“I don’t know a lot about what happened to you or your brother,” Wade admitted, doing an admirable job of not prying to Danny’s relief.
“You never asked,” Danny said abruptly. “I appreciate that. Especially after we became roommates.”
“Never had a reason to doubt you.” Wade stared straight ahead, his hands hanging loosely between his legs. “You’re a good guy.”
“Not generally most people’s first impression of me,” Danny said dryly and Wade snorted.
“Most people don’t see what I see,” Wade reminded him. “You can hide a lot of shit, but you can’t hide your aura.” Wade shifted and Danny glanced at him, catching the look of uncertainty on Wade’s face right before it disappeared.
“He was a good kid. Looked up to me, though God only knows why. I was fucking stupid.” A laugh burst out of Wade and Danny felt his own lips tip up. “It’s true. Thought I knew everything at sixteen. Didn’t know shit.”
“Do any of us know shit when we’re sixteen?” Wade questioned rhetorically.
“Addie?” Danny threw out and Wade chuckled.
“Addie,” his tone one of complete agreement, “Is the exception. The rest of us struggle.”
“He was going to be great. He was already great.” Danny shook his head, the headstone in front of him a blur as he thought of his brother. “He saw things so clearly, right and wrong, but it wasn’t all black and white either. He understood doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. But he could never condone what I did.”
“You did the right thing in the end,” Wade said quietly. “You turned evidence against the bad guys, took them off the street.”
“Yeah, and they killed him to shut me up.”
“I thought….” Wade glanced over, trailing off as he saw Danny’s expression.
“That the cop killed him because Sam could have ID’d him? Yeah, he did, but Samuel would have never been there if one of my suppliers hadn’t tried to use him to silence me.”
“You couldn’t have known it would go down like that.”
“Maybe not like that, but I should have realized Samuel would be in danger.”
“Should haves…life’s full of them. You can’t beat yourself up for it. You did more than most would have. He knew that.”
“You see the auras of dead people now?” Danny asked bitterly and Wade threw him an irate glance, forcing Danny to look away. “Sorry,” he muttered after a few minutes of silence.
“My granny’s over there,” Wade exhaled, pointing to the west. “She grounded me, kept me sane when the dreams threatened to take over.” Danny listened, finding it easier to deal with someone else’s pain on the anniversary of his brother’s death. “She taught me everything I know.”
“I wish I could have met her. It’d have been cool to meet the woman who could make you tremble,” Danny said admiringly. Wade glanced at him and then jerked his head.
“Come on then. I’ll introduce you.”
Wade walked back to the path and Danny paused for a moment, his gaze unfocused as he stared at the headstone. He never knew what to say, how to apologize, but he still came, hoping one day the words would come.
“Love you, Sam I am,” he whispered and turned to follow Wade, feeling a little lighter than he had before he’d come. Samuel’s death would always be a part of him, but he’d learned it was easier when he remembered the good times.
They strode toward a simple headstone, but Wade came to an abrupt halt a few feet away. “You might have been joking about ghostly auras, but my momma could see the dead.” Danny tensed, wondering how many dead spirits lingered in a cemetery. “Not as many as you’d think.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? You read minds now?” Danny jumped, eyeing Wade who looked startled.
“What? No,” Wade replied, grinning as he saw how spooked Danny was. “I meant there aren’t as many dead wandering around as you’d think. At least that was what my momma always said.”
“You can see the dead too?” Danny asked carefully, shoving his hands in his pockets as a gust of wind came up.
“No,” Wade snorted as he amended, “I didn’t used to. I hope I don’t.”
“Why would you think you did?”
Wade shook his head, a bemused expression on his face. “Things have been strange since my granny died. Since Addie showed up. My dreams have stopped except for the ones connected to Addie. Now, I can feel her emotions. Girl without an aura. It’s messed up.”
“Whoa, back up. Girl without an aura? You talking about Addie?”
“No, forget I said that,” Wade said tightly, staring pointedly away from Danny.
