“He doesn’t like anyone. I think he’s resorted to doing things like this for attention,” I said, picking up the fork. It was cold to the touch as I tossed it into the sink.
Three knives rested on the counter, including the butcher knife. I let out a hefty sigh as I put them back in the butcher block. “I refuse to baby-proof my house for a ghost.”
“Has he told you why he’s lingering?”
I shook my head. “Not yet.”
“He will,” Nina announced as she glanced down at my clothing. “You need to change.”
“Why would I need to change?” I asked, following her out of the kitchen and up the stairs to my room.
She went straight to the closet and pulled out a pair of jeans and a cute top. “You’ll thank me later.”
“What aren’t you telling me?” I asked as I put my coffee cup down and changed clothes while Nina was in the closet going through my shoe boxes.
“You’re about to have a visitor,” Nina said as she stepped out with a shoebox in hand. She handed it to me. “You’re going to need this too.”
“Nina.” I peeked inside the shoebox to find the satchel that Mary, the witch in the woods, had given me, sitting on a bed of sage. I set the shoebox on the bed and called out after Nina as I followed her back down the stairs. She counted to three and then opened the door.
The man from the landfill was standing on my stoop with his hand in the air as if ready to knock. Next to him was Jimbo.
Nina patted my shoulder. “They're here to ask you some questions, but call me if you need me. You shouldn’t need me. But in case I missed something…”
My mouth parted as Nina pushed through my visitors and stepped out on the porch, leaving me to deal with both men.
“I see you found the killer,” I said to Jimbo, crossing my arms over my chest. I remained unmoving as I stared at Mr. Tall, Dark, and Killerish.”
“I warned you she’d think it was me.” The mystery man’s lips twitched into a grin.
I raised a brow. “First standing over Ann’s body and then last night standing on my street corner?”
Jimbo sighed. “He can explain, Faith. Now are you going to let us in?”
“I don’t like the tall one,” Jared said from behind me.
“Me neither,” I whispered.
“What was that?” Jimbo asked.
The man’s lips twitched as I stepped aside and let them pass.
Jimbo headed straight for the kitchen and was opening my fridge as the killer and I followed my best friend. The knives I’d put away were back out on the counter again, and I tossed Jared the best peeved-parent look I could muster without being able to argue.
“Does he always help himself?” the killer asked.
Jimbo emerged with two different coffee creamers. “Faith and I have coffee every morning. She keeps my creamer on hand.”
“I see.” Tall, Dark, and Stalkerish stared at me.
I didn’t care what he thought or how Jimbo’s confession sounded. It was true. Jimbo and I talked each morning. Why wouldn’t we? We were best friends.
“So what brings you by? Is this your way of doing a line up to pick the killer?”
“He’s not the killer,” Jimbo announced and handed me a pack of peanut butter crackers. “And I can tell you haven’t eaten today.”
I sighed. Jimbo was right. He could sense when my sugar was out of whack. It was part of his charm. I tore the cracker package open and offered one to the killer. He took one and smiled as he took a bite. I frowned as I ate mine. “If you’re not the killer, then who are you?”
“Your future husband.” He grinned.
I covered my mouth as I began to choke on a cracker. Jimbo dumped my cold coffee and poured me a fresh cup before handing it to me to wash down the remnants.
“Quit trying to scare her, Daniels.” Jimbo sighed. “Faith Bennett, this is Detective Keaton Daniels. Daniels, this is Faith Bennett, my best friend.”
Keaton’s gaze lingered on mine.
I reluctantly held out my hand. His hand engulfed mine. The heat from his palm reached his gaze as it lingered on me, tunneling us as if we were the only two people in the room. Something dark and welcoming flashed beneath the depths. A little bit of danger and something else I couldn’t quite pinpoint, just out of reach.
“Faith,” Jimbo said, pulling me from my thoughts. “The sheriff had to tell him your secret when Daniels demanded we arrest you.”
