Grave Homecoming (A Maddie Graves Mystery Book 1) (12 page)

“I want to talk to Jennifer,” Christy said, not missing a beat.

“She’s busy.”

“Oh, please,” Christy scoffed. “I’m sure she’ll let you put your hand up her shirt again in a few minutes.” Christy hunkered down and stared through the window. “Jennifer, could you come out here please?”

“What did I do?”

“You didn’t do anything,” Christy said. “My friend just wants to talk to you.”

Maddie watched as Jennifer peered around Christy and focused on her. “You’re the woman from the magic shop.”

Maddie nodded.

“Why are you here?”

“I … .”

“Just get out of the car,” Christy ordered. “I’m really annoyed with this whole thing. I need a stiff drink.”

“Then go away,” Dustin suggested.

“Don’t be obnoxious,” Christy warned.

“I’ve had it,” Dustin said. He turned the key in the ignition and the car’s engine roared to life. “I’m not listening to one more second of this.”

Christy reached into the car and slapped his hand away from the gearshift. “Don’t make me hurt you.”

“Don’t make me hurt
you
,” he shot back.

“Just … stop it!”

“You stop it!”

“Get out of that car right now!”

“Get out of my face right now!”

“What is going on?” Jennifer wailed.

The situation was spiraling, and Maddie had no idea how to fix it. Unfortunately, things got worse when the familiar red and blue associated with a police light started flashing in the night sky.

“Oh, no,” Maddie muttered, dropping her face into her hands.

“You’re in trouble now, lady!”

“Oh, no, you’re in trouble you little … .”

When Christy started grappling with Dustin over the keys, Maddie thought her night couldn’t get any worse. When she saw Nick climb out of the police cruiser and start scanning the assembled Kissing Point visitors – she knew she’d never get over the embarrassment of what was going to come.

“What’s going on here?” Nick hadn’t seen her yet, Maddie realized. She wondered – briefly – if she had time to flee into the woods.

“There are two crazy women peeking in everyone’s windows.” The girl from the first car was pointing in their direction.

“I am not crazy, Hannah,” Christy snapped. “I’m on a mission of mercy.”

Nick shifted his attention to the far side of the bluff, doing a double take when he recognized Maddie. “What the … ?”

“I want to make a citizen’s arrest,” Christy announced.

Nick pulled himself together and strode in the direction of Dustin’s car. “Why?”

“Because this little … butthead … is annoying me.”

“You’re a butthead,” Dustin shot back.

Nick briefly met Maddie’s gaze as he moved around her. “Does anyone want to tell me what’s going on here?”

“This crazy bitch … .”

“Choose your words, Dustin,” Nick warned.

“This crazy … old lady … .”

“Choose different words, Dustin,” Christy snapped.

“This crazy … .”

“Okay, you’re cut off,” Nick said. He turned to Christy. “Do you want to tell me what’s going on here?”

“I just wanted to talk to Jennifer for a second,” Christy sniffed.

“Why?”

Christy exchanged a worried look with Maddie. “Um … .”

Nick shifted his attention to the fidgeting blonde at his side. “Why are you out here?”

“I’ve never seen it before,” Maddie offered lamely. “We were just going for a drive and Christy wanted to show me the bluff.”

Nick pursed his lips. “Christy wanted to bring you to Kissing Point?”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“I think the better question is: why didn’t you ever take her to Kissing Point?” Christy said. “The poor girl had no idea why the windows were so steamy. You’ve clearly been falling down on the job.”

Nick’s face flushed. “W-w-what?” He glanced at Maddie. “Did you tell her that?”

“She didn’t have to,” Christy said. “It’s obvious she needs some loving. You should get moving on that.”

Nick’s heart flopped. He had no idea what Christy was talking about, but part of him was interested in continuing the conversation. One look at Dustin’s animated face told him that was a terrible idea – at least for now. “Can someone please explain to me what was going on right before I showed up?”

“I can.” Dustin lifted his hand.

“Can you do it without being insulting?”

