Lovely Shadows (3 page)

“There isn't much to do at night. Do you want to hear the rest of the story?”

“Yes. I'll be quiet now.”

He sighed. “After the party Mom asked me to go to the store for milk. On the way home, I had to take a different way because a train had stalled on the tracks where I would normally cross. The road that runs alongside the river cuts upward at a sharp angle, almost like a mountain or something.”

“Mountains in Kansas?” she asked skeptically.

“There are some,” he smiled. “Anyway, like I said before, this car came out of nowhere, driving straight at me. I couldn't get out of the way because the car behind me tried to pass on the left. I couldn't slam on my brakes or swerve out of the way. As the car behind me tried to pass, he nicked my bumper, sending me into a skid. I slid off the road, down the embankment, and burst into flames.”

Stunned, she didn't say anything, which he understood. How was she supposed to respond to someone who calmly explained his own death?

“So you truly believe you were...murdered?”

“Yes.”

“Isn't that a stretch, though?”

“I understand your skepticism. At first, I thought nothing of it either. However, the more I think about it, the more things don't add up. For one, that road isn't busy at night. I've traveled it dozens of times in the dark and maybe seen only one or two other cars. Also, why would a car try and pass me if another car is coming at me? It seemed planned.”

“What if the car behind you didn't see the car in front of you?”

“How can you not see headlights at night? I was nearly blinded by the guy's brights.”

“Okay, who would kill you and why?”

“That's the million dollar question.” He rose and walked over to the window. “My family didn't have enemies. We're well-liked but kind of private.”

She crossed her legs and pinched her lips together. Aidan appreciated her help, even if she was doing it to get rid of him. That hurt. How horrible it was to love someone who wouldn't—or couldn't—love you back. He sat down next to her, longing to feel her skin against his fingers. The weeks since he'd last felt human touch had been unbearable. Not being able to touch Jessa was a worse pain than even death.

The strength of his emotions still surprised him. Like Jessa, Aidan had no use for romance. Happy endings weren't something he believed in, at least for himself. His parents were still happily married after thirty years. Yet, his first heartbreak cured him of his romantic notions. Amber Foster broke his heart into a million pieces after she cheated on him. He never did find out who the guy was, and he wished he knew. Being a ghost really wasn't any fun if you couldn't scare people.

Jessa sighed. “I'm sorry, Aidan. I wish I knew what to do to make it better for you.”

“Help me find the guy that killed me.”

“I can try.”

“That's all I ask.”

“You know, this would be so much easier if I could actually see you.”

“I can try projecting.”

“Will it hurt?”

He laughed. “I'm dead. Nothing hurts, at least not physically. Projecting just makes me tired. I'm not good at it. The last time I tried I passed out for a few days. I haven't tried it since.”

“Oh.” She looked disappointed. “Then maybe you shouldn't try it.”

“I want to. Scoot over.”

She moved to the left as he sat down next to her.

“Are you doing it? You look fuzzy, like bad TV reception.” she said.

“Give me a minute.”

He closed his eyes, willing all of his energy into every nerve in his body. He shook as his shadow faded into a solid life-form. Jessa gasped, causing him to lose his focus. Like a rubber band snapping, he lost his shape and became a shadow once more.

“Are you okay?” she asked, concerned.

“Yeah, I think so. That wasn't too difficult,” he lied. All he wanted to do was crawl into the nearest corner and never wake up.

Jessa's mouth was agape, her luminous eyes wide. “That was awesome!”

“Even though you don't believe in ghosts?” he teased.

“You really do know a lot about me don't you?”

“More than you'd believe.”

She nodded. “Okay, tomorrow we'll figure out what happened to you. Tonight I need to sleep. Actually, I think you need to sleep. You look funny.”

He snorted. “Thanks for the compliment.” Then without warning, he vanished.

When he woke the next morning, she was already up. He found her on the computer, researching the archives of the local newspaper in Blue Rapids. Next to her, a notebook was filled with scribbles. Looking over her shoulder he saw that most of the notes were questions for him. On the screen was a photo of the car crash. Flames licked at the twisted metal of the Jeep as smoke billowed into the air. Firefighters with hoses aimed at the fire fought the blaze. Jessa stared at the screen for several minutes, her hand covering her mouth, her eyes teary. He projected enough to brush a tear from her cheek. She jumped, knocking over a cup of coffee.

“Damn.” She ran into the kitchen then returned with a paper towel.

“Sorry,” he said.
I don't like to see you sad.
“I didn't mean to scare you.”

“That's okay. I was lost in thought.”

“Did you find anything new?”

“No.” She tossed the soppy towel into the trash then sat back down. “From what I've read, no foul play is suspected. No one was seen near the accident.”

“Did they figure out how the Jeep caught on fire?”

She nodded. “The fuel tank was punctured. They assume someone drove by shortly before or after the accident and flicked a lit cigarette into the brush.”

“Oh.”

She regarded him for a moment.“Do you miss your friends and family?”

“Every day. Whether you realize it or not, haunting you has made it bearable.”

Laughing, she said, “Well, I'm glad I can be of service. What are you up to today?”

“Not much. I'll probably hang in the rafters with the bats and other scary creatures.”

“At least you haven't lost your sense of humor.”

“That's about the only thing I haven't lost.” His voice was said. She suddenly reached out to as if to comfort him. He stepped out of her way, and she dropped her arm.

Looking at her watch, she said, “Listen, I have to work at the church today. Do you want to come along? You can keep me company.”

“Are ghosts allowed in churches? I mean, God won't strike the place down with lightening will He?”

“If angels and demons can exist, why not ghosts? Come on.”

