The Guardians Complete Series 1 Box Set: Contains Mercy, The Ferryman, Crossroads, Witchfinder, Infernum

by Wendy Saunders

  ‘Bet that gave you a bit of a jolt,’ she murmured.’

  ‘You can say that again,’ Veronica shook her head.

  ‘So what happened next?’

  ‘She just smiled and said, ‘good morning buttercup.’ It was what she always used to call me and then she just started chatting away like we’d only just seen each other last week.’

  ‘I’m assuming nothing like this has ever happened to you before?’

  ‘No, I shrugged it off the other day when you mentioned you had one in your house. I’ve never believed in ghosts before, but then again I’ve never had a two-hour conversation with one before.’

  ‘Were you scared?’

  ‘I was a bit at first but then when she started talking it was just Grams and it felt so natural.’

  ‘If you don’t mind me asking what did you talk about?’

  ‘Just normal stuff,’ she shrugged, ‘the family, the weather. She was asking me if I was enjoying my new job.’

  ‘What was your relationship like when she was alive?’

  ‘We were really close,’ her eyes filled suddenly, ‘she was always there for me. She accepted me just the way I am, something my mother has never been able to do. I was heartbroken when she died.’

  Olivia took her hand and squeezed comfortingly.

  ‘What should I do?’ Veronica wiped a stray tear and looked at Olivia.

  ‘Nothing,’ she smiled softly, ‘she’s not trying to hurt you in anyway. You have been given something few people experience. Another chance to see someone you have loved and lost. Just enjoy whatever time you have together.’

  ‘You don’t think I’m crazy then,’ she sniffed.

  ‘No, I don’t,’ she told her quietly, ‘but I will give you a friendly warning. Mercy is no ordinary town and strange things have a habit of happening around here, so you shouldn’t question your sanity every time something does.’

  The bell rang for last orders and Olivia looked up as the door opened and a familiar face wandered in.

  Jake stepped aside as two customers left and noticed the pub was now empty except for Olivia and a petite mousy woman who were sitting at the bar.

  ‘Jake,’ Olivia frowned as he approached, ‘what are you doing here? Where’s Theo?’

  ‘Relax,’ he sauntered over casually, ‘your boy’s fine. I got called out on an emergency but he’s back at your place with Tommy.’

  ‘This is Veronica,’ she introduced them. ‘She’s new in town and working at the Museum with Renata.’

  ‘Hey,’ he nodded in her direction.

  ‘Hi,’ she mumbled uncomfortably.

  Olivia’s brow rose in at her friend’s sudden change of tone. Boy she wasn’t kidding when she said she didn’t know how to talk to guys.

  ‘I…um I’m just going to use the restroom,’ she slid off her seat but as she turned to move she caught her foot in the leg of the bar stool and went down in an ungraceful tangle of limbs.

  Olivia bit back an amused smile as she watched Veronica disappear below the bar.

  ‘You okay?’

  ‘I’m fine,’ Veronica suddenly reappeared on her feet, smoothing down her skirt, her cheeks flaming red. ‘I’ll be back in a minute.’

  ‘How much has she had to drink?’ Jake watched her disappear through the door to the restrooms.

  ‘Only a couple of glasses of wine,’ Olivia smiled at him. ‘I think you make her nervous.’

  ‘Some people are just naturally skittish around cops,’ he shrugged.

  ‘I think it’s more that you’re ridiculously good looking.’

  He grinned at her.

  ‘It’s a curse.’

  ‘I’m sure,’ she rolled her eyes, ‘so what was this emergency?’

  ‘Car accident out on Oak Lane.’

  ‘Oh,’ she frowned, ‘was anyone hurt?’

  ‘No thankfully,’ Jake picked up what was left of her coke and drained it.

  ‘Hey!’ she complained, ‘that could have had alcohol in it for all you know.’

  ‘No it wouldn’t.’

  ‘How do you know?’

  ‘Because your car’s out front and you’re too sensible to drink and drive.’

  Sighing and shaking her head she turned to face him more fully.

  ‘So what happened with the accident? Are the roads getting icy again?’

