Shit.
“As I point the metre at the stage, I’m getting a red reading. I repeat, a red reading.”
It wasn’t just the machine reading that told me something was there with me. It was the darkness that crawled towards me. A slinking monster trying to cloud my brain and confuse me to the point of terror.
I fought the shadow inside my mind as it scrambled for purchase. I wasn’t letting it in. No way.
Peyton . . .
Something whispered my name, and chills raced down my spine. The fact that it knew my name meant it was deeper inside my mind than I wanted.
I closed my eyes and gave off a blast of energy to drive it from my head. Something I’d learned from Sylvia—the ability to clear my mind and shield myself.
The shadow tried to cling, but its claws were dislodged, and as it dispersed from my mind, clarity returned. Now I could sense the room.
“Who are you?” I asked, voice trembling.
I planted my feet and stared around the big top.
Laughter. It rang out, filling the space the way liquid fills a cup, surrounding me. I had to get out of there.
I took a step back and stumbled over something. I expected to hit the dirt floor as my body careened, but something caught me.
Screaming, I whirled around, brandishing the metre in front of me. Someone stood there, hand up to shield their eyes from the harsh light.
I started to attack and then stopped.
“Jake?”
“Jeez, Peyton. Lower the light, will you.”
I scrabbled to remove the elastic band from my head and pointed the light at the dirt.
“What the hell, Jake!” I flung my hands out. “You scared the shit out of me.”
He still held up his hands as he stared at me, wide-eyed. “I was passing the funfair, and I saw your car parked outside. I thought I’d come and check it out.”
“Check it out!” I scoffed.
We had lived this close to each other without bumping into one another by accident for over ten months, and now he just happened to be driving past Old Field Road at the same time Thumper was parked there.
“You’re kidding me, right?”
“Come on, Peyton. Admit that it looks a little weird that your car is parked out here.”
“It probably does.” I nodded. “But it doesn’t mean you had to come in here and rescue me.”
“Woah!” He waved hands. “I didn’t say anything about rescuing. I know for a fine fact that you do not need rescuing.”
“So what’re you doing here, Jake?”
“I . . . well, I guess I saw your car and realised . . . I want to see you.” He dropped his hands and gaze, and his foot scuffed across the dirt.
My anger dissipated as I looked at him. He missed me. He saw my car and his first thought was to follow me in here because he missed me.
“You know,” I stepped forward, “that would be sweet if I wasn’t in the middle of an investigation.”
“Seriously?” His eyes widened.
I nodded.
“This place?”
“This place. They’re going to tear it down, but something is scaring the workmen away.”
“And so they sent you in. By yourself.”
“Hey, don’t go worrying about me now. I don’t need to be rescued, remember.”
“No, but still. It’s not exactly safe. And I’m not just talking about ghosts. Weirdos hang out here.”
“Does that include me and you?” I flashed a smile.
“And not to mention that it’s a death trap. I almost fell twice while following your light.”
“It is pretty bad here.” I nodded. “But unfortunately, that’s the hazard of the job.”
“Tell me you get danger pay.”
“I get pay.”
“You need to up your prices.”
“I’ll consider that. Now if you don’t mind, I have to get on with this.”
“I’m not leaving you.” He shook his head.
“Jake.” I sighed. “You can’t stay. It’s—”
“Dangerous?” His brow arched.
“Fine. You can stay. But this is my investigation. Don’t question me.”
“Okay.” He held up his hands. “You seem particularly grouchy tonight.”
“I’m not grouchy.” I shook my head. “But I’ve already argued with Olivia today about being told what to do. I won’t argue with you.”
“I didn’t come here to argue. You have my word.” He rested his palm on his chest, and the disciplined look on his face said it all.
“Okay. Let’s start—”
In front of me, a snapping sound caught my attention. I flashed the light around the tent.
Nothing.
And then I rested the torch beam on the gargantuan pillar in the centre of the big top which held up the weight of the tent. It had cracked across the middle, splinters of wood peeling from the surface.
“Jake?” I stepped back and felt his hands go to my hips.
“We need to—”
“Run!” I yelled as the column swung down.
I heard a whoosh as the tent began to fold in on itself and us.
Jake grabbed my hand, and I hurdled a broken chair as we rushed for the entryway. The light in my hand swung back and forth, illuminating the ground and then the space in front of us.
A rectangle of darkness was just in front of us. Behind us, the groaning increased, and I felt a whoosh of cold air rush past us.
We dived for the entrance, Jake landing on his back, just in front of me, wide-eyed as he turned to stare at the imploding tent.
Just as I lunged for the doorway, I heard that same laughter pierce my mind, and then I landed on something warm and softer than the ground.
Jake.
Behind me, the beam swung to the floor, hitting with a thunderous boom that rent through the night air, and the tent followed it down, slowly sinking like a deflating balloon.
“If we weren’t in this situation, I’d comment on the compromising position we’re in.” Jake wiggled his brows.
