Haven of Nightmares (Littlemoon Investigations Book 5) (13 page)

“Tell Bethany knock it off.”

Tori paused.

“Uh, Jules?”

“What?”

“She said it wasn’t her or Trey.”

Christ!

This was the last thing he needed--more touchy-feely dead trying to cop a grope. His life was plain insane.

“Let’s get inside.”

After entering the code, they headed down the dark hall, trying to figure out what was going on as they searched for the other two people.

Tori kept glancing around, checking out the surroundings. Across the floor were red bloody footsteps. They led toward the stairs.

There were lots and lots of prints, and Tori didn’t think it had anything to do with Roman and Matilda.

The ghosts were wandering all over the place, and it looked to be unchecked. There was no doubt who was ruling this roost.

Later, she’d be taking a little trip to Bethany-Land.

They had no choice.

“That looks like the library,” stated Julian, pointing at the glass-enclosed room. As they approached, they saw the chair and book structure.

“Holy shit,” Tori muttered.

“Did Roman lose it?”

She could see the ghostly mist spinning around it, nearly covering the whole thing.

Yeah, this wasn’t made by Roman and Matilda.

There was no way.

Tori knew who had built that, and it wasn’t to show them their creative building skills.

They were being sent a message.

It was a warning.

A big one.

Chapter Six

When they realized who was there, Roman immediately felt a sense of relief. Now they had backup, and the Littlemoons knew how to deal with this craziness.

“Are you two okay in there?” Tori called.

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Want to tunnel out?” Julian asked. “How the hell did you build that thing?”

When they appeared, Roman was firmly holding Matilda’s hand in his. “We didn’t. One minute it wasn’t there, and the next it was.”

Julian stared at it. “Did you see what built it?”

Roman blushed. “Uh, my eyes were closed at the time, so I can’t tell you for sure.”

“You fell asleep amidst that?” Julian asked, staring up at the monstrosity.

“Not exactly asleep.”

Tori got it, and she smiled. Before her husband could go on, she punched him.

“Jules, think about it.”

It didn’t take long.

“Ohhh. Yeah, I can see how you missed it when you had your eyes closed.”

“More importantly,” she asked, “are you guys okay?” Tori headed toward Matilda and checked out her neck. “Ouch.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.”

Roman filled them in. “I had to call Nyx. She suggested salt. We may need more before this case is over,” he said, fixing his disheveled hair.

“Well, we’re here now, so we’re safe.”

“How are we safe?” Mattie asked. “We have invisible things chasing us. I don’t feel really safe. In fact, I feel like my whole life is upside down.”

It looked like it was time to have a conversation about the undead.

“How about we get out of here? Roman, can we head toward the family’s quarters? Since that’s where you both began being attacked, we should start there. It’s going to be a very long day, I’m afraid.”

He was well aware.

“Sure. I can’t wait to watch you two in action.”

“Uh, is this your first case?” Mattie asked.

“In a way, yes. All my other ones were local and mostly surveillance.”

She wasn’t sure if she should be worried for her, or worried for his safety.

“Lead the way.”

He did.

As they climbed the stairs, they could hear more creepy sounds up ahead. Doors were slamming, there were creaks and floor groans, and none of it sounded welcoming.

“Oh, God,” muttered Mattie.

Immediately, without thinking, Roman pulled her under his arm.

Tori grinned and winked at her husband. Yeah, his eyes were closed all right, and that looked to be happening more in the future if she guessed right.

He rolled his eyes.

Julian knew what this meant. Tori was going to meddle in their personal lives, pushing them at each other.

Hopefully, no one got their heart broken in the end. He really hated dealing with moody employees. When he first thought about owning his own business, it never included sulking, broken hearted people.

“To the left,” Roman said, pointing at the one door. “That’s where Mattie was sleeping when she was attacked. Over there,” he added, pointing at a bathroom door, “is where the message was in the glass.”

“What did it say?” Tori asked.

He glanced down at Mattie.

