by Mya O'Malley
She didn’t move. She didn’t dare.
“I like you. I like you a lot, Naomi.”
He moved in, clasping his hands over hers. She closed her eyes and gave herself over to his kiss. His hands broke free from hers and roamed over her face. Her heart soared with feelings; time stopped until it was just the two of them. This spell she was under—she never wanted it to end.
“What is that?” Bryce released her. The faucet ran full force as Naomi shook her head. She made a mental note to tell Maggie later that her timing was awful.
Of all times for Maggie to announce her presence.
“I don’t know that you’d believe me if I told you.” She sighed as she prepared herself for the impending conversation.
“Um, try me. I just witnessed your faucet turning on all by itself. First the unbelievable screaming, now this? What is going on in this house?”
“If I were you, I would sit for this one, Bryce.” A small chuckle escaped her lips as she attempted to formulate her words. The last thing she wanted was for him not to believe her, to think she had lost her mind.
“What is it?” He found a seat at the kitchen table.
Naomi joined him, sitting in the chair beside him. Talk about ruining a mood, Maggie. Nice going.
She would have to just say it. “Bryce, do you believe in ghosts?”
Waiting a moment before he responded, Bryce shook his head firmly. “I didn’t before today. Are you telling me you think you have a ghost here, in this house?”
“No, I don’t think I have a ghost here, I know I have a ghost. Her name is Maggie.”
“Maggie? But how do you know?”
There was no better way to tell him than to show him. “Come on, let’s take a walk.” Reaching for his hand, she offered him a half smile. He just may think she’s crazy before the day was through, but there was the water gushing out of the faucet by itself, so maybe not.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see. Promise me you’ll keep an open mind?”
“Sure. I’ll try.” He shrugged and then grabbed hold of Naomi’s hand.
“Are you going to tell me what this is all about?” He struggled to keep up with Naomi’s pace now that they were outside in the nipping air. Naomi was focused on reaching Maggie’s grave and chose to ignore him until they reached the headstone.
“Here.” Naomi stood, wind whipping through her hair as she faced Maggie’s grave.
“Okay. I repeat, what’s this all about?”
“This is Maggie Field,” Naomi stated. Bending down, she removed some dried leaves from the stone.
“I see that. Did you know her?”
“No, I didn’t. I mean… Oh, hell, I don’t know.”
“Relax, honey. Tell me about Maggie.” He reached for her hand. His warm eyes gave her the courage to continue.
“It’s her ghost. She’s been coming to communicate with me back at the house.” Seeing that Bryce’s jaw dropped and he stood speechless, she continued. “I’m attempting to write a story, loosely based on her life, but the mishandled crime against her has been getting in the way.”
It was then that she realized how little she had actually been writing the past week or so. It seemed that her priority had become to solve the case and then write her story. With her tangled emotions, it would be impossible to concentrate.
“Fill me in. I’m not familiar with her. What happened to Maggie?”
“Well, the police closed the case several years back. Claimed it was an accidental drowning in the river. Her parents and I had reason to suspect her death was no accident. There were too many things that didn’t sit right with me. My gut feelings are usually spot -on. After many frustrating attempts, we finally got the police to take us seriously and reopen the case.”
“I don’t know what to say.” He ran his hands through his thick hair. “You’ve been very busy, Naomi. I had no idea.”
“There’s not much to say. I’m not going to rest until she’s at peace.” Naomi stepped forward, before Maggie’s headstone, her arms crossed across her chest. Coming from behind her, Bryce wrapped his arms around her and kissed the back of her head.
“What can I do to help?”
“Say you believe me. That’s all I need to hear.”
Bryce kissed her once more and leaned closer. “I believe you,” he whispered into her ear.
“Thank you.” Just hearing his words made Naomi feel better. She moved to face him.
“So that was Maggie back there in the kitchen, turning on the sink?” he asked, eyes wide.
“Yup. Seems she doesn’t spend too much time out here. She prefers haunting my house.” Naomi laughed, although it wasn’t really very funny at all.
