by Gillian Zane
Liar
Karma Inc. Case 3
Gillian Zane
Contents
Liar by Gillian Zane
1. God Struck
2. Death by Chocolate
3. When You’re Gone
4. The Case
5. Passive Aggressive Diaries
6. Playing Around
7. Devious
8. Jack’s Burgers
9. Perfume
10. Dirk Delivers
11. Big Fat Liar
12. Permanent File Notations
13. Karma’s a bitch
14. Inappropriate Thoughts
15. Were-Gorillas
16. Black Soul
17. Dibs
18. Southern Addiction
19. Ten Years Since My Last Confession
20. Reprieve
21. Death Wins
Thank you
About the Author
Books by Gillian Zane
A PARAJUNKEE PUBLISHING eBOOK
LIAR. Copyright © 2017 by Gillian Zane. All rights reserved.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents, are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Editing by Raw Books Editing Services
Cover Design by Parajunkee Design
www.GillianZane.com
[email protected]
::: created in the USA :::
To those of you that need a dose of karma…good or bad.
It is right to give every man his due.
Plato
1
God Struck
What happens when you get a promotion in Afterlife? My now former boss was about to find out and he didn’t look thrilled.
“Back to work people.” The goddess who had just promoted him accentuated her statement with three staccato slaps and a big fake-ass smile. She stood there in her pantsuit and shiny, shampoo commercial, perfect hair and crossed her arms like she expected us to protest. I looked from face to face of the people crowded around the expansive patio that was our go-to meeting spot for the Karma Incorporated operatives. If I had expected to see some glimmer of defiance, I would have been disappointed. All of my co-workers looked as shocked as I was. We didn’t protest, but no one moved. That had to account for something. All eyes turned to Brandon who stood there looking at his feet like they were the most fascinating things in the world.
“I’m not kidding, people!” Persephone’s voice was high-pitched and girlish, at odds with her polished and refined look. “You’ve all been given new cases if you weren’t already on an active one. Get, get, get.” The goddess flapped her hands in a shooing motion, acting like this was normal and she hadn’t just rocked our undead worlds. Brandon stood at her side looking useless and defeated. He should be elated. He should be excited about moving on to the next plane of existence, but he only looked worried.
“I just got off a case.” The words popped out of my mouth, even though every cell in my body screamed to remain silent. Don’t poke the bear, Cassie.
The goddess’s eyes turned to me and her smile slid like a snake from her face. There was a duality behind the mask she called a face and I felt a sudden stab of fear. Her pretty, perfect lips dipped into a frown.
“What does that matter, Linda? You don’t need to sleep, to eat…”
“Cassie, my name’s Cassandra, Cassie for short.” I couldn’t control my defiance. I must have a death wish or something.
“Sigh,” she said out loud and rolled her eyes. “We all have our guillotine to bear, Carrie.” She shrugged and chuckled like she found herself highly amusing.
“Cassie,” I sighed to myself.
“But, not Brandon,” she continued. “No, Brandon will be moving on to bigger and better things.” She clapped him on the shoulder and he winced as if her touch pained him.
“Why are you all still standing here?” Her voice raised a couple octaves and I winced, the sound hurting my ears. My eyes were again drawn to the others in the room. Some had fled, but most had stayed, whispering and glancing at the goddess uneasily.
The last time I saw this many somber faces all gathered in a room was at a funeral. I’m sure my own facade was similarly mournful, even though a simmering anger was bubbling beneath it all. Brandon was moving on. I wanted to be happy for him. A promotion was a good thing, closer to the end-all. Whatever the hell that was. Closer to the reason for everything, or so we hoped. It had to be. If it wasn’t, then what was the reason for all of this?
However, this wasn’t right. He wasn’t getting promoted because he was ready, I knew this intrinsically.
As I studied his face, I knew he wasn’t happy. He felt the same way I did. He should be pleased; he had been waiting for this for over a century. Yet, here he stood with his face pulled into a frown, his eyes flicking from Persephone to the ground as if he didn’t want to let something show. And then his eyes shot up and found mine. My throat went dry and my stomach churned with anxiety. I had only begun to get the hang of this existence and Brandon was a big part of that. He couldn’t go now. Maybe that was the reason I was convincing myself something was wrong. Was it because I was being selfish? Did I not want him to go, so I was clouding it with negative emotions?
“Where’s he going?” Fallon asked, refusing to be shooed off.
“Will we see him again?” Tim questioned, emboldened by Fallon's question.
“Who’s taking his place?” Henry asked with a note of hope in his voice. Did he really think it might be him? I tried to hold back an eye roll.
Persephone held up her hands and looked to the sky as if she wanted to be anywhere else than this place and moment in time.
“Who’s going to be our new boss?” Fallon’s defiant tone had me smiling as the goddess’s irritated eyes fell on the pretty girl.
“Why, young lady, I am.” Persephone threw out her hands, posing in a dramatic fashion, and gave a big smile to the group, this one had real emotion behind it, she was preening. “Now, get out of my sight. How many times do I have to say it?”
