Crossroads (12 page)

Mac looked down at his watch.

‘I’m due back at the station, I don’t have time for this,’ he shook his head. ‘Look whatever the issue is between you and Veronica I suggest you deal with it. We need to find out what’s going on around here before anyone else gets hurt and in Olivia and Charles’ absence she’s our best chance at figuring it out. So suck it up and go see her.’

‘Fine,’ Jake frowned, ‘but I need to go back to the station and collect the security disc for the Bailey’s store.’

‘No need,’ Mac smiled, ‘got it right here.’

‘Great,’ Jake replied sourly as Mac pulled the disc from his jacket pocket and handed it over.

‘Let me know what she says,’ Mac nodded and headed out.

Jake turned and reluctantly headed in the direction of the museum, figuring he might as well walk. It would at least give him time to figure out what the hell he was going to say to Roni. He’d been a coward, he knew it. He’d been avoiding her since the ‘kiss’, he hadn’t even been able to face going back and picking up Beau yet. Instead he’d texted her and asked her to keep hold of him for an extra few days. It was pathetic, he sighed and shook his head. What the hell had possessed him to kiss her like that? He shouldn’t have done it, she just looked so damn cute, all flushed and embarrassed. He’d only meant to give her a teasing little peck on the lips but the second his mouth landed on hers he stopped thinking completely. God, now he was thinking about her mouth again. It wasn’t fair, he just wanted to go back to the comfortable friend zone they’d been in, but now he’d made it awkward between them. It didn’t help that he couldn’t sleep, couldn’t stop thinking about her, about how she’d tasted, how she’d sighed into his mouth, how smooth and soft her skin had been under his fingers. How she’d snaked her arms around his neck and wrapped herself around him until he couldn’t breathe without inhaling her. Damn it, he almost growled, he should’ve just kept his mouth to himself.

It wasn’t like he wasn’t attracted to her, he was, in fact he would’ve liked nothing better than her naked and beneath him but that wasn’t going to happen. It was too complicated and he didn’t do complicated. Roni wasn’t the kind of girl a guy had a fling with, she was the kind of girl a guy married.

He entered the museum, pausing only briefly to ask the girl at the desk where Roni was before heading up to her office still muttering to himself. It was just one kiss; he was probably making a big deal about nothing. She hadn’t called him, she hadn’t texted him back other than to say okay, when he’d asked her to keep hold of Beau. He was totally over-reacting; she hadn’t mentioned it; in fact, she’d probably already forgotten all about it. It was probably fine. He knocked lightly and opened the door.

It wasn’t fine.

Roni looked up from her desk at the intrusion and the second she caught sight of Jake her eyes darkened and her jaw clenched. She looked furious. Damn it, Jake thought absently, she looked sexy as hell when she was pissed.

‘Is there something I can do for you Deputy?’ her eyes may have blazed hotly but her tone was chillier than an ice floe heading for Greenland.

Yep definitely pissed.

Veronica looked at Jake, leaning casually against her door, and her temper spiked again. She ruthlessly shoved it back down and turned back to her work. She didn’t want to talk to him now or possibly ever. She was mortified beyond words, not only because he’d heard her innermost private thoughts, although she still maintained she hadn’t spoken the words aloud, but what other explanation was there? But she was also pissed at herself as much as him, the whole situation was embarrassing and just plain uncomfortable. He’d meant to give her a light teasing peck, she knew it, she’d read it in his expression, but the minute his lips had touched hers she’d latched on. He was obviously embarrassed she’d taken things too far and had run as far and fast as he could. He hadn’t even come back to pick up Beau. God, she wished she could just hit the rewind button, but she couldn’t she thought with a sigh. She’d probably ruined their friendship all because she couldn’t keep her pathetic crush on him under control.

‘Roni?’ he stepped into her office and clicked the door closed behind him.

‘Jake I’m really rather busy. If you’ve come to pick up Beau, he’s not here. Mitchell took him out for a walk for me.’

‘No, I haven’t come to…wait who the hell is Mitchell?’ he frowned.

The door suddenly opened behind him and an enthusiastic ball of fur bounded through and tried to scramble up his legs, barking happily in recognition.

‘Hey Boy,’ Jake kneeled down and stroked Beau who collapsed to the floor ecstatically and rolled over to expose his belly. ‘You’ve no shame,’ he chuckled.

