Grave Homecoming (A Maddie Graves Mystery Book 1)

by Hart, Lily Harper

  He couldn’t take this. It was too much. Seeing her again … having her so close that he could touch her … it was driving him insane. He was still angry. No, he was furious. It was hard to stay mad, though. Her face, it broke him every time. It was like watching an angel fall. She was so sad, so miserable, so … lost. He wanted to help her find herself, but it wasn’t his job.

  Knowing that, feeling it to his very core, he couldn’t understand why he wasn’t leaving. Nick had no idea. He just knew he couldn’t drive away. Not yet. Something was keeping him here, and it wasn’t just Maddie’s magnetic pull. It was something else.

  So, he rested his head against the seat in his truck … and he waited.

  MADDIE couldn’t face Maude while she was so unsettled. Instead, she sank down onto the front steps of the house and rested her head against the wrought-iron banister.

  She hadn’t been lying – or exaggerating – when she told Nick her life was a mess. Her life had been nothing but a mess since leaving Blackstone Bay. First up was college, where she’d been miserable for the entire run of her nursing degree. She’d kept her nose to the grindstone, held a menial job at the bookstore on the side, and graduated without making a single friend who stuck.

  Once she graduated, she got a job in suburban Detroit and moved to the southeastern part of the state, where she proceeded to work sixty hours a week – every week – and pretend that it didn’t bother her that she didn’t have a life.

  For a time, a very short time, she put herself out into the dating world. Doctors were always asking her out. The nursing pool was easy for them to delve into, so she accepted a few dates, even managing to engage in a sexual relationship with a handful of them. She was still miserable, though, and she ceased her dating life as fast as she started it. She just wasn’t interested.

  Then something happened. A woman with catastrophic injuries came into the emergency room. She was declared brain dead, and her family refused to pull the plug, even though the woman’s spirit was trapped while they agonized over the decision. Maddie saw her every day for a week, and she ignored her every day for that week. The woman was tortured, desperate for her family to let her go, and yet her family refused to believe she was gone.

  Finally, on the last day of the woman’s life, Maddie couldn’t take it anymore. The police were at the hospital to give the family an update, one that didn’t include happy news of an arrest, and Maddie inadvertently blurted out the fact that the individual who had ran her off the road was actually her estranged husband.

  Maddie regretted the words the second they came out of her mouth, and Officer Dean Kincaid was utterly suspicious of her for the rest of the afternoon. When he overheard Maddie tell the family how desperate the woman was to pass on, he cornered her to ask about her abilities.

  Maddie initially feigned ignorance. Her mother had instilled the need for secrecy into her at a very young age. That’s why she’d never told Nick what she could do. What would he have said if she told him? How would that conversation even go? Maddie knew, without a doubt, no matter how loyal Nick was, he would never be able to understand that not only could she see and talk to ghosts – but she also had a sixth sense that allowed her to find certain things, including missing people. He would’ve thought she was lying – and crazy – and she couldn’t bear to see the disappointment on his face. She preferred to remember the way he used to look at her, like she was fun and eccentric – and his very best friend in the world. Those were the memories she clung to.

  After the woman died at the hospital, Kincaid started showing up with case files. He wasn’t sure exactly how Maddie’s “peculiarity” worked, but he was convinced he could use it to his advantage. Maddie ignored him for a long time, but when he came to her with a missing person’s case involving a small child, Maddie couldn’t turn away.

  She found the eight-year-old girl chained to a radiator in the basement of an abandoned building in Detroit in less than five hours. She helped find the suspect involved in the kidnapping two hours later. After that, Kincaid was on her doorstep once a week – no matter how hard Maddie protested. That lasted for two years, until … well … it suddenly stopped.

  Maddie shook her head. She didn’t want to think about that. Not now. Not ever again.

  Maddie lifted her head, her resolve strengthened enough to consider going into the house. Magicks was still a mess, and if she planned on reopening on time next week, she was going to have to get moving on the inventory and cleaning. Now was as good of a time as any.

