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I arrived home with every intention of going straight to the angel room and having one of them track down LeeAnn so that I could visit her. I was good with directions and could track the ghost even if she kept moving; however, having angels meant they could at least let me know if the ghost was semi-cooperative.
Ghosts still had free will like humans and if she wanted to avoid me and conversations about the family, I couldn’t force her. I could only try to corner her and hand her over to the angel of Death.
I didn’t expect to find Paul pacing in the dining room.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“How was the crime scene?” He changed the subject.
I shrugged. “Accidental death. Teenagers drinking on boats on gator-filled waters, not smart.”
“Clearly. Progress with the family?” he asked.
I sat at the table. “No, they’re grieving and believing the banshee warning is true. Which I suppose it is now. Hopefully it’s just the one death. I don’t get why they’re so afraid this time. It’s like the ghost is taunting them somehow.”
“Publicity?” he asked.
“For some maybe, but I believe that the banshee is acting differently. If she is a warning of death, why wasn’t she there? Mourning with her family? She’s avoiding me, and I need to get the angels on it. One can track her down and stick with her. Maybe tell me if she’s avoiding me for a reason,” I replied.
“Don’t let me stop you,” he said.
I frowned. “You’re obviously upset about something. You’re here in the middle of the day pacing. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing like death, accidental or otherwise.” He waved it off.
Folding my arms, I leaned back in the chair. “If I don’t make time for my husband, we’re going to be a messed-up couple fast. There is always death and demons around me.”
Paul smiled sardonically. “Brody quit. The bar and the rehab. No notice. He came in and got his things, said he couldn’t do it anymore. He can’t handle being around Ivy again.”
“What? They just talked last night. Ivy said it all went well.” I pulled out my phone.
“I was there at the bar. I heard her. Brody stayed in the back working, which worried me but there’s plenty of work to do in a busy bar.” Paul shrugged.
I texted Ivy: We need to talk. What really went down with Brody?
Ivy: not now
I texted Greg: Where is Ivy?
Greg: Your house. Why?
“Greg is texting, that’s something. He says Ivy is here.” I closed my eyes and felt through all the rooms. She was in her room. All the new construction workers distracted me.
“I haven’t been upstairs. I’m not trying to confront her. I just needed to walk away from the rehab,” Paul said.
I texted Greg: Ivy and Brody’s talk went bad. They broke up and it was ugly. She said nothing. You?
Greg: Nothing about Brody. OMW
“What does OMW mean in text speak?” I asked.
“On my way,” Paul chuckled.
“You’re the one working with the kids in rehab all day. I’m not that hip,” I said.
“Very not hip but I love you anyway,” Paul said.
“Y0u need to hire someone for the front desk of the rehab. The bar is Ivy’s problem,” I said.
Paul nodded. “I can promote the other receptionist to full-time. But we need someone to fill in and work weekends. They were splitting the hours. I have a few leads to hiring. Luckily, a lot of docs are volunteering to help—they’re covering the patient work right now.”
“You need to leave this to the manager,” I said.
“No, I need to be sure the right person is on the front desk,” he said.
“Trust your gut. I’m going to check on Ivy,” I said.
One the second floor, I dodged construction workers and the rumbling of the ghosts trapped in the attic. They weren’t happy about the construction but they were locked up there for a reason. The angels would make sure the supernatural containment held.
I knocked on Ivy’s door and it went very quiet inside.
“Ivy, I know you’re there. I know. Let me know,” I said.
“Fine.” She opened the door. “I didn’t want to fail again.”
“You can’t fail.” I hugged her and nudged her back into the room where the prying eyes of nosy workers couldn’t make things worse. “There are some pretty hot guys working on Frankie’s crew.”
“De!” Ivy laughed.
“Why didn’t you tell us what really happened?” I asked as I sat on her bed.
She shrugged. “I didn’t handle the wedding well. I said all the wrong things to Brody. I care about him but he’s so sure. I’m not ready to jump off a cliff with him.”
“Marriage isn’t exactly jumping off a cliff.” I wasn’t sold on the metaphor.
“But that’s how it feels to me. Not like an adventure together but like I might die if I do it wrong. It has to be wrong.” She grabbed another tissue and blew her nose.
Her makeup was half cried off.
“I’m sorry. Did he push marriage again?” I asked.
