Demons LLC (Damned and Cursed Book 7) (27 page)

Alex nearly hit the gas when Nate reached back through the door and grabbed Kylie's arm.
 
He leaned through the window.

"Good luck, Kylie," he said.
 
"Whatever happens, I've got your back."

She smiled and nodded gratefully.
 
Alex looked her over as he slowly drove toward the house.

"I'm glad to see you two have become friends."

"He irritates the hell out of me," she said.
 
"Talks too much.
 
Never serious.
 
I can't be sure, but I think I've caught him looking at my breasts three times now.
 
And that's just weird.
 
Do I really even have breasts to look at?
 
I'm dead, after all."

"You regret letting him come along?"

Kylie didn't hesitate.
 
"Not at all."

She shifted forward as the house drew closer.
 
Frowning, her shoulders slumped as she fixated on something.

"Oh, Mom."

Alex followed her gaze, and saw a
For Sale
sign in the grass.
 
They were quiet as he parked the truck.
 
He left first, standing still on the driveway, with Kylie following shortly behind.
 
She approached the sign and ran a hand along it, her fingers poking through.

"I can't believe this.
 
I lived in this house my whole life.
 
I just can't imagine someone else living in it."

"Maybe your mom wants a fresh start."

"I guess I can't blame her.
 
But still—"

"Can I help you?"

Alex spun to see a woman standing at the front door, leaning out.
 
He didn't need to be told she was Kylie's mother.
 
She was the exact image of Kylie, aged twenty years.
 
The same light brown hair, the same blue eyes, the same dimples.
 
She didn't wear glasses, but brushed hair from her eyes in the exact manner as Kylie.
 
It was all Alex could do not to smile.
 
The clothes were the only difference.
 
She wore a charcoal skirt and white blouse, looking ready for a business meeting.

"That's Mom," Kylie said, choking up a little.
 
"Always looks great, even for a meeting over Skype."

"Ms. Sinclair?"

Kylie leaned close.
 
"Her name's—"

"Meagan," she said, interrupting her daughter without realizing.
 
"What can I do for you?"

"I was actually hoping to have a few minutes of your time.
 
My name's Alex.
 
Do you mind if we talk inside?"

"Oh, wow," Kylie said.
 
"You really have done this before."

Alex ignored her.
 
He wanted to flash her a look, silently ask her to be quiet for a few minutes, but Meagan's stare never left him.
 
She was sizing him up, judging him.

Meagan didn't budge.
 
She cocked her hip and crossed her arms.

"What about?"

"Kylie."

Her mouth opened, just a little, at the sound of her daughter's name.
 
She regained her composure quickly, but was intrigued.

"I've talked to enough reporters, and the police have definitely been by enough times.
 
I'm tired of talking, to be honest."

"Well, luckily I'm not either of them."

"And what are you?"

Alex only grinned, particularly amused by the phrasing of the question.
 
He was purposely being mysterious.
 
He didn't want to blurt out his intentions on her front lawn.

"Can we talk inside?"

Meagan didn't move for a moment, didn't say a word.
 
Finally, she nodded and stepped onto the porch, holding the door open for him.
 
Alex thanked her graciously as he entered the foyer.
 
Kylie kept close to avoid having the door shut on her.

Alex took in the large, luxurious home as Meagan led him through the hall.
 
They passed some beautiful paintings and a bare living room.
 
At the end of the hall he could see a kitchen the size of his entire first floor.
 
Meagan turned left into an office.
 
A large bookcase took up the entire back wall, full of antique-looking literature.
 
A Macintosh computer sat on an immaculate desk.

"Please, have a seat.
 
Sorry about sitting here in the office.
 
I know it's not exactly warm and cozy.
 
But our…my sitting room is a bit of a mess right now with boxes."

"It's no problem at all."

Alex approached the chair across from Meagan, but pictures on the wall caught his attention.

"Ah," Kylie said.
 
"Mom's shrine to me."

The wall was littered with pictures of Kylie.
 
They were taken throughout her life, showcasing her from a baby all the way up to her senior year photo.
 
Alex smiled.
 
She was napping in one, her leg hanging off her bed at an odd angle, with drool running from her mouth.
 
In another she was holding a trophy of some kind, hugging her mother tightly.
 
It was easy to see they were close.
 
Alex tried to stifle a frown as sadness gripped him.
 
He knew better than anyone else that there was life after death.
 
Death wasn't the end, and there was no need to despair when it was time for a loved one to move on.
 
But the thought of a living realm without Kylie was a sad one.
 
He'd only known her a short time, but the world would be a little darker without her in it.

"It's funny how senior year pictures work," Meagan said behind him.
 
"She didn't graduate yet; she was still in school.
 
But there she is, in her cap and gown.
 
She didn't get to go nuts with her friends, go to a graduation party.
 
It's…just not fair."

He turned to see Meagan dabbing her eyes with a tissue.
 
Kylie took a deep breath, battling her own feelings, as she dropped to one knee next to her mother.
 
She tried to hold her mother's hand, but that was impossible.

"Don't worry, Mom," she said.
 
"It's not like I had a lot of friends, anyway."

"I'm very sorry," Alex said, sitting across from Meagan.

"Thank you."
 
Meagan sighed and forced a smile, looking even more like Kylie.
 
She brushed a strand of hair aside and folded her hands.
 
"So, Alex, I'm sure you're not here to watch a woman cry.
 
What can I do for you?"

