Ghosts of Rosewood Asylum (24 page)

It wasn’t anywhere near as dramatic as
Sashza’s proclamation on the quad, but it was just as spot-on accurate.

“The case is baffling, Father. There are so
many divergent puzzle pieces, and I don’t know who I can trust.”

“Ya trust yourself well enough though
don’tcha, son?”

Zach shrugged. “I’m thinking of inducing an
episode tonight. I need to understand what’s going on there.”

Monsignor Macginty crossed his arms across
his broad chest. He never scolded Zach for using his powers to solve paranormal
cases, but just like a concerned parent, he usually expressed reservations. He
had helped Zach gain control over his affliction, but it had taken Zach years
to tell the priest about the voice, the visions and the spirit living inside
him. Upon finding out, Macginty suggested excising it. Zach protested that his
godfather’s spirit helped him with his affliction. The monsignor cajoled,
debated and lectured, but he never threatened or judged. And Macginty had
always made it clear that he’d never given up hope of such an outcome.

“Ya think that will solve it, then? Ya
suppose a century of Rosewood’s mysteries’ll give themselves up ta’ya?”

Stunned, Zach couldn’t answer but attempted
a question of his own. “Ha-how’did you...”

It’s my job’ta know, son.” He walked to the
tabernacle and pulled out a vial of holy anointing oil. “Besides, it was all
over the TV.
Good Morning Chi-Town
did a story about a tree burnin’ down
there last night.”

“Are you shi—” He caught himself. “Are you
serious?”

“I am serious, boy. I make it’a point not to
shite while standin’ at this altar.”

“What did they....did they say if...”

“It’s TV, son. They didn’t say nothin’. Now
c’mere. C’mon. Before I change my mind.” He motioned Zach closer. “Bow yer
head.”

Zach did.

“Most holy God, bless this oil and he who
wears it. May it strengthen, consecrate and preserve so that he may resist
contagion with the sins of the world and may it fill him with grace so that he
may be Your dear disciple and faithful witness now and forever. Amen.”

“Amen,” Zach repeated. “Oh, Father, what
about Ray? He’s working on the case, too.”

“Ugh,” Macginty sighed. “That lug’ll be
fine. Here’s hoping that somethin’ happens’ta force him away from that den of
sin he’s workin’in.”

“You know about that?”

Macginty grinned. “It’s my job’ta know, son.
Now off with ya before I decide’ta put you ta work around here.”

Zach flipped open his cell phone. He had
turned it to silent mode before entering Saint Francis. There were two missed
call notifications from Rebecca and three text messages—one from her, one from
Ray and one from Sara as well.

Ray: Camera 6 as u thought. Was an 8 sec
pause b4 & 6 sec one after cam 8.

Rebecca:  Radkey said no, but call me
asap for amazing news!

Sara:  G’Mrning Chi-Twn was here.
Others likely to follow.

Zach skipped down the concrete steps of
Saint Francis and hit the “call back” button.

Rebecca didn’t even answer with a hello.
“She said I could come over tonight! I can bring my own camera and someone to
film it and set up equipment.”

“Radkey agreed? I thought you said that she
said ‘no.’”

Rebecca let loose an uncharacteristic
giggle. “I’m way ahead of myself,” she panted. “I did my best to convince her,
but she just wouldn’t have any part of us coming over.”

Zach had gotten to his car and stopped dead
in his tracks. “I thought you just said she said—”

“Wait, listen,” Rebecca transmitted. “Radkey
said ‘no.’ I got really weird vibes from her. Didn’t she come across to you as
creepy?”

Zach thought about the elderly lady. He
recalled that she had vaguely resembled Evelyn, and that their mannerisms were
similar. But that was it.

“Creepy? No.”

“Okay, well anyway, I left Mrs. Radkey’s and
just before I got into my car, the other woman stopped me. Mrs. Foster? I guess
she goes by Ginny. She told me you’d be shocked.”

Zach couldn’t believe Joey’s mom had pulled
a one-hundred and eighty degree turnaround. “Shocked doesn’t begin to cover
it...”

“She said to tell you sorry for being such a
biotch yesterday. She said after you left, she researched who we were and felt
bad. Then, last night, I guess she had a pretty traumatic experience.”

“What happened?”

“She wouldn’t say. Well, I didn’t press her
for it because I didn’t have a camera. I told her we’d talk tonight. I didn’t
want her changing her mind on me, so I made her promise I could come with one
person to operate a mini digital camera. Wanna hear the funniest part?”

“Shoot.”

“It was
Good Morning Chi-Town
that
got us the gig?”

“Get out.”

“Well, in a roundabout way, I guess. Ginny
said that things got so bad last night that she prayed for the first time in
years. She said she prayed for a sign. Then, the first thing she did this
morning was flick on the TV and—”

“And there we were, both across the street
and on TV.”

“Stranger things have happened,” Rebecca
said. “Anyway, who should I bring over to help me?”

Without hesitation the name spilled from
Zach’s lips. “Angel.”

“Okay. Really?”

“Yes. Please tell him I said so, and that
I’ll be back there in about an hour to speak with him about it.”

“Okay!” she said. “I’ve got a really strong
feeling something good is going to come of this.”

“Speaking of something good,” Zach said into
the phone, “before you go tonight, I’m looking forward to your presentation on
Soul Snatchers.”

There was a moment of static.

“You sure know how to put a damper on a
girl’s good news.”

“Sorry but—”

“I know. I know. And I’m already collecting
information.”

“Cool.”

“And Zach, if this is the case of a Soul
Snatcher, we may be encountering something more powerful than anything we’ve
ever dealt with.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Need 2 talk 2 u offsite. Meet @ muses @ 1?

Zach had gotten the text message from Angel
just minutes after hanging up with Rebecca.

