CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Amanda stared out at the highway in front of them. “Are we going back to Zephyr Land?”

Jake kept a steady gaze on the road. “Yep. Unless you think we should hire some personal bodyguards or something.”

She socked him in the arm. “Hey, I’m only trying to keep us safe. You have to admit. A creepy abandoned amusement park. A woman who seems scared for no reason, over something that happened ten years ago.”

“I don’t call that anything but what it is. Coincidence.”

Glancing out the passenger window, she bit her lip. Some things weren’t worth arguing over. Especially when there would be no winning side, not with Jake. One sacrifice for having what she wanted—a normal relationship. With this man. The one who understood and listened to her more than any other boyfriend had.

The minutes ticked by, along with the miles.

“I’m tired,” Amanda said. “And it’s late. Can we go back to the inn? Catch up on our research and return to Zephyr Land tomorrow?”

Jake shrugged. “I can always use time to type up my notes, but didn’t you want to get in a few hours of analyzing the carousel?”

Right. The carousel. A reason she had come on this trip with Jake to begin with.

Time to get some career focus. Ever since the ghosts showed up and the derailment news had rattled her mind, her goal of changing her career had taken a backseat. Why couldn’t her gift keep its nose out of her career plans? Instead, the two seemed to be in a perpetual war.

“Good idea, but let’s grab something to eat at the inn first,” she said. “Then we can see the park at sunset.”

“Now you’re talking.”

* * *

An hour later when Amanda and Jake returned to the park, the large pink sun began its descent behind the cypress trees. Tiny glints of light poked through the web of Spanish moss dangling from the oaks.

“Look at this,” Jake said, moving about ten paces to his right. “Check out the silhouette of the roller coaster.”

She moved closer to him, then saw the coiling track arch in silhouette against the sun. “Beautiful.”

“Let’s make sure everything is fine in the carousel tent, then I’ll leave you to your work,” he said. “I need to inspect the roller coaster cars.”

A warm feeling surged through her. “You’re concerned about me, eh?”

He squeezed her hand. “I am.”

She squeezed back. “I think I like dating a Southern gentleman.”

With a wink, he flashed her a charming smile. “Anyone would do the same. It’s twilight. We should make sure there aren’t any stray animals or trespassers in the tent.”

Stray raccoons weren’t her concern. Declan and a mob of impatient ghosts, however? Definitely.

Jake yanked open the flaps to the carousel tent. Three crows whooshed past, barely inches above his head.

“What the—”

“Just birds needing shelter from the rain earlier,” Amanda said, surprised at her own voice of reason. That’s when she spotted Declan sitting on the ostrich carousel piece, waiting for her.

Jake dusted himself off while Declan said, “We need to talk.”

She turned away. Was not going to have two conversations at once again.

“I think the place is secure,” she said. “You’ll be near the roller coaster car shed?”

“Yeah. I’ll use my cell phone as a camera tonight, but if I find anything that needs macro ultra-close-up shots, can I borrow your camera tomorrow?”

“No problem.”

Once he left, she let out a deep breath. “Declan. What are you doing here?”

He leapt off the ostrich like it was a real animal he’d tamed in some rugged terrain. Who knows? Maybe before coming to bother her, he used to talk to other gifted people in the outback.

“The natives are restless,” he said with a smile. “I need your help. I know you want to deny your gift—”

“Only in front of Jake.” She peered out the flaps and ensured Jake had walked away. “But yes, with the research he’s doing, I am helping.” She propped herself against the side of the carousel, looking up at Declan.

“I talked to Chester and Andrew, the two execs from Bello and Toale. They admit that Randall Kern might have had the motive to kill them.” Declan looked down from his stance near the ostrich.

“I’m suspicious of Randall myself,” Amanda said. “But we don’t have any proof. Jake scoured the library, researched the lawsuit. Randall had his life ruined by those guys, but there’s no evidence that he sabotaged the ride. He didn’t even step foot back onto company property once the lawsuit ended.”

“But the cops questioned him as a witness to the derailment.”

“Only because he lives near the park,” she said. “We went to see him—”

“You what?” Declan’s eyes darkened. Amanda didn’t even know ghosts’ eyes could darken. “You talked with him?”

“I thought you wanted me to bring these ghosts’ killer to justice. Of course we talked with him. Jake wanted to meet him for his reputation alone, and I figured I could make heads or tails as to whether he was guilty.”

“And?”

“I think he’s guilty, but that’s just intuition. Something tells me he didn’t intend for things to happen the way they did, but I’m fairly sure he is responsible.”

Declan paced between the horses, ostriches, and the giant bear figurine on the carousel. “I do too, but you’re right. We need proof for you to call the police.”

