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She was the spirit in the alley that I saw all those months ago when we opened Grave Investigations. For years, I held out hope that she was in an accident like ours and just needed help returning to her body or something crazy.
The guys and I poured all over the internet, and newspapers, and called every hospital in the area but there was no sign of her or her death. When we came up empty, it felt like my soul was crushed.
I knew deep down that something bad had happened for her not to utter one word and disappear.
Especially when she never showed back up.
“Isn’t she the one we searched for? You can go dark but there’s always a trail until you do. There was nothing. That can’t be a coincidence,” Jayce says as he follows me back to my office. He tried to reason with me several times that she might be truly dead, but I couldn’t accept it. Now I’m not so sure.
I carry the envelope to the desk and take a seat before I open it. Am I ready for this? I have so many questions running through my brain but these are just papers, they won’t lead me to my cousin.
But at least it’s a start, right?
“Rav? You okay?” Jayce questions as he moves closer to me. I’m not the quiet type, so after not moving or speaking for several minutes, I have him on edge.
“What? Yeah. I’m just not sure what to think of all of this. Maybe I should wait for Eli and Lucien and we can discuss it together?” I ask, looking up from the envelope. He must see something in my expression because he gives a soft smile and a nod.
“If that’s what you want. I can go grab lunch and bring it back to you, give you some time to decide what you want to do?” he asks. Jayce is a fixer and a worrier, but dealing with emotions is not his strong suit. I have a feeling he’d be calling Eli the moment he stepped out the door.
“Nah, I want to go with you. I’ve been cooped up in here for too long today. This isn’t going anywhere,” I say, slipping the letter into my pocket.
I hook an arm with Jayce and lead him out of my office. “Where to?”
“That’s up to you. I offered to treat you to lunch, so you can pick,” he replies.
“No, no, that’s a copout and you don’t want to choose. Then you can blame it on me that you didn’t get what you wanted. I know this game, Jayce,” I tease, bumping a hip into his.
“Well, there is a new waffle food truck parked just up the road; what do you think about that? I’ve been dying to try it, but I know you aren’t too big on sweets,” he confesses.
“I think that’s a wonderful idea. Things aren’t always about me, I want you to be happy, too, Jayce,” I remind him as he locks the door we just exited. “Plus, who doesn’t like waffles? And I vote a compromise, a waffle treat on the way to The Dugout?”
“Sounds perfect,” he agrees as his stomach rumbles.
“Definitely need both,” I laugh. “Best of both worlds.”
“Waffles and you by my side? I couldn’t ask for more.” He smiles.
Just like I suspected, the moment we sit down with our food both Lucien and Eli show up. The worry lines crease their expressions as they search for us. I wave since Jayce is oblivious as he stares out the window, his leg bouncing with anxiety.
“What’s going on?” Eli asks as he plops down in the chair next to me. Lucien brushes a kiss on top of my head before sitting a bit more elegantly. The contrast in them always makes me giggle to myself. I managed to snag an adorable geek, the gentleman, and Eli’s brand of chaos.
“What did Jayce tell you?” I ask first so I’m not repeating things they already know. From Jayce’s increased shaking, I have a feeling it wasn’t much.
“That there was a family emergency,” Lucien says quickly, reaching out and holding my hand in his.
“Okay, let me start from the beginning, and as a bit of a disclaimer, my uncle and I were far from close,” I start as I pull the letter closer. Their eyes meet it for the first time and suddenly, it feels like it weighs a thousand pounds. “But, apparently, there’s ‘the matter of his farm and estate’ and I’m involved. I waited to open it.”
“So, open it,” Eli urges. He’s already on the edge of excitement, but as for me, I’m worried.
“What she’s not saying is this uncle is the father of the,” Jayce lowers his voice and checks around us to make sure we’re not overheard, “ghostly cousin who asked for help.”
Lucien and Eli’s eyes widen at his words.
“Okay, then definitely open it,” Lucien encourages with a tight smile. “It might give us some answers that the library and your internet couldn’t.”
I bite back a chuckle at him calling it ‘our’ internet. He was adjusting well to modern life but there were signs that he didn’t quite fit in the same as the rest of us.
My hands shake slightly as I pull open the thick envelope and pull the stack of papers out. My eyes scan it, but I force myself to stop, knowing I won’t be able to continue if it ends up being something crazy.
