The Lost: Book Two, The Eddie McCloskey Series (The Unearthed 2) (7 page)

Mitchel
l
Hollis stood in the doorway and watched Ana Lovsky’s car trundle down the hill as the chill wind made the dead leaves dance.

Hollis was long used to the damp cold winters of Northeastern Pennsylvania. He hardly noticed it anymore.

He wondered if Eddie had swallowed his act. Maybe he’d overdone the crazy old coot part.

It was important to keep up the charade. It kept those disability checks coming in and the nosy out.

He stood there, framed in the doorway, till the car was out of sight and he could hear it no more. He could smell the damp leaves and taste their earthy smell. The wind hinted of snow.

The ghostbuster, or whatever he called himself, was a nobody jailbird with a checkered past. He wouldn’t come back but the seeds were planted.

He stepped outside and petted his dog. The Lab whined happily and thumped its tail against the old tree stump it liked to cozy up to.

“We did good, Zeus,” Hollis said. “They think my place is haunted too.”

The dog yawned and rolled to its side, inviting a belly rub. Hollis gave him one, then went back inside.

He wasn’t having a migraine. Had never had one, actually. That was just part of the ruse. He had the government convinced he was disabled from a car wreck ten years ago. He’d been to the right doctors, so it was difficult to challenge his claims of back and hip pain. He had the normal aches and pains associated with aging but he was far from disabled. The migraines were a nice touch because they were impossible to disprove.

Hollis lived mostly off the land and was a born spendthrift. His boy frequently sent him cash too, which Hollis greedily accepted as payment for having had to raise such a disappointing son.

And he was pretty savvy with the computer for an old coot. He piggybacked on somebody’s wireless server to access the internet. The townsfolk would be surprised at how much he was able to find out with his little laptop, despite his hermetic existence.

That was how he knew all about the ghostbuster. He knew all about the silly ghost stories circulating around town. Knew a lot about a lot, knew a lot about everybody in town.

He began writing an email to his son.

There’s a lot doing down here. It’s time you and I talked. It’s time for a lot of things. Give me a call.

Hollis hit SEND and then went outside to butcher the deer.

* * * *

Two-hundred and fifty six miles away, Michael Hollis was getting ready to leave his office when the email arrived.

He noted the sender of the email, his father, and was filled with a sense of dread. As always, dear old dad hadn’t bothered to put a subject line in the email, making it impossible for him to gauge the importance of the communication. It could be nothing or it could be an emergency.

He didn’t like his father. Didn’t love him either but tried to engage the old man out of some obligation he could never fathom or explain. Deep down he still had an irrational fear of the old bastard.

Michael had hoped that the passage of time would provide his father some much-needed distance on things, but that longed-for perspective had never materialized. Dad was dad was dad.

He figured the email was probably another plea for money or something else unpleasant. Probably nothing earth-shattering. He reasoned that if it was an emergency the old man would call him.

Michael closed his inbox and shut down his computer. He’d had a good day and didn’t want to ruin it by talking to dad. He wanted to get home and share a nice bottle of wine with his wife. He switched off the light on his way out.

“Thank
s
for almost getting me killed,” Ana said after a tense fifteen minute silence.

Eddie, lost in thought, wasn’t in an apologetic mood. “The gun wasn’t loaded.”

“Yeah, but Hollis was. That old head is a pinless grenade.”

Eddie stared out the window. Maybe he should have listened to Ana. It was a bit reckless, going at the old bastard. But that was who he was. Tim would have done things differently for sure, dottings his i’s and crossing his t’s. He could try to be like Tim or he could do things his way.

After Tim’s murder he thought he would change. Grief, guilt, and regret were his constant companions. For awhile he did change. He laid off the booze and drugs. But as the initial shock faded into the background, the old Eddie emerged.

He started drinking again and of course he needed to smoke when he drank and there was the weed again, the great numbing elixir. He was adrift with no plans and no purpose. Idiots tried to romanticize being penniless and without any prospects, mooching weed and smokes from your friends.

