“Wait! There are charms to keep Paranorms out my home? Does that mean they might break in without them?” Grace was not happy thinking about the consequences of what that could mean, particularly with the Glamour still on the loose.
“Paranorms rarely go around willy-nilly breaking into people’s homes. But in your situation, they might get curious about who you are and not be as well-mannered as to leave you to your privacy. These ‘friendship’ charms won’t ward your home, but they’ll be a reminder to Paranorms to be on their best behavior and be polite about your home and space.”
“And where do you get these charms? Do you make them yourself?”
“It’s an important part of the ritual of sharing for a Paranorm to make the charms themselves. I made these for you and Danny.” Sophie looked at her hands before returning her gaze to meet Grace’s. “And the protection wards we get from The Family.”
“I take it you mean Nicco’s Family.”
“Yes.” Sophie shifted from one foot to another with the direction of the conversation.
“Do you have time before you go to help me put these up in the house?”
Grace forced the impatience arising from Sophie’s request from her mind. Her friend had spoken once again on her behalf. The least she could do would be to help her put up the charms. A few minutes delay wouldn’t make a big difference in solving the problems she needed to discuss with Nicco. And it would give her a chance to ask Sophie about something that was sitting in the back of her mind since the last meeting with him—something she thought would be safe for Sophie to talk about.
As they hung the charms, Grace cleared her throat. “You know the case I’m working on with Anthony?”
“Yes. I’m sorry to hear what happened to your friend. Anthony said he was staying with him for you while you keep working the case.”
Grace fiddled with the flowers in the arrangement she was holding. She was confident Billy’s family and Anthony would call her as soon as his status changed. The doctors weren’t expecting anything to shift for a few days. That meant she could focus on the tasks at hand and put her energy there, rather than with Billy at the hospital.
“My friend, DL, is the one who asked me to take on the case. When I mentioned he was a tattoo artist, Nicco said something intriguing. He told me I should be careful about getting tattoos because they carry special meanings to Paranorms.”
Sophie stopped in the middle of hanging a charm, her eyes searching Grace’s face. “Is that all he said—they hold special meaning to us?”
“Yes.” Grace mentally crossed her fingers behind her back. “That’s all he had time to say before our meeting finished.”
Sophie stared down at the charm in her hand, her fingers playing with the string tying it to the bundle, refusing to meet Grace’s eyes.
“Is this something you can tell me about?”
Sophie cleared her throat, still refusing to look up from the charm. “I would like to tell you more, but I’ve already gotten in trouble for telling you too much earlier.”
Nicco must have kept his word about speaking to Sophie’s family. Grace reached out to still Sophie’s busy fingers. “I’m so sorry that revealing the Paranorm world to me got you into trouble with Nicco. I didn’t realize I was putting you at risk by asking for your help.”
Sophie looked up at Grace, biting her lip.
“But what you shared with me has helped Danny and me already. I’ve passed Nicco’s tests, and I guess you’d say I’m ‘on retainer’ with him. That pretty much puts me smack dab in the middle of the Paranorm world, don’t you think?”
Sophie gave a hesitant nod.
“But I have a lot of catching up to do to understand how this whole ‘being a Paranorm and part of The Family’ thing works. You gave me the warning about not pissing Nicco off—protecting my powers and Danny. I would have blundered horribly at my first meeting with Nicco if I hadn’t had your warning. I’m hoping you can mentor me some more about other aspects of the Paranorm world so I can avoid similar mistakes. Nicco didn’t give me much of anything to go on, but since he mentioned the tattoos, it must be important. Can you tell me more?”
After a moment’s hesitation, Sophie set aside the charm and faced Grace with her hands clasped tightly in front of her. “Okay, Grace. I brought you into this world, I should at least give you some pointers on how to make your way in it. Each Paranorm receives a tattoo when they choose the person in The Family who will be their patron, for lack of a better term.”
