Ghost of Lies (Medium Trouble Book 1), page 34
“One step at a time. Let’s see what the team’s dug up and go from there.”
Elena nods as she walks beside me while my mind races.
Someone buried the body. While the body isn’t deep, it doesn’t mean it once wasn’t. The area is low and was likely washed away as time went on. But that means someone came back with a shovel.
Franklin? The one who killed her?
Someone else who’d felt guilt from her death?
What part did the others play in this? And is one of the teenagers who had been there with her that night responsible for killing the rest? Nicolás didn’t seem to think there was anyone else.
When I get back to the body, Elena and I look over the location while we wait for the others to start on recovering the body. It’ll take a while, especially with an older death like this one, but we’ll have enough to do to keep us occupied for a little while.
“So the nearest road would be back at the festival, right?” Elena asks.
“Yeah, but say they killed her, they wouldn’t run back to the festival, they’d likely run out that way. Maybe send someone away to get the car,” I say.
“But then someone came back with a shovel. You can’t walk through the festival with a shovel without drawing attention,” she says.
“True.”
We toss ideas back and forth for a bit before I head over to see how the team is doing. Her head wasn’t too far beneath the surface, and there’s some kind of cloth covering her face that’s been pulled to the side just a bit to see her skull.
I kneel down to get a better look. “Huh.”
“What?” Elena asks.
“I guess I was under the impression that she’d been choked, but I was wrong. She was stabbed. I mean, I’ll have to wait to get a better idea, but isn’t that what you’re leaning toward?”
She gets in next to me to examine what we can see. We really won’t know for sure until the scene is a bit more uncovered, but it’s pretty apparent. “You’re right. So one of the boys had brought a knife…” she says.
“I mean… it’s not unbelievable, but Nicolás claimed that they exited the festival and ran right out into the woods. The thing was, after the first year, the festival always had a metal detector you had to pass through to enter because they had that drunken brawl the first year where someone pulled out a knife.”
“That does complicate matters.”
“So Nicolás said they’d exited out the far gate into the trees. The far gate was generally just for people who walked, so we can’t even say one of them went back to the car to get it.”
“How much do you trust this Nicolás kid?” Elena asks.
“I… felt like quite well, but what if I missed something? Fuck. I need to talk to Hiro,” I say as I stop to look at the necklace that’s currently being photographed.
“Do you know where this necklace was positioned on the body?” Mick asks as my eyes latch on to it.
Fucking hell…
I grab my radio and take off at a run toward my car, knowing I need to get to Hiro, and I need to get to him now.
Chapter Thirty-Three
HIRO
“Aw, Sleeping Beauty has emerged from his slumber,” Reggie says as I open my eyes.
“Maybe he needs a little more sleep, then,” Natalie says. “He looks an icky shade.”
“I think that green hue brightens his face right up,” Reggie inputs.
I wave my arms around in the hopes of making them disperse. “Both of you… are demons from hell.”
“He just said I’m as sexy as sin,” Reggie says.
“You are,” Natalie adds.
Grudgingly, I open my eyes enough to glare at them. “Where am I?”
“In my loving embrace,” Natalie says as she pets my forehead like I’m a dog.
“So loving,” I say with an excessive amount of sarcasm.
Reggie’s eyes narrow. “Didn’t make him any less sassy. What if we force him to love us?”
Natalie shrugs. “That’s what I’ve been doing for years. Years, I say.”
“I feel awful for you,” Reggie says as he hugs her in an attempt to comfort her.
“Where am I?” I ask as I sit up, realizing I’m in the back seat of a car I don’t recognize.
Natalie shrugs. “We assumed you knew.”
“I… don’t,” I say as I look around.
The door opens and Ben gets in, startling me. “Ben?”
“Hey, you were out. Maddox said you weren’t feeling well, but he didn’t tell me you’d be dead to the world.”
“Oh, yeah, when I do stuff, it just kills my brain. He’s back at the crime scene?” I ask.
