Eclairs, Scares & Haunted Home Repairs

by Erin Johnson

  Hank cleared his throat. “You saw her body? Was it her—in your opinion?”

  The chief nodded. “Her body was missing an eye and she matched the description. She was still handcuffed to the officer escorting her… who’d also been killed when the monster attacked the train. All the other passengers were accounted for.” He lifted his gloved palms. “It had to have been her.” His expression darkened. “The only thing that gives me pause….” He narrowed his eyes. “Many believe Daichi died in the fire at the morgue, but his remains were never found. In any case, the officer died and Daichi disappeared before an ID could be made, but….”

  “Yes?” Annie blinked at him.

  He glanced up. “But I was out that night, knocking on doors, making sure everyone had taken shelter.” His throat bobbed. “I heard an alarm go off.”

  I lifted a brow.

  “We officers send up magical light signals and alarms to alert each other and citizens.” He gulped. “I heard the alarm before I even saw the flames. But I’m certain it came from the morgue.”

  I frowned. “An alarm—that the building was on fire?”

  “No. It was an alarm that signals a dangerous criminal was on the loose.”

  I froze. Did that mean Daichi had identified the body… and it wasn’t Chiyoko’s? That the officer had sent off the alarm to let everyone know she was still on the loose?

  He shrugged. “But the investigation concluded that the officer, in his panic over the fire, must have sent up the wrong alarm.”

  I watched the chief’s downcast expression. That seemed likely, and yet…. “What do you think?”

  He shrugged again. “I don’t know what to think. Like I said… it was a bad night, full of chaos.” He shook his head. “It’s been a goal of mine to get a definitive answer on what happened that night, but I doubt I will… at least not before I retire.”

  “Oh.” Annie batted her lashes. “Are you retiring soon?”

  “In the next few years.” He flashed his eyes, a good-natured grin on his face. “I’m an old man, after all.”

  Annie lifted her brows but kept her eyes on the desk. “I’m sure Mrs. Abe will be happy to have you home more.”

  His dark eyes focused on Annie. “The ex-Mrs. Abe has been happily remarried for a couple of decades at this point.” He shook his head. “No, it’ll just be me, puttering around my bachelor pad.”

  “You don’t say?” Annie’s eyes lit up.

  “Shameless,” Iggy grumbled. “Just get a room already.”

  I flashed my eyes at him to shut it.

  Chief Abe patted the table. “I’m going to help you, any way I can.” He looked at Annie. “Beyond my professional capacity, I’ve got a personal interest in you all succeeding.”

  “Oh?” A lovely flush rushed to her cheeks.

  He winked. “I want that bakery to open. My mouth’s watering, just thinking about tasting some authentic, Earth Kingdom scones again.”

  Annie lifted a thin brow. “You’ve been to the Earth Kingdom?”

  He tipped his head side to side. “Long ago. In my youth.”

  “Well.” She looked coyly at him. “You don’t have to wait for the bakery to open to get a taste of my scones.”

  “No?” He leaned forward, a twinkle in his eye.

  “Are we still talking about scones here?” Iggy muttered.

  Annie winked. “I’ll whip you up a batch and bring some by.”

  The chief leaned closer over the desk, nearly fell out of his chair. “It’s illegal to bribe an officer, you know? I’d hate to have to lock you up.”

  She leaned toward him too. “Would you use your handcuffs?”

  I shoved my chair back and shot to my feet. “We’ve got to get going!”

  Hank gaped at them. I tugged on his shirt, and he snapped his mouth shut and stood. “Right. Yep. Gotta go.”

  Chief Abe took Annie’s hand in both of his and pressed his lips to the back of it. “This is how they do it in the Earth Kingdom, right?”

  Annie’s cheeks glowed bright pink as she rose to her feet. “I’d like to see how they do it in the Badlands.” She spun on her heel and sauntered out of the tiny station.

  26

  Clearing the Way

  We headed back to the guesthouse and filled in Maple, Sam, Wiley, and Yann on our discussion with Chief Abe… minus the scone sexual innuendos.

