by S. A. Gibbs
“Sure.” He handed me his keys. “I’ll meet you in the car.”
I took them and walked away from the mess of my life.
Chapter 15
Amberleigh
It had taken two days, but finally, at quarter to three, Ryle and I pulled up the driveway of their Garden View home. The total salvageable contents of my apartment consisted of two suitcases and a large cardboard box.
Mrs. Evans’s teary farewell had my insides churning. Finally, after the third hug, she’d patted my hand and wished me well.
Hefting one of the suitcases from the back of Ryle’s car, I stumbled behind him into the house. I’d agreed to move in with the guys. I really had no other choice. Even with my apartment cleaner than it had been in weeks and new locks fitted to the front door, the place still gave me the heebie-jeebies.
Esme wouldn’t stop until she had the obol and I was dead.
I dumped my bag by the stairs and then headed to the kitchen. I needed coffee and lots of it. Since I’d stopped taking the pain meds, I’d been having nightmares.
I popped a pod in the top of the espresso machine. It clicked and whirred to life, brewing me a single shot of pure rich heaven.
Ryle dumped the box from my apartment on the island counter.
“Coffee’s a superficial fix, Amberleigh. You need to rest.”
I shook my head. “What I need is to see Jed.”
He groaned. “Today?”
“I’ll feel better once I know he’s okay.”
His eyebrows knitted together. “What’s bothering you?”
I’d woken every night over the past few weeks, lathered in a cold sheen of sweat. My screams disturbed the guys. Their lack of sleep was beginning to show. There’d even been a few nights I was fearful of going back to bed unless one of them stayed.
My dreams were crazy. I put them down to the attack and my overactive imagination. When I woke, I couldn’t shake off the emotional connection to them, and last night’s terrifying nightmare had been no different.
In my dream, the late-afternoon sun had warmed my back as I trekked along the sandy path leading to the bridge. Passing beneath a canopy of leafy trees, I’d sauntered along. The melodic tinkle of water trickling over stone drew me away from the arched stone pillars of the bridge, and I wandered over to the edge of the bank. Sunlight glistened on the water’s surface, turning the creek into a sea of shimmering gold. Something bumped against my foot and I looked down. Jed’s bloated body rocked with the current. His lifeless eyes gazing up into nothingness.
I’d woken startled. My heart thumping. The disturbing image of Jed’s corpse had me on edge all day.
What’s bothering me? Oh nothing, just dead people in my dreams. I sighed.
I shrugged. “I’ll feel better once I’ve seen Jed.” Ryle yawned and plonked down on a stool at the counter. “I’m sorry, Ryle. I can call a cab.”
His eyes flew open. “Fat chance. I’d like to keep my body in one piece, if you don’t mind. Finish your drink and let’s get going.”
I downed half a cup, and then we headed for the car.
TWENTY MINUTES LATER, we pulled up at the Bag n Carry on Way Street. My heels clicked on the sidewalk as I hurried toward the alley. I passed Jed’s empty corner and turned into the small side road. His cardboard shanty stuck out from behind the rectangular green dumpster at the far end. “Jed.”
Rumple’s whimper had me hurrying up past the bin. Lifting the faded blue tarp, which doubled as a doorway into Jed’s place, I peered inside. His blankets were pulled up over his pillow, and Rumple’s tartan blanket was missing. Wrinkled clothing dangled out of a box in the far corner. Rumple barked and I spun around. He ran up to me, panting heavily with his tail tucked between his legs. I crouched. Running my hands over his coat, I whispered soothing words to calm him.
“I wonder when you come, miss.”
I swung around. “Mr. Chang.” The kitchen screen ground on its hinges as he closed the old-wire door. When I come? “Where’s Jed?” I thumbed toward the cardboard shanty behind me.
He shrugged, his face becoming a furrow of wrinkles. “This morning, he still gone. Dog hungry. Keep barking.” He pointed at Rumple.
What did he mean, still gone? Rumple submissively flopped to the floor, and I rubbed his belly. “When did you see him last?”
Mr. Chang held up his chubby fingers “Two days.”