That existence had been fun, freeing when he was younger. His carefree, seize-the-moment attitude had made him the envy of all the working-stiffs and of many of the women around town. But at the end of the day, he was the grasshopper with no food for the winter.

Finally, he’d turned to selling for one of his “friends” and wound up in the clink.

In hindsight, probably the best thing that ever happened to him.

Ana came to a stop at an intersection. “Earth to Eddie.”

“Yeah.” He was thinking about the project ahead and how his brother might handle it. Truth be told, neither he nor Tim had worked an investigation of this magnitude. Multiple claims at multiple sites. Many witnesses to debrief.

“How should we handle Kindler?” Ana said.

Eddie snapped out of his reverie. What would Tim have done?

Then Eddie realized. “We’re not going to Kindler’s tonight. We’re going to Colin’s.”

“Why?” Ana turned onto a small road Eddie didn’t recognize.

“Marty Kindler is the subject of this investigation, not in charge of it. You can’t let the subject take control.”

“But he’s expecting us.”

“Call him and tell him we have plans already and we’ll let him know when we can see him.”

“I have to call him?”

“Yeah. That way, you can push it off on me as the unreasonable one. Then when I talk to him it won’t be a surprise we’re not coming.”

“He’s going to be pissed.”

“He’s a big boy, he’ll get over it.”

“What if Colin can’t do tonight?”

“Then we don’t go anywhere. We do some research, massage the plan and talk about what I found out at Hollis’s.”

An impish grin on her face. “Wait a minute—there’s a plan?”

“Very funny.”

“So what did that old shit tell you?” she said.

“He had nothing but good things to say about you. I don’t remember the first couple words but the last few were and the horse she rode in on.”

“You’re a riot.”

“He did say that puddles of water were collecting in different parts of the old ratstead.”

She nearly drove off the road. “Shut the fruit cup! Water?”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself. You said it yourself, the old man’s got one oar in the water.”

“Water, Eddie. Water. It’s Tessa. It’s her footprints, just like she’s leaving at Kindler’s. It’s her under the water crying for help. It’s all right in front us.”

Ana shivered like she’d just plunged into freezing water.

“Except for what isn’t,” Eddie said.

“Huh?”

“There’s always something you don’t see.”

When Tim was stumped, he’d talk it out with one person and only one person. Eddie wondered if that same person would talk it out with him.

“Can I use your phone?” Eddie asked.

“You really need to get a cell phone.”

“Somebody I need to call.”

“Hence, the phone.”

“Smartass.”

Ana retrieved her phone from her altogether too tight pants by lifting her cute little fanny off the seat. She handed the phone to him.

“Hey, listen. I know you met my boyfriend the other night when we were all out having a good time but …”

“But what?” he asked.

Worry lines formed around her eyes. “He’s going through a tough time right now, okay? I just want to leave it at that.”

Eddie didn’t say a word.

But Ana didn’t leave it at that. “He’s a good guy. He’s just having a hard time right now, you know what I mean?”

“Sure I do.”

The
y
drove to the bar to pick up Eddie’s car. He would have given one of his toes for a beer but there was no time. He had to make a call, look at some tape, and get ready for Colin’s.

He’d planned to think about the investigation on the way to Ana’s apartment, but he kept thinking about Ana instead.

They pulled into her complex and parked next to each other. Ana went ahead so Eddie could make the call from his car.

He watched her walk away in the side view. The lack of panty lines around her ass intrigued him. So what if she had a boyfriend? He didn’t owe the guy anything and they could keep it between themselves. Or maybe she’d even dump him. Eddie could tell she wasn’t happy with Jimbo. The more she tried to say how nice a guy he was, the hollower it sounded.

But did he really intend to date her? More likely that was the Neanderthal inside him trying to rationalize what he wanted to do.

Eddie looked down at the phone and realized some female companionship would go a long way and was also available.

He fished out the piece of paper from the grocery store and dialed.

“Hello?” Elsie said.

“Hello.”

“Who’s this?”

“My dear, we met earlier today, and I haven’t stopped thinking about you since.”

Her voice grew warmer. “Oh you. I was counting the minutes.”

“That sure I would call?”

