Resurrecting Harry (19 page)

“Did you break into my safe?”

“You said Harry sealed the code in an envelope. See for yourself if it’s been disturbed. Whatever happened when I passed out, it wasn’t any attempt to con you. I swear.”

She averted her eyes, finding a worn spot in the linoleum that demanded all her attention. Her disbelief stung like a slap to the face. She started to walk past him. He was sure she was going to accept his dare and check the vault — at least he would be exonerated from cheating this time around — but a knock sounded on the back door behind her.

“Bess, darling, are you okay? You sounded so panicked on the telephone.” Martin’s voice filtered in from behind the door. As he rounded the corner from the mudroom to the kitchen, Erich got a good look at his enemy. Martin’s clothes, as well as his hair, were impeccable, and his long wool coat was draped over his arm. Slipping the white gloves from his hands, he didn’t look like someone who dropped everything to come over on a moment’s notice.

Erich clenched his hands under the table as the taste of bile bubbled up. This should be a private moment between Bess and him. Well, as private as it could be with Harry’s memory intruding. The last thing he wanted, or the situation needed, was Martin, especially since he topped Erich’s list of suspects for the poisoned tea. “We’re fine, no thanks to you. Go home!”

“Stop it!” Bess chastised. “This is still my home,
and you have no right to order guests around.” Pivoting toward Martin she said, “Thank you for rushing right over here at this late hour.”

Martin gripped her hands, and gave her an adoring look. “Dear. What’s the matter? You look as you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I thought I had, but now...” Her body tensed as she stepped away and looked at Erich. “I think—”

“Stop, Bess! This is between us.” The situation would be better handled with decorum, but Erich’s temper flared anyway.

Martin interceded with a smooth, calming lilt to his voice. “Whatever is bothering you, I will do my best to help. You know you can trust me. While this scoundrel—”

“Delivered the message from Harry.” The words spilled from her, relighting the joyful spark in her eyes. Even though she’d expressed doubts, something inside still believed. “The coded message, Erich spoke it not twenty minutes ago, and then he passed out cold on the floor.”

Martin’s gaze crawled up and down Erich with such spite it sent a chill through him. “It’s impossible. I don’t know how, but he’s deceiving you. You should have tossed him out on his ear the night you caught him breaking into that cabinet. I told you then it was a sign of bad things to come.”

Erich scrubbed his forehead. There was a time when Bess’s confidence in Martin would have been expected, but that day had long passed. Now, it confounded him. Martin’s manipulation of Bess — much in the way he and Gail had manipulated Harry — angered Erich. “I would never steal from Bess.”

Not even giving him the satisfaction of a response, Martin spoke only to Bess. “Now that the code has been revealed, why don’t you tell it to me? Knowing Harry, it was probably rudimentary. Erich merely guessed it once you let him into your life.”

Being smug came second nature to Martin, but Erich wasn’t going to let him off the hook. “If it was so simple, shouldn’t someone with your brains have cracked it?”

“Unlike you, I respect Bess and wouldn’t overstep my boundaries. I’m not the one putting a cloud over her reputation by moving in.”

“I don’t really care what you think.”

Martin focused in on Bess, zeroing in on her fears, or so it seemed. “Some in town believe he’s smooth talked his way right into your bed.” The innuendo in Martin’s voice was thick and hit its mark.

“I’d never!” Bess covered her face with her hands, proving that Martin knew how to elicit the desired emotional response.

“Repeating such scandalous lies is
not
a show of respect,” Erich said. He wanted to move closer to Bess — take her in his arms and hold her close — but knew it would only give Martin fuel for his indecent accusations. Bess knew it too and wouldn’t welcome him now. “Bess can affirm that Harry spoke through me tonight. I delivered his message. There is no need for that spectacle Gail and you are encouraging.”

“I don’t believe for one moment that really happened,” Martin said. “I’m not sure what you did, but I will figure it out.”

Erich couldn’t help but laugh. “Funny, you claim Gail can talk to the dead, but doubt me.”

“Spiritualism is a honed skill. If you’ve mastered anything in your short life, I’m betting it’s treachery. You breezed into town a little more than a week ago, and you’re already a mainstay in this house. Harry would be disgusted.”

