by Mayer, Dale
CHAPTER 2
Hours later, yellow police tape cordoned off the entire park area. Uniforms worked alongside the coroner. A forensic anthropologist had just arrived from Portland, and investigators were collecting trace evidence. In general, there seemed too many police, but everyone was doing something. The gathered crowd showed no signs of dispersing, the police guarding the area a draw instead of a deterrent. She had to love the curious mindset of today's society.
Alexis grabbed her work coat from her red Toyota truck, but shivers still wracked her body. A hot shower would be perfect right about now, but she hadn't been able to leave.
Somber silence greeted the appearance of the tiny outline in an oversized body bag.
"It isn't right. It just isn't." Scott's Irish accent thickened with sadness.
Alexis tucked her arm through his, appreciating his support and happy to give in return. She'd become a loner over the years, first from necessity, as disease slowly decimated her sister, then out of preference in the aftermath. But this barrel-chested Irishman hadn't let her hide in her darkness. He'd pushed, prodded, and propelled her back to life. She'd hated him for it then. Now, he epitomized the father figure she'd never had, the older brother she'd always wanted, and the best friend she'd ever known.
"Life isn't fair. Better to learn that now and save yourself some heartache," she murmured.
His disgusted snort washed over her. "You don't believe that drivel. Better to feel and know you're alive than to walk through life as if you've never lived." His muscled arm wrapped around her shoulders in a clumsy, but caring, hug. "I know you're thinking of your sister. Be hard not to with all this going on." He swept his other arm wide to encompass the hub of police activity. "Don't hold all that pain inside. Lissa is gone. Time to rejoice in her living. Don't focus so much on her passing." He squeezed gently before letting her go.
Caught on an inward spiral of pain, Alexis barely noticed his intense gaze. Horrified understanding overtook her confusion. Was he right? Had she focused so much on her sister's death that she'd forgotten to honor her life?
Please let it not be true.
One tear formed at the corner of her eye, hung for a brief moment, then slid down her face.
"Miss…uh, sorry, I need to get some information from you."
A fresh-faced policeman interrupted Alexis's painful musings. She made no attempt to wipe the tear from her cheek.
"I need to take your statement," he said. "If we could start with your name and address, please."
Scott gently prodded her. "Alexis."
A sidelong glance at Scott's concerned face prompted her to speak. "Alex…Alexis Gordon."
"What's your full address and phone number?"
Startled, she stared at the cop. He looked like he should be selling raffle tickets for a Boy Scout trip. "Why?"
"You found the body. We need your statement."
Shaken, she quickly supplied the required information, as Scott stood silent at her side. Just as they finished, her irritating district supervisor strode toward them.
"Do you do things like this on purpose? Show up late, sneak in through the back, and wreak havoc on everyone's plans?" 'Rick the Dick,' as the rest of them not so affectionately called him, glared at the mess of the opening day ceremony. He, too, sported a full three-piece suit, although his was more designer than business.
Alexis scowled at the stinging unfairness of Rick's words.
"What a disaster!" her boss snapped.
"That's one way of putting it, Rick." The detective, now with his jacket back on and looking very much the worse for wear, joined their little group. "Hey, Scott. Haven't seen you for a while. Sad day for a reunion." He glanced down at his mud-encrusted clothes, flicking off small clumps still clinging to the material. "These pants are history."
She turned her back on Rick to speak to Scott, trying to ignore the unsettling knowledge that everyone knew each other but her. "There's nothing for me to do here, so I'll go home and get cleaned up." She ignored Rick and had done so since he'd refused her time off for her sister's palliative care. She'd gotten it eventually…after going through the higher-ups. At a price. That being her relationship with her boss. That Lissa had lasted much longer than the doctor's had expected hadn't helped Rick's attitude toward the situation. For Alexis, every additional day had been a gift.
Alexis watched as Scott snuck a sideways glance at their fuming boss. "I'll walk her to her car. Back in a minute."
