by Gerri Hill
Then CJ pulled out of her and Paige collapsed onto the bed. She heard CJ fumbling with the dildo, knew CJ needed her own release. She managed to roll over and pull CJ to her, her hand moving between their bodies, finding CJ. With fingers on her clit, she let CJ move against her. She was so wet, Paige had a hard time finding purchase but it didn’t matter. CJ came quick and hard, her moan muffled as she buried her face against Paige’s neck.
CJ rested her full weight on top of her, and Paige’s arms wrapped around her, holding her close as they relaxed, their breathing slowing, trying to get back to normal. She kissed CJ’s forehead, her lips lingering on her damp skin.
With eyes still closed, she accepted what she’d been warring with. She was in love with CJ. That declaration would have frightened her a month ago, two weeks ago even. But now, right here, with CJ in her arms, it didn’t scare her in the least.
CJ pulled up, shifting slightly as she rested her weight on her elbows. Their eyes met in the soft light around them and there was nothing that CJ tried to hide. Paige felt tears dampen her eyes, and she was surprised to see the same in CJ’s. Could CJ read her too? She swallowed, wondering if she should say the words, wondering if it mattered.
CJ’s hand touched her cheek, fingers grazing lightly across her skin, moving over her nose and to her lips, then back up to her ear, a lazy finger tracing it. Their eyes held for a long moment and she felt trembling, not knowing if it was her or CJ. Then CJ kissed her, her lips moving so slowly and tenderly against her own, Paige thought she was going to burst with the love she felt in that moment.
But they said nothing. CJ pulled the covers around them and Paige snuggled against her, feeling safe and secure in her arms…feeling loved.
Chapter Twelve
CJ pulled to a stop in front of the Wicker house, and all four of them stared out through the windows at the imposing structure. The skeletons of long-dead oaks and pines stood guard in front of the house, their bare limbs spreading like fingers, protecting it.
“Man, I don’t know why we have to do this,” Ice said again. “I got a bad feeling about this place.”
“It’s broad daylight,” CJ said, as if that mattered. “You really don’t want to go in?”
“Oh, hell no,” he said. “First you had me in the woods being chased by a goddamn monster and now this?” He pointed to the house. “Hell no.”
“You don’t really believe in ghosts, do you, baldy?” she asked.
“No, I don’t believe in ghosts. I also didn’t believe in monsters out in the woods, but that proved to be wrong, didn’t it?”
From the backseat, Billy held his hand out. “Here’s the key to the gate.”
CJ drove on to the side of the house where the driveway was. Ice got out and opened the gate.
“I’ve never seen him like this,” Billy said.
“Me either,” CJ said. “But it’s his phobia so we have to respect that. If he doesn’t want to go inside, that’s his choice.”
She pulled through and waited for Ice to close the gate again and get back inside. She drove slowly toward the house, coming to a stop where tall weeds had overtaken most of the driveway. She turned to Ice.
“You want to stay inside the truck or wait for us outside?”
He hesitated and CJ knew he was fighting with himself over his decision. Even though she was sure his choice would be to stay inside the truck, he chose the opposite.
“I’ll walk the perimeter of the fence, see if anything is disturbed,” he said.
“Okay. We’re just going to take a quick run-through, see if anything jumps out at us.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she realized the double meaning. She laughed. “Not literally jump,” she clarified.
The windows were boarded up on the bottom floor, the wood discolored and faded, held in place by rusted nails. The boards had been pried away in places, offering a view of the inside. She bent down at one corner, cupping her face as she tried to see inside. It was dark and shadowy and she was surprised to find furniture.
“Looks like it’s still furnished,” she said.
“It is kinda creepy,” Billy said quietly. “A lot of the windows are busted out.”
“It’s just a house,” CJ said. “Let’s open her up.”
Billy produced the key Deputy Brady had given them. The house was old, but the deadbolt on the door was modern, probably added when the Underwoods lived there.