  Olivia was watching Maddie, clear blue eyes studying her, when she got to her feet.

  “Mom. What’s going on?”

  “I was just wondering that myself,” Olivia said. “Why are you sitting out here?”

  “I was just … .”

  “Collecting yourself, I know,” Olivia said. “You did it all the time when you were a kid – and especially when you were a teenager. You never wanted me to know when you were upset, so you’d sit out here for hours until you convinced yourself that I wouldn’t notice how red and puffy your eyes were.”

  “You knew that?” Maddie was stunned.

  “Of course I knew that. I’m your mother.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Olivia shrugged. “You didn’t want me to know. I figured you’d come to me eventually, but you never did. Do you want to tell me what’s wrong today?”

  Maddie recounted her afternoon, not leaving a thing out. When she was done, Olivia was smiling. It wasn’t the reaction she was expecting. “A woman is dead. I don’t think it’s very funny.”

  “Of course it’s not funny,” Olivia replied. “That’s not why I was smiling.”

  “Why were you smiling?”

  “I just like to see you and Nick working your way back to each other.”

  “We’re not working our way back to each other,” Maddie said, annoyed. “He’s got a girlfriend. Did you miss that part of the conversation?”

  “No,” Olivia said. “I’m sure she’s a lovely girl. I hope she’s not hurt too much when Nick dumps her.”

  “Why is Nick going to dump her?”

  “Oh, sunshine, that was set in stone the minute you stepped back into this town,” Olivia said. “Nick won’t be able to stay away from you. He never could.”

  “Nick hates me, Mom.”

  “He’s hurt and angry,” Olivia countered. “He doesn’t hate you. He could never hate you.”

  “Are you suddenly omnipotent now that you’re dead?” Maddie challenged.

  “That’s not ghost powers, sunshine,” Olivia said. “That’s mom powers. Come on. Let’s take a walk. You’ll feel better once you burn off some of this excess energy.”

  “I don’t want to take a walk.”

  “Well, you’re going to,” Olivia said. “I’m still your mother. Now, get your butt in gear, young lady. I don’t want to sit here and watch you mope for one more second.”

  “You know, once you’re dead, you can’t boss me around anymore,” Maddie said. “That’s a rule.”

  Olivia ignored her. “March!”

  NICK lifted his head when he saw Maddie trudge into the woods that surrounded the backside of her family’s property. She appeared to be talking to someone – but she was alone.

  That was … odd.

  It’s none of your business, Nick told himself. If she wants to wander around the woods talking to herself, you don’t care. She’s probably going crazy. The guilt from leaving him had driven her over the edge. That should make him happy. She deserved it.

  Nick was out of his truck before he realized what he was doing, and he was halfway into the woods before he acknowledged that he was following her. He just had to know who she was talking to.

  After a few minutes of treading lightly – he didn’t want her to hear him, after all – he heard Maddie’s melodious voice.

  “I am not pouting.”

  Who is she talking to? Nick cocked his head to the side so he could listen harder. No
one was answering her, though.

  “I don’t care what you say,” Maddie said. “You’re being idiotic.” Silence. “I’m not calling you an idiot. I’m saying you’re being idiotic.” More silence. “Oh, I can, too. You’re just trying to aggravate me.”

  Nick moved out of the trees and stepped into the small meadow where Maddie was busily picking wildflowers. She continued to chatter away, but a steady scan told Nick she was alone. He started to feel uncomfortable, so he cleared his throat to alert Maddie to his presence.

  He watched her body stiffen, and when she swiveled, her face was awash with embarrassment.

  “What are you doing here?” Maddie asked.

  “I saw you go into the woods.”

  “And you followed me?”

  “It looked like … were you just talking to someone?”

  Maddie’s face was a mask of horror and doubt. “I was … talking to myself.”

  “And what were you saying?”

  “Well … what did you hear me say?”

  “You were calling someone an idiot.”