Jake glanced up as a shadow fell over him, his frown deepening as he caught sight of a tall good looking guy with short dark hair.

‘Thanks Mitch,’ Roni smiled at him as he strode over to her desk and handed her Beau’s leash.

‘It’s no problem, anything for you Roni you know that,’ he grinned.

Jake stood abruptly, glaring at the guy standing comfortably close to her.

‘Mitchell, this is Jake,’ she introduced them. ‘Jake, Mitchell Nash.’

‘Hey,’ Mitch inclined his head and held out his hand.

‘Hey,’ Jake replied grasping his hand a little more firmly than he’d intended as he stared at him intently.

‘Mitch?’ Roni interrupted as she glanced back and forth between them in confusion.

‘Yeah?’

‘There was a delivery from the Peabody while you were out, could you make sure the items on loan are unpacked carefully and cataloged.’

‘No problem,’ he smiled as he released Jake’s hand and stepped back, closing the door behind him on his way out.

‘He works here?’ Jake asked as he turned sharply back to Roni.

‘Yes he does, not that it’s any of your business. He’s my assistant and I’d appreciate you not shooting him daggers, he’s actually very good at what he does.’

‘I’ll bet,’ he muttered sourly.

‘Jake,’ she sighed in exasperation, ‘why are you here? I really am quite busy, so if you just came to collect Beau I’d appreciate it if you just take him and leave me to get on with my work.’

‘That’s not why I’m here, he closed the distance between them and skirted around her desk. ‘I have something I need to show you.’

‘What?’ she asked suspiciously.

‘This,’ he pulled the disc free and handed it to her. ‘It’s the footage from the Bailey’s store, the night Jonathan Bailey collapsed. It seems the eye witness was correct; he wasn’t alone when it happened.’

She took the disc from him and loading it up onto her laptop she hit play.

Jake watched in concern as her eyes widened and her skin paled.

Roni clenched her fists to stop them from trembling, her stomach was doing somersaults and her heart hammered in her chest. She shook her head unconsciously, almost as if in denial, as she looked up into Jake’s concerned face.

‘Roni what is it?’

She stood abruptly, her mind racing as she slammed the laptop shut and disconnected the power cable. Pulling her jacket off the hook and yanking it on roughly she snatched her keys off the desk. She scooped up the laptop and tucked it under her arm.

‘Come on,’ she headed for the door, ‘we have to go now.’

‘Where? Why? I thought you had to work?’

‘It will have to wait, everything will have to wait.’

‘Roni,’ he caught her by the arm to still her frantic movements, ‘tell me what’s going on?’

‘Not yet there’s something I need to check. Are you coming or not?’ she pulled away from him impatiently.

He studied her face carefully. Her eyes were wide and fearful, her skin pale and her breath coming in shallow nervous waves. Something was very wrong here, he’d never known her to look so freaked out, even when she’d dealt with ghosts and monsters.

Nodding in agreement, he let go of her arm and bent down to scoop Beau into his arms as he followed her out of the office. He decided it was probably best not to push her right now. She obviously knew, or thought she knew, something important about the man in the footage. It seemed Mac was right, she was their best chance at figuring out what the hell was going on and he had the uncomfortable feeling he wasn’t going to like what she was about to tell them.

He followed her down to her car and before he knew it they were pulling up to the garishly colored house on Fairfield Avenue guarded by a whole platoon of freakishly happy garden gnomes. Veronica snatched up her laptop and was out of the car and striding up the path towards the front porch before Jake had even managed to get his seatbelt off. He scooped Beau up and hurried down the path after her. He debated on whether or not to put Beau down, but knowing the legion of cats Fiona had he was willing to bet that would be an incredibly bad idea.

Veronica frantically pounded on the door, almost dancing on the spot impatiently as she waited for the crazy old British woman to answer and when she did she certainly didn’t disappoint.

The door was abruptly yanked open and Fiona stood there scowling. She’d obviously tried to tame her wild grey wiry hair into some semblance of order but it still stuck up in all directions, except for a small patch at the front which was pinned ruthlessly by a small barrette with a ladybug on it. She wore a bright yellow sweater and red leggings with giant daisies on them and her trademark red Birkenstocks. Her eyes appeared hugely magnified behind her cat’s eye glasses and her mouth was covered in white foam with a toothbrush handle protruding from her lips.