  “So this chief seems capable?” Wiley folded his arms as we gathered around the long table in the front room.

  “Oh yeah…, very.” Annie’s gaze was far away.

  “Ees Annie sick?” Yann blinked at her. She remained lost in her thoughts, a dreamy expression on her face.

  I widened my eyes. “I think she’s all right. Perfectly healthy.”

  Iggy’s lantern rested on the table in front of me. He shot her a wary, side-eyed glance. “A little too healthy if you ask me… in the libido depart—”

  I cut him off. “So… should we head back to the new house or…?”

  Maple wrung her hands. “Do we think it’s safe?” She glanced from me to Hank. “The chief really said he’d never seen a ghost commit a crime?”

  Hank nodded. “He did. Plus, this is all happening at night, when no one’s there. That’s more a sign that a person—a living person—who doesn’t want to get caught is behind this. I don’t think we’re in danger while we’re working—especially if we all stick together.”

  I nodded. “I agree.” I frowned. “But I don’t know if I can take it if we come back tomorrow and the house is destroyed again.”

  Yann let out a weary sigh. “Yah.”

  Sam said nothing, but drew away on a sheet of paper with a charcoal pencil. He had the original drawings of the house that Jun had dropped off beside him. I hoped he and Kenta had worked things out.

  Hank cleared his throat and leaned forward. “I had a thought about that. We could stake out the house tonight—make sure no one ruins our progress.”

  Wiley grinned, a devilish twinkle in his eye. “Or catch them if they try.”

  Hank nodded. “Not all of us need to, of course, especially”—he grinned—“if Francis agrees to keep watch.”

  I chuckled. “Woe to anybody who tries to mess with the house.” I shuddered. “I wouldn’t want to come across our vampire friend on a dark night.” I loved Francis, but the few times his fangs had come out had given me an appreciation for how terrifying he could be.

  “Dark night?”

  I glanced up at the muffled voice. Rhonda clomped her way down the wooden stairs, fluffy pink slippers on her feet. She stifled a yawn against the back of her hand.

  Wiley lifted a brow. “You’re up early.”

  The seer scratched her cheek as she wandered over. Her silk sleep mask sat atop her head of tiny black braids, and crystal balls decorated her button-up flannel pajama set. “Midnight snack,” she explained as she headed for the kitchen.

  Maple frowned. “It’s nearly eleven in the morning.”

  Rhonda did a double-take and backed up. “Why are you all home slacking? Shouldn’t you be fixing up the new house?”

  Wiley leaned back in his seat and looked her up and down. “Are you offering to help?”

  “I would, but…” She winked. “I need my beauty sleep.”

  I sighed. “It’s not exactly going well. We think we have a vandal.”

  Hank glared. “Or two.”

  Maple dropped her eyes to her hands. She picked at a divot in the table and spoke in a small voice. “Some of us haven’t ruled ghost out….”

  “Ghost?” Rhonda perked up. She shuffled closer and swept a hand over the center of her forehead—the spot that glowed when she received a vision. “As a Seer, you know I’m well versed in dealing with the other side… the beyond the veil… the spirits who’ve crossed… the—”

  “We get the picture,” Iggy interrupted. “You gonna come ghost hunting with us or what?”

  She waggled her brows. “I’m in.” She jerked her head toward the k
itchen and spoke in her stuffed-up sounding voice. “Just need that snack first….”

  * * *

  Rhonda accompanied us back to the new house. Our arrival was met with a cacophony of caws from the ravens that filled the trees along the borders of the property. Even more of them circled overhead.

  I sneered as I climbed the porch steps and grumbled, “Hordes of ravens watching me with those beady black eyes... just what I need.”

  “Actually.” Sam held up his thumb as he corrected me. I stifled a grin and assumed he meant to lift his index finger. “A bunch of ravensss isss called an unkindnessssss.”

  I whimpered. “Oh good. Even better.”

  We gathered in the parlor, and Rhonda spun slowly in the center of the room, her eyes closed. “I’m sensing… calibrating….” She stopped with a huff and opened her eyes. “Nothing.” She leaned into one hip. “I’ve got ghostdar, you know, it’s kind of like gaydar, but I’m not picking up anything.”

