She Smells the Dead (12 page)

Simon, Cal and I had met at the cabin and moved the few pieces of furniture against one wall, giving us a small, clear area in which to do our thing. Cal and Simon each sat in a corner facing me while I stood in the open space. Though I would begin by stomping out a beat with my foot, it would end up leading into the dance to call Cal’s wolf spirit.

I’m still not sure why only Calvin’s wolf spirit responds to my call. Cal seems to think it has something to do with our being soul mates. Perhaps it was our feelings for each other that formed a deeper connection on some spiritual level. I may not fully understand how I was able to call his wolf, but I did know that we had been having good results.

It was time to test our training when a ghost was involved. I took a deep breath to clear my mind and then tried to focus on the image of Calvin’s wolf. Stomping my left foot against the wood floor I clapped in time to the beat. Once I had the beat set I stopped clapping and raised my arms out wide at shoulder height. In my mind’s eye I called out to Calvin’s wolf spirit and heard a howl in return.

It was hard not to look over to Cal for confirmation. I knew that he often flinched when a connection was made, but looking at Calvin could make me lose his wolf’s attention. It could also make me fall flat on my face.
I am so not going to look at you Calvin Miller
.

Picturing Cal’s wolf spirit striding towards me, I began to walk in a clockwise circle. I never stopped stomping my left foot to keep the beat as I circled. I swayed a bit, probably more from dizziness than from any particular dance move, and began to pick up my pace. As the beat increased in cadence I pictured Calvin’s wolf switch from an easy lope to a run. Running and running, stomping and stomping until suddenly I felt the hair on my arms and the back of my neck rise. I felt sure that Calvin’s wolf was now here with me. It was something I knew without needing confirmation from Cal.

I stopped dancing and sat on the floor facing Calvin and Simon. Reaching to my right I pulled out my makeshift Ouija board and took a steadying breath.
Jackson time
.

“Jackson, do you wish for me to turn our murder evidence over to the police?” I asked.

O.k. calling it evidence was a bit of a stretch. We really just had some wild theories, copies of newspaper articles from the library and Internet, a box full of legal documents, and pictures of what we assumed was a poisonous plant growing in Grace Green’s herb garden. It wasn’t enough to convict someone of murder, not by a long shot, but it did have the potential to open an investigation. Was that something Jackson would want?
I was about to find out
.

Holding my hand over my notepad I pointed at YES. Nothing. No vinegar smell or dizziness. I waited a moment then moved my finger to point at MAYBE. Again nothing. Bracing myself for what was to come next I moved my hand to point at NO. The sensation was overwhelming. I felt as though I was drowning in a sea of noxious vinegar and couldn’t tell which direction was up. Working as I had trained with Simon, I fought to call up an image of Cal’s wolf spirit and my intention.
Help me
. The vertigo was gone as fast as it had begun and the vinegar smell had faded.
Thank you
.

“So that’s a definite no on sending evidence to the police,” I said trying to sound calm. “O.k. Jackson next question,” I said. “Do you wish for me to send your box of cash and legal documents to your wife, Grace?” I asked.

I was expecting a big no on this one. Jackson may not want to drag his wife into a murder investigation, but I couldn’t imagine him wanting her to profit from his murder. I held my hand out to point at the word YES. My head was flooded with vinegar smell and dizziness.
Son of a dung beetle
. Jackson had forgiven his wife after all. I called on Cal’s wolf spirit faster this time, banishing the smell impression and dizziness.

Shifting my focus, I looked at Simon and Calvin who sat across from me on the floor. “Any other questions for Jackson?” I asked.

Calvin shrugged and shook his head in the negative while Simon just stared at me. No help from that department.
Figures
. I placed my makeshift Ouija board outside of my invisible circle and pushed myself to my feet. I began stomping out a beat again, stomp stomp, stomp stomp, and moved widdershins, or counter clockwise. I danced and pictured Calvin’s wolf spirit loping home. When I could no longer feel his presence I stopped moving and faced Simon and Cal.

“Not bad kitten,” Simon said with a wink.

Kitten
? With the energy unraveling from me I was too tired for a fight.
You just wait old man
.

