Possess (20 page)

“I wish I knew for sure. I think Harley has a better idea than me at this point, but I can't say whether she's right.” He sighed. His hand released mine then reached up, brushing my hair behind my ear before he continued. “There is one other thing I need ya ta do as well.” His gaze held mine.

“Anything, Brody.” It was difficult to breath as I stared into those eyes. He looked down, hesitant before he finally spoke.

“I need ya ta tell Harley the whole story. I need ya ta tell her about Nolan.” His eyes held a stern look as he watched me. I drew in a sharp breath, pulling away though it was the last thing I wanted to do.

“I can't do that to him,” I shook my head. “Not after what he went through.” Brody grasped my arm, pulling me back to him.

“She is going ta find out, Aggie. It's only a matter of time. It would be better if it came from ya.” Brody cupped my face once more, forcing me to look at him.

“Then let her find out. I can't bring myself to rat out my best friend like that. He’s been through enough.” My voice strained as I held more tears at bay. I'd promised Nolan I'd keep what happened in the past. After everything that happened because of Claire, to Brody and to Nolan, I couldn't bring myself to let Claire destroy one more thing. If Nolan decided to tell Harley in his own time, that was different, but I couldn't betray him.

“I can't make ya do it, love. But please consider it.” Brody smiled once more and looked away, a sad distant look in his eyes.

“What is it?” A knot swelled in my chest as I watched the sorrowful gleam move over his eyes.

“It's time for me ta go,” he returned his attention to me, “Harley needs her body back.” The knot grew, balling up into my throat at his words. I didn't want him to leave, but I knew he was right.

“Where will you go?” My lip trembled slightly as the question left my lips. I didn't want this to be good-bye.

“Don't fret, mo chailín rua. I'll be around.” He winked, his own smile suppressing the sadness he held at bay. “At least for a little while longer.” He squeezed both my hands in his, then leaned forward, his lips brushing against mine in a gentle kiss. I closed my eyes, savoring it, my lips reaching for his before he pulled away. Then just like that, he was gone.

[1]
 
If I were as wealthy as I was last year
, 
I’d build a big house on yonder hill.
 
Wine and gold I’d give to my store
, a
nd I’d be making music with my red-haired girl.
 

A Faraway Look

“Just lay still.” Aggie’s hand pushed me back down against a soft plushy couch. I couldn’t even recall how I got there. A wave of nausea hit me, forcing my compliance as I laid my head back down. I tried to open my eyes but the light was too harsh.

“Where am I?” I spoke, my voice coming out scratchy and hoarse.

“You’re at my Uncle’s.” Aggie answered. “Just lay still. You’re too weak to be getting up right now.” I felt a sudden pinch in my arm and squinted toward the source. Angus was putting in an IV with surprisingly steady hands.

“Wha-what are you giving me?” I felt panicked as I watched clear liquid flow down the tubing.

“Is juist fluids lass, yir verra dehydrated.” Angus’s voice broke in and I peered up at him.

“Uncle was a medic in the Navy.” Aggie leaned into my line of sight.

“Oh.” I tried to nod but found it only increased the aching throbs in the front of my skull.

“I came to check on you, but you refused to go to the hospital, so I brought you here.” She explained.
Was that what happened?
I didn’t even remember her coming over.

“Remy?” I went to sit up again and was immediately rewarded with another wave of nausea.

“He’s fine, lass. Got him some haggis in the kitchen. Noo quit worryin’ yerself and lay down sae ah can clean up those cuts on yir pretty little face.” I did as I was told, closing my eyes as he dabbed at the gash on my cheek and ordered Aggie to grab an icepack from the kitchen. “Who did this tae ye, sweetheart?”

I peered up at Angus then to Aggie as she came back into the room. Her eyes caught mine with a strange sadness behind them, but when I gave her a questioning look, she quickly shook her head.

“She was mugged Uncle. I told you that.” She quickly answered as she laid the ice pack against my other cheek.