  “Hm.” I looked at Maple with a grin. “That must mean no ghost.”

  Maple looked unconvinced.

  Rhonda shook her head. “No. It’s strange. I’m always sensing something, I’m very sensitive, you know, but right now?” She shrugged. “I’ve got nothing. Nothing at all.” She tapped the center of her forehead, then gave her head a quick shake. “Thought that might rattle something loose, but no. It’s like my brain’s constipated.”

  “So you’re saying your mind is full of sh—”

  I flashed my eyes at Iggy and he broke off with a cackle.

  “Eh, I tried.” Rhonda strutted toward the front door.

  Wiley frowned. “You’re not going to stay and help?”

  Rhonda threw her head back and let out a deep belly laugh. She winked and made a finger gun at him. “Good one.”

  Hank, who looked torn between laughing and rolling his eyes, called after her. “When Francis wakes up, will you ask him if he’d be willing to stake out the house tonight? We want to catch whoever’s doing this.”

  She nodded. “You got it.” She left, then ducked her head back in. “Oh, and uh—” She pointed straight up a crack in the ceiling plaster. It was a spot we’d fixed—only to have undone this morning. “You guys missed a spot.” With a grin, she popped out the door. Her footsteps sounded a moment later, jogging down the porch steps.

  Wiley, grinning, folded his arms and shook his head. “Such a help, that one.”

  We got back to work, though doubt churned in my stomach. Sam and Maple and I headed to the backyard to clear some more brambles. Every time I cast a spell, I couldn’t help but wonder—was this all in vain? Would we come back tomorrow to have everything undone? At least the swath of thorny bushes we’d cleared the other day had stayed cleared. The damage seemed isolated to the house itself.

  While Sam and Maple waded across the lot, clearing another wide stripe all the way back to the cemetery, I concentrated on the plants nearest the house. Their black, twisted shapes crept partway up the wood siding at the back of the house. I narrowed my eyes at the sharp thorns.

  We needed these vines cleared so we could repair and paint the siding that they covered. But more than that, I wanted them gone because to me, it looked as if they were choking the house—dragging it down into the earth. I shuddered, then set my shoulders. I held my hands up, closed my eyes, and felt for a source to power my spell.

  “Caw, caw!”

  I peeled an eye open and glanced overhead at the circling black shapes that dotted the sky directly above me.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Iggy spoke from the lantern at my feet.

  “Do what?”

  He peeked out at me. “Look straight up. They might decide to leave you a present.” He smirked.

  Ew. I jerked my gaze back to the house and let out a tight breath. Concentrate, Imogen. I closed my eyes again and pulled energy from the vines themselves—might as well weaken them at the same time I fueled up.

  I shaped that energy in my mind and mumbled Rini’s words, the spell she’d taught me the other day. Technically, I didn’t need to speak a spell to cast one, but it helped me focus my intention.

  “Get up, go away. You are crowding out the good. Wither, and die now.” The hairs on my arms rose as crackling, magical energy filled the air, and my eyes shot open. The black vines sizzled and whined, writhing as they withered and shrank until only a limp pile lay on the ground. With the vines gone, the whole length of the back of the house became visible, and my brows shot up.

  “What is that?” I dipped down and scooped up Iggy’s lantern, then moved closer. Two wooden doors with iron braces protruded from the ground next to the wall. The planks were rotted and splintered. Stains where the vines had grown crisscrossed all over them. A row of small, rectangular boarded-up windows lined the side of the house, just inches above ground level.

  My jaw dropped. “Guys?” I shouted, my pitch rising at the end. “You’ve got to come see this.”

  27

  What Lies Beneath

  Hank stood beside me looking down at the wooden doors as the rest of our friends gathered around. Yann joined us last, after he climbed down from the roof.

  “What ees dees?”

  Hank glanced up, then tilted his head toward the doors.

  “I cleared the vines and—” I bit my lip.

  “Turns out we have a basement.” Hank cleared his throat and a line creased the spot between his brows.

