by Terri Grimes
I swallowed hard, not sure how to respond to a statement like that. I was afraid that no matter what words came out of my mouth, it would just add fuel to the fire. And I wasn’t anxious to continue this confrontation or worse yet, have it escalate.
“Tell me,” she said in a half whisper. “Have you figured it out yet? Have you figured out how I know you’ve been spreading your whore legs for Sam?”
I raised my gaze from the magazine and met hers. Her eyes were hard beady pebbles of madness and her smile one of cruelty. “Why do I sense you’re about to tell me, whether I want to hear it or not.”
“I know because he sleeps with all his female clients. Ugly, pretty, young or old. Doesn’t matter. So don’t think you’re anything special.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, I think I do.”
I placed the magazine back on the rack, giving up all pretense of reading it. “Just what is it you want?”
“You know what I want. I want you to stay away from my man. The next time you try to spread your legs you better stop and remember that he is already spoken for.”
“What’s wrong, Amanda? Jealous?” I shot back with a smirk.
“Listen here,” she hissing, leaning her face close to mine. “Stay away from him or you’ll be sorry.” Then, she turned on her heel and in the blink of an eye, was gone.
“Holy shit,” I murmured. “What the French fudge was that?”
Twenty Eight
It was chilly outside and the wind was just starting to pick up. The threat of rain made it feel more like November than April. I wrapped my sweater tighter around me as I stood in the front doorway, watching Timmy walk up the steps in the early evening gloom.
“Sam’s van isn’t in the driveway. I take it he’s not here yet?” He looked around as he stepped onto the front porch.
“No, not yet.” I glanced down at my watch, dismayed to see that it was eight. Sam had wanted to start at seven to do a baseline. It was unlike him to be late.
“I wouldn’t worry about it, Gertie. He’s a big boy. I’m sure he’s just running late.”
“I hope that’s all it is.” My stomach was a jumble of nerves as I pushed the curtain aside and peeked out the front window.
“I’ve got good news for you.” Timmy voice was cheerful.
“Oh yeah? Dish it pal.”
“Well,” he drawled, taking his jacket off, draping it over the dining room chair. “I had a call from Sam this afternoon.”
“Why would he be calling you?” I asked, following him into the dining room.
“Well, why wouldn’t he call Urban Ghost Hunter’s official new case manager?” A wide smile spread across Timmy’s face as he watched my reaction.
“That’s great!” I drew him in for a big hug. “Does that mean no more Amanda?” I released him from my embrace. I was truly hoping it meant no more Amanda. After this morning’s confrontation, I wasn’t so anxious to cross paths with her anytime soon.
“I didn’t ask. But it’s not like she did much anyway. It sounded like all she’s been doing for your case is reviewing the digital video recording footage. And from what Sam said, she’s not been doing a good job of it at all. In fact, one of the DVDs is missing.”
“What do you mean, missing?”
Timmy shrugged. “Just what I said. Missing. He gave her three DVDs yesterday that he removed from the digital video recording machine this week and this morning she only gave him back two. She claims he only gave her two, but he said he knows she’s lying because the DVD from the digital recorder in the second floor hallway is gone.”
My jaw went slack and my mouth dropped open. “The upstairs hallway. You mean the digital recorder in front of my bedroom door?”
“To be technical, it covers most of the hallway including the guest room and the study doors as well as your bedroom door. But yeah, that’s the one.”
My mind burst into an epiphany as I pictured the camera angled in such a way that it covered my bedroom door and the top of the stairs. If the cameras were running constantly, they would catch everything going on in that hallway. And worst of all, everything in front of my bedroom door.
As the pieces fell into place all I could say was, “Oh.”
It all made sense now. That’s how Amanda knew Sam and I were involved. If she saw the DVR footage, she would have seen him going into my bedroom with me. And more important, she would have seen the passionate kiss we shared in front of my bedroom door moments before going in and not coming out until the next morning. Yup, her attitude made complete sense now. I felt a blush start at the base of my neck and work its way around to spread up the sides of my face until I was sure I was completely red.
“Gertie, are you okay?” Timmy voice was filled with concern as he peered at me.
“I’m fine,” I lied.
He pressed a hand to my forehead. “Your face is a bright beet red.”
I pushed his hand away. “I said I was fine. You don’t have to beat a dead horse to death. Just give it a break, okay?”
“Are you finished?”
“No,” I admitted, dropping into the dining room chair. “But I feel better.”
“Yeah, well I don’t know who pissed in your cornflakes today, but remind me not to make you mad.”
“I never claimed I didn’t have a temper.”
“True. But you might want to have a valid reason before you snap your best friend’s head off.”
“I’m sorry, it’s just been a rough day. I don’t mean to take it out on you.”
“What are friends for if you can’t vent on them.” He patted the top of my head.
I pushed my chair back and stood. “I’m going to splash some cold water on my face. Why don’t you give Sam a call and find out where the hell he is.”
“Sure Gert, not a problem.”
Standing in front of the closed bathroom door, I reached for the doorknob when it flew open of its own accord. I don’t know what this said for the recent state of my affairs but I didn’t even flinch.
