My brain was muddled, and I know I cried out as I rolled over onto my back. Someone—a male voice—warned me not to move. I could see faces huddled over me. A young couple, a dark-haired guy with facial stubble and a very worried-looking woman with long blonde hair. Behind them was a kid, maybe six or seven years old. He seemed disappointed there was no visible blood.
I started to sit up, but the guy placed a hand on my shoulder. “Stay still,” he said. “Let’s make sure you’re okay before you start moving around.”
The woman had moved off a few paces, and at first I thought she was speaking into her hand. That’s how befuddled I was. Finally it dawned on me that she was on her phone. “That’s right,” she said. “Whoever it was tried to run him over. The car’s lights were off!”
She was right, although I hadn’t realized it at first, being much too occupied with the horrifying thought that a car was speeding toward me. There had been no headlights, even though we were well into dusk.
“Kevin,” I muttered.
The young man with the chin stubble frowned at me. “Is that your name?”
“No, it’s my ex. That must have been who tried to run me over. Kevin Alexander.”
He passed this information along to the woman, and she in turn told the police. Another jolt of pain shot through my arm, so I didn’t pay much attention to what she was saying. The guy, though, was right in my face, so it was hard to ignore him.
“Does this hurt?” he said, touching my leg.
“No,” I said. Mostly it was my hip. I shifted my leg to show the guy it wasn’t broken. He allowed me to sit up. I winced, holding my arm tight against my chest. Everything was blurry. “My glasses.”
“Here they are!” The kid held them up like a prize he’d found.
I put them on. They felt crooked on my face, but at least things were in focus now.
My jeans were torn at the knee, showing a big scrape and some blood. The arm of my jacket had remained intact, but it was streaked and dirty where it had come into contact with the asphalt. I felt woozy.
And odd. Somehow, I knew Coleman Hollis was no longer within me.
More realizations came to me. Just before the car had nearly plowed into me, I’d felt the spirit vacate my body, and forceful hands had pushed me out of the way.
Coleman Hollis had probably saved my life.
THE NEXT morning, Erin Hughes came to see me at the cafe. Despite my injuries (or, perhaps, because of them) I refused to call off work. Granted, I was stiff, I limped slightly, and I had to use my left hand more than usual, but under the circumstances I think I did okay. I have to admit, though, that I was more than happy to see Ms. Hughes. Gloria allowed me to take a break and sit down with her for a few minutes.
“It wasn’t your ex,” she said as soon as she settled into her chair. “We checked. He was definitely in Rockford last night.”
That didn’t make sense. “It had to be him,” I insisted. “Who else would want to try to kill me?”
The deputy shook her head. “I don’t know, but Kevin Alexander was at work last night. His boss at the Cracker Barrel said he was on duty his whole shift, from three until ten thirty.”
My brush with death had taken place around seven o’clock.
“I thought for sure it was him.”
“You said you didn’t recognize the car,” she reminded me.
True, but I’d assumed he’d borrowed one. Any of Kevin’s buddies would have swapped vehicles for the night. All he’d have to do was give them some lame excuse. But if Kevin hadn’t tried to run me over, who did?
“Could he have hired someone to do it?” I asked.
“Possible, I suppose,” Erin said. She didn’t sound like she thought it likely. And to be fair, how would Kevin know how to find a hit man? It wasn’t like he could locate a hired killer on Craigslist. “Are you sure there isn’t anyone else that would want to harm you?”
“I can’t imagine who,” I replied.
“It may have just been someone who didn’t know you at all.”
“Some random crazy?” I asked.
She smiled gently. “It does happen. Even in little burgs like this one.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Oh? And has anything similar happened in Banning before?”
Erin Hughes had to admit it hadn’t. “We’ll keep looking into it,” she assured him. “And I haven’t ruled anything out, even your ex.” She shifted gears, going from cop doing her job to a friend. “How are you doing?”