Oh, Maggie. She glanced at her headstone once more, a frown forming on her face.
“How close are the police to solving the crime?”
She chose her words carefully. “The police aren’t close to solving anything. We are. Me, Ryan, and Maggie’s parents.” Was she being fair to Officer Marty in leaving her name off the list? Too early to tell.
“Seems Maggie and I have a lot in common.” If Bryce didn’t run after hearing this, she would be impressed. “We dated two of the same men. One who I wrongfully suspected of killing her and one who actually did.”
“Wait—what?” Bryce took Naomi by the shoulders, his eyes intense.
“Exactly what I said. The guy who tried to kill me last night? It was him. I’m sure of it. Now all I have to do is prove it.”
“Wow, Naomi. Let’s say you’re right about everything. That leaves you in a lot of danger.”
“Nick is locked up.”
“Yeah, for now. If there’s no evidence, they’ll never hold him.’”
“Oh, no? What about the fact that he nearly killed me with his own hands?”
“I get it, I’m not the enemy here. You know what he told the police.”
“Yes, of course I know.” Nick had claimed that he had only wanted to talk, that seeing her and feeling the sting of her rejection made him temporarily lose his mind.
She couldn’t get wrapped up in the drama of Nick right now. “I’m not particularly concerned about that right now. I have bigger plans, ones that involve setting a dead woman’s spirit free. She’s been trying to tell me something, and I haven’t been listening very well. It’s time I did.”
She went trudging back to the house with Bryce calling out from behind. “Naomi. Hold up, I’m coming.”
If she had to get into Maggie’s face and scream out her name, she would. Somehow she must open herself up to Maggie and hear what she was saying. With a smug grin on her face, Naomi felt better knowing Bryce was by her side.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Naomi
“I’M HERE! MAGGIE, come to me.”
It had been at least a half an hour of shouting and Maggie had yet to materialize.
“I’m no expert here, but I don’t think this is the way it works. I think she comes to you on her own terms.”
Naomi shot Bryce a filthy look.
“Just saying.”
“Maybe it’s you.”
“Me?”
“Yes,” Naomi began. “I think you should go back home for a while. This is personal and she may not feel comfortable with you around.” It was a guess, but she could be right.
“Okay, fine.” Bryce threw his hands in the air. “Doubtful, but I’m game. Call me if anything happens. And, Naomi, please be careful.” He ran his hand through his hair.
“Yes, sir.” Naomi raised her hand to salute him. She leaned over and kissed him good-bye.
“I meant what I said before. About liking you.” Bryce pulled her closer.
He smelled of aftershave and the outdoors. “Mm. I like you too, Bryce.” This time he met her halfway. Once his lips touched hers, she was lost. Feeling Bryce’s hands come up to smooth her back, she sucked in a breath.
The refrigerator door opened, spilling the condiments out on the hardwood
floor.
“Go!” Naomi felt chills run up her arms. Either Maggie was pleased about Naomi and Bryce getting together, or it pissed her off to no end. Right now, all Naomi cared about was being alone with Maggie.
“I’ll call you later,” she whispered as she motioned for him to leave the house.
Naomi turned her attention back to the ketchup and mustard scattered on the floor. Kneeling down, she scooped the items up and placed them back in the door of the fridge.
“Talk to me, Maggie. Talk to me, girl,” she called out into the empty room. Intent on listening, Naomi stood silently and closed her eyes.
It had been at least five minutes and still, no Maggie. Naomi breathed evenly, telling herself that she would give it a minute more. That was it.
She felt the push and struggled to keep her balance.
Zelda.
“Zelda, what is the matter with you?”
The cat screeched, slamming her furry body into the cabinets before running up the stairs. Another sound was heard from the top of the stairs, and it wasn’t Zelda.
“Maggie.”
As soon as she appeared, she was gone.
Now the sound came from the kitchen table. It was her purse. Maggie threw Naomi’s bag to the floor. Sprinting over to grab her purse from the floor, Naomi noticed her cell phone spilled out.
