to let him share my embarrassment with her.

  “No. I’m a big girl and a professional.” Besides, I should probably stop relying on Jack. He wouldn’t always be there, and he couldn’t see the ghosts unless he was touching me, which was far from ideal.

  “Piper, I don’t want you to feel hurt or embarrassed…”

  “I’d already forgotten about it,” I said, trying to sound stern. “The fact is that I don’t have time to wait for you.”

  “Then we’ll take care of the Tommy situation first. I’ll come back here later.”

  “You have a huge gash in your scalp, and you’re covered in blood. No offense, but if you show up at Beth’s doorstep looking like this, it’ll only make matters worse. Not to mention you need to get your wound looked after.” I turned to the detective. “Olivia, will you back me up on this?”

  Her jaw dropped in surprise. “Yeah…she’s right.” Then she looked up at me with a gleam in her eyes. “But I can come help you.”

  “Thank you for your generous offer, Detective,” I said, “but I assure you that this is something I can handle on my own.”

  “After what I just saw, I’m terrified to let you go alone, no matter how different the situation is.”

  “She’s right, Piper,” Jack added.

  I groaned, then got to my feet. “I’m good at assessing danger. I knew that garage was dangerous. I knew Edna’s ghost was dangerous. I only walked into both situations because I was prepared and I had backup.” I glanced down at Jack and lifted my brow. “I don’t plan on doing anything stupid at Beth’s house, and the only hint of danger is whatever Beth plans to do to Tommy.” I checked the time on my phone. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go.”

  Jack grabbed my wrist to keep me in place. “Be careful.”

  I glanced down at his hand and slowly pulled my wrist out of his grasp. “Given our resolve to keep this professional, I think it’s best if we limit physical contact.”

  He shrank back, looking horrified, and I realized I’d hurt him more deeply than I’d intended.

  Jack was a physical guy—he touched to comfort, and I’d used it as a weapon against him. That made me the biggest bitch in the world, and I hated myself for it.

  “You’re right,” he said, still holding my gaze, but I could sense his unease.

  Part of me wanted to apologize, to tell him that I hadn’t meant it, but I stopped for two reasons—one, Olivia was latching on to every word, and two, I had meant it. I got too much comfort from his touch, and the physical contact did cross a professional line. If we were keeping this professional, it was better if he didn’t touch me unless he needed to.

  “I have to go,” I said with a shaky voice.

  “Piper,” Jack said, sounding insistent. “Please be careful and check in with me later. Don’t let this get between us.”

  “We’re professionals, Jack,” I said, trying to sound light. “Of course I won’t.”

  I left before he could talk me out of it.

  I left because I needed to remind myself that Jack Owen deserved better than me.

  Chapter 15

  Beth was pacing on the front porch when I pulled up in front of her house.

  “What took you so long?” she shouted, her hands fisted at her sides.

  “I came as quickly as I could,” I said as I shut my door. I resisted the urge to get my daggers. Surely I was just feeling leftover stress from the morning. I was dealing with sweet little Tommy, not a ghost infused with demon magic.

  “It wasn’t soon enough,” she snapped as I walked toward her. “I’ve been dealing with this supernatural for days.” She stood on the porch, several steps higher, looking down at me.

  “What exactly has been going on?”

  “The noises are even worse than before. And now it’s locked the craft room door.”

  “He,” I said, “not it. That’s a little boy up there and he’s scared.”

  “It is dead and has no business being in my house. Now go deal with it!”

  I nearly turned around and walked away. I wasn’t a fan of taking people’s abuse and disrespect, but the thought of that scared little boy propelled me through the front door and up the stairs.

  “I’m waiting down here,” she called after me as I made my way to his room.

  No argument from me.

  Sure enough, the door was locked, and the handle was unnaturally cold to the touch. I knocked lightly. “Tommy? It’s me, Piper. I’ve come back to visit. Can you open the door?”

  There was nothing but silence.

  “Tommy?” I lowered my voice and leaned my cheek against the door. “I know you’re scared, and I want to help you. Will you please let me in?”

  I heard a catch as the doorknob released and the door slowly swung open.

  Taking a breath, I walked in and glanced around the room. Just like last time, I could see his world on top of mine, but I didn’t see him. I opened the closet door and turned around to sit on the floor with my back to the wall.