The hinges screeched in protest as Billy pushed the door open. Nearly simultaneously, all three of them clicked their flashlights on, chasing some of the shadows away. The air was dank and musty. A thick layer of dust covered nearly every surface and cobwebs stretched from ceiling to floor.
“Why must there always be spiders?” Paige asked in a near whisper.
CJ smiled at Paige’s reference to the tunnels in Hoganville, which had been littered with spiderwebs.
“It doesn’t look disturbed,” Billy said.
“You can tell that from right here at the door?” CJ glanced at him. “Ice’s paranoia rubbing off on you?”
“I’m just saying.”
CJ reached out and moved a web out of the way. “I’ll take the stairs. You two take a look down here.”
“Yeah, okay, you take the stairs,” Billy said quickly, as if afraid she’d change her mind. “I’ll take this way.” He headed down a side hallway to what CJ assumed was the kitchen.
“This looks like a living room or a den,” Paige said, pointing her light toward the large room opening off of the entryway. Her feet crunched on broken glass as she passed a boarded-up window.
“I’m just going up to the second-floor landing,” CJ said. “But Billy is right. It doesn’t look like anyone’s been in here in years.”
The stairs creaked under her weight, and she paused at the fourth step, sensing eyes on her. She glanced down, thinking she’d find Paige watching her, but Paige was nowhere in sight. She shook her head slightly, then moved up another three steps. She immediately felt cold air surround her, as if she’d stepped into an air-conditioned room.
“Okay, this is weird,” she whispered out loud. It lasted only a few seconds, then was gone.
She moved up another few steps but quickly leaned against the wall as running footsteps sounded along the stairs. She felt a whoosh of air as the sound faded.
“I did not just hear that,” she murmured. “Paige?” she called. She saw Paige’s flashlight turn her way.
“Yes?”
“Everything okay down there?”
Paige walked to the bottom of the stairs. “Nothing looks disturbed,” she said.
“You…you hear anything?”
Paige tilted her head questioningly. “Like what?”
Billy came up behind Paige. “Spiderwebs, dust. No footprints,” he said. “No one’s been in here.”
CJ stood frozen in place, almost afraid to look up to the second- floor landing. Four steps remained. She swallowed nervously, then shined her light up the stairs. Nothing. She let out a nervous breath, then shook her head. Damn. Maybe Ice’s fear was rubbing off on her.
“Okay. Nothing up here.”
She was just about to turn and go back down when she felt a hand brush her neck. She whipped her head around, seeing nothing. But in an instant, ice-cold air literally made her shiver. Just as quickly, it was gone, replaced again by warm, muggy air. She turned and nearly ran down the stairs, not stopping until she was outside.
Ice stared at her as she put a hand to her chest, feeling her hammering heartbeat. She opened her mouth, taking in big breaths of fresh air.
“What the hell’s wrong with you?”
She shook her head. “Nothing.”
Paige came up behind her and touched her arm. “What’s wrong?”
“Yeah. You ran out of there like a ghost was chasing you,” Billy said with a laugh.
She turned to him, her face serious. “Maybe it was.”
Ice backed up a few steps. “Whoa now. What the hell? Are you
jacking with me?”
CJ turned to Paige, meeting her gaze. “You didn’t hear anything? Running footsteps on the stairs? Cold air?” She swallowed. “A hand touching you?”
“Oh, fuck,” Ice muttered as he jumped off the porch and headed to the truck. He turned, pointing at CJ. “If you’re fucking with me, I’ll be so pissed.”
She shook her head. “I’m not fucking with you.” She looked at Paige. “Anything?”
She slowly shook her head. “No. I didn’t hear anything. I didn’t feel anything.”
“Me, either.” Then Billy grinned. “Are you serious?”
“Shit. Maybe I…maybe I imagined it.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe I let Ice’s haunted house story get to me.”
“Tell me what happened,” Paige said.
