Don't Wake the Dead Page 6

I took a huge drink of my cider. “Well, yeah. I was five. I didn’t understand what I was seeing. The first time I saw one, it was a man in a cowboy hat in my hospital room. I asked my mother who he was and she insisted that no one was there. At first I think that she believed I was just disoriented, but when I kept asking her about other people that she couldn’t see…” I paused.

  Mal frowned, but didn’t say anything.

  “Let’s just say that she got upset with me. Then I told the kids at school and, well, the rumors flew fast and furious after that. I think that’s what truly pissed my mother off—the fact that the entire town thought I was the peculiar Thorne girl.”

  “That’s why you didn’t want to be on camera, isn’t it?” Mal asked.

  I nodded. I didn’t want to fuel the flames of the gossip that burned swift and viciously in Kenna. In a town this small, there wasn’t much else to do but talk about what was going on with your neighbors.

  “Yeah, but without your weird shit, I wouldn’t have you,” Teri stated, appearing between Mal and I on the couch. “I’d still be lonely and bored out of my skull.”

  I grinned at her. “That’s true.”

  “What?” Mal questioned.

  “Sorry, I was talking to Teri.”

  “Teri? The ghost?”

  “Yeah.”

  “She’s here?” His voice rising in pitch, as though he were excited.

  I laughed. “She’s sitting right between us.”

  “Really?” He sounded equal parts excited and freaked out. As if he wasn’t sure whether he wanted to reach out and try to touch her or jump up from sofa and run across the room.

  Teri turned and put a hand on Mal’s thigh, patting gently. “Sure thing, Hunkypants.”

  Mal jumped to his feet. “Oh my God, did she just touch my leg?” he cried out.

  I couldn’t help myself. I laughed. “Yeah. She calls you Hunkypants.”

  Stony and Blaine burst out laughing as well.

  “Hunkypants!” Blaine guffawed, pointing at Mal.

  Mal grimaced at me. “You’re making that up,” he accused.

  I shook my head. “Nope.”

  “We don’t get nicknames?” Stony asked, sounding almost disappointed.

  Shrugging, I looked at Teri. “Do you have nicknames for Stony and Blaine?”

  “Not yet,” she answered.

  I shook my head at the guys, amused at the crestfallen expressions on their faces. “I’m sure she’ll come up with something sooner or later,” I offered.

  “Dammit!”

  I jumped and stared at Mal, who was staring at me in dismay. “What?”

  “You can actually talk to Teri and tell me what she’s saying and doing, but you refuse to be on camera. The show would be so much better if you appeared!”

  “Yeah.” Stony and Blaine chimed in, their voices in unison.

  Lifting my hands, I shook my head vehemently. “The show will be just fine without me, guys. Teri promised to give you lots of juicy stuff. Knocking, cold spots, electronic voice phenomenon, and maybe even a misty apparition on video.”

  “Yeah, but she ran off our medium,” Blaine complained.

  I scoffed. “That woman wasn’t a medium. She was a con artist. She couldn’t see or hear Teri.”

  “Then how did she know all that stuff?” Stony asked.

  “Because she researched this house at the library or online. The articles about Teri’s death aren’t difficult to find on the Internet.”

  “Maybe. But still—” Stony argued.

  I interrupted him. “Teri was with us nearly the entire time she was talking about her, I could see her and hear her. If the medium had even a little ability, she would have picked up on that. She also would have known that Teri hates being called Teresa. And I wouldn’t say that she committed suicide while you’re here either. She’ll end up giving you an earful about how she was murdered.”

  “She was murdered?” Blaine asked incredulously.

  “Yeah. It sucked,” Teri answered shortly, even though she knew he couldn’t hear him.

  “Did you hear that?” Stony asked.

  I nodded. “Yeah, Teri just answered Blaine’s question.”

  “You mean I can hear her?”

  “Did you hear exactly what she said?” I inquired.

  Stony shook his head. “But I could hear a murmur of a woman’s voice, as though she were speaking in the next room but I couldn’t make out what she said.”