Young people packed
Muses Coffee House
.
There wasn’t an empty table. Chicago State University was just a mile or so up
the road, and south Pullman was the trendiest area within a quick driving
distance.

Zach hoped to also catch Evelyn there early,
but as neither she nor Angel were anywhere to be seen, he placed an order and
waited out on the deserted patio that overlooked Rosewood’s backside. He’d just
taken the first sip of his delicious beverage when Angel rambled up.

“Yeah, that’s one of the reasons I wanted to
meet with you offsite. To warn you and accompany you back through the ‘crowd.’”
Angel made quote signs in the air using his fingers. “Looks like maybe some of
our fans have made their way here for coffee.”

Zach motioned towards the door with his cup.
He led them outside and around the corner to the deserted patio that overlooked
Rosewood’s backside. Before Zach could speak, Angel tore into him.

“All due respect, Zach, why am I being cast
aside on this investigation? I can understand your placating Matthew with more
airtime last night, but tonight I’m banished from my own control center to
cover some side project? What gives,
mi hijo
?”

Zach focused all of his attention on Angel’s
eyes. Childhood advice from Monsignor Macginty ran through his head: First,
make sure you’re right, son, and then go full flurry ahead.

“What gives?” Zach repeated. “What gives is
that there is a traitor on my show.
My
show! The show I put blood and
sweat and tears into. The show my PhD studies depend on. A traitor. Someone
tampering with equipment and planting false evidence!”

Zach had managed the entire speech without
smelling a warning of
Sailor Black
. Angel’s mouth opened and clicked
closed. The glossy sheen of his eyes resembled that of billiard balls.

“And I think,” Zach continued, “you know who
the traitor is.”

Angel’s mouth agape, he managed only to
waggle his head in denial. That’s when Zach hit him with the zinger. “I told
Matthew it was you.”

“What? No way...boss, it’s not—”

“I know it’s not you,” Zach said. “It’s
him.”

“Who? Matthew? No, it can’t be.”

“Why not? You saw how drunk Pierre was last
night. Do you think he was in any kind of condition to plan or execute a scheme
to falsify evidence?”

Angel’s lips pursed. He put his hand on his
thick neck. He wiped from the base of his throat up over his pock-scarred face
to his forehead. “Could that have been an act?”

“An act? Why would you say that?”

Angel began to perspire. Considering the
temperature was only about sixty degrees, either he was about to lie or admit
to one. “Boss, remember how I told you I came on at 6 AM?”

“I do.”

“That’s not exactly how it happened.”

“
Exactly
how did it happen, Angel?”

“Pierre passed out. Matthew couldn’t wake
him when it was Pierre’s turn to stand guard, so Matthew covered most of his
shift.”

Zach knew the important question. What time
had Matthew passed the torch? Instead, Zach chose to wait and dig for more
information first. “Why did Matthew cover for Pierre?”

Angel shrugged. “Those two had seemed to
make their peace last night.”

Zach considered it. Was it possible that
Matthew had been ordered to mend the fences? Or were they working together and
their argument had merely been a diversionary tactic? “So Matthew woke you to
take over.”

“Yes. He told me that he’d covered Pierre’s
shift as long as he could and was falling asleep. This morning, the three of us
talked and agreed to not say anything about Pierre’s passing out.”

“Why?”

“Pierre claimed that he’d been drugged.”

Zach hadn’t expected that. “Drugged?”

“Yes. He said that he drinks a lot. He
admitted that he
always
drinks a lot and that last night he drank no
more than normal.”

“Did he smoke any pot?”

“Not that I know of.”

“So why did he suspect he was drugged?”

“He said he never passes out after consuming
that amount and that in the middle of the night he woke up and puked violently
a few times.”

Zach was incredulous. “So he drinks a lot,
passes out and then throws up. This is his rationale for claiming he was
drugged?”

“No.”

“What then?”

“He had a headache. He claims that he’s one
of those people who never has them...or had them. He said, and I believe him,
that this morning was the first headache of his life.”

Even if Zach believed that, something wasn’t
ringing true. “So let’s just say that he was drugged. Wouldn’t that give you
more reason to report it rather than less?”

Angel frowned. “I wanted to tell you. I
almost did,” he said. His face darkened as though for the first time realizing
he’d been manipulated. “Both Pierre and Matthew convinced me that it would be
an unnecessary distraction to the investigation. So...”

“So you covered it up.”

Angel’s head hung so low that it looked like
he expected Zach to lop it off with a sword.

“All will be forgiven,” Zach said, “if you
answer the God’s honest truth to this question.”

Angel looked up, his face brightening.

Zach glared deeply into his eyes—so deeply
that after a moment of intense focus, a whiff of
Sailor Black
filled his
nostrils. “What time?”

“Huh?”

“What
time
did Matthew wake you?”

“Just before 5 AM.” Angel’s voice was
unwavering and there wasn’t a drop of sweat anywhere on his broad forehead.

“I need you to be more specific.”

“I looked at my phone once I was fully
awake,” Angel said. “It was 4:48.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I was confused as to why Matthew was
waking me and pissed it was so early.”

Zach stared at Rosewood’s backside. The time
of the pause on Camera 8 had been at 4:37 AM. Seven minutes after Matthew
claimed to have woken Angel and twelve minutes before Angel claimed Matthew had
woken him. One was lying. If Angel was to be believed, Matthew was a traitor.
If Zach took Matthew’s story as gospel, no pun intended, Angel was guilty. Zach
stared deep into Angel’s eyes reading him for any sign of doubt or dishonesty.
There was none.

“I need to tell you something else
important, boss,” Angel said. “This I wasn’t hiding from you. I just found out
this morning and was waiting for the right time to share it.”