Trace of Evil, page 24
The crazed lunatic’s gaze softened as he looked at me. Yearning evident in his voice, he said, “Ah, Rebecca. Speak to me.”
I shook my head. “No. I’m Dani.”
He shrieked. “We shall be together, if not in this life, then in death. This time you will not die alone, my love.” He pulled me up and crushed me to him.
I thrashed my head from side to side. “I’m not Rebecca,” I roared. “She’s gone.”
As I struggled, I gaped at the drama unfolding beneath us. I pictured my body tossed about as the waves smashed against the granite barrier. How long would I survive after the fall? Time enough to feel the water invade my mouth and slide into my lungs? How painful would it be when my body connected with the sharp, unforgiving spikes? Or would the waves be merciful and fling me hard enough into the ledge to crush my brain, allowing me to escape any more agony?
A sweet voice interrupted my misery. “Elias?”
“Rebecca?”
I tossed my head back and forth.
“Here,” she said.
We both turned to see Rebecca, her raven hair streaming in the wind. Her beauty was awesome in the midst of the storm.
“Rebecca, my love.”
In a second, Elias dropped me. I lost my balance but managed to fall forward. There were no handholds on the smooth surface. I slid toward the edge. My feet hung in the air. I screeched and clutched at some weeds on the side. I kicked my feet frantically trying for purchase. Each boom of the surf resounded in my chest. The rock shuddered beneath me.
I was too weary to call for help. My foot snagged on a slight bulge. I jammed my toe against it, prayed, and shoved. The leverage was enough to boost me up. I scrounged around until I found a jagged projection in the cliff. I grabbed onto it and prayed.
The temporary security of my perch gave me the courage to look at my abductor. What I witnessed will haunt me forever.
Rebecca, suspended above the churning violence, held her arms wide. “Come to me, Elias. Come to your lover.”
The man, ghost, or demon wore a look of sheer joy on his face. He reached for his love. With Rebecca’s name on his lips, he stepped off the ledge into her waiting embrace.
In that instant, she met my gaze, and I believe she smiled. Rebecca held him all the way down to the watery deathtrap below.
Bit by bit, I dragged myself forward until I could rest in safety. Sam found me there. He helped me to my feet and squeezed me to him. I became aware of big, gasping sobs. Mine. The image of Eddie’s body slamming against the rocks below seared my brain.
People swarmed us. Questions came from all directions. I clung to Sam. Someone bandaged my hands. Then warm blankets and a siren.
Voices penetrated my foggy mind. “She’s delirious, talking about ghosts.”
I remember struggling. “He was a witch.”
Gentle hands held me down. “Okay, lady. We believe you.”
Someone held my arm. A pinch, then nothing.
~ * ~
I struggled to wake. Rebecca’s terror clawed at my insides as she cried, “Help me.”
“Easy, sweetheart. It’s all right. Wake up.” Sam’s voice.
Tears dripped from my cheeks while Rebecca’s memories played in my head. “She was in her twenties. Just a kid They burned her, but she was under his spell.”
The doctor found us like that. “What’s going on here?” he said to Sam.“Who are you?”
“Her fiancé.”
The doctor rolled his eyes and peered at me. “Would you like him to leave?”
I wiped my cheeks and hiccupped, “Fiancé?”
I attempted to sit up, but the doctor wouldn’t let me. He was poking around, to see if my heart was working, I guess. That happy little organ was doing fine. As a matter of fact, it swelled in my chest.
Sam walked around the doctor and brought my wrist to his lips, avoiding my bandaged hands. “I love you, Dani Trent, and I want to marry you.”
My mind cleared fast. Love and excitement will do that. “You do?”
“I do.”
“Oh, Sam. I love you too. I want nothing more than to spend my life with you.”
The doctor was gracious enough to move over, so Sam could give me a proper kiss. I met his lips, eager to show him how much I loved him. When I moved my hands to his head, we both yelled, “Ow!”
The doctor clucked his tongue. “Better wait a while for that.” He shook his head as he left. “I’ll leave prescriptions for you at the desk. Oh…” He turned back, smiling. “Congratulations!”
I waved goodbye and focused on my fiancé. I took a good look at him—black eye, cuts on his face and arms, and a massive bandage on his head. “Eddie did this to you?”
“Most of it.” He grinned. “I also had trouble with Rebecca.”
“Rebecca?” Then I understood. “You mean me? I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it.”
A noise from the door interrupted us. Detective Lavoie. “How are you, Ms. Trent?”
“Much better, thank you.” My mother would be so proud of my manners.
Lavoie acknowledged Sam before focusing his attention on me. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the fire gutted your apartment. Everything in it gone—a total loss. The whole building is uninhabitable.”
For a minute I mourned the destruction of everything I owned, then I remembered and tapped Sam’s hand with my bandages. “The diary was in there. It’s gone.” The realization that I no longer had to fear that bastard and he would never be able to hurt anyone else eased the horror of the past few hours.