Dustin nodded.

“Go.”

“Jen and I were just sitting up here talking when Ms. Ford started banging on my window.”

“Were you talking about if her bra unfastened in the front or the back?” Christy asked.

“Thank you, Christy,” Nick snapped. “Go on, Dustin.”

“She demanded to talk to Jen,” Dustin said. “She was acting weird, and I was afraid she would hurt Jen. When I tried to leave, she tried to take my keys from me – and then she called me a butthead.”

“I only called you a butthead after you called me a bitch,” Christy countered.

“Why did you two want to talk to Jennifer?” Nick asked. “Jennifer, can you please get out of the car and step around back? Thanks.”

Jennifer’s long hair was tousled when she finally joined the crowd. Maddie couldn’t help but notice that Dustin remained seated in the driver’s seat, and she had a sneaking suspicion he was still trying to decide if he could make a hasty escape.

“Were you wrestling, too?” Christy asked as she looked Jennifer up and down.

“Who was wrestling?” Nick asked.

“Hannah and Aidan.” Christy pointed to the far end of the bluff. Most of the cars had emptied, and the curious occupants were now watching the spectacle next to Dustin’s car. “Aidan was winning.”

Nick smirked. “I’m sure he was. So, Jen, can you think of any reason Ms. Ford and Ms. Graves would want to talk to you?”

Jen rubbed her forehead nervously. “Well, I was in Magicks earlier today,” she said. “I got a tarot card reading.”

Nick faltered, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. “Really?” His face was unreadable as he looked at Maddie. “What did she tell you about your reading?”

“She told me that sleeping with Dustin to keep him as a boyfriend was a bad idea,” Jen admitted, her face twisting. “I had no idea that it would be this bad of an idea.”

“Did she tell you anything else?”

“Just that life would be better after high school.”

“Uh-huh.” Nick ran his tongue over his teeth. Something about this situation – other than the obvious – was irritating him. “Do you have anything you want to add to this conversation, Ms. Graves?”

“I was just worried about her,” Maddie said, her voice barely a whisper. “I didn’t want her to get hurt.”

“I wouldn’t hurt her,” Dustin said.

“You’ve got ‘tool’ written all over you,” Christy said.

“You’re mean,” Dustin grumbled.

“That doesn’t mean I’m wrong.”

Nick pinched the bridge of his nose. “Okay, here’s what’s going to happen,” he said. “Dustin, you’re going to take Jen home, and I mean immediately home. I’m going to be checking in exactly ten minutes, and if she’s not there, you’re going to jail.”

“But … .”

Nick wagged his finger in Dustin’s face to cut off the argument. “Don’t make me arrest you now.” He turned to Jen. “Ms. Graves is right, you do not want to sleep with him. You’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”

“You all suck,” Dustin muttered.

Nick glanced at Christy. “You need to stop harassing teenagers at Kissing Point,” he said before shifting his attention to Maddie. “And you need to … .”

“Get kissed?” Christy suggested.

Nick swallowed hard. “Can I trust you to get Maddie back home without another detour?”

Christy snapped her feet together and saluted. “Yes, sir.”

Nick fought the mad urge to laugh. This whole evening was … surreal. “Just … go home. I don’t want to see you two up here again. You’re too old.”

“Oh, shut it,” Christy said. She grabbed Maddie’s arm and started dragging her across the bluff. “This night just blows.”

Once they got back to Christy’s car, Maddie fixed Christy with an apologetic look. “I’m so sorry.”

“Oh, it’s fine,” Christy said, waving off Maddie’s words.

The two women watched Nick climb back into his work cruiser and drive away. Once he was gone, Christy focused on Maddie intently.

“So, do you want to tell me how long you’ve been psychic?”

MADDIE
was positive her throat was closing up. There could be no other explanation for the huge ball that was lodged in her windpipe and preventing oxygen from making its way to her lungs.

“Do you need a moment?” Christy asked, leaning her back against her car as she watched Maddie worriedly. “You’re not going to pass out, are you?”

