6.4

Chapter Six

Part Four

To keep my lips from flapping, I quickly bit down on them.

I couldn't tell the State that a Police Officer was the one to spill the beans. My cousin would get in deep doo doo.

"Miss Bucannon," the man's twangy voice questioned.

"It's a small town," I quickly explained, "News travels fast."

Richard cleared his voice.

"The details will be sent to your State Issued email. As always, good luck, and if you need anything please email or call. I will be your point of contact."

"Thank you, Richard."

He hung up and I sat speechless.

It felt like I was somewhere between being in a dream, and a nightmare.

What were the freakin odds? I mean, how on God's green Earth did everything overlap like this? Was I really that lucky or was I cursed?

"What happened," Gavin called from across the table.

He leaned over the table, his body zapping with excitement. It was as if he too could feel the storm coming.

If the sick feeling in my stomach said anything, it was that the shit storm was coming fast.

I swallowed, looking from Nana to my brother. I could hardly breath from the mounting anxiety.

"Circe that look on your face is starting to scare me," Nana warned.

She sat in her seat at the head of the table.

Reaching out Nana patted my arm. I'm sure she thought she was reassuring me. She wasn't aware, that at this point it wasn't possible.

"What's going on," she probed, "You can tell us."

"Remember, when I mentioned that I had spoken to Danny last night?"

They both bobbled their heads in unison.

"Well," I breathed bouncing my gaze between the two, "there is a girl missing. She's apparently a known runaway."

Nana's eyes narrowed. She was very quick witted.

"But this time it's different. Danny doesn't think that's the case.��

"He thinks she's missing," she said interrupting me.

"Yes," I agreed, "he didn't think that she'd run away. He thinks she fits our Serial Killer's profile. When he saw her picture, Danny said it gave him goosebumps."

Nana looked down at the table before saying quietly, "I think your cousin certainly is following his intuition on this one."

I squeezed Nana's hand nodding.

"I felt the same. I think she is missing too."

"So was that the Police then," Gavin asked carefully.

He and the local Police weren't friends. Neither was I. Their captain was a dimwitted lard.

I shook my head.

"I can't imagine they'd call for you," he stated with a nervous laugh.

"It's the State," Nana detailed standing up shaky, "The State called her in for the job, but who requested you?"

"I don't know," I replied feeling numb, "Maybe her family? I would assume it would be them."

This was going to put me in an awkward position. The State didn't know my already troubled relationship with the Police department.

If Willy didn't like me sniffing around with Sara's case, then he certainly wouldn't agree to this. I mean, was Mary even declared missing yet?

"Can't they call someone else in," Nana suggested, clearly worried about the same thing I was, the Police.

"To my knowledge I'm the closest certified Medium, in the area," I reasoned, "They wouldn't call someone hours away just for this."

"But don't they realize how hostile the Police are here? Couldn't they just send someone else," she begged, "Maybe you could explain the situation?"

My shoulders fell and I shook my head.

"Not going to work. I'm sure I'm not the only Medium who isn't liked by the Police."

Nana gripped the back of one of the dinner chairs. Her face had a vacant look about it. She knew it was hopeless.

Morosely she questioned, "So, there's nothing…nothing you can do?"

Sadly, I mumbled, "Not really."

"This…doesn't look good Circe," Nana's voice raised slightly, "I have a very bad feeling about all of this."

She looked at me, the worry that had been on her face, turned into abject terror.

"I don't think you realize what you've gotten yourself into, and it's not just about the Police. This feels really, really bad. You should call that man back. Tell him you can't do it."

I removed myself from the table so I could put the phone up.

I bit my lip, as I faced the wall.

I didn't want them to know how nervous I was.

Nana was right. I could feel the dread in the pit of my stomach, too. Only, I knew about the Vampires, she didn't.

The question was what else didn't I know?

My brother sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose, and leaned his head back.

"The problem is Nana, Circe, is already involved. Even if she wanted to ditch the job she can't."

"Gavin your sister will be out in the open then! The killer, and Ryder are both going to know that she's on to them," Nana scolded.