Chapter 37

The following two days were a blur of action, followed by an agony of waiting. I had called Emma to tell her that Cal and I had done an impromptu séance with Jackson Green and that we were going to be sending his papers to his wife Grace. Emma still wanted Grace to fry, but settled on writing a scathing article about the Green farm’s treatment of bees for the school paper. Calvin and I had rushed to follow Jackson’s wishes and then we had to sit back and wait for the results.

The first day Emma and I had tried giving each other beauty treatments to kill time and take our minds off the waiting. By the next day I had chewed nearly all the black polish off my fingers and looked longingly at my cup full of pens. I wasn’t quite
that
desperate yet. On the third day I woke up to an amazing thing.
Fresh, clean, vinegar free air
.

The lost spirit of Jackson Green was gone. I phoned Calvin who agreed to pick me up early for waffles with ice cream at the nearby diner. Celebrating my non-haunted status by eating waffles dripping with vanilla ice cream had to rank as one of my best moments of all time. It didn’t hurt that Calvin was sitting across from me wearing his toothy grin. After mopping up every last bit of breakfast, I sighed. I was in post waffle bliss. Calvin laughed and I sighed again.

“O.k. Yuki, time to go to school,” Cal said.

So much for bliss
.

When we arrived in the school parking lot I noticed an enormous banner hanging over the school entrance. I looked up at the banner and laughed. In huge red letters someone had painted the words Spirit Week. I laughed so hard that tears rolled down my face and I had to hold my stomach.
Spirit Week
? For the first time in over a month I wasn’t being haunted by a spirit and they were having Spirit Week at school? I laughed again. The irony was just too much. It was then that I noticed all of the students entering the building wearing red. I looked over at Cal whose broad chest was covered in a dark red t-shirt.
What was I missing
?

I had been so preoccupied by spirit training and trying to help Jackson’s ghost finally find peace that I hadn’t noticed that this was the week of homecoming. Spirit Week was a week of school events where students showed their school pride, such as by wearing school colors, followed by the big game and culminating in the homecoming dance. I was stunned by a thought.
Where had September gone
? Then my face burst with a huge smile.
I get to wear my corset dress
. This was going to be the best week
ever
.

Chapter 38

I was still basking in the non vinegar smelling air when I floated into the cafeteria later that day. Over at our table Emma waved me over.

“I knew you wouldn’t wear red,” Emma said smugly. She was wearing her usual gray and cream.

“Would you believe I didn’t even know it was Spirit Week?” I asked.

Emma laughed. “No way, you’re just a nonconformist,” Emma said, “like me.”

I had to agree with her.

“I have good news,” I announced, “No more Mr. Smelly.”

Emma gaped at me. “Really? Is that why you and Cal needed smootchy time this morning?” she asked.

I had texted her that morning to let her know I didn’t need a ride to school. Leave it to Emma to jump to conclusions.

“We weren’t smootching. We were eating,” I said.
Well we were eating and kissing
.

Looking around the room, Emma turned back to me and said, “I have something to tell you too, but I’m not sure how you’ll take it.”

I looked back at her wondering what could be so important.

“Yuki, I’ve been wanting to tell you, but it was never a good time,” Emma said while twirling her carrot stick.

I was trying to pay attention, but I had just noticed Cal wading through a sea of students near the lunch counter. He looked so good it was hard for me to concentrate on Emma’s words.

“The good news is that I don’t think it will bother you all that much anymore,” Emma said, getting my attention. “I heard that Garrett has a date for the homecoming dance.”

I waited to see if I felt upset.
Nope, no lingering pangs of regret
.

Cal looked back and winked at me as he piled his tray with burgers. I blushed and smiled from ear to ear.

“That’s cool. Who’s he going with?” I asked.

I didn’t really care now who Garrett went to the dance with. Why should I care when I was going to the dance with Calvin?

“Get this,” Emma said smugly, “he’s going with a cheerleader!” She looked totally scandalized.

“Poser,” I gloated.

“Total poser,” Emma laughed.

Then I caught a whiff of wet dog smell and Calvin sat down beside me so close our legs were touching.