“You’re the reason I woke up in cuffs? Ha,” I blurted out. “I think they should arrest you for stalking me.” I grinned and moved through the kitchen, grabbing the ingredients for a proper breakfast.
Jimbo started to help and we talked in typical easy banter like every other typical morning, except the extra set of eyes in the kitchen made me nervous. He was watching me. I could feel it. I threw some bacon in the oven and started cooking eggs and pancakes.
“We came here to ask you question, not to eat,” Keaton said.
“I don’t answer questions before I eat breakfast,” I glanced over my shoulder. “It is the most important meal of the day.”
Keaton reluctantly ate while watching Jimbo and I tried to agree on which movie to see on his next day off. He’d waited until I took my last bite and was sipping more coffee before he spoke.
“Now can we discuss the reason we’re here?” Keaton’s question was more like a demand.
“Of course, please proceed.” I grinned and waved my hand.
“There’s a killer,” Keaton said. His smooth dark voice reached all of my girly parts.
“I know,” I answered.
“I don’t think she’s going to take this seriously,” Keaton said.
“The coroner reported the victim was killed only an hour prior to you two finding her, Faith,” Jimbo said.
“That sounds about right,” I said. “Her spirit showed up when Cassie was trying to find Talia.”
Jimbo cleared his throat, and I understood then that he might have told my secret but not the secrets belonging to the rest of the family.
“Who’s Talia?” Keaton asked.
“Faith’s sister,” Jimbo answered.
“I was close to catching him last night until you showed up,” Keaton announced.
I tilted my head. “Tell your lies elsewhere. You weren’t chasing anyone when I showed up, Detective. You were standing over Ann’s body.”
“I was on his trail. Why do you think I was at the dump?”
“Throwing away your garbage? Or maybe you were looking for treasures. Oh wait! Were you hiding a body?” I peered at him, watching his response. “Hell if I know.”
“Faith,” Jimbo cut in, snagging the last piece of bacon from the plate. “I think what Daniels is trying to say is that he showed up outside your house last night to check on you. He was worried. Isn’t that right?”
“Sure,” Keaton answered.
“What do you want from me?” I asked.
“Answers,” Keaton said and pulled up something on his phone. He slid it across the table. “Swipe right through all of them and you’ll understand.”
I picked up his phone and stared at a picture of Ann as she’d looked last night. The poor woman looked just as I remembered her. I swiped right, and my breath caught.
The rest of the pictures weren’t pictures of dead women. They were pictures of several more girls. Seven to be exact, four of whom were in the landfill.
I lifted my gaze to his. “You were hunting for all of them, not just Ann?”
“Yep.”
“You were tracking a serial killer?”
“And I could use your help.” He nodded and sipped his coffee.
“How?”
“You said that Ann appeared to you,” Jimbo asked.
“Yeah.”
“And you saw the others on the hills, right?” Jimbo asked.
“Quit pussyfooting around, Jimbo,” Keaton said while pinning me with an intense stare. “I want you to help me find the others, ju
st like you did those four.”
My brows knit together. “You think this guy is local, Jimbo?”
“No,” Keaton answered.
“I didn’t ask you,” I said, sliding the phone back across the table.
“Jimbo?”
“I think he has ties to the community, Faith. So far all of the victims are from Greenbridge, the town Keaton’s from. The only missing woman in these parts I believe could be a victim is…”
“Mary.” Her name was whispered from my lips. Her picture hadn’t been included in the ones that I’d just looked through on Keaton’s phone. “You’re sure?”
“Who's Mary?” Keaton asked.
“I believe so, Faith. She’s missing too,” Jimbo answered, ignoring Keaton.
“Who the hell is Mary?” Keaton growled.
I picked up a piece of toast and chewed as I rose from the table. “I’ll let you fill Detective Impatient in while I go find my shoes.”
