Only the Quiet Read online

  “We’ll figure something out,” I supplied. “If there’s some sort of evil presence hunting on this island, it’s only a matter of time before it shows itself again.”

  “That’s why you need to be careful.”

  “I can take care of myself.”

  “You still need to be careful.” Cormack was grave as he lifted his eyes to Oliver. “That goes for you, too. Watch out for each other ... and start putting some effort into replacing Renee. Having additional backup out here couldn’t possibly hurt.”

  “I’ll get right on that. Although ... where do I look?”

  “I’ll send you files and you can start searching there. We’ve had several people from inside the organization apply for the position. If you like someone, tell me.”

  “Okay, I ... okay.” I had no idea what else to say to him and felt awkward.

  Oliver, perhaps sensing my discomfort, decided to take control of the conversation. “You guys were late with a delivery last night. We still haven’t received it.”

  “It’s probably Braden,” Cormack said, scowling. “He just got back from Florida and went to bed early. I’ll bet he forgot to transfer his souls.”

  “So, he was out of town, huh?” Oliver gave me a smug look. “Funny. I heard a rumor saying the same thing. I guess he’s been busy.”

  “He wasn’t happy about it. He lost the coin toss, though. It was between him and Redmond. He really didn’t want to go.” Cormack slid his gaze to me, but I refused to meet his somber orbs. “I think he had something else he wanted to do here. He’s back now, though, so don’t be surprised if he drops in.”

  “Oh, I won’t be surprised.” Oliver grinned. “I’m looking forward to seeing him again. You are, too, right?” He looked to me for confirmation but I refused to answer the question.

  “If something else pops up, I’ll call you,” I said to Cormack. “Until then ... I don’t know what else to do.”

  “That makes two of us.”

  Three

  “What about this one?” Hours later, as I sorted through the files Cormack had emailed, I pulled up information on a woman who worked at the main office. It was almost time to call it a day, but I thought I should at least feign interest in hiring someone after Cormack’s admonishment.

  Oliver slid his gaze from the screen he was watching and looked at the photograph I pulled up. He immediately cringed, which caused me to shift in my chair. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  “I ... nothing.” He focused on his computer. “The Grimlocks sent their missing load from last night. I’m guessing Cormack got on Braden.”

  Mention of Braden’s name made me grit my teeth. I knew exactly what he was doing ... and I didn’t like it. “That’s good. What’s wrong with this chick? Her name is Annemarie. That’s one word. I love it when something that’s supposed to be two words is turned into one word. That means she’s efficient.”

  Oliver scowled. “I think you should keep looking.”

  “Why?”

  “Because ... well, actually, I don’t want to influence your decision. If you want to hire her, it’s completely up to you.”

  “Really?” He didn’t say anything, so I read further into the file. “It says here she’s been in the reaper office for ten years. That means she has experience and is probably unlikely to panic under fire. Although ... .” I trailed off as I kept reading.

  “Do you think Braden will call you or will he arrange some accidental meet-up so he can romance you that way?” Oliver queried.

  I pretended I didn’t hear him. “I’m somewhat concerned that she’s had six positions in the main office in ten years. That probably indicates she has personality issues, wouldn’t you say?”

  “You know who has personality issues but still manages to be charming?” Oliver challenged. “Braden Grimlock. I mean ... that guy is all sorts of morose, and yet he makes you smile. I kind of like him.”

  That did it. I lost my temper and slammed my hand on the desk. “Stop bringing up Braden!”

  Oliver’s smirk was sly. “I was simply trying to carry on a conversation. Obviously you’re not comfortable with that conversation. I apologize. It’s hell when a conversation is uncomfortable, isn’t it?”

  Oh, I had his number. “This is about me questioning you regarding my parents, right?”

  “Did I say that?”

  “No, but I’m not an idiot.”

  “You’re very far from an idiot,” he agreed. “I like that about you. Even as a child you were smart. In fact, one day your father was having a meltdown because there was a computer glitch and you told him to chill out and fixed it within about two minutes. You were five at the time.”

  I turned to him, surprised. “I did?”

  He nodded. “You were always a smart cookie. You were also a pusher. You demanded what you wanted out of life even at a young age. Sometimes it’s best to wait.”

  “I have waited. It’s been twenty years. I was taken from this place right after it happened ... and I don’t remember. There are flashes here and there, and I know something horrible went down that night, but I can’t remember. Do you know how horrible that is?”

  Oliver opened his mouth to answer, but I didn’t give him a chance to respond.

  “I love my grandfather,” I continued. “I really do. He was good to me ... and taught me things ... and loved me. It’s not the same life I would’ve lived with my parents, though, and that hurts.”

  Oliver sighed, the sound long and drawn out. “I’m not trying to hide them from you. It’s just ... I don’t know that dwelling on the past is good for you. They’re your parents and I’m sure your grandfather has filled you with fond memories of them. What if I say something that ruins those memories?”

  I knit my eyebrows. “Do you know something that could ruin those memories?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t want to be the person who somehow screws up what you do remember. I mean ... we spent a lot of time together when you were little. Like ... a lot. You don’t remember me. For some reason, you’ve blocked out that part of your life. I have to believe you’ve done it for a reason.”