Scott ushered her toward the parking lot for their first chance to speak privately. He waited until they'd reached the relative quiet of her truck before the words exploded from him. "Now that we're alone, what the hell happened to you?"
Alexis stilled, almost convinced that the incident after her fall had gone unnoticed. "I don't know," she admitted. "Maybe I was just a little shaky from the fall."
"Well, you scared the bejeezus out of me." He clasped her face in his big mitts and studied the look in her eyes. "You've been in a fog all morning. If you hadn't let the paramedics check you out, you wouldn't be going home now, either." His hands dropped away.
"I'm fine," she retorted. Taking a deep breath, she tried to make light of his concern. "At least I'm normally awake." She grinned at the heavily wrinkled man who loved to nap at every opportunity.
His smile flashed and disappeared just as quickly. "You could've been badly hurt falling like that." He glanced behind her and frowned.
Alexis pivoted. The coroner's vehicle had made its way through the parking lot to the exit, where it stopped before heading out onto the road. She shivered, tugging her sweater tighter around her.
Should she mention the vision? No. If she couldn't explain it to herself, how could she explain it to him?
***
"Go home and rest." Scott nudged her toward her car. "I'll go back and sort things out with Rick."
Scott waited until she headed to her truck before heading back to his boss. Alexis had an uncanny ability to piss Rick off within seconds of them being together. Scott had warned her several times to button her lip and for the most part, she had managed pretty well. This morning's lapse only proved how badly she'd been affected by what she'd found in the culvert. He glanced behind him to make sure she'd really left. Something odd had happened down in the ditch, something besides finding a body, which was enough to rattle anyone. He'd have to wait until she recovered before quizzing her more closely.
But he would.
Kevin and Rick were standing outside the perimeter of crime scene tape when he joined them. Rick glared at him, the words, obviously barely held in check, finally burst free. "Damn it, Scott what the hell is her problem?"
Scott narrowed his eyes. Slurs against his friends were never allowed. Damaged and hurting, gentle Alexis needed his support. Her life had been hell for a long time. She deserved a champion. It didn't matter if she hid her hurt so well that others were fooled by her apparent caustic comments. Behind all that, Alexis had heart. Besides, she never turned on anyone who didn't deserve a set-down.
He held up his hand, forestalling Rick's next outburst. "Her problem is that she just found the grave of a dead child. Come on, Rick, you know about her kid sister. Is it too hard to see that today might trigger some tough stuff for her? Hell, I'm not going to sleep well tonight after this, and I didn't lose anyone."
"What happened to her sister?" Kevin stood off to one side, his gaze going from one to the other.
"She died of cancer a year ago." Scott stopped and frowned. He glanced down at his watch. "Shit. She was buried a year ago today." He glanced up at Kevin. "Such a shame. Just seventeen years old."
Kevin nodded. "Today will trigger all sorts of issues for her. You might consider seeing that she gets some help."
"There's no room in the budget for stupidity." Rick stared ahead, a muscle in his jaw twitching.
Both men stared at him in surprise.
He glared at them both. "What? She didn't have to walk on that damn bridge. She
knows the safety rules as well as anyone." Rick shoved his hands in pockets. "Shit, I don't need this now. I'm heading home. See you both later."
Scott watched Rick storm off.
"Is he really that cold to her plight? Or is she really a loose screw?"
How to answer that? Scott didn't know. Was Kevin asking as a cop, or as a buddy he'd shared a couple of beers with every month? Was there a difference?
"Alexis and Rick have a feud going on. For myself, I side with Alexis, but Rick's my boss and I don't want to lose my job. I'm not sure Alexis cares about that aspect anymore." He shrugged and glanced at Kevin. "I can tell you this – their issue has nothing to do with the body Alexis found."
Scott waited as Kevin studied his face before he nodded once. "Good enough. If she's earned your loyalty, she has to have something going for her."
Someone called Kevin's name.
"Excuse me, Scott. I have to go."
"No problem. Let me know what you find out."
There was nothing good about finding the remains of a child. But to find the child's family…now that would help.