“Aye, hopefully they didnae get too much from ye. Beat ye bad enough though.” Angus let out a low whistle. “Ye can tell where they hit ye with their gun.” He pointed to marks on my face. Aggie cringed, her eyes shifting down to the floor. She was being uncharacteristically quiet.
Something must have happened at the apartment, but what?
I remembered the visions Brody had shown me, but nothing about Aggie showing up. I kept watching her, but she refused to look in my direction.

“Weel, they’re pretty clean, but ye’ll probably be havin’ a couple of wee scars there, Harley.” Angus said as he tossed gauze in the trash. “Ye’ll still be catchin’ the men lookin’ at ye, but some will think twice about messin’ with a woman that looks like she’s gotten intae a few scraps herself.” He patted my arm and gave me a warm smile. Despite how crappy I felt, I smiled back at him. Angus left the room a moment later, mumbling something about the bakery before heading downstairs.

“Aggie, what happened?” I turned my attention back to her as soon as the door closed. Her eyes remained fixed on the tattered carpeting on the floor. After a deep breath, she started to speak, but was interrupted by the commotion of someone’s feet pounding up the stairs.

“Is she okay?” Nolan flung the door open as his eyes searched the room for me.

“She’s fine.” Aggie answered, her disappointed gaze returning to the floor. He turned to Aggie for a moment, but stopped as he caught sight of my face.

“Christ, Harley! What the hell happened ta ya?”

“Nolan, don’t be shouting at her. She’s got a splitting headache as it is.” Aggie glared at him. He narrowed his eyes at her but quickly returned his attention to me as he took a seat in front of me. I wanted to yell at him for storming in before I could talk to Aggie, but the look on his face doused any annoyance that had been burning beneath my words. Aggie seemed to have noticed too and quietly excused herself.

“We’ll talk later, Harley.” She patted my hand before heading down the stairs. I didn’t want her to leave. I wanted to find out what had happened at the apartment.
Why was she acting so weird now? Had she seen something too?

“Harley, what happened ta ya?” Nolan carefully appraised the cuts and bruises on my face as guilt clouded his blue eyes.

“I was mugged the other night after I left work.”

His eyebrows knit together as his lips turned into a frown. Anger melted in with the guilt as he finally looked into my eyes. His jaw clenched as he stared at my cheek and his nostrils flared slightly with his heavy breathing.

“I should have offered ta take ya home,” Nolan’s thumb gently brushed over my jaw. “If I had just given ya a ride home, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“I’ve walked home plenty of nights after closing. All without incident. Why would you think that night would have been any different?” He seemed to weigh my words, but something still didn’t sit right with him.

“I should of called ya at least. I didn’t even think ta call ya when ya didn’t show up yesterday.” He stood from his chair abruptly and began pacing, shaking his head. “I’m a feckin’ idjit. I figured ya had quit.”

“Why would I quit?” I questioned him as I sat up on my elbows. Some of my nausea had subsided thanks to the IV drip.  He stopped mid-pace, his eyes catching mine with a bewildered gaze.

“Because of that day in the office.” His face seemed to blaze bright red as he forced the answer out.

“Oh. That.” My own cheeks grew hot as I turned my attention away from him.

“I’m sorry I came at ya like I did. I just –” Nolan let out a huff as he tried to pull his words out, “I can’t control myself around ya, Harley. Ya do something ta me. Ya make me feel things I’ve never felt. I can’t seem ta think straight around ya and I can’t keep my mind off ya when yir not around. I just want ta be near ya.” His tortured eyes burned into mine as I stared back up at him. I was speechless, my eyes widening as I took in the meaning of his words.

“Oh.”
Really, Harley? Oh? He says that and you say “Oh?”
Nolan sunk into the chair and shoved his head into his hands, doing his best to hide his embarrassment. I pulled myself up to a sitting position and looked over at him. If he was Brody’s killer, he was certainly one hell of an actor. Or maybe Aggie was right. Nolan wasn’t capable of something so heinous.

“Feck! I must sound like a blithering idjit.” Nolan mumbled into his hands, “I should let ya rest.”