“That’s true. It’d make him ill to know you were standing on his doorstep. How can you pretend to be Bess’s friend while you’re trying to kill me?”

The vein in Martin’s temple bulged, and a satisfied smile turned Erich’s lips. Seemed he could push buttons too. Martin answered Erich with a sneer, and then spoke to Bess. “Are you going to stand here and listen to him accusing me of such horrible things? Gail and I have stood by your side from the moment you came home from burying Harry.”

“I may be a stranger, but Harry trusted me enough to speak through me.”

Bess’s gaze flickered between the two of them for a moment. Her stare so intense, it warmed Erich’s skin. Then, she left the room.

Erick kicked himself. Pride had made a mess of things again. Moments ago she’d been happy, and now, because of his fight with Martin, she’d plummeted to distraught.

Jaden’s accusations to Harry had been spot-on, and Erich saw it clearer every time that side of him rose up. Bess might need his protection, but his plan of attack was all wrong. He needed proof to back his allegations, not emotional outbursts that pitted her between the two of them. Set to apologize, he followed her. “Bess, I’m so sorry. I’ve darkened your joy—”

In the parlor, the sight of her wheeling the large steel safe from the closet stopped Erich cold. He could feel the other man’s piercing glare focused on Bess and wished she hadn’t shown Martin where her secrets were kept. However, Erich also knew in moments Bess would have her truth.

She picked up the envelope, held it to the light, and then gripped it to her chest. Her eyes closed, and her cheeks flushed. Erich knew since it was still sealed, Bess could believe in Harry’s devotion, even if Martin and he had tried to ruin that. Her faith in Harry and his love had restored what Erich had almost ruined. The open wound in her heart was healing. So, why was Erich so jealous?

“Harry used Erich as a vessel tonight. It’s the only possible explanation.” Her eyes locked on him, studied him for a long moment. “Did he really ask you to cancel the séance? Tell me the truth, Erich.”

He could only give one answer. They both knew Harry too well for him to lie. “No, Bess. I only told you that because I’m worried about you and what Martin and Gail are doing.”

She nodded once and then put the envelope back in the vault. “I will not let Harry down. For the first time since he died, I feel like I really know what he wants. He’s proven to me he can communicate through Erich. We’ll hold the séance as planned, but with you, Erich, as the medium.”

Did Bess really just ask Erich to cause his own death?

“You can’t give Gail’s spot to Erich. You’re smarter than this,” Martin pleaded. Erich didn’t need to read any minds to know that Martin was Hell bent on protecting Gail’s reputation. Only her goals and dreams were important to him.

Erich closed the distance between himself and Bess. There were too many high-strung emotions flying around the room, spinning Bess’s head and twisting her heart. In the last half hour she’d made one rash decision after the other and needed time to breathe. She’d think it through and understand there was no reason to push forward. Or so he hoped. “Why have a séance at all?”

“Because I know what Harry wants. He answered my prayer, and I’ll repay him by giving his fans the show of a lifetime.”

A tremble whisked down his spine as if his blood had turned to ice. If Bess’s show ended Erich’s life, would Harry’s fans be entertained? “What if Harry doesn’t come through?”

Bess brushed off his concern with a wave of her hand. All the conviction that Harry demanded from her had taken root and grown to something impossible to trim or contain. It was going to take some quick maneuvering to break through that bond and convince her to defy Harry’s perceived will. “Whether or not he appears on Halloween is irrelevant. We’ll build the suspense, and just as the audience loses all hope, the message will come to you.”

Erich lifted his hands and stepped back, as if he could push everything that had happened since he regained consciousness away. This was the only real excitement he’d seen in her since rejoining this world. How could he fight the passion in her eyes? Did he even want to? Would a fake séance have the same consequences of a real one? Maybe he could flub his way through it without executing himself.

“I see how Erich’s rubbed off on you, Bess. You’re going to give him the spotlight to rob Harry’s fans of their money and leave them with nothing more than a lie?”

“No money. This not what’s important.”

Bess yanked the attention of both men to her, but Martin appeared more taken aback. “What do you mean no money?”