  “You heard her earlier in the kitchen, too,” I explained.

  “She was in there?” His eyes widened. “Wow. I can’t wait to review my digital recorder and see if it picked up an EVP.”

  I glanced at Teri and bit my lip. There was no telling what all she said to him. If I didn’t know any better, I would have sworn she was blushing.

  “Well, if Teri’s ready to get started, so are we,” Mal stated.

  She nodded and floated to her feet.

  “She’s ready,” I told him. As the other guys got to their feet, I realized something. “Uh, I forgot to ask earlier, but what’s your stance on cursing. Teri swears like a sailor. You’re EVP’s might be useless.”

  “Shit, I didn’t think about that,” Teri mumbled. “Wait, what’s an EVP?”

  “Electronic voice phenomenon,” I whispered, rolling my eyes. Teri had brought up EVP’s a few days ago when Mal was here. I swear her memory had more holes than Swiss cheese.

  “Ah, gotcha,” she replied.

  “We’ll work it out,” Mal assured me.

  “I hope so, because all my dirty talk will sound stupid if I can’t use words like ass and cock,” Teri complained.

  I almost felt sorry for the guys concerning what they would find when they went back over their digital recordings. I only hoped that the devices didn’t pick up everything.

  Chapter

  “Zoe.”

  A hand cupped my shoulder, rubbing gently.

  “Zoe, wake up.”

  My eyes opened slightly and I saw someone hovering over me. I jerked back, startled.

  Mal lifted his hands. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  I blinked rapidly. “It’s okay.” I sat up and winced as the movement pulled the bruised muscles in my lower back. I must have fallen asleep on the couch while the guys did the rest of their investigation. Pale, pearly light leaked around the curtains, an indication that the sun was beginning to rise.

  “Something wrong?”

  “Just a twinge in my back,” I explained with a chuckle. “I’m still a little sore from falling on the floor.”

  “You didn’t tell me you were hurt that badly,” he stated. “Let me take a look.”

  I lifted a hand. “No, no. I’m fine. You don’t need to.”

  “Zoe, let me take a look. You might need to go see a doctor.”

  Since the pain wasn’t letting up and Mal looked as if he was prepared to sit there all day until I let him examine my injury, I turned slightly away from him.

  “It’s just my lower back,” I explained. “I’m pretty sure it’s only bruised.”

  I felt Mal lift the back of my shirt a few inches and tried not to tense.

  “Jesus, Zoe,” Mal hissed. “You’re black and blue. We should have put some ice on this.”

  “I’m sure it’ll be fine,” I argued. Anything else I might have said was forgotten as I felt the light pressure of his fingers as they trailed across my lower back, just above the waistband of my jeans.

  “Does this hurt?” he asked.

  “Not really,” I replied hoarsely.

  His fingers skimmed over my spine once more. “Are you sure?”

  “It’s fine, Mal,” I insisted, leaning forward and pulling my shirt free from his grip so that it fell across the waist of my jeans. “Some rest and ibuprofen and I’ll be as good as new in a few days.”

  He frowned at me. “Okay. Well, the guys and I are all packed up and ready to leave. I didn’t want to wake you, but I thought I should let you know
that we were going.”

  “Did you get anything good?”

  Mal’s face broke into a huge grin. “Oh yeah. Teri grabbed Blaine’s ass the way she did mine the other day. It was hilarious.” He paused. “How in the hell did you keep a straight face when she did it to me?”

  I shrugged. “I’m used to hiding my reactions and not responding to ghosts when people are around.”

  His smile vanished at my words. “Yeah, I guess you are.” He got to his feet. “Well, thanks for letting us film here. It’s been a lot of fun. Between what happened with Marcy and Teri copping a feel on Blaine, this episode will probably get a lot of views.”

  I rose as well. “You’re welcome. I’m glad I let you talk me into it. I wasn’t sure at first, but this was a lot of fun.”

  I followed him out onto the front porch, waving at Stony and Blaine as they loaded the last of their equipment back into their van.

  They both jogged over.