“I was pretty lucky, really. Just some nasty scrapes and bruises. They checked me out at the hospital in Dixon, but nothing was broken except my cell phone. That didn’t survive. They prescribed some lovely pills for the pain, though.”
“You and Trey have been keeping me busy. Stop it, will you? I want you guys to stay in one piece.”
I peered into the opening in the back wall into the kitchen, where Trey was making sandwiches for the lunch crowd. “We’ll try.”
“Do more than try.” Good advice. I just wished it were that easy. “I understand you’re moving out of the Raven’s Rest tomorrow.”
I nodded. “My furniture is supposed to be here in the morning. I called the store this morning and they confirmed delivery.”
Erin smiled. “Well, I guess this means you’re officially a resident of Banning now.”
“I guess I am.”
She leaned back, a look of concern on her face. “I’m serious, though, about you staying safe. You’ve pissed someone off, it seems. Enough that they tried to run you over.”
“I have every intention of watching my back from now on.”
I wondered what Erin Hughes would say if I told her that I was sure I’d escaped getting hit only due to the intervention of a ghost. Best, I thought, not to find out.
TREY WASN’T happy about my decision. “Someone tried to kill you last night, and you want to go somewhere by yourself?”
“It’s broad daylight!” I protested. “And it’s just to Jesenia Maupin’s place.”
“I still don’t like it.”
I wasn’t entirely at ease myself, but I wanted to see Jesenia alone. If anyone had answers to my questions, it was her. And as I hadn’t yet told Trey about my possession—if that was what it even had been—by Coleman, I didn’t want him finding out through my conversation with Jesenia. “It’s just a few blocks over—”
“Yeah, well, everything is just a few blocks over. It’s a small town.” Trey and I were in the kitchen, still leaning over the huge sink, having just finished loading the last of the dirty plates, mugs, and cutlery into the dishwasher. The water we’d used to hose off the knives and forks had been so hot that the basin was still sending up wafts of steam, even though the taps were now off.
“It’ll be fine. And my car’s fixed now. New tire and everything.” Even though it was a Sunday, Roscoe’s Garage had worked on my car and even delivered it to the parking lot of the cafe. I’d tried to tip the big, burly shop owner, but he’d refused to take any money. My first trip in the repaired vehicle had been to purchase a new cell phone.
“I don’t care.” Trey’s arms were folded across his chest, and his face was set in stone. “In the last few days, we’ve both been beaten by your stupid ex-boyfriend. Before that, I was scratched by something that wasn’t there! And last night, he tried to run you over—”
“Deputy Hughes says it couldn’t have been—”
Trey snorted. “Yeah. I’ll believe that when it’s proved beyond a doubt, which will be never. Who else would it have been? You don’t even know that many people in town. And while a customer may not tip you big if you don’t remember to refresh his coffee every five minutes, rarely do they attempt to run you over. As far as I’m concerned, you’re going nowhere without me.”
In a way, I was pleased about his protectiveness. But only in a way. I turned to him, staring into his eyes to let him know how important my words were. I touched his cheek tenderly. “Trey, I know you mean well, but don’t try to b
e too controlling. It kind of reminds me of Kevin, and—”
He gasped. “Oh no! I didn’t mean to—”
“I know you didn’t. And I know there’s a difference. Kevin’s demands were all about power over me. Yours were out of concern. But if we’re going to be boyfriends, you’re going to have to let me have some space. You’re going to have to know I’m going to make mistakes. And you’re going to have to accept that I’m going to be scared to tell you some things. I hid so much from Kevin, knowing how he’d react.”
“But I’d never—”
I kissed him, cutting off his protests. My lip was still slightly swollen, but at least kissing caused no pain. Quite the opposite, in fact. “I know.” I breathed in and let the air out slowly. “I have to see Jesenia alone. You see, I did something foolish, reckless. It turned out okay, and it’s over now, but I can’t tell you about it yet. I’m just too scared to.”
He frowned at that. “But you can tell me anything. I promise I won’t get angry!”