CJ ran her hands through her hair and blew out a breath. “I was about, I don’t know, five or six steps up when I felt this cold air surround me. It only lasted a few seconds. Like it was a draft or something. Then I was almost at the top when I heard running footsteps on the stairs. Like two or three people—kids—were running up behind me. I felt a whoosh of air as if they’d run past me.”
Billy’s eyes opened wide. “Seriously?”
She nodded. “Then when I turned to go back down, I felt a hand, fingers, brush the back of my neck and then another blast of cold.” She laughed nervously. “That’s when I bolted.”
“Okay, can we get the hell out of here now?” Ice said. “I told you, I had a bad feeling.”
Paige held up her hands. “Wait. Let’s just wait a minute,” she said. “If you really felt—heard—all this, and it wasn’t your imagination, then…”
“Then what?” she asked.
“I don’t know.” Paige pointed to the still-open door. “Let me go in, retrace your steps.”
“Oh, hell, you’re crazy,” Ice said as he backed up even further. “Let’s just get the hell out of here.”
“Ain’t nothing going to get you, baldy,” CJ said, hoping that was true.
“You want me to go with you?” Billy asked.
Paige nodded. “Yeah. At least come inside with me.” Paige looked at CJ. “You?”
CJ looked past her to the open door. “I’ll…”
“I’ll wait out here” is what she wanted to say. But instead she said, “I’ll watch from the door.”
CJ stood just inside the threshold, expecting to feel cold hands on her at any moment. Paige walked confidently to the edge of the stairs, pausing to look back at her. CJ nodded. Billy stood at the bottom, one hand on the railing as Paige started up. She went slowly, deliberately, stopping a few times, cocking her head as if listening. At the top of the stairs, she flashed her light around, then shrugged.
“Nothing.”
CJ bit her lip. Hell, maybe she had imagined it all.
“You want to go up again?” Billy asked.
CJ shook her head. “No, no. I’m good.”
Ice came toward them as they went back outside. He held up his phone.
“Shane Thompson called. He’s got some info for us.”
“That’s great,” Paige said. “Maybe we can catch a break.”
“Did you call Deputy Brady?” Billy asked.
“No. And I don’t plan to.”
Chapter Thirteen
Ice held his hand out, shaking Shane Thompson’s. “Thanks for calling.” He pointed to CJ and Paige. “Special Agents Johnston and Riley.”
“I don’t have a whole lot for you, but I was able to persuade some of the parents to ask their children,” he said. “As much as they trust me, they were fearful.”
“I gave you my word,” he said. “We’re not here to bust anyone.”
Thompson nodded. “I hope your word is worth something.” He motioned to the door. “Come inside. I’m sure we’re being watched.”
“Do you know who the parents are?” Paige asked.
“Yes. They’re willing to come forward.” He turned to Billy. “Like you said, they want a funeral.”
He didn’t take them down the hallway and into his private office. Instead, he stopped in the main office. The same young woman was behind the same desk—his daughter. He glanced at her and she immediately got up and left them.
“The young kids, they play along the forest road that runs along the edge of our property,” he said. “The boy’s name was Juan. He had just turned six. They didn’t have him in school yet.”
“What road?” CJ asked. “National Forest Road?”
“Yes. A dirt road that goes into the Sam Houston National Forest.”
“Did the other kids see what happened?” Ice asked.
“Yes. A car came speeding down the road from up in the forest. They tried to get out of the way. Juan didn’t make it.”
“When was this?” Paige asked.
“A week ago. Last Wednesday.”
“His body was found on Thursday,” Billy said.
“He was obviously moved,” Ice said. “What happened after the car hit him?”
“There were two men in the car. They put Juan in the trunk and drove off.”
“Can anyone describe them? The car?”
Thompson shook his head. “It was dusk. It gets dark early in the forest. The best I could get was that it was some kind of sports car. It only had two doors.”
Ice turned to the others. “It’s almost dark. You hit a kid on the road.” He shrugged. “It’s an accident. Why take the body and run?”