‘Why are you brushing your teeth now? It’s like three in the afternoon,’ Jake asked in confusion.

She pulled the brush from her mouth and pursed her lips.

‘Got something stuck in my teeth, was annoying me, not unlike you. What do you want?’

Veronica pushed past her impatiently and moved into the hallway.

‘Well by all means come on in,’ she added sarcastically, ‘please make yourselves at home.’

‘I have something I need to show you Fiona and I’m sorry it couldn’t wait.’ Veronica breathed heavily.

Fiona’s eyes narrowed as she took in her pale face and trembling hands.

‘Better go on through then,’ she nodded in the direction of the lounge.

Beau barked suddenly as he caught sight of one of the cats and scrambled madly in Jake’s arms. Roni headed into the room with Jake right behind her. Once satisfied there were no cats in the room Jake shut the door and dropped Beau to the ground. The puppy rushed over to the nearest sofa and started sniffing madly, following a trail all over the room with his tail wagging.

Fiona slipped into the room and shut the door firmly behind her, wiping her mouth with a cloth, her toothbrush still clutched in the other hand.

‘So what is it that’s so important you had to come barging into my house?’

Veronica dropped the lap top onto the nearest table and opened it up.

Fiona stood silently watching the footage on the screen as it played through.

‘Well,’ she folded her arms across her ample chest and fixed Veronica with a steely eyed stare, ‘you already know what it is don’t you?’

Roni breathed heavily and numbly dropped into a deeply cushioned chair.

‘I was hoping I was wrong, that you’d tell me I’m wrong.’

‘Sorry girl,’ she replied, her voice gentling slightly, ‘but you’re not wrong.’

‘What?’ Jake interrupted, ‘what is it?’

‘The figure in the footage,’ Roni answered, her voice no more than a whisper, ‘he’s the Soul Collector.’

Her eyes bore into his, a deep worried blue.

‘And he’s stealing human souls.’

‘I’m sorry, what?’ Jake replied as if he couldn’t quite believe the words coming out of her mouth.

‘You heard the girl,’ Fiona bustled over to a drinks cabinet at the side of the room and retrieved a bottle and filled three glasses.

‘I’m on duty,’ Jake shook his head as she offered him a glass.

‘Trust me boy, you’re going to need it.’ She thrust the glass into his hand and passed the other to Veronica. Picking up her own glass she lifted it in a mocking salute, ‘to the utter shit hole we are currently up to our necks in.’

Veronica threw back the fiery liquid, but even as it burned a trail down her throat and past her esophagus her body still felt cold.

‘Roni,’ he placed his untouched glass down on the low coffee table and kneeled down in front of her, taking her icy cold hands in his. ‘Explain to me what’s going on.’

‘You’d better take a seat and get comfortable,’ Fiona dropped down into a nearby chair her knees cracking loudly as she went.

Jake took a seat next to Roni, staring at her patiently as she organized her thoughts.

‘His name is Charun, I came across his name when I was helping Olivia research Charon. Quite often the two of them are confused for the same person but they’re not. Charon as you know is Greek, the Ferryman of the Underworld and servant of the God Hades. Charun is Etruscan, it is thought that his name is derived from the Greek Charon as he is also known as Charu. He is a Psychopompoi of the Underworld.’

Jake looked at her blankly.

‘Psychopompoi comes from the Greek word Psychopomps which literally means ‘guide of the souls’. These creatures, depending on the religion, can be spirits, angels or even deities and it is their responsibility to escort the newly deceased souls from Earth to whichever afterlife they are destined for. It is not their place to judge the souls only to provide safe passage. In Greek mythology Charon is considered a Psychopompoi as is Hermes, Hecate, Mercury and Anubis because they all share a common role even if they are from different civilizations. A more recent example of a Psychopompoi is the English version of the Grim Reaper which originated from the 15th Century but has since been adopted by many cultures.’

‘So this Charun is some kind of Angel of Death?’

‘Not exactly, like I said, Charu is Etruscan. Both he and his counterpart the female, known as Vanth, were demons of the Underworld. It was their job not to punish the dead but like Charon to escort them to their final destination in the Underworld. Vanth was always portrayed as quite benevolent despite her origins as a demon. Charu was her opposite, he was often portrayed as menacing and dark.’