He waited on her bed while she took a shower and got dressed, all the while thinking he'd like to see her naked again. When she came back to her room, she was fully dressed, looking like a properly-bred church girl. Her black pants and flowery dress shirt left lots to the imagination. Luckily, his imagination knew no bounds.

On the way to the church, he practiced opening and closing the glove box. Little step for ghost, one giant leap for ghost-kind. Jessa encouraged him as she drove. She kept the radio off so he could concentrate. After four or five times of opening the stupid door he was exhausted. But at least he could do it. He needed to set his sights on a higher goal. Kissing Jessa seemed ideal. She wouldn't object to a kiss, would she?

The church wasn't a huge building like the ones on TV. Still, it was bigger than almost every other church in Browton. From the outside, it somewhat resembled a warehouse—boxy with aluminum siding, rectangular windows, steel doors. Only the front gave evidence of the buildings purpose: an awning of sorts hovered over a circle drive that led to two huge glass doors. Out front, a sign read “Grace Christian Fellowship.” Aidan had never stepped foot into a church a day in his life. Even in death there was first time for everything.

Jessa parked under the awning behind the Reverend's Lincoln Town car. Prosaic in the extreme, Aidan laughed. Jessa gave him a questioning look but he didn't want to offend her.

Her steps were quiet in the carpeted hallway. The place was eerily silent except for the hum of the air-conditioning system. She pushed open the door to the front office and went straight back to the mahogany door that led to her grandfather's study. After two knocks, they heard a mumbled “Come in.” Jessa straightened her shirt, swept her hair off her shoulder, and stepped in.

The Reverend sat behind his huge desk, his thin glasses perched on the edge of his wide nose. Sheets of paper were scattered over the surface of the desk. Behind him hung a bronze crucifix. The Reverend himself was tall yet portly—a result of too many Sunday dinners at his parishioners' homes.

“Good morning, Grandpa,” Jessa greeted him with a kiss on the cheek. “I brought that manifest you wanted.”

“Perfect.” He took the yellow folder from her and opened it. “I'm going to reuse some of December's messages. You know how I abhor doing that.”

“So why are you?” she asked, occupying the leather chair across from him.

“Membership is down this summer. There's no point in compiling new sermons to see us through July and August. If I put a different spin on these, then I can save the new stuff for the fall.”

“That sounds reasonable. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“The bulletins need folded; I have a dozen things that need mailed or faxed; the Elders need to be called about the meeting being rescheduled...”

“Consider it done.”

The man smiled. “I'd be lost without you.”

Jessa kissed him once more then exited to the main office. She went to work on her to-do list. Aidan slept on the couch in the lobby while she made phone calls and faxed and emailed. Jessa woke him up when it was time to go.

“I've never woke a ghost before,” she laughed as they left.

“I bet not.” He slipped through the metal as she opened her door. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“Why are you so accepting of me? I mean, I know you don't believe in much of anything.”

She pulled merged with traffic on the highway towards town.

“I figure if I confronted you, then maybe you'd go away. Grandpa is always talking about casting out demons and things like that. Confronting you is my way of casting you out.”

“Am I really that horrible?”

“No,” she admitted reluctantly, “I've kind of gotten used to you. Now that I know you, I think I'll miss you when you go.”

Hope, like a balloon, swelled in his heart. Maybe she could love him after all.

It was a cruel thought.

3.

Aidan was strangely quiet on the way home, especially after my little confession. Why had I said that? He wasn't staying here. As soon as we solved his death, he was out of here. Goodbye weird stalking shadow, hello life with Levi. Still, I couldn't quite regret saying it. I
would
miss him when he left. That didn't mean I wanted him to stay.

The brief glimpse I got of him when he projected last night took my breath away. Aidan was the most beautiful man I had ever seen, Levi included. Shaggy auburn hair fell over fathomless golden brown eyes. Smooth skin stretched taut across high cheekbones and a firm jaw. His straight white teeth gleamed, even in the darkness of my room. His devastating smile forced my heart from my chest to my throat. I wanted to reach out and touch him, to have some evidence that he was flesh instead of air. What if I touched him and he disappeared? No, it was better that I kept my hands to myself. I couldn't just start feeling up random guys, even if they were dead.

When I got home, a bouquet of roses sat on my front porch. All pink with a yellow one in the middle, they were gorgeous and homegrown. I recognized them from Levi's mom's bush that blossomed just outside their kitchen window. A thin card tucked into the yellow rose read: “One for friendship, one for every year I've loved you.” I counted the flowers—seventeen in all. I inhaled the rich scent and smiled. Only Levi could be this romantic. My skeptical nature didn't trust it to last so I would enjoy it while I could.

“Smooth move,” Aidan commented.

“Very,” I agreed, “although he doesn't need the brownie points.”

I set the vase on the kitchen table but tucked the card into my back pocket. If Grandpa knew Levi and I were seriously involved, he'd pushed curfew back to supper time. He loved us but he was strict.

“Who are those from?” Luke asked, coming into the kitchen.

“A parishioner,” I lied quickly, turning away from him.

“Yeah, right. I saw Levi delivering them. So are you guys serious or something?”

I spun around. “You breathe one word...”

He held up his hands in surrender. “I ain't saying a thing. When Gramps brings the hammer down on you, I get nailed too. My lips are sealed.”

“Thanks Luke.” I ruffled his hair. “Was Levi here?”

“Lunchtime, I think.”

“Cool. I'll call him.”

I raced up the stairs two at a time. Aidan floated close behind.

“I think I'm going to go haunt someone else for a while...”

“You don't have to go.”

“Yeah, I do. I need to go back to the crash site, see what the cops might have missed.”