“Even though the show is for the fans, it will be a small, intimate gathering with only the press in attendance. They will deliver the news to the world: that my beloved is indeed the greatest escape artist ever. Can’t you see the headlines: ‘Harry Houdini, Man of Mystery, Defies Death.'”

Erich saw a reflection of Harry’s soul burning in her. The hunger for the center stage spotlight that she’d accused Erich of possessing twisted his stomach into knots. Maybe it hadn’t been a ghost he’d been competing with all along. “You don’t need to recreate this scene to get the press’s attention. If they even suspect you’re lying, it will backfire on you.”

“Then we will have to make sure we’re convincing,” Bess said.

Martin stepped closer to Bess, and he waved a pointed finger between the two of them. “You can’t do this with just the two of you.”

“Why not?” Bess asked.

“Because if you don’t include Gail, I will go straight to the papers and the police and tell them you’re orchestrating a fraud: a false victory for a pitiful showman.”

Now this was the cold, calculating man that Harry had grown wary of. Martin demanded the reins and expected control despite what Bess might want. She’d let her excitement dig a hole, and Martin was all too eager to push her into it.

Jaden’s words rang in Erich’s ears.
The players are many...you’ve interfered with plans long set in motion...
Martin didn’t need a piece of the financial pie. Was he still fighting an old feud that should have died with Harry? Bess, having laid her plan out in front Martin, had given him the upper hand. “What is it you really want, Martin?”

“To be part of the notoriety. And for Harry to recant the slanderous things he said about Gail.”

Erich couldn’t help thinking that was only part of the story.

Interrupting Erich’s thought process, Bess spoke through gritted teeth. “I will not lie in Harry’s name.” Avoiding both men and the brewing argument, she pushed the safe back into the closet.

“Isn’t that just what you were plotting with Erich? You are going to clear Gail’s name and restore her reputation in the spiritual community. I’m not giving you a choice, Darling.”

Martin was right. Want alternative did Bess have? The satisfaction ringing in his voice knocked Erich left of center. Giving the Coopers a key role in the charade and recanting Harry’s accusations negated the purpose of the code.

Bess reached for the back of the chair and gripped it tight, giving it her full weight. She blinked hard, and Erich could see she was trying to will away building tears. After a moment of quiet contemplation, she nodded and whispered. “Come back tomorrow afternoon. Bring Gail. We have a lot of work to do if we’re going to put on a believable show.”

A moment later the back door slammed. With Martin gone, Erich expected Bess to explode, angry at herself for giving Martin the upper hand. Instead, she stood still. The color drained from her face. He wanted to reach out, offer comfort or a plan of action, but wasn’t sure what words he could say to make any of it better.

Bess lowered herself to the chair. Gripping the arms, she bent over at the waist and the flood gates opened. Her sobs filled the room. “What have I done?”

Erich dropped to his knees and took her in his arms, guiding her head to his shoulder. “Shhh, Bess. We’ll figure something out. I won’t let them do this to you.”

“I’ve been such a fool.” She melted into him and sobbed. Instead of fighting Erich’s embrace, she clung to him as if he were an anchor — the only thing keeping her stable in this the newest storm rocking her life. “You’re right, you know. Harry would have never allowed Martin back into his home. And what did I do? I handed him everything he needs to rip Harry’s reputation to bits.”

Damn Harry! And damn his reputation! Why had it taken Erich this long to see that Jaden was right? Everything Harry had lived for was dismantling Bess and her sanity. “Martin will not get away with this.”

She lifted her head and slid her hands down his arms. He prepared himself for her to flee, but her contact lingered. “And what are you going to do to stop it? You’re still so weak.”

Encouraged by her touch, he couldn’t control his urges and reached up to brush her cheek with his knuckles. She leaned into the caress, and his breath caught. “I’m getting stronger every day, and you have my word. I know you don’t think that counts for much, but you’ll see.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. You’ve given me reasons to doubt it, but your word is the only thing I trust right now.” She slid from the chair. The heavy veil she protected herself with fell away, and someone vulnerable yet audacious dropped into his lap and glided her body even closer to him.

His throat went dry, and he swallowed hard. Harry’s desire for her was never far from his mind, and his hunger burned in Erich’s gut no matter how hard he tried to ignore it. But with her eyes focused on his and her arms reaching for his shoulders, Erich’s defenses crumbled. “Bess...”

