He shrugged. “I thought it ironic that I landed the job of Spirit of Christmas Future.”
“Why?” She forced the word past her lips. Maybe it would help her understand him.
His eyes took on the glitter they had when he first started to speak.“Whenever a criminal sensed me lurking in the shadows, he would inevitably ask who was there. I always answered the same. ‘Your future.’ Others heard me on occasion, so they gave me the name of The Future.”
The glitter dissipated and his grin was back. “Ironic, wouldn’t you agree?”
She nodded, her throat too dry to speak. Suddenly, she didn’t want the assignment anymore. Malcolm’s pain was toodeep and too wide. It threatened to swallow her though how that could happen, she didn’t know.
She tried to smile in return, but her lips just wouldn’t move.
“You asked if I wondered what happened after I died. I don’t. I was set-up by my wife, Coira and the very people that live here.” He spread his arms to encompass the dark alley. “I was shot, hung up by my wrists, then stabbed and left asa warning to others who wanted to clear the city of vermin. I bled out, but it took hours. I have no doubt those very vermin multiplied after I was gone.”
The image he painted was so gruesome, his wife’s betrayal so evil that her stomach started to rebel and bile crawled up her throat.
He sneered. “I bet it’s the opposite for you. Tell me, Joy. How did you die?”
She shook her head, not reallysure if he was still Malcolm or taken over by another entity.
“Oh, you must tell. I told you about my death, now tell me about yours.” His eyes started to glitter again, and she instinctively stepped back. Was this how he interrogated suspects?
“Tell me!”
At his command, she opened her mouth. “My niece. She needed a kidney. I was a match. There were complications. I died.” She choked the wordsout past her fear.
Malcolm’s eyes lost their intensity. “And you want to know if she lived.” The way he said it, in a sing-song voice made her sound pathetic. Compared to him, she was. Maybe she should just let it go.
He must have sensed her defeat. He waved his hand. “Go back to Holly. I’ll be there shortly.”
Not waiting another second, she flew upward, through the darkness of the undergroundalley, through the road above and out into the sun. She blinked to discover it was broad daylight.
Completely confused, she headed straight for Cameron’s office.
Malcolm stared at the spot Joy had occupied. Having her in the darkened space was like having a flower in a dung heap —out of place. He’d wanted to shock her and he probably did, but he’d also surprised himself.
He looked around. Thiswas where he’d lived, where his mind always drifted back to, but it wasn’t where he belonged anymore. The realization was as confusing as it was true. This wasn’t him. Joy’s presence, her goodness, called to more of him than he thought was there.
Flying upward out of the catacombs of his old underground world, he felt lighter. He’d always thought his job as a Spirit Guide meant his life had beenapproved in some weird way, but it wasn’t his life that was worthy, it was his soul.
He floated down outside his cottage not yet ready to return to their assignment. Solidifying, he wandered toward the sunlight just beyond his little valley. He’d hidden out here, far from the city, to avoid his new wife and those who would destroy The Future. He was glad he still had the pureness of the Scottishcountryside to ease his mind.
He’d never completely trusted his wife. She’d begged him to take her with him after he’d killed her boss. The fear in her eyes had been real, but he had no doubt in hindsight that she was either afraid of him, or the man who had made her a spy.
Malcolm meandered along the burn of a small stream, the sunlight sparkling off the water as it followed itself down tothe river beyond. Coira was like that, following whoever she thought was stronger. He felt no anger toward her. He’d known something wasn’t right but had ignored his instincts, too focused on revenge. That she’d led him to his death at the hands of another crime chief was half his fault.
He stopped and threw his hood back to enjoy the sun in his re-creation of the Scottish hills. He’d had onewoman he’d trusted with his life and she lost hers. He also had one woman he’d never trusted and he’d lost his. That begged the question of where Joy fit in.
It wasn’t as if his life was in danger, though she did think he’d cease to exist if he angered the wrong people.How can I keep you safe when you do everything in your power to undermine me?Her words echoed in his mind. She sincerely thoughthis existence was in danger, but his gut, his instinct, was telling him that wasn’t the case.
He walked toward the ancient circle of stones and leaned on the closest one. If his gut was right, he was safe. Holly was also safe as she was among the living. That left only two possible people in danger, Joy and Cameron.
A spike of fear shot up his spine at the idea that Joy could be the target.Did Cameron’s superiors know that he would choose Joy as his partner? He tried to think back on every interaction he’d had with her. When viewed in its entirety and without the larger picture, it was obvious he’d pick her.
But when he compared it with the other spirits he’d met with, his choice of Joy appeared to be out of the blue, which was in fact, Cameron’s reaction. But Cameron was beingmanipulated as well. It wasn’t hard to figure out that in order for Cameron to help his wife, he had to do things he didn’t want to.
Malcolm grinned. Cameron would never have chosen him to help Holly if he’d had a choice.
Did that mean Cameron’s existence was in jeopardy? He found that hard to believe, but wouldn’t rule it out any more than he’d rule out Joy’s danger. He simply didn’t haveenough information.