  I watched him for a long beat. “I need to know the truth. Don’t you understand that? There’s a hole in my heart where they should be and I want to fill it.”

  “Is that why you’re hiding from Braden? Are you afraid he’ll fill it before you get your answers?”

  The question frustrated me. “Why are you so fixated on Braden?”

  “Because you are.”

  “I am not.” My response came out shriller than I expected and I struggled to adjust my tone. “Seriously, he’s just a man. We worked together on one case. It’s behind me. Nothing happened. I’ve moved on. I don’t see why you can’t do the same.”

  “First, you haven’t moved on.” Oliver leaned back in his chair, laced his fingers and put them behind his head as he met my challenging gaze. “You like him. You can admit it. It’s weird for me because I knew you as a child, but I’m familiar with the Grimlocks. Braden was always the most annoying of the group, but he’s matured. I think he might be good for you.”

  I absolutely hated this conversation. “I didn’t come here to get involved with someone. I came here for answers.”

  “Fair enough.” He held his hands up. “The thing is, I believe that you can do more than one thing while you’re here. You might not have come for him, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have him all the same.”

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  “You know what I find interesting about that statement? You didn’t say I was wrong. You said you didn’t think it was a good idea. That means you’ve considered it.”

  “I haven’t.”

  “I think you’re lying.”

  “Yeah, well ... I don’t really care what you think.” Suddenly antsy, I hopped to my feet. “I’m done for the day. I’m going to run upstairs and make sure the police crew and medical examiner’s team cleared out and didn’t leave anythin
g behind. You can be done, too.”

  “Thanks for that.” Oliver’s expression was hard to read as he watched me. “Don’t you want to finish talking about Annemarie Scofield?”

  “No. I’ve decided against her. I find it suspicious that she’s been juggled between departments the way she has.”

  “That’s probably smart because she claims sexual harassment wherever she goes. It doesn’t matter if her boss is male or female. Apparently everyone wants to see her naked.”

  I was appalled. “Why didn’t you tell me that?”

  He shrugged. “I wanted to see if you would figure it out on your own. You did. There’s no reason to be cranky.”

  “Ugh. You’re really starting to grate on me.”

  “That is one of my better talents.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” I offered him a half-hearted wave and headed for the door. “You need to help me go through that list Cormack sent me tomorrow. If you have information on these people, I should know it. I don’t want to risk getting the wrong person in here ... again.”

  “Sure.”

  I slowed my pace and arched an eyebrow. “Just like that? I expected you to fight me on it.”

  “I have no intention of fighting you ... as long as you make an effort to see Braden.”

  Shut the front door! He was unbelievably annoying when he wanted to be. “That’s not going to happen. He was hanging around because we had an issue that required multiple people to figure out. That’s no longer the case.”

  “Are you sure? We had a woman die in a room full of kids. You felt, but didn’t see, a malevolent spirit. If that’s not an issue, I don’t know what is.”

  “That doesn’t mean it’s his issue.”

  “I get that. Still ... I’m betting he turns up.”

  “And I’m betting he doesn’t.” I offered him another wave. “I’m out of here. I’ll check the aquarium floor on my way out. You don’t have to worry about it.”

  “I’m not worried ... and Braden will be around.”

  “If that’s what you need to tell yourself.”

  I heard him grumble something under his breath but made a point not to acknowledge it. His insistence on trying to force the issue with Braden was so annoying I wanted to start shaking him. I understood he thought he was being funny. I felt exactly the opposite.

  The aquarium was quiet and deserted. I took time to circle the area where Lauren Tate died in an effort to search for clues, but it was completely clean. I even used my magic, but there was nothing there. Whatever force blew through the room was seemingly gone ... and I was alone.

  I walked to the front door to check the locks, taking a moment to stare out the window and gauge the encroaching darkness. It was staying light later these days — which was welcome — but the darkness still came early. I looked forward to the summer months when the sun wouldn’t set until after nine.

  As far as I could tell, the parking lot was empty ... except for a lone vehicle near the front. It looked familiar, but I couldn’t get a clear view of it from where I stood. I thought about exiting the building to circle the car, but my inner danger alarm sparked in such a way that I immediately thought better of it.

  Behind you.

  We’re here.

  We’ve arrived.

  Look behind you.

  The voices caused a shiver to course down my spine. I swiveled quickly, the hair standing up on the back of my neck. There, grouped together, hovered a variety of ghosts. Honestly, I don’t know how else to describe them. They were definitely ghosts, ethereal and almost glowing in the limited light. They stared at me. There had to be at least twenty of them. They whispered. Some knew my name, and they raised their hands in unison as if reaching for me.

  I took an involuntary step back when I recognized Lauren. She stood on the far side of the group, her expression morose. Like the others, she whispered words I had trouble making out and reached toward me.

  On instinct I fumbled with the lock and threw open the front door. I had every intention of racing through the opening and not stopping until I was certain I’d left the ghosts behind. That was impossible, though, because a dark figure cut off my avenue of escape. I smacked into him hard, bouncing backward with enough force that I assumed I would topple over.