  Maple clung to Wiley’s side, her eyes wide and lips pressed tight together. “Tell me no one’s going down there.”

  No one spoke. I eyed the doors. A thick chain wound through the handles, locking it tight. I certainly wasn’t going to be first in line.

  Hank gripped his wrist and twisted. “It makes sense, with typhoons hitting now and then, to have a shelter.”

  “You know what else it’d be good for?” Iggy’s eyes grew even bigger and rounder. “Lurking in if you were a ghost, or a dead body, or—”

  “Thanks, Iggy.” I shook my head.

  He smirked.

  “Well.” Hank cleared his throat again, though still, no one moved. “I supposed we ought to see what’s inside?”

  “Ought we?” I squeaked.

  He found my hand and squeezed. “I’m sure it’s nothing to be afraid of.” His throat bobbed as he edged sideways, closer. “I’m sure it’s a just a regular old basement….”

  “Then why are you walking like that?” Iggy folded his flaming arms.

  “Hm?” Hank glanced up. He was halfway to a crouch, creeping slowly closer. “Oh.” He stood upright and squared his shoulders. “Right.” He held his hands over the rotting doors and the thick chain magically snapped in two.

  The doors creaked open and darkness loomed beyond. A glowing golden orb formed in Hank’s hand, then a couple more. They zoomed down into the dark basement.

  Hank let out a short breath and glanced up. “That should give us a little more light.” He nodded to himself. “Down the hatch.”

  I took a deep breath and stepped forward. “Come on.”

  He lifted a brow. “You don’t have to—”

  I shook my head. “I’m not letting you go down there alone.”

  His face softened as he looked deep into my eyes. “Thanks.”

  “Speak for yourself!” Iggy shrieked. “Leave me behind with Maple.”

  Maple, though her hands visibly trembled, shook her head, a determined set to her brows. “No. I-I’m going, too.”

  “You are?” Wiley’s eyes widened, then he straightened. “I mean, yeah, we are.” He hugged her tight to his side.

  “Me, too.” Annie smoothed down her work smock. “I’m not afraid of any ghost.”

  I grinned. “You mean, ‘I ain’t afraid of no ghost’?”

  She frowned. “Your English teachers in the human world must need help if you think that’s more correct.”

  I rolled my eyes. “No, never mind.” I waved a hand. “It’s a human thing.”

  S
he nodded. “That’s what I’m saying, dear.”

  I let it go and we lined up, with Hank leading the way and Sam and Yann bringing up the rear. I handed Iggy’s lantern up to Hank. “Here. To light your way.”

  “Oh, so now I’m going in first?” Iggy shrank to the back of his lantern, his flame dimming and growing faint.

  Hank glanced over his shoulder at me.

  “Oh for fish’s sake….”

  He handed the lantern back to me and Iggy brightened. I shook my head at him. “Hope you’re happy.”

  “If I had a cedar snack, then I’d be happy.”

  “Yeah, well.” I followed Hank down the rickety, shallow stairs into the basement, one hand on his firm shoulder. I held Iggy aloft and peered into the darkness. “You’ll have to settle for exploring a creepy cellar for now.”

  We grew quiet, the only sounds those of my friends’ footsteps thunking down the creaky stairs. Once everyone had entered we stood in a tight circle at the base of the steps, clinging to the patch of daylight that filtered in through the doors.

  A cloud of dust danced in the beam of light. The row of tiny windows along one wall hardly let any light in, the boards and dust covering them turning what little light filtered through brown and dingy.

  I rubbed my arm as goose bumps prickled in the chilly air, and Sam slid up against my side.

  “It’sss cold in here.” He yawned. “Making me sssleepy.”

  I gave a tight smile to my cold-blooded friend. “Hang in there,” I whispered. Something about the space demanded a hushed tone. “Hopefully we’ll be in and out.”

  Hank nodded as a glowing golden orb of light flashed into his palm. “Let’s just do a quick survey, like we did with the rest of the house, and figure out if there are any major problems that need to be addressed. Otherwise…” He glanced around, his lips curled. “We can probably leave off renovating the basement until later.”

  I nodded. “Good plan.”