Murder Lifts the Spirits

by Margaret C. Morse

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  In the library Marco awaited me next to Cullen, who was still located on the shelf under the windows.

  Cullen appeared now as a bust, a head resting on a neck. Originally he'd been a mask with only the top of the head giving him some shape. I assumed Marco had used magic to refashion Cullen to make him seem more lifelike, if that's the way to describe a talking head and neck.

  Cullen's gaze concentrated on me. "Petra, I—"

  "Cullen," Marco interrupted, "please wait till I explain to Petra." Marco had manifested himself to a height slightly taller than my five feet eight inches. His semitransparency did make him seem like a ghost, although his dark eyes looked somewhat solid and therefore real. "Petra, this white outline of a square in front of Cullen will keep visitors ten feet from him. If anyone crosses the line, Loki will deal with the transgressor."

  Loki maintained his guard duty perched next to Cullen's bust. He glared at me suspiciously, but I'd learned that was his normal gaze.

  I stood behind the white line opposite Cullen. The space between Cullen and the line was empty, although behind me chairs and couches faced Cullen so his visitors could be comfortable. I was too excited to sit. Talk about a first—I had a chance to interview the murder victim.

  "Petra," Marco said, "I've interrupted your regular training schedule so you can speak with Cullen. Ranch staff and I don't know if Cullen has any clues about his murder, but he should be questioned, and he wants to see you before the police. My ghosts and I have been working with Cullen, and he can talk sensibly. I'll return to my picture. My ghosts and I will give you privacy." He faded away.

  The morning had been so busy that I hadn't had time to plan an approach to Cullen. Plunge in. "Cullen, I have so much I need to ask you. First, I'm assuming you want the person who killed you to be caught and punished, right?"

  Cullen opened his mouth. "I want him destroyed, and if he comes back as a ghost, I want his spirit exorcised." His lips moved but not in synch with his words, which made him seem like a mechanized mannequin.

  I wasn't sure how much detail Marco had provided about recent events. "I know you've been briefed on what's happened. Did it include the fact that some people consider me a suspect in your killing?"

  Cullen's turquoise eyes gleamed. The spark in his gaze made him look alive. "You? No, you like me. And you tried to protect me from that spear."

  "Right." Cullen surprised me by being supportive.

  "And," he added, "you don't have the magic skill. No way."

  His critique of my magic skills showed his memory was intact. "That brings up a legal point. I've been sticking up for you, acting like a lawyer, because you weren't able to speak clearly. Without going into all the fine points, it might look weird if a suspect in your murder case also acts as your lawyer. Now that you're talking to us, you might not need a lawyer anymore."

  "No," insisted Cullen, "I want you to be here for me. Wasn't I trying to get you to give me legal advice before I died? Marco explained you saved me from being exorcised for invading Adrian. I want you to keep on helping me."

  "Cullen." I paused. Much depended on his answer, but I was afraid to hope for solid results. "Do you know who killed you?"

  "No. I didn't think anybody hated me." His lips turned down. It must hurt to realize somebody despises you enough for murder.

  "Well, not everybody loved you. What about Jake? You slept with his ex-wife. That can cause friction." I hadn't meant to be sarcastic, but Cullen didn't seem to mind.

  "Jake and I worked that out before I started the program. He felt sorry for me because she dumped me too."

  Linc had been a suspect until his murder. I didn't believe Dawn would kill Cullen because he'd insulted her. It seemed like years ago that Dawn and I had made quesadillas and she'd told me about Cullen talking bad about her. Still I'd be thorough and ask Cullen about everyone who even remotely had issues with him.

  "What about Dawn?"

  "She didn't care enough to kill me." Cullen's lips now matched his words, making his speech more natural.

  "She was pretty wrapped up in Linc and not you," I agreed. "Did you ever have problems with Trevor?"

  "Trevor? No, he told me stuff. I think he trusted me. We had no romantic involvement."

  Loki opened his beak. "Each man kills the thing he loves."

  Who first said that? It was a depressing thought. "What about Adrian?"

  "Adrian? Have you ever talked to her where she didn't get mad at you for something, and then she gets over it?"