  “It was great meeting you, Zoe,” Stony said, shaking my hand briefly before yanking me into a quick hug. “I hope we see you again.”

  When Stony released me, Blaine grabbed me and hugged me as well. “Yeah. I liked hanging out with you, even if the ghost in your house is a pervert who likes to grab an unsuspecting man’s ass. It made me feel dirty.”

  “Oh, shut up,” Stony insisted. “You loved it.”

  Blaine shrugged. “Dude, any time a woman recognizes all this sexiness and wants a piece, it’s cool with me. Even if she is dead.”

  I laughed and shook my head at their antics as they walked back out to the van, ribbing each other good-naturedly.

  Mal smiled and held out his hand. “This was probably the most fun we’ve had while filming, Zoe. Thanks again for changing your mind.”

  I took his hand, suddenly conscious of the warmth and roughness of his palm. While touching the others hadn’t affected me in the least, something about Mal made me hyper aware of the feel of his flesh against my fingers and how his hand engulfed mine.

  “You’re welcome.”

  He held my hand for a moment longer and stared down at me in silence.

  “Good-bye, Zoe Thorne. I truly enjoyed meeting you.”

  Just like that, he released me and walked away.

  As I stood on the porch and watched them drive away, I realized that I probably wouldn’t see them again in person and felt a wave of sadness. It had been nice to meet people who hadn’t judged me for the things I saw and heard, but embraced my abilities.

  “I think we’ll be seeing them again,” Teri said as she appeared next to me on the porch.

  “Why do you say that?” I asked as their van disappeared around the corner.

  “Just a hunch. Now, we both need our beauty sleep. Being on camera is hard work.”

  I chuckled weakly. “If you say so.”

  I followed her into the house, shutting the door behind me.

  Mindlessly, I scrolled through the Netflix listings. Nothing piqued my interest but I didn’t feel like reading or cleaning so I intended to watch something mind-numbing on TV.

  Since Mal and his team filmed at the house, I’d gotten a call from the temp agency. They wouldn’t have any work for me for at least two weeks.

  “Moping again, I see?” Teri asked as she plopped down on the couch next to me.

  “I’m not moping,” I grumbled as I browsed the horror movie listings.

  “Coulda fooled me. Ever since Hunkypants left, you’ve been downright surly.”

  I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye. “Surly?”

  She shrugged. “Best word for your attitude lately.”

  Without responding, I chose a movie to watch.

  “Admit it, you enjoyed being around those three.”

  I ignored her and wrapped myself up in a throw from the couch.

  “You were able to tell them the truth and they didn’t judge you,” Teri stated. “You can’t tell me that you didn’t like that.”

  “I told Jonelle the truth and she doesn’t judge me,” I shot back, refusing to look at Teri.

  “Yeah, but this is different. Jonelle accepts the truth. These guys work in your truth.”

  That got my attention. I turned to study her. “What do you mean?”

  “Jonelle is your friend because she likes you, but she doesn’t always understand you. Mal, Stony, and Blaine do. They believe in the paranormal, they seek it out. Their world revolves around it, sorta like yours does.”

  I stared at her silently.

  “What?” she asked, her tone defensive.

  “That was just…unexpectedly insightful,” I replied.

  She scowled at me. “I can be profound.”

  “Yeah, like a fortune cookie.”

  “Whatever. All I’m saying is that I think you should consider that you might be happier if you acknowledged your abilities instead of living as though they don’t exist.”

  Before I could think of a response, my cell phone rang. I picked it up and stared at the screen with wide eyes.

  “Who is it?” Teri asked. Instead of waiting for an answer, she moved around me to stare at the screen. “Holy shit, speak of the devil.”

  I lifted the phone to my ear. “Hello?”

  “Hey, Zoe. It’s Mal. How are you?”

  “Uh, I’m fine.”

  “Listen, if you’re free tomorrow, the guys and I would love it if you came by our hotel to look at our footage and digital recordings so far.”

  “Uh-”

  Teri motioned to me. Go, she mouthed.

  “That sounds like fun,” I answered.