“Why did those execs set him up, anyway? Not that I condone murdering your ex-boss, but Randall definitely has the biggest motive. I can’t blame the guy for being angry at how they ruined him.”

Declan smiled at her, put his hands in his pockets, and leaned against one of the flag horses. “You’re preaching to the choir. Those guys are jerks. I’m trying to get all the info I can to help them reach their next realm so I can move on to my next job.”

She tilted her head. “Tell me what the next realm is like. Are these two going to go off into the sunset, rewarded for the greed and lies they forged?”

“No. More like, they’ll go through standard orientation and then become civil servants in the afterlife.”

She laughed. “At least there’s some justice in the world. Or, the world after.”

“I hope so.” His eyes stared into hers. “For Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee, as well as whoever hurt the women and children. Speaking of which, Becca made me promise—or should I say pinky swear—that you would say hello to Sarah and Pearl for her.”

Amanda smiled at the words pinky swear. Some things were purely from a child’s mind. “Sure. I’ll manage to make some time alone in the lobby so I can talk to them.”

Declan jumped off the carousel base and onto the ground. “Tell me something.”

His gaze seemed so intent, she wondered what subject he would bring up. She braced for whatever it could be.

“What’s that?” she asked.

“Why are you so intent on fitting in to a world, and with a guy, that doesn’t know the real you?”

“Don’t start—”

“I’m serious. How do you think this will end, Amanda? You might get the cops to arrest the killer, the ghosts and I will be gone, but then what? You return to your life and continue to ignore—worse, deny—that you have a talent given to so few?”

She closed her eyes tight.

“What are you doing?” Declan asked.

“Hoping that if I click my heels together, you’ll disappear. Or at least stop talking.”

“Ha-ha. Things could be worse. I could sing off tune for hours.”

She opened her eyes and smiled at the persistent ghost. “I know you mean well, but I’m tired of people lecturing me about my gift. You, my aunt, random ghosts, even Pearl. Just let me be.”

“I can’t. Besides, Jake’s not an idiot,” Declan began. “One day, he’s bound to find out. Some slip up. Don’t you think it will be better for both of you to hear it from your lips? He expects you to get on medication and seek treatment, perhaps inpatient, for crying out loud. Don’t let him convince you to do that.”

“How do you know that about Jake?”

“I have ways of finding out information.”

“Obviously.” What other things did Declan know about?

“Trust me—you don’t want to be in a psych ward. My sister spent time in one. I know what’s in your future if you don’t tell Jake the truth.”

Amanda tried to imagine the horrors of a psych ward. The regular world wasn’t exactly accepting of the supernatural. But a mental institution? Talk about zero tolerance.

“I’m sorry to hear about your sister,” she said.

Declan crossed his arms, his jaw tightening as he hissed out the words, “They stuck Brianna with needles, did shock therapy, and numerous other things not to be spoken of.”

“Because she could see ghosts, like me?”

He stared off at one of the horse pieces. “Yes, though at the time she could only hear them. My parents were good people. They thought they were doing what was best for her, but—”

“But no one deserves that,” Amanda said, reaching for his semitransparent hand. Coolness swept across her arm as she tried to hold him but couldn’t.

“Not much contact between the dead and the living, not without prior permission,” Declan said.

“From whom?”

Her aunt had told her there were numerous types of spirits walking the Earth at any given time. Ghosts, fairies, and others. Forces from good and evil. So who would give permission for things such as holding a hand?

“The powers that be,” Declan said, declining to elaborate further. “My point, I don’t want to see you wind up being overmedicated or put in a mental hospital.”

Amanda nodded. “I appreciate your concern, but I’ll be okay. Jake wants assurance I won’t turn into his mother, that’s all. I’ll figure it out.”

“How? You need to plan to tell him, Amanda. No matter what his reaction, he deserves to know the truth. The real you.” Declan paused a moment. “We aren’t the only ghosts who need your help.”

His words sunk in slowly, set off alarm bells in her mind. “Wait a second. You told me that these ghosts would cross over if I helped you.” She wanted to shake him. If only she could put her hands on his shoulders…

“I did.”

“But now you’re saying there are more jobs you need help with?”

Nausea pushed through her stomach. She choked back the urge to throw up as the dizziness washed over her.

“I’m saying you have the gift of helping the dead. Your aunt has the gift of moving place to place without being seen. Those gifts will need to be utilized throughout your lives. Jake may not like or understand how you can talk to the dead, but if you want a life with him…”

“Then he needs to accept me. That’s what you were going to say, right?”

Declan’s green eyes met her own. “Yes.”

“Then I decide when to tell him. Not you, not Aunt Anzhela. Deal?”

He gave a half grin. “Agreed.”

While his answer offered comfort, she wasn’t so sure about the look in his eyes.