Well, he couldn’t hide it now. So, he told them. As soon as he did, her face said it all.

She was terrified.

Crap!

“That’s not good,” Julian stated.

“Yeah, well, we’ll get to the bottom of it,” Tori stated. “We have some backup who can help.”

Roman hoped so.

As he led them into what appeared to be a family room, he waved his arms around. “Welcome to the place that spawned so much pain.”

They all heard it.

There was no humor, amusement, or joviality. His voice was filled with loathing and anger.

He hated the place.

Tori and Julian dropped their backpacks.

Roman continued, “Nyx said salt would keep us safe. Maybe we should salt the doors?”

“Well, if they want to get in, they will,” Tori stated. “As for keeping everything out, you’ll also be keeping Trey and Bethany out too. We need them to be my eyes on the other side.”

Matilda stared at her. “Are you really expecting me to believe that you have two ghosts floating around who help you?”

She laughed. “You don’t have to believe anything you don’t want to since it’s a free country. In fact, before a few months ago, I didn’t think any of this was real. I know how crazy this sounds.”

Julian took a seat.

The show was going to begin.

“Can they communicate with us?”

A book slid across the table, right toward Matilda. It flipped open, and then stopped moving.

She gasped and moved closer to Roman’s side.

“That was Bethany. She can move objects and manipulate space around her. She’s more prone to touching to show you she’s here.”

Matilda looked skeptical.

“Hold out your hand. She’ll touch you. It’s light, but you’ll feel it.”

When she did, and Bethany touched her, Matilda opened her mouth and then closed it.

“This is unbelievable.”

“It’s creepy and weird,” Julian stated, right before his hair was pulled.

“Hands off, Bethany, or I salt this room for peace and quiet!”

She backed off.

It was probably a damn good thing because he was a man on the edge.

“What about the other one?” Matilda asked.

“Trey isn’t my spirit, so I can’t really communicate up here,” she said, touching her head. “I borrowed him from Nyx. He marches to the beat of his own drummer. Ask him anything, and he normally will communicate, unless he’s drained. He’s not able to do it for long.”

She stared at Tori.

“Go ahead. Ask him anything.”

“Trey, are you here?” Matilda felt silly. This had to be some sort of trick. There was no way…

The radio across the room clicked on, and came to life. Matilda jumped.

“Hello. Blondie. My. Name. Is. Trey.”

She stared at it. “I don’t know what to think. This can’t be real.”

Tori headed across the room and pulled the plug from the outlet.

“Trey, are you still here?”

The radio still came to life.

“Yes.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“You. Are. Pretty. Do. You. Like. Soldiers?”

“Hey!” Roman objected. “Really? Don’t you think that’s a little over the top, Trey?”

Mattie blushed. “This must be hours of fun, even though it’s weird.”

“Yeah, it’s a freaking picnic,” stated Julian. “I love when he starts blurting out crazy shit when I’m in the middle of sex with Tori. Always fun.”

“I. Like. Potato. Salad.”

“See?”

Tori started laughing. “Trey is my deceased brother, and he’s opted to hang out with us from the other side. He’s really funny.”

“For a dead guy,” muttered Julian.

“Anyway,” Tori said, continuing, “they see the other side for me. They act as the intermediary between the dead and us. Trey is kinda like muscle.”

“I. Have. To. Be. Look. At. Her. Man.”

“I swear to God, Trey, I’ll dunk this radio in water.”

Tori laughed. “Calm down, Jules. He likes to get you going.”

“I swear I’m going to get the last laugh.”

Tori ignored them. She was accustomed to this banter between Julian and Trey. She knew Trey liked her husband, and Julian appreciated that Trey protected her.

“Should you really be here?” Matilda asked, pointing at her baby belly. “Isn’t this dangerous without being pregnant?”

Tori didn’t have to glance over at her husband. She could feel the tension in the air.

What he didn’t say spoke louder than words.

He was worried.

“I’ll be fine. Let’s worry about what’s going on around us,” she offered. “Trey?”