My grandmother stood on the fringe of the tiny bathroom with my bath towel poking through her lower jaw and the towel bar jutting through the top half of her skull.
“You’re late.”
“Great. Just what I need to top this day off,” I muttered.
“Shut the door, girl. You’re letting all the ether out.”
“Ether?”
“Ecto-plasm, energy, spirit juice, whatever. Call it what ever you like, just shut the door.”
I shut the door and sat on the closed toilet lid. I looked up at my deceased grandmother. “I’ve had a rough day, Grandma. So be gentle, because I don’t think I can take much more.”
I shivered as a cold blast of air shot through my body as my grandmother attempted to hug me, her arms passing right through my upper body instead. Even though it chilled me to the bone, I felt comforted by the gesture.
“Thanks, Grandma,” I said smiling at her.
“Things are going to get better, my dear girl.” Her gaze was loving and her tone uncharactaristicly gentle.
“I hope so. God, I hope so.”
“Gertie, my girl, tonight is the greatest battle of your life.
“I don’t know that I can do this. I’m not worthy of this challenge.”
“Pshaw,” she gestured with a ghostly hand. “The love is in your heart, Gertie, use it. Your loving heart will set you free. Don’t be tardy for the party, my girl. Love will save you.”
“Don’t be tardy for the party?” I snickered.
Either my grandma was a fan of old country music songs or else she had, without my knowledge, watched The Real Housewives of Atlanta with me. Either way, it was a weird thing to say. I lifted my head out of my hands to tell her so when I realized she was gone. She had to stop zapping out like that. Not only was it rude, but also it was unnerving as all hell.
I went to the sink and turned on the cold water tap. Splashing my face with a liberal amo
unt of the bracing water, I grabbed the hand towel and patted myself dry. Then, squaring my shoulders, I opened the bathroom door.
I was glad to see Sam had arrived in the short time I was in the bathroom.
“Sorry I’m late,” he said as I entered the dining room. “I had a few errands to run first.”
“That’s okay, you’re here now,” I said.
He grabbed my arm and pulled me to him, wrapping his arms around me in a warm hug.
I buried my head against his chest, breathing in the scent of clean soap and spicy aftershave. His heart thumped against my face with every beat. I had never felt so safe in my life as I did standing there with him holding me, pulling me closer against him.
He bent his neck and kissed the top of my head. Then, burying his face in my hair he murmured, “It’s good to see you, Sugarbaker.”
A tiny happy sigh escaped my lips. “You too, Valentine.”
“Sheesh you two, get a room already,” Timmy quipped.
I flashed him a wink, one half of my face still buried in
Sam’s chest. I pouted with disappointment when he released me and started digging through the equipment piled on the dining room table.
“I did the equipment check and everything’s all set,” Timmy said.
“Good job. I knew I could count on you, dude.”
His face glowed with pleasure at the compliment.
Sam stopped loading himself with equipment and turned to look at me. “I want to go through the house first and do a few baselines and I’d like to do it alone.”
“Why do you need to do baselines?” This wasn’t making any sense to me. He wasn’t telling me everything.
“Gertie, I’d feel better if you’d let me go in first.”
“What aren’t you telling me, Sam? Spill it now.”
His chiseled jawline grew harder. I could see the gears turning in his head and it made me uneasy.
“Bishop Shoal suggested that only one of us go in. He said it would be much safer that way. Otherwise the demon could attach itself to the other person and we’d never get rid of it.”
“I don’t understand. We’ve always gone in together up to this point. We’ve faced it as a team. Why spilt up now?”
He put his thumb on my chin and lifted my face to meet his gaze. “Only one of us can do this tonight and I want it to be me. Can you understand I don’t want anything bad to happen to you?”
“But…”
He pressed his finger on my lips as he shook his head. “Gertie, I don’t know what this thing is between us or where it’s going to go, but I want the opportunity to find out. Please, let me do this my way. I’ve faced down demons a time or two and I know some of their tricks.”
I wanted to protest and explain to him that the mantle of demon hunter was my legacy. But as I saw the sincerity in his face, I couldn’t. He wanted so bad to protect me, I had to let him try.
“Okay. But if you need help, promise me you’ll call me on the walkie-talkie.”
“I will, I promise,” he vowed.
I stood on my tiptoes lifting my face to his and gave him a soft kiss on his lips. “I’m holding you to that, cowboy,” I crooned in a husky voice.
He smiled down at me and gave me a soft chuck on the chin as he winked. “We need to protect ourselves before we go any further with this.”
I saw a shadow of fear mar Timmy’s features. “But I’ll be in the van. You don’t think that …thing…can reach its power all the way to the driveway? Do you?”
“Always expect the unexpected. That’s the ghost hunter’s creed, pal.”
I wasn’t surprised to see Timmy go pale at Sam’s words.
Sam handed each of us a handwritten index card. “Let’s hold hands and bow our heads in prayer. And while we recite this prayer together each of us needs to imagine a warm, loving white light surrounding us and protecting us. That’s very important.”
“I think we can manage that,” I said.
I looked over at Timmy who was pumping his head up and down in a vigorous motion. “Yeah, not a problem.”
“Okay then,” Sam said. “Let’s begin.”
