Chapter 14
“Ghost attack?” I echo.
“Yes.” Jacques looks back at the TV. “Another man was brutally attacked in front of his girlfriend. She described the attacker as a young woman in a pink dress. There’s a sketch of her.”
“Fuck.” I drop my purse on the ground and rush in through the foyer, stopping in front of the TV. The news just ended, and a commercial for regulating bowel movements comes on. I turn around, finding the remote on the coffee table, and rewind the program until I find the sketch.
“I didn’t know you could do that. Wish I would have known that when I missed the end of The Bachelor the other night,” Gil says, and Hasan gives him a dirty look.
“That’s her,” I say, pausing the TV and staring at the sketch of the attacker. “That’s the ghost I saw.” My breath leaves me, and the high I’d been riding comes crashing down. “Did I summon her? Is this my fault?”
“No,” all four guys say at once.
“You didn’t mean to do it,” Thomas says with a guilty shrug. “Though you did open the rift and basically let her out.”
I shoot him a look, hoping he knows how lucky he is we already had sex tonight. “I need to stop this ghost.”
“You do,” Jacques agrees. “Did you find out anything from the medium?”
“I did,” I say, still not wanting to lie. “But it wasn’t anything that helpful. Though I was told ghosts can touch people if they have enough energy.”
“Coming through the rift…” Hasan starts, looking at Jacques. They must have talked while Tom and I were out. “Isn’t the normal way spirits cross over. She’s full of energy.”
I sink onto the couch, head in my hands. “I need to stop her. It’s my fault she’s out there hurting people.”
“You can’t blame yourself,” Gil says, hand landing on my shoulder.
“I can, and I should. I know I didn’t mean to let this happen, but I did.” I exhale heavily and look up. “I need to figure out who she is.”
“How are you going to do that?” Gil asks gently.
“It’s what I do,” I say, snapping back to myself.
“I’m a detective. I solve impossible cases.
And having a sketch of the girl helps a lot.
I’ll go into work in the morning and run things through the databases.
Everyone else will be looking for a living woman, but I know to check with the dead.
” I let out a breath and feel better already.
Jac nods. “In the meantime, we should focus on your defenses. This spirit is vengeful. You should be prepared.”
“Right. I’ll get more sage too. Just in case.”
“Have you been practicing summoning the fire?”
“You can’t burn a ghost,” Thomas counters.
He knows I’m emotionally spent tonight. Crashing in bed is tempting.
Maybe we can even have sex again and I’ll pass out, sleeping through the night, and wake up to find the ghost took her ass back to the spirit world where it belongs. Ha. Yeah the fuck right.
“I have the banishing spell memorized.”
“Good,” Jacques says. “We should have some of the herbs mixed up and ready to go as well.”
“Should we line the windows and doors with salt tonight?” Hasan asks, seemingly unfazed.
“Yes.” Jacques’s eyes meet mine and I can feel his worry. If this ghost is attacking people, who’s to say she won’t come after me?
“I’ll do it.” Hasan leaves the living room and goes into the kitchen. I’m going to have to start investing in salt at this point. I lean back on the couch, and Thomas takes the spot next to me. He hooks his arm around my shoulders and pulls me in.
“You know you’re going to kick her ass, right?”
I give him a half smile. “Yeah. I will. Well, as soon as I figure out how to not have my foot go right through her.”
“If she’s beating people up, that means she can be beaten up too.”
“I didn’t think of it that way.”
Thomas gives me a cheeky grin. “That’s why you have me. I’m not only the brawn, you know. I’m as smart as I am good-looking.”
“Please,” Gilbert huffs, and despite the shit storm going on around me, I smile.
I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to stop them from burning. We spent the last half an hour cleansing the house with sage smudge sticks and the banishing spell. The entire house smells like a college dorm, and if anyone were to come over I’d have a hard time convincing them we’re not all high.
Once the house was cleared of negative energy, Hasan lined the entire thing with salt. Gil put extra lines of it around the windows and doors, magically locking up this place like Fort Knox. From spirits, at least.
Yawning, I set a plastic bag of herbs on my nightstand and sit on my bed. I lie back, keeping my eyes closed for another few seconds. I wafted smoke right into my face the last time I did the banishing spell and my eyes have hurt ever since.
The floor creaks and someone steps into the room. I can tell it’s Jacques from the energy he puts out.