***
Alexis made her way to her vehicle. "Rest, he says. After this morning? He's got to be joking."
The crowd was breaking up and filtering through the parking lot, making it difficult to drive. Alexis watched a young mother hug her child tightly to her chest. A grim heavyset man passed them. She sensed these people had experienced a paradigm shift today, one that could set in motion a complete re-evaluation of their lives. Alexis didn't need that shift. Her world had been jolted years ago when cancer moved into her home.
Before Lissa's death, Alexis had lived for every moment. She'd savored every remaining hour she'd had with her sister, and still the precious time had slipped away too fast. At seventeen, cancer had been a painful, wasting away of someone so bright, so vibrant, and so full of life. It wasn't fair.
And Lissa would laugh, saying, 'That's why it's okay for me to leave. I find joy in every second and beauty in all things. Life goes on for both of us. You'll see. I'll find a way to come back and see you.' Alexis always hoped that Lissa had been right, and she had to admit she'd been looking for a sign from her sister ever since.
Alexis shook off the heavy memory, determined not to focus on any more death as she rattled her red Toyota truck onto the main road. She just wanted to go home.
Long moments later, she pulled into her parking spot at her apartment building. Serenity Haven. What a joke. The cement building looked more like a juvenile correction center. She hated living here, but she'd sold the family home after Lissa's funeral, unable to deal with the memories. That aside, this place had no soul.
Maybe she'd rented it for just that reason, as a punishment. In what way, she didn't know or understand. Yet, it felt like a punishment to drive home to this cold concrete box every day. Maybe it was time to leave.
The idea had merit. Maybe she could find another little house, one with a huge garden, where she could start her hanging basket business again. She'd built it up with Lissa's help as an addon to her fulltime job. The long-term plan was to expand and eventually make it full-time work. She'd given it up when her sister had gotten sick.
With fresh eyes, Alexis examined her surroundings. The walls leading to the entrance were chipped, peeling, and the elevator decorated with graffiti. Even the gray hall leading to her dismal apartment was dingy and showed a lack of care. It was essentially clean, but a sense of desolation permeated the place.
Alexis stopped as she reached her apartment door, casually glancing back down the way she'd come.
And froze.
Horrified recognition washed over her. Terror gripped her throat before escaping in a gasp of shock. Uncontrollable trembling wracked her lean frame. Her fingers lost their grip, and the keys tumbled to the threadbare carpet below.
The hallway. Dear God, it looked to be the same as the one she'd experienced in the ditch.
CHAPTER 3
It couldn't be!
Alexis bent slowly to retrieve her keys, keeping a wary eye on the hallway. She desperately wanted into the safety of her apartment but didn't dare turn her back on the creepy space.
Her fingers trembled so much she couldn't get the damn key to work. Finally, the lock clicked. She flung the door open, raced inside, slammed and locked the door behind her. Alexis leaned back against the door, shaking and sobbing. Her heart hammered in her chest. What the hell was happening to her? She rubbed away her tears. Her life had been normal up until today – sad in many ways, but normal.
It took several long minutes before her legs could function. It took several more before her breathing calmed. Still shaky but no longer panicked, Alexis slowly moved to the bathroom.
"God, I'm cold," she muttered, turning water on for a hot shower. And so tired. Steam filled the room as she stripped off her clothes. Alexis scrambled under the hot water, where she tipped her head back and let the full force of the water pour down. The steam soothed her senses, the heat easing her aching muscles. Only when the water ran cold did she turn off the taps. Her legs trembled slightly as the rough towel whisked off the moisture.
The images wouldn't leave her alone.
That poor child lying lost and forgotten in the garden, discarded…like garbage. Alexis dressed quickly, pulling on a heavy sweater and tugging her wet hair free of the wool. Shivers rattled her teeth. "Why can't I get warm?" Grabbing a spare towel, she twisted her hair up inside it and headed for the kitchen.
She put the kettle on for a hot cup of tea.