  “It’s okay to be scared,” I whispered. “I get scared too.”

  “Really?” he whispered, his voice a tickle in my ear. I still couldn’t see him.

  “I was scared just this afternoon.”

  He appeared on the floor next to me, sitting cross-legged. “What scared you?”

  I sure couldn’t tell him the truth, so I told him part of it. “You remember my friend, Jack?”

  He looked up at me with solemn eyes and nodded his head.

  “He got hurt and I had to take him to the hospital.”

  “Did he get runned over by a car too?”

  My breath caught at the reminder of how Tommy had died. “No. Someone tried to hurt him, and he got a cut on his head. He needs stitches.” I paused. “Did you go to the hospital?”

  He slowly nodded, his big brown eyes wide.

  “Do you remember it?”

  His mouth twisted to the side. “I remember the ambuwance.” Tears filled his eyes.

  I gave him a soft smile and reached toward him. He quickly scrambled onto my lap, burying his face into my chest. “Don’t leave me with the monster.”

  I hugged him tight, still amazed I could physically touch him. Jack and I should never have left him alone with Beth. “I don’t want to, Tommy. We’ll try to figure something out, okay?”

  He nodded, his nose rubbing against my shirt. “Why do you smell like smoke?”

  He could smell me? “Don’t you worry about that.”

  I heard Beth shouting from downstairs, “What are you doing up there? Is he gone yet?”

  Tommy started to shake.

  I tightened my grip on him and lowered my voice. “Tommy, do you know what happened to you?”

  His arms slipped around my back and squeezed. “I got runned over.”

  “And then you went to the hospital?”

  He nodded against my chest.

  “And then what happened?”

  “When I came home, everyone ignored me. Mommy wouldn’t talk to me. Stevie wasn’t even mean to me anymore. And then Mommy went away.”

  “Where did your mommy go?”

  “I don’t know,” he said, his voice breaking. “She left me alone.”

  “So you’ve been living here alone ever since?” I pressed. I needed him to realize that he was dead. Otherwise, he would never be ready to cross over.

  He nodded.

  “What have you been eating?”

  He was silent for several seconds, then looked up at me with wide, fearful eyes.

  I rubbed his back and gave him
a reassuring smile. “It’s okay.”

  “It’s far from okay!” Beth sneered from the doorway. “You’re sitting in my closet holding an imaginary child.” She took a breath. “That is not okay!”

  Tommy buried his head again.

  “He’s not imaginary, and you know it,” I said, trying to hold my temper. “And all your yelling is upsetting him.”

  “I’m giving you thirty minutes to get him out of this house, one way or another, and then I’m calling that Gill Gillespie place.”

  A rock formed in my stomach. “You can’t do that,” I said, grateful my voice didn’t break.

  “Oh, trust me,” she said in a snotty tone. “I can.”

  “I’m sure you’re capable of placing the call,” I snipped back. “It’s just that Gill won’t be coming to help you seeing as he’s dead.”

  Her jaw dropped open. “What?”

  “He died. On a case. All that equipment didn’t help him, so maybe let me try this my way.”

  Staring at me with wide eyes, she took several steps back until she hit the wall opposite the door. “A ghost killed him?”

  Oh shit. Why had I told her that?

  She pointed at me, her hand shaking. “Get that thing out of my house.” Then she ran down the stairs. Seconds later, I heard a door slam on the bottom level. With any luck, she’d left.

  Tommy still clung to me, and I held him while I tried to figure out what to do. I considered getting my smudging supplies and trying to help him cross that way, but the memory of the vortex I’d created for Edna was too fresh. While there was no chance of that happening to the little boy in my lap, I wasn’t taking any more risks with him. I’d let enough people down lately.

  Beth wanted him out of her house…what if I could convince him to stay in the shed in the backyard?

  “Why don’t we go play on the tire swing?” I asked softly.

  “I don’t wanna.”

  “It’s a pretty day outside,” I coaxed. “I’ll push you for as long as you want.”

  He leaned back to look at me. “Will Jack come play?”

  I fought to keep my smile. “No. Jack still needs to get his stitches. But he wishes he could come over.”