“I’m sure he knows,” I said. “I … .”
Nathaniel popped back into view about a foot behind his sister. She couldn’t see or sense him, and his expression was unreadable as he looked her up and down.
“What were you saying?” Chloe prodded.
“I was saying that I’m sure your brother knows how much you loved him.”
Nathaniel made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat. “She’s the one who told you I was selling pot, isn’t she?”
I opened my mouth to argue and then snapped it shut. Chloe was already unhinged. If she thought I was talking to her brother’s ghost she would lose any sanity she had left.
“Don’t bother lying for her,” Nathaniel sneered, stalking around his oblivious sister. “She’s always been a freaking baby. God, I hate her!”
Before I realized what he was doing, Nathaniel reached out with his ghostly hands and shoved Chloe into the water. She tumbled forward, the force of the ghostly movements propelling her several feet into the water.
I was stunned. Most ghosts don’t have the ability to alter the human plane, even when they’ve had years to practice. The most I’d ever seen Edith do was move a pencil, and that took her decades to master. Poltergeists can move things. They don’t retain human form because they transform into rage-fueled monsters. Nathaniel appeared to be a mixture of the two.
Chloe surfaced, her hair sticking to her face as she climbed to her feet. “What the hell?”
“I … .” How could I possibly explain this?
“Are you trying to kill me?”
“I didn’t … .”
“You’re the only one here,” Chloe said, slogging toward the shore. “You’re trying to hurt me! There’s no other explanation.”
Well, crap. This situation spiraled out of control quickly.
Twenty
“She tried to kill me!” One hour and multiple screaming fits did nothing to calm Chloe before the cavalry – in the form of Chief Terry – arrived.
“Tell me again what happened,” Chief Terry instructed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
After fruitlessly trying to convince Chloe that I wasn’t trying to murder her – and offering her a ride back to town, which she promptly turned into a purported death threat – Patty Jamison arrived thanks to a call from her outraged daughter. She in turn called Chief Terry to haul me in for attempted murder.
It wasn’t going well.
“I want her arrested,” Patty screeched, pointing at me. “She tried to kill my daughter.”
“I didn’t,” I argued. “I didn’t touch her.”
“How did I get into the creek then?” Chloe asked, gesturing wildly at the water. “I was standing on the shore looking at the place where my brother’s body was dumped. The next thing I knew I was flying through the air and landing in the water. That didn’t just magically happen.”
Technically, that wasn’t true. I didn’t think now was the time to bring it up, though.
Chief Terry glanced at me. “What were you doing here?”
“I was … .” Talking to a ghost. Chief Terry knew about my abilities. Patty and Chloe did not. It was probably wise to keep it that way. “I was looking around because I wanted to instruct a photographer on what photos to take for our article on Nathaniel’s death. I was going to call him with locations when I got back to the office.” That was believable, right?
“She was out here waiting for me because she wanted to kill me,” Chloe yelled. “Arrest her!”
“What’s going on?” Landon popped out of the woods, his eyes scanning the area until they landed on me. He looked relieved. Instead of rushing over to hug me, though, he put his immovable “cop face” into action. “I heard there was a ruckus down here.”
“Your girlfriend tried to kill me,” Chloe spat.
“And you are?”
“I’m Chloe Jamison!”
“She’s the deceased’s sister,” Chief Terry supplied. “She was down here … what were you doing down here, Chloe?”
Chloe crossed her arms over her chest. “What are you accusing me of?”
“I’d like an answer to that, too,” Patty said.
“I’m not accusing her of anything,” Chief Terry replied, his famous patience on display. “I’m trying to get both sides of the story.”
“There’s only one side of the story,” Chloe said. “She pushed me in the water and tried to kill me.”
Landon narrowed his eyes. “Why would she do that?”
“Who knows? Maybe she killed my brother and wanted to take me out, too,” Chloe suggested. “Maybe she was doing something out here and she was worried I figured out what it is and had to kill me to shut me up.”
“What would she be doing out here?” Landon pressed. “Did you see her doing something?”
“Of course not,” Chloe snapped. “She’s much too … diabolical … to let a teenager know what she’s doing.”
“Then why would she try to kill you?”
“I … ugh! You’re going to take her side no matter what because you’re sleeping with her,” Chloe snapped. “Admit it.”
“First of all, my relationship with Ms. Winchester is not up for debate here,” Landon said. “Second, unless you can give me a proper motive, I have trouble believing a grown woman pushed a teenager into the creek in an attempt to drown her. If she really wanted you dead, why didn’t she follow you in there and finish the job?”
“I … .” Chloe broke off, confused. “I have no idea. Ask her.”
“Fine. I will.” Landon exchanged a brief look with Chief Terry and then moved in my direction. He grabbed my elbow, leading me far enough away that prying ears couldn’t hear our conversation, and then fixed me with a look. “I should’ve left you hungover in bed this morning.”
“This is not my fault,” I protested. “I didn’t touch her.”
“How did she end up in the water? She says you were the only one here.”
“I … it was Nathaniel.”
Landon stilled. “Are you telling me a ghost threw her in the water?”