“Yeah. He’ll give me a call when he’s done, but it’s going to be late. So I’ll just take you home.”
“Can you take me to my brother’s? Well, I can have him pick me up. Since it’s a far drive. I’ll just do that,” I say, realizing I’m rambling. “Just in case Maddox needs you or something.”
“Okay, I’ll take you to my place, then,” he says as he starts to drive.
My head is pounding as I buckle my seat belt and lean my head against the cold window, wanting some reprieve.
“I’m going to go see what Maddox is doing,” Reggie says. “You want anything? Want me to flash you or anything before I go?”
I glare at him which just makes him grin before he disappears. “You have anything for headaches by any chance?” I ask Ben.
“I don’t,” he says. “I do at my house, though. Kacey gets them. I’ll grab you something before your brother picks you up.”
“Okay,” I say as I doze a bit more.
I don’t know how long I’m out for, but when he pulls into the driveway, I wake up.
“Come on,” he says as he opens the back door and grabs my wrist to help me out.
“Did you call Nicolás? Dumb question… you don’t have his number. I need to call Nicolás,” I say as I pat my pocket down. “Do you have my phone?”
“No, I don’t. Did Maddox have it?” he asks.
I try to think back that far. “I really don’t think so.”
“You can use my cell,” he says as he guides me through the front door where I’m immediately startled to a stop.
The entire front room is filled with ghosts.
Packed full of them.
The only time there are this many ghosts around is when someone’s about to die.
And I’m afraid that someone is me.
MADDOX
“Ben, answer your fucking phone,” I yell.
It rings and rings as my mind races. It can’t be… no, it’s not… what would Ben even have to do with this?
But that necklace. That was our mother’s necklace, I would recognize it anywhere. When our parents had split and Ben had gone with our father, our mother had given him the necklace. He grew to hate her so much that I’m surprised he’d even kept it. It can’t be a coincidence. It can’t be…
“Fucking hell,” I growl as my phone starts to ring. When I notice it’s Nicolás, I quickly answer. “Nicolás?”
“Yeah, we’re done at the station but Hiro’s not here yet. This is where we’re supposed to pick him up? Or was I wrong?” he asks. “Is he okay? Did they have to take him to the hospital? I thought you said he was okay.” His voice is showing his rising panic with each question.
“Nicolás, I need you to ask around for Officer Ben Booker. Ask if anyone’s seen him,” I say.
“Okay… what’s wrong?”
“If anyone’s seen him, have them call me immediately. Stay right there.”
Elena catches up to me. “You think Ben has something to do with this?”
“Hiro either never made it to the department or went with someone else,” I say.
“Who’d you send him with?” she asks.
“I left him with the paramedic who was going to pass him off to Officer Richards to escort to the department if he was doing okay, but she’s not picking up.”
“Fuck, let me see if someone can identify her vehicle.”
I call for backup to get to Ben’s house, though I know I’ll feel like a complete asshole if I’m wrong.
That’s when I think of the absolute stupidest thing I’ve ever thought of. “Reggie?” I ask.
How the hell will I even know if he’s here? He could be at home or off haunting Hiro or who knows what?
“Reggie, if you’re here, I need you to tell Hiro to stay away from my brother. I need you to tell Hiro to call me, go to the nearest police station, or call for help. Just do not go with my brother.”
Please, please, let him be following me today. Please.
“I have units heading to Ben’s house,” I say as I notice Elena watching me.
“Reggie?” she asks.
“Just… long story.”
She gives me a nod, having known Reggie from our years of working together. There was more than once that I’d invited her over to the house where we’d bullshit while Reggie snooped right into whatever we were talking about.
The moment I reach my car, I jump into it and gun it straight for Ben’s house, not knowing where else to go.
HIRO
“Help, help!” a ghost screams.
“Dying…” one cries out.
“Save me.”
Another bumps into me. “Save yourself.”