  He shook his head. ‘Oak’s not too bad actually, they’ve just been out and ploughed the road. Fact is I’m still not too sure what happened. It was Jerry Foggert, he lost control of his truck and swerved off the road into a ditch and hit a tree.’

  ‘Is he okay?’

  ‘Yeah the old guy’s tough as nails, few bruises and scrapes is all, but we did haul him off to the medical centre just in case. I think he might have a bit of a concussion. When we tried to ask him what had made him swerve he wasn’t making any sense.’

  ‘Why? What did he say?’ Olivia asked curiously.

  ‘He said his brother had appeared in the passenger seat next to him.’

  ‘Appeared?’ she repeated slowly.

  ‘Yeah,’ Jake shook his head, ‘Problem is Brian Foggert died, had a major stroke last spring. I tested Jerry but he came up clear for alcohol so must’ve hit his head harder than he thought.’

  ‘Yeah must’ve,’ Olivia murmured thoughtfully as Veronica rejoined them.

  ‘I should probably be getting home,’ Veronica frowned.

  ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘I left my boots at the Museum.’

  ‘You walked down?’

  She nodded.

  ‘It’s alright I’ll give her a ride home,’ Jake interrupted, ‘then I’ll drive out to your place Olive and pick up Tommy.’

  Olivia nodded.

  ‘Oh you don’t need to do that,’ Veronica stammered, flustered at the thought of being trapped in a car with the hot blonde haired blue eyed cop and having to make conversation with him.

  ‘Sure I do,’ he smiled easily, ‘it’s all part of the job. Now where do you live?’

  ‘The apartment complex on Louis Street.’

  ‘I know the one, that’s just around the corner from my place,’ he nodded.

  Olivia stood and shrugged into her coat as did Veronica.

  ‘Hey Jackson,’ Olivia called out, ‘Thanks.’

  He lifted his head to look at her and smiled. Suddenly several of the glasses which Shelley had lined up on the bar to be stacked in the dishwasher, began to shake and tremble as if they were caught in an earthquake. Everyone froze, including Jackson, as the glasses shot along the length of the bar skidding to the end where Olivia and the others stood. They stopped abruptly as if they had encountered some kind of invisible shield and then one by one they exploded violently sending glass shards flying.

  ‘What the hell?’ Jake swore as the pub once again fell silent and still.

  ‘I’m so sorry,’ Jackson rushed over to them, ‘is anyone hurt?’

  ‘No,’ Olivia dusted the glass from her coat, ‘I’m okay, Veronica?’

  ‘I’m okay,’ she replied her eyes wide behind her golden framed glasses. ‘Jeez you weren’t kidding when you said weird stuff happened in Mercy.’

  ‘What’s going on Jackson?’ Olivia asked suspiciously.

  He blew out a deep breath. ‘We seem to have a visitor.’

  ‘By visitor you mean?’

  ‘A ghost,’ he sighed.

  ‘Looks more like a poltergeist,’ Olivia frowned, ‘Jackson when did all this start?’

  ‘About a week or so ago,’ he frowned, ‘I started noticing cold spots, flickering lights, strange smells.’

  Veronica and Olivia threw each other a glance.

  ‘Then the knocking began, but whenever you walked into the room there was nothing there. This is the first time things have been moved or it has acted violently.’

  ‘This can’t be a coincidence,’ Olivia shook her head.

  ‘Wha
t can’t be?’ Jackson frowned.

  ‘A couple of weeks ago a ghost showed up at my house, a young girl. Turns out she’s an ancestor of mine. Veronica here started having cold spots and flickering lights then this morning her dead grandmother showed up. Jake’s just been out to an accident where the guy driving swore blind his deceased brother had appeared in the passenger seat next to him, which caused him to lose control of the car and crash. Now this?’

  ‘What the hell is going on?’ Jake frowned.

  ‘I don’t know yet,’ Olivia shook her head, ‘but I’m going to find out. ‘I don’t think Veronica or I are in any immediate danger as our visitors seem to be pretty benign, but I have to say Jackson what I just saw concerns me.’

  ‘I’ll be alright darlin’ I’m made of sterner stuff.’

