I situated myself in the passenger side and buckled in. I held on to Osiris and concentrated on scratching his ears. I focused on the wrinkles of his skin, refusing to look up at what was left of the house. “Maybe I should—“
“No, tonight you go get a hotel room. You process and regroup. I will handle everything, it’s well before dawn.”
It was just after sundown and someone had tried to kill me…with two vampires in the house. Did they plan for that? I rubbed my eyes and tried to think back to when I got home. The security system had still been set; there hadn’t been anything out of the ordinary. I hadn’t left the door open behind me for an unusual amount of time. I looked down at Osiris. He’d gone downstairs and then back up, so I doubted the cat could have anything to do with it.
“You said there was something about the case that was bothering you.” Levi said a few minutes into our drive. I hadn’t remembered him backing out of my driveway or anything.
I nodded. “The house had a room covered in runes from the Cult of Ra. I didn’t want to say anything in front of Mario, because I don’t know who to trust.”
“You can trust him.” Levi didn’t hesitate.
“You said I could trust Tomes as well and he had me kidnapped.” I leaned my head back. “Here’s the odd thing about the runes. I was welcomed in by the magic, but Nick was not.”
“So whatever was in there was for you. What was it?”
“It was sealing in a poltergeist who doesn’t like me.” I laughed. “It’s really been a bad couple of days, even by my standards.”
“Do you think they purposely trapped the poltergeist in there to harm you?”
“No, because it didn’t come out until Nick came into the house.” I hesitated. “I know it sounds strange, but I’m wondering if they didn’t seal it up to help me. To make sure I could come into the house to solve the crime.”
Levi was quiet for a few moments. “Why would they do that?”
“I don’t know. After killing my parents, and Merick making it very clear that I was not on their good side, I don’t expect help from them.” I leaned my head against the window. “I don’t understand any of this.”
“When you’re a little more clear-minded then we can discuss you staying at the mansion.” He turned onto the highway. “Until then, a hotel close to the office.”
I tried not to roll my eyes. “I’m not staying at the mansion with Mario there.”
“I told you that you could trust him.”
I snorted. “I don’t feel like I can, maybe that’s still the shock talking, but there’s something about him that I can’t put my finger on.”
Levi was quiet for a moment. “Then where do you plan on staying while your house is taken care of?”
I pressed my lips together and thought about my options. I chose one that didn’t include me mooching off someone else. “I can stay at my parents’ old house. The contractors finished with the walls in the basement. I should be fine there. Not many people know that I still own the house, which means it’s safe. I can have my security system subscription moved there.”
“I don’t know if that’s a wise idea. The mansion—“
“Not while Mario is there.” I cut him off. “I don’t want him poking around in my business any more than he already has.”
He twisted his hands on the steering wheel. “You invite no one into that house. Understood? Not even Nick. I’d prefer if you perform all magic out of the house as well.”
“I’m not going to blow it up.” I muttered. “Not even Clarissa?”
“No one, Abby. Just you and the cat.” He glanced at the sleeping feline in question. “Even then I don’t know if I want him in the house.”
I didn’t like the request, but if agreeing got him off my back, I’d be willing to bend, and if something came up…well, what Levi didn’t know didn’t hurt him.
I got checked into the hotel and laid back on the bed. Levi had made me promise again that I wouldn’t allow anyone in the old house. He’d have it ready by tomorrow night and have a new phone delivered to me by the end of tonight. Osiris curled up on my stomach and started to purr. I scratched his ear.
“Just you and me tonight, buddy. Guess I’ll take a night off without meaning to.” I closed my eyes. Levi and I had managed a trip to the store, so I had a pair of clothes for the next day and the cat had everything he needed. My eyes shot open at a sound in the next room and my heart skipped a beat. I lay in silence waiting for another noise. Nothing but voices came through the thin wall and I sighed. Paranoia.
Sleep was probably not happening tonight. I moved Osiris off me and went to the door of the room and placed my hand on the knob. Taking a deep breath I called on my magic and whispered a basic spell. It’d let me know if anyone tried to get in and out of the room, giving me some peace of mind. I stepped away from the door and leaned my head against it. What the hell was I thinking? Staying at my parents’ old house for the first time since I was four. The last time I visited there I found runes on the wall from the Cult.
But the other option of staying at the mansion while Mario was there didn’t really seem safe either. When had I run out of safe places to stay? This was one of those moments where if I had a phone, I’d call Clarissa. But no, the phone was destroyed in the house. I couldn’t use the hotel room phone because I didn’t memorize numbers anymore. Who did in this digital age?
I looked back at the cat and took a deep breath. I was not going to break down. I was not going to cry over this. I was alive, that’s what mattered. It didn’t matter that this was the third attempt on my life in a year.
Holy shit. I was living on borrowed time. It was only a matter of time before one mistake killed me. What if Osiris hadn’t come running up the stairs? I would have died. With the other attacks on my life, I had depended on my magic to save me. It wouldn’t have saved me this time because I had no warning signs that something was wrong. Other than Osiris’ reaction. I slid down the door and put my head against my knees and sobbed. I couldn’t be strong this time. I deserved to break down, just once, while no one was watching.