“You’re going to die,” one says.
“Ben, I feel like I’m going to throw up, can you excuse me?” I say as I try to back up toward the door.
If he ever responds, I can’t hear it through the screaming ghosts. All I can see is their bodies jostling around. Ben’s mouth is moving, but I realize he’s not even looking at me. He’s looking at what stands beyond the line of ghosts.
But as I turn toward the door, Ben grabs my wrist.
Reggie suddenly appears before me, making me jump. “Hiro!” he says. His voice gets lost in the chaos as he says something else.
I cock my head as I step back and slam into another ghost, but Ben’s hand tightens on my wrist as I’m torn forward.
Suddenly, I see what Ben is so focused on as his son Wes walks between the parade of ghosts that push back to keep from touching him like he’s coated in acid.
Surrounding Wes are Franklin, Joshua, Sasha, and my brother.
“Dad, you have to let me end this,” Wes says, holding a gun that’s trained on us. His presence seems to have quieted the ghosts some.
“Why are you here?” Ben asks.
“Because I knew you wouldn’t be able to handle this. I knew I couldn’t trust you to do the right thing,” Wes says.
“You’re right, I saw your car there, and I knew I had to get him out of there. I knew you were watching him.”
Wes shrugs. “You didn’t need to. You were supposed to just walk away and let me deal with him.”
“He hasn’t done anything,” Ben says.
Wes’s eyes get huge. “Hasn’t done anything? He fucking tore apart everything I worked for. He fucking destroyed it, and now I hear he found her body? I tossed Grandma’s necklace into the grave with her, Dad… I’d been planning on giving it to her that night. It’s only a short time before they figure out just who did it. But then… then I got to thinking that they won’t suspect it’s me, they’ll think it’s you.”
“What are you talking about? I have no tie to any of this.”
“You knew.”
Ben pushes me back but still won’t let me go. “I didn’t fucking know. I… I knew you had tendencies. I knew… I speculated when I couldn’t find Millie, but I had faith in you. I had faith that you didn’t do it. And when her mother said she’d gone to live with her father, I believed her. I know you didn’t do it. Tell me you didn’t do it, Wes.”
Wes gives him a cruel smile. “If you believed in me so much, then why did you try to take Hiro from me? Were you going to hide him? Why’d you come back here? Was it because you didn’t have your gun and thought you forgot it here? Were you going to shoot me?”
“No, I was going to stop you. Did you take my gun?”
“You could have arrested me,” Wes says.
Ben’s face scrunches up as he looks away. “Wes… you are my son. I love you, and I want to help you.”
“You wanted to cover it up? Wanted to make it look like it never happened? Okay. Deal. If you want to be father of the year, I want you to kill Hiro and take the fall. Simple as that,” Wes says.
Ben shakes his head. “I’m not going to take the fall for your crimes.”
“Then why didn’t you turn me in when you figured it out?” he asks.
“Because… because I didn’t want to believe it! I wanted to still believe you were my son who’d never do this. Wes, you could have told me what was happening. I could have helped you before it got to this.”
“If you want to help me, then kill him. Your gun is right there.” He waves at the table. “Kill him.”
I glance over at the gun sitting on the edge of the table, grip pointing toward Ben for him to grab.
“Wes, I freed Millie’s soul,” I say. “I freed her so she could move on. You aren’t doing this for her. You’re doing it because you want to.”
His narrowed eyes shift onto me. “I loved her,” he says. “Dad, pick up the fucking gun.”
“Yes, well, I loved my brother who you killed,” I say, not understanding why Ben won’t just let me run out the door. “Ben, let me go.”
Wes looks irate, which seems to upset the ghosts around him. “If you let go of him, I’ll shoot him in the goddamn head.”
Ben shakes his head like he’s trying to think of a way to magically make everything alright.
And while Ben’s busy with that, my eyes lock on to my brother. “Sean! Sean, I need you to help me.”