“Um, no.” Danny grabbed Wade as he turned away. “Something’s bugging you and I’d rather hear it than think about why I’m here.”
Wade glared at him for a moment before shrugging his grip off. “Can’t really blame you there.” He turned back to the grave and smiled. “Granny, this is Danny. I’m sure you would have liked him. Danny, this is my granny. A good woman who would have popped you with a wooden spoon and washed your mouth out with soap within five minutes of meeting you.”
Danny chuckled at that mental image, and gave a short nod to the headstone. “Nice to meet you, Granny.”
“Alright, introductions are over.”
“And you were going to tell me about the girl with no aura,” Danny prodded, not letting it go, to Wade’s obvious irritation.
“She was some girl at a gas station I stopped at with Addie. She didn’t have an aura that I could see,” Wade muttered quickly, his demeanor telling Danny to drop it.
“So, she’s like a demon without a soul or something?”
“What? No. Where do you come up with this shit?”
Danny shrugged, “I don’t know. You’re telling me this is the only person you’ve ever met that didn’t have an aura?”
“Yeah.”
“And you didn’t get her name?”
“No.”
“Dude, it didn’t occur to you that maybe she’s important?”
“Not really,” Wade answered, staring hard at Danny. “I was with Addie at the time. I thought she was messing with my gift.”
“So, it was a random thing. Hasn’t happened again?”
“No,” Wade said shortly, his expression tense.
“Not even with Addie around?”
“No, and I get where you’re going with this but there was nothing special about that girl,” Wade growled, pacing away from Danny.
“Yet, you can’t forget her. Bet you’d know her if you saw her again,” Danny replied, raising his voice as Wade strode further away. “And not just because she doesn’t have an aura. Was she pretty?”
Wade flipped him the bird, already several yards down the path, and Danny let out a sigh. The girl had obviously gotten under Wade’s skin. But maybe she was just an anomaly. It had to happen on occasion.
Danny tipped his head toward Granny’s grave in farewell and turned to follow Wade.
Find the girl.
Danny froze, the whisper so faint he wasn’t sure he’d heard it. He fought the urge to look over his shoulder, afraid of what or who he might see.
Find her.
Danny shivered as her voice whispered over him once again and there was the faintest chuckle.
Take care of my boy.
Danny stumbled forward, catching himself as the sound of a bird chirping broke the dreamlike moment, wondering if he’d finally gone insane, except he’d clearly heard her tell him to find the girl.
Danny glanced after Wade and groaned. He knew exactly what girl Granny had been talking about. He glanced back, no longer fearing she’d be standing behind him, and tipped his head. He’d do what she asked.
“Where are you going?” Wade asked suspiciously as Danny took the turn headed out of town instead of back to the apartment.
“To find a girl without an aura.”
Wade cursed, but with Danny driving there wasn’t much he could do. “You don’t know w
here she is,” Wade pointed out. “There are a million gas stations.”
“Yeah, but it’s not like you and Addie go to them together. If you were Connor, yeah, I’d have a problem. But you’re not.”
“Thank God for small favors,” Wade muttered under his breath and Danny grinned.
“So, it had to be this summer. Addie brought back some delicious boudin from a gas station she went to with you,” Danny speculated, a quick glance at Wade revealing he’d crossed his arms defensively. “Cause if the girl was local you’d have already went back.”
“She could have been a customer,” Wade retorted.
“But you just confirmed she wasn’t,” Danny replied, taking the road that would bring them to Lake Verret.
“It’s a two hour drive,” Wade snarled. “Some of us have jobs.”
“Yeah, Vic gave me a couple of days off. Reward for almost getting blown up. No reason not to take a drive.” Danny smiled as he relaxed in the seat. He wasn’t going to mention his encounter with Wade’s grandmother, positive that was who’d whispered to him. He hoped it was a one-time thing and he hadn’t suddenly developed the ability to speak with the dead. He’d gladly leave the psychic stuff to Wade and Addie.