"Actually, I might be able to do something for you."

Meagan arched a doubtful eyebrow.

"I've heard that before.
 
I've had a few people wanting to help me recently.
 
A woman stopped by a week ago and wanted me to invest in a business of hers.
 
It would make me so much money, she said.
 
And a man wanted to help me in other ways, but his help meant I needed to take off my clothes."
 
She rolled her eyes.

"Uh, Mom, that's gross."

Alex laughed, but quickly shoved the humor aside.

"Well, you can definitely keep your clothes on with me."

"Why are you here, Alex?"

"Okay, down to business," he whispered.
 
Meagan was intimidating, but not to Alex.
 
He'd dealt with far worse than a direct businesswoman.
 
"I'd like to find out who killed Kylie."

"You're a private investigator?"

"At times, yeah."

"Do you have a business card?"

He had to focus to keep his cheeks from turning red.

"Uh, no.
 
My wife's actually getting them printed now.
 
I do have a website, if you want to see—"

She waved dismissively and shook her head.
 
"You don't think the police are doing a good enough job?"

"You tell me.
 
Have they found out anything?
 
What have they told you?"

"Alex, I admire your initiative.
 
But I'll be honest, I'd rather let the police handle this.
 
That's their job.
 
You'll just have to look through the newspapers for another potential client."

"She's in business-mode," Kylie said.
 
"She's not usually like this.
 
If you want to get on her good side—"

Alex shot her a glare.
 
Kylie went silent and backed up a step.
 
Meagan noticed Alex's attention was elsewhere and looked over her shoulder.

"Uh, Alex?
 
Are you okay?"

He smiled and stood up.
 
The brief meeting went exactly as he thought it would.

"I'm fine.
 
Thank you very much for seeing me."

He held out his hand.
 
Kylie let out a long
oh
, finally understanding.

Meagan extended her hand, which Alex took.

"Hi, Mom."

Meagan's eyes went wide as she turned her head.
 
Kylie smiled at her.
 
Meagan gasped and tried to pull her hand free, but Alex didn't release his grip.
 
He leaned in closer and grabbed her hand with both of his.

"I'm sorry.
 
I know this is a shock.
 
But believe me, this isn't a trick."

"What's going on?
 
What is this?"
 
Meagan reached out with her free hand to the desk for support.
 
"Kylie—"

"It's me, Mom.
 
But, unfortunately, I'm still dead."

Meagan reached out to touch her daughter.
 
Her hand passed through Kylie's cheek.
 
Meagan cried, and Kylie wasn't far behind her.

"Aw, c'mon," Kylie said.
 
"You bawling is only going to make me cry, too."

"This is what I do," Alex said.
 
"I see ghosts, and I can let others see them."

Meagan's knees shook.
 
Alex wrapped an arm around her waist to help her stand.

"Shit," he said.
 
"Don't pass out on me now."

"Let's go to the kitchen," Kylie said.
 
"Get Mom some water."

*****

Ten minutes later, Alex sat next to Meagan at a dining table inside the kitchen.
 
She nursed a glass of water Alex had poured for her, drinking with both hands.
 
Alex rested his hand on the back of Meagan's neck, not feeling comfortable with the touching.
 
Kylie sat across from them.
 
Despite her improvement on the drive from Maryland to Florida, she did fall through the chair once.
 
Meagan didn't blink at all.
 
She was afraid that if she closed her eyes, her daughter would disappear.

Alex wanted to move forward, to get to the part where they worked out a financial arrangement, and he got started.
 
But he contained himself, and the three of them simply sat in silence for several minutes.
 
Kylie smiled bashfully and set her hand on top of her mother's.
 
Even though they couldn't feel each other Meagan smiled as well.

"How…is this possible?" Meagan asked.

Alex waved off her question.
 
There was no need to go into his unusual history.

"Details," he said.
 
"I have some cool things I can do with ghosts.
 
Kylie found me, and here I am."

"God, I've missed you," Meagan told Kylie.
 
"I love you.
 
I should have said it so much more."

"Me, too.
 
I'm missed you too, Mom.
 
I was there next to you at the funeral, trying to hold your hand.
 
It killed me that I was right there, and you couldn't feel me."

Tears ran down Meagan's face freely as weeks of introspection poured out.

"I'm so sorry I spent so much time in that office, always working.
 
I wished I'd have done everything differently.
 
I wish I would have been there for you."

"Mom, you were amazing.
 
You
are
amazing.
 
Please, don't be that way.
 
You
were
there for me.
 
I'm not going to sit here and say I don't have some regrets, but believe me,
none
of them have to do with you."

Mother and daughter cried, and Alex found himself choking up slightly.
 
He took a breath and kept his composure.

"I know after Mike Hodge dumped me at that dance in ninth grade, you went over to his house and screamed at him."

Meagan finally laughed and took another sip of water.
 
She stared down at the table, embarrassed.

"You know about that?"

"Yeah.
 
I was horrified, at first.
 
But you always stood up for me."

They shared another laugh before Meagan turned serious.

"Kylie, what happened that night?
 
The police…they found you on a riverbank.
 
They won't tell me anything, which means they don't know anything.
 
Zoey says you two got separated at a club.
 
Which, young lady, is very far from the studying you were supposed to be doing at her house."

"We
did
study, Mom, but then we went out!
 
And I don't know.
 
I don't remember anything.
 
That's why I found Alex.
 
I want to hire him to help me find out what happened."