While waiting for the water to boil, she gazed out at a world that appeared so calm and normal on the surface. Was she the only one who'd dipped beneath the facade? Had the years of enforced calm – holding it together at all costs, in a world so beyond her control – damaged her psyche?
Alexis.
The fragile voice broke into her musings. So clear, so sharp, yet so…whispery. Prickles rose on the back of her neck, goose bumps across her skin. It couldn't be!
Afraid to look, but more terrified not to, Alexis twisted with agonizing slowness.
Lissa!
A beloved and so familiar wispy vision of her sister sat at the table, as if waiting – like she had for so many years – for her cup of tea.
"Lissa," Alex whispered, her voice aching with tenderness…
Alexis was petrified the sound of her own voice would break the spell…and the miracle of her sister's presence would disappear. She'd hoped for, prayed for such a visit. Her heart swelled with joy…and awe…and fear. "Lissa, is that you?"
The apparition flickered then slowly began to fade.
"No, don't go, Lissa!" Alexis cried out. "Please," she begged. "Please don't go!" Her voice faded as the vision dissipated into the air.
It was too much.
Alexis crumpled at the table with her head in her arms and sobbed out the last year of grief and loss. Pain held in too long, burst free. Her shoulders shook uncontrollably as her body weathered the storm.
Eventually, the tempest expended itself, leaving a heavier exhaustion and emotional devastation behind. Alexis lay with her cheek against the cheap Formica tabletop, staring at the spot where she'd thought she'd seen her sister. The occasional hot tear still welled up to slide down her cheeks.
What was happening to her? Was she having a breakdown? That would make sense. She'd endured a horrific amount of stress and loss in her world… But why now? On the anniversary date? The time to break down would have been the day she'd buried her sister. But for it to happen a year later… That didn't make sense.
The teakettle whistled on cue. That was normal. After all, she'd put that teakettle on. She could accept that – unlike the rest of her day. Feeling as if she'd aged fifty years, she poured water over the teabag and watched the tea stain the liquid. Wafting her hand over the top, the steam warmed her fingers – as it should. This was the normal, the usual and the right.
She'd survived Lissa's death because she'd depende
d on that normalcy. She expected it. She counted on it.
And today, her whole world had been blown apart by – dare she say it – a vision, a body, and…a ghost.
***
The wind blew hard outside the double glass doors. Branches swiped the edge of the railing, making a faint scratching sound…like a ghost asking to come into the private nursing home room.
The older man chuckled. There was no such thing as a ghost. If there were, he'd have been haunted years ago. Still the concept had given him pause over the years…for a moment or two.
He shifted closer to the prone man on the bed. He studied the slack features as he twirled his balloon glass slowly. The rich aroma of his Glenfiddich Whisky swirled in an ever-rising circle bursting forth to assail his senses. His brother's favorite. He closed his eyes and breathed deep. He kept a bottle here in the room for evenings like these. He sank his thin frame deeper into his armchair, facing the glass doors to the gardens beyond. Heavy rain bounced off the patio, flattening the delicate rose petals.
Odd how that rain could be a blessing for grass, yet signal the end of the blooms on a rose. Such delicate plants. It was the same for people. What was a disaster to one was a gift to another. Some people were hardy and could withstand the harsh elements of life, and then there were the others, the delicate ones that needed protecting. He was good at that – the protecting part. Of course, people didn't always understand or appreciate his protective methods, or know what was good for them.
Stretching his arm out, he grabbed the remote and turned on the television. Maybe his brother would like the distraction. There had to be something to break up the monotony of lying there day by day. Personally, this was his favorite time of day. A little peace and quiet, a little time alone where he didn't have to pretend to be something he wasn't – with his brother.
The evening news came on, the announcer bubbling about some large contribution to a local charity. A moment later, he brought up today's headlines.
The man straightened in shock. What the hell?
***
The next morning woke clear and warm, with one insistent message rattling around inside Alexis's head – she needed help, and soon. She didn't know who to ask or even what kind of help she needed. Still, just admitting she had the problem could be thought of as a big step forward.