“Yes.”

He laughed. “I heard your cable was out and you needed somebody to come by.”

“It’s about time. I’ve been calling you people for months.”

“My schedule opens up later tonight.”

“When can I expect you?”

“You know how it is. Customer service overbooks us. I’ll be there between the hours of eleven and two.”

“When is the cable company going to learn?”

“Never. Are you available in that window?”

“You’re in luck. The kids are down the street at a sleepover and I have a couple bottles of wine. I hope you like red.”

“No can do. I’m a Pinot Grigio guy.”

“Too bad. I guess I’ll have to settle for the next slightly-adorable hunk that calls me out of the blue.”

“Slightly?”

“Goodbye, Ed—”

“I’ve reconsidered. Is it okay if I come by that late?”

“I’ll leave the back door open.”

Eddie left that one alone. “The kids will be out, but what about their father?”

“He’ll be here. We like to swing.”

Eddie waited for it.

“I’m kidding. He’s out of the picture.”

Eddie smiled. “Look forward to seeing you, Elsie.”

“Me too.”

Women had always been easy for him. Well most of them anyway. The one that didn’t was the only one he’d ever loved. She’d dumped him and married Stan, one of his good friends.

Which brought him to his next call.

Eddi
e
dialed Stan’s phone number from memory. It was a land line in Stan’s house, a huge place that he and Tim used to jokingly call The Stansion.

Eddie took a deep breath and hoped Stan would answer.

“Hello?”

It wasn’t Stan. “Hey, Moira.”

“... Eddie?”

Her voice sent his mind racing and it took him a moment to answer. “It’s me, alright. How are you?”

“My God, is it really you?”

“Back from the dead.”

“Eddie …”

She didn’t sound excited but she didn’t sound cold either. Eddie looked out the window and tried to block out the memories of all the bad choices he’d made over the years.

“I miss you guys. I’ve been meaning to call. But I’ve been ... you know how I am.”

Her voice went flat. “Do you need something? Money, or a place to stay?”

She spoke to him like he was an embarrassing distant relative who always had his hand out. Stan had helped him with bail money back in the day.

A spark of anger lit inside him. It was the anger of a man who’d been honestly accused.

He kept his voice calm. “No, it’s nothing like that. I’m actually working a case and wanted to run some things by Stan.”

“What kind of case?”

The power this woman still held over him was surprising. “There’s only one kind of case I’d be working, M.”

Just the sound of her breathing now. Eddie waited.

“I’ll give you to Stan.”

He waited for the phone to be handed over. Imagined her offering it to Stan with a cross look on her face. Don’t go easy on this guy. He was nothing but trouble and now he wants your help again.

But it was Moira’s voice he heard again. “I hope you’re okay, Eddie. I really do.”

“M, I’m real—”

“Eddie?!”

“Stan!”

“Who the fuck pulled the stake out of your heart?”

And just like that it was ten years ago. Two good friends having at each other. Eddie relaxed.

“I know, Stan. It’s been awhile.”

“Too long, brother.”

There was a lull. Eddie knew he owed them an apology and if he didn’t say it now, he might never.

“I’m sorry about the wedding. No excuses, but I am sorry.”

Stan didn’t even hesitate. “I appreciate that, but don’t even think about it. I know it was a tough time for you.”

Eddie was just out of the joint and still going through withdrawal and rehab.

“I’ll bet it was great.”

They caught up for a few minutes and had a couple laughs. As Stan relayed the latest from home Eddie felt a pang of nostalgia. Sheriff Charlie Waite was now coaching the community college basketball team. He’d helped them out on their last investigation. Old Mrs. Dilworth had passed away, finally. She’d been telling everyone she was dying for the last twenty years. Her son Willie had decided he was really a woman so he was spending his inheritance on gender reassignment.

“That fucker was at least six-three, two-sixty.”

“Son of a bitch was hung like a giraffe.”

“You would know that, Stan. Sometimes I wonder about you.”

Then Stan grew serious. “Listen. I know where you are. I’d like to come out there.”

“What? How?”

