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Authors: K.J. Emrick

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BOOK: 3 From the Ashes
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She gathered up nine white candles and placed them in a circle on her living room floor with a little dish under each to catch any wax that might drip down. She lit the candles in order, creating the energy of the circle, and then stepped into it, to the very center.

She sat down crossed legged on the floor as Smudge paced the circumference of the magic hub she had created.

She held the bracelet that Sarah had given her in her hand and called out for Angelica.

Nothing happened.

Darcy tried again, concentrating some of her own force and will into the calling. She searched out through the circle of energy she had created. She searched in dark places where no one answered her.

After several failed attempts at connecting with Angelica she looked down at Smudge confused. She couldn’t feel any presence of Angelica. Nothing at all. This had never happened to her before. Even if she hadn’t been able to get any information she had always been able to get a sense of the person.

There was only one explanation.

“Smudge,” she said, “I don’t think that Angelica is dead.”

 

Chapter Four

 

Early the next morning Darcy was lying awake in her bed and was absently running the bracelet through her fingers. Jon had stopped by for something quick to eat the night before, talking endlessly about some case he was working on. The small town of Misty Hollow had become less and less of a small town, and there was always work for him to do. He had tried to turn the conversation to the subject of them a few times before giving up when she hadn’t been very talkative. After a kiss that had turned into two or three more, he had left to go home saying he had an early morning.

She hadn’t been able to sleep much herself, and now here it was the start of a new day. The failure of last night’s communication still tangled in her mind with the same answer coming up over and over. She hadn’t been able to reach Angelica’s spirit, because Angelica wasn’t dead. Which made no sense because Sarah was so sure her mother was dead. So was Linda. So was the whole town, for that matter.

Darcy decided not to tell Sarah or Linda yet, not that she would even know what to say to them. Frustrated with the situation she got up and started her morning.  After a quick shower in nice hot water she dressed in a pair of faded jeans and a bright yellow T-shirt. With her comfortable sneakers on her feet she was ready to face the day.

When she finished dressing she put the bracelet in her pocket. Even though it was still early she decided to head into town. She wanted to talk to Jon about Angelica. Maybe he could shed some light on this mystery.

Darcy arrived at the police station before eight o’clock. She said hello to Sergeant Fitzwallis, the front desk sergeant. He was an older man with thinning gray hair but with a face that was hard as stone. “Jon’s inside,” he told her, hooking a thumb at the wall behind him as if she didn’t already know where the Officer’s desks were in the building.

She thanked him and he buzzed her through the main door. Four or five other Officers were already at their desks, busily working. Jon saw her from across the room, waving her over with a genuine smile on his face.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, grabbing her hand and pulling her into him for a quick kiss on her cheek. “I’m sorry, I can’t do breakfast I’ve got a ton of work laid out for me today.”

“No, that’s fine,” she said as she sat down in the chair opposite his at the desk. He looked really fine this morning in a crisp white shirt and a strong blue tie that brought out the color of his eyes. “I actually came to talk to you about something.”

“Oh?” he said in a distracted way, reading through a piece of paper he held up off the desk. “What’s up?”

Darcy gave him the quick version of how Linda and her friend Sarah had asked her for help in contacting Sarah’s mother, the whole story about the fire, and then her failed communication last night. “I’m sorry, I know you’re still a little uneasy with me talking about my, um, abilities.”

He shrugged. “I’m in love with you. All of you.” Still, he lowered his voice to a whisper. “That means accepting the part of you that deals with ghosts and feelings from beyond, too.”

She smiled at his characterization of her abilities. She loved this man so much. Her sister, Grace, knew what she could do too, at least a part of it, and there were others like Linda who knew a little, too. But no one had ever made her feel like it was all right to be who she was, ghosts and all, until Jon.

“So, what?” Jon asked her. “You think Sarah’s mother is still alive? Is that it?”

Darcy nodded.

“Is it possible that this Angelica just didn’t want to speak to you?” Jon asked her. “I mean, ghosts don’t have to pick up the phone when you call, do they?”

Darcy thought about it, her forehead scrunching up. “I don’t know, I guess. I’ve never had trouble contacting the other side before.”