“Someone who couldn’t afford an accident,” CJ said.
“It’s all I have,” Thompson said. He took his cap off and twisted it in his hands. “Look, Juan was born here. His parents, not. They don’t speak any English. I don’t know what protocol is here when they want to claim his body. There’s a small Catholic church used by the Latino community. My people go there. They want to have a funeral and bury him there.”
Ice nodded. “I understand. We can see about granting immunity to the parents. That’s not really my call. I’m just giving you my word that immigration is not involved.”
“We can ask the sheriff’s department to release the body,” CJ said. “Providing the ME is finished.”
“Not yet,” Ice said. “He hasn’t issued his final report.” He turned to Thompson. “I’ll call the ME, get him to release the body as soon as he can. I’m assuming you’ll take the parents there?”
He nodded. “Yes. Thank you. I appreciate it.”
Ice shook his hand again. “Thank you for the information. If you hear anything else…”
“Of course. I’ll call.”
Back outside, they got into CJ’s truck. She pulled out of the driveway and headed in the direction of their hotel. They had checked out earlier, but Billy’s truck was still there.
“What do you think?” Ice asked.
“About what we had assumed,” CJ said. “Except we have two guys and not one.”
“Why take the body to the Wicker house, though?” Paige asked. “That just doesn’t make sense.”
“Yeah, we can speculate all day long, but until we have some concrete evidence, we got shit,” Ice said.
“Howley will want to meet in the morning. I guess we can speculate then,” CJ said. “Let’s go home.”
Chapter Fourteen
Paige studied CJ from behind, noting her light grip on the remote, noting the eyes that stared at the TV, eyes that rarely blinked. She had no doubt that CJ hadn’t a clue as to what she was watching. She walked around the sofa, holding out a glass of wine.
“You want to talk?”
CJ looked up, acknowledging her finally. She smiled quickly.
“Sorry. What?”
Paige sat down beside her and took the remote, turning the TV off. “Talk? You want to talk?”
CJ blew out her breath, then leaned back, holding her wineglass but not drinking. She turned slowly, her gaze thoughtful.
“I keep telling myself that I imagined all that in the house.” She swallowed. “But I know I didn’
t. I felt the cold. I heard running on the stairs.”
“I’m not doubting you,” she said.
“But why didn’t you feel it too?”
Paige sipped her wine, trying to find the words that she assumed CJ needed to hear. “Do you remember the first time we went into Hoganville? To the café?”
“Yes, of course.”
“We were at the table and Ester Hogan came in. I didn’t feel anything. Yet you felt as if someone was choking you. You said you felt a weight on your chest.”
CJ nodded. “Yes. But you felt it too, later, in the chamber, in the cave. When she was—”
“Yes, I felt her hands around my throat, felt her choking me, yet she wasn’t close to me, wasn’t touching me. But at the café, we both were there. Yet only you felt something.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“She targeted you in the café, not me. If there is something…a presence…in the house, it targeted you today, not me.”
“Like a ghost?” CJ laughed nervously. “Seriously?”
“Look, I don’t really believe in ghosts.” Paige smiled. “At least I don’t think I do. But we know there are people who do. There are documented cases. There are haunted buildings—hotels, houses—all over the world. But I don’t mean ghosts, like I see a shadowy shape in the corner and,” she laughed, “if I do, that’s where I run screaming from the room.”
CJ smiled slightly. “An apparition then?”
“An apparition is still a visible sighting of something, isn’t it?” Her voice softened. “Did you see anything?”
CJ shook her head. “No. But I felt something.”
Paige nodded. “And that’s what I mean. If there’s something in the house, whether we call it a presence or a spirit…or a ghost, it reached out to you. I don’t doubt that you felt something, CJ. Just because I didn’t doesn’t make it true.”
“If we hadn’t been in Hoganville, if we hadn’t witnessed what Ester Hogan could do, if we hadn’t had that damn creature chasing us through the woods, would you still believe me?”