A prickle slowly spread out across her scalp. Ryan’s contact information was on the screen.
“I’m listening, Maggie. I’m listening.”
This was a message. She was sure of it.
Still kneeling on the floor, Naomi peeked up, taking in the ghostly form. She couldn’t move. Maggie’s arm pointed to the cell phone and cried out. Was it fear or sadness causing the reaction?
“Maggie, I don’t understand. Yes, it’s Ryan, I get that. What about him?”
The pitch of her cry climbed higher and higher until Naomi was forced to cover her ears.
“Tell me!” Naomi attempted to scream above the deafening sound. “Maggie, for the love of God!”
Silence. Naomi’s ears throbbed, even in dead silence.
Next, Maggie did something quite peculiar. Transfixed, Naomi watched as the spirit wrapped her arms around herself. Maggie then pointed to her heart and cried out. She then dropped and her hands rose high into the air, and then Maggie fell to the floor dramatically.
“I… Maggie.” What was she doing? Her heart, the floor. It was a message.
Then she was gone.
“Naomi.”
“Oh my God, Bryce.”
“I’m sorry, but I heard the screams again. This time I know who they’re coming from at least.”
Naomi sat back on the floor, covering her head in her hands. Only when she felt Bryce’s arms wrap around her did she cry out and hold him tightly. He rocked her gently, holding her until she wasn’t sure how much time had even passed.
“WHAT DO YOU mean? How could you have done that?” Naomi shouted into her phone. This was crazy. She had prepared for this, but didn’t expect it to happen so soon.
“I’m sorry, Naomi. I truly am, but we have nothing to hold him on right now.”
“Are you kidding me? Officer Marty, he tried to kill me. If you’re going to hide your head in the sand about Maggie, then focus on what he did to me.” Her voice shook as she struggled to speak.
“Okay, calm down. He didn’t kill you, and he certainly didn’t plan on going to your house to kill you.”
“Are you listening to yourself? I mean, do you even hear what you’re saying? He tried to kill me.”
“Naomi, I agree it wasn’t a good thing, and if you’d like to file a restraining order, I’m sure you have grounds, but his intention was not to murder you. He lost control, he admits it.”
Swallowing hard, Naomi bit back her tears. “I…I can’t believe you’re saying this. I thought you were on my side.”
“I am on your side, Naomi. I promise. Listen, we will thoroughly investigate Nick. He said things… about you minding your business and leaving Maggie’s case alone. We take these things seriously.”
A creeping headache forced its way into her head. Lifting her feet, she rocked herself in the kitchen chair. It made sense.
“It’s because he’s Officer Frank’s nephew. Oh my God, that’s why you guys let him go. That’s it.” She should have pieced it together sooner. Not only was Officer Frank covering up for Nick, but now Officer Marty was doing the same.
“With all due respect, Officer, I think the fact that Nick is your partner’s nephew is skewing the playing field here.”
“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear you say that, Naomi. I am beyond insulted but understand why you’re so jaded when it comes to the subject of Nick.”
“Jaded? He killed Maggie, and he tried to kill me as well. Wake up.”
“If that is indeed the case, then we will serve justice accordingly. Believe it or not, I’m not the enemy here.”
“That’s yet to be determined,” Naomi muttered.
“I have work to do. I’ll be in touch.”
The nerve of that woman! Naomi let out a deep breath. At least dealing with her was a tad better than dealing with Nick’s uncle Frank.
Now that Nick was on the loose again, Naomi admitted to herself that she was frightened. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to alert Bryce to the latest course of events. Besides, it was an excuse to stop by for a quick visit.
Although it was still daylight outside, Naomi felt the prickle of fear as she headed down the gravel lot toward Bryce’s house. And this time, it wasn’t due to ghosts. Nick was responsible for her apprehension today. Breathing a sigh of relief at the sight, she focused on Bryce’s large farmhouse ahead of her.
