Cast the Cards (7 page)

“The
suspects have sent me a Tarot Card, the Lovers. The interlocked male and female
on the card have been personalized. He’s acquired pictures of his victims,
Clark Carr and Savannah West, cut out their faces, and placed them on the male
and female at the bottom of the card. The winged, angel-like creature with the
body of a female and wings has had its face blacked out. Possibly, because it
represents Clark, or because they hate love and females. At first glance I can’t
tell if anything else has been altered. We’ll have to locate an original and
compare. The removal of Clark’s heart makes sense now, because I got away. The
note within the package tells me the Killers have been doing this a long time.
I wouldn’t be surprised if their murders match the same amount of cards in the
tarot deck.”  She clicked pause.

.

He
was impressed by her ability to compartmentalize. Despite the mental anguish
she had to be going through, she remained professional. Her face was a mask of
concentration and her eyes blazed with intensity and passion.
I see why they
call her Sheriff West. I wouldn’t want to be placed on the wrong end of her
gun.

“We
need to call my people and see how they’d like to proceed. I know this is your
jurisdiction, but it was sent to me personally. I’m going to request they let
me proceed from here.”

“Do
you think they’ll agree?” Everything hinged on her answer.

“I
can be persuasive.”

Okay
that was kind of hot… in a scary, not-to-be-messed–with, woman kind of way.

“I
get the feeling this isn’t going to be their last present. They’ll want to recreate
that event, which means returning to Dale.”

“Why
would they risk it?”

“Because
it’s their last hurrah. Getting caught is irrelevant. Completing their
masterpiece is what matters.”

“I
don’t get that.”

“These
killings are their life’s purpose. The same way we feel about our jobs and bringing
justice is the way they feel about murder… I’m just not sure why yet.”

“What
do you need to figure it out?”

“Time,
analysis… more information. I’ve already begun to draw up a profile, but I need
to dig deeper, search the database to see if I can get any hits on similar
murders.”

“You
think you see a pattern?”

“They
talked a lot about fortune… I see a white male. Two actually. Close, maybe even
family members. They’d need to have near identical upbringings. This obsession
with the Tarot is very strange, even by my standards.”

“That’s
not reassuring.”

“It
wasn’t meant to be. It’s a ticking time bomb. We need to defuse before it
explodes.”

“What’s
the first step?”

“I’ll
call my people.” She pushed away from the table. “I know this goes without
saying, but don’t let anyone touch this.” She dug her phone from her Mary
Poppins bag on the counter. “I’m going to take this outside.”

He
nodded and watched her leave. “Clark, I don’t know if you can hear me, but I
could use some guidance right now.”

“Hey.”

Carey
jumped. Clark stood to his right. “Can’t you give a warning or something?”  Ghost
Clark creeped him out slightly. The apprehension made him feel bad.
 Come on,
it’s my brother.

“Like
what? The whole angel and bell thing is a myth.”

“So
you’re an angel?”Awe filled him as he studied the face similar to his, but
frozen in time.

“Uh-uh.”
Clark shook his finger. “I can’t go into details. I was just using that
reference as an example.”

“Why
can’t you talk about anything?” He frowned.
Sounds suspect. Had he gone
rogue to do this? Risked being banished from the afterlife?

“You
aren’t meant to know too much.” Clark looked up. “They don’t like it. Change
the subject or this will be cut short.”

“I
don’t know what to do with Savannah.” He ran a hand over his face.

“Umm...
help her solve this case.” The expression on Clark’s face said
duh.

“Obviously.
I mean how to act. She’s putting up a great front, but I know she’s hurting. Do
I treat her strictly as a partner or as a friend? We’re walking very narrow
lines here.”

“What
do you think?” Clark tilted his head.

“I
think she’ll always be Vannah to me. However, I don’t want to piss her off. If
I did something to jeopardize this investigation, I wouldn’t be able to live
with myself.”

“Sometimes
you have to rock the boat to get where you need to be.”  Easy to say when you weren’t
the one doing the rocking.

Oka,y
Buddha.
“I asked for advice not cryptic comments.”

Clark
sighed. “She needs to be challenged.”

“Have
you seen the guns on her these days?”

Clark
laughed. “Are you going to tell me you’re scared of Vannah?”

“I’m
not, but my penis is. She looks like the kind to bring you to your knees with a
strategically placed kick, followed by a right hook. My balls hurt just
thinking about it.”

All
humor faded. “She’d never hurt you, Carey.”  His fast-paced switch of gears
made Carey wary. To have been dead for so long, he seemed to know a lot.

“How
can you know that? I need an answer of substance this time. Because the whole
cloak and dagger bit is getting old, and not helping me whatsoever.

“I
can see through to heart.”  

The
words rang true. “You always could,” Carey whispered.  The two had an uncanny
connection that kept them on the same page more often than not. It reminded him
of the link they possessed as twins.

“You
could too if you tried,” Clark insisted.

Carey
snorted. “I might be in a uniform, but I still crash and burn in every
relationship I attempt.”

“Maybe
because they weren’t the right women.”

“Oh
no, trust me, they were right.” He smiled at the memories.

“Maybe
to the small head in your pants.”

“Damn,
all this time and you’re still a buzz kill.” Carey grinned. The familiar banter
was a balm to his fractured soul. He’d never felt right… whole since Clark
died.

“And
you’re still hard-headed and stubborn.”

“That
was a trait we both shared.”

