Don't Wake the Dead

by C. C. Wood

  I inhaled sharply. “I saw Hank Murphy, Sheriff.”

  “Excuse me?” he asked.

  “I saw Hank Murphy on that farm to market road,” I reiterated.

  “Zoe, if you’re referring to the crash, it was twenty years ago. You would have just been a child.”

  I cleared my throat. “You know that’s not what I’m talking about. I saw Hank last week on the side of that road and he told me he’d been murdered.”

  The sheriff frowned fiercely at me. “Zoe.” My name was a warning.

  One that I ignored. It was as if the fear left my body and all that was left was me. The real me. A strong, outspoken woman who wasn’t afraid of the threats made by a young sheriff’s deputy a decade ago.

  “Lamar, you know what I’m capable of. You’ve seen it with your own eyes, so please don’t insult me by treating me like I’m crazy. I saw Hank. I spoke to him. He told me what happened that night. How someone fired a gun at him and ran him off the road. He also said a man climbed out of the other truck and came towards him with a rock in his hand. He can remember being hit once in the head before everything went dark. What happened to him twenty years ago wasn’t an accident. Someone wanted to kill Hank Murphy and they went to a lot of trouble to make it appear as something other than murder.”

  The frown on his face faded, but his expression became a cold stone mask of anger.

  “Who do you think you are, talking to me that way?” he asked harshly. “I was there that night and I can tell you that I saw no evidence that it was anything other than what it was; a horrible single car accident.”

  I shook my head. “Even after finding me in that cemetery ten years ago, you still can’t acknowledge that not everything in this world can be explained with logic and science. There is more to this life than that.”

  The sheriff slammed his hand on the desktop. The loud noise made me jump. “Zoe Thorne, that is enough!”

  “I’m not a scared teenager anymore, Lamar,” I snapped back, shocked at my own audacity. “A murderer has walked free for twenty years and, if you ignore us and what we’re sharing with you, they may very well be free until their dying day!”

  “Even if you were right, there is no evidence. Because there was no foul play suspected, no evidence was collected. That rock you pointed out—gone. Any tire tracks, footprints, anything that might help us figure out who did it—gone. There is not much we can do.”

  “So that means you do nothing at all?” Mal asked.

  The sheriff rose from his chair. “I think it’s time for you to leave.”

  Shaking, I also got to my feet and let Mal lead me to the door.

  Before he could open it, the sheriff called out, “I don’t want to hear about you two going around and stirring things up, do you understand? This is the end of the matter, or you and I will have a problem.”

  When neither of us responded, he continued, “By problem, I mean I will find a reason to arrest you and throw your asses in jail. Do you understand?”

  Mal and I both nodded.

  “Then get the hell out of my office.”

  Without another word, Mal and I left.

  Chapter

  Mal grabbed my hand as we walked out of the station and I was grateful for it, because I wasn’t sure my legs were going to hold me.

  This was the reason I hated confrontation. After all was said and done, my body felt weak and shaky. I couldn’t believe the things I’d said to the sheriff. I wondered if he would do as he’d threatened all those years ago. God, my mother would have a field day if the men in white showed up at my house with a straightjacket.

  After we climbed in the car, the tremors began in earnest. My chest hurt and I felt as if I couldn’t pull enough air into my lungs. My breaths sounded gasping and as painful as they felt.

  “Zoe?” Mal’s voice sounded far away. “Oh my God, Zoe. What’s wrong?”

  “He saw me ten years ago, in the cemetery,” I choked out. “The first time it happened. The first zombies.”

  Mal’s hand wrapped tightly around mine. “I’m here, Zoe.”

  “H-h-he said that he would have me committed to a mental institution if he ever caught me doing something like that again,” I whispered in a harsh rush, the words hurt as they were yanked from my throat. I’d already told him all this, but the enormity of what I’d just done hit me harder than I expected.

  “For fuck’s sake,” Mal muttered. His arms came around me, pulling me close across the console of the van. He tucked my head into the hollow of his shoulder and held me close.

