“Gary McKinney.” He was in my sector. He was on my list to take to the afterlife. It would happen the next morning.
Elliot narrowed his eyes. “How do you know his name?”
The cogs were turning in his mind, trying to figure out how I’d gotten him home without magic. It would be interesting to see what he came up with. But first, I needed to come up with some sort of explanation for knowing Mr. McKinney’s name without actually lying, so Elliot wouldn’t harp on the point.
Before I could, a cop came around the corner of the house, his gun pointed at us. I thought the gun was excessive, given that they were there to make sure Elliot was okay.
I raised my hands without being told, but of course, Elliot didn’t. Instead, he rolled his eyes and stepped in front of me, as if to protect me from the cop. “I’m Elliot Coyne. I’m fine. False alarm.”
“Get behind me, Elliot.” I couldn’t help the exasperation in my tone or the scowl. Elliot putting himself at risk didn’t sit right, even though I knew the officer’s bullet wouldn’t kill him. I didn’t want Elliot to be in pain, though.
The cop didn’t seem to care what Elliot said, as the gun still pointed at us indicated.
“If he shoots anyone, it will be you, not me.” Elliot turned to the cop again. “He’s harmless.”
“His bullets won’t hurt me.” I was immortal, but so was Elliot. The bullet would still hurt. And I wasn’t harmless. Not with my beloved’s safety. I addressed the cop, holding out my hand. As soon as my eyes locked onto his and I had him under my influence, I felt him resist. But when I said, “Lower the gun,” the resistance intensified. The cop’s hand shook, and fear entered his gaze.
“How are you doing that?”
“Good question,” Elliot muttered.
I stepped around Elliot and closed the distance between us. “I won’t hurt you unless you hurt him. Do you understand? Elliot Coyne isn’t to be touched.”
“Y-yeah.” His head bobbed frantically. I pulled at his fear, using it against him.
“It’s not your time yet.” He’d have great-grandchildren when he finally entered the afterlife. He wasn’t quite middle-aged. He was a good person. He raised his children well and was a faithful husband to a woman he adored. All he wanted to do in this situation was the right thing, though he wasn’t sure what that was. “You’ll see me again, but not anytime soon.”
He nodded as if he understood what I meant, but I sensed his confusion. He put the gun back in its holster on his own, without my influence. I planted a vision in his mind of me escorting his mother into the afterlife. It had been last year, after her massive heart attack.
He drew a breath. Tears gathered in his eyes. “You’re...”
I nodded. “I am.”
“Is she... okay?”
“I don’t know. I can’t go past the veil. But I know she’s making a life on the other side.” I lifted the vision away.
The cop wiped his eyes, then met Elliot’s gaze. “Tell your neighbors you’re safe.”
“Will do. Thank you, officer.”
The cop met my gaze, then sighed. “I’ve seen a lot in my day, but you’re something new.”
Then the cop turned and walked away.
“Wait!” Elliot ran past me toward him.
The cop stopped and turned toward Elliot. “Is Gary all right?”
“Ask your friend? He’d know better than I do.” With that, the cop disappeared around the corner of the house.
Elliot turned to me, narrowing his eyes. “What do you know about Gary?”
“He never married, but he loved deeply. I escorted his love, Charlie, into the afterlife during the war. Mr. McKinney never found romantic love again, but he considers you family. He’s left you everything in his will. Inside the box is a letter he wrote to tell you not to mourn him and to share a bit about your future. He has the sight.”
Elliot paled. “How-how do you know about the box? He just told me about it earlier today.”
“I don’t know how I know. I just do. Knowing comes with the job.” I could tell Elliot fought the truth but began to believe. “Don’t you remember me?”