“Maybe the bracelet wasn’t Angelica’s.”

Darcy stared at him. She hadn’t even considered that. She’d have to make sure with Sarah that the bracelet was, indeed, her mother’s.

Jon tilted his head back and forth before finally nodding. “I’ll look into it for you. Even though I’m swamped today.”

He scratched at his neck and she knew what he was fishing for. “How about I make it worth your while.”

His eyes lit up. “Tonight?”

“Tonight,” she promised, feeling her cheeks blush. What was it about him that made her do that? She stood up, and hugged him tightly, knowing he had to keep up his tough guy persona here at the office.

“Love you, Sweet Baby” he said to her.

“Love you, too,” she answered.

***

Lunch time rolled around very quickly for Darcy. She knew she had to call Sarah and tell her something, but she had been avoiding it all morning, working hard at rearranging shelves in the bookstore that didn’t really need to be rearranged. When the clock on the wall struck noon with a muted note, she sighed and left the store to get lunch. A new deli had opened in town just last week, and she decided to try it.

There were a few people in the La Di Da Deli when she walked in. Her friend Helen, now the town’s new mayor, owned the Bean There Bakery and Café on the other side of town, which specialized in delectable pastries and cakes. The new place seemed to sell more sandwiches and that type of thing, which opened up the food choices for the townsfolk. In a town as small as Misty Hollow it didn't make sense to have two businesses offering the same type of fare.

Darcy ordered a chicken salad sandwich. The owner of the place, Clara Barstow, served her. Wearing a white apron over a blue dress, and with her light brown hair done up in a bun, she reminded Darcy of someone’s kindly old aunt. Darcy guessed that Clara was around fifty, maybe. Her smile made her look younger. 

As the weather was turning a little cold outside Darcy decided to eat her sandwich inside even though there were pretty round tables set up on the sidewalk outside the deli. As she sat eating, her sister Grace walked by the big glass window and saw her. They waved to each other and Grace came inside.

“How was your trip, sis?” Grace asked as she sat down at the table with Darcy. She was in her work clothes, a dark blue pantsuit with matching jacket. She’d been letting her dark hair grow out and it now hung down past the collar of her crisp white blouse. “How did you like staying in a cabin?”

“The trip was amazing and we loved the cabin. We went hiking every day and we had such a great time together.” Darcy set her sandwich down. “I took a ton of photos. You want to see?”

“Maybe later.” Darcy could tell her sister had something she needed to say. “I was going to come over tonight and talk to you. I wanted to call yesterday, actually, but Jon and I are working on a case that sucks up most of our attention.”

“Yeah, he told me. What’s up?”

"Well I hope you got plenty of relaxation on your trip…” Grace sighed and continued, “Because I have some stressful news.”

Darcy’s breath caught in her throat and she could feel her heart begin to beat faster. “What is it?” she asked with panic in her voice. She had gotten used to horrible things happening in this town and assumed the worst. Darcy began to fiddle with the antique ring she always wore as she always did when she got anxious or upset.

Grace sighed out a breath. “Our mother is coming to town. She’ll be here tonight.”

That was bad news but not nearly as bad as Darcy had been imagining. She laughed with relief. “Is that it?”

“Isn’t that enough?” Grace answered with the corner of her mouth twisting up.

She and Grace had never had a great relationship with their upper class mother, Eileen. Darcy in particular was just too different for their mom to understand or relate to. Her mother had always been embarrassed by her. But still on the scale of bad things that could happen, their mother visiting was not the worst.

“Why didn’t I know about this?” Darcy asked. “I didn’t get a call or anything from her.”

“She called me Sunday. I didn’t want to call you while you and Jon were on vacation and ruin your time away. Apparently she just decided on the spur of the moment to come up. Or, so she said.” Grace was chewing her thumbnail. Their mother was not known for being spontaneous and Grace was clearly nervous about this visit.

Darcy put a hand over her sister’s hand to calm her. “Remember she likes you better than she likes me. Me, she just thinks I’m weird. And there’s something else that might keep her attention settled on me,” she added with a grimace.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Darcy looked up at the ceiling, tilting her head to one side. “Jon asked to move in with me.”

