I blinked. The record shop was again abandoned and dark. No spirits roamed the streets, and a chill ran up and down my spine. Coleman’s presence had retreated once again into the inner recesses of my mind.
I looked back at the field and shivered again, although I was not quite sure why.
Still pondering my vision, I started to cross the street. So engrossed was I in my thoughts that I didn’t hear the roar of the engine until the car was nearly upon me.
I froze, practically in the middle of the street, as a dark vehicle, tires screaming, raced right toward me.
I DOVE,
hitting the pavement hard. Rolling, I was aware of a flurry of motion at my side as the speeding car missed me by mere inches. There was a squeal of brakes, and I thought at first that the driver was stopping to see how I was. My eyes were closed from pain, however, and I barely heard the engine gunning again and the resulting protest from the tires. The driver sped away.
I gasped and cradled my right arm, which had taken the brunt of the fall. My jacket was scraped and torn, and my elbow felt like it was on fire. I shifted, just to make sure that I could still move, and a jolt of pain ran through me. My right leg hurt as well, as did my shoulder. There were tears in my eyes as I heard people approaching rapidly. People from one of the neighborhood houses had obviously witnessed the near hit and were coming to offer aid. Stupidly, however, my first thought—other than wishing the agonizing pain would go away—was the location of my cell phone. It had been in my hand and had gone flying.
My brain was muddled, and I know I cried out as I rolled over onto my back. Someone—a male voice—warned me not to move. I could see faces huddled over me. A young couple, a dark-haired guy with facial stubble and a very worried-looking woman with long blonde hair. Behind them was a kid, maybe six or seven years old. He seemed disappointed there was no visible blood.
I started to sit up, but the guy placed a hand on my shoulder. “Stay still,” he said. “Let’s make sure you’re okay before you start moving around.”
The woman had moved off a few paces, and at first I thought she was speaking into her hand. That’s how befuddled I was. Finally it dawned on me that she was on her phone. “That’s right,” she said. “Whoever it was
tried
to run him over. The car’s lights were off!”
She was right, although I hadn’t realized it at first, being much too occupied with the horrifying thought that a car was speeding toward me. There had been no headlights, even though we were well into dusk.
“Kevin,” I muttered.
The young man with the chin stubble frowned at me. “Is that your name?”
“No, it’s my ex. That must have been who tried to run me over. Kevin Alexander.”
He passed this information along to the woman, and she in turn told the police. Another jolt of pain shot through my arm, so I didn’t pay much attention to what she was saying. The guy, though, was right in my face, so it was hard to ignore him.
“Does this hurt?” he said, touching my leg.
“No,” I said. Mostly it was my hip. I shifted my leg to show the guy it wasn’t broken. He allowed me to sit up. I winced, holding my arm tight against my chest. Everything was blurry. “My glasses.”
“Here they are!” The kid held them up like a prize he’d found.
I put them on. They felt crooked on my face, but at least things were in focus now.
My jeans were torn at the knee, showing a big scrape and some blood. The arm of my jacket had remained intact, but it was streaked and dirty where it had come into contact with the asphalt. I felt woozy.
And odd. Somehow, I knew Coleman Hollis was no longer within me.
More realizations came to me. Just before the car had nearly plowed into me, I’d felt the spirit vacate my body, and forceful hands had pushed me out of the way.
Coleman Hollis had probably saved my life.
THE NEXT
morning, Erin Hughes came to see me at the cafe. Despite my injuries (or, perhaps, because of them) I refused to call off work. Granted, I was stiff, I limped slightly, and I had to use my left hand more than usual, but under the circumstances I think I did okay. I have to admit, though, that I was more than happy to see Ms. Hughes. Gloria allowed me to take a break and sit down with her for a few minutes.
“It wasn’t your ex,” she said as soon as she settled into her chair. “We checked. He was definitely in Rockford last night.”
That didn’t make sense. “It had to be him,” I insisted. “Who else would want to try to kill me?”
The deputy shook her head. “I don’t know, but Kevin Alexander was at work last night. His boss at the Cracker Barrel said he was on duty his whole shift, from three until ten thirty.”
My brush with death had taken place around seven o’clock.
“I thought for sure it was him.”