Sophie held up her hand when Grace tried to interrupt with her next question. “A Paranorm gets to choose for themselves which member of The Family they’ll work with once they reach their sixteenth birthday. We call it the ‘scelta di vita’ or ‘life choice.’ This is a permanent alignment, and to represent the lifelong relationship, each Paranorm will receive a tattoo of their particular Family member’s symbol. Nicco’s symbol is the raven, and each Paranorm working for him has a raven tattooed on their right shoulder.”
As she was describing this, Sophie pulled down the collar of her shirt to expose her right shoulder and reveal a small raven tattoo. This raven was about one quarter the size of Grace’s tattoo, and it was of a bird in a standing pose instead of in flight.
Oh shit! Grace forced herself to focus on the right questions to ask. “Are they all like yours, these raven tattoos?”
“No. There are three types of tattoos.” Sophie released her shirt collar. “The tattoo I have is the one you get when you make your ‘scelta di vita.’ Every Paranorm working for Nicco has this one.
“The second tattoo is only for those Paranorms who hold a special position with The Family member they serve. It’s a position of honor and respect, and with it, they receive a change to their tattoo—to add wings to put the raven in flight. We call it ‘ottenere le ali’ or ‘getting the wings.’”
Grace’s heart skipped a bit.
“Does anyone in your family have the wings?”
“The only ones who do, and are still living and working for Nicco, are Marcella and Anthony’s father. Anthony is anxious to earn a pair for himself, but he’s still too young for it.”
“And the third tattoo?” Grace prompted.
“The third tattoo is a mystery to my generation for the most part. The rumor is it’s a flying raven carrying a sacred scroll that’s placed on the left shoulder. No one in my family’s history has ever had such a tattoo that I know of. Marcella and the other older members of our family are unwilling to talk about what it means. That’s as much as I can tell you about the third tattoo.”
Great, just great. No wonder Nicco was curious about her tattoo. It looked like she was already claimed as his by the Paranorms’ definition. She wasn’t sure how she felt about serendipity making that type of decision for her. But now she had more information on her side than Nicco suspected she knew. Forewarned was better.
“Thanks, Sophie. I guess I better not be getting any raven tattoos in the near future, then,” Grace said.
Sophie laughed with Grace. They finished hanging all the charms in short order. Grace felt better knowing she possessed an outward sign Sophie’s family was behind her, even in this small way. As they said their goodbyes at the door, Sophie stopped and bent down to pick something up from next to the door.
“I almost forgot,” she said, handing Grace a bouquet of mixed flowers in a glass vase. “These were sitting there when I got here.”
“Thanks.” Grace took the vase and waved goodbye to Sophie. As she set the vase down on the table, she noticed a small envelope. She froze when she read the message.
I’m sorry your friend Billy is in the hospital. Take care of him.
Rest assured, you are all on my mind and I will be watching over all of you closely.
Especially you, my dear. I have great plans for you.
It was signed: Your new friend.
Chapter 38
Grace raced to the kitchen and grabbed the lighter from the drawer next to the
sink. She flicked open the top and struck a flame, getting ready to put the card into it, when she stopped herself. It was possible the Glamour wrote the card and brought the flowers himself. It was within the realm of possibilities that he was that arrogant, and destroying the card would eliminate the opportunity to check for finger prints.
Grace closed the lighter and visualized the dark material sliding away from her hand. The chances were slight, but she might be able to read something from the card. She grunted in frustration when all she saw was what appeared to be the back room of a flower shop with a woman in an apron cutting and arranging flowers into vases.
Resigned that her abilities weren’t going to help, she grabbed a small plastic zipper bag from the pantry and shoved the card into it. She placed the bag in the refrigerator to help preserve the evidence on it. She planned to reach out to one of Billy’s relatives on the force for help. All they’d need to know to follow through on investigating the card with the forensic group at the station would be that Billy’s attacker was the reason behind her request.