“I don’t know,” I replied, fidgeting. “If I tell you that, are you going to have to put it in a report? I’m not sure I want that in a report.”
“Don’t push me, Bay,” Landon warned. “Start talking.”
“I honestly have no idea how it happened,” I said. “I was talking to Nathaniel. He was … being a pain. I heard a noise and Nathaniel disappeared. It was Chloe. I talked to her. She didn’t want to be alone. I followed her around a little bit. Then Nathaniel popped up and he just … tossed her in the water.”
Landon rubbed the back of his neck, conflicted. “How is that possible? I’ve never seen a ghost touch anyone. Well, Floyd touched people … and threw dishes across the room … but no one else. Why can Nathaniel do it?”
“I’m not sure. Floyd was a poltergeist. He wasn’t a regular ghost.”
“You’re not sure?” Landon was getting angrier by the second.
“I don’t know what you want me to tell you,” I snapped. “I’ve never seen a ghost able to do what Nathaniel did. It was as if he was overcome by rage. It’s almost as if he’s a mixture of ghost and poltergeist.”
“Does that mean he could tip and become one of the nasty ones?”
I shrugged, helpless. “I don’t know.”
Landon pressed the heel of his hand against his forehead. “This is a mess, Bay. You have no arguable defense, because if you tell anyone who isn’t sleeping with you this nonsense they’ll lock you in a padded room.”
“I know.”
Landon’s expression softened. “It’s going to be okay,” he said. “She wasn’t hurt. You have no motive. We can always argue she threw herself in the water and then blamed you. She’s grieving. People do odd things when they’re grieving.”
“Are you honestly instructing me to lie when that girl is struggling to hold on as her entire world crashes down around her?”
“I’m telling you
not to do a thing without talking to me first,” Landon countered. “I cannot live my life without you. I need you to keep your head together. I … are you smiling? Yes, I said something schmaltzy. Don’t let it go to your head.”
I pressed my lips together to hide my smile. It didn’t work.
“Oh, you’re lucky you’re cute,” Landon muttered, although a small smile tipped the corners of his mouth up. “This isn’t going to be a thing. Don’t worry about it.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” I said. “What happens when she tells her story to everyone in town and they think I’m hanging around at Hollow Creek trying to murder teenage girls?”
“Then I guess the teenage boys are going to think you’re old and dangerous.”
I pinched his side, causing him to squirm. “Stop calling me old.”
“Stop getting in ludicrous situations.”
Chief Terry lifted his chin, sending a silent message for us to return. I longed to put my hand in Landon’s, briefly wishing for a few moments of solace. That was a really horrible idea given his official capacity, though, so I fought the urge.
“Mrs. Jamison has agreed that pressing charges probably isn’t smart given the … realities … of the afternoon,” Chief Terry said.
“And what realities are those?” Landon asked, confused.
That was a good question. “I … .”
“Shut up, Bay,” Landon ordered, refusing to meet my gaze. “Did we miss something?”
“Just one thing,” Chief Terry said. “Do you want to tell them, Chloe, or should I?”
Chloe screwed her face up into a petulant frown. “I am not making this up.”
“Chloe might have found her brother’s pot stash before leaving the house this morning,” Patty supplied, her voice stilted. “I was not aware that she was … high … until Chief Terry pointed out how large her pupils were.”
Huh. I’d missed that telltale sign, too. I should’ve seen that. When you live on the same property with a woman who claims she’s curing glaucoma on a daily basis, you learn to recognize certain things. Of course, when you’re used to it you also start to overlook it.
“It seems Chloe might be a bad witness today,” Chief Terry said. “I think she probably fell into the water and needed someone to blame. Her mother agrees.”
“I’m really sorry, Ms. Winchester,” Patty said. “Chloe has been dealing with her brother’s death, and she’s been acting out a little bit. That doesn’t excuse the way I blamed you. I hope you can accept my apology.”
My stomach twisted with guilt. “I … .” Landon shot me a warning look. “It was an honest mistake. I don’t hold a grudge.”
“Of course not,” Chloe seethed. “You threw me in the water, and now you’re getting away with it.”
“That’s enough, Chloe,” Patty said, jerking her daughter’s arm. “We’ll be going now. Thank you, Chief Terry, for looking past this.”
“I understand she’s going through a rough patch,” Chief Terry said. “Try to … I don’t know … toss all of the drugs in the house.”
“I thought I had. Thank you … and I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Chief Terry said.
Once it was just the three of us, Chief Terry swiveled quickly. “Did you shove that girl in the creek?”
I took a step back, surprised. “No!”
Chief Terry relaxed. “Good. I didn’t think so, but I had to be sure.”
I rolled my eyes. “Was that your way of testing me?”
“If you scare people they’re more likely to tell you the truth,” Chief Terry explained.
“I wouldn’t lie to you!”
“I know, Bay,” Chief Terry said. “What did happen out here?”
I told him the story, expanding on a few points now that Chloe and her mother were gone. When I was done, Chief Terry was more confused than when I started.
“I don’t understand.”
