Authors: Mary Lindsey
Shattered Souls (18 page)
“They’re so loud, I can’t even hear myself think.” I got on my knees and sat back on my heels, still clutching his hand. “Okay, ghouls, everyone quiet down. I want to talk to the woman who hassled me in history class and got me busted. She wanted me to help her with something someone stole. Everyone else, scram to some other happy haunting ground!”
“She stole my mother’s necklace!”
The voice was behind Alden’s shoulder.
The voice was behind Alden’s shoulder.
“Who stole your mother’s necklace?” I asked.
“My sister.”
“Her sister jacked her mother’s necklace,” I explained to Alden.
“Why is that significant enough to keep her Earth-bound?” he prompted.
“What’s the big deal about that? Why is that keeping you here?”
The voice came from behind me, which made me flinch. I’d never get used to this.
“I promised my mother on her deathbed that I would keep it in the family. It had been passed down for three generations. My sister is childless. I have a daughter. My mother left it to me in her will, but Karen stole it from her house the day of the funeral. She has it. I’ve seen it.”
“I promised my mother on her deathbed that I would keep it in the family. It had been passed down for three generations. My sister is childless. I have a daughter. My mother left it to me in her will, but Karen stole it from her house the day of the funeral. She has it. I’ve seen it.”
I squeezed Alden’s hand. “Did you catch that?”
“No. I only hear them when my soul is in your body. What did she say?”
“Her sister stole it. I’ll fill you in on motive later.”
“Don’t go to any trouble on my account,” Alden said, chuckling. “Is she haunting the sister?”
“She can’t hear you, either, can she?”
“No. You are the Speaker.”
“Being the middleman sucks.” I looked at the spot behind me where the Hindered had last spoken. “Are you haunting your sister?”
From the other side of the room, a pile of papers from my desk flew in all directions.
“Yes!”
the voice howled.
“Yes!”
the voice howled.
I stood up. “Cut that out! My room is messy enough. If you want me to help you, stay in one place and don’t mess with my stuff.”
“You tell her!” Alden said with a smirk as he lay back on the floor with his hands behind his head like he was watching a movie rather than a ghost mediation.
“It’s a good thing she can’t hear you.”
“It’s a good thing
you
can. Where does the sister live, what does the necklace look like, and where is the rightful owner?”
you
can. Where does the sister live, what does the necklace look like, and where is the rightful owner?”
I faced the desk. “Okay. Where does your sister—”
Alden tugged on the leg of my jeans. “Lenzi. Let her in. Save yourself time and irritation. She’ll give you all that and more if you let her in. I’ll get the information too. I can talk to her while she’s sharing your body. We both can.”
I lowered myself onto the floor next to him. “I was really hoping to do it without the soul-sharing thing. Do I have to?”
“Yep. Sorry.” He propped up on his elbow. “We have less than three hours. An interview could take all night. We need these points before the meeting tomorrow. Please, Lenzi. I’d do it for you if I could.” He reached over and touched my hand.
That was incentive enough. “Okay, come on in. Tell it to me quick; we’ve got a deadline.”
I wasn’t sure whether the entrance of a soul was becoming less painful or if I was just getting used to it. Before long, the Hindered named Georgia had filled me in on the details of the theft of the family necklace and its whereabouts in her sister’s house. I listened as Alden quizzed her, which was weird, because it was my body Georgia was using to draw a map and write addresses.
“Are you okay in there, Lenzi?” Alden would ask occasionally.
Once Georgia had spilled the whole story about her sister, Karen Black, I gave the okay for Alden to help her soul out. I expected to see Georgia when she exited, like I’d seen the Malevolent and Suzanne, but there was no trace of her.
“Where’s Georgia, Alden?”
You only see them if they are moving on. She’s probably hanging around to see her promise fulfilled.
“Oh.” That made sense, I supposed.
You asked about our marriage. Want to see a memory?
Unexpected lotto win. “Yes!”