Grace returned to the living room, grabbed the vase full of flowers, and headed back into the kitchen. She threw the flowers and vase into the trash can and slammed the lid, then changed her mind, opening the can again. Pulling out the flowers, she left the vase in the trash. Grabbing a pair of scissors from the knife block, she savagely cut the stems and petals, throwing the pieces into the sink. After shredding the bouquet, she fed them through the disposal until nothing remained.
Thanks for the flowers, she snarled, dropping into one of the chairs at the kitchen table to catch her breath.
She still couldn’t believe the Glamour figured out who she was and where she lived this fast. He must have some powerful resources at his disposal. It confirmed their suspicions he wasn’t the only one involved in the case.
Grace stood again and paced around the room. She was right to ask Anthony to stay with Billy and for Danny to keep an eye on DL and Beth. It was tempting to go back to the hospital and protect them herself, but she needed to see Nicco.
The arrangement with Nicco made it impossible for her to call him with her questions. She had to be there in person to do the readings in order to get the answers she needed from him. She had to have faith in Anthony and his family to stop the Glamour if he showed up at the hospital.
The worst thing to do was spend time tormenting herself about Billy’s and the others’ safety. She needed her full attention on the meeting with Nicco and making plans to capture the Glamour as soon as possible.
The Glamour was hoping to keep her off guard by threatening her friends—trying to get and keep the upper hand in what was becoming a contest of skills and will. But if he didn’t realize it already, he would soon learn that this was personal—Grace would never back down. Not until she dealt with him permanently.
Grace thought back to her conversation with Sophie. Sophie mentioned Paranorms might try to get into her house out of curiosity. The Glamour had more reasons than other Paranorms to get into her home. The hair on the back of her neck stood up as she realized the flowers had arrived while she was in the shower.
Returning to the table, she grabbed her Glock from the holster lying there. She didn’t notice anything suspicious when she came home from the hospital. She wasn’t surprised she’d missed something, given her state of mind and physical exhaustion. No dead bunnies boiling on the stove, but she wasn’t paying much attention when she returned home. She had only dropped off her stuff in the kitchen and gone right to the shower.
Grace left the kitchen to begin a circuit of the house, starting with the front rooms and working her way up to the second floor. She checked all the security locks on the windows and doors as she went, making sure there was nothing broken and no signs of forced entry.
She checked each room, with particular focus on her bedroom and Danny’s room. But nothing appeared to be moved or taken. Although with the mess in Danny’s room, it was anyone’s guess if it remained unchanged from when he was last there. She would have to wait for him to get home and check the room for himself.
Grace went back to the first floor, realizing she had not checked the kitchen windows or back door. The locks on the windows and the door were fine, but her skin was still crawling, prompting her to check the back yard. She unbolted and opened the door, leaving the screen door closed for the moment. Two flowers lying on the top of the steps drew her attention—a daisy and a red tulip.
Grace stood there staring at them in a daze. Could this day could get any more surreal? The Glamour had found her home and knew about Billy and her friends at the hospital. But somehow, he also knew about her parents, the graveyard, and the flowers she brought to them. She felt like an insect underneath a microscope, watched by unseen observers. It was time to be paranoid.
Holding the pistol in one hand, Grace cracked open the screen door. She slid past it, making sure it didn’t make noise when it closed. She realized a second later that she was silhouetted by the kitchen light standing in the doorway—it was pointless to attempt stealth now.
Her instincts were telling her to scout the back yard. Grace stepped over the flowers as she descended the back steps, avoiding the cracked and roughened concrete on the bottom. She surveyed the ground at the base of the steps in the light from the open door. There were no obvious footprints in the grass, but enough time had passed since the delivery for evidence to disappear.
She turned from the steps and looked out into the back-yard, letting her vision adjust to the dim light. She walked the fence to make sure nothing was hiding in the shadows. The Glamour, or his accomplice, was long gone. He most likely let himself in by the gate and out again. But she couldn’t keep herself from checking around the house to feel some sense of control over her environment again.