  I had to agree that Adrian flared up easily, but her cooling off was erratic and slow. I had mixed feelings about her. "How did you get along with Vidoc?"

  "We were friends. He understood me." Cullen frowned. "You didn't think we had a romance, did you? Didn't you know he's in a relationship with a guy Ira introduced him to?"

  "Of course I did," I answered. "I was just checking. Let's talk about what's come up today. Xara and Zeke burst out that they thought they had exclusive relationships with you. They got really mad when they found out they weren't your one and only. What was going on?"

  Cullen looked down and bit his lip instead of answering immediately. "I had to think. All my life I've counted on my looks. I'd been working with Kai not to rely so much on my appearance. So I thought I'd go in the other direction. You know, spiritual. I wanted to see if someone could love me for myself alone."

  Loki fixed his beady black eyes on Cullen. "Never love you for yourself alone and not your yellow hair."

  Yellow hair? Cullen had lovely dark, thick hair. Loki was at least paying some attention to our dialogue. "I get it, Cullen, but why did you get involved with both of them at the same time?"

  "I don't see why you can't have more than one soul mate."

  Cullen smiled faintly as if he liked the idea of multiple soul mates, but I defined a soul mate as the one special life partner.

  "Why did you insist Zeke and Xara keep their relationships with you secret?"

  "In a place like this, people talk about each other all the time. All that gossip can ruin relationships. I don't know how you and Ira stand it. I thought if we kept things private, we'd be happier." His voice rose. "I wanted us all to be happy. I wasn't trying to hurt anyone."

  "Somehow it all got away from you. Xara and Zeke each wanted you all to themselves."

  Cullen managed a small shake of his head. He was learning to manipulate his structure. "They were both happy with me. That's why they got so mad when I told them I had to break it off. They cared too much."

  "What? They never said anything about you wanting to end these relationships. When did this happen?"

  "A couple of weeks ago. They were both so angry that I backed down and said we wouldn't break up."

  "And you continued your soul mate relationships with them?" When he nodded, I continued, "Why did you want to break off with both of them? Wait, was it because of Hailey?"

  "You guessed from what I said about her this morning?"

  I wondered how Cullen would feel about Hailey disclosing their relationship. "Partly, but mostly from what Hailey told me after I saw you."

  "She admits she loves me?" For the first time in our conversation, his voice sounded energized and warm.

  "She has strong feelings about you. Cullen, I'm having trouble keeping all your relationships straight. I thought Hailey was trying to break it off with you, even though you'd barely started your romance."

  He glared at me. "I didn't accept our breaking up. I knew I could persuade her to stay with me. It all started because someone poisoned her against me."

  "Do you know who?"

  "It could be Adrian," he speculated. "She's very protective of Hailey. But Wyatt might have done it. He's also really vigilant about her."

  "Actually, Wyatt just admitted he warned Hailey against you. He's proud of it."

  Rather than being outraged by Wyatt's behavior, Cullen calmly responded, "I deserved it from him."

  "Rea
lly?"

  "Petra, I want to confess something to you. It's haunting me." The dark curls drooping on his forehead slid straight back. He was cleared for action. "Here's the truth. I lied to Hailey about Wyatt. When Hailey and I first connected, I absorbed every detail about her. I didn't like the way Wyatt acted around her." Cullen winced. "It's hard to express myself without moving my hands. I feel like I'm gesturing, but I'm not. The thing about Wyatt is that he didn't look at Hailey. You know how he has those black eyes that pierce through you?"

  "He used to be a cop," I explained. "They work on the predator hawk look."

  "No, as a counselor he used his gaze to show he was all over you." Cullen added, "In a good way."

  "You noticed Wyatt didn't look at Hailey, and that alerted you to what?"

  "Then I caught him staring at her when he thought nobody saw him. And he was even more protective of her than Adrian."

  "Do you think you got a bit obsessive?"

  "I was falling in love. I thought he was after her too. I had to get to her first. So I lied to Hailey about Wyatt. I told Hailey he made sexist remarks about her."

  "Come on. Tell me what you really said."

  "I told her that whenever she left the room, Wyatt would start talking about her nice boobs, cute ass, and killer legs."