Keaton
Chapter 6
Keaton couldn’t stop himself from blurting out the brunette was going to be his wife. He’d known for years. He’d seen her in his dreams. Seeing her last night in the landfill he hadn’t believed his eyes. His worst nightmare had come true. She was part of the deadliest case he’d yet to solve.
That was why he’d been outside her window, staring up and making sure she was safe. He couldn’t have left her even if he’d wanted to. Even more so now.
His gaze followed her out of the room before he turned it back on Jimbo and pegged him on the spot. “Who’s Mary?”
“A witch that lives in the woods,” Jimbo said as if a witch living in the woods was a normal thing. Maybe in fairytales and in books.
“How come you didn’t tell me about Mary when I showed up?”
“Her spirit showed up to Faith a week ago. We’ve yet to find her body or even prove there was any wrongdoing.”
“Who reported her missing?”
“No one. It’s all unofficial since we don’t have a shred of evidence that she hasn’t just picked up and left town. Only Faith has seen her spirit. She knows how she died. Mary wouldn’t up and leave. Trust me.”
The ghosts in the room lingered as Keaton tried to avert his gaze from acknowledging their presence. The less they knew about him, the better. The woman hovered behind Jimbo. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she tilted her head from side to side while staring at Keaton. He could feel the younger boy at his back. Keaton knew the kid was near. What Keaton didn’t know was why they were hanging around Faith.
Keaton picked up everyone’s plates and hand-washed them before putting them in the dishwasher. After wiping his hands on a dishtowel, he turned to find Faith holding a shoebox and staring at him as if confused. “You washed my dishes?”
“You cooked breakfast,” he said as if that explained everything.
She gave an unsure nod. “Uh, okay.” She turned to Jimbo. “Did you explain?”
“Yeah,” Jimbo answered.
“Good. Now maybe he can find whatever we’ve missed. You can drop me off at my car when we’re done.”
“Your car is in the driveway,” Keaton answered and handed her the keys as he passed on the way to the front door.
“You let him steal my car?” she asked Jimbo as Keaton headed out the front door.
“He didn’t steal it. He used the key fob that you left inside to drive it over. You should know by now the car won’t lock with the keys inside.”
They were talking in hushed tones as they approached. Jimbo climbed behind the wheel as Keaton held the passenger door open for Faith.
She climbed inside, unwilling to take her eyes off him. She pulled the door closed before Keaton even had a chance.
He chuckled and folded himself into the SUV’s backseat. She was like used sandpaper, rough around the edges but smooth in the center from years of pressure.
Jimbo pulled out of the driveway and headed up the street as Faith peeked inside the box on her lap.
“What’s in the box?” Keaton asked from the backseat.
Faith glanced at Jimbo. He gave her a nod before she turned to look at me. “A bag of herbs and trinkets that Mary put together for me.”
“Why did she do that? Is that so you can perform love spells?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” She turned around. “I’m going to use them to try and connect with her. It helps if I just have something of theirs to concentrate on.”
Jimbo glanced her way again and frowned.
She was lying, and Jimbo knew it.
“How long have you known Mary?” Keaton asked.
“Ten or fifteen years, although it could be longer. She’s just always been around,” Faith answered.
Keaton shouldn’t have been surprised Faith didn’t want to share all of her secrets yet. He never shared his.
Keaton observed everything on the ride to the forest. Within minutes they’d forgotten he was in the backseat and were jabbering and finishing each other’s sentences. Jimbo was important to her. That made him important to Keaton.
Her phone rang as Jimbo pulled into the parking lot for the forest trails.
She answered as she climbed out. “Hello?”
Her face blushed as she dropped her gaze. “Yes, I remember you, Doctor. Is everything okay with my test results?”
Jimbo and Keaton shared a look as they listened on. Jimbo went about checking his gun clip while Keaton’s gaze remained on her.
“Oh, I see,” she said and twirled her hair. “Dinner, well, I….”
Keaton slipped the phone from her grasp. “Sorry, Doc, this is Detective Keaton Daniels. She’s helping us with a murder investigation. She’s not going to have time.”