“Electronic chatter, brother. I set up a google alert on your name some time back and got a few hits last night.”

Eddie didn’t know whether to feel flattered or offended. He settled on the former. Stan had only been looking out for him.

“No shit?”

“No shit.”

“Not good. If you figured out how to find me, old man McKenna shouldn’t have any problem. You know where he is?”

“He’s not around here anymore. He and the wife split up last I heard.”

Now Eddie had to figure Sean McKenna would come looking for him. 

Stan said, “Look, man, I could help you. I’m only four hours away.”

Eddie paused. It would be great to have Stan’s knowledge, gadgets … just his presence. But he balked at the idea.

“I’ll bet Moira would love that.”

“She’s pissed but she still cares about you.”

“That’s a start.”

It would be great to have Stan’s help but Eddie didn’t want him getting mixed up in anything. The last job had gone bad, horribly bad, and he’d never forgive himself if something happened to Stan. Eddie had already screwed up Moira’s life once with his drinking and drug use. He wouldn’t hurt her again by getting Stan into trouble.

“No, Stan, I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“You sure?” Stan leaned on the word and it was almost enough to change Eddie’s mind.

“Thanks, but I’m sure. But I could definitely use your advice right about now.”

“About what?”

“Tim always went to you when he needed to kick ideas around. I was wondering if you could do the same for me.”

“What are you looking at?”

“Multiple sites. Dozens of varying claims. If the claims are valid, we’re looking at intelligent hauntings.”

Stan laughed. “You sure you don’t need some help on this?”

“Yeah. But I do need some ideas on how to bogus these claims.”

“Tell me again how you got roped into this.” Stan was almost in stitches on the other end of the line.

“You know me. I’m a sucker for a damsel-in-distress.”

Now Stan was dying.

It was full dark out now. The moon hid behind dense clouds.

Eddie said, “Some dude’s saying his house gets freezing cold at night.”

Stan chuckled. “Did they pay their oil bill?”

“Not all of us hit the lottery, Stan.”

Stan had hit the mega millions seven years ago and since had never worked a day in his life. But he had a lot of hobbies.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. See, Eddie, there’s this thing called a thermostat …”

“Yeah, no shit.”

Stan laughed again. “They’re sophisticated nowadays. You can set the temp to change throughout the day. Simplest explanation: he sets it to get cold overnight.”

“Yeah, but couldn’t I just check the thermostat to see if he’d programmed it that way?”

“You’re hopeless, dude. Totally hopeless.”

“Okay, Mr. Homeowner, please teach this poor man’s renter how to manipulate a thermostat without touching it.”

It took Stan less than five seconds to explain.

“Really?”

“Yeah. That’s all it would take.”

Eddie rubbed the day’s worth of stubble peppering his face. Thought about what to do. They spoke about the other two claims Eddie was to investigate. The conversation started to wind down.

“Seriously, I’m only four hours away,” Stan said.

“Five, the way you drive.”

“Ha, ha. Least I’ve never lost my license.”

Eddie got out of the fogged-up car and stepped into the blustery cold. “Kiss my ass. And think about the footprints for me.”

“I could ask Moira to do some research—”

“Don’t.”

“It’s cool.”

“It’s not.”

“You’re just as stubborn as Tim was.”

“Thanks.”

“Dude.”

“Yeah?”

Stan paused. “It was good talking to you.”

“Same here.” Eddie started walking toward Ana’s building.

“One more thing I wanted to tell you.”

The tone in Stan’s voice stopped Eddie dead in his tracks. “You’re considering a sex change, aren’t you?”

Stan didn’t laugh. He took a long time to say the next thing. “Moira’s pregnant.”

Jealousy knifed Eddie’s gut. He’d thought he was over her. But there it was, the green-eyed monster, telling him how much he still regretted losing Moira. And now she was having a child ...

“That’s awesome. Tell her congrats for me. When’s the baby due?”

“Thanks. We’re real excited. She’s due in three months.”

“Just one question, Stan. I don’t know how to ask this …”

“Fire away, dude.”

“Who’s the father?”

“Fuck you, asshole.”

They were both laughing when they hung up.