My heart pounded. Jed would never willingly leave Rumple. I pointed to Hilda’s sagging cardboard home.
Mr. Chang shook his head. “She no come back.”
I yanked out my phone, flipping it open. The screen remained dead. Shit! I shoved it back in my pocket.
Ryle tapped me on the shoulder. He was already on his phone. “Report him missing. I’m calling the hospitals.” Mr. Chang kindly lent me the restaurant’s cordless phone.
The single light in the alley flickered to life before the squad car arrived. After searching Jed’s shanty, the officer finally made the missing person’s report.
When the squad car reversed out of the alley, the sickly empty feeling in my stomach grew. Missing people from the streets were rarely seen again.
Ryle rolled up Jed’s bedding while I packed up what little there was in the shanty. After giving Mr. Chang my number, I thanked him for the kindness he’d shown Jed.
Rumple trotted by my side as we headed for the car. Reaching the sidewalk, I glanced back. The sight of the lonely green dumpster tugged at my heart, and I wondered if I’d ever see Jed again.
Chapter 16
Amberleigh
The next few days passed in a blur. Mitch had been my steadfast companion, guiding me through my role in their antiquities business. Each morning, the daily e-mails had been insurmountable. Then there was the search for solicited items that took up the rest of my day. No wonder Mitch was always on his computer.
Stirring sugar into my coffee, I looked over at Rumple and sighed. There still hadn’t been any news about Jed. Once I’d logged on to the laptop, I clicked the mail icon. The search signal spun, and a list of e-mails popped onto the screen. Crap. They went on forever. I wanted to bang my head on the keyboard and erase them all. They vanished as I logged out.
Sipping my coffee, I thought about Tracey. My call to her yesterday had been tricky. She gasped about my place being turned over, and was intrigued that I’d moved into Ryle’s spare room. It wasn’t really a lie. I’d just omitted the fact that two other guys lived here as well.
Footsteps clicked across the wooden floor toward the kitchen. “Just getting started?” The warmth of Mitch’s voice shredded some of my gloom. I swung my legs from under the table, turning to face him as he grabbed a cup out of the rack.
“Sorry, I can’t face it today.” I rested my cheek on the cushioned back of the chair.
“That bad, hey?”
“I’m worried about Jed, Tracey, and just everything.” I sat bolt upright. “You don’t think Jed’s disappearance could be related to...” No. It was insane. It couldn’t involve Jed. Could it?
Mitch filled his cup and placed the coffeepot back on the warmer. “What makes you think that?”
My fingers slid to the cool metal coin around my neck. “He gave me the necklace.”
Mitch’s face darkened for a second, and then his frown vanished. I could have sworn his eyes flashed with anger. An emptiness swelled in my stomach like a giant black pit. My heart fluttered. What wasn’t he telling me?
“I’ll look into it.” The gruff edge in his voice increased my anxiety, and I bit my bottom lip.
I let go of the obol.
Could someone have kidnapped Jed to get to me?
MITCH ZIPPED THROUGH the e-mails, forwarding those needing replies to the appropriate people at their office, Aides Antiquity BC. My head buzzed, recognizing the nobility of the name. I could never have imagined stepping inside the walls of such an elite establishment, let alone being involved with the business side of things. Being wonder-struck by the name d
id take my mind off Jed for a while, but my unease soon returned.
I constantly glanced at Mitch until he eventually knocked my leg with his knee. “Stop it, Amberleigh. Now you’re the one being creepy.”
I couldn’t help it. I sat next to one of the founding partners of an empire where every budding antiquarian dreamed of working.
The doorbell chimed, and I scooted from my chair, rushing to answer it. Yanking open the front door, my breath caught in my throat. A tingle of dread erupted in my stomach, shooting up it buzzed through my brain. I stared at the two officers, a woman and a man, their crisp black uniforms perfectly ironed. Both held their peaked hats clutched beneath an arm.
“Are you...Amberleigh Shade?” The woman’s voice was as unsteady as I felt.
I nodded. “Yes.” The word seemed almost a whisper.
“I’m...Officer Grant, and this is Officer Weir.”