“And I know that. Well, I hope I do. But I’m still emerging, as it were. Getting out from Kevin’s control. He always said I was stupid, and what I did certainly qualifies. I know you wouldn’t react like he did, but I just can’t tell you. Yet. I will, though. Someday soon.”
This seemed to make sense to Trey, which was good, because I wasn’t sure it made sense to me. “How about if I stay out in the car while you’re at Jesenia’s?”
I had to smile at the earnestness in his face. And his persistence. “Okay,” I relented.
Trey slipped his arms around my waist, not caring that we were in full view of not only his mother, but also several people out in the dining room who could see us if they peered into the pass-through. He rubbed his nose against mine, a mischievous smirk on his face. “See? That wasn’t so hard. But honestly, you can tell me. Whenever you’re ready.”
“I will.”
“Are you two still on the clock?” Gloria sounded more amused than annoyed as she admonished us. She was seated at her desk, reading glasses on, poring over the books, but she paused long enough to frown at us. “Because if you are, smooching isn’t in your job descriptions.”
“We don’t have job descriptions,” Trey reminded her.
“If you did, they’d say to smooch on your own time!”
Reluctantly, Trey released me and we went back to work.
JESENIA’S LITTLE cottage was dark, even though it was only late afternoon. All the draperies and blinds were closed, letting in only the smallest amount of light. Her living room, lit only by a single lamp, was therefore full of shadows and dark areas. In the dim light, her collection of frogs looked like unrecognizable black lumps. A cat was perched on the back of the couch, its tail swaying slowly as it contemplated whatever it was cats contemplate. The feline glared at me as I entered, seemingly upset that I’d disturbed its ruminations.
Jesenia’s psychic powers must have been working, because she said, “Don’t mind Mittens. He doesn’t care much for too many people.”
I smiled at the cat’s name. Mittens seemed so normal a moniker, and Jesenia was anything but normal. She ushered me to sit at the little table she’d set up in the center of the room. A crystal ball was the only item on the otherwise bare table. Staring at it, I said, “It’s almost like you knew I was coming.”
Jesenia smiled. “I figured you would, sooner or later. About a half hour ago I had a feeling that I should prepare for your visit, so I darkened the room and got everything set up. I’d have felt a fool if you hadn’t arrived. But here you are!”
She sat opposite me, and despite her friendly face and warm nature, I found myself wanting to get back up and run out of the house. I fidgeted a little. “I’m not really sure why I needed to see you. You probably can’t help me, but—”
“Well, we’ll see about that, won’t we? First, tell me everything that’s happened since the séance.”
I filled her in on everything: Kevin’s arrival. The fight. My latest sighting of Coleman, and how I’d been possessed, if that was what it had been. The car that had nearly run me over. Several times during the telling of the tale I nearly lost my nerve, and at times I sat for well over a minute, unspeaking and unable to meet her inquiring gaze. During these times she never pressed me, merely waiting until I started speaking again.
I tried to describe how it felt to have another consciousness within me, and how it felt when Coleman had departed to push me out of the way of the car. Words were inadequate, I knew. How could one describe sharing a mind with another person or the sense of, yes, loss when they were no longer there? Jesenia sat quietly and listened attentively, making no comments but offering me encouraging looks when I would pause, not sure if I could reveal the next part of my story. When I was through, she smiled softly and patted my hand.
“That wasn’t so bad, now was it?” she asked.
“Says you,” I replied with a weak smile.
Jesenia was wearing a flowing light blue outfit with big pockets at the sides. Out of one of these she pulled her tarot cards. “I want you to do something for me. I want you to take just one card out of this deck.”
I did so, removing a card from approximately the middle. On it was a depiction of a man and woman, both nude. Presumably they were Adam and Eve, as there was a serpent entwined in the branches of a tree behind the woman. A tree behind the man looked to be on fire. An angel was over them in the sky, hands raised in a blessing.