A vision of the two of them, Rose and Alden, standing at a church altar getting married, flashed through my head. Rose was in a white dress with gauzy sleeves. The front of the dress bloused loosely. Her waist was so tiny, it was obvious she was wearing a corset. Her hair was piled on the top of her head under a multitiered veil. Alden had short hair and sideburns. He was wearing a black suit, a white, stiff-collared shirt, and a white funny-looking tie. He reminded me of Mr. Darcy from
Pride and Prejudice
. There were only a few people in attendance. I recognized Maddi and Race, but the other guests were unfamiliar. Rose was beautiful. Jealousy surged through me.
Pride and Prejudice
. There were only a few people in attendance. I recognized Maddi and Race, but the other guests were unfamiliar. Rose was beautiful. Jealousy surged through me.
Wait, there’s more,
Alden said as the image fast-forwarded to the point after they walked out of the church. Rose looked up at Alden. “Remember, we are only doing this for the sake of convenience. You are a marvelous Protector. If this will make it more convenient for you, then it is the right thing to do. Don’t get any ideas, Alden. This is a marriage in name only. Anything else would make you less effective. We will never be more than business partners in this lifetime or any other. Are we clear?”
Alden said as the image fast-forwarded to the point after they walked out of the church. Rose looked up at Alden. “Remember, we are only doing this for the sake of convenience. You are a marvelous Protector. If this will make it more convenient for you, then it is the right thing to do. Don’t get any ideas, Alden. This is a marriage in name only. Anything else would make you less effective. We will never be more than business partners in this lifetime or any other. Are we clear?”
“As crystal,” Alden said as he touched his lips to hers in a light, platonic kiss.
I was furious with Rose. The frigid witch.
Seen enough, Lenzi? Does that answer your question?
“Yes.” I reached over and touched his body on the shoulder. “I’m ready.”
I was so shaken by Rose’s words, the sensation of his soul’s exit didn’t even faze me.
Alden’s eyes burned to life and he gasped a breath of air. He smiled. “It gets easier, doesn’t it?”
I was determined not to cry. “Yes.” I stood up. “Alden, I—”
He put his finger to my lips. “Shhh. If this is about the memory you saw, don’t. Don’t react to it yet. An emotional response would be wrong. Think about it first. Rose was right: anything more would have made me less effective. More importantly, it would have made
her
less effective. I promised to follow her dictate. Your dictate.” He traced my lips with his finger. “There’s a lot at stake here, Lenzi. I think you’ll see her side if you just think about it.”
her
less effective. I promised to follow her dictate. Your dictate.” He traced my lips with his finger. “There’s a lot at stake here, Lenzi. I think you’ll see her side if you just think about it.”
“Why did you show me that right now?” I asked.
“Because you were coming on to me earlier. Because you’re . . . making me crazy.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
He took my face in his hands. “I have lifetimes of memories you don’t have. I know more about you than you know about yourself. I have an unfair advantage, so I’m trying to level the playing field—the field you used to control. The rules state that I must follow the Speaker. You must lead. I want you to know where you’re going, Lenzi. That’s why I showed it to you.”
He hugged me to him. I wrapped my arms around his waist, glad to finally be in his embrace, whatever the conditions.
Alden glanced at his watch. “We’ve got to get moving. We need to break into this house as soon as possible.”
“Break in?”
“Whatever it takes.” He grabbed the map and addresses and shoved them into his pocket. “Don’t worry, Lenzi. This first trip is just to check the place out. You’ll stay in the car with my body while I go in alone.”
“You’re going in without your body?” I stopped short at the top of the stairs. He climbed back up and pulled me down by the hand.
“Yes, Lenzi. She’ll never know I’m there. I’ll be like a Hindered . . . only not dead. Gawk later. Let’s go. Call Georgia. We’ll need her for this one.”
I stared at Alden’s body in complete disbelief. Part of his soul was out there somewhere, breaking into a house to steal a stolen necklace. The whole thing was crazy. He had exited about fifteen minutes ago, leaving his body seat-belted in the passenger seat. He’d given me instructions to drive straight to his house if something happened and to use his phone to call the IC to report a problem for Speaker 102 and Protector 438.
The street was a cul-de-sac. Karen Black’s home was four houses from the cross-street. Alden had parked on the opposite side of the street several houses away, leaving the car windows cracked open about an inch. I blamed the cool night air for my trembling hands. Rifling through the glove box, I searched for something to fold, but the Audi owner’s manual was the only paper in his car. I clamped my hands between my knees. What was taking him so long?