The three of us drew in close to one another and clasped hands.
We prayed together. “The love of God surrounds us. The grace of God enfolds us. The power of God protects us.”
“Amen,” I said in a half whisper.
As we broke apart, Sam turned to Timmy. “You’ll be manning command central out in the van.” He focused his attention on me. “Gertie, you stay out in the van with Timmy.”
“No way,” I protested. “I’ll stay in the kitchen but I’m not going to be stuck all the way outside in the van. What if you need me? Do you realize how much longer it will take me to come to your aid from outside?”
Sam gave me an unreadable look. “Okay, Timmy in the van and Gertie in the kitchen. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” I said. “But, I don’t know that I’m too thrilled with the idea of you doing this on your own.” That demon could be anywhere.” And my grandmother told me I’m a demon hunter, so shouldn’t I be the one to face this thing down? I wanted to add.
His thumb caressed the side of my face with a gentle motion. “Careful, Sugarbaker. You keep talking like that and someone’s going to think you care.”
I turned my head so he wouldn’t see the blush I was certain stained my cheeks. Not that I wanted anyone, least of all him, knowing it but that was the problem. I did care.
Sam snapped the battery case shut on the mini flashlight and shoved it in his shirt pocket. “Okay team, are we ready to do this?”
I took a deep breath. “Yeah, let’s do this. Mount ’em up cowboys, let’s get this rodeo on the road and finish that bastard off, once and for all.”
Sam grabbed my arm and pulled me close. Lowering his head, he planted a firm kiss smack dab on my lips that left me breathless.”
“Ahem.” Timmy cleared his throat before tittering in the background and exclaiming, “Now that’s the way to do it!”
Twenty Nine
I stopped at the back door of the van and poked my head in.
“Hey, Timmy. Just checking to see how you are holding up. Um, you are holding up, aren’t you?”
“Oh pah-leese.” He looked up from the monitors and with a wide smile, stuck his tongue out at me.
I giggled.
“Am I holding up? Sweetie, I’m doing great, thanks to the fact that command central is in Sam’s van in your driveway and not in your house. I don’t know how you’re managing to sit in that kitchen knowing what’s going on upstairs, right above your head.”
“Yellow-bellied chicken liver,” I teased.
“Yeah and proud of it, baby.” He flashed me a flamboyant wink.
“Speaking of holding up, how’s Sam doing? Heard anything from him recently on the walkie-talkie?” My heart fluttered in my chest as Sam’s name rolled easily off my lips.
Timmy shrugged. “Last time he checked in was about fifteen minutes ago from one of the guest rooms on the second floor. I’ll see where he’s at now.” He pushed the switch on the side of his walkie-talkie.
“Sam, come in.”
Static crackled in response.
“Sam, what’s your ten-four, good buddy?”
“Dude, that’s CB radio talk, not walkie-talkie ghost investigation talk.”
“What’s the diff?” Timmy hissed between clenched teeth.
“Both are over the air waves, so what-evah, toots.” He gave a flick of the wrist towards me in a dismissive motion.
I clicked my tongue in response. Drama queen. It was difficult to get pissed off at him though, because he was my drama queen.
“Sam, what is your position? Do you copy?” Timmy’s voice held a hint of alarm.
I raised an eyebrow in worry as once again, the only sound coming in response from the walkie-talkie was static. “I’m going in.”
Timmy swiveled around on the small office chair, turning to face me head on, his featur
es marred with concern. “Sweetie, I’m sure he’s fine. Maybe he went to the bathroom.”
He didn’t sound very convincing.
“In the middle of an investigation? No, I don’t think so.”
“When you have to go, you have to go.” He pressed the button on the side of the device again.
“Sam, do you copy?” This time his voice had a strong sense of urgency.
We both heard a shout coming from the walkie-talkie and the house simultaneously.
“Oh. Shit.” I stared at Timmy, who mirrored my own reaction. “Where is he?” I screeched, my tone of voice bordering on hysteria.
“I don’t know,” Timmy cried. “He was in the guest room at the end of the hall on the second floor when he last checked in.” He paused. “He said it was quiet up there.”
“Well it’s not quiet up there anymore.”
I whirled around and ran for the house at break neck speed while at the same time a terrible commotion blasted over the static of the walkie-talkie. I leapt up the front steps of the darkened house, taking the steps two at a time, while simultaneously pulling the walkie-talkie from the confines of my back pocket.
“Timmy, do you see him on the monitors?” I shouted into the device, flinging the front door open and barging up the stairs.
I could hear a horrific din overhead with shouting and what sounded like furniture being thrown. Through the noise coming from the third floor attic and the noise coming through the static of the walkie-talkie, I heard Timmy’s voice break through the static.
“I’m seeing shadows on the monitor coming from the attic. I think Sam is on the third floor in the attic.”
“No shit,” I screamed at the squawking box. “I’m on the second floor and it sounds like the attic is going to cave in from all the commotion up there. What the hell is going on, Timmy?”
“I can’t see a damned thing. All I see is black screen with the occasional even blacker shadow.”
I felt my heart sink down into my feet as I realized I had no choice but to go into the dark attic and find out what was happening.