“I’m starting to see why Addie wanted you as part of the PI business,” Wade grumbled as he shifted in his seat.
“My take charge attitude?”
“No.”
“My good looks.”
“Hell, no.” Wade snorted.
“My charm.”
Wade didn’t bother to grace that with an answer, instead staring out the window in stubborn silence.
“Music it is then,” Danny said cheerfully, flipping the radio on.
It was just over two hours later when Danny spotted the gas station. He’d kept to the speed limit since the small towns along the highway were well known for their speed traps, and he had no desire to attract attention.
He bumped off the highway onto the gravel lot, a bait and tackle sign hanging next to one advertising the best cracklins this side of the Mississippi.
“They were right about the boudin,” Danny commented, staring at the sign.
Wade didn’t respond, his earlier anger coming back as he stared at the building. One hand gripped his thigh as his fingers drummed incessantly on the dash. A couple of cars pulled in as they sat there, and one guy eyed them curiously.
They were in a small town, and strangers were noticed, especially outside of the tourist season. This was a popular gas station for the locals, and Danny knew they looked out of place.
“We’re here. We should go in,” Danny finally said as the guy who’d eyed them earlier came back out. “Before someone calls the cops on us.”
Wade grunted, but got out of the car. Danny followed after him, giving the suspicious guy a nod as he walked into the gas station behind Wade. The place was crammed with everything from bait and tackle to grocery staples with a large deli area along the back wall. Which is where Wade made a beeline. Danny followed more slowly, not wanting to intrude if the girl was there. He lingered over a dusty box of Little Debbie cakes, his height allowing him to keep an eye on Wade.
It didn’t take him long to turn around and shake his head. Danny headed toward him, not missing the suspicious glances he received.
“She’s not here,” Wade reiterated, lifting in his eyebrows in an ‘I told you so’ manner.
“Maybe she’s in the back,” Danny argued, his gaze skimming the counter. “You have to consider there might be a reason you saw her that day.”
And for your granny to tell me to find her, Danny thought to himself.
“Yeah, it was a fluke,” Wade snapped, his jaw ticking. “You satisfied?”
Before Danny could respond, they were interrupted by a voice saying, “Can I help you, boys?”
Danny briefly closed his eyes, already knowing what he’d see when he turned around. Wade gave an aggravated sigh, telling Danny he wouldn’t be much help.
“Actually, you can,” Danny replied forcing a cheerful smile, as he watched the cop’s eyes flicker with surprise and Wade shot him a suspicious glance. “We spent a weekend on the lake over the summer and we met the sweetest girl here.” He flicked his wrist toward the deli and the officer in front of them relaxed as he came to his own conclusion about the two of them. “She was soooo helpful, wasn’t she, sweetie?”
Wade fought to keep his expression blank as he nodded, his eyes warning Danny that if he attempted to touch him, he was dead. Danny ignored him, glancing back at the cop.
“We were passing through and I wanted to thank her. He thinks I’m crazy,” Danny gave an exaggerated roll of his eyes, squeezing Wade’s shoulder. “She was such a cute little thing. Great taste in clothes,” he continued with a happy sigh and the officer gave an uncomfortable chuckle. “Anyway, is she working today?”
“You must be talking about Jenna,” the officer answered smiling. “She’s back at school.”
“High school?” Wade blurted out, a horrified look on his face and Danny suppressed a chuckle. Wade had definitely noticed her looks, and he’d bet ten to one he’d sketched her too.
The cop got a wary look on his face then and Danny thought fast, giving a high false laugh that drew attention.
“Oh, you’re embarrassed a high schooler has better taste than you,” he gushed, playfully shoving Wade, who didn’t budge. Danny grimaced internally at his actions, grateful there were no cameras capturing the show.
Wade snorted back a laugh as the cop said, “Jenna? Huh, never thought of her as the girly type.”
Danny fought to keep the frown off his face as he continued, “She could be a model.” This time Wade coughed to cover his laugh as the officer hitched up his belt.