Ivy looked in the mirror. “I’m a mess.” She yanked out a package of wipes and began removing all her makeup.
“Stop dodging. Greg is headed over. Brody has quit both rehab and helping at the bar. I think he’s moving too.”
Ivy yanked off her wig and tossed it across the room.
“Sorry, I thought it might help to know he really did feel as strongly. It wasn’t to make you feel bad or punish you. He probably won’t be around anymore. You both need some space.” I’d been dealing with demons and angels so much my human shrink game was lacking.
“It’s good. We just had counted on him. The group.” Ivy went into her closet.
A few minutes later she came out in jeans and a T-shirt. I never thought of myself as unfeminine—my look was functional for climbing through haunted homes or trudging around a bayou—but Ivy in jeans and a T-shirt.
No jewels, no makeup. It wasn’t the first time I’d seen her like that but it was odd.
“You’re still you. One bad relationship doesn’t change that.” I hugged her.
“It wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t good enough,” Ivy whispered.
“The amazing guy will show up. Mine did.” I hugged her tighter. “It’s so weird to hug you without your fake boobs.”
Ivy laughed and pulled away, wiping her face. “It is a miracle and Paul is good.”
“Thanks.” I rolled my eyes.
My phone beeped.
Greg: I’m here. Ivy okay?
“Greg is here. He’s concerned. If you want to hibernate, I understand. I need to get back on the case stuff, if you’re okay,” I said.
She checked her phone shook her head. “Greg isn’t here just for me. I’m fine. Let’s go down.”
Greg stood there talking to Paul.
“Hi,” I said.
Greg nodded to me and hugged Ivy.
They followed me into the dining room. “Anyone need drinks?”
No one seemed interested in anything from the kitchen. We all sat down.
“Sorry,” Ivy said to Paul.
“It’s fine, I just wish you’d told us. Pretending things are okay only makes it harder. Professionally, you need to handle the bar. Brody is moving out, I told my landlord to cancel the lease,” Paul said.
I nodded. “No reason to keep it.”
“I’m sorry if this is rude but I need to get to why I came over,” Greg said.
“It wasn’t about Brody and Ivy?” I asked.
Greg shook his head. “Eli is back in the States.”
“Matt didn’t say anything,” I replied.
Greg leaned against the wall. “I just got a text that his plane landed. I’m guessing Matt will find out sometime during the day. Eli has been put into seclusion by the church.”
“Seclusion here, not say, the Vatican basement—where I assume there is a secret torture chamber?” I asked.
Greg smiled. “Be nice. He tried to access the Vatican, actually. He was sent back to his parish and is under observation.”
“He’s going to be exorcised?” I asked.
Greg frowned.
“What? He needs a proper one. I’m not qualified.” I pressed.
“You have the powers that instruction can’t give. Eli will undergo mental health and overall health clearance first. The church doesn’t want liability or lawsuits,” Greg reminded me.
“He won’t pass mental clearance. At least he won’t have access to parishioners anymore. Or the public. Hopefully, they get him fixed,” Paul said.
“Can you make sure he gets a good psych consult?” I asked Paul.
“You want me to volunteer?” he asked.
“No, absolutely not. That’d be way too dangerous,” I warned.
“We have someone,” Greg said.
Ivy rolled her eyes. “The church is so flawless.”
“Nothing and no one are flawless,” Greg defended.
“Stop, everyone. Eli is contained at least, that’s good. Ivy, the bar needs your attention. Your personal life is yours and we’re all here for you. Girls night, get drunk, new guys, or whatever you need—but I need you to handle the bar stuff. Paul has the rehab. Greg, please keep me posted on Eli. Anything else?” I asked.
“I thought you’d be relieved. Eli isn’t your problem anymore,” Greg said.
I sighed. “If he escapes or becomes a public danger again, it’s my problem. I’m glad he’s not out there circling like a vulture but it was nice when he was Europe’s problem. Now I can’t ignore him. He’s too clever and his demons aren’t limited by him being under the church’s control.”
Greg nodded. “I’ll go.”
“Don’t, you don’t need to leave,” I said as he turned for the door.
Greg left silently and I felt like there was no right answer.
“He’s deep in religious mode,” Ivy said.
