Chapter 13 #2
The ghost hadn’t expected Brandon’s answer. He turned his head to look at me. “Well, doggone. That right?”
This was an interesting reaction. He seemed almost pleased? “He and I are engaged, in fact. I’m Mack. What’s your name, sir?”
“Samuel.” He studied me some more. “Met many a man who liked men. Never thought… Well, world’s become a better place, I guess.”
Eh, debatable. “Samuel, would you like to pass on?”
Samuel sighed, gaze falling to the dirt. “Can’t. Tried. I’m still too mad at that goddamn—” His eyes darted to Gwyn and he grimaced. “Pardon the language. That woman who betrayed me. I’m still too mad at her.”
Ohh, okay, so this might be something I could work him through. “Tell me about it.”
Samuel heaved a massive sigh. “When I was living, this woman approached me. Flirted. I thought she was dipping.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Wanting to play,” Samuel clarified. “She was a white woman, married, the preacher’s daughter.
Wanted a taste of the forbidden. I didn’t see no harm in it.
We were casual sort of lovers. Everyone knew of us, wasn’t like we kept quiet.
But after about a month, she greeted me at the door with a gun she’d gotten from somewhere.
I tried asking her what she was doing, but she just shot me in the chest. Last thing I remember was bleeding out on the floor, listening to her carry on like she’d been the one in danger. ”
Oh…fuck. This was worse than I’d thought. She hadn’t just jilted him, she’d killed him?!
Gwyn let out a horrified gasp, her hand flying up to cover her mouth. “Oh my god. That’s so awful! Did she get arrested?”
“Yeah. Much good that did. She was acquitted.”
“Acquitted,” Brandon repeated, eyes flying wide. “For cold-blooded murder? Oh, wait, I bet she pulled the defense of ‘he was too scary, I was only defending myself.’ Didn’t she?”
Samuel’s lip curled with distaste. “You got it. Plus, no one cares if a black man dies.”
It now made a bit more sense to me why Samuel had approached Brandon. He’d seen a potential ally, and he was instinctively trying to work through the trauma he carried. Poor man. I’d have given him a hug if I thought he’d accept it.
“We care now,” Gwyn promised him, her expression sad. “What was done to you was very wrong. I’m so sorry.”
Samuel stared at her for a long second before his lips turned up in a sorry caricature of a smile. “Thank you, miss. You’re a good one.”
“What’s your full name?” Gwyn pressed. “And hers? I can report your story to the local historian so people will know what she really did.”
Oh? His aura visibly shifted, the pale yellow turning more beigy. “You’d do that?”
“Of course!”
I stepped in. “Actually, we can boost you enough to record your testimony, then submit it. You can tell your own story.”
“I…” Samuel’s brow furrowed. “You know, let’s do that.”
Gwyn whipped her phone out, and I switched spots with her, boosting Samuel enough to be visible on screen and clearly audible. I spouted the normal prerequisites, then said, “All right, Samuel, go ahead.”
He repeated the same story he’d just told us, with more details. Names, dates, location, all of that. Then he wound down, staring dead ahead as if seeing something not present.
“Abigail Williams, I hope your soul is in hell for what you did to me. I didn’t do nothing to you. You didn’t have to kill me. You’re a bad, rotten woman, and I hope you’re paying for what you did.”
Gwyn stopped recording, letting her phone drop to her side. “I’m sure she is. Cold-blooded murder isn’t forgivable.”
“Thank you, Gwyn.”
Samuel’s aura was much clearer now. I felt we could pass him on. “Samuel, I can help pass you. You might not have been able to on your own, but with two Mediums, this is doable. Would you like to move on?”
“I would, sir. I would.” But he paused, really looking at us.
“Before I go, I want to help you. Means a lot to me, you stopping and listening to my story. Let me repay the favor. You was asking after the man who runs the ghost mob. I know ’im.
There’s a man, Joey Halfacre, and he’s pure evil.
Didn’t used to be. I knew him back in the day.
He was one of the first miners who ever worked a prospect out here.
But when the copper kings moved in, he lost his prospect, couldn’t make the same money he did before.
It twisted him, made him bitter and violent.
He took to drinking. Died in a bar fight.
Ever since then he’s been running wild. Got more than a few men to follow along with him, men who were also disappointed with life. ”
A hiss of triumph caught behind my teeth. Finally, someone who knew him! I leaned in, all ears now. “We’ve heard of this man. Rumor has it he’s trying to turn demon.”
“I don’t know if he’s trying for that, but he sure is becoming one.” Samuel shook his head sadly. “Now him and his mob are tearing through the town. Hurting people just for the thrill, much like that woman did to me.”