“But, what about…” Henry went on, but Persephone held up her hand to stop him.
“Enough questions. All you little minions need to know is that I’ll be in charge until we get a replacement and I’m not one to be disobeyed. You have cases, go work them.” She bunched her shoulders and smiled like a gleeful child, her actions at odds with her words. I grimaced and her eyes flicked to my face.
“You heard me. Go. On.” Her eyes held mine
I paused, my eyes finding Brandon. He shook his head in a quick dismissal and jutted out his chin as if to say get going. I did as I was bid and dashed to my house with a million questions running through my head. What did this mean?
2
Death by Chocolate
I slammed the door, but it didn't slam hard enough for my preference. I wanted the world to shatter, to reflect how I felt right now. Break it all down; shake it up like a snow globe. The bitch thought she could come into our world and change everything. Every. Thing. From our apartments to the sky, and now Brandon. My foot slammed into something hard and I cursed. An intense feeling shot up my leg in white hot jolts and it took my brain a second to realize what had happened. Pain. My foot throbbed with pain.
“Lights. Fuck.”
/> The room brightened and there appeared to be a large terra-cotta urn overflowing with flowering plants in the middle of my hallway. What in the ever living Hell?
I didn’t know what to be more perplexed about; the urn in the hallway or the fact that I was actually feeling pain. Anytime I had injured myself in the past the pain had been minor, a dull throb like a faraway twinge. I compared it to a shadow, like my taste buds, a memory of what they used to be. A shadow of pain. A shadow of taste. A shadow of an existence. This wasn’t a shadow. I sat down and rubbed my foot as the dull sensation faded. Was I kidding myself? Was I just imagining that it had been that intense? Did I want it to be there? What did it mean?
I limped into the small kitchen. My curiosity was now piqued. This wasn’t a shadow. I wasn't imagining it. Something was happening to me.
I never used the kitchen. I had no use for eating or sleeping, courtesy of the being dead part. It had its upsides. No more worrying about calories. Since I had died, the only reason I ate was for enjoyment. But being dead also meant I didn’t taste things like I could when I was alive. Tastes were dulled and only strong flavors came through. Overly sweet treats, extra sour citrus, and the very salty snacks were a moment of tasty bliss. Yet, even those flavors were slightly dulled. I couldn’t remember exactly what they tasted like, but I knew what I ate now wasn’t it.
I closed my eyes and placed my hand on the empty fridge.
When I opened the fridge door all that lay on the pristine glass shelf was one slice of Death by Chocolate Cake. Chocolate on chocolate overflowed from the plate. I pulled it out and placed it on the counter, grabbing a fork from a drawer I had never needed to open before now.
The first bite had me groaning. I slid onto a barstool and pulled the plate closer to me. Damn, that’s good. The bitter and sweet flavor of the chocolate was divine, so sweet it was almost too much. My teeth hurt and my stomach rumbled in protest but I polished off the large slice with gusto. I hadn’t tasted anything like that ever. Or maybe I had. Memories tingled at the back of my consciousness. I hated not remembering my living life.
This taste was more than a memory, though. This was reality. Why could I taste again?
Something was changing. Was it because of Persephone and her additions to our world, or was it something to do with me?
I wanted to believe it was Persephone, a side-effect of all the changes she had made. Maybe one of those changes was to let us feel more, a kindness of sorts. This didn't ring true. I trusted my gut and it told me Persephone had nothing to do with this. It had everything to do with me, and how I was different from the others.
3
When You’re Gone
“Interesting choice.” The voice was a purr over my skin. I should have felt her, but for some reason her energy was muted until this moment. She sucked up all the air in the room and the smell of semi-sweet flowers clung to her skin like perfume.
“How did you get in here?” Not that it mattered; there were no locks on the doors in the Karma Compound. It was an unstated respect of privacy that kept us from going into other people’s houses.
“This entire realm belongs to me, Cami.”
“My name is Cassandra, Cassie for short,” I retorted, but she knew my name.
“Your name matters little.”
“I beg to differ, Persephone.” I picked up the plate and dumped it in a trash can next to the counter, cake and all.
“Young lady, you need to learn to respect your betters.” Persephone stepped forward, her nostrils flaring as she neared.
“Did you come here for a reason?” I would ignore the betters part, which was a matter of perspective.
“My new job duties. I want to evaluate my new team. Especially the newest recruit who doesn’t seem to be doing a very good job in her position.”
“What do you mean? I’m doing my job, and well, I might add.” I tried to force down the petulant tone that was surfacing.
“You have the lowest…” Her voice trailed off like she was distracted by a thought. That flare of the nostrils again, reminiscent of all people, Drake Greco.
“Persephone?” Brandon, without knocking came rushing through my front door, concern written all over his face.
“What is it, Brandon?” The goddess turned to him, the mask of civility slipping for a second.