“Have you found Jed?”
“Can we come in?”
I stepped back. Blood pounded in my ears as I let them enter.
“Was there anyone home with you this afternoon?” Her partner closed the door behind him.
“In....In the kitchen.” Wringing my hands, I led the way. I’d watched enough TV shows to know what this visit meant. They just had to say the words for it to be real.
“Who was it?” Mitch spun around. I couldn’t stop trembling. He glanced at the police and hurried to my side, guiding me toward the seat at the end of the table. Pulling out a chair, he waited for me to lower myself and then grabbed another chair and sat next to me, his warm hand cupping mine.
“Miss Shade.” The policewoman sat in front of the laptop. “We’ve found a man we believe to be Mr. Randle.”
My trembling hand flew to my mouth. Oh God!
“From the missing person’s report, you’re listed as Mr. Randle’s contact. Do you know of any family?”
I licked my lips and shook my head.
“I’m sorry, Miss Shade, but we need you to come to the medical examiner’s office to confirm his identity.”
I closed my eyes and nodded.
Mitch squeezed my hand. “It’ll be all right. I’ll come with you.”
The policewoman slid a card with the address of the medical examiner’s office onto the table. “Ma’am, I’m sorry for your loss.”
I shut my eyes again, concentrating on the small circular movements that Mitch’s thumb made on the back of my hand. “I’ll bring her when she’s ready.”
The officer’s chair scraped on the wooden floor as she stood, and I cringed. “We’ll let ourselves out.”
The soft thud of their footsteps ceased when the lock on the front door snapped shut behind them.
Mitch let go of my hand, and I opened my eyes. He leaned over and kissed the side of my head. “I’m sorry, Amberleigh. Come. I’ll light the fire. I think you’ve earned yourself a stiff drink.”
He took my hand, and I allowed him to lead me into the next room. Plonking down on the sofa, I curled my legs up, and he pulled the throw over me. He set light to the paper sticking out from beneath the kindling. The small blue-green flickers quickly grew into roaring flames devouring the wood.
My cheeks were wet, and I wiped my eyes on my sleeve. Mitch handed me a drink and then pulled out his phone. I clutched the glass of golden goodness. Sipping it tentatively, I found it to be smoother than I’d expected. The warmth of the liquor eased the tightness in my throat, and I let out a heavy sigh. I’d held out hope Jed would be found alive. Now I couldn’t quite get a grip on the thought of seeing his body. I took a large pull from the glass and gulped it down.
“Ryle, can you guys wrap it up and come home?” Mitch glanced at me. “The police just left. They’ve found Jed.” He paused. “No. She’s okay.” He gave me a weak smile. “Sure. I’ll see you then.” He closed his phone and stuffed it in his pocket. “They’ll be about an hour.”
I nodded. I was in no hurry to identify Jed’s body.
WE ARRIVED HOME LATE that night. I wanted to curl up beneath my covers and block out the world. I’d been anxious on the drive there. The image of Jed from my dream the foremost thought in my mind. The black pit in my stomach engulfed me the moment the attendant let us into the dimly lit room. A body lay on some sort of table on wheels; covered from the neck down with clean sheets, he was made up to resemble someone asleep in a bed. I walked over, and my hand flew to my mouth. Jed’s head rested on a crisp white pillow, his bruised face distorted by the swelling. Thankfully his eyes were closed, not vacantly staring up at nothing, as they had been in my dream. I touched his cheek. His skin was cold and unyielding. I quickly pulled my hand away.
“I’m sorry, Miss Shade.” The attendant spoke in a low tone. “Can you confirm this man is Mr. Randle?”
I stared at Jed. “Yes.”
“Thank you.”
The interview that followed had taken a good hour. I applied to have Jed’s body released to me, and now, tucked up in bed, I just wanted to close my eyes and forget it all.
I WOKE WITH A START. I must have nodded off. Confused and disorientated, I rubbed the sleepiness from my eyes and glanced at the clock. Two forty-one. My stomach rumbled. I hadn’t eaten since I’d scoffed down a sandwich at lunch. Turning on the lamp, I climbed out of bed and put on my robe.