Her voice grew louder and more hysterical as she continued.

Pointing at me she cried, "Someone already tried to kill her once! We know Ryder, without a doubt, was involved with the other girls. Who's to say that he won't turn into a killer himself?"

"Nana, I'm not going to let that happen," Gavin stood up, trying to appeal to her, "Danny knows about it. I know about it. Circe will not be alone."

Nana shook her head, walking back to her skink.

"The problem Gavin is that Ryder is Willy's nephew! How much do you think your cousin can do when his boss is the Uncle? Do you think Willy would really turn his own kin over? You think Willy, or for that matter any cop in this town, would turn that boy in? Especially on the information from one of us? Not going to happen."

That raised my brow. Why did Nana say it like that?

She turned away, facing the sink. Viciously she scrubbed one dish after the other causing water to splash everywhere.

Nana was fit to be tied.

"I wonder who put in the request," Gavin asked aloud like the thought that would ease the tension in the room.

It didn't.

From the sink Nana spat, "Could be anyone!"

Careful to avoid my frothing Nana, I supplied, "I'll know once I read the contract."

"Well," Gavin declared, "whoever called it in, good on them. If they waited on the freakin losers at the station their daughter might never be found."

My phone binged. I jumped grabbing it. I looked at it as if it were some alien about to devour me.

"Well," Nana anxiously called from the sink, "Who is it?"

"The State," I replied clicking on the email, "They're sending me the contract to look over. I have 24hrs to look it over and sign."

"You going to take the job," Gavin breathed in my ear.

He'd snuck around the other end of table.

Whispering I mouthed, "I don't have much of a choice"

Slowly I pushed out from my chair.

"I'll be back," I said watchful to not upset Nana further, "Let me read this over."

I walked away and into the family room. I headed into my office.

Really, it was just an old storage closet that my brother and Danny cleared out. It was big enough to build a small desk, shelves, and cabinets.

Gavin followed me and leaned against the door frame.

Watching me turn on my desk computer he wondered, "How much do you think they'll pay yah?"

I gave him a droll look.

He tried to not look interested, but he failed.

We were in debt. He knew that. He also knew that it because of him. Not to mention he had also lost his job yesterday.

"Will it even be worth it? I mean I could, you know, get a job at maybe Old Jud's? Work a couple of hours," he offered.

"A couple of hours isn't going to cut it," I snorted finding him cute.

His nostrils flared in response. I had agitated him.

"I was planning on helping you with your ghosty stuff, or were you planning on leaving me out? AGAIN!"

I did say that he could help. However, with the freakin Vampires involved I changed my mind. He stood no chance against them.

Gavin quickly cut me off before I could speak. He didn't want to hear any protest.

"Circe," Gavin wailed, "is this your way of cutting me out? You're just going to ignore me?"

I closed my eyes.

"CIRCE," he yelled.

I bit, "It's a bit more complicated now!"

To my surprise he didn't buckle.

"You're not cutting me out."

I waved him inside, with jerky angry movements.

As he stepped inside, I motioned for him to close the door.

This was not a conversation I wanted Nana to hear.

"You're so slow! Just get in here," I spat marching over and slamming the door.

He stood looking at me perplexed.

"Where am I supposed to sit?"

"The floor," I replied, stating the obvious, "Where else?"

Slowly he slinked down into the floor.

Stepping around his leg, I took my chair, and twisted it around to face him.

"Listen," I instructed, quietly, "I need you to stay calm. You think you can do that?"

"What do you mean," he asked fearfully, "What do I need to stay calm about?"

Leaning down, with both elbows on my knees, I whispered, "I couldn't tell you everything, because I didn't want Nana to freak out."

Gavin wet his lips, looking like a scared little puppy.

"Ok? What did you leave out?"

He was nervous now but, in a moment, he was going to think I was crazy.

"Just spit it out," he begged, his voice pinched, "I'm sweating like a pig."

Swallowing I closed my eyes. I knew he wasn't going to believe me.