“The Lovers,” Jesenia said. She nodded. “Tell Trey what you’ve told me. Your future is now melded with Trey’s, and he needs to know. See the angel above them? Wearing the purple robe? That’s Raphael. The color of his robes represents royalty, and it’s a symbol of how important communication is. Tell him. You need to include Trey in what you’re doing.”
Well, who could argue with a card? I smiled to myself, but I knew I’d take Jesenia’s advice to heart.
“Now,” she said, settling back, “I want you to look into the crystal. Tell me what you see.”
“I thought that was your job. I’m not the psychic, you know.” Nevertheless, I peered into the glass. All I saw were refractions of light and distortions of the room around us.
“Oh, I think you’ve got more than a touch of the vision in you. I believe Coleman has been trying to communicate with people for years, but he’s found an affinity with you. He wouldn’t have been able to connect with you as he has if you didn’t possess some psychic ability.”
It was odd. My eyes darted over to the lamp, as I was certain that now there was less light in the room. No, it hadn’t changed. But the crystal ball seemed darker to me, almost like it had been filled with smoke. My first thought was that it was some sort of trick, and I passed my hand under the table to feel if there was an apparatus that connected to the base of the crystal to cause this effect. Nothing.
Jesenia must have been able to see the mist as well. “Ah, that’s good. I knew you had it in you. Now peer into the fog. See what is hidden.”
There were dark shapes in the haze. A man. No, two. I narrowed my eyes, and the mists seemed to clear.
Coleman and Bryan. Naked. In each other’s arms. Kissing passionately. And, well, they were fucking.
But then Bryan was no longer there. Coleman was now dressed, wearing jeans torn at the knees, a light blue shirt, and a blue blazer. He was standing in a doorway, which I recognized as the entrance to the Raven’s Rest. He was motioning to someone. Me. He wanted me to follow him.
In my mind’s eye, I was no longer seated at Jesenia’s table. I was in the foyer of the Raven’s Rest, and Coleman was beckoning me to join him outdoors.
“Come,” he said.
I followed him. He led me down the path to the sidewalk. I tried to catch up with him, but no matter how fast I tried to move, Coleman was always about fifteen paces ahead of me. We went down several blocks until we came to the vacant lot by the record shop.
Suddenly it was night, and I swore I could feel the chill in my bones.
The moon above us was partially obscured by clouds. Coleman stood at the edge of the lot, as if he dared not go any farther. He pointed to a spot back by some trees. It was a little wooded area, set away from any buildings or houses. It looked dark and desolate. A person could murder someone back there, and as long as they didn’t scream bloody murder, no one would be the wiser.
“There,” he said.
“You want me to go back there?” I asked.
He nodded.
I walked past him and began to make my way toward the back of the lot. The grass was high, and it must have nearly been morning, as dew had begun to cling to the stalks. The record shop was dark, as were the houses in the vicinity.
As I got close to the little copse of trees, I could hear sounds, like metal hitting gravel. Someone was digging with shovels or burying something. I could see shadows moving but no details.
Finally I could see the dark forms of two men, bent over a spot of earth, working with shovels. Their task must have been nearly completed, because one of the men moved back and withdrew a handkerchief from his pocket. Wiping his brow, he worriedly glanced around. I must have been invisible to him, for his eyes passed right over me.
“We should have taken him somewhere out of town. The woods somewhere. It was fucking dangerous, doing it here.”
The other man was patting down the earth with the back of his shovel. “Yeah? Did you want to get his blood all over the backseat of your car? The little bastard is good right here, right where he is.” He paused, peering out of the copse at the closest house, which was a fair distance away. “Believe me, no one saw us.”
The moon emerged from its cloud cover, and now I could make out more details. The man mopping sweat from his forehead was Darryl Hollis. He was younger, with no gray in his hair, and thinner than I knew him. I still couldn’t make out the features of the other man, who was in the shadows of the trees. I’d heard the voice before, though.
“Michael, what are you seeing?” Jesenia was speaking, but she sounded so far away, and muffled, as if I were hearing her from under water.
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