The Return (Haunted Series Book 21)

by Alexie Aaron

  ~

  Tom headed to the cottage to change his clothes. When he rounded the turn after the private drives started, he was surprised to see Rory Kline walking on the side of the road. Tom slowed down, opened his window, and asked, “Can I give you a ride someplace?”

  Rory glared at the deputy and shook his head. He kept walking with his head down and fist clenched.

  “I’m sorry, son, I have to ask you to stop,” Tom said before pulling ahead of Rory and stopping the car. Tom hopped out and confronted the teen, “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “Blair’s been to where I work. What’s next, my house? I need to finish this.”

  “No, you don’t,” Tom said. “Get in. I live a few drives from here. Come with me, hear me out, and then if you want to proceed, I’m not going to stop you. But I will arrest you if you break the law,” Tom warned.

  Tom walked over and opened the passenger door of the cruiser. “Get in.”

  Rory, who was puzzled as to why he wasn’t just shoved in the back, got in.

  Tom moved quickly around to the driver’s side and got in. “I think, before you get yourself into more of a mess, you need to talk to someone. I think the two of you share a common foe.”

  Rory watched as Tom turned into a break in the private hedge and hung on as the two bounced over unpaved lawn until he parked behind a jeep that was being worked on.

  Ethan moved out from under the jeep when he heard Tom’s voice. He was surprised that he wasn’t alone. He was flabbergasted to see who was with him. He moved forward with an outstretched hand. “Rory.”

  Rory looked over at Tom, wondering what kind of cruel joke this was, and then back at Ethan. He saw uncertainty roll in waves off of Ethan. He saw the hunted look in Ethan’s eyes and recognized it as the same look he faced in the mirror every day since the woods. He reluctantly grasped the other teen’s hand.

  “I’m so sorry for my part,” Ethan began.

  Rory waved him off, not trusting his voice.

  “I get that you’ve every reason to hate me. I hate me.”

  Rory looked at Ethan in stony silence.

  “Guys, let’s take this inside,” Tom suggested. “Ethan’s been kind to put me up until I can find a place to live.”

  “You’re staying in Ethan’s parents’ cottage?”

  “No, this is my home,” Ethan said. “I’m not allowed over there. I’m not allowed anywhere near anything Aldridge.”

  “I’m confused.”

  “It’s a confusing situation. Ethan, why don’t you tell Rory what happened to you while I change clothes,” Tom said.

  “Can I get you a Monster drink?” Ethan asked.

  “Only if it’s red,” Rory said.

  “I only have red ones,” Ethan said, walking into the kitchen. “I found a place where I could get them for less than a buck as long as I bought a case.”

  “Where?” Rory asked.

  Tom stopped listening in the hall and moved on into his room to change. When he finished, he walked out to hear the two boys discussing the last Bears’ draft. Rory was explaining to Ethan why it was imperative to have two expensive quarterbacks.

  “You sound like my mom,” Tom said and realized how lame that sounded and added, “Or Deb Booker.”

  “She’s why I was going to pound Blair into Swiss steak. He threatened to call corporate and get her fired if Deb didn’t allow him to shop there.”

  “He’s an ass, but he will follow through,” Ethan warned. “Blair is meticulous with his pain giving. Can’t you get a restraining order or something?”

  “How could you enforce it?” Rory asked Tom.

  “Not well. Ethan isn’t allowed fifty feet from Blair or the Smithes, but still Blair came after him at the library.”

  Ethan’s eyes told the truth of the situation. “I could end up back inside if someone was to find out. Mia has found me a lawyer, an Alan Jefferies, just in case someone notifies my parole officer.”

  “You wouldn’t do that, would you?” Rory asked Tom.

  “No. I understand what’s going on. Blair’s trying to intimidate Ethan into falling in line, or he’ll get him locked up for spite.”

  “Tom’s not staying here to spy on me,” Ethan assured Rory. “But honestly, it’s nice to have him around. I’m used to being in a cage. Here, I’m a free range chicken.”