She put a finger to his mouth; her left arm still draped his shoulder. “I don’t know how I got by before you showed up.”

He moved his body tighter to hers, dropping his hands to her waist and stopping only when his lips were just inches from hers. “You are such a strong lady. I think you just forgot that for a while.”

She exhaled, and her hot breath caressed his neck. “I’ve been surviving. But since you’ve come, it’s like I have a reason to get up in the morning.”

What was she saying? That she
had
felt this connection between them? Even though his gut had told him she did, the confirmation sped up the beat of his heart. So close, she begged for his kiss, but not this time. He couldn’t make another advance. If they kissed, it would be up to her.

“Where did you come from Erich Welch? I think you stepped right out of my dreams.” She closed the mere inches between them, giving him the kiss he longed for. The right thing might have been to stop her, find out what was driving this sudden change in behavior, but that was beyond him. There was only so much he could do to contain the flames of lust, and the sweet taste of her stoked the embers and gave a new life to the fire.

Was he asleep? Maybe this was one of Jaden’s manifestations. If so, he didn’t want to wake up. He tightened his arms around her waist and pushed, bringing her to her feet as he stood. He gripped at her back and deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue against her lips and easing its way past them.

When they broke apart, he slid his fingers through her lush curls. “The last thing I want to do is hurt you.”

“All you’ve done is tried to protect me from myself.”

He was all too aware of her truth — life with Harry had never been easy, and living without him had been sheer Hell. “I think just being here has hurt you. I’ve brought up memories you’d rather forget.”

She leaned into his touch and reached up to return his caresses. “I needed to let it out. I needed to bleed the pain so I could heal. You’ve helped me do that. And the desire to touch you like this has been taunting me since that first moment we met.”

If he followed his heart he would fulfill their mutual desire, leave the guest room behind and lay with her in their bed — Harry’s bed. Struck with the realization that there was really a difference between the man his soul once belonged to and the man he’d become, he took a step away from her. He slipped his fingers from her face and gripped her hands. “I’ve wanted you too, but I remind you of him, and—”

“The best parts. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, Erich. I’m not asking you to stay forever, just long enough that I can get another taste of you.”

Her plea shattered the chains he’d restrained himself with. He enveloped her in his arms and fulfilled her request. More than flesh to flesh, it was as if their bound souls demanded to be reunited.

He leaned over and started to pick her up only to have Bess press against his shoulders.

“No! For Heaven’s sake. You’ll tear your stitches.”

“You deserve to be treated like a princess,” he whispered.

A smile and a blush proved he’d touched her. “But not if it further injures you.”

To ease her mind, he agreed and followed her up the steps. All the reasons he shouldn’t flashed through his mind. If she didn’t abandon her plans for the séance, he’d be ripped from this world. He wondered if her future changed if she mourned him instead of Harry.

All right, Jaden, this would be a really good time to use that magic touch of yours and spin me off the road to destruction.
If this was a misstep, surely he’d stop it.

Maybe. Just maybe. Being with Bess was the right thing to do.

So why did he still have doubts? They reached the top of the stairs and crossed the threshold into the room she’d shared with Harry. She took his wrist and pulled him in. Closing her eyes, she moved even closer, laying her head against his shoulder. As all the rough, hard edges that surrounded Bess began to melt and fade, so did his doubts.

He circled her into an embrace and laid his head atop of hers. His stomach tightened with anticipation. She’d come to him, with an open heart and willing body, with such trust — dare he say love — in her eyes.

Since the moment Jaden breathed life back into his soul, he’d hunted her as if he were a tiger and she was his prey. Now she pursued him, but he was helpless. He wouldn’t run. Instead, with trembling knees, he submitted to her.

Bess said, “I’ve made so many foolish mistakes in the last year, but somehow I don’t believe trusting you is one of them.”

“You are the only thing in my life that has ever been real and right.” He didn’t care if the words sounded cryptic or unbelievable. In her mind, they’d only known each other a short time, but his soul had known hers, loved hers, for decades. He’d skirt around that issue, lest she think he insane, but he wouldn’t hide his feelings any longer.