  Before I could stop myself, my lips twisted in disgust. "Ick. You made him sound like a rude teenage boy. Surely Hailey wouldn't believe that about Wyatt. He's a mature man who knows how to behave appropriately."

  Cullen rolled his eyes. "All men are teenage boys when it comes to sex. Hailey knows that. She believed me. She was distressed, and I comforted her. That's when our relationship really started."

  "Give me a minute." I tried to make sense of what Cullen had told me. He didn't think Jake, Dawn, Trevor, Vidoc, Adrian, or myself were likely suspects. Aside from Jake, none of us had what I thought of as strong motives. Jake did have the traditional motive of jealousy, but why would he strike at Cullen now instead of when his wife first cheated on him? Still, you never really get over a cheating lover, so I'd have to keep Jake on the suspect list.

  Xara and Zeke? Today they acted like they'd just learned they didn't have exclusive relationships with Cullen. He thought they were happy because he'd placated them by taking back his attempt to break up. Not strong suspects.

  "Are you done thinking?" Cullen demanded. "I want to see Hailey."

  "Let's make a deal." I wondered if Hailey wanted to see him. Since he was dead, he might not be all that attractive to her. "I'll do my very best to get Hailey here if you agree to first meet with Wyatt." He opened his mouth, but I hurried on. "If Wyatt found out about those lies you told Hailey, he'd have a motive to harm you."

  "Wyatt helped counsel me when I had issues with residents," Cullen protested, "so I thought he liked me."

  "That's not the point. If I question Wyatt, he's so wily, he'll never admit to anything. There's a chance in a confrontation with you that he might let something slip. We should try."

  "Do you have an actual plan?" Cullen asked.

  I improvised. "I'll ask Marco to stand by or materialize or whatever he calls it. He'll watch out for us in case something goes wrong. I want to see if Wyatt will admit he did anything more than warn Hailey against you. If he keeps his cool, you act irritating to get him mad so that he might blurt something out. Try being manipulative and needy. Think you can manage that?"

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Setting up a meeting between Cullen and Wyatt took some negotiating. Wyatt agreed but had classes with residents scheduled all day. Finally, we worked it out that halfway through Wyatt's afternoon session in the reading room, he would arrange for his group to work independently on a project while he met with Cullen.

  Marco, again in the form of a semitransparent regular-sized man, had helped. He'd organized matters by having Cullen transported to the reading room, bringing along Loki, and setting up a ten-foot boundary around Cullen.

  Even though I was keyed up for the encounter with Wyatt, I loosened up briefly when I entered the reading room. Diffused colored light from the arched stained-glass windows cast a soft glow over the wooden floors and leather chairs. A faint lavender scent wafted over me. I thought it came from the end of the room where residents worked with pestles and whisks in ceramic bowls. I was pleased that Xara had steadied enough to work quietly next to Adrian. I tightened up as Wyatt left the group and approached us.

  Marco's gaze moved from Cullen on the shelf under the colorful windows to me standing behind the white line. "This is not ideal for an intimate conversation."

  "I feel safe this way," stated Cullen, his eyes flicking to Loki on his right.

  I'd never actually heard of a murderer totally finishing off his victim by exterminating a ghost. Understandably, being killed made Cullen hypervigilant about his safety.

  Wyatt stood by me. "We can manage."

  Marco gestured at the framed photos on the bookshelves. "Miss Rakowitz, my ghosts and I are here as observers. It's your show." He drifted over to the pictures but kept his regard on us.

  "Thanks, Marco. I wanted you here as a support person for Cullen. You did help him start talking to us." Having a strong personality like Marco present would heighten the atmosphere and provide security.

  I looked at Cullen, who stared back at me with no expression. Why couldn't he put some emotion in his face to set up a mood for this encounter? I'd been busy arranging this meeting, but I'd had a few minutes to prep Cullen. I'd instructed him to be argumentative and infuriating. He should be glowering. I wanted him to make Wyatt defensive and more likely to blurt something out. "Cullen, what was your problem with Wyatt?"

  "You're my lawyer. You tell him what I want to say." Cullen spoke in a flat tone and didn't even glance at Wyatt.