Alden’s body came to life with a gasp at his soul’s return. “I got the alarm code and the location of the necklace.” He appeared proud of himself, keyed up. “Plus, we lucked out. She’s leaving in half an hour for the store, in case we have to steal it.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked. “Where’s the necklace?”
“It’s in a drawer that has a false bottom.”
“Why didn’t you get it?”
Alden furrowed his brow. “It’s hard to pick stuff up when you don’t have hands, Lenzi.”
Moron Club president for life. “Oh, duh.”
“Yeah, duh.” He ruffled my hair. “Before we break in for real, let’s see if she’ll hand it over willingly.”
I liked this better when I thought that Ghost Alden would handle the hard stuff. “I guess so. Do you think she’ll give it to us?”
He shrugged. “It depends on how sick she is of being haunted by Georgia.”
What if the woman had a gun or something? I grabbed his hand, and he shot some calming current my way. My fears dissolved when the tiny elderly lady opened the door. She was wearing a pink and yellow floral print housecoat with her hair in a style that looked like it took a lot of hair spray to maintain. She squinted at us from behind her oversized gold-rimmed glasses.
Alden smiled politely. “Miss Karen Black?”
“What do you want?” she grumbled.
“Georgia sent us.”
She slammed the door in our faces. Alden scowled and knocked on the door. “Please, Miss Black. We just want to talk to you. Georgia will go away if you give the necklace back.”
“I don’t know anyone named Georgia,” her wavering voice called out.
“Yes, you do. We know the entire story. Give the necklace to your niece, and this will all be over.”
“Never!” she shouted from the other side of the door. “Never. It should have been mine. I’m the oldest. I’m going to be buried in it. It’s mine.”
Alden groaned. “Come on, Miss Black. Georgia made a promise to your dying mother. She can’t move on until she fulfills that promise. That’s why she’s haunting you. She’ll go away if you do the right thing.”
“Get off my property, or I’ll call the police.”
“Obstinate old bag,” he muttered as we walked back down the sidewalk. A neighbor to the east of Miss Black’s house peered out her front window at us. Alden opened the driver’s side door before he walked around the front of the car and slid in the passenger side. I stood in the middle of the street, looking at him through the open door.
“Drive us to my house, Lenzi.”
“I don’t have a license.”
“I don’t care.”
Other than driver’s ed, I’d never even been behind the wheel of a car. “I don’t really know how to drive very well.”
He laughed. “That’s a problem, because you’re going to be driving yourself back here.”
“Where are you going to be?”
“In your body. We’re leaving my body at my house. We need to do this together in case we get caught. Two souls are better than one.” He put on the passenger-side seat belt.
Get caught? Oh, great
. I leaned over to get a better look at him. I really didn’t want to drive his snazzy car and smack it into something. “Why don’t we just do it from here?”
. I leaned over to get a better look at him. I really didn’t want to drive his snazzy car and smack it into something. “Why don’t we just do it from here?”
He heaved a theatrical sigh. “Because someone might find my soulless body, resulting in my discontinuance by the IC. The objective is to stay
alive
.”
alive
.”
“If the objective is to stay alive, then you don’t want me to drive.”
Alden shifted in his seat to face me. “Lenzi, listen to me. We have less than two hours before your mother gets back and less than fourteen hours before we meet with the ICDC representative. We need this resolution. Not obtaining it will be far more deadly for both of us than a car wreck. Besides, the car is insured,” he added with a smile.
I studied him for a moment, letting his words sink in. “Will they kill us if we don’t succeed tonight?”
“Our situation is unprecedented. I have no idea what they’ll do. You emerged five days ago. An experienced Speaker, which is what you’re supposed to be, should average twenty points a day. Fifteen is low-range acceptable. Tomorrow will be day six. You should have at least ninety points by noon tomorrow. We only have forty points right now. This one is worth twenty-five. We’ll still be under the average, but I think that will be enough to satisfy them. We need this, Lenzi.”
I slid into the driver’s seat, shaking. “Why can’t you just drive using my body?”
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