  Rory laughed. “You should see my house. I’m not allowed to go anywhere, do anything. They’ve planned out my life for me.”

  “Sounds like they care about you,” Ethan said. “I wouldn’t knock it.”

  “There’s caring and then there’s controlling. Sure, I fucked up, looted my savings account…”

  “Got yourself kidnapped,” Ethan pointed out.

  “There’s that,” Rory agreed. “But we can agree it wasn’t all my fault.”

  Ethan choked on his drink.

  Tom looked at the two young men and thought, what an unlikely pairing. But perhaps there were seeds of friendship being sown. He posed a question, “If either of you had suddenly infinite power to wield in this moment, what would you do?”

  “Change society so bullies like Blair could not be formed, that picking on the different was the furthest thing from one’s mind, and that the individual, no matter how strange, was applauded for being just that,” Ethan said. “But…”

  Rory looked at him.

  “Go on,” Tom prodded Ethan.

  “But I fear we are herd animals, and we follow the biggest bull.”

  “But what if the bull wasn’t bad?” Rory asked.

  “I suppose there are good bulls out there,” Ethan said.

  “Why not become a good bull?” Tom asked.

  The two boys were silent.

  Ethan looked over at Tom and asked, “Who was the bull in your school?”

  “Whitney Martin. He wasn’t a bully, but people followed him. He seemed so confident. We all wanted to be him. He could have had any girl he wanted. Life seemed just so easy for him.”

  “Was he a bad bull?” Rory asked.

  Tom thought back. “No, he was conflicted, but I think he was a flawed hero in the making. Mia and I were at the fringes of his group, but each of us became friends when he returned from college.”

  “Mia ran in a popular group?” Ethan asked, surprised. “I mean she’s beautiful, but maybe a bit too freaky for main street America.”

  “On the streets of Big Bear Lake, they still call her Crazy Cooper. She may have been able to fly under the radar of the gossips if it hadn’t been for a woman so bad she makes Blair look like Santa Claus. Her name was Rose, but she was no flower. She was older than Mia and outed her in Kindergarten. She continued to remind everyone that Mia was a freak who claimed to see ghosts…”

  “But she can,” Ethan said.

  “So can I,” Tom admitted. “Thanks to your swim in the quicksand, I came into this as an adult. It must have been horrifying for her as a child. No parent would allow their children to play with her. But Whit was different. He was a good bull. He looked out for her. I think he liked that her school girl crush on him never went away.”

  “Where is he now?” Ethan asked.

  “He’s in a special branch of the FBI. He heads a team. He used to be a deputy here.”

  “I take there is more to the Whitney-Mia story,” Ethan said.

  “Yes, but I think it’s too long to get into right now,” Tom said.

  “Brief summary then,” Rory pleaded.

  Tom took a deep breath. “Whitney was married to an artist who was killed by something paranormal in the hollow, something that caused her to hang herself. Mia got there seconds after it happened but couldn’t save her. Whit never let go that somehow Mia was responsible. The two of them were a couple for a while, but that always got in the way. That and his ego. They weren’t a good fit. She married the right Martin.” Tom stopped. He bit his bottom lip as if to stop himself from continuing.

  “Go on, you want to say something else,” Et
han observed.

  “I guess what I want to say is this: Mia, me, and a few others have gone through the blackest of times, but we came out of it stronger and better people. I know that there is so much out of your control, but there are small things you can control. Like where you put your feet. Is it on a path that will be of service or one of selfishness? Mia’s still a freaky girl, but she serves this community under the radar. She risks her life and sanity to make sure the innocents aren’t preyed upon. Very few people know what Crazy Cooper has done. Some have forgotten or take it for granted.”

  “I think you and Mia are very alike,” Ethan said. “You must have had a good bull.”

  “Or became one,” Rory said. “Today, when you stopped me on the road, you knew where I was going. You didn’t need to stop, but you did. Thank you. I can’t give into the anger that has been festering since I was injured playing football. Or being victimized by the Blairs of this world. I wanted to kill him, but that would have just created more problems.”