“I thought we were leaving.”
“We are, but I needed to handle a few things.” She turned back to me. Then in a flash she was in front of me. Her movements were quick as she placed her hand on my chin, holding me still. She leaned in and took a deep breath, then pulled back. Her forehead wrinkled as she studied me.
“Looks like I’m not the only one interested in this division,” she whispered and let her hand drop away from my chin.
“What?” I asked but she didn’t answer. She turned, her hair fluttering across my face. I had never smelled anything like it. It made me light-headed, hopped up and antsy. I almost reached for her as she marched in the opposite direction.
“I have things to do, Brandon. Meet me by the pool in twenty.” The door slammed shut and Brandon and I were left alone.
He crossed the floor quickly and his arm was instantly around me. Somehow my knees had gone all weak like a silly little girl.
“It’s okay,” he cooed as shivers took over my body and my teeth chattered.
“Wh-wh-what’s wr-wrong with me?” I stuttered.
“God-struck,” he said like this made sense.
“I feel high,” I muttered and then with a deep breath I had my teeth under control.
“It’s different for everyone,” he cooed as he rubbed my back. He had pulled me down onto the sofa with him. I was practically sitting in his lap as he comforted me. It was actually kind of pleasant. It had been a long time since I had been touched. “If they let their power leak out too much, it overwhelms whoever is with them.”
“Who’s going to tell me all this when you’re gone, Brandon?” Shame at my whininess followed my statement.
“You’ll survive. She’ll get bored and someone else will get promoted.”
“Why is she so interested in me?”
“You’re different, Cassie, and the PTBs aren’t used to things being different. They’ve run this place in the same fashion for millenniums. When something different comes around they pay attention, like a shiny new toy.”
“I don’t want to be a new toy.” I chewed hard on my lip to stop the frustrated tears that were pressing against the bottom lids of my eyes.
“If I only knew why I was different,” I added softly and I let my head fall to his shoulder. I was still a little dizzy, still a bit light-headed. I closed my eyes because of the sparks popping in my peripheral vision.
“Can I give you some advice?” Brandon asked.
“Mmm hmm,” I murmured and lifted my head to look him in the eye, blinking away the sparks.
“While she’s in control, don’t look for answers, you don’t want her figuring it out first.” His face gave nothing away, only mild concern.
“I can’t just…”
“Yes, you can,” he interrupted and his lips touched mine. It was sweet. Light. Friendly. Brandon. Before I could react by either deepening the kiss or pulling away, he pulled away. His lips were gone and I was sliding from his lap.
“She’ll be waiting.” Brandon moved toward the front door.
“Do you know where you’re going?”
“No.”
“I…”
“You’ll be fine, Cassandra. You’ve got this.”
“I’m scared.”
“So am I.” His words were so soft I might have imagined them.
4
The Case
Her name was Lori Kay because there was another Laurie, but the other Laurie spelled her name with an ‘AU’. To set herself apart she was Lori Kay. Kay as in the middle name, not the letter. Her last name was Biggly. Lori Kay Biggly. Maiden name Craig, but she goes by Biggly now. No hyphenation or ‘feministly’
holding on to names for this girl. She actually used the word ‘feministly’ when going over this with me.
“My daddy spent thirty thousand on my wedding, I might as well go by my husband’s name. But, you know, clients will still ask for Lori Kay Craig. Just so you know who to direct them to, the calls that is.” She smiled showing her perfect teeth. Little white Chiclets all in a row and so white I squinted from the glare. Someone’s daddy also spent a lot on caps.
“I’m not the receptionist,” I said, glancing over her shoulder at the other people who were peering over the top of their cubicles.
I had reported to work promptly at eight this morning as I was directed by my new case file. I thought I was done with The Butterfield Agency after I helped put their COO behind bars, but Karma had more targets behind these walls. Miriam, as promised, had a new and improved position for me. Whether it was a token of her pity, or a well-deserved promotion, I had no clue. All I knew was that I was an executive assistant for a short while, then I was almost raped by my boss, but was luckily saved by the HR lady - who promptly promoted me. I guess it was karma. I crack myself up.
Miriam herself walked me down to the bullpen and introduced me to the Account Executive in charge of this department. I was shown to an empty cubicle and told he would get back to me shortly. The AE had a lot on his plate at the moment because of recent events involving their COO, so it might be awhile. I was left on my own. That was about the time the wolves descended. For a wolf, she had awfully small teeth.
“No, really.” Lori Kay pursed her lips and looked me over in a slow perusal. “We need a receptionist. Miriam understood we needed a receptionist. So, I’m sure, since you’re new that’s what you’ll do. Seniority and all.” She smiled again. There was lipstick on her teeth and little flakes of mascara on her cheeks. I hated my new target immediately. Her smug, ‘I’m-your-friend-but-don’t-trust-me’ smile had me clenching my fist and gritting my teeth as I smiled all-fake-like back. Her case file read like a mean girl’s handbook for the stupid.