Sean’s eyes snap over to mine, like he’s noticed me for the first time.
“Sean, he took your life. He took you away from me and your daughter.”
“Hiro?”
“Sean, he’s going to kill me.”
“Hiro?”
Ben grabs for the gun but as he lifts it, he aims it at Wes instead of me. Wes doesn’t even hesitate as he shifts his gun onto his father and pulls the trigger. I know Ben would never have shot his own son, he was likely trying to threaten him, but there wasn’t a flinch or any hesitation when Wes decided he was done with Ben.
With a groan, Ben falls back as chaos caused by the ghosts erupts around me. They’re screaming again and shouting, pleading with me to save them. It’s nearly enough to knock me down, and when Ben’s arm yanks me back, I fall with it. When I hit the ground, I reach for the gun Ben had dropped just as I see Wes lunge for it.
Reggie shoves the gun hard enough it slides toward me.
“What the fuck?” Wes says, startled by what’s happening.
I scramble along the floor for it, snatching it up as I switch the safety off and point it at Wes and fire.
The gun clicks.
No, no, no.
Why’s it empty?
Wes laughs. “You really thought I was going to give him a loaded gun? I just wanted him to prove to me how loyal he actually was, but I got my answer. I saw just how far family truly goes.”
He aims his gun at my head as I lie on the floor, clutching the empty gun in my hands. “This isn’t what I wanted, but I don’t even care anymore. After you’re gone, I will finish what I started and move on. Can you really blame me for what I did? I loved her. You know they took away the very thing I loved? She left me for them, so I had no choice. She picked them. So I took the very thing she loved most in the world.”
“Where’s her child?” I ask.
Wes shakes his head as he looks at me in disbelief. “You still haven’t figured that out yet? What an idiot,” he says, gun still aimed at me as I realize I’m going to die. I have nowhere to hide, no way to fight back. I glance over to the counter, but it’s still a good five feet from me and since we’re only feet apart, he’ll have plenty of time to shoot me. I lurch forward as Wes pulls the trigger just as Sean slams into his arm, driving the gun off to the side. The bullet embeds in the cupboard next to my head as my heart beats out of my chest.
That’s when I realize that I don’t need a fucking gun to stop him. I don’t need any weapon.
“Help me,” I say as I project upon the ghosts the ability to allow them to interact with their surroundings. While Millie was able to use her malice to make it happen, could they use my strength? “Sean, help me. This man unjustly killed you. Franklin, Joshua, Sasha, this is the man who slaughtered you. Millie is at peace. Millie has moved on. Stop letting your guilt eat you up and stop him.”
Wes looks around, trying to figure out who I’m talking to as I slowly climb to my feet. “You’re really fucking crazy, aren’t you?” he asks until his gun starts to move.
He looks down, clearly perplexed at first, before it turns to horror. He jerks his hand back like he can escape it as the ghosts turn on him, creating a protective barrier around me and consuming him. I can’t even see him anymore, I can only hear his screams.
He deserves it. He deserves all of it. He killed them. He killed them all. He—
“Hiro.”
Sudden hands on me snap me back to reality as I look over and catch a glimpse of Wes whose arm is bent at a grotesque angle, gun aimed straight at his own face.
“No, stop, please, stop,” Wes begs but it falls on deaf ears as the ghosts move in tighter.
“Hiro, stop them, don’t make them become killers. I have this,” Maddox says.
Right… right. What the hell am I doing? What am I doing?
I drop my hold on them and the gun falls from Wes’s hand a moment before Maddox is on him, pinning him to the ground as the ghosts around me vanish, like they’re pleased no one is going to die.
Legs weak, heart pounding so loudly I feel deafened by it, I drop to the ground on my knees.
I can see people rushing in, but my ears are ringing as the hands of Sean, Joshua, Sasha, and Franklin are on me. They’re touching me, saying something, but the pounding in my head is enough that I can’t focus on them.
