SPIRIT OF CONSEQUENCE (A Spirit Walking Mystery Book 1) (27 page)

Uncle George frowned.

Then Dexter continued in his usual voice. “She got to have the thrill of chasing a serial killer without any of the consequences.”

“She stopped me from killing myself,” Dodge insisted and Uncle George nodded.

Dexter laughed. “She did that by accident, and when she figured out you could actually see her, she stuck around for the fun of it.”

The room was silent. Was he right? Could I be so shallow? Was it all about me? Did I do it all to amuse myself? To get another high? If he was right, I didn’t deserve Dodge or even to live. Dexter just stated the obvious. I just hadn’t ever seen it before.

“Now, that said,” Dexter took another bite of his sandwich and chewed slowly.

“What?” we all said in unison.

“I think that’s the clue to getting her to wake up.”

Chapter 28

“How does that help us or her?” Dodge asked.

“She’s got to want to come back.”

“But she does, she loves me.” Dodge said.

“I love her,” Uncle George added. “She’s got everything to live for.”

“What?” Dexter asked.

“She’s rich,” Uncle George said. “She has the money and all the power that comes with it so she can go anywhere and do anything she wants to.”

“She can do that now,” Dexter reminded him, then added, “and without any of the consequences.”

Was it true? Did I not want to be in my body? I certainly had enjoyed the last five years. To be free to do anything, experience everything – and Dexter was right - without suffering any of the consequences. Even with all my money and the power that came with it, I still was bound by the laws of nature and, at least, some of the laws of the land. It was very tempting to just stay free.

Dodge stood up and took my hand. He kissed me on my forehead. “I can’t offer you anything that you can’t get on your own, Samantha. Except my love,” he smiled, “but you have that anyway. I want you to come back to me, but I’ll take you any way that I can get you. If you want to stay a ghost, we’ll figure out a way to make it work.”

He was willing to be married to a ghost if that’s what I wanted. A wedding photo with no bride, vacation pictures with no subject, no children, and then I’d watch him grow old and die.

Dexter interrupted my thoughts. He frowned. “That’s not probably the best thing to say to her, Dodge. Who’d choose a body that could get sick or hurt over absolute freedom?”

I opened my eyes and stared into Dodge’s. “I would.”

Dodge smiled. “Hello, Samantha.”

“Hello, love,” I whispered. My throat was so dry, it was difficult to speak.

Uncle George ran over to the bed, practically tossing Dodge aside, and shouted, “Sammie!”

I smiled and nodded.

“Hot damn!” he said, “I knew you’d be back.”

“Thanks for not giving up on me.”

“Never!” His smile broadened. “I’m going to get the doctor. Smug bastard. I can’t wait to tell him that you’re awake.”

I laughed, but it made my entire body hurt.

“Easy, Samantha. You’ll have to take it slow and easy until you get your strength up,” Dodge said.

I felt like I had run a fifty-mile marathon without one rest stop. Just talking the few words was exhausting. Being a ghost was so much simpler.

Dodge grabbed my hand. “Open your eyes, Samantha.”

I struggled. They were so heavy.

“Samantha! Open your damn eyes.”

Slowly I opened them up.

Dodge sighed. “You have to stay here. I know it’s easier to be a ghost but it would be nice if you’d remain here.”

“Okay,” I whispered. “But is it okay if I take a nap?”

Dodge looked over at Dexter, who shrugged. “I ain’t a ghost expert.”

Dodge patted my hand. “Sure. Just make sure you wake up.”

“I’ll do the best I can,” I said as I drifted off to sleep.

The doctor came in and poked and prodded at me. Then I was asleep again. The next thing I remember is being aroused by angry voices.

“I said get out!”

“I’m not going anywhere; you’re the one who’s leaving,” Dodge hollered.

“She’s my wife and I can have an entire police force here in a few minutes and they can throw you out!” Jed screamed back.

I opened my eyes and whispered, “Jed.”

Jed walked around Dodge. His eyes widened and a huge smile brightened his face. “Hello, Ace.”

