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I wondered if that was what he’d been wearing when he died, but I wasn’t going to go look through the body parts to find out.I’m bound to the earth and water. Hey, we met when I was young. It was at a Gathering of the Clans. I was twelve and part of the River’s End Witch Clan.
Ah…the 2001 gathering that was held down in Centralia?
That’s the one. Anyway, I…I wasn’t sure what to say. Was it proper to offer sympathy to a ghost for dying? There were so many social niceties that weren’t covered in the usual magical textbooks.I have some questions for the sheriff. Do you mind answering?
Ask away.Jimithy shifted against the tree. His spirit was glowing, illuminated by a nimbus so bright he was hard to look at.
First and foremost: do you know who killed you?I held my breath, praying he wouldn’t say it was Elroy.
Not exactly. I was minding my own business, taking a run on one of the trails in this thicket. It’s part of Alimara Park, you know. Next thing I know, some guy’s jogging past me in the opposite direction. Wolf shifter, by the scent. But there was something about him that set off my alarms, so I stopped. When I turned around to get a better look at him, I realized that he had stopped shortly after passing me and he was right on my heels. I had no warning—there was no noise, no intuition other than the vague feeling that the man was questionable.
How did he take you down?I asked.
He had a mallet—it was small but heavy enough that when he took a swing at me, he managed to knock me unconscious. I have no clue what it’s made out of, but all it took was one hit. I woke up in the middle of…he was ripping my guts out of me. I managed to register what was happening, but that’s all. The next moment, I passed out, and when I opened my eyes, I was here—dead.
I nodded. This was all useful information, though the part about the wolf shifter was going to complicate matters.
Do you know who the shifter was?Better ask now and get it over with.
No, I don’t, other than it was a man—or an exceptionally strong woman in drag. But I sensed “male”… And he didn’t feel like he was from “here,” if you know what I mean. He feltother—almost alien. But I can tell you for sure, it was a wolf shifter.
That didn’t help my case at all, but I would tell the sheriff because—if it was Elroy—we needed to know. But Faron wasn’t going to be happy.
Is there anything you’d like me to tell your family?
He was starting to fade. Spirits like Jimithy—who were so strong in energy—either crossed through the Veil without hesitation, or they stuck around and made major nuisances of themselves. Luckily for us, Jimithy didn’t seem inclined to stay.
Please tell my wife I loved her, and that I would give anything to be able to stay with her and my boys. And tell my sons that… Tell them their daddy will always watch out for them. Don’t tell them I suffered. Reassure them that I went quick—that’s the least I can do for Shawna and the kids.
As he faded out of sight, I felt an intense, almost painful longing, but then it diffused into the air around me and he was gone. I turned back to Daisy, dreading telling her the truth. But I was honest, and just because he said a wolf shifter killed him, didn’t mean it was Elroy.
“Did you see him?” she asked.
I nodded. “Yeah, we talked. First, he wants you to tell his wife that he didn’t suffer. That’s a lie, of course, but it’s for their sake more than anything. He wants her and their boys to know how much he loves them and that he’ll be watching over them.”
“Hedidsuffer,” she started to say but then stopped. “I get it. Okay. Did he say anything about who killed him?”
I nodded. “Yeah, but please—don’t jump to conclusions.”
“What do you mean?” She paused. “A wolf shifter killed him, am I right?”
Sighing, I said, “Yes, but he couldn’t identify who it was.” I hastened to add, “Please, don’t assume it was Elroy.”
“Have youmetElroy?” Daisy asked.
I shook my head. “No, I haven’t.”
“Then you haven’t formed an opinion about him,” Daisy said. “I’ll tell you what. You meet him, and then you come back and tell me you’re championing him and I might take it more seriously. But mark my words. Elroy Zastratha is trouble. He’s been in and out of jail for the past two decades. He’s become increasingly erratic. I know Faron wants to protect him, but the truth is, Elroy needs professional help. And it goes beyond getting in trouble.”
I caught something behind her words. “What do you mean?”
“I mean…Elroy is a troubled man, and I’m not just talking about legal issues. At the least, I think he needs a good psychiatrist. If it’s as bad as I think, he needs to be locked away and watched over.” She glanced around. “All right, I think you’re done here. Why don’t you and Arnie check out the other murder sites?”
“All right.” I turned to go, thinking that she was right. I hadn’t met Elroy and I was basing my opinion on someone who I wasn’t sure I could trust. As I headed over to Arnie, Daisy called out behind me.
“Elphyra?”
“Yes?” I turned.