“We could’ve been squashed in there and you’re making sexual innuendos.” I sighed, pushing myself up, using his chest as leverage.
I wouldn’t admit it, but it felt good beneath my hands.
“Let’s just say, risk excites me.”
I stood up and dusted myself down as he got to his feet.
“It wasn’t that when we were being hounded in the bedroom at the Manor house.” I crossed my arms.
“Hey.” He put his hand on the bottom of my chin and tilted until I looked him in the eye. “I got something wrong then.”
“What?”
“I neglected to admit that I need you in my life, Peyton Blaine.”
* * *
“I’ve typed up the annotation of the DVR as best I can, considering the interference and muffled voices.” Olivia eyed me as she swung around from the monitor.
“Well excuse me for almost being killed.”
“I was referring to the heavy petting.” She spun back around to face the screen and grabbed the mouse. “You want me to send it?”
“Email it to Rob and Terry. The sooner they read it, the sooner we get the okay.”
“And if we don’t?”
“We will.”
Olivia clicked send and fired the document into the Interweb. We’d managed to get online after the generous amount Janice paid in the last case we did to get rid of a spirit that was tearing her mum’s home apart. It was the best money I’d ever spent.
Within half an hour, the phone rang.
“Hello, Soul Seekers. Olivia speaking. Yes. Yes, she’s here. Of course.” She placed her palm over the speaker and mouthed, It’s Terry.
I rolled my eyes. I’d been hoping to talk to Rob. He was more approachable.
I took a deep breath and pressed the phone to my ear. “Terry, you got the report?”
“Yes,” his voice was clipped. “Quite frankly, I believe this is part of s
ome elaborate hoax to get money from the Council’s funds.”
“Is that right? Well, it looks like you don’t need my services after all.” I made to put the phone down.
“But!” he yelled.
I pressed it back to my ear.
“Rob is here, and he thinks it’s legitimate.”
“It is.”
“Whatever you say. What are your rates?”
“I’ll have Olivia send them over to you.” I shot Olivia a smile.
“Anything else while you’re stealing money from the poor?” he said.
“Don’t try and goad me into an argument, Terry. You need me.”
“We’ll see. I expect you to start work immediately, and I want to see an itemised bill comprising all hours supposedly worked.”
“No problem. I’ll have it typed up.”
The line went dead.
“Did I mention that I don’t like Terry?” I said as I sank down into the seat.
“Doesn’t matter. You got the job.” Olivia grinned.
“Yeah. You don’t mind typing up an itemised list of the hours I’m working on this, do you?”
“Not at all. Just make sure you keep track. Embellish a little. The funfair was certainly a site of a lot of controversy, so it’s not going to be easy.”
“I like your thinking.” I took a sip of coffee.
My phone beeped in my pocket, and I pulled it out. It was Jake asking to see me. I smiled as I thought back to the heavy petting Olivia had referred to. I just wish I’d had the foresight to turn off the DVR.
“So, spill,” Olivia said.
“What?” I shrugged and stuffed my phone back into my pocket.
“Last night.”
“There’s nothing to tell.”
“Come on, Peyton. I wear glasses but I’m not blind. Jake was there last night. Why?”
I took a deep breath.
I had told her to go home, and if she thought I’d bumped her off for him, she would be mad.
“He scared the shit out of me, as you know since you listened to the recording. One minute I was alone. The next he was there.”
“Why, Peyton?”
“I didn’t ask him to come, if that’s what you mean. He turned up. Saw my parked car on Old Road and thought he’d make sure I was okay.”
“How sweet.”
I took a deep breath. “Okay. Listen, I know that, for some indescribable reason, you harbour this hatred for Jake, but—”
“I don’t hate him.”
“You could’ve fooled me. Anytime he’s around you’ve got this scowl on your face. Anytime I talk about him, you roll your eyes.”
“Peyton, I don’t hate him!”
“Then why do you act like this every goddamn time?”
“Because you don’t need me anymore!” She sat there, face ashen and mouth turned down as she stared at me with eyes full of unshed tears.
“What? Tell me you’re joking.” I hurried over to her. “Olivia, I will always need you. Always.” I dropped to my knees, hands resting on her lap as the tears fell from her eyes.
“Why, when you have him?”
“Jake is . . . I don’t even know what Jake is right now. But you’re my best friend. You’ve been there for me through thick and thin, and I’m never going to forget what you did for me. Ever.”
“Really?”
“Really.” I nodded. “I will always need you, Olive.”
She laughed and slung her arms around my neck.
* * *
Now that it seemed we’d gotten the emotional part of the week over with and we’d secured the case deal, it was time to start work.
After draining my coffee, I set the cup down next to the kettle and stood up.
“Where you going?” Olivia asked.
“The library. I think I want to start with some research.”
“Good thinking.” She nodded.
“Will you see what you can dig up on the Internet?”
Since installing the Internet, life at Soul Seekers had been so much better. Next step was to set up a website.
“No problem,” Olivia said.
“See you soon.”