“Good for him. That doesn’t mean Eli can’t be infected by demons or infect others from where he is. Greg thinks it’s all contained but the supernatural doesn’t work that way.” I rubbed my temples.
“He knows. He’s got so much guilt, it’s like he wants to hide. I’ve told him there’s no blame. We’re all human, like he said. We all screw up sometimes but he thinks he should be better,” Ivy explained.
I groaned. “That’s all we need. Pride and arrogance working on him.”
“You think their exorcism won’t work?” Paul asked.
I shrugged. “It can. It can also fail and others become vulnerable to demons. If they even perform one but with the liability, I doubt it gets that far. Every religion thinks they can harness the power of God. It’s so easy for people to let the gifts go to their heads.”
“If you’re that worried about Eli, have one of the angels babysit him. Like you want to do for that ghost,” Paul suggested.
“Not a bad idea.” Why hadn’t I thought of that?
“Angels are perfect?” Ivy asked.
“They can’t disobey the man upstairs, so more or less, yep.” I shrugged.
“Okay, well, if I’ve caused enough trouble—I’ll head to the bar and whip it back into shape,” Ivy said.
“Thanks,” I said. “Wait. Dressed like that?”
Ivy nodded. “I need to work on me and the bar, not keep up an image right now. It doesn’t feel genuine to be so put together and flashy just now.”
“I get that. If you need anything, call,” I said.
“Yes, boss.” Ivy was gone in a flash.
“Let’s get some lunch after I chat with the group of angels,” I suggested to Paul.
He smiled. “You’ll be back out the door in minutes after that ghost.”
“Probably.” I headed upstairs.
Twenty minutes later I was in the bayou near where the accident happened. The gators didn’t bother me, I found my angel and the banshee was up in a tree, weeping. Gunner stood by the car. Backup was good but sometimes I needed to handle stuff solo.
“You know you’re dead, right, LeeAnn?” I asked.
The banshee snapped her head and looked in my direction. There was something slightly more solid about her than a normal ghost but I didn’t feel any special powers in her.
But something behind her eyes. A slight tinge of red. Was she working with more than just free will?
“You can go to Heaven and watch over your family from there. You can visit. Your warnings are scaring the children. They want you to stop,” I said.
The banshee looked up and shrieked.
Putting my hands over my ears, I waited for the vibrant pain to stop.
“You were cheated out of a long life. Sorry, you can take that up with God. Not me. Death!” I shouted.
The banshee shook her head.
“Death! I have a soul for you,” I said.
“It’s not pure,” the angel said.
“Vengeful or vengeance demon?” I asked. A ghost could pull the free will to stay but it had to dodge Death.
If there was a demon involved it got much more complicated.
“Demon.” I nodded.
The banshee flew at me and the angel darted in front of me.
I looked away as sparks and a fiery streak rippled in the air.
Just then, Death appeared as a little old nun. Not scary at all.
“The soul?” Death demanded.
“Angel is wrestling with a demon in the soul right now. Tricky one,” I said.
“I can’t take it that way. You know this.” The nun wagged a finger at me and vanished.
I marched back to the car.
“You don’t look happy. What’s with the fireworks?” Gunner asked.
“There’s a demon in the ghost. Can’t make Death take it. My angel is fighting it since the banshee tried to attack me.” I leaned on the passenger door. “That explains why Death couldn’t take them but that’s a lot of vengeance. I mean, her contemporaries who wronged her are long dead. She’s going after her descendants now.” I got in the car, frustrated by the fight.
“Pain and death are confusing. Justice looks different to everyone,” Gunner commented.
I nodded. “It’s not my job to judge but I have to help. Is the demon new? Or old?”
Gunner started the car. “Asking me or the angel?”
“The angel is still fighting. We have to go. Amy?” I asked.
My angel appeared in the backseat.
“The demon-is it new or old?”
“All demons are old,” she replied.
“The attachment to LeeAnn, new or old?” I clarified.
“Yes.” The angel vanished.
“When angels are pissing me off, it’s time to take a break. Lunch. I need a burger and a lot of fries,” I said.
Gunner nodded. “You are human. You need fuel and rest.”
It was a good reminder that the angels and demons and even ghosts didn’t—they could haunt, shriek, and fight non-stop. I had to stay strong and not let cracks appear that would compromise me or my family.