  “Great. We’re in Weatherford. That’s not too far for you, is it?”

  “Um, no. It’s a short drive. What time should I be there?”

  After we settled on a time in the afternoon, he said, “Oh, and there’s something else I want to discuss with you. See you tomorrow.”

  Before I could ask him what he wanted to talk about, he disconnected.

  “I wonder what he wants to talk to me about,” I mused to myself.

  “Hopefully, mutual nudity.”

  I shot a dirty look at Teri. “What is it with you and your obsession with my sex life?”

  She shrugged one shoulder. “One of us should have one and you’re the only one with a pulse.”

  With a sigh, I started the movie and went back to ignoring the oversexed ghost that lived in my house.

  Chapter

  The footage of Marcy the Medium getting hosed down in my bathroom was my favorite.

  “Play it again, Blaine,” I insisted.

  “This is the third time,” he groaned.

  “Yeah, but I’m really enjoying it.”

  Stony laughed. “You’ve got a mean streak. It’s sexy.”

  “You think everything is sexy,” I quipped, rolling my eyes at him.

  “True,” he answered, sipping his beer. “But I still have standards.”

  “Low ones,” Blaine muttered beneath his breath.

  “I heard that.”

  “How about you two jackasses quit fighting long enough for me to talk to Zoe?” Mal interrupted. “Better yet, how about you go to your own room?”

  Complaining and groaning, they got to their feet and exited through the door that connected their room to Mal’s. Mal shut the door behind them with a sigh.

  “Some days it’s like we still live in the damn frat house,” he complained.

  I laughed, because he had an excellent point. Still, I liked hanging out with Blaine and Stony. They were funny.

  “Maybe, but I like them. I think they’re sweet.”

  Mal scoffed. “Don’t let them hear you say that. Their heads will swell.” He sat down next to me in front of the makeshift desk they’d set up using the dining table in the corner of the room. “So, what did you think of the footage?”

  “It’s great,” I stated enthusiastically. “I didn’t realize how many EVP’s you caught. Teri will be happy to know that her voice will be forever immortalized
on the Internet.”

  Mal chuckled. “Teri sounds like an interesting person.” He paused. “I’d like to ask you a question, but I’m not sure if you’d be insulted or not.”

  “The only way to know is to ask me,” I answered.

  “Okay, but no pressure if you feel like this is too intrusive,” he stated, holding his hands out in a gesture of peace.

  I nodded.

  “What’s it like living with a ghost? I mean, does she randomly go through the house slamming doors and flushing the toilet, or does she talk to you? How does that work?”

  I laughed because there was no way his question was insulting. Maybe a bit personal, but not bad at all.

  “Well, it’s kind of like living with a slightly annoying roommate. She shows up at the most inopportune times, she talks a lot, and she’s constantly trying to get me to hook up with my neighbor because she has the hots for him and she wants to live vicariously through me.”

  Mal’s eyes widened at my words. “Whoa.”

  “Yeah. Usually she doesn’t leave a mess. The other night was an anomaly brought on by the fact that she didn’t like Marcy at all.”

  “That’s…interesting,” Mal stated.

  He had no clue, but I didn’t reply, merely lifted a shoulder in agreement.

  “Uh, do you see other ghosts?” he asked.

  “Not always. It really depends on where I am and how crowded it is. The greater the concentration of population, the more spirits I see. That’s why I like Kenna so much. Teri is one of the few ghosts I see regularly.”

  “Really?”

  “Oh, yeah. I lived in Dallas for a while when I went to college. It was hell. Sometimes I would respond to a ghost on autopilot before I fully recognized that no one else could see or hear them. Most of the girls in my dorm thought I was a little odd.”

  Mal smiled. “I’ll bet. Surely some of them weren’t freaked out.”

  I gave him an arch look. “These are college girls we’re talking about. Most of them wanted nothing to do with me.”

  “Have you ever thought about, I don’t know, using your talents to earn money?” Mal asked casually.

  I sensed that we were getting to the real reason he wanted me to come to the hotel today.

  “Not really.”