“I’m not sure how to explain it to you because I don’t understand either,” I said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“Well, we did get something out of this,” Landon interjected. “We know that Dakota and Charlie were out here that night. Dakota might not crumble under pressure, but that Charlie kid will give up his mother if he thinks it will benefit him.”
“What did you guys find out about the knife?” I asked. “Chloe mentioned that there was a rumor going around town about you finding it.”
“This town’s gossip mill is churning overtime,” Chief Terry muttered. “The knife was in the water. It’s definitely the murder weapon, but there are no prints to lift. We’re trying to run the brand, but odds of us finding the owner seem slim at this point.”
“I’m bothered by Nathaniel’s admission that a lot of people were out here that night,” I said. “If people were out here, why has no one come forward to say they saw Nathaniel that night?”
“What are you suggesting?” Landon asked.
“Maybe they’re all hiding something. Maybe they’re not trying to cover up a murder. Maybe they’re trying to cover up something else. Even if one of these kids is a murderer, keeping the rest quiet would be a monumental task. There has to be a reason no one has come forward.”
Chief Terry’s shoulders stiffened as he shifted. “You think more than one person knew about Nathaniel’s death, don’t you?”
“I think that something else is being hidden out here,” I clarified. “I don’t think most of these kids have it in them to hide a murder. What if they’re hiding something else?”
“Like what?”
I shrugged. “Has anyone taken a good look around here?”
“We had people all over this place when the body was found.”
“Did they go to the other side of the creek?” I asked.
“I … .” Chief Terry rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Now that you mention it, I don’t remember seeing anyone searching that side of the creek. It’s wide and deep enough that you can’t simply wade across. Do you think something is over there?”
I shrugged. “It can’t hurt to look, can it?”
Landon and Chief Terry shared an extended look.
“What do you think?” Chief Terry asked.
“I think I’ve learned not to question her intuition,” Landon replied. “She’s right. This place should’ve been searched more thoroughly. Maybe we should look around ourselves first.”
“Okay. Let’s do it. If anyone throws me in the water, though – ghostly or otherwise – I’m arresting someone.”
Landon snickered. “Duly noted.”
Twenty-One
“Well, I guess you were right,” Chief Terry said three hours later, watching the county crew tear apart one of the biggest pot fields I’d ever seen. “I can’t believe this was right under our noses. I feel like a complete and total idiot.”
“Hey, you’re getting the credit for finding it,” I reminded him. “You look like a genius.”
“Only because we can’t tell people your witchy intuition led us to it,” Chief Terry muttered. “Where is Landon?”
“He’s over talking to the county guy,” I replied, my gaze landing on his broad back as he listened intently to whatever the man was saying. “I didn’t even know they had a response team for pot fields. You learn something new every day.”
“They have an entire drug team for the county now,” Chief Terry explained. “Meth is a huge deal in a few of the other towns. I don’t think they’ve seen a pot field this large in … maybe ever.”
“It was the perfect place to hide it,” I pointed out. “No one comes to Hollow Creek to swim. No one builds houses out here because the land is too dense and the ground too spongy. No one even bothers to go to that side of the creek. For all we know, they’ve been planting and cultivating this field for years.”
“That’s an interesting thought,” Chief Terry mused. “How did you know?”
“I didn’t know,” I countered. “I just had a feeling there was so
mething out here drawing these kids to the area. I had it last night, too. I kind of forgot about it with all the drunken foolishness and nudity.”
Chief Terry scowled. “The kids were getting naked out here? Landon didn’t mention that.”
“The kids weren’t getting naked out here,” I clarified. “Well, maybe they were. We didn’t see that. I didn’t see the true drunken debauchery until I got home.”
“Do I even want to know?”
I shrugged. “Let’s find out,” I said. The story was too good not to share. “Aunt Willa has my mother and aunts in an uproar. They’re tense and they broke last night. They all went to our ceremonial field and got hammered.”
“Where does the nudity come in?”
“Oh, they like to dance naked under the full moon. I thought you knew that.”
“It wasn’t a full moon last night,” Chief Terry said, his cheeks coloring. “I … I know about the dancing. I just don’t like commenting on it.”
“You should check it out one night,” Landon suggested as he joined us. “You’ll never be the same again.”
“You saw them get naked?”
Landon nodded.
“I’m not sure how I feel about that,” Chief Terry admitted.
“It’s not the first time I’ve seen it,” Landon replied, nonplussed. “I make a point to run when I know it’s going to happen. Unfortunately, when we tried to run last night we ran into Willa and Rosemary. They were out for a midnight stroll.”
Chief Terry frowned. “What were they doing wandering around in the middle of the night?”
“See, that’s why you’re a good cop,” Landon said. “I was too drunk to do anything but laugh when Marnie tossed her bra and it bounced off Willa’s head.”
Chief Terry’s mouth dropped open. Marnie is extremely well endowed. “I … .”
“It’s frightening,” Landon supplied.
“You did more than laugh,” I reminded him. “You gave Aunt Willa a saucy salute and wished her a happy new year.”
Landon snorted. “I forgot about that.”
“It sounds like you guys had an eventful evening,” Chief Terry said. “How did everyone feel this morning?”
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