"The serial killer… is…a…V…"

"Victim's family member? Ah Shit," he jumped in with such enthusiasm that it threw me off for a second.

He slapped his mouth, turning towards the door thinking that Nana heard him cuss again.

"No," I wailed looking at him with distain.

Why would he make that connection?

Gavin shrunk back offended.

"But ain't it usually a family member, boyfriend, or friend," he challenged.

I laughed at him.

"Does this come from all your "professional" research from watching Crime TV shows?"

"Well then who did it," he blasted.

I winced.

Why was it so hard to say? Vampire?

Gavin rebutted me, his arms folded, he sat there talking to himself, "That's what it sounded like you were going to say."

"NO," I said exasperated, "I never said that! I said that…the killer is…"

"Is who? Who then? Do I know the guy or something?"

"A VAMPIRE," I blurted vexed.

Gavin froze. He looked at me, his face so dumb he could throw himself on the ground and miss.

"Did you hear me," I hissed keeping my voice as low as possible, "The killer is a freakin Vampire."

Watching his facial expression, I started to wonder if he'd just checked out. He was blinking at me, but he acted like no one was home.

"Gavin," I gritted kicking his knee, "are you even listening to me?"

Unexpectedly he burst into laughter. The force of it rocked him backward until his back slammed against door.

The abrupt, sheer volume of his laugh launched my heart, leaping into my throat.

Standing up, Gavin practically doubled over from his outburst. The humor left his knees weak.

"It's not funny," I clarified, my voice trembling from anger.

Gavin wiped his face smiling.

Apparently, I was so funny he had started to laugh cry.

"Oh my God," he bawled.

Gavin wheezed from his laughter.

His words were almost indistinguishable as he gasped, "Circe! Are…you…SERIOUS?"

Face flaming from both embarrassment and anger, I stood up.

"I'm serious! I am dead serious! It's not funny! YOU DON'T KNOW…"

Another bout of laughter had him clasping onto my filing cabinet.

"Oh my God," he howled, still in the fits of laughter, "you look so serous when you said that!"

I lunged at him.

Using my hand to cover his loudmouth, I pinned his head against the wall. My aggressive response shocked the giggles right out of him.

His brown eyes were alarmed as he looked at me from over my hand.

"SHHHHHHH," I whispered accidently spitting, "Nana is going to hear your heehawing!"

He mumbled something from under my hand.

"I'm not lying Gavin! This IS serious!"

His eyes narrowed.

"Last night when I was down in the V.I.P," I explained, slowly removing my hand, "I saw them firsthand."

Calmed down, he now had fallen silent. Which slightly worried me. I wasn't sure if it was because he was starting to believe me, or if it was because he questioned my sanity.

"You…saw them," he probed suspiciously.

I bit my lip because I could tell that I was getting upset. My anger had left me as quickly as it had come.

He asked me again, "What exactly did you see?"

Gavin brows became one straight line. He regarded me carefully as if he was looking for the joke but was starting to realize that there wasn't one.

"Circe," he hedged, "What happened last night? Why aren't you talking?"

My voice trimbled as I spoke.

"I know it's hard to believe," I cried, "I really thought that I'd gone crazy too, but I saw it in front of my face Gavin."

He shook his head, rearing back from me.

"Wait, what," he said in disbelief, "You really saw a…Vampire? Or was it that you thought you saw a Vampire?"

"No," I cried with annoyance, "I mean I saw a Vampire. It was really a Vampire!"

When he looked like he was still confused, I continued with, "Why is it so hard to believe that Vampires exist?"

"Because…they don't," he said slowly.

"You see death for goodness sakes! I see freakin ghosts! You're going to tell me, that isn't just as strange?"

"I…don't know," he replied standing up to put distance between us, "I mean that's a bit of a stretch."

"I had two Vampires try to kill me. The one who stopped Ryder from hitting me…he's also…a Vampire. They were all Vampires."

His eyes bugged. Gavin knew that I'd never lie. He also knew that I'd never do something dishonorable when it came to the afterlife.