“You said you didn’t recognize the car,” she reminded me.
True, but I’d assumed he’d borrowed one. Any of Kevin’s buddies would have swapped vehicles for the night. All he’d have to do was give them some lame excuse. But if Kevin hadn’t tried to run me over, who did?
“Could he have hired someone to do it?” I asked.
“Possible, I suppose,” Erin said. She didn’t sound like she thought it likely. And to be fair, how would Kevin know how to find a hit man? It wasn’t like he could locate a hired killer on Craigslist. “Are you sure there isn’t anyone else that would want to harm you?”
“I can’t imagine who,” I replied.
“It may have just been someone who didn’t know you at all.”
“Some random crazy?” I asked.
She smiled gently. “It does happen. Even in little burgs like this one.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Oh? And has anything similar happened in Banning before?”
Erin Hughes had to admit it hadn’t. “We’ll keep looking into it,” she assured him. “And I haven’t ruled anything out, even your ex.” She shifted gears, going from cop doing her job to a friend. “How are you doing?”
“I was pretty lucky, really. Just some nasty scrapes and bruises. They checked me out at the hospital in Dixon, but nothing was broken except my cell phone. That didn’t survive. They prescribed some lovely pills for the pain, though.”
“You and Trey have been keeping me busy. Stop it, will you? I want you guys to stay in one piece.”
I peered into the opening in the back wall into the kitchen, where Trey was making sandwiches for the lunch crowd. “We’ll try.”
“Do more than try.” Good advice. I just wished it were that easy. “I understand you’re moving out of the Raven’s Rest tomorrow.”
I nodded. “My furniture is supposed to be here in the morning. I called the store this morning and they confirmed delivery.”
Erin smiled. “Well, I guess this means you’re officially a resident of Banning now.”
“I guess I am.”
She leaned back, a look of concern on her face. “I’m serious, though, about you staying safe. You’ve pissed someone off, it seems. Enough that they tried to run you over.”
“I have every intention of watching my back from now on.”
I wondered what Erin Hughes would say if I told her that I was sure I’d escaped getting hit only due to the intervention of a ghost. Best, I thought, not to find out.
TREY WASN’T
happy about my decision. “Someone tried to kill you last night, and you want to go somewhere by yourself?”
“It’s broad daylight!” I protested. “And it’s just to Jesenia Maupin’s place.”
“I still don’t like it.”
I wasn’t entirely at ease myself, but I wanted to see Jesenia alone. If anyone had answers to my questions, it was her. And as I hadn’t yet told Trey about my possession—if that was what it even had been—by Coleman, I didn’t want him finding out through my conversation with Jesenia. “It’s just a few blocks over—”
“Yeah, well, everything is just a few blocks over. It’s a small town.” Trey and I were in the kitchen, still leaning over the huge sink, having just finished loading the last of the dirty plates, mugs, and cutlery into the dishwasher. The water we’d used to hose off the knives and forks had been so hot that the basin was still sending up wafts of steam, even though the taps were now off.
“It’ll be fine. And my car’s fixed now. New tire and everything.” Even though it was a Sunday, Roscoe’s Garage had worked on my car and even delivered it to the parking lot of the cafe. I’d tried to tip the big, burly shop owner, but he’d refused to take any money. My first trip in the repaired vehicle had been to purchase a new cell phone.
“I don’t care.” Trey’s arms were folded across his chest, and his face was set in stone. “In the last few days, we’ve both been beaten by your stupid ex-boyfriend. Before that, I was scratched by something that wasn’t there! And last night, he tried to run you over—”
“Deputy Hughes says it couldn’t have been—”
Trey snorted. “Yeah. I’ll believe that when it’s proved beyond a doubt, which will be never. Who else would it have been? You don’t even know that many people in town. And while a customer may not tip you big if you don’t remember to refresh his coffee every five minutes, rarely do they attempt to run you over. As far as I’m concerned, you’re going nowhere without me.”