“Hey Dung Beetle Princess, what’s so funny?” Cal asked.

His question only made us laugh harder.

“Sacred Scarab,” I corrected him through tears of laughter.

“Sacred Scarab,” Calvin said lovingly as he wiped a tear from my cheek. “My sacred scarab.”

This
really was the best day ever
.

Chapter 39

Friday night couldn’t come soon enough. The school was buzzing with excitement for the big game and the homecoming dance. I really couldn’t care less about the game, but I had been dreaming about the dance for weeks. The full moon was also fast approaching, but Calvin reassured me that we were going to the dance. He had been training with Simon every day after school and was making progress with self control and communicating with his wolf spirit. Cal had promised to pick me up early. I was running late.

I heard my mom let Calvin inside as I finished lacing up my boots. I surveyed my appearance in the bathroom mirror and smiled.
Looking good Yuki
. I was wearing my black strapless corset dress that laced up the back and then flared out in layers of tulle and strategically torn lace. The dress ended above the knee and my boots came just under. That left about two inches of red lace leggings to show my school spirit. I twirled, making the skirt layers float out around me. I felt like a princess, and not the dung beetle kind.

Grabbing my bag, I headed for the stairs. I started hopping down them nearly two at a time until I saw Cal. He had a stunned look on his face and my mom turned to see what he was looking at.

“Honey, you look beautiful,” my mom said as I twirled one more time at the bottom of the stairs.

“Thanks,” I said.

“Ready?” Calvin asked.

He looked gorgeous. In the dim lighting Cal looked even more tan than usual. He was all in black which made his blue eyes positively glow.

“Absolutely,” I answered.

“Have fun you two,” my mom said as we made our way out the door.

Oh,
I planned to
.

When we arrived at the school parking lot, the gymnasium entrance and the trees by the walkway were lit up with tiny white string lights. Cal and I took our time before going inside. The night felt magical and in a good way. We had both been through so much lately. It felt wonderful to have a moment to just enjoy each other’s company. Well and there was kissing.
Lots and lots of kissing
.

Eventually we made our way inside. The dance committee had outdone themselves with decorations and the room was filled with red paper flowers. A DJ was playing something slow and there were already couples out on the dance floor. As the song ended couples started to disperse and I was surprised to see Gordy and Emma walking towards us. Together. Calvin raised an eyebrow at me in question, but I was just as surprised as he was.

“I have no idea,” I said to Cal, “I didn’t even know that Emma was coming tonight.”

Emma had avoided my questions about the dance and, being a good friend, I decided not to press her, since I didn’t want it to seem like I was rubbing it in that I had a date.
Apparently she has one too
.

Standing in front of Emma and Gordy was like looking into a mirror that reflected back the opposite of Cal and myself. Cal towered over me, while Gordy was at least a head shorter than Emma. I was dressed all in black yet Emma looked elegant in a simple white sheath dress. Even Calvin’s and Gordy’s suits were totally different. Cal was dressed in an all black, modern cut suit, while Gordy was sporting a light gray suit with a butterfly collar turned up at the neck. It would have looked ridiculous on anyone else, but on Gordy it had a cool geek retro look. Knowing Emma, they had probably bought their outfits at one of the local thrift shops. It would be just like her to make sure even their clothing was recycled.

“Hey,” I said looking back and forth between Emma and Gordy. O.k. it sounded lame, even to me, but in my defense I was still in shock.

“Hey Yuki-sama,” Gordy said in reply.

Gordy was smiling and Emma was doing her best to look aloof but I saw a wicked gleam in her eye.

“Emma, out with it,” I said going for the direct approach.

I couldn’t believe she hadn’t told me about Gordy. He was
my
friend. I couldn’t even imagine how the two of them had met. They didn’t have anything in common.
Except me
.

“What’s to tell?” Emma said slyly.

I knew that I hadn’t been totally forthcoming with Emma lately, but that had been for a good reason. I couldn’t share someone else’s secret with her. It was up to Calvin to tell Emma about his wolf spirit, but I had known all week that she had felt slighted. She could read me too well and knew I had been holding something back.