Osiris came up and nudged my elbow and started purring again. I gave his body a half ass pet and tried to regain control of myself, but I couldn’t get past the lump in my throat that had formed when I started crying. My pants were wet with my tears when I finally looked up at the animal. I swore I saw understanding in his eyes. I took a few shaky breaths and pulled myself back under control. There was only one way to solve this problem. Get down to the bottom of why someone was trying to kill me. I’d solve it like I did any PIB case. Start with seeing if there was any connection between the attempts. Tonight though, I needed to sleep and push past the shock. When I was somewhere that wasn’t public I’d start pulling together what I knew. I didn’t want to use any system that could be tracked because…paranoia.
I glanced at the cat who patiently sat by my side. “Okay, let’s get some rest. Tomorrow is a new day and I’m sure Levi is going to be here before dawn with a phone.”
I pulled myself off the floor and wiped my eyes. The shock still ate at me, but I could move forward from this.
CHAPTER FIVE
The sun streak peeking through the crack in the curtains stirred me awake. Levi hadn’t dropped off the phone last night, but there was a blinking light on the hotel phone saying that I had a message. I wasn’t sure who knew I was here, but I picked it up and listened to a message from the front office saying they were holding a package for me. I assumed it was probably my phone. I pulled myself out of bed and went to the shower.
I undressed and assessed the bruises on my body. Lifting my arm, I looked at the black and blue appearing around my ribs from the drawer slamming into me. Other than that, small cuts and bruises from my tumble on the ground dotted my arms. Another reminder that I was lucky. I stepped into the shower, the hot water rolled down my skin, stinging some of the small cuts and reminding me of the promise I made the night before. I would find out who was
behind trying to kill me. It was only a matter of time before I did and when I figured it out, that person better run.
I washed and got out. I pulled on the clean clothes slightly regretting that I wasn’t able to wash them first, but at least they weren’t dirt stained. I looked at Osiris. “You be a good cat while I’m gone. Don’t annoy the neighbors.”
He gave me a droll stare and I chuckled before I left. I walked down to the front desk and mustered up a friendly smile.
“There was a message on my machine saying that I had a package waiting for me. I’m Abigail Collins.”
The lady smiled. “Of course.” She picked up a package from behind the counter. “He told me to let you know that it’s active and it’s the same number.” Thank the Goddess for small favors. I took it from her.
“Thank you. Have a nice day.” I walked away from the desk and opened up the brown envelope. Levi had managed to get me the same type of phone that had been destroyed. I tossed the packaging on my way out the door. I used one hand to turn on the phone while I walked to the car. I’m sure I’d missed at least one call and maybe a couple texts while the phone was gone. True to my thoughts, the moment the device was done booting up, two texts popped up and three voice mails. I got into the car before looking at the messages.
One was from Nick wondering what the hell had happened to my house, that there was something on the news about it. The second one was from Clarissa telling me that if I needed anything to let her know. I would have loved her help in my new mission, but it was best not to include her. I shot Nick a message saying that I’d be in the office soon and one to Clarissa simply saying ‘thanks.’
I set the phone up on the hands free system on the car and checked the voicemails. One was from Nick, stating the same thing. The other one was from Jason saying he’d found more than just one skeleton in the yard, that they were processing what they’d found and would be returning today to canvass more. Apparently they needed more than just this team. The third came from an unknown number asking to meet with a promise of calling back. I didn’t know the voice at all and they didn’t leave a name.
I threw the car into gear and drove to the office. The amount of bodies found sat in my mind. There was no actual count, but they had to go back to find out if there were anymore. I took the highway heading away from the office and called Nick.
“You are lucky to be alive Abby,” was his greeting.
“Yep, I know, trust me, that’s all I thought about last night. I’m going back to the house. Meet me there?”
I heard a frustrated growl in his voice. “I thought you were coming to the office.”
“Changed my mind. I want to see if I can find that basement.” Something beeped and I realized someone else was calling me. “Got to go, I have another call. I’ll see you there in a bit.”
“Abby—“
I switched calls before he could protest any more. “Agent Collins speaking.”
“Agent Collins, this is Chris. I have those blueprints you wanted, but I wasn’t able to get a digital copy of them. Can I meet you somewhere?”
“I’m actually on my way to the house, can you meet me there, just outside the driveway?” I switched lanes to pass someone going under the speed limit.
He hesitated. “I don’t have to step foot on the property?”
“Nervous, Chris?” I couldn’t keep the chiding tone out of my voice. “You don’t have to step foot on the property, and you can’t because it’s a crime scene right now.”
“A crime scene?” His voice rose a little bit. “I thought the crime that happened there was a cold case.”
“I can’t discuss the details, but why are you so nervous?”
“Because there’s a ghost on that property and she really doesn’t like me.” He muttered.
I tightened my hands on the steering wheel. “You never mentioned a ghost before, nor did you mention that you had the sixth sense.” That would have been nice to know beforehand.
