Fire and Ice: A Paranormal Romance (11 page)
Read Fire and Ice: A Paranormal Romance Online
Authors: Cindy Adkins
“Sarah, if the man in your dreams is Eddie, then he lives upstairs. That’s why Jessie came to you—to have you help her father,” Billy explained.
“Oh my God, you’re right! Are you sure it’s my building?”
“I’m sure,” Billy told her. “Sarah, that’s why Jessie singled you out. That’s why she wanted to involve me so that we would piece it together. I’m going up there right now.”
“Billy, you can’t,” Sarah pleaded.
“I have to.” Billy grabbed his cell phone off the table.
“Then, I’m coming with you,” Sarah said as she followed Billy to the door. They walked out to the hallway and took the elevator to the third floor. When they stepped out of the elevator, they saw the door to the apartment straight ahead of them. It appeared to be the only apartment on that floor and it was directly over Sarah’s.
“This is the only unit here,” Billy told her. He knocked on the door. He knocked again, but still there was no answer. “Hello, hello, is anyone in there?” he called. Then, he repeated it even louder.
Billy tried the door handle and it worked. He opened the door slowly. As he peered inside, he noticed someone lying on the sofa in the living room. “Hello,” he said, but there was no answer.
Sarah stood at the entrance to the apartment while Billy walked up to the still figure. When he got closer, Billy recognized Eddie. He stopped and stared at him in disbelief. He was emaciated. Billy touched his arm and it was cold. It was clearly too late to help him. Eddie was already gone. Billy felt completely overwhelmed as he stared at the hollow shell of a man he once knew. Sarah called from the doorway and began walking toward him. “Billy, is everything okay?” Her voice jarred him back to reality.
“Stay back! Don’t come in here,” Billy warned. He wanted to spare her the pain of seeing the dead body. Billy could not believe his eyes. He had known Eddie since he was a kid. He recalled days of sitting with Eddie on his back porch eating crawfish and hearing him tell stories that made everyone laugh. Since his disappearance, Billy had spent six years being on Eddie’s boat and almost a lifetime loving his daughter. Standing there in shock, his emotions overtook him and he did not know what to think or do. As tears welled up in his eyes, Billy took off Jessie’s St. Christopher medal from around his neck and laid it on Eddie’s chest. He wanted it to be with him. Billy was so shaken that he had to get out of there. He turned around, walked toward Sarah, and shut the apartment door. “It’s him,” Billy told her as his voice quivered.
“It’s Eddie?”
“Yes. He’s dead.” Billy could not even believe the words that were coming out of his own mouth. Nor could he fathom what he had just witnessed. It was a real-life nightmare for which Billy was unprepared. He was trembling so badly that he felt as if his knees would fail him.
“Oh no,” cried Sarah. “Are you sure it’s him?”
“I’ve known Eddie all my life. My God, he’s almost unrecognizable. It’s him all right, except his hair has silver in it now. It looks like he starved to death. Jesus Christ, how could such a thing happen?”
“What should we do?” Sarah was shaking.
“He’s gone. What the hell
can
we do? I’m calling the police.”
Chapter Fourteen
Gotcha
-
It was one o’clock in the morning before the police left the building. Billy and Sarah sat in her apartment reflecting on all that had just transpired. Eddie had been gravely sick for some time. It appeared to the officers that Eddie had been dead for a couple of days. There was no one there to help him and he had been left alone to die. He wrote a letter and left it on the table to explain everything before his death.
The police were already on their way to Charla’s house to make an arrest. There was paperwork in Eddie’s apartment that proved that she had been in communication with him all that time.
Sarah sat next to Billy on the loveseat just a floor below where the body was taken from four hours earlier. She felt numb. “That’s why Jessie came to me,” Sarah said. “She was trying to save her dad. If only we had looked at her camera sooner, we could have pieced this together.”
“Eddie’s illness must have caused the weight loss because the detective said that there was plenty of food in his cupboards,” said Billy. “I wish we knew what was in that letter. From all the questions that the officers asked me, it was obvious that Eddie had revealed Charla’s involvement in this.”
“Jessie must have been desperate. She knew that I was here right near him. She tried to reach out to me for nine months. That’s why she got so intense. That’s the reason she wouldn’t stop. No wonder I got the impression that Jessie didn’t want me to go to Florida. It makes sense now. She didn’t want me to leave him.” Sarah pointed up to her high ceiling. “To think that Eddie was just beyond those wooden beams that I’ve looked at so many times. I wish we could have saved him.”
“I’m just sorry that Eddie had to be alone for all these years,” said Billy. “He had to suffer because Charla was so money hungry. She found a way to shut him up the whole time. He couldn’t come forward to let anyone know what had happened. She certainly saw to that. Then, when he got sick, she obviously wouldn’t even help him.” Billy just shook his head.
“I’ve heard of greed, but this is beyond comprehension.” Sarah could not imagine such a contemptible person.
“My daddy was right about Shaunessy,” Billy told her. “Can you imagine that this building is in his name? They’ll probably arrest him next.”
“Honestly, the more I think about it, Eddie’s boat was aptly named.
Gotcha
sure says it all, doesn’t it? Charla is finally going to pay for this,” said Sarah.
“I never thought of it before, but you are right. It may have taken Eddie years, but Charla is going to get her just rewards soon,” Billy added. “Now we know why you were dragged into this whole mess. Jessie knew that if she provided all those other clues to you, then the two of us could work together. It just wasn’t soon enough.”
“It’s heartbreaking,” said Sarah.
“Come on, we’re getting out of here,” Billy insisted. “Time to untie.”
“What?” Sarah asked.
“Sorry, just fisherman lingo…I meant it’s time to go,” Billy told her. “You need to call the school. There’s no way you can be at work so early. This has all been too much on you.”
“Where are we going?” asked Sarah.
“For beignets. The restaurant is open all night.” Billy got up and headed toward the door. “Grab your purse because when we’re done, we’re not coming back here tonight. We’re going to my place.”
Sarah followed him. “But, why are we getting beignets?” she asked.
“Because they’re covered in powdered sugar. You once told me that ‘sugar goes to sugar.’ I’m getting some for you. You’re the sweetest girl I’ve ever met. You’ve done nothing but look out for me. It’s time I take care of
you
. Things are going to change beginning right now.”
Sarah grabbed her purse and started to leave the apartment with him, but stopped by the doorway. “What about the camera? Don’t you want to take it back home with you?”
“Don’t worry about it. Let’s just go. We’ll get it later. Besides, since you love to swim, I want to get you a camera that takes photos under water.”
“But, Billy, you don’t have to do that,” she told him.
“I don’t have to. I
want
to. But, there’s one more thing I need to tell you.”
“What’s that?” she asked.
“Eddie’s boat belongs to me now and I’m hoping that its name will have special meaning in my own life,” he began to explain.
“How?” Sarah asked him.
“I hope that one day you’ll actually consider being with me and that ‘gotcha’ means you’re mine.” Billy brought Sarah toward him and held her tightly. Then, he kissed her.
When it ended, Sarah whispered, “I think I’m already yours.”
Chapter Fifteen
Baby Girl
-
Two Years Later
“Come on, Alise, haven’t we shopped enough?” asked Harris.
“I just need one more set of curtains for the baby’s room,” Alise answered as they walked through the boutique.
“Well, we better hurry because Billy and Sarah are going to meet us at the restaurant in a few minutes,” he reminded her.
“I know. This will be quick, I promise,” she told him.
Alise paid for the pink curtains. Then, the two of them hurried to meet Billy and Sarah. They were standing outside of the quaint eatery. “How’s my favorite daughter-in-law?” Harris asked Sarah as he gave her a hug.
“Fat,” Sarah laughed.
“You’re not fat,” Alise assured her. You’re an expectant mother. There’s a difference.”
“I can’t fit into my shoes, so I’m not feeling too thin right now,” Sarah admitted.
“Are you two hungry?” asked Harris.
“I’m always hungry, Dad,” Sarah said to him.
“Sarah’s not kidding,” smiled Billy as they went inside.
A cheerful young hostess seated them by the window and handed them some menus. When she walked away, Sarah said to Billy’s parents, “I can’t tell you how happy I am that you are both here in New Orleans.”
“We wouldn’t miss this birth for anything.” Alise smiled at her.
“The doctor said it could actually be any day now,” said Billy.
“We’ve got all the patience in the world,” Alise assured him.
“So are you going to tell them or should I?” Billy looked at Sarah.
“Tell us what?” asked Harris.
“We came up with a name for the baby right after we got the test results that let us know that we’re having a girl. We settled on it some time ago, but we want to tell you what it is,” Sarah explained. Then, she looked at Billy’s father. “We’re going to name her Harrison Michaela after you and my dad.”
“Really?” asked Alise. “That is wonderful!”
Harris got tears in his eyes. “I told you that she was a treasure, Billy. I knew it the minute I laid eyes on her.”
“She is, Daddy. You were right—I’m a lucky man,” replied Billy.
“Sarah, when are your parents arriving?” asked Alise.
“They’ll be here tonight,” answered Sarah.
“They will be thrilled to hear the news,” said Alise. “Your mother and I have been busy crocheting all kinds of things for the baby. We’ve already talked on the phone so that we could coordinate everything. I brought a suitcase full of sweaters, hats, and booties. They’re in the trunk of the car.”
Billy looked at Sarah and held her hand. “What will you have to eat, Sugar?”
“I’m sorry,” Sarah looked at him. “I can’t eat. I’m having labor pains.”
“What? When did that happen?” asked Billy.
“Just since we sat down,” answered Sarah.
Harris jumped up from the table. “Billy, quick, let’s go get your truck!”
Billy stood up and gave Sarah a kiss. “I love you,” he said. Then, he turned to his mother, “Mama, keep an eye on her. Meet us out front in five minutes.”
“Hurry, you two!” urged Alise. “I had a dream last night. This baby’s coming fast.”
-
THE END
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