With my bag slung over my back, complete with the referral form and report from last night, I headed down the stairs and out into the cool breeze of the afternoon. Rather than disturb Thumper, I decided to walk since it was a short distance to the local library.
I passed a row of terraced houses, their doors painted in bright colours, and soon reached the high street. I moved past the various shops, takeaways, charity establishments, and I was about to cross the road to head to the library, when I stopped.
Turning to my right, I spotted the slim doorway that had been strange to me a year ago. Now it was a familiar doorway leading to friendship.
With a smile, I changed direction, then stepped through the door and up the stairs. I moved through the familiar beaded curtains, and the smell of sandalwood enveloped me as I moved into the sparsely decorated room. There were two women sitting on a sofa, chatting quietly. They glanced at me as my feet thumped against the floor, and I shot them an apologetic look. Clearly, I was spoiling the ambience.
I was just about to turn around and call it a day, when I heard another beaded curtain rustle behind me. Then two sets of feet emerged. I turned to see a woman, who hurried to her friends, tears spilling down her face. She wore a smile, too, so I assumed whatever news Sylvia had bestowed on her was good.
Then I saw Sylvia. Dressed in a long flowing skirt that reached the floor, she gave the impression was barefoot. Her hair was wrapped up in a bandanna, and huge earrings dangled from her lobes, almost reaching her shoulders.
“Thank you again,” said the woman as she turned to look at Sylvia.
Then all three stood up and headed towards me. I got out of the way just in time as they moved down the stairs.
“Peyton.” Sylvia offered her wan smile, the one I’d seen many times before and had come to miss. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Nothing, really.” I shrugged. “I was passing and realised how long it had been since I saw you.”
“Would you like tea?”
“Please.” I nodded.
With a bow of her head, Sylvia moved back through the curtain as if she was gliding, and when she reappeared, she had a tray balanced in her hands, complete with tea pot and cups. She set it down on the table and motioned for me to join her. There was an old book on the side of the tray and as I joined her, she handed it over.
“You look well.” Her keen eyes had already assessed me.
“What’s with the book?” I frowned as I looked it over.
“Keep it close. It’ll be important for you, one day.”
Without another thought, I pushed it into my bag and watched as she poured the tea, an herbal concoction of her making, which smelled divine. I took one of the cups and cradled it before inhaling deeply. It smelled like the warmth of a fire on a winter day.
I took a sip. “So do you. Look well, I mean.”
“I am always well.” She cocked her head. “How are things? I sense a change in you.”
“A change? There’s no change here. I’m doing the same thing.”
“Maybe, but there is definitely change.”
She regarded me, and for a moment I felt like she was looking through me, seeing something that I had failed to grasp.
She set her cup down and smiled. “Tell me about life.”
She was never one to mince words, but the over-generalised request didn’t fool me.
“The business is going well. We’ve had a few cases, and I know I made the right decision.”
“Good.” She nodded. “But tell me about life.”
“Life . . . life is good. It’s fun, it’s busy. I’m happy.”
“And no urge to resist the gift you’ve been given?”
“No.” I shook my head. “It’s hard at times, and I often feel like people see me as a freak, but I wouldn’t change it.”
>
“There’s something you’re holding back.” She cocked her head again.
“No. There’s nothing.”
“There are things you’re not telling.”
There was no point in trying to hide anything from her. She knew when I was keeping a secret.
“I’ve met someone, if that’s what you mean.” I shrugged.
Met someone was an understatement. I hadn't just met Jake in any means of the word.
“Not that.” Sylvia shook her head. “I already know that. Something else.”
I bit my lip. There was nothing else. Only . . . the house. That’s what she meant. She knew that I’d been asked to investigate my old house.
“How do you know about that? Only Olivia and Jake know.”
“So your mystery man has a name.” She smiled, coyly. “And do you really need to ask that?”
“No . . . I just . . . I thought I was hiding it well.”
“To anyone else, maybe. But not me. Why are you avoiding it?”
“I’m not.” I shook my head, and my hair flew across my shoulders.
“You are. You hide from the case. You hide from the house. You hide from yourself.”
Her words were soft but they cut like glass and reached deep into my chest, scoring lines across my heart.
She was right. I was avoiding it, but it wasn’t just about the house. It was about me. It was about going back to the place I had grown up in. It was about making myself vulnerable to what I might find in there. It was about knowing that I might have to speak to my parents. I wasn’t sure I could handle that.
“You know, a lot of people would call you astute.” I took a sip of tea.
“Stop avoiding the subject.”
I sighed. “I just don’t think I’m ready to go back.”
“Will you ever be ready?”
“I don’t know.”
“Sometimes we need closure. Do you need this?”
I considered her question. Did I need closure? I hadn’t thought about it like that before. The death of my parents, the way I had treated them had always haunted me when I was drinking and when I was sober. But there were other things that haunted me. Things that I had never told anyone about.
I shook my head. I wasn’t ready to go back there. Wasn’t sure I’d ever be ready.
Under The Big Top Page 4