“Yes. Sprout?”

“What’s hanging out on the other side?” She took a seat next to her husband, and gently took his hand in hers. Tori couldn’t blame him for being worried.

She got it.

She was scared too.

How could she not be? Every time they went out, she could lose so much, but they had a job to do, and she wouldn’t quit.

They made a commitment to it.

“Lots. Of. Dead.”

“Anything we should be wary of lurking around?” she asked.

“All. Of. Them.”

Julian didn’t like that at all. “You should head home,” he stated. “We can handle this here.”

Roman pointed out the fact that Nyx shared. “We can’t leave. If we do, they’ll follow.”

Julian didn’t want that either. Their home was becoming a little too full. Any more freeloaders and he was going to have to build upward to get any peace.

Tori could hear the buzzing in her head.

It meant one thing.

Bethany needed to talk to her.

“Great! Then it looks like we’re in this for the long haul,” Julian stated. “Where do we start?”

“Well, then I need to make a little trip. I need to talk to Bethany. Julian, I’ll be right back.”

He still looked worried.

When Tori checked out, Matilda didn’t know what was going on. They explained it to her, and she was fascinated. “This whole thing is crazy. I have to be asleep.”

“I. Will. Kiss. Sleeping. Beauty. Any. Day.”

Roman pointed at the radio. “I think you should drown that box. He’s getting close to crossing a line.”

Julian was well aware.

“Welcome to my life.”

Tori could feel herself falling.

It was a fast descent, almost like on a rollercoaster. As she cleared her mind, she waited for her spirit guide to make an appearance.

When she did, Tori wasn’t ready for it.

“Bethany,” she said, opening her eyes. “Why are you wearing camo?”

She laughed in her singsong girl voice. “Trey likes it. Plus, so do you. That’s why you’re seeing me in it.”

She shook her head.

Sometimes, she was even confused by her ghosts.

“Let’s get down to business. What the hell is going on here?”

Bethany paused. “Trey wants to pop in. He’s bossy. That’s so sexy in a man.”

“Tell him make it fast. You know I can’t hold this up for long.”

She was aware.

Suddenly, Trey appeared, and like Bethany, he, too, was in camouflage. She let it go.

“Hey, sprout. I missed you.”

When he came close, she could feel his energy. How she wished she could hug him one more time. Only, he wasn’t really there. This was something her mind had created to play out their conversation.

“I missed you too.”

“We have some serious shit going down here,” he stated. “I’ve never felt this kind of anger.”

“Where’s it coming from?” she asked. “What kind of violence created this emotion?”

Bethany took a seat on the edge of the couch. “When someone dies a painful, or horrific death, that negative energy forms. It creates this void. If the spirit is left to its own devices, it creates a vacuum of sorts. It manifests something darker, and more dangerous.”

“And if you have multiple deaths going on in the same place?”

“It gets worse and worse. With the monastery in your last case, there weren’t as many dead. It was bad, but it wasn’t this bad. You now have a lot of violently murdered people floating around, and they aren’t happy.”

“Great.”

“This is the worst case scenario. Someone needs to save them,” Trey stated. “They are running around screaming for peace. Being a tortured soul sucks, and right now, they’re getting angrier by the minute.”

Tori thought about it.

“Okay, what are we looking at?”

“Nine murdered girls, and then two other adults who feel like they committed suicide…I think. They’re staying hidden, but I’ve seen the woman. She looks like shit. She’s wandering.”

“Okay, that’s going to be Roman’s mom, so let’s not go there. We know how touchy the mother subject can be.”

“I’m still waiting for ours to cross. I want to give her a piece of my mind,” Trey said, running his hands through his hair.

“Yeah, you and me both. For now, let’s focus on the victims. You said nine.”

“Six have been here a while. The three new ones are the issue. They’re running around and pretty freaked out. They are trying to get someone’s attention.”

“Who is trying to hurt Roman and Matilda?”

Neither spoke.

“What?”

“We don’t know. They’re strong and they feel evil.”