"It makes sense," I reasoned, "Think about it. Just give me a chance to explain."

He shook his head slowly. His slight refusal spurred me on.

"Listen to me," I explained, "both Sarah and Asley lost so much blood. I don't know if you were aware, but it was an UNUSUAL amount of blood. What if the needle marks on Ashely weren't from drugs…what if it was a Vampire?"

Gavin breathed, lowering his voice to barely a whisper, "Let's say I believe you. OK? Why would she still have needle marks when they found her? Wouldn't they close up you know, like in the movies?"

I went to say something and then paused. I hated when he had a point.

I didn't know if they would close up.

"I don't know if everything in movies are true, so I'm not sure."

"And Sarah," Gavin rationalized, "Wasn't she just torn up or something?"

I blinked.

"I saw it with my own eyes. Remember? In the woods? I saw a hooded…person. I saw that person last night."

Gavin flinched, "What?"

"I know it was him."

"Ok," he said sounding like he was about to lose his mind, "You saw her killer?"

"Yes."

"But you think he's a VAMPIRE! That doesn't make any sense! Let's just put a bookmark in that idea for now. Ok? How about we work with what we've got in front of us right now?"

The weight of the world crushed down my shoulders yet again.

He didn't believe me.

Gavin nodded, like he thought the issue was settled, and reached for my freshly printed papers.

Slithering away between me and the wall he started straightening them.

"Let's just take everything a day at a time," he instructed with his back to me.

That was easy for him to say. He didn't know what I did.

Mary's chance of being alive was slim to none. If she were one of Ryder's victims, then mostly likely...it was none. Then again, I really didn't know.

It sounded like the girls had interacted with the killer for a while before they were killed. So, there was a small possibility that perhaps she was alive.

"Circe."

Gavin turned to look at me and I realized that I'd not said anything.

"Can we take this a day at a time? Do you think you can do that?"

I glared at him.

"I do this for a living," I chastised, "Of course, I can."

He shrugged, leaning against my poor printer. Gavin breathed a little easier than when I'd mentioned Vampires.

"So, who's the missing girl again," Gavin asked thumbing through the papers.

"Mary, her name is Mary Hernandez."

He glanced up for a second asking, "If she's missing then why aren't the Police looking into it. Is it… you know because she's half Mexican? Like, sure people can run away, but that doesn't mean that they can't be abducted by someone."

My brother scrunched up his face, thinking.

"What's different this time?"

She was mixed up with Vampires this time. That's why it was different.

How could I persuade him into believe me?

Actually, I did have an idea, but I really didn't like it. It left an uncomfortable feeling in my stomach.

Kyung had saved me not once but twice. Did that mean he was a good Vampire? Was that even a thing? Did good Vampires exist? I didn't know, but if Gavin met Kyung then he'd know the truth for himself.

Gavin peered back down looking through the papers, quietly saying, "I hope…she's not…dead. What did Danny say? Did he think she's alive?"

"He wasn't sure either."

Gavin nodded, not meeting my eyes.

I pushed up from the drawers, with my hands on my hips.

The desire to prove to my brother the truth tugged at me. I was scared though.

I peered up at Gavin, sick to my stomach. If he was going to be working with me on the cases, then he'd be exposed to Vampires anyway.

"So, what do you do with these," he asked plucking through my stack of papers with more interest, than necessary.

"I look at the terms and conditions. Depending on the family, or requestee, it can be different. They don't always want the same things. If I agree to it, then I sign."

My brother paused. His eyes bugged, as all the papers except for one quickly slipped from his fingers.

Extending his hand, he practically shoved the single paper in my face.

"What is this," he asked electrified with unbridled energy.

I back peddled, hitting the door, with a thud.

He cornered me, some of my papers crunched under his feet, as he moved.

"Did I read this correct?"

I wagged my hands indicating for him to whisper.

"SHHHH! NANA! REMEMBER?"

Trembling with effort, Gavin attempted to reel in whatever crazy energy was bubbling under the surface.

"Circe, did you read this?"

Flummoxed, I breathed, "No. