Strange Neighbors (8 page)

   "Yup."

   "By yourself?"

   "Yup."

   "And Europe? Where did you go in Europe?"

   "All over."

   "Really? How?"

   He shrugged. "Frequent flyer miles." If she only knew.

   "Wow. I don't think I'd have the guts."

   "Then I'll have to take you with me and show you the world."

   She grinned and her perfect, white smile lit up the night. Jason really did want to show her the world—his world. And he wanted her in it from now on.

"Yes, you can come over and see it any time tomorrow. I'm the manager and I should be home all day." Dottie twisted the telephone cord in her hand as she spoke to a prospective renter.

   Chad was leaning against the wall, in an incorporeal sort of way, listening in with great interest. Oh, great. She wasn't kidding. Some poor shlub will rent the place, move in, and I'll have to scare him off. Or maybe I can discourage whoever wants to live there before that. I hope the new landlord will catch on eventually and leave my apartment alone. The old owner finally gave up trying to rent it.

   "It's been empty for quite some time, so I'll just do a little vacuuming and dusting before you get here."

   I like my dust right where it is, woman. You leave my dust alone.

   "Yes, I manage the place and my husband takes care of any maintenance needed, but I do a little light housekeeping outside the units too."

   Naturally. It's so much easier to eavesdrop that way.

   "Oh, it's no bother. It keeps me out of trouble." She chuckled.

   That's debatable. Wasn't it enough that I let her store a few things in my living room? Now she wants to take away the only place I can go for complete peace and quiet. I can't go to the attic anymore. It's now a penthouse. I can't go to the basement. It's a laundry room and vampire lair. Just where am I supposed to have my hip pad? I refuse to haunt a cardboard box in the alley.

   "I'll see you at two o'clock, then. I know you're a professor and probably very trustworthy, but please bring references and paystubs as proof of employment, anyway. Oh, and you know the security deposit is one month's rent, right?"

   She ought to make it two and a half. After I get through with him, the place might not look the same.

"It was so nice of you to offer to visit my patients and cheer them up. I'm sure they'll love getting your autograph!" In the hospital elevator, Merry stood on tiptoes and kissed Jason's cheek. "Not to mention I'll probably rise in popularity among the staff."

   "Just don't tell them where I live. That's all I ask." He draped an arm around her. "If all goes well, I might come back another evening."

   "Hey, if all goes really well, I might get on the day shift!"

   "Is that what you want to do?"

   "God, yes. I'd love to have my evenings free like normal people." And come home in daylight… especially after the incident in the alley.

   The elevator doors whooshed open and they stepped out onto the corridor that led to the hospital's pediatric orthopedics floor.

   "I'll have to go in to report first, but one of the day shift nurses can tell you which patients are well enough to receive visitors. Report only takes about half an hour."

   He stopped walking. "Oh. I thought I'd get a chance to go into your patients' rooms with you."

   She tipped her head and asked, "You aren't shy, are you? I haven't been here for a couple of days, so I'm not sure which patients would be up for a visit. Of course, if you don't mind waiting until after report…"

   "Whatever works for you is okay with me. You go do what you have to do. I'm sure I'll find some casts to sign."

   She grinned. "I'm sure you will, too. And a lot of parents will be visiting, so you'll have plenty of people to keep you occupied." She winked. "Don't worry. I won't desert you for long."

   They rounded the corner, arriving at the nurse's station. Merry spotted two of the day shift nurses finishing their notes. Angie always sashayed around like she thought of herself as a femme fatale and Sam, though you'd never know it, was gay. Merry doubted that either one of them would know Jason by sight, so she opened her mouth to introduce him.

   Before she uttered a word, Angie looked up and gasped.

   "Jason Falco! Oh my God! What are you do—Never mind. What a fantastic surprise!" She rushed around the nurse's station and hugged him without asking if he minded.

   Shocked speechless, Merry observed the blonde bombshell hanging all over him and telling him what an adoring fan she was. The green-eyed monster rose higher in Merry's psyche than the Green Monster backfield wall she had heard of, bringing with it uncomfortable prickles up her spine. Is this how dating him will be? Is that why he just introduced himself as a 'friend of Merry's' rather than my boyfriend? Terrific.

   Sam ambled around the desk and stuck out his hand. As he and Jason shook hands, Angie sidled over to Merry and whispered, "How do you know him?"

   Too angry to speak, Merry gritted her teeth and didn't answer. What could she say? He had told her not to mention they lived in the same building. Now she didn't even want Angie to know they lived in the same neighborhood—or the same state! How many unwelcome guests would that bring to her apartment? Angie wasn't known for her ability to keep secrets.

   She had to think of a way to send Angie away. Preferably to another planet, but on the other side of the desk would have to do.

   "Ah, Ange, would you please make a list of the patients who would like a visit from Jason? I haven't been on for a couple of days, and I'd appreciate someone else who knows their conditions speaking to them first."

   Angie hooked her arm through Jason's and said in her syrupy sweet voice, "Why don't I take him around with me? There's no need for a list."

   Hell's bells. That backfired.

   Jason glanced at Merry and must have seen the annoyed look on her face. He said, "I'm sorry, Merry promised to take me around—if you don't mind."

   Merry wanted to kiss him. Maybe this type of behavior was what made him uncomfortable about events like the bachelor auction. Now Merry wouldn't miss it if she had to be wheeled in on a stretcher.

   Angie looked crestfallen and dropped his arm. "Oh. All right. I guess you can go around with whoever you want…." She rolled her eyes.

   Merry quickly pointed to the family lounge. "There's a place where you can wait for me. Or you can go to the coffee shop and come back later if you'd rather."

   "I'd rather not walk into a roomful of strangers in case I'm recognized and stampeded." He smiled as if making a joke, but maybe he wasn't. "So I'll just wait over there." He nodded toward the lounge, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and strolled into the room.

   Naturally, an excited shriek followed. "Jason Falco!" someone exclaimed.

The following day, Chad watched as Dottie—appropriately nicknamed—met the would-be new tenant at the bottom of the stairs. "Would-be," since Chad had a plan to discourage new renters. This one happened to be a professor from the high tech university across the river. Good. Probably someone who doesn't believe in ghosts. I love a challenge.

   Dottie eyed the disheveled looking man wearing ripped jeans and a faded green jacket on the other side of the door and before opening it, she yelled through the thick glass inset window.

   "State your business."

   "State your business?" Chad rolled his eyes. She sounds like a cop. Maybe she was a pig back in Minnesota. Come to think of it, I could see her in an interrogation room making suspects squirm with all of her funky questions and crazy conclusions.

   The man's eyes narrowed and he yelled, "I'm supposed to meet the manager to see an apartment. Is it still for rent?"

   She paused, frowning, as if she didn't believe him, gave him the once over, then exhaled loudly and opened the door. Chad thought she must have been expecting a pipe-smoking, tweed blazer–wearing, clean-cut, bespectacled man.

   She held the door for him and he skirted around it as if she might slam it in his face. She was making Chad's job too easy! If he didn't drive the professor off, Dottie would.

   She led him to the elevator and punched the button. Chad wasn't crazy about riding elevators. Being in spirit form, he had to time his ascent and landing just right so he wouldn't wind up on the other side of the floor or ceiling.

   He managed the take-off and stuck the landing just fine. Whew. Why spend the energy to penetrate solid objects like walls, when it's so much easier just to zip into spaces when the doors open? Plus it's fun to see people shiver if I happen to touch them. He laughed to himself.

   He'd have given this guy a nice chill down the back of his neck, but a collar and long, curly hair covered the sensitive skin there. The professor didn't bother removing his jacket.

   Chad liked the place nice and cool, and it was a good thing since the owners didn't like wasting oil and kept it just warm enough to prevent the pipes from freezing.

   The boxes had been moved from the living room to the closets. While he strolled down the hall, Chad used his telekinesis to open the closet door. That task presented no challenge. He could give it a good slam, too, but would wait until they were in the room so they could see it close with no draft.

   He managed to move one of the boxes right into the traffic pattern. There, now when they round the corner, someone will trip over it and fall splat. That'll be far-out.

   Now that gravity was no longer his problem, he loved watching people fall down. If they were even a tiny bit psychic, they'd hear him laughing his ass off.

   I have to let them know the unit's previous owner bought the farm right here in his living room and isn't happy about it. Heh heh. I get what little revenge I can.

   He still couldn't get over how they had explained his cause of death. It was officially listed as cardiac arrest. Well, sure. When a bullet enters the brain, the heart stops. Voila. Cardiac arrest.

   He had been a journalist in the sixties and lived in interesting times. Protest marches, riots, and LSD were some of the stories he had covered. Unfortunately, so were conspiracy theories, and one of those had landed him in hot water with the Feds. Me and my fucking integrity and first amendment rights. The public deserved to know the truth, but as he found out, someone didn't agree with that.

   The story never came to light. Back then, he used an actual typewriter and had been working on the piece at home. He was dedicated. Laboring under a false sense of security, he hadn't used the dead-bolt and two guys broke down the door. One held him at gunpoint while another confiscated all of his notes and the unfinished story. Chad tried to fight back.

   If I ever find out who tipped them off, I'll kick his wrinkly old ass. And, speaking of kicking asses, they were coming back toward the living room.

   Making eye-contact, Dottie was grilling the professor about his daily habits—if he played loud music, held wild parties, etc. She completely missed seeing the box in front of her, tripped, flipped, and landed spread-eagle on the gleaming hardwood.

   Bull's-eye!

   Chad laughed so hard he forgot to slam the closet door.

Jason had shown up at Merry's apartment a little early to prepare her for the bachelor auction. He only had a couple of hours before the event and a vague, uncomfortable feeling had descended upon him. Ever since he had visited her hospital, he wondered if she could tolerate his celebrity and the challenges it would bring. She teased him about it and seemed okay afterward, but they had only run into a forward female fan once— so far.

   They had spent a lot of time together over the past two weeks. Now it seemed as if he had known her forever.

   If she was the jealous type, this meat market might be painful. He wanted to reassure her that, regardless of what happened, she was his girl. But if she couldn't handle the possible cat calls and attention he'd be receiving, knowing that sooner rather than later would be helpful.

   He cupped her cheek and leaned in for a light kiss. She twined her arms around his neck, which invited another.

   Jason felt his arousal brimming and knew that soon, very soon, he wanted to take their relationship to the next level. But it would be better to wait until after tonight—after he witnessed how she'd deal with the auction. Jealousy in a mate could be very tiresome, especially with his lifestyle.

   But life is funny. As he gazed at her, he realized that he might wind up being the jealous one. She was a knockout in her little black dress and high-heeled pumps. Earrings that were thin chains of diamonds gently cascaded almost to her collarbones, and with her hair swept up, her long, graceful neck begged to be kissed.

   He was just about to push one of her earrings out of the way so he could trail kisses from her ear to her shoulder when flashing blue lights lit up the windows in her apartment.

   "Crap. Not again!"

   Merry sighed. "Maybe it's something else. The

college kids across the street are kind of loud. After all, it is Halloween."

   "I doubt that's why they're here." He strode out into the hall and called up the stairs. "Aunt Dottie, did you call the police?"

   She trotted down the single flight of stairs and asked, "Are they finally here? It's about time."