  Fine, he was having a mood, and I'd have to take on the role I'd planned for Cullen and be provocative. I needed to ignite some emotion. I whirled on Wyatt. "Did you know that Cullen told Hailey lies about you?"

  "Let me answer this way. There was very high energy among Hailey, Cullen, and me at one point. In spite of all of Cullen's maneuvers, Hailey and I had some beautiful moments together."

  "You did not!" Finally Cullen erupted.

  Beautiful moments? I'd known Wyatt had to be close to Hailey to intervene in her relationship with Cullen. Beautiful moments sounded definitely like a romantic connection. I concentrated on Wyatt, who hadn't really answered my question. "So you knew he was telling her lies about you?"

  "Everything was perfect between Hailey and me," Cullen interjected.

  I blinked at Cullen, surprised at this misstatement since he'd agreed that Hailey had tried to break up with him. "Cullen, is 'perfect' really the right word?"

  "I'm not downgrading your relationship with Hailey." Wyatt gazed sincerely at Cullen.

  "Yes, you are," Cullen insisted. "You warned her against me."

  I turned to Wyatt. "Why did you warn Hailey not to let herself get involved with Cullen?"

  Wyatt's lips turned down. He actually looked sad. "I saw that she was moved by his youth and beauty. She was vulnerable. She has to give so much of herself as a healer and a counselor. All she gets back is other people's problems."

  I wanted specifics. "So, exactly why did you think Cullen was bad for her?"

  "When you care for someone, you don't want to see them hurt." Wyatt's answer came smoothly.

  "Wyatt," I complained, "can't you actually answer a question? Why did you think Cullen would hurt Hailey?"

  He studied me. "I believe Cullen is in a fragile state. Do you think it's a good idea to ask me to list his faults?"

  Well, Cullen had processed the fact that he was dead, so I supposed he could handle a critique of his value as a romantic partner, but I'd confirm with him. "Cullen, do you want Wyatt to answer?"

  Cullen glowered at Wyatt. "Yes! Why did you think I wasn't good for her?"

  Wyatt met Cullen's glare. "I know you worked with me to repair conflicts with oth
er residents, but I saw you as still being immature and erratic. Hailey should have someone she can rely on, not someone who needs constant attention. And another thing, although I didn't know it when I first warned Hailey about you. I later found out you insisted on her not telling anyone about your relationship. It's a bad sign when someone is secretive."

  "I've learned it's better to keep personal relationships private," Cullen explained. "Gossip messes up things. People offer unwanted advice."

  Wyatt shook his head. "Cullen, secrecy isn't healthy."

  Time to move on. Both men would stick to it that they acted from good motives. I'd try to jolt Wyatt by bringing up how Cullen had slandered him. That had to be a hot-button issue. "Wyatt, let's talk about when you found out that Cullen lied about you to Hailey."

  Wyatt didn't reply at once. He swiveled and checked on his students, all of whom had been sneaking looks at us. He smiled reassuringly at them. He needed time to think. Should he admit he knew about Cullen bad-mouthing him? Such an admission would give him a motive to harm Cullen. However, at any time Hailey might reveal she'd told him about Cullen's accusations. He might as well tell the truth.

  "I noticed that Hailey was excessively polite to me. She appeared agitated and distressed after encounters with Cullen. I urged her to open up to me. She did." Wyatt spoke in an even, matter-of-fact tone.

  Cullen's turquoise eyes opened wide in surprise. "I never knew she told you. What exactly did she say?"

  "Hailey disclosed how you had lied about me—said that I had made obnoxious sexual remarks about her."

  "Did Hailey believe you when you denied saying those things?" Cullen demanded.

  "I didn't deny them." Wyatt set his jaw, his expression serious.

  Cullen and I gawked at him.

  "That was an interesting if unexpected response," I admitted—after all, Cullen said he'd been lying.

  Wyatt nodded as if I'd made a perceptive remark. "I told Hailey that I might as well have spoken those words. I was very attracted to her. I acknowledged that I had noticed her breasts, her legs, her hair. Until that moment I hadn't had the guts to tell her directly how I felt."