“This should help.”
I squint my eyes open and take a cool, wet rag from him. “Thanks.” I press it against my eyes, feeling instant relief.
“Tired?”
“Kind of. It feels later than it really is,” I say honestly.
“You did the banishing spell several times. You’re still getting used to expelling your energy in a new way.”
“Right. It’s not as bad as it was before at least.”
He crosses the room and sits on the bed next to me. His aura is calm and comforting while at the same time it makes me hot and bothered thinking about his lips on mine. I never knew someone could do that to me…to be both the shelter and the storm.
“You’re learning fast. I know I told you before that it takes years for others to learn what you’re figuring out on your own.”
“I’ve always been a quick study. Well, only on things I set my mind to, I guess. But I know if I want something I’ll get it if I work hard enough. So that’s what I’ve done my whole life. Work hard.”
“You’ve worked hard enough tonight. You can go to bed. We’ll keep watch, though I don’t think anything is getting in the house tonight.”
“Nothing ghostly.” I flip the rag over, putting the cool side on my eyes.
“She’ll come back,” he says, somehow knowing what I’m thinking. “She already did, warning you against going after the Pink Dress Ghost, as you call her.”
“I hope so. But at the same time…” I trail off, shaking my head.
“It’s hard to say goodbye all over again,” Jacques finishes softly.
“Yes. I can’t say I miss her less, but I got more and more used to living without my parents.”
“That’s understandable.”
“Yeah.” I remove the rag and blink a few times, focusing my vision. I can see just fine now and my eyes are hardly hurting. “I didn’t get the answers I wanted either. Kind of a bummer, huh?”
“You will.” He takes my hand in his, slipping his fingers between mine. “We’ll send the Pink Dress Ghost back to the spirit world and do another séance, the right way next time.”
I give his hand a squeeze. “Thanks, Jac.”
His lips brush against my cheek. “Get some rest, Ace.”
“I will.” I turn in toward him, longing to feel his body against mine. Not in a sexual way, not right now at least, but having him here, being near to him, just feels right. “Do you want to stay with me for a bit?”
“I always do.”
I forgot to set my alarm. Well, it’s more like I forgot I turned it off and assumed it would wake me up at my normal work time.
It’s nine-thirty, and I’m a little surprised I slept in so late.
I didn’t stay up too late last night, though doing the banishing spell over and over did take a lot out of me.
As we lay down to sleep, Jac told me that if I can pull in energy from the world around me, it’ll help replace what I used to do the spell.
And to figure out how to do that, I need to meditate and learn how to focus on said energy.
I get that magic is complicated, but this whole having to learn to do one thing in order to do another is a little frustrating.
Getting up, I quickly get dressed and ready to head out to work. I’m wearing a black tank top and jeans today, with tall leather boots. It’s not something I’d typically wear to work, but it won’t raise eyebrows either. I have errands to run today anyway.
Before I leave, I go into the basement to check on the runes, as well as check on the locked box containing Braeya’s necklace.
It’s stored inside an old box full of paperback books, and the guys are in front of the box.
I drop down and crawl between Tom’s and Gil’s outstretched wings.
They’re frozen in the same positions as they were outside on the porch and roof.
I get the locked box and go upstairs. I put my finger over the lock, wincing before the little needle shoots up and pricks my finger. It sinks back down into the steampunk-looking lock, and the gears turn and open once it gets my blood.
I’m not going to attempt to summon anything again.
Jac has a plan on how to do a safe séance, and I’m all for waiting.
And inside the house is pretty pointless right now anyway with all the salt and banishing spells I did last night.
I slip the necklace over my head, tucking the golden cross into my shirt.
It rests between my breasts, and the cool metal feels almost electric.
I finish my coffee and head out the door, getting stuck in slower traffic than usual on my way to the office.
It’s a bit of a drive going into town now that I live out here, but when I leave at six or seven a.m., I’m able to make it in without too many issues.
Today, I get stuck behind an accident, stop at every single red light, and wonder how some people even got their licenses because merging seems to be a completely foreign concept.
Someone is in my usual spot in the station parking lot, and I take the first one I can find in the back.
Hiking my purse over my shoulder, I walk in and make it all the way to my desk before anyone spots me.
The office is busy today, and everyone is used to seeing me here.
It might not hit them I’m supposed to be on vacation as they pass me by.
