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The sun dimmed with a passing cloud in time with his darkening mood. These were the hardest days. He had everything required, but he had to be patient. Forever patient.
The reporter was a problem. The detective, too. These problems would have to wait. He was several steps ahead of both of them. Neither woman had a clue as to his true motive, and if they figured it out—as unlik
ely as it was—he had the perfect wrench to throw in their little machine. An unbreakable patsy to make sure he remained untouchable.
That thought brought a smile to his face. He made his way back to his house, climbed the stairs, and returned to the living room.
This time, when he caught sight of the news, he felt no annoyance. It was in his best interest to be patient, and that’s what he planned to do.
Twenty-One
Cassie didn’t bother figuring out where she wanted to go when she pulled away from the park. She picked a direction and floored it.
Anger bubbled inside of her like a volcano, but she didn’t know why. Yes, Harris had dismissed her, but the detective hadn’t raised her voice or insulted her. She also hadn’t lied. Cassie was not working on the case in any official capacity. Besides, her theories were also just that—theories. Cassie had no evidence and no solid reason to force Harris to investigate the occult theory instead of the doctor theory.
Cassie learned a long time ago that being a detective was not like in the movies. Detectives in the real world are lucky to have their first or second or even third lead pan out. One clue didn’t always lead to the next right away. It was a lot of leg work and a lot of dead ends. A lot of wasted time to get to the correct answer. A lot of dead bodies.
So, why was she still fuming?
Cassie took one deep breath and then another. She knew she wasn’t frustrated with the detective or the case. She was frustrated with herself. She was mad about getting involved again, mad about caring. She couldn’t turn that part of herself off and she didn’t want to, but empathy was sometimes exhausting.
She wanted this, but what would it cost? She had waited so long to get a job that satisfied her. A couple months in, she was already taking a day off to do some extracurricular detective work. She had put off going out with a guy she liked because she was too busy trying to figure out how to solve Elizabeth’s case.
And when this case is resolved, would that be the end? What about the little boy who disappeared? What about the next ghost to stroll into her life, demanding her full attention? Savannah was full of dead bodies, old and new. Every step she took in the city was on a path of bones and she was always in danger of stumbling over the next one. Was that the future she wanted for herself?
With her anger slipping away, Cassie took stock of her surroundings. But her heart pounded harder, threatening to leap out of her chest and onto the road in front of her. She was familiar with this part of Savannah. For the rest of her life, she would never forget what happened to her here.
Rather than driving on, Cassie quelled her shaking hands and pulled into Bonaventure Cemetery’s entrance. Sweat formed on her brow that had nothing to do with the heat, but she pushed away the fear as she acknowledged it. This place and the man who tried to end her life here no longer had a hold on her.
Cassie parked her car and took a moment to collect herself. Once she did, she stepped out of the vehicle, picked a direction, and started walking.
It was not the first time she had been back to this place and she doubted it would be the last. Her therapist had encouraged her to visit it once she felt ready. It’s where Cassie learned all about exposure therapy. The first time, she couldn’t get out of the car. The second time, she had passed out before taking two steps.
But every time she tried, she got farther.
Now, Cassie could walk the entire cemetery. It wasn’t comfortable by any means, but it was tolerable. That was a huge win in her book, though she felt she had a long way to go. It might be ten more years until this place didn’t have any effect on her. Or maybe it always would. She had come to terms with that a long time ago.
Once Cassie got over her initial fear, she came to respect this place. She felt closer to the spirit world here. Whether because this was where it all started or because there were more spirits here, she was not sure. When the anxiety had become less intense and more controllable, she had realized the cemetery made her feel stronger.
She could feel that electric buzz that had been missing in the museum. The one that started to take form in the city morgue.
It was a tingling sensation that ran the length of her body, sometimes gathering in her toes, her fingertips, the top of her head. She was like a conduit and her limbs were the points of entry for her abilities. Despite her years of living with these sensations, she still didn’t know what caused them. David had plenty of theories, but Cassie didn’t take stock in those.
They existed and that was all that mattered.
Cassie found a stone bench along one of the paths and sat down. The warmth of the rock seeped into her body, a pleasant mix with the electricity. She couldn’t say she was happy, but there was something affirming in the sensation. The void evaporated, replaced with a power that made her strong and capable and unique.
It surprised her to realize how much she had missed it.
To others, she looked ordinary. Maybe she was there to visit the grave of a friend or loved one. Maybe she was meeting someone to offer them moral support. Maybe she was grieving the lost in her own way. But she was so much more.
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, and many people were paying their respects to the dead. A few groups here and there, but mostly people in ones and twos visiting graves and laying flowers down. In between each grave, the spirits roamed. Some were fainter than others, but their glitching, almost translucent look was the biggest clue that they no longer walked the earth.
They didn’t pay much attention to Cassie. It was a relief when she first started visiting the cemetery. Her greatest fear was being inundated with spirits seeking her help, following her home and begging her to pass on messages.
But most of the spirits here were waiting for their loved ones to visit before moving on. A few would stand alone forever, but most wanted that final goodbye. They only had eyes for their friends, families, and lovers.
When the ghosts did notice Cassie, not all of them were brave or strong enough to communicate with her. Not all of them needed her help. She always wondered what they could feel from her, how they learned she could help them move on. Was it something they just knew, deep in their souls?
