“Nah, it’s just the ghosts.” I turn around, waving my hand in the air. Everyone laughs.
“I used to be scared of this place,” Woman Number Three confesses. Should I feel bad about forgetting their names? Because I don’t. “But it’s so pretty.”
“It still needs some work. I can give you a little tour, if you’d like. I haven’t done much to it since I’ve moved in. I’ve been busy with work.”
“I’d say so.” Keri eagerly steps forward. “You’ve caught two serial killers, and I still just can’t believe there weretwoin our city.”
There was actually only one, the psycho who thought he was doing God’s work by killing anyone with an interest in witchcraft. The other “killer” was a group of vampires.
“It’s my job.” I make my way into the living room, picking up the book and darting my gaze around the house. Is my mother here again? Hasan couldn’t see her…would my guests be able to? “This is the living room,” I start. “I think the windows are all original. I really don’t know much about the house.”
“It looks original.” Robert moves to the floor-to-ceiling windows, inspecting the craftsmanship. He teaches history at a local university, and his area of expertise is the time period this house was built.
I smooth out my hair and show everyone the library next, peering in first to make sure my dead mother isn’t hanging around. She’s not, and I’m a little disappointed. Everyone files in, impressed with the fancy shelves and ornate fireplace. I stand aside, watching them gush over the house, and realize Jared is still in the kitchen. I slip out unnoticed and find him in the kitchen, opening the drawer where I hid the note from Jac.
“Seriously?” I lean against the wall, crossing my arms. Jared jumps.
“Something weird is going on here,” he spits out, eyes wide.
“No shit. You’re going through my cabinets.”
“Rosemary, basil, garlic, and St. John’s Wort.” He points to the herbs on the counter. “Those are used to repel evil.”
“I’m making soup.”
“Then what’s with the note you hid?”
He’s observant, and fuck, I admire it about him. “It’s from my boyfriend. He wrote about some very X-rated things he’s going to do to me when he gets home.”
Jared makes a face of disgust. “Sure it is.”
I cross my arms, looking Jared up and down. Things between us can either go two ways: he can continue to annoy the shit out of me and go on living his life shamed by his parents for his interest in the paranormal, or I could throw him a bone and look at him more like a mentor case.
“What if something weird was going on?” I push off the wall, crossing the room and opening the drawer. I take out Jac’s note. “What would you do about it?”
Jared swallows hard, Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. “I…I don’t know.” He blinks rapidly, trying to find his resolve. “But I’d do something. I don’t trust you.”
“You shouldn’t,” I tell him, and look down at Jacques’s note, quickly reading it.
Ace-
I laid out a few herbs you might need for a banishing spell. Remember, just because she looks like your mother doesn’t mean she is. Demons can take on many forms. Be smart.
Love,
J
I take a deep breath and thrust the note forward. Jared takes it, eyes widening. I watch him read the note once, twice, three times. He looks up, fear in his eyes.
“How do I know this is true?”
“You don’t.” I take the note back from him and fold it in half again, sliding it back into the drawer. “You have no reason to believe anything about me or what goes on in this house.”
I step back, watching him think. This kid would lose in a game of poker, that’s for sure. He blinks rapidly and looks back up at me.
“Who are you?”
“Someone you don’t want on your bad side,” I say with just the right amount of attitude. “Kidding. But not really. Pissing me off could definitely lead to consequences.”