Good to have confirmation of it really being him, but it wasn’t a surprise. “Anything else you can tell me? How big is his mob?”
“I avoid the area he likes to haunt, so I’m not sure. Dozens, at least, from what I hear.”
Fucking hell. Not the answer I wanted.
“You be right careful going to that theater, all right?”
My ears perked. “Theater? Wait, the old brothel turned theater in town? That building?”
“That’s the one,” Samuel confirmed with a grimace. “He mainly haunts there. Goes all over town, really, but he likes the theater best.”
Well, fuck. Explained why the violence was so severe there. Also meant it was going to be awful clearing it because we’d have quite the fight on our hands. “Thank you. We’ve been trying to track him and his mob down without much luck. You gave us the piece we needed to find him.”
Samuel’s expression lifted a little, turning lighter. “I’m glad. Stay safe. I’m ready to go.”
“Then let’s go.”
I oriented him to the path, walking him down it. He sailed right on through without hesitation and the door softly closed behind him. Phew, glad I got to him in time. He was a good man who had been very wronged. It would have been a travesty if that woman had destroyed even his soul.
And this, this right here, was why I was so dedicated to helping these souls. Sometimes, they just couldn’t help themselves. Sometimes, I was able to right a wrong. It was a very empowering, good feeling.
I returned to Brandon and Gwyn but kept an eye out.
Hm, the greyish soul wasn’t in sight anymore.
Wonder if he just left? I hoped he wasn’t one of Joey’s, but he likely was.
There would be trouble if he reported we were looking for Joey, but I was just hoping for the best right now.
The rest of the ghosts had moved across the river, making it clear they wanted no part of what I offered.
That was fine. Some weren’t ready to move on.
“I sent the video to Booker,” Gwyn informed me.
“Perfect. Exactly what I was about to suggest.” I blew out a breath, feeling stress enter my shoulders. “Lord Almighty, that was more than I bargained for. I’m glad to know about the theater, though.”
Brandon grunted in agreement. “We’ll definitely all need to go in for that building.”
“Truly.”
I felt the distinct need for a battle plan.
And maybe a backup plan.
We gathered in town for dinner, rendezvousing at a family restaurant, and it was crowded with the living and the dead. The dead, at least, tried to keep a healthy distance from us. As long as they didn’t bother me, I wouldn’t bother them.
We’d been sat at a round table in the back of the restaurant, so it was quiet enough to easily talk, which I silently blessed the hostess for.
Once orders had been placed, I cleared my throat, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Well, we’ve news to share. We finally met a ghost who knew the almost-demon.
Booker, your guess wasn’t wrong, it’s Joey Halfacre. ”
Booker hissed a sound of triumph, eyes coming alight behind his glasses. “Tell me more.”
I did so but still addressed the table. I repeated the history we’d been told, which matched what the local historian had told Booker, then finished with “According to Samuel, Joey goes all around Black Rock, but the building he favors is the theater.”
Quinn was already side-eyeing his wife like he just knew what she was going to say next. “Which means we all need to go into that theater.”
“Soon. Tomorrow soon,” Eli insisted. “If I can’t handle the asshole, we need to know now so we can get the right expert in. I’m praying I can handle him because Demonologists are booked nearly a year out.”
I felt it best to be honest with her. “Eli, I don’t know if I can really help you exorcise him.”
“I don’t think you can, sorry. I wish otherwise.”
Lachlan rubbed his chin, eyes on the ceiling as he mused, “Don’t know if I can help much either. If he’s solid enough, I might be able to cut him down?”
“I wouldn’t bet on that,” Davina cautioned him. “Either way, seems our course is clear enough. Theater tomorrow. I had to tap out today”—she made a disgusted face—“as I’m still tiring easily. But I’ll do all I can tomorrow.”
“Do, but don’t push yourself.” I appreciated her even trying. We really did need all hands on deck, but I didn’t want her overdoing it and getting sick again.
Beau spoke up. “Mack, you leave Gwyn with me. If Eli’s going head-to-head with Joey, she’ll need you backing her up.”
“Precisely what I hoped you’d say. Thanks.” With him safeguarding Gwyn, I’d have nothing to worry about. Man was more practiced than me. “Gwyn, you good?”
“Of course.”
We all seemed determined, which was good. I just hoped we could find and exorcise Joey. That we weren’t forced into a retreat and calling in bigger guns. We were still trying to lay hands on a chaos magician, for god’s sake. It was almost a bad joke at this point.
How many experts did it take to handle Black Rock?
More than we had, apparently.