Maddie shook her head, but the effort was enough to knock her off balance. She sank to the ground to keep herself from tumbling headfirst into it.

Christy plopped down next to her and ran a soothing hand over her back. “Don’t freak out,” she said. “I kind of had suspicions in high school. Tonight just sealed the deal for me.”

Maddie finally found her voice. “How did you know?”

“You were a quiet kid, Maddie,” Christy said. “You weren’t invisible, though. I saw you in the cemetery one day. It was right after Mark Garvey died when I first figured it out. You were standing in front of his grave.”

Maddie’s face colored. “How do you know I wasn’t talking to myself?”

“I considered it,” Christy said. “Your mother ran a magic shop, though. It made more sense that you were psychic.”

“But … .”

Christy cut her off. “There’s nothing wrong with it. It doesn’t scare me. I don’t think you’re a bad person.”

“I’m a freak,” Maddie muttered. No one outside of her own family – except Kincaid – had ever known her secret.

“You’re not a freak,” Christy said. “You’re just different. I don’t see why you’re making such a big deal about this. I think it’s really cool. I’m totally taking you to the casino over in Traverse City.”

Christy’s jocularity jolted Maddie out of self-pity mode. “That’s not really how it works.”

“So, how does it work?”

“I … sometimes I just know things,” Maddie said. “Sometimes I know things because of dreams, and sometimes I see them when I’m awake.”

“Is that how you found the body?”

“No. That was an accident. That’s how I saw the body’s ghost, though. That’s how I knew her name before the police released it.”

“The police still haven’t released it,” Christy said. “Who was it?”

“Her name was Sarah Alden.”

Christy searched her memory. “That doesn’t sound familiar to me. Was she from here?”

Maddie shrugged. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to her yet,” she said. “Tonight was the first time, and I was more interested in finding Jennifer than talking to her. She says she has holes in her memory. It will take some time for those to firm up.”

“Wow,” Christy said. “How many ghosts have you talked to?”

“I don’t know.”

“Give me an estimate.”

“A hundred.”

“That is so cool,” Christy said, her mind working. “We should totally hold a séance. Do you think we could talk to a celebrity ghost?”

“No,” Maddie said. She grabbed Christy’s arm and squeezed it tightly. “You can’t tell anyone. If people know … .”

“Don’t worry, Maddie,” Christy said, jerking her arm away and rubbing it ruefully. “Your secret is safe with me. I haven’t told anyone before now.”

“You didn’t know until now.”

“I knew,” Christy said. “I just kept it to myself.”

Maddie sighed, forcing herself to relax. “Thank you.”

“It’s going to be okay, Maddie,” Christy said. “I promise. You’re overreacting.”

“My mom always told me it had to remain a secret.”

“I understand,” Christy said. “Blackstone Bay is a small town. I don’t think the people would react as poorly as you seem to think they would, though. What does Nick think?”

Maddie stilled.

“Oh, you haven’t told him?” Christy was beside herself. “How did you hide it?”

“I just never told him,” Maddie said. “I didn’t want to lose him.”

“And you think that telling him the truth would make you lose him?”

“Of course,” Maddie said, her voice rising. “If he knew … .”

“He would just love you more,” Christy said.

“You can’t be serious.”

“I’m deadly serious,” Christy said. “You built a wall between the two of you because you were scared to tell him the truth. If you tear down that wall, there will be nothing standing between you. Don’t you want that?”

More than anything, Maddie thought. “He’ll never look at me the same way again.”

“Probably not,” Christy agreed. “That doesn’t mean he won’t look at you in a better way. It’s your secret, though. You can tell him when you’re ready.”

“I’ll never be ready.”

“Never say never, Maddie Graves,” Christy said, laughing as she got to her feet and brushed off the seat of her pants. She extended her hand and helped Maddie to a standing position. “I happen to be a little psychic myself, and I can clearly see that you and Nick are on a crash course toward one another. How you handle it is up to you.”