In a way, I was pleased about his protectiveness. But only in a way. I turned to him, staring into his eyes to let him know how important my words were. I touched his cheek tenderly. “Trey, I know you mean well, but don’t try to be too controlling. It kind of reminds me of Kevin, and—”
He gasped. “Oh no! I didn’t mean to—”
“I know you didn’t. And I know there’s a difference. Kevin’s demands were all about power over me. Yours were out of concern. But if we’re going to be boyfriends, you’re going to have to let me have some space. You’re going to have to know I’m going to make mistakes. And you’re going to have to accept that I’m going to be scared to tell you some things. I hid so much from Kevin, knowing how he’d react.”
“But I’d never—”
I kissed him, cutting off his protests. My lip was still slightly swollen, but at least kissing caused no pain. Quite the opposite, in fact. “I know.” I breathed in and let the air out slowly. “I have to see Jesenia alone. You see, I did something foolish, reckless. It turned out okay, and it’s over now, but I can’t tell you about it yet. I’m just too scared to.”
He frowned at that. “But you can tell me anything. I promise I won’t get angry!”
“And I know that. Well, I hope I do. But I’m still emerging, as it were. Getting out from Kevin’s control. He always said I was stupid, and what I did certainly qualifies. I know you wouldn’t react like he did, but I just can’t tell you. Yet. I will, though. Someday soon.”
This seemed to make sense to Trey, which was good, because I wasn’t sure it made sense to me. “How about if I stay out in the car while you’re at Jesenia’s?”
I had to smile at the earnestness in his face. And his persistence. “Okay,” I relented.
Trey slipped his arms around my waist, not caring that we were in full view of not only his mother, but also several people out in the dining room who could see us if they peered into the pass-through. He rubbed his nose against mine, a mischievous smirk on his face. “See? That wasn’t so hard. But honestly, you can tell me. Whenever you’re ready.”
“I will.”
“Are you two still on the clock?” Gloria sounded more amused than annoyed as she admonished us. She was seated at her desk, reading glasses on, poring over the books, but she paused long enough to frown at us. “Because if you are, smooching isn’t in your job descriptions.”
“We don’t have job descriptions,” Trey reminded her.
“If you did, they’d say to smooch on your own time!”
Reluctantly, Trey released me and we went back to work.
JESENIA’S LITTLE
cottage was dark, even though it was only late afternoon. All the draperies and blinds were closed, letting in only the smallest amount of light. Her living room, lit only by a single lamp, was therefore full of shadows and dark areas. In the dim light, her collection of frogs looked like unrecognizable black lumps. A cat was perched on the back of the couch, its tail swaying slowly as it contemplated whatever it was cats contemplate. The feline glared at me as I entered, seemingly upset that I’d disturbed its ruminations.
Jesenia’s psychic powers must have been working, because she said, “Don’t mind Mittens. He doesn’t care much for too many people.”
I smiled at the cat’s name. Mittens seemed so normal a moniker, and Jesenia was anything but normal. She ushered me to sit at the little table she’d set up in the center of the room. A crystal ball was the only item on the otherwise bare table. Staring at it, I said, “It’s almost like you knew I was coming.”
Jesenia smiled. “I figured you would, sooner or later. About a half hour ago I had a feeling that I should prepare for your visit, so I darkened the room and got everything set up. I’d have felt a fool if you hadn’t arrived. But here you are!”
She sat opposite me, and despite her friendly face and warm nature, I found myself wanting to get back up and run out of the house. I fidgeted a little. “I’m not really sure why I needed to see you. You probably can’t help me, but—”
“Well, we’ll see about that, won’t we? First, tell me everything that’s happened since the séance.”
I filled her in on everything: Kevin’s arrival. The fight. My latest sighting of Coleman, and how I’d been possessed, if that was what it had been. The car that had nearly run me over. Several times during the telling of the tale I nearly lost my nerve, and at times I sat for well over a minute, unspeaking and unable to meet her inquiring gaze. During these times she never pressed me, merely waiting until I started speaking again.
I tried to describe how it felt to have another consciousness within me, and how it felt when Coleman had departed to push me out of the way of the car. Words were inadequate, I knew. How could one describe sharing a mind with another person or the sense of, yes, loss when they were no longer there? Jesenia sat quietly and listened attentively, making no comments but offering me encouraging looks when I would pause, not sure if I could reveal the next part of my story. When I was through, she smiled softly and patted my hand.