“Darcy!” Grace broke out in a wide smile. “That’s great. A little gross, considering he’s my partner, but still it’s great. Uh, it is great, isn’t it?”

“Um…Yes, I guess it is.” Grace gave her a puzzled look. “I mean, sure. I’m just not sure if I’m ready for it, you know?”

Grace pushed Darcy’s sandwich to one side and leaned in to her. “Sis, it’s been a long time since Jeff and you lived together. I get being nervous. But Jon is a great guy. And the two of you are great together. I’ve seen it. Don’t let old ghosts get in the way.”

Darcy had to smile at the way her sister put that. “Old ghosts.” Her life was about old ghosts, it seemed, both the real kind and the ones she carried in her mind. “I understand what you’re saying, Grace. Still…I just need to think about it.”

“You want me to tell him to slow down for you?”

“No, don’t do that,” Darcy was mortified at the idea of her sister getting involved in her private life. “Jon and I will work it out. Really.”

Grace tapped her finger on the table in a mischievous way. “I’ll bet he’s incredible in bed, isn’t he? All those quiet, strong types are. That’s why I married Aaron.”

“Grace!” Darcy’s face was heating up and she hoped no one was close enough to hear. “You’re not wrong,” she admitted.

The two sisters shared a laugh at the expense of their men and the moment helped ease the worry about why their mother would be coming back to Misty Hollow now. Still, Darcy had to wonder.

***

Darcy was back at work in the bookstore that afternoon with Sue. The younger woman was happily chattering away about Misty Hollow's annual harvest festival that was due to begin Monday of next week. She and Sarah had made plans to go together.

Sarah. Darcy had almost forgotten. She had to make that phonecall yet, but she still wasn’t sure what to say.

Sue’s description of the festival distracted her. A lot of the townsfolk would be competing in different recipe categories for all sorts of prizes, including the coveted harvest festival trophy. The trophy was a huge three foot solid silver replica of Misty Hollow’s two hundred year old gazebo in the town square. It was a huge honor to win the trophy. The winner got to keep it for a whole year until the next harvest festival winner claimed it.

“Oh,” Sue went on, “and all the food! I can’t wait to taste Henrietta’s jams again. She only brings them out for the festival. They are to die for.”

Darcy appreciated Sue’s flair for the dramatic. Henrietta was an older woman who lived quite a way outside of town. She was something of a local figure, making these amazing jams that she only sold once a year at the harvest festival.

Darcy knew she couldn’t put off explaining what she had found to Sarah or Linda any longer. Of course, she wanted to have something to tell them, rather than the nothing that she had right at this moment. She left Sue in charge of the bookstore and went back over to the police station. She figured Jon would have found out something by now. She hoped.

There was a different desk sergeant when she came in this time. She could never remember this guy’s name but he smiled and waved and buzzed her through just the same. Obviously, she was getting to be something of a regular around here.

Jon was at his desk, and when he saw her coming he didn’t smile or get up to greet her. She missed half a step, a frown on her face.  “Something’s wrong, isn’t it?”

That brought a short laugh from him. “This is our life we’re talking about. Something’s always wrong somewhere.”

She knew he was trying to be funny, but it didn’t strike her that way. Trouble always followed her. Everyone in town thought of her that way. She didn’t want Jon to think of her like that, too.

“I spent all day looking over the files about the fire in Sarah’s parent’s house,” he said to her, obviously missing her reaction to his little joke. “I even called up some of the police officers who worked the case back then.” He looked at her intently as he said, “There was never any body recovered from the fire.”

“What does that mean?” Darcy asked, confused.

“It means,” he said, “that you were right. She could still be alive.”

 

Chapter Five

 

Jon opened an old and worn manilla folder lying on his desk. “This is the actual case folder I got out of the archives. The fire was ruled as accidental. Wiring, is what it says. That would make sense. Those old houses usually have bad wiring. Sarah’s father, Louis, grabbed Sarah when he smelled smoke and ran with his four-year-old daughter out of the house.”

BOOK: 3 From the Ashes
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