Keaton handed her back the phone and walked over to Jimbo, already at the mouth of the trail.
“You shouldn’t have done that, Daniels,” Jimbo said, watching Faith from beneath his lashes.
Keaton shrugged. “She’ll get over it.”
“You’ve never met the Bennett women, have you?” Jimbo chuckled.
She hung up. Fire flared in her eyes, which were lasered in on Keaton. The air around them was charged as she stomped over to him. She pointed her finger against his chest and shoved. “How dare you?”
“There’s no reason to lead him on.”
Her temper flared like her nostrils. It was damn adorable.
She snapped her mouth closed and stomped over to Jimbo. “I’m helping you, but I won’t help him.”
She pointed an accusatory finger in Keaton’s direction.
“What’s another lie between friends?” Keaton said in passing, heading into the trail.
“Daniels, quit being an ass. Faith is trying to help us.”
Keaton slowed his steps and turned around to face them both.
“If that were the case, she’d tell me the real reason behind the trinkets in the box. If that were the case, you’d both clue me in on what the hell is really going on.”
Neither of them spoke.
“That’s what I thought,” Keaton said as he turned and continued to walk, knowing he was headed in the right direction. There was already a spirit on the trail, and she was glaring at him as he walked right through her.
Keaton had a way of pissing people off. It was a gift.
Without glancing over his shoulder, he opened an app on his phone and started the GPS breadcrumb trail to find his way out if he were to get lost. Keaton wouldn’t put it past Faith to talk Jimbo into leaving him behind.
Heat beat down from above as a mosquito latched onto Keaton’s neck and he smacked it dead.
As he stepped over trees and branches, the leaves crunched beneath his shoes. He rolled up his sleeves ten minutes later and continued following the angry ghost disappearing and reappearing in his path.
Faith’s and Jimbo’s voices bounced around the tree trunks as they followed behind. Neither of them included Keaton in on their discussion. He was okay with that, for now.
Keaton rubbed a
t the ache in his chest. He was so close to having everything he’d seen in his dreams, and yet it still felt so far away. Anger stirred in his gut. She was right in the middle of the one investigation where he wasn’t sure he could keep her safe.
Keaton stepped into the clearing. An old covered gypsy wagon was parked beneath a huge oak tree. Weathered ancient trees with trunks the size of a tiny houses rose from the earth and brushed the sky. A breeze sent a shudder of movement through the branches. The scent of wildflowers drifted around them as animals scurried away to hide.
He was never quick to rush in. If you didn’t count dealing with Faith.
They both broke through the brush.
“How did you know it was here?” Jimbo asked.
“I followed my gut,” Keaton answered.
“Now who's lying?” Faith said, pushing past him.
“Still you,” Keaton said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Ready to tell me what’s really in the box?”
Her eyes narrowed to slits, and she sighed. “Fine. It’s a protection bag that Mary made for me.”
His mouth snapped closed as he tried to process that information. “What the hell is a protection bag?”
Her lips twitched. “Sometimes witches put together ingredients in bags that are used like spells to either protect or harm others.”
The thought of Faith needing supernatural protection ate at his gut. Should he have found her sooner?
“So which is it? Are you trying to harm someone or do you need protection, Faith?”
“She’s not harming anyone,” Jimbo answered. “You might as well tell him, Faith. He already knows your secret.”
“My bag is specifically for protection. It blocks dark entities and demons from entering my house. It’s more like…spiritual teamwork, I guess you could say.”
“Oh well…if that’s all,” Keaton said. It was official; she was as crazy. He just hoped her brand of crazy and his matched. Keaton dropped his arms to his sides, and glanced around the property, eyeing the home. “Should we take a look inside?”
“No need,” Jimbo said. “We’ve already broken in to look for her. The place is cleaned out.”
“So then maybe you’ve got this all wrong and she did move?”
Down and Dirty (Bennett Dynasty Book 3) Page 3