Her breathing slowed down as she stepped up to the front door. Before she had a chance to knock on the door, it flung open, and Naomi heard Holly’s delightful shrieks.
“Nomi!” Holly wrapped her arms around Naomi’s waist and held on tightly.
Scratching his head, Bryce chuckled as he watched his daughter’s smiling face. “She saw you coming up the walkway.”
The past few times Naomi and Bryce had seen each other, Holly was either at school or with John. It was nice to see her again.
“Hi there, Holly. How’s school going?”
“It’s okay, I guess. I get to meet other kids, make friends, you know?”
Holly spoke like a little adult. Sharp as a tack, Holly would be giving her father many years of laughs, Naomi figured. Headaches, too, she imagined. That’s usually how it went with intelligent children. Naomi’s mom had often joked that she should have been a lawyer because even as a child, her inquisitive nature had been apparent.
Bryce kissed Naomi on the cheek and led her inside to the living room. It wasn’t difficult to notice that Holly couldn’t pry her eyes from both her father and Naomi.
“I see. I think Daddy has a new girlfriend.”
Heat spread quickly to Naomi’s cheeks. “I…”
“Where would you get an idea like that from, Holly?” Bryce asked, leaning over to touch his daughter’s head.
“Don’t all the princesses get kissed by their princes? A kiss means love.”
My goodness. Even Bryce remained speechless for a moment.
“Well? Doesn’t it?”
“Holly, Naomi and I are good friends.” Bryce’s own cheeks flamed a deep red.
“You’re not in love?”
Talk about an awkward question. Naomi would let Dad respond to this one. Part of her enjoyed watching him squirm while the other part felt his pain.
“I like Naomi a lot. As a friend, Holly. She’s our neighbor.”
Crossing her tiny arms across her chest, Holly stood her ground. “John is your friend and I don’t think you kiss him.” She waited a beat. “Hm?”
“Well,” Naomi began. It seemed Bryce needed to be rescued here. “Holly, we’re friends, and sometimes friends and dads kiss to say hello that way.”
The child’s eyes squinted as she p
eered at her father and then Naomi. “Okay. If you say so. I like you, so I’m okay if you want to be in love.”
Bryce ran his hands through his hair and blushed deeper, if that was even possible. “My goodness, Holly.”
“My goodness yourself,” Holly exclaimed before running up the stairs.
“She’s a little precocious, that one, huh?” Naomi laughed once Holly was out of sight.
“You think?” Bryce chuckled himself. “I’m so sorry.” His eyes peeked at her.
“No need to apologize. She’s adorable. I think you’re going to have your hands full with her, though.”
“So I’ve been told. Can I get you anything?”
“Water would be great.” She followed him into the kitchen and waited until he had poured two glasses of water before she spoke.
“I came here to tell you about something.”
He placed his glass of water down on the counter. “What is it? Is this about what happened before, between us?”
“No, no. Nothing like that. It’s Nick. He’s been released from the police station.”
His arms went around her. “No. How could that be? He tried to kill you.”
“Apparently he didn’t.”
“But that’s insane. He did.”
“Yes, but he’s saying that it wasn’t planned, that he just lost control when he saw me. The police are going to continue to investigate, and well, I’m just going to have to wait this out.”
He paced the floor, a grim line set on his mouth. “Wait a minute. So you’re telling me the police don’t care that he told you to mind your business and leave the Maggie case alone?”
Naomi threw her hands up. “Looks that way. It doesn’t help that Nick is Officer Frank’s nephew.”
“I agree. It stinks. Another thing: you can’t stay at your house alone.”
She smiled wide. “Technically, I’m not alone.”
“Yeah, yeah. You have Zelda and you have Maggie. Somehow that doesn’t make me feel much better.”
Maggie. At the mention of her name, Naomi realized something. “You know, Bryce, Maggie saved me from him. She alerted me twice, as a matter of fact. That night when he was outside in his car, and her piercing scream when he was close to killing me.”