  “You don’t want to be inside,” Ethan said. “It’s horrible.”

  “I’m sorry you ended up there. I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough to refuse Keith Summerfield’s invitation,” Rory said.

  “You can’t change the past,” Tom said. “But you can be smarter about the future.”

  ~

  Deb rushed through her closing procedures. She was meeting Susan for a confab at the Ice Cream Palace. Susan had called her heartbroken over something she wouldn’t discuss on the phone. Deb double-checked the doors, the bathrooms, and ran a security sweep of the whole store before she set the alarm and exited out the back door.

  She walked quickly to her car which she had parked underneath the lights. She walked around the car before she opened it. She slid in the driver’s side door. It was barely closed before she locked it. “What’s making you so jumpy?” she asked herself. She twisted around in her seat and checked out the backseat. No one was there. “Paranoid much,” she scolded.

  Deb stared the car and proceeded to pull around the store. There was a lone car in the front parking lot. She pulled up to it, but she couldn’t discern if anyone was inside. She made note of the license plate and drove off. She’d check and see if it was still there when she was finished with Susan. Odds were, the car didn’t start, or someone parked it there, met up with friends, and continued on in another car.

  It was late, but the Ice Cream Palace was busy with adult league baseball players getting an after-practice snack. Susan had managed to get a small booth in the back of the dining area. She waved at Deb when she came in.

  “I thought I’d drown my sorrows in a Turtle sundae,” Susan said. “What do you want? I’m buying.”

  “I’ll have what you’re having,” Deb said.

  “You sit,” Susan ordered and walked over to get in line.

  Deb looked around her. She didn’t like having her back to the door, but to trade places with Susan would be rude. Instead, she kept an eye on things with the reflection supplied by the windows and the dark alley of the resturaunt. She squinted her eyes at someone moving just out of her sight in the dark, probably a couple taking advantage of the privacy of the alley.

  “Sorry to take so long, but as usual, they are understaffed,” Susan explained, sliding into the booth.

  “I’m in no hurry,” Deb assured her. “So, tell me what’s got you so upset?”

  “Well, you know when I wasn’t myself, I asked my son to find another place to live.”

  “I heard you kicked him out.”

  “Yes, I did. But now that I’m better, he doesn’t want to come home yet. He’s big-brothering and staying with a delinquent.”

  “That seems like a good idea.”

  “It’s Ethan Aldridge.”

  “I’m aware that Tom has taken an interest in the boy.”

  “I told him not to waste his time. It’s Rory that needs him.”

  “Susan, Tom did come out to tell Rory in person about Ethan’s release. He has approached Rory. I think it helped a bit.”

  Susan frowned.

  “What?”

  “I didn’t know. I thought Mia was butting in and insisting Tom dance to her tune.”

  “I think what happened to you has got you all mixed up. Where is the defender of Crazy Cooper we all love?”

  “Sitting here, jealous of her.”

  “You?”

  “Me. I’m not sure why.”

  “Mia does tend to collect man-children out there at the farm. Maybe you’re worried she’ll add Tom to her harem?”

  “No, Tom’s not interested.”

  “And neither is Mia. She didn’t even offer to put him up at the farm,” Deb pointed out.

  “He didn’t ask,” Susan said. “Damn, Deb, I’m screwed up. I haven’t even asked about babysitting the boys again. I’m afraid now that she’s got Lazar…”

  “Talk to her,” advised Deb.

  “But what if the Martins don’t want me around their kids?” Susan said, wringing her hands.

  “Making up scenarios in your head isn’t going to change things. As far as I know - which isn’t much, admittedly - when Tom called telling them you were in danger, the Martins and Cid dropped everything and came to help. It doesn’t sound like they have changed their opinion of you. You’re just feeling guilty because your possessor ousted Tom from his comfort zone. I think it’s a good thing that Tom is living somewhere else.”

  “But with Ethan?” Susan questioned.

  “Tom will either make a difference or learn a lesson. He’s no longer a child.”