“Well, our Jenna is a beautiful girl. She’s off at college though. Won’t be back till Christmas.”
There was no need to hide their disappointed expressions as they realized she wasn’t there and wouldn’t be any time soon. Danny sighed as he drew a blank on what to do next.
“Maybe we can find her on Facebook,” Wade suggested, giving the officer a charming grin. “If we knew her last name.”
“Oh, yeah, then I could ask her about the name of that boutique she told us about,” Danny added, nodding happily. “That’s a wonderful idea, sweetie.” A sharp glance from Wade told him he’d pay for the constant sweeties, but Danny could care less if they got the name of the girl. It couldn’t be that hard to track her down, they were supposed to be a private investigation firm after all, and if all else failed they had Addie. But he suspected Wade didn’t want Addie to know about this Jenna, the girl with no aura.
“Well, I guess that wouldn’t hurt anything,” the cop drawled slowly and Danny gave him his best non-threatening expression. The cop flinched and Danny dialed it back a notch.
“Oh, it would be great if you could,” Wade said, getting into character to Danny’s everlasting amusement. “I have like a thousand friends who would love to know where she got her top.”
The officer’s forehead wrinkled and Danny held his breath as he wondered if they’d gone too far.
“Jenna Thomas. She’s Margaret’s granddaughter, but she tends to keep to herself now that Margaret passed.” The cop nodded to them, his eyes flickering between them curiously and Danny knew they had to be his first interracial gay couple. “You be careful out there,” he told them awkwardly and Danny gave him a bright smile.
“You too, officer!”
“Jesus Christ,” Wade gritted out behind a false smile as the cop walked off. “I can’t decide if I should kill you or kiss you.”
“We don’t need to be that authentic,” Danny assured him, edging away.
Wade rolled his eyes and gestured to the door, “Can we go now?”
“Let me get some of that boudin first.”
“You and Addie with the gas station food.”
“You don’t know what you’re missing,” Danny promised, grabbing a wrapped link, and with a shru
g he reached for a second one. “In case Addie is there.”
“You want a lottery ticket too?” Wade asked sarcastically and Danny pointed at him.
“If you can predict winning tickets, hell yeah.”
“I’ll be in the car,” Wade sighed as Danny paused in front of the candy bars.
They were almost home when Danny’s phone started to ring. He fished his phone out and saw it was Addie.
“Hey,” he answered.
“Where are you?” Addie asked, her voice higher than normal and Danny’s immediate instinct was to ask what was wrong. “Nothing’s wrong. We have a case. So, get your asses here.” She hung up before he could ask anything else and he slowly lowered his phone as Wade lifted an eyebrow.
“We have a case,” Danny replied to the unasked question.
Chapter Ten
“What the hell, Jace?” Nick hissed as Jace picked up the unconscious woman. “Nobody said anything about killing her.”
“Bossman said take care of her.” Jace shrugged, his wiry frame barely straining under the weight of the woman in his arms.
“He also said to take care of Daniel,” Nick reminded him. “You gonna throw him over too?” Nick gave a wary glance at the crumbling edge of the deep ditch that curved behind the scrap yard. The train tracks ran over it and they’d take turns walking across it when they got bored.
“Hell no.” Jace laughed coldly, the unconscious woman in his arms moaning softly as he glanced at Daniel’s inert form. “I’m going to make sure he stays in line. And you’re how I’m going to do it,” he said to the woman in his arms as she started to come awake.
“Jace,” Nick begged as he watched him set her on her feet. “Don’t do this, Jace.”
“Shut up unless you want to join her,” Jace hissed, his fingers running gently over her face as her eyes opened, smiling when she cried out as she saw who held her. “Daniel won’t save you this time, my little dove.” He gripped her chin in his hand, and with one swift move snapped her neck.
Nick gagged as Jace gave a careless shove and she fell back, her body dropping from sight into the steep ditch below.
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