The coolness of the floorboards beneath my bare feet made me wish I’d put on my toasty warm slippers. At the head of the stairs, I heard jumbled voices below. I paused. The guys were with someone. Creeping down to the bottom step, Mitch’s voice snarled, “If you hadn’t sold him the coin, he’d still be alive.”
The gypsy woman! My fingers flew to the obol. Had it been the reason Jed had been killed? I yanked it from my neck. My hand trembled. Glaring at the coin, my anger erupted. I didn’t give a shit about the underworld. As I stormed into the kitchen, Lucas’s shocked expression made Mitch, Ryle, and the woman look over at me.
I hurled the necklace at them. It fell short and skittered across the floor. “You may have well just murdered him yourself. I’m done! Do you hear me! Done!”
I spun around and instantly froze. What the fuck? I couldn’t move. Trapped in midstep, my heart pounded as the click-clack of the gypsy woman’s heels echoed across the floor, heading toward me.
“Let her be, Athena!” Lucas roared.
Athena? She stepped in front of me. Her smoky sea-green eyes sparkled. She certainly didn’t look like a gypsy. Golden hair framed the sun-kissed face of the Grecian goddess while the slightest hint of a smirk danced across her perfectly red lips. “I’ve never seen you this fiery before, Amberleigh.”
Had she been watching me too?
She reached out and toyed with one of my curls. “Now I see how your temper matches your hair.”
“Athena, leave her be!” Mitch’s voice tremored. Was he scared of her?
Her smile reminded me of someone else’s, but I couldn’t recall whose. She held up the necklace I’d thrown, the broken chain dangling in front of my face. Then with her free hand, she twirled a finger. The chain swung up, and the open links fused together. Unclipping the clasp, she fastened the necklace back around my neck. Her smarmy smile changed to a sinister scowl.
If I could’ve backed away from her, I would’ve.
“This isn’t a game!” she snapped. “You can’t throw a tantrum and run away when things don’t work out as planned.”
My heart pounded faster. What the hell would she do? She flicked her hand, and I stumbled forward as she grabbed my wrist. Her nails dug into my skin as she hauled me back onto my feet.
“You’re wasting time, Amberleigh.” She growled. “You need to see the truth for yourself.” She pulled me roughly against her.
“No!” Ryle shouted. I glanced over my shoulder. He sprinted toward me, his hip knocked over a barstool, sending it clattering to the floor. The air around me quivered. The lights in the room flickered. I reached for him. Golden flecks filled the distance between us, lengthening to fine silky strands blocking
him from sight.
Athena’s hold crushed me against her. Golden light shimmered around us. I pushed at her, trying to free myself from her grasp, but she only tightened her grip. I couldn’t escape. “What’ve you done to them?”
“You need to see, to believe. Maybe then you’ll take all this seriously.”
Held within her clutches, my neck tingled from her warm breath. Then she suddenly released me, and I stumbled back. The cocoon encapsulating us receded. Its bright light dwindled to a dull glow against the stone behind us. I spun away from her and stopped, my mouth dropping open. Iridescent lights danced in the sky beyond the hills across a river. The candy-apple reds and greens from the rising flares glinted on the water’s rippling surface. I gasped. “It’s beautiful. What is it?” I licked my lips, my mouth suddenly parched.
Athena moved to my side. “It’s the siren. The one thing no soul can resist. Salvation from the torments of death.” She took a step forward and looked down. “No mortal wants to die, but it’s the cycle Prometheus decreed.”
Stepping next to her, I peered down into the black void, and just like the colors on the rippling water, the aurora reflected on something below.
“There is no day for them. Only night. They wait, ever hopeful.”
The sadness in her voice made me glance at her. Squinting back into the darkness, I saw shadows below us move. What the hell were they?
A wave of bright-green light swept across the sky, illuminating a myriad of figures huddled along the river’s edge. I stepped back. They faced the water, staring up at the aurora. Behind them, other souls wandered aimlessly along the sandy bank, looking up as the colorful display lit up the sky. The light waned, and they were plunged into darkness once again.