  I managed to keep from crying, but each breath I took sounded as if it was heaved from my lungs while I fought for control.

  “No wonder you think the sheriff hates you.”

  I huffed out a bark of laughter. “Think? I know.”

  “I don’t think that’s hate, Zoe. I think he fears what you can do because it can’t be explained.”

  “Either way, I’ve always been too scared to push him. Until now.”

  “Hey, listen,” Mal pried me away from his chest and cupped my face. “I will never let him do that to you, Zoe.”

  His eyes filled my vision and I was mesmerized by the golden flecks in the brown of his irises.

  “How could you stop him?” I whispered.

  His face was so close to mine. I could feel his breath against my mouth and knew his lips were only scant inches away.

  “You forget who my family is, Zoe. Even if he managed to get you into an institution, it would only be a few hours before I could have you out again. My father’s man eating lawyers could accomplish that easily.”

  I didn’t believe that claim for a second, but I did trust that he wouldn’t allow me to be locked away to rot over Sheriff Daughtry’s vendetta.

  “You promise?” I asked.

  His response wasn’t verbal this time. I trembled as his mouth sealed over mine. The kiss was sweet. Reassuring.

  But it had been so long since a man had held me, kissed me, that I felt overwhelmed.

  My mind reeled as the unexpected sensations assailed me. When his tongue brushed my upper lip, I instinctively opened my mouth. Mal gathered me closer, his tongue tangling with mine. He tasted like the mints he’d popped on the drive to the sheriff’s office.

  The whoop of a siren tore us apart. I panted, leaning back against the passenger door and staring at Mal as the cruiser took off out of the department parking lot.

  I lifted a shaky hand to my lips, my fingers touching the swollen tissue. My mind was completely blank.

  Mal stared at me, his brown eyes moving over my face, taking in the nuances of my expression. I felt as though my thoughts were being dissected.

  “Uh, I’ll, uh, take you home,” he mumbled.

  Wordlessly, I nodded and reached for my seat belt.

  When Mal pulled into my driveway, he made no move to get out of the van. I took that to mean that whatever had passed between us would remain unspoken.

  I unbuckled my seatbelt and opened the door.

  “Zoe.”

  I glanced over at him, unsure of what to expect.

  “We will talk about that kiss sometime soon. Just not today.”

  I nodded shortly and stepped out of the van. Mal waited until I was inside the house before he drove away.

  Teri was waiting for me in the living room when I dropped my keys on the table in the foyer.

  “How’d it go?” she asked.

  “About as well as I expected.”

  She grimaced. “That good, huh?”

  I trudged to the sofa and plopped down on it. “Oh yeah. The high point was when Mal kissed me.”

  “What?” she screeched. “He kissed you?”

  I sighed, throwing an arm over my eyes. “Yeah.”

  “How was it?” she asked, nudging me with an icy hand.

  “A bad idea,” I stated.

  “Okay, fine. Maybe it was a bad idea, but how was the kiss itself?” she pushed.

  I dropped my arm aw
ay and turned my head to look at her. “Fucking amazing.”

  She grinned, a delighted expression on her face.

  “But we can’t do it again.”

  She scowled at me. “Why not?” Then she shook her head. “Never mind. It’ll be some lousy excuse.”

  “There’s nothing lousy about choosing to think with my brain instead of my hormones,” I retorted.

  “Until you end up old and alone,” she snapped back. “At least you’ll have your principles.”

  Then she disappeared.

  Chapter

  Later that night, I got a text from Mal.

  Intrvwing Dwyer tmrro. Wll fill u in.

  I glowered at the message. So now I was out of the loop? I didn’t think so. Sheriff Daughtry might have put the fear of God into me a decade ago, but I wasn’t seventeen anymore and I had people who would help me if he tried to follow through on his threats.

  I dialed Mal and waited as the phone rang.

  “Hi, Zoe. Are you feeling better?” he asked.