“Hi, Jed,” I reached out with my hand and he took it. “I see you’ve met Dodge.”

Jed glanced back at Dodge, put my hand to his lips and kissed it. “I’ve waited five years to get my lips back on you and this guy thinks he can stop me.”

Dodge came around and stood next to Jed.

“It’s okay, Dodge.”

“I’ll be standing right outside your door.” And he left.

I smiled at Jed.

He shook his head. “Only you could survive a crash, spend five years in a coma, and then come out like nothing ever happened.”

“Just lucky, I guess.”

Jed glanced over at the door. “What’s the cop’s problem?”

“He loves me.”

“A cop? Seriously, Ace. How? When? I’ve never met him before.”

“Let me tell you a story.” I told him all about my adventures of being a ghost. His smile just got bigger and bigger.

“That’s so cool, Ace.”

“It was fun.”

“You were able to do anything and everything you wanted to do without anything or anyone stopping you. It was the ultimate freedom. I love you, Ace, and I am very happy you are back but I can’t believe you wanted to come back to this,” he said pointing to the machines and room.

“I have to admit the whole experience was a rush, but I wanted more.”

“Now that sounds like my girl.” A big smile lit up Jed’s face.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about my life these last few days,” I told him.

“You’ve had plenty of time to think, lying here in that bed.”

“If I wanted to be honest with myself,” I began.

Jed interrupted me and said, “You and I have always been honest with each other, no matter what.”

I smiled because Jed was right. I might have lied to everyone and anyone but I never did to him. I nodded and continued, “I think if I would have stayed a ghost, my body would have died and I would have moved on.”

“Oh, that would have sucked,” Jed’s expression turned sour.

“Yeah,” I agreed with him.

“Did you ever go into an animal?” Jed asked.

“What do you mean?”

“You know, fly with an eagle, run with a cheetah, or hunt with a lion?”

“No.” I shook my head. “I never thought of it.”

“Do you really love the cop?”

“Yes.” I nodded, feeling that warmth in my heart when I thought about Dodge.

“That’s going to put a cramp in your style, Ace.”

“I guess I have to find a new style.”

“But your old style looked so good on you. Remember fly high, fast, and free,” he pointed to me.

“Take what you want and give nothing back.” I finished.

He laughed and I joined him, weakly. My real body was still so damn weak. Being a ghost had been so easy – no pain, no restrictions, no consequences – all freedom. In some ways, I missed it very much. Sure, I had Dodge, but I also had pain, weakness, and . . . mortality.

“Get well, Ace,” Jed said, interrupting my thoughts. “I’ve got a new sports car and you’re going to love it.”

“What color?”

Jed laughed harder. “Black, of course.”

“Sleek, fast, and mysterious?”

“Oh yeah,” Jed stood, winked at me, and then opened the door.

Dodge fell in. He must have been listening. Jed chuckled and stepped around him.

Dodge came back in and stood by my bed, frowning. I held up my hand. “The kiss on the hand is a signal between Jed and me. It just meant he wanted to see me alone. We used it when one of us wanted to get rid of the person we were talking to or just wanted to leave a party.”

Dodge’s frown deepened but he didn’t say anything, and I wondered how much of Jed’s and my conversation he had heard. Then he kissed me gently on the forehead and said, “Get some rest Samantha.”

I nodded and closed my eyes because the full conversation with Jed had exhausted me more than anything else had in a very long time. I thought about what Jed and I had talked about. Being a ghost was an exhilarating experience. Even though I had told myself I was wandering around and looking for a way to move on, I had thoroughly enjoyed almost every minute of it. The few times it had been bad was when I had interacted with people or situations I hadn’t liked. With all my money I had always avoided those types of people and situations and I certainly could continue that now. With money comes power. There was no way around that. Honestly, I was not sure which was more important to me. In my mind, they were so interrelated.

What was going to be my new style? Was I going from having total freedom to being bound by laws? I fell back to sleep thinking about my past style and how it was going to change, being in love with a cop.