As she suspected, Grace found nothing unusual and returned to her kitchen. The flowers, she left to rot where they were. She was finished with mind games and being pushed around by this guy.
She would postpone her meeting with Nicco. She needed time to make a trip to the hospital to check on everyone and tell them the Glamour was a real and immediate threat. She had to talk with Danny about how they would tackle the case without the help of Billy, Anthony, or DL.
Chapter 39
While Grace was at the hospital looking in on Billy she also wanted to check on DL and Celeste and see how Anthony was holding up. She was surprised to find Sophie sitting outside the room when she got to Billy’s floor.
“You must have come straight here after leaving my house,” Grace said as Sophie rose to greet her.
“Yes. I couldn’t get Anthony to leave his watch. I thought I would spell him for a while to give him time to grab something to eat and get in a quick nap.”
“He told you what we’re up against, and why he’s staying here?” Grace asked, surprised Anthony would talk about what was happening with anyone other than Nicco.
Sophie lowered her voice to a whisper. “I didn’t ask for all the details. But he shared enough to let me know it involves a Paranorm, and that’s why he’s staying—to keep an eye out for your friend.
He gave me a description of the man you’ve been trying to catch. I’d recognize him if he came to the hospital. There are other Paranorms who work here, and they’re on alert too. Anthony should be back soon if you want to wait to talk to him.”
“No.” Grace was touched her friend would help out in whatever way she was able to, regardless of how little she knew of the situation. “I wanted to see that Anthony got a chance for a break, but it looks like you beat me to it. Thank you.”
“Sure, Grace. I’m happy to do it. I’ll let Anthony know you stopped by to see him.”
Grace considered leaving a warning for Anthony with Sophie, but knowing the Glamour knew they were at the hospital would change nothing. They were all taking this seriously enough already. There were more people than she thought looking out for Billy.
Grace gave Sophie a hug and opened the door
to Billy’s room. Billy’s mother was sitting by Billy’s side, holding his hand in one of hers, using the other hand to stroke his arm. Grace moved to the opposite side of the bed to talk to Mrs. Winiarksi face-to-face.
Mrs. Winiarksi smiled at Grace over Billy’s still form. “Good to see you, Gracie. I’m glad you stopped by. Your friend Anthony has been attentive and helpful, but it’s great you’re here.”
“I’m so sorry for what happened to Billy,” she began.
But Mrs. Winiarksi interrupted her. “No need to apologize. Billy wouldn’t be part of something if he didn’t believe in it. He’s always believed in you. If you had a case which needed his help, I’m sure he was happy to do whatever he could for you. It’s always the risk you take when you’re working on the side of justice—something might go wrong, and people might get hurt. You can’t let that stop you from trying to do what you know is right.”
“I wish it was me instead of Billy in this bed, Mrs. W.” Grace’s guilt at everything that happened nearly overwhelmed her again.
“Nonsense, child!” Mrs. Winiarksi’s eyebrows furrowed. “Don’t go taking on trouble when it’s not yours to take. There’s a reason you accepted this case and a reason you’re still standing here right now. To finish it. If it was important enough for Billy to get injured trying to help that girl, then it’s important enough for you to do your job and finish it.”
Grace smiled around her tears at Mrs. Winiarksi’s gentle reprimand. Raising a houseful of rambunctious boys had given her the skills to manage and motivate them into doing the right thing when it needed doing. Some tough love was what Grace needed at this point.
“You’re right. That’s what I need to do. Finish it.” Grace crossed the room and bent down to hug Mrs. Winiarski while she was still seated, so she didn’t need to let go of Billy’s hand. “You’ll call me if anything changes?”
“Sure, honey. We’ll let you know as soon as anything changes,” Mrs. Winiarksi assured her, shooing her out the door before turning back to watch over Billy.
Glamorous: A Grace Bishop Novel (Grace Bishop Novels) Page 17