  ‘I don’t like the thought of you being here on your own tonight. You can come back with me and stay in one of the spare rooms if you want.’

  Jackson smiled affectionately at Olivia. ‘I appreciate the offer love, but this is my home. I’m not leaving.’

  ‘Fine’ she sighed heavily, ‘but I’m going to be by in the morning with a friend of mine who can help.’

  ‘Who?’ Jake asked before realizing who she meant, ‘not that crazy British woman?’

  ‘What crazy British woman? Jackson asked in interest.

  ‘Her name is Fiona,’ she threw Jake a warning look, ‘she is a little eccentric but she really does know what she’s talking about. She’ll at the very least be able to figure out who or what we’re dealing with.’

  ‘Alright, come on around the back in the morning to the private entrance,’ he told her as he walked them to the front door.

  ‘Are you sure you’ll be okay?’

  ‘Stop fretting Olivia I’ll be just fine.’

  Not really happy to leave him but resigned she allowed him to usher them out and lock the door behind them. After saying goodbye to Veronica she left Jake to see her safely home and headed back herself.

  Jake pulled up outside Veronica’s building and glanced across at the stiff woman sat next to him. She’d barely said two words to him since they’d left the pub.

  ‘The paths are pretty icy, you need any help getting to the door?’ he asked.

  ‘I’m fine,’ she fumbled with the door handle and stepped out of the car.

  Jake rolled down the window as she slammed the door shut.

  ‘Thank you for the ride,’ she told him awkwardly as she leaned down to the open window.

  ‘No problem, just be…’ he watched her let out a yelp and then disappear, ‘careful…’

  Shaking his head he climbed out of the car and headed around to the sidewalk where she was laying sprawled out on the ice. Grasping her gently he hauled her to her feet as if she weighed nothing.

  ‘Thank you,’ she mumbled, her cheeks blazing red.

  ‘Are you sure you don’t want a hand,’ he glanced down at her really ugly shoes. ‘You’re not exactly wearing the right shoes for this weather.’

  ‘I said I’m fine,’ she snapped, completely mortified.

  ‘You’re from Boston right?’

  ‘Yes why?’

  ‘Figured as much, the accent,’ he smiled. ‘I’d have thought you’d be used to winters like this.’

  ‘I am,’ she hissed. ‘I’m just having a bad day.’

  She turned abruptly, intent on heading into her building as quickly as possible but her heel caught on the ice and she felt a whoosh of air leave her lungs as she went down again.

  ‘You’re going to give yourself a concussion at this rate,’ Jake shook his head.

  She felt herself once again hauled to her feet, but this time she stumbled into him, causing him to falter back himself. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and tried to get his balance before they both went down.

  ‘You should come with warning labels.’

  Her heart was pounding in her chest as he pressed her firmly against him, her glasses sliding down her nose as she gazed up at him.

  She had really blue eyes was all he could think as he held the tiny woman in his arms.

  ‘I ah,’ he frowned shaking his head to clear his thoughts; ‘I think you should probably just let me help you or we’re both going to end up at the emergency room tonight.’

  Not trusting her voice Veronica simply nodded as he relaxed his grip on her. Taking her arm in his he managed to get them across the path and up to the front door to her building without further incident. Taking out her keys she unlocked the door.

  ‘Thank you deputy.’

  ‘Jake,’ he replied.

  ‘Jake,’ she repeated softly, giving him a small hesitant smile she turned and smacked her head on the door.

  Holding her head with one hand she turned back to Jake, who was watching her with a straight face although his eyes danced with amusement. Leaning forward wordlessly he turned the handle and opened the door for her.

  Unable to force another thank you out of her mouth she locked the door behind her and headed up the stairs to her apartment with her dignity trailing mournfully along the floor behind her.

  Chapter 6

  Olivia glanced across at Theo who was slumped in the passenger seat. His head had fallen back against the headrest and his mouth hung slightly open. Due to the dark glasses he was wearing she couldn’t tell if he’d fallen asleep again but from the light snore escaping his mouth every now and then, she guessed it was a definite possibility.

  ‘Theo,’ she nudged him, her mouth curving in amusement as she pulled up to the curb.

  ‘What?’ he murmured.