  “Oh, I did not call her an idiot,” Maddie snapped. “I said … wait … were you watching my house?”

  Nick faltered. “I was sitting in my truck down the road.”

  “Why?”

  “I was just thinking,” Nick said, angry at being put on the defensive. She was the one acting like a freak. “Who were you talking to?”

  Maddie scowled. “If you must know, I was talking to my mother.”

  Nick blew out a sigh, relieved. “Oh, you were pretending to have a conversation with your mom because of everything that happened today,” he said, filling in the gaps so Maddie wouldn’t have to.

  “Yeah, that’s it,” Maddie said, her tone droll. “I just … it makes me feel closer to her.”

  “I understand that, Mad,” Nick said. “I just … I was worried about you.”

  “Well, you don’t have to be,” Maddie said. “I’m not crazy.”

  “I didn’t say you were crazy.”

  “Well … I’m not.”

  “Okay.”

  “Great.”

  “Good.”

  Nick had nothing left to say after that, and Maddie wasn’t volunteering any further information, so he left. He was sure the loss of Olivia had thrown Maddie for a loop. It made sense that she needed someone to talk to. A lot of people talked to dead relatives, didn’t they? Of course, most people probably didn’t hold entire conversations, like someone else was speaking back to them, but Maddie had gone through a trauma that afternoon. It was too be expected.

  So how come Nick didn’t really believe that?

  Eight

  The thing Maddie loved most about Blackstone Bay was the kitschy atmosphere. The town didn’t change, the storefronts were still the same as they were ten years before (and twenty years before that, truth be told), and the town didn’t show signs of growing pains. It was small enough to be claustrophobic, but the boundaries of the country fields and woods that surrounded it were wide enough to let fresh air in.

  Maddie was home, and she hadn’t been this … relaxed … in a very long time. She was sure happiness would follow. Somehow.

  After spending four hours toiling in Magicks, even getting on all fours to scrub the corners of the floor with a bucket and brush, Maddie needed a break. She decided to treat herself to an ice cream cone from Fletcher’s Soda Shoppe, take a walk through town, and then return for a couple more hours of work.

  The body discovery from the previous afternoon was still the topic of conversation on everyone’s lips, although the victim’s identity wasn’t public yet, and after answering a few uncomfortable questions at Fletcher’s, Maddie escaped to the street with her ice cream. While the woman’s death plagued her, Nick’s appearance in the meadow was what was really bothering her. How much had he heard? Had he really believed she was out there talking to herself?

  Maddie pinched the bridge of her nose. This was exactly what she’d been afraid of. This was exactly why she’d pushed him away. If he found out, he would never look at her in the same way. She wouldn’t be Maddie, the girl he spent his childhood playing with. She would be Maddie, the freak who thought she could talk to ghosts. It was mortifying.

  Summer hadn’t technically hit Blackstone Bay. It was still weeks away, but late spring in Michigan is a beautiful time, and Maddie relished the feeling of the sun on her skin as she wandered around the small downtown area. After finishing her treat, she discarded her refuse in a garbage can. She straightened when a shadow moved over her, lifting her head to ready herself for another barrage of questions about the body.

  The man standing in front of her was familiar – and yet different. His brown hair was shorter than she remembered, but his jaw was still square and set. The planes of his cheekbones were still high and pronounced. His body was still tall and trim. All those things were the same. So, what was different? Instead of a football jersey, he was dressed in an expensive suit and leather loafers. His eyes were an amazing powder blue, but there was no mischief flirting in their depths. He looked more … mature.

  Todd Winthrop. He’d graduated from Blackstone Bay High School the same year Maddie and Nick had matriculated. He was the town’s prodigal son. He was the star running back on the football team, earning a scholarship to Michigan State University for his field prowess. He’d graduated with top honors, been the president of her senior class, and he was every teenage girl’s dream – well, other than Nick.

  Maddie hadn’t crossed paths with Todd often. He and Nick were competitive, and Maddie’s loyalty had always been with Nick. As teenagers, Todd went out of his way to flirt with her, but Maddie knew it was because he was trying to get a dig in at Nick, not because he was genuinely interested in her.