Quickly, I log onto my computer and pull up the files about the two attacks. The first attack happened at an office building and I’d be surprised if there wasn’t security footage.
I read statements and the report filed by the responding officer as fast as I can, and then bring up the footage taken from that night. Only one of the cameras picked up something, and the footage from the others is oddly grainy. The report says it “glitched.” Hah. I’m sure that’s all it was.
I steal a glance up around me, risking making eye contact. No one sees me, and I play the few seconds of footage recorded in the lobby. The quality isn’t the best, but the outline of a woman can clearly be seen entering the building. The doors are automatic, and open when she’s near.
Once inside, the camera focuses and the details come into view. She’s wearing a pink dress and has tears running down her face. It’s the same woman I saw walking through my house.
Shit.
“Bisset,” Nick, a fellow officer—but not detective—says as he comes up to my desk. I jerk up and close the file on my computer. “I thought you were on vacation.”
“I was, er, I am.”
He smiles and lets his eyes linger over me. “Vacation looks good on you.”
“Thanks.” I’ve tried not to acknowledge the fact that he’s subtly hit on me pretty much every time we interact over the last few years.
I didn’t want to have to deal with it for a few reasons, one being I know Nick has a girlfriend.
She moved in with him last year. “So, I heard about the ghost attacks.”
Nick laughs. “People are nuts, am I right?”
“Right. But two people describing the same attacker?”
He rolls his eyes. “Anything for the likes and shares.”
“You think the most recent was a copycat?”
He shrugs. “I didn’t see the guy, but from what I’ve heard, he had the shit beat out of him. I don’t see how a woman could have done that.”
I cross my arms.
“You don’t think I could beat someone up?”
He lets his gaze linger over my body a second too long. “You could. But you’ve had training. A lot of training. The attacker is a petite woman in a dress and heels. Just doesn’t make sense.”
“How bad off is this guy?” I ask.
“His jaw had to be wired shut.”
“Fuck.”
“Yeah.” He widens his eyes. “And the girlfriend supposedly witnessed it all and the attacker didn’t so much as glare at her. I don’t get it.”
He won’t get it. Hell, I don’t get it and I’m the one who accidentally released this spirit into our world. “Nothing was stolen?”
“Nope. Just a very angry woman taking it out on what appears to be a random guy. Though my theory is he was two-timing her.”
“Makes sense. Do you have a copy of the sketch? I just want to take a look.”
He laughs. “I should have known you couldn’t stay away from anything involving ghosts.”
“Ghosts,” I laugh back.
“Right. You prove that shit doesn’t exist.”
“It’s my specialty.” Fuck, I’m such a fraud now. I follow Nick to his desk and get a copy of the sketch of Pink Dress Ghost. I fold it and slip it into my purse.
“Acelina Bisset,” a familiar voice booms from behind me. Oh shit.
“Hey, Captain.” I put on a smile.
“What are you doing here?” He raises an eyebrow and folds his arms over his chest.
“She brought me coffee,” Nick says right away, and I’m taken aback by his lie. He has no reason to cover for me. “I’ve been pulling some long hours this week.”
“We all have,” the captain says, and eyes me suspiciously. “I don’t want to see you back here until next week at the earliest. Go enjoy your vacation.”
I force another smile. “I am and I will. Nice to see you, Cap.”
He waves his hand in the air and walks away.
“Thanks,” I tell Nick, already knowing he’s going to want something in return…like getting coffee for real.
“No problem. Maybe we can grab coffee together later today.”
Yep. I’m basically psychic at this point.
“Yeah, that’d be great. When I’m back at work I’ll hit you up.
Thanks again.” I pat his arm and hurry away, frustrated I’m being kicked out of my own office all because of stupid HR rules.
Though in all honesty, being away from work the last few days has been nice.
Really nice.
Not having to lie and hide things from the people I respect and work with has lifted a large weight off my chest as well.
I don’t like liars, and I don’t like being forced to lie.
It’s not who I am, but what choice do I have?
Being a crime-fighting witch who also upholds the law is a lot harder to do than those TV shows make it seem.
I get into my car, feeling like I’m back to square one. I have to be witch-Ace since detective-Ace just got told to leave. I know Pink Dress Ghost is dead and I’m not going to go about this like I would a regular case, but I need to get back to that mindset and start with the basics.
I’m a witch and a detective. If anyone can figure this out, it’s me…right?