“I didn’t think it was relevant to your case. I’ll meet you there.” He disconnected the call and I continued on my way. I wasn’t sure if it was something that would be relevant, but it would have been nice to know, not to mention he knowingly sold a haunted house to someone without disclosing it. If I could track down that person, then maybe I could figure out what exactly happened in that house and why there were several bodies and ten severed thumbs on the property.
I saw a shiny red car parked at the edge of the dirt driveway, the driver’s side window was down revealing Chris. I parked my car behind him and got out. Walking to the window, I tried to find the confidence that had faded the night before. This was work, this was not personal.
“Blueprints?” I asked nicely.
He handed me a folded long leather portfolio. “I had to call in a few favors.” He’d mentioned it before, but I wasn’t going to push. That was his business, not mine.
“Thank you.” I grabbed it from him. “Thanks for meeting me here.”
“You were already on the way and you are investigating a murder, so I guess it was only fair.” He started the car and put his sunglasses on. “But I’m not staying long, even being this close makes me nervous.”
I tucked the portfolio under my arm. “You do realize that you’re supposed to disclose if the house is haunted.”
“I told her about the murder, I wasn’t going to confess to my sixth sense and ruin a cash sale.” His tires squealed as he rushed by me, leaving a trail of smoke in his wake. I went back to my car and put the blueprints on the passenger seat and headed to the house. A bad feeling ate at the inside of my stomach as my tires crunched over the gravel. I probably should have waited for Nick to soothe the ghosts over before I tried to find this basement. With the blueprints in hand though, I should be able to locate it without going in.
Vehicles dotted the driveway. I spotted a couple of coroner vans, a police cruiser, and Detective Mason’s truck. I parked behind him and got out. Mason stood at the front door, his hands on his hips and looking up at the house.
“Poltergeist doesn’t like you either?” I guessed as I walked up behind him. He spun around and faced me.
“Nick told me you were on your way and to keep you out of the house. I was here helping Jason with the canvassing for bones.” He crossed his arms. “We’ve found some more bones, some possible fragments.”
I handed him the blueprints. “Since I can’t go in the house, will you look over these with me and go in if we need you to? At least until Nick gets here?”
“Is it really a poltergeist that is keeping you out?” Mason raised a brow. He walked to the nearest car and flopped open the blueprints.
I flattened out the portfolio and ran my fingers over the blue pages, studying the white text. “This house has had a lot of renovations since this blueprint.” I muttered. “The room by the kitchen was added.”
“Abby, the poltergeist?”
“Yes, I can’t go in because the ghost apparently knows that I’m connected to Levi and he hates vampires.” I turned the large page. The white title at the top made my stomach sink. “Basement one.”
“How can a house have multiple basements?” I turned the page and saw ‘basement two.’
Mason peered down at the papers. “It’s not unheard of. There was a man in Austria who had a basement in two parts, two different entries, though the second one wasn’t known until later.”
“So someone sealed off two basements in this house, after the woman was found and the house sold.”
“Maybe to stop the ghost?” Mason offered.
“Except the ghost isn’t that victim.” I turned the page and saw the designs for the attic. “Did your men go up there?”
Mason shook his head. “Didn’t realize there was one.”
We had a house that was almost as puzzling as the Winchester Mystery House, and more deaths than we knew what to do with. “Okay, we need to find the entry to that and the basements.”
A whirlwind kicked up and
the blueprints flew off the hood of the car, the pages fluttering in the force. Voices around us shouted, some were yelling to head for cover, but the others were an indescribable screech echoed through the area. I spun around, reaching for my gun as my heart pounded against my chest. A dust tornado the size of the house came around the corner, tossing anything in its way. Mason grabbed my arm and pulled me towards cover as the tornado went towards the rows of cars.
The screeching noise continued as I shielded my eyes from the sharp particles of dust and debris whipped past my face. The freak storm headed right for my car.
“No, no, no!” I yelled and pulled away from Mason toward the tornado. I didn’t know what I’d do against an unnatural thing like that, but I didn’t want it going after my car. Crunching metal and shattering glass joined the noise. My eyes widened as my car flew around a few circles and slammed into a nearby tree. The swirling vortex pulled the car back in and threw it across the field, the crash echoed over the now silent area of the house. The storm dissipated and people came out from hiding, staring into the distance where my mangled car had created a small dent in the earth.
“I think that dislike might be an understatement. I didn’t know poltergeists could stir up storms.” Mason put a hand on my shoulder. “Hope you still have access to that Hummer.”
On the bright side, at least this was unlikely to make the news. “I’ll have to call Levi and ask.” I hung my head. “This is not my week. Okay, so I can’t go into the house, the blueprints were destroyed, now what?”
Tires on the drive made me look up. Nick’s Charger pulled up where my car had just been, and he got out. “Abby, I told you I didn’t want you near the house.”
“I am not a child, you can stop starting your sentences with ‘I told you’.” I put my hands on my hips. “I had a long night last night, and my day is not any better.”
He mimicked my stance. “I didn’t start my sentence with ‘I told you’ I started it with ‘Abby’.” He snapped back. His gaze moved passed me and at the field. “Is that your…car?”
The Trouble with Ghosts (Here Witchy Witchy Book 3) Page 6