The next few days were a blur. Uncle George came and went several times, as well as Carl, Jed, and Sylvia. Every time Sylvia was in the room, I tried to stay awake so I could talk to her, but I kept falling asleep. There was a lot I wanted to say. She had always been a part of my life. She was my nanny when I was small, then took over being the cook and running the household staff when I didn’t need her as a nanny anymore. Sylvia had also been Uncle George’s girlfriend for as long as I could remember. The last conversation I had with her was a screaming match. She told me I didn’t need to celebrate my birthday with Jed and my delinquent friends. I told her she should mind her own business and that she wasn’t my parent. If I was sorry about anything I had done, it was saying that to her. She was more like my mom than my mom had ever been. I loved my mom, but she enjoyed the rich social life and not the tiresome effort it took to raise a child.

Dodge never seemed to leave my room. Every time I woke up, he was there. Dexter stayed too, but probably more for Dodge than me. I thought it must be nice to have a friend so loyal that he would sit by your side while you waited for someone to heal.

Jed came and sat by my bed a few times. On his third visit, Dodge was asleep in the corner and Dexter had finally taken a break and gone with Carl to see his state-of-the-art video security system.

Jed glanced at Dodge. “He hasn’t left your side in three days.”

I smiled. “He’s a little obsessive.”

Jed laughed, then covered his mouth. “Don’t want to wake him up. He’d probably shoot me.”

“He’s a great guy, Jed. You’re going to love him.”

“I don’t know. No one will ever be good enough for you, Ace.”

“Except you, Jed.”

“That’s right.” He opened his briefcase and took out several sheets of paper.

“What are those?”

“I took over for Dad several years ago and I need your signature on several documents. Now that you’re awake, I can stop forging it.”

I laughed and he joined me.

“I thought I was dead? What were you forging?”

“The newspapers reported you were dead, but to the corporate world you were still alive.”

“How did that work?”

“After you were in the car wreck and in a coma, Dad drew up a document and dated it before the accident. It stated that if you were ever disabled, your entire portfolio would stay in your name and be turned over to me as your power of attorney.”

“You were basically going to become me?” I asked.

Jed nodded.

“I like that,” I told him. If I wasn’t spending my money, at least I knew someone was enjoying it. Of all the people in the world, I would have chosen Jed too.

“What are they?” I asked as he handed me the first set of papers.

He explained as he handed me each document: buy, sell, buy, buy, sell, and then buy again. Some of the checks I signed were for six figures. When I had been a ghost I hadn’t paid for anything – just took and enjoyed life. If I wanted to go to Europe, I jumped in a plane and was there. I had forgotten that was how I had lived before I became a ghost. Now I would have to pay for everything, again. I guess it was a good thing I was rich!

“Are you keeping my hands in lots of pots, Jed?” I asked.

“Of course. Remember, my dad’s favorite saying - own it all and. . .,” he extended his hand toward me to finish.

“I know, diversify, diversify, diversify.”

After I signed the papers, Jed patted me on the arm. “Get well, Ace. I can’t wait for you to try out my new car.”

“Me, too,” I said. As he turned to leave, I thought about how much Jed had changed in the last five years. He had become a responsible, go to work and actually work kind of guy. What did that say about me and the changes I would be making to myself?

As Jed left, he accidentally-on-purpose kicked Dodge’s chair, then turned back to me, “Hurry and get well, Samantha. We’ll paint the town and relive all of our past experiences. You’re going to need all of your energy to keep up with me. I’ve learned a few new tricks while you’ve been sleeping. It will be a blast!”

Dodge’s eyes flickered. He had heard Jed’s last comment. I rolled my eyes at Jed, then closed them and drifted off to sleep again. For the next week, I didn’t have enough strength to stay awake for more than a few minutes at a time.

The physical therapist, who should be called a torture queen, came in every day and pulled and pushed on every muscle in my body. As soon as I was strong enough, I would punch her lights out!