When Sam rubbed the back of his fingers across my cheek, I saw the relief on his face. I knew the horror was over.
“Sorry. I hope the book wasn’t important,” Lavoie said
I smiled. “No. Not important at all.”
“I’m glad,” he said. Now I need to ask you a few questions.”
I didn’t wish to answer them but nodded anyway.
Holding his pen above his notebook, he asked, “What did Eddie say about the murder?”
“Which one?” I hugged myself and bit my lip. “He killed Tom and the other woman, Allison. He wanted to add me and Heather to his list.”
Detective Lavoie’s pen sped across the paper, as I explained how Eddie had access to all the apartments. “He told me he stored his tools in the basement room under the apartment.
“Thanks. We’ll check it out.” He explained they’d found Eddie’s knife and were confident it would prove to be the weapon that killed Allison. “I guess that’s all for now.” He clicked his notepad shut. “I’ll want to talk to both of you again.”
Before he left, I stopped him to ask about Heather and JoJo.
“She’s in serious condition, but I’m told she’ll survive. Oh yeah. The little dog. Some woman from across the street took him. I think it was the same lady who told us about Westin chasing you.”
“Mrs. W?” Once again, the woman had surprised me.
Sam chuckled. “I told you. She’s something else.”
“I may have to talk to you again, Ms. Trent. Glad to see you’re okay.”
After he left, I leaned back on my pillow, grateful we were alive.
Sam sat next to me on the bed. “Heather can’t have visitors yet. I’ll take you there the minute she can.”
“Thank you.” I moved to rest my head in my hands. The bandages protecting my palms stopped me. “I can’t believe how much trouble I’ve caused everyone.”
“No, honey.” He took me into his arms. “You didn’t cause any of the problems. The chaos and insanity came from Eddie and the damned ghost.”
“I’m sorry I believed Tom was behind it all.”
“Wait a minute. I wouldn’t wish him dead, but he put you through hell and would have hurt you given the chance. Don’t make him out to be a saint, and remember, Eddie was a killer way before he met Elias.”
A nurse poked her head into the room to tell me I was free to go home any time.
I scooted off the bed before Sam could help me. My head spun, and I panicked, afraid Rebecca was back. When he held me, my mind cleared. “I need a minute to get my bearings.”
“Take whatever you need. I’ll be here.”
Warmth fluttered through me. Though I’d rather focus my attention on Sam, there was one more thing I needed to do. “Do you mind if we make a stop before we leave?”
“No problem.”
“I’d like to talk to Serena. I introduced her to Elias, the reason she’s in here.”
“That might not be a wise move.” he frowned. “Remember she didn’t want to have anything to do with you?”
“Please. I need to talk to her.”
When we reached Serena’s room, I peeked inside. Machines hummed. Lights blinked. I wondered if I should come back later. I had decided to leave when her head snapped in my direction. Her dark eyes widened for a minute. Her hand made a “stop” gesture. I backpedaled, until she relaxed and smiled. “It’s okay. Come in. Both of you.”
“I…I hate to disturb you.”
“No. You’re fine. I perceive a distinct change in your essence. Tell me what happened.”
I explained all that had gone on after the party followed by the horror of the last few hours. When I finished, she nodded.
“I sensed a release of power.” She paused and shuddered. “The entity had a substantial hold on this world. I can guess what must have happened. At the end, he used up most of his strength trying to control the strong personality he’d possessed. That diminished his hold on you and Rebecca. Then he lost his power base and had to deal with a strange world. In the end, though, the final emergence of his lost love gave him what he’d always longed for, and he was happy to join her.”
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them, she smiled. “You’re safe now. Elias died with Eddie. I’ve opened myself to the psychic ether. I can discern no sign of trouble. Not even a trace of evil.”
Although Serena’s pronouncement eased most of the terror and pain of the recent past, my anxiety reemerged when we arrived at Sam’s apartment. The storm had passed, but the gusting wind caused an explosion of waves against the rocky shore. Stinging prickles of fear erupted across my skin. Saliva jammed in my throat. I skidded to a stop, pulling back from Sam.
The panic from the cliffs was still with me. As the surf pounded the coast, he recognized my terror and hurried us inside. He held me tight, captured my lips, then whispered against my face, “We can always move if the noise bothers you.”
A surge of love for this man who’d stayed with me despite the supernatural danger threatened to overwhelm me. I leaned my head against his chest and wrapped my arms around him, being careful not to use my injured hands. “I’m okay. I’ll get used to the sound. It might take a while.”
“Okay sweetheart.” He ruffled my hair.
“Ow! Damn it. Stop. Elias tried to pull the hair out of my head.”
“Son of a bitch! I’m not sorry he’s dead.” He hugged me for a minute before dipping his head for another kiss.
My body responded.
He caressed my face. “I promise not to touch your hair again.” Then he flashed me a devilish grin and whispered, “How’s the rest of your body?”
Looking into those incredible blue eyes, I knew everything—absolutely everything—would work out.
Margo Carey, Trace of Evil