  “Much. What I’d like to know is why you’re going to talk to Dwyer without me?” Before Mal could respond, I continued. “I know I lost it today after we talked to Daughtry, but I’m not going to live in fear of him any longer. I won’t give him that sort of power over me again.”

  I waited for Mal’s answer, but when he didn’t speak, I asked, “Well?”

  “Uh, just waiting to make sure you’re done before I say anything,” he replied.

  I took a deep breath. “Yeah, I think I’m done.”

  “Well, you see, I thought Dwyer might be more inclined to talk to me if I approached him alone. From what I understand, he’s been a loner since his best friend, Hank, died. He also goes to the local honkytonk a couple times a week after work. Doesn’t talk to anyone or dance with anyone. He just sits at the bar and drinks. I thought that might be the best time to make contact.”

  “Oh.”

  I could hear the smile in Mal’s voice. “That’s it? Oh?”

  “Well, now I understand your reasoning. It’s just…after today, it felt like you were taking me out of the loop because you didn’t think I could handle the pressure.”

  He chuckled. “You’re doing better than most people would, Zoe. I don’t think less of you for getting upset this afternoon. Sheriff Daughtry is intimidating and I doubt he’s in the habit of making idle threats. He would have scared the pants off me when I was seventeen too.”

  “Yeah, well he still scares me and I’m twenty-seven.”

  Mal and I chatted for a while, but he didn’t bring up the kiss he’d planted on me earlier.

  Neither did I.

  The next evening I was watching television and trying not to obsess over how Mal’s interview with Steve Dwyer was going.

  Around nine-thirty, my phone dinged. I glanced at the screen. It was from Mal.

  R u up?

  I was surprised to hear from him. I figured he’d be at the bar until late. Yes.

  His reply was quick. I’m cmng ovr. Do u hv frzn ps?

  What in the heck was he talking about? Have what?

  FROZEN PEAS.

  I had no idea why he might need them. Still, I did have a couple bags in the freezer.

  Yes.

  B thr in 5.

  When I let him in a few minutes later, my mouth fell open.

  “What happened to you?” I asked, shutting the front door behind him.

  “Oh, I ran into Dwyer’s fist with my face a few times. Nothing serious.”

  Mal’s left eye was swollen nearly shut and his cheek glowed, the flesh a bright reddish purple.

  “Dear God, how many times did he hit you?” I asked, leading him into the living room.

  Mal collapsed on my sofa and leaned his head back. “A few.”

  “Hang on. I’ll be right back with the peas.”

  I hurried into the kitchen and grabbed the biggest bag of frozen peas I had.

  I brought it back into the living room and settled it over Mal’s face. He flinched and exhaled on a hiss.

  “Jesus, that feels horrible and wonderful at the same time,” he sighed.

  “Want to tell me exactly what happened?”

  “Well, I followed the plan I went over with you last night. I asked someone to point Dwyer out to me and sat down next to him. We chatted for a bit. It was a simple conversation.”

  “Okay, Mal, I don’t know if you realize this but a ‘simple conversation’ usually doesn’t end with you getting punched in the face.”

  “Well, he might have slugged me when I asked him if Hank knew that his best friend was fucking his wife before he died,” Mal admitted.

  “You didn’t.”

  Mal held the peas to his eye as he nodded. “Sure did.” He closed his good eye and resumed his prone position. “Then, while I was lying on the floor, I asked him if Trisha knew that he killed Hank with that rock or if she was just an innocent party.”

  I sank down onto the couch next to him. “Oh my God. What did he say?”

  “Nothing,” Mal answered. “But his face turned white and, honestly, he looked like he was the one who’d been punched.” He reopened his good eye and turned his head so he could see me. “He did it. There’s no doubt in my mind. His reaction when I asked him that question was practically an admission of guilt.”

  “Oh my God,” I repeated.

  “Yeah, I think that’s what I said when I realized that he really was guilty.”

  “What are we going to do?” I asked.