  “Hello, Todd,” Maddie said, smiling shyly.

  “Maddie Graves,” Todd said, smiling down at her. “I heard rumors you were back in town. I didn’t believe them until I saw it with my own eyes, though.”

  “The rumors are true.”

  “You look … amazing.” Todd’s eyes were bright with intrigue as he looked her up and down, taking in her cutoff shorts and T-shirt with studied interest. “You haven’t changed a bit.”

  “Well, I hope that’s not true,” Maddie said, shifting uncomfortably. “I would hate to think I was stuck in time.”

  “Being stuck in time isn’t a bad thing, Miss Maddie,” he said, his tone teasing. “Especially when you look that.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like you stepped right off of a runway,” Todd said.

  “Oh, you’re quite the flatterer.”

  “You’re worth the flattery.”

  The duo made small talk for a few minutes, Todd telling Maddie about the car dealership he’d opened on the outskirts of town three years before, and Maddie carefully stepping around the end of her nursing career. The conversation was light and comfortable.

  “So, I can’t say I’m not surprised to find you still living in Blackstone Bay,” Maddie said. “I thought for sure you would hit a big city by storm and never look back.”

  Todd pursed his lips together and shrugged. “Blackstone Bay is home. It’s a great town.”

  “It is,” Maddie agreed. “That’s why I came back.”

  Todd narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “Is that the only reason you came back?”

  “I’m not sure what you mean,” Maddie hedged.

  Todd shifted his gaze to the police station across the road. The single-story building, red brick and black roof, was bright beneath the afternoon sun. Maddie hadn’t even realized where she was. Well … mostly.

  “I still don’t know what you mean.”

  “So, all of those rumors about you and Nick Winters in high school were wrong?” Todd asked.

  “I’m not sure what rumors you’re referring to,” Maddie said. “We were friends. What else was being gossiped about?” Maddie had already gotten an earful from Christy, but she was mildly curious if Todd wou
ld be forthcoming or coy.

  “The ones where you and Winters were out fornicating in the woods every night of our high school career.”

  Well, so much for him being coy. “Like I said, we were just friends.”

  “And what about now?” Todd asked.

  “Now we’re … acquaintances.”

  “Oh, so all the people on the streets saying that Winters was glued to your side after you discovered a dead body in the alley between the hardware store and the diner were exaggerating?”

  It was a pointed question. “He was doing his job.”

  Todd held his hands up in mock surrender. “Okay. I was just asking. I didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes.”

  Maddie wrinkled her nose. “What toes?”

  The smile that moved across Todd’s face was a mixture of play and prey. “Well, since I’m going to ask you out to dinner, I want to make sure I’m not poaching on anyone’s … property.”

  Maddie’s mouth dropped open. “I … um … .”

  “I’m going to take that as a yes,” Todd said, not giving her a chance to come up with an excuse to bow out. He reached over and brushed a strand of Maddie’s flyaway hair away from her face. “You’re kind of cute when you’re nervous.”

  Maddie squared her shoulders. “What makes you think I’m nervous?”

  Todd grinned, letting his dimple come out to play. “Oh, you’re not? Good. I’ll pick you up at seven.”

  “I CAN’T do this,” Maddie said, her voice rising an octave. “I don’t want to do this.”

  “You can do it, girl,” Maude said, holding a floral dress up next to Maddie’s face and then shaking her head in disgust. “Why does everything in your closet look like the Amish should be wearing it?”

  “There’s nothing wrong with that dress,” Maddie complained.

  “Maddie, you’re twenty-eight years old,” Maude said. “You shouldn’t dress like you’re fifty. Don’t you have anything that shows off your body?”

  “No.”

  “Everyone calm down,” Christy said, breezing into Maddie’s upstairs bedroom with a pile of clothes over her arm and a makeup case in her hand. “I’m here. Everything is going to be fine.”