  Susan nodded. “Deb, you always manage to straighten me out.”

  “And you me. That’s why we’re besties!” Deb said. “Tomorrow, call Mia and see what’s up. Make sure you don’t schedule anything during training camp. I’ve got the time off.”

  The conversation changed to all things Bears, and by the time the last soft-serve confection was spooned up, Susan had her sunny disposition back.

  “I hate to cut things short, but I’m opening up with Rory tomorrow morning, so I better call it a night,” Deb told Susan.

  The two got up and made their way to the front entrance. The parking lot was still quite full. Many of the late customers were milling around their cars, talking and laughing. Susan was surprised to see so many out this late and turned to say something to Deb, but she was gone.

  Susan looked around her and shook off the bad feeling that something was wrong. She stopped and chatted with one of Tom’s old coaches for a few minutes before getting in her car to leave.

  She didn’t see Deb’s car, so she assumed she had left already.

  She didn’t see Deb’s car because it had already been moved.

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Susan turned into the farm drive, placing a steadying hand on the basket of breakfast muffins she had tossed together at the last minute. She had called the Martin house early in the morning to see if she could come over and speak with Mia. Ted, who answered the phone, said that they would be around most of the day, so she could come over whenever it was convenient.

  No one seemed to be around when she parked the car. Normally, Cid or Ted would step outside and greet her. They must be busy. Susan carried the basket to the house. She raised her hand to knock, but if she was going to regain her feeling of being a member of the family, she would act like one. Susan walked in and called out, “Yoo hoo! It’s Susan.”

  “We’re in the kitchen,” Mia called out. “Come on back.”

  Susan walked quickly down the hall. She stopped in her tracks, speechless by the spectacle before her. Mia, Ted, Cid, Lazar, Dieter, and Brian were wearing hats… plastic hats… plastic cheese hats. Even little Varden was dressed in green and gold.

  “Heavens!” Susan said before she broke down and started laughing. “You bunch of weirdos.”

  “We wanted you to feel at home,” Mia said. “Cid made you a cheese soufflé.”

  “Cheeeeeee,” Varden said, clapping his hand
s.

  “He’s speaking already? Oh lord, not another one?” Susan asked dumbfounded.

  Mia shrugged and nodded her head towards Ted. “Not my genes.”

  “I don’t want to be a cheese head,” Brian whined to Susan.

  “Me neither,” Susan said, squatting down. “Your parents are just trying to cut the tension of my returning. They’re big jokers.”

  “Murphy spanked me,” Brian tattled.

  “What did you do to earn the pat on your behind?” Susan asked.

  “I tried to burn down the house.”

  “You got off easy,” Susan said, removing the hat from Brian’s head.

  “We need you, Susan,” Mia said. “We’re not good at kid raising.”

  “Well, I’m here now,” Susan said, her eyes watering. “It’s good to be needed.”

  Rory waited at the back door of Ace Hardware. His mother had dropped him off on her way into work. Saturdays were busy days for both mother and son. Mrs. Kline would collect the doctors’ recorded notes from the walk-in clinic for the week and transcribe them over the weekend, delivering them first thing in the morning on Monday. Rory would put in a double shift, secretly enjoying the atmosphere of the hardware store to home.

  Rory paced the back of the lot. It wasn’t like Deb to be late. Maybe he should call her. Since he wasn’t allowed a cell phone - his parents thought it was wasteful - he walked over to the Quick-Key Mart, where they still maintained one of the few public telephones in town. He dropped a quarter in and called home.

  “Kline residence,” his father answered.

  “Dad, did Ms. Booker call?”

  “No, no one’s called,” he said.

  “Can you look in Mom’s old Rolodex and give me her cell number?”

  Rory’s father found the number. Rory thanked him, disconnected the call, and dropped another quarter in the slot.

  Deb’s cell rang a few times and was picked up. “Hello?” Blair answered.

  “I’m sorry, I must have misdialed,” Rory said quickly.

  “Rory?” Blair asked.

  “Yes.”