  “There’s nothing we can do.” Mal sounded defeated. “There’s no proof. Unless Dwyer or Trisha confesses, we have no legal recourse. The sheriff isn’t willing to help us so…”

  I flopped back onto the cushions and stared at the ceiling. “So no justice for Hank Murphy. We know who killed him and why, but because all the evidence was missed or ignored twenty years ago, there’s nothing we can do.”

  “Pretty much,” Mal said.

  “I don’t like that solution,” I stated.

  “I don’t either, but there’s not much else we can do.”

  We sat in silence for a long time.

  “God, I need a drink,” I groaned. Just a few days ago, I’d sworn not to drink again, but after tonight’s epiphanies, I wanted one.

  “Me, too. Got anything stronger than beer?”

  I glanced over at him. “Whiskey, vodka, or tequila?”

  He removed the peas from his eye. “Seriously?”

  “What?”

  “Nothing. Whiskey, please.”

  When I returned with his drink, I brought the bottle.

  “Does this mean you won’t be working with us any longer?” Mal asked as he took the glass I offered him.

  I poured myself a small amount of the amber liquor and sipped. “No, it doesn’t,” I replied. “I think I made my decision within a few days of working with Blaine, Stony, and you, I just wasn’t ready to admit it.”

  Mal smiled. “So you’re going to be a permanent part of the team?”

  “Yeah, I think I am.”

  “Well, at least there’s some good news tonight,” he said, lifting his glass. “Welcome to the team, Zoe Thorne. We’re happy to have you.”

  I clicked my glass against his. “Thank you.”

  Chapter

  After one drink, Mal thanked me for the peas and the whiskey. He left after instructing me to meet him in the morning at the hotel where he and the guys were staying. He explained that Blaine and Stony would want to officially welcome me to the team.

  I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know what that included, but I assured him that I would be there.

  Once I was alone, I picked up my phone and texted Jonelle. She was a night owl, so I knew she would still be awake.

  I have a new job.

  My phone rang a few seconds later.

  “You quit the show?” she yelled in my ear.

  “Of course not! I told Mal that I wanted to work with them full time.”

  “Oh, good. I
thought that you’d decided to quit after all.”

  “No. I just decided to quit questioning myself and do it.”

  “I’m glad. We should celebrate! Tomorrow night?”

  Jonelle was always looking for a reason to party, but in this case, I agreed. We should celebrate.

  “That sounds like fun. Birdie’s?”

  “Hell no, woman! We’re going over to Weatherford to one of the nice places. This is a party that deserves more than sticky floors and sixties crooners.”

  I laughed. “All right, but no tequila and no trying to hook me up.”

  “C’mon!”

  “I mean it, Jonelle. I want to drink to my new path in life, not find a man or deal with another massive hangover.”

  “Good point,” she replied with a sigh.

  “Am I picking you up?”

  “Zoe, seriously. This is your celebration. I’ll be the designated driver. Or I’ll see if I can hire an Uber.”

  A giggle escaped my mouth. Kenna was such a small town that hiring an Uber car was damn near impossible.

  “Good luck,” I said.

  “Smart ass.”

  “Okay, so I’ll see you tomorrow night. I have to go to bed because I’m supposed to be at Mal’s hotel tomorrow morning at ten.”

  After we disconnected, I headed upstairs to get ready for bed. As I lay in my bed, staring at the shadows on my ceiling, I waited for the fear to come. I was making a huge change in my life. I should be terrified.

  But I wasn’t.

  In fact, I was so excited that I wasn’t sure I could sleep. In the last three weeks, I realized that the choices I’d made over the last few years had been safe ones. While they hadn’t made me miserable, my choices hadn’t made me happy either.

  For the first time since I graduated college, I was genuinely happy. I didn’t have to hide anymore.

  So with the happiness, I was also going to gain freedom.

  My first official day as a full-time employee with The Wraith Files was almost exactly like the first. The only difference was Stony insisted on putting moonshine in my coffee.