“Nolan, wait.” He started to stand, but I grabbed his hand, giving it a gentle tug before he returned to his seat. “You just caught me off guard. I like you too. It’s just...”

His hopeful gaze quickly returned to its prior state with my last words.

“Just say it, Harley.” His tone was flat as his hand slipped out of mine.

“There are other things going on with me right now, and I need to figure those things out first.” He probably thought it was a cop out, and I suppose it was. But the last thing I needed was to get involved with Nolan. It might have been a nice distraction before, but his words already told me I’d let things get far enough. If I wasn’t able to stop the events that were already in motion, I’d rather Nolan be hurt that I turned him down, instead of hurt because I’d been taken away from him.

“Right, then. I understand.” His voice was barely more than a whisper as he stood and turned for the door. I wanted to pull him back down to me. I wanted to kiss him again and forget this whole mess with Brody, but that would just be selfish. There were much more pressing matters to deal with. I needed to find out what happened to Aggie at the apartment, and find out what Flynn Jacobs knew.

“Jesus, Harley,” Aggie shook her head when she finally came back up the stairs, “What did you say to Nolan?”

“I don’t really want to talk about it.” I kept my attention on the window on the far wall of the living room. “It’s better this way.” Aggie groaned at my words, sinking down onto the couch by my feet before she looked over at me.

“If you really like him, trust me, it’s
not
better.” Her emerald eyes still held that strange gleam from earlier as she stared off into nothing. I had the sneaking suspicion she wasn’t just talking about me and Nolan anymore.

“Aggie, what happened when you came to the apartment today?” As soon as I asked the question, her muscles tensed and her back straightened as she gripped the couch cushion. “Aggie?”

“I saw Brody,” she finally spoke, her eyes instantly growing misty. “He told me about the murder.”

“I’m sorry.” I wasn’t sure what else to say to her. I was relieved that someone else had seen him, but I hated seeing Aggie in pain. I hadn’t realized how close they were, but from the way she was acting, it was obvious there was more between them than I knew.

“All I wanted was to talk to him one last time,” she said, a hint of disbelief still evident in her voice. “I knew he couldn’t have killed himself, but to hear him say it,” Aggie squeezed her eyes shut for a moment as her emotions overtook her. She wiped at her face, taking in a gulp of air before continuing. “God, you don’t know how much I’ve missed him.” Aggie smiled through the tears that ran down her face, unsure of which emotion to follow. Should she be happy she had gotten a little more time with Brody? Or distraught to know the truth? I pulled her into a hug and she stiffened up for a moment then hugged me back, resting her chin on my shoulder.

“It’ll be okay.” I whispered. For her it would be. For me? Not so much. There were too many unanswered questions, too few leads to go off of, and with each passing day I could feel my hope diminishing. There was the private investigator and the feeling I got about those hands. The latter didn’t seem to be of much use but maybe the investigator could provide some insight where mine ran dry.

“I’m so sorry you got pulled into this mess now, too.” Aggie’s eyes glistened with tears as she pulled away. “He told me you can’t go to the cops. What are you going to do?”

I explained to her about the other dead girl Brody had helped me find, about Claire’s real name, about the vision of the investigator, and that he had found information that could lead to the killer. She listened, watching me intently through misty eyes.

“Whatever you need me to do, Brody wanted me to help you.” She said. I paused, looking at her. I wasn’t sure if I wanted her help. Not that Aggie wasn’t trustworthy, but I would never forgive myself if she got pulled down into the mess I was already in. Knowing Aggie, however, she would refuse to let me go it alone.

“We can look up Flynn Jacobs’s address then go check him out tomorrow.” I nodded, noting that it was already late in the evening.

“That sounds like a good plan.” Aggie smiled, a bit more naturally.  Even if I didn’t think it good for her to get involved, maybe it was something she needed. I couldn’t pretend to understand what had transpired between her and Brody at the apartment or even fathom how it had happened, but I was thankful not to have to keep this to myself anymore.