  ‘We’re here, wake up.’

  He lifted his head gingerly, swallowing slowly.

  ‘I think I’ll just stay here, you go.’

  ‘Oh no you don’t,’ she nudged him again as his head fell back against the seat; ‘the fresh air will do you good.’

  ‘Nothing will do me good,’ he pulled off the glasses wincing at the bright light as he tried to focus through bleary eyes. ‘I appear to have a headache in my left eyeball.’

  ‘Sorry honey, I have no sympathy,’ she laughed lightly. ‘That was a big boys’ drinking session, now you have a big boys’ hangover. There’s nothing you can do but pay the piper.’

  He groaned again and she took pity on him.

  ‘Here,’ she handed him a ‘to go’ cup, ‘I stopped at the coffee shop while you were out cold. It’s fully leaded and full of sugar. That’ll get you up and moving.’

  He pulled the lid off and swallowed deeply.

  ‘Ah,’ he sighed happily, ‘I love you.’

  Choosing not to answer she climbed out of the car and moved around to his side.

  ‘Come on,’ she opened the door, ‘get up and get moving, you’ll feel better for it.’

  ‘You’re a cruel woman,’ he unfolded himself from the car and took another gulp of coffee.

  ‘What on earth possessed you two to go through the two six packs Jake brought, all my beers and then an entire bottle of Don Julio?’

  ‘It seemed like a good idea at the time,’ he mumbled.

  She shook her head in amusement and started up the path, leaving Theo to drag himself along in her wake. As she raised her hand to knock, the door was suddenly wrenched open forcing her to take a step back in surprise.

  ‘Morning Fiona,’ Olivia smiled pleasantly.

  Fiona glanced at her through narrowed eyes. She was still wearing her bright lurid colored flannel pajamas buttoned up haphazardly over a gaudy orange t-shirt. Her wild grey hair was sticking out all over the place and her mouth was set in a grim line.

  ‘Been expecting you’ she moved aside, ‘get in here you two.’

  Olivia stepped through the door, closely followed by Theo who only nodded silently in greeting.

  ‘Something wrong?’ Olivia asked as Fiona slammed the door shut.

  ‘You tell me,’ she frowned. ‘Ever since that girl showed up at your
house my phone has been ringing off the hook with reports of sightings.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘I’ve never heard of spirit activity on such a large scale. Even Kennicott, Alaska and St. Elmo, Colorado, which incidentally are reputed to be two of the most haunted towns in America, can’t compare with this. It’s like Mercy is suddenly flooded with the dead.’

  ‘Are you sure?’ Theo frowned.

  ‘Of course I’m sure, my head is so full of their voices it feels like my skull is about to split open.’ ‘What did you do?’ she turned to Olivia.

  ‘Nothing,’ she shrugged helplessly.

  ‘Are you sure, you must’ve done something. Your spirit seems to be the catalyst, the gateway for all the others. She appeared and they all followed suit.’

  ‘I swear I didn’t do anything Fiona, she just appeared that’s all I can tell you.’

  She grunted slightly mollified.

  ‘What have you managed to find out then?’

  ‘Her name’s Charlotte, she was my Grandmother’s aunt. She drowned the night before her wedding to the Mayor’s son. I haven’t any proof yet but I get the uncomfortable feeling her death might not have been an accident.’

  ‘You’re probably right’ Fiona conceded, ‘restless spirits especially those locked in death cycles usually have died in violent circumstances. You still haven’t been able to communicate with her?’

  Olivia shook her head.

  ‘I came close; she recognized her name when I called her, especially when I called her aunt. She seems to be aware of the familial connection between us.’

  ‘Blood recognizes blood, that’s probably why she showed herself to you.’ Fiona paced the floor restlessly, ‘we need to figure out what she’s trying to tell you. Maybe then we can figure out why the other spirits have suddenly made an appearance.’

  Fiona stopped pacing and scratched her chin thoughtfully.

  ‘We’ve been lucky up until now, most of the sightings have been pretty harmless but with the rate the deceased are pouring into the town it’s only a matter of time before we get some nasty ones.’

  ‘That’s the reason I’m here,’ Olivia replied.