  The shadow, however, caught me before I could lose my balance ... and then began to laugh.

  “Falling for me so soon?”

  I recognized the voice and slapped at the hands, frustration bubbling up. “Braden! That’s not funny.”

  “I thought it was a little funny.” He stepped into the dim lights, his handsome features practically glowing. “Miss me?”

  He had to be joking. “No. I absolutely did not miss you.” I smoothed my clothes in an effort to look anywhere but his face. Then I remembered the ghosts and turned back in that direction, breathing a sigh of relief when I realized they were gone.

  “You didn’t miss me even a little?” Braden challenged, his tone lazy.

  When I turned back to him, I found his flirty gaze on me. He was seemingly oblivious to the terror of moments before, for which I was grateful. “No. I didn’t miss you.”

  He snagged my wrist and made a face as he pressed his fingers to my pulse point. “I don’t know. Your heart is racing. I think that means you missed me.”

  “And I think I was running from ghosts when I smacked into you,” I shot back. “That’s why my heart is racing.” Seriously, the nerve on him. As if my heart would race because of his proximity. Although ... it was still going relatively well given the fact that I’d started to calm down. Still, I blamed the ghosts. It had nothing to do with him.

  “Ghosts?” Braden arched an eyebrow. “What ghosts?”

  “I ... they were in there.” I gestured toward the aquarium. “I don’t know what they were doing there. Heck, I haven’t seen ghosts since I got here. They’re a little more prevalent in the French Quarter than they are in this area.”

  “There shouldn’t be ghosts if the reapers are doing their jobs.”

  “Nobody is infallible.”

  “Yeah, well ... .” He moved his hand to my back and started rubbing. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. I was simply caught off guard.”

  “Hmm.” I couldn’t quite decide how he meant the sound he was making as he walked into the aquarium. His gaze was keen as he searched the room, but after a few minutes he turned back to me. I didn’t miss the question in his eyes. “Do you think it has something to do with the death this afternoon?”

  That was a good question. “I don’t know. But ... one of the ghosts did look a lot like the dead teacher. I didn’t get close enough to ask her any questions or anything because it was weird how they were beckoning to me, but I’m pretty sure it was her.”

  He frowned. “Beckoning to you?”

  I reenacted how they moved their arms and gestured for me to join them. “They did it in unison, and it was creepy. I freaked out ... and that’s why I was going out the front door.”

  “So, you’re saying you really weren’t excited to see me.” He almost looked sad at the prospect.

  “I was happy not to be alone, if that helps.”

  He chuckled. “I guess it’s better than nothing.” He sidled closer to me. “I missed you, if that counts for anything.”

  I wanted to rip out my traitorous heart when it rolled. “Huh. I would think that if you missed someone you would call.” I hadn’t meant to say that … and definitely not in that tone. It came out a bit too passive-aggressive and obnoxious for my liking. Still, my mouth had a mind of its own and said whatever it wanted from time to time.

  “I wanted to call,” he hedged. “I felt kind of weird, though.”

  “Well, there’s no reason to feel weird.” I clapped his arm as hard as I could, as if we were buddies at the bar watching a football game. “No hard feelings here. I’m perfectly fine.”

  He tilted his head to the side, considering. “Yeah. I’m getting a different vibe. Sti
ll ... I emailed.”

  “Oh, that’s the same as a phone call.”

  He grinned. “You did miss me. That’s why you’re so annoyed. It’s okay. You can admit it.”

  “No.” I folded my arms over my chest. “I didn’t miss you. I barely know you. I mean ... we worked together and I would be sad if someone killed you or something, but I didn’t miss you.

  “Like, for example, I would totally be sad if you were the one who died during the blackout today,” I continued. I realized I was babbling, but I couldn’t stop myself. “That would be heartbreaking, but only because you were a human being and not for any other reason.”

  Braden’s grin was back, and it caused me to go warm all over. “Has anyone ever told you what a terrible liar you are?”

  “No ... and I’m not lying.”

  “You’re totally lying.”

  “I am not!”

  He met my gaze for a long moment and then slowly raised his hand to brush my dark hair from my face. “I’m sorry. I don’t usually go out of town. I lost the coin toss.”

  “So your father told me.”

  “I won’t have to leave town anytime soon, but next time I’ll be sure to call.”

  “I don’t need a call.”

  “I’ll be sure to call,” he repeated. “What do you have planned for the rest of the night?”

  “I’m going to the boathouse and ... reading.” I didn’t have any plans. That was the first thing that came to mind. It sounded lame, but I didn’t care. “It’s a really good book.”

  His eyes lit with mirth. “What book?”

  “Um ... it’s about witches and stuff. I like reading about witches. Heck, I like witches, period.”

  “I like them, too.” He winked at me. “I was thinking — and I know this will be difficult because you were obviously attached to your plans — but I was thinking that maybe you might want to go out to dinner with me.”

  That was a horrible idea. He already had butterflies dancing in my stomach, which I was mortified to admit even to myself. “No. I’m not dating you. We’ve been over this.”