Clark
smiled. “I know, but I choose to use mine for good.”  

“Boring.”
His singsong voice took him back to childhood. “I’ve missed you so much,
Clark.” When he left the mystic behind it was almost like old times. Not that
he could ever forget he was dead.

“I
know.” Clark placed a hand on his shoulder.

“After
this is done I’ll never see you again, will I?” he whispered.

“Not
for a long, long time.”

Carey
nodded.

“I
have to go, but remember this. The old Vannah is still in there. She needs to
tap back into that. Remember who she was, and who we were.”

“I
don’t understand what that has to do with this case.”

“Trust
me?”

“Always.”

“Then
do whatever you need to do to make that happen, Carey. The men after you are some
of the worst evil I’ve seen.”

The
words made him slightly sick to his stomach.

 “I’m
not sure… there are things I can’t remember. Bad memories they took away when I
crossed over. So I wouldn’t have to bear the burden. “

“It’s
okay, Clark. I’m glad you don’t remember. You shouldn’t have to.” He placed a hand
on his brother’s shoulder to reassure him.

Clark
cast a longing gaze at the door.

“You
can wait until she comes back,” Carey said.

“Why?
She won’t even look at me.” Clark glanced down.

“You
know why. Don’t you?” Carey hunched down, forcing his brother to look up.
 This
is the least I can do for him.

“Guilt.”

“Oh
brother, you still haven’t seen what was right in front of you. She loved you,
Clark.”

“W-what?
No… she couldn’t have.”  His eyes were as round as bowling balls. .

“Yes,
Savannah Marie West is so in love with you it’s disgusting.”

“Is?”
Clark looked almost hopeful. 

“There
hasn’t been anyone else, Clark.”

“What!”

Now
he’s getting it.
“She’s been single this entire time as
far as I can tell.”

“Bullshit.”
Clark stepped away.  

“Why
don’t you ask her yourself?”

“Now
is not the time!”

“Not
the time for what?” Savannah asked.

They
turned as one in that way they had mastered from the moment they came from the
womb.

“To…
get personal,” Carey covered.

“What’s
going on here?” Savannah crossed her arms beneath her breasts and frowned.

“Just
twin talk,” Clark said.

“Why
do I feel like you’re lying?” The unimpressed expression on her face was all
too familiar.

You
wanted her to look at you, little brother. She’s definitely doing that now.

“I—we—things
between us are just so unfinished.” Clark stumbled over his words like an
adorable high-schooler talking to his first crush.

Savannah
ducked her head. “Yeah, they are.”

“Later?”
Clark whispered. The unspoken communication that passed between them humbled
Carey.
This is what true love looks like.
Even after all this time they
operated on the same wavelength. Her normally cold eyes were warm and her body
language had changed entirely. All it took to make her remember the good times
was Clark. Carey could just step out of the equation altogether. The thought
smarted.

“Yes…
its time.” Savannah looked up. All traces of vulnerability were smoothed back
into the emotionless mask she wore. “But now we get the ball rolling. I have
control over the operation at the moment. My people agree staying here is in
the best interest of the case. Since I’m their point of contact, I have leave.
It goes without saying. One whiff of emotional compromise, and I’ll be yanked
off this thing faster than you can bat an eye.”

“Where
do we start?” Carey asked.

“Show
me to the lab. The proper paperwork is being typed up. They should be calling
your Captain.”

“That’s
my cue. I’ll be around.” Clark disappeared once more.

“I
don’t think I’m ever going to get used to that.” Carey shook his head. Just
when he adapted to Clark’s return, he pulled a stunt like that and he was
straddling the line between freaked out and happy to have his brother back.  

“Yeah,
me either.”  The visible pain was washed away when she blinked.

The
three of them were the walking wounded.  It was time they received closure in
more ways than catching a killer.

***

Clark
left them but the apprehension stayed. He’d petitioned for this, the right to
come back and guide them now that the killers were back. Hanging on to your
past was frowned upon. It kept you from fully assimilating and leaving behind
earthly things.

He
figured Carey and Vannah must be pretty important for them to even care. Lives
weren’t predestined the way people thought. Free will cut short plans. Warped
and changed the best-laid paths. It was rare that they’d step in and change the
course of things. He wanted to know more, but it was one of the stipulations of
returning. As were keeping his mouth closed about the afterlife and remaining
in the dark about what was going on.  The temptation to alter things might be
too great.

He
ran a hand through his hair.

It
was lonely here in the in-between. Most spirits who lingered around these parts
were angry or worse, dark. He missed his friends.
Think of it as being a
secret agent.
The concept did nothing to ease his pain. Vannah was even
more beautiful than he remembered her. The gangly limbs of youth had gained
curves. Her round face had slimmed and matured. It was very different from the
one he remembered. He’d wasted all the time hiding his feelings because he was
terrified he’d ruin their friendship. Today, he’d do anything to go back and
tell her. 
The next time we’re alone together, I’ll come clean
.

Decision
made, he shoved his hands into his pockets and wandered into the twilight.

Chapter
Four

Savannah
blinked, wincing at the gritty feel of sand behind her lids. She’d been
scouring over the databases and come up empty-handed. The search was still too
broad.
Time to take a break.

Since
she’d officially reopened the case they’d set her up in Carey’s office. Being
confined in a small space with him was strange. It wasn’t a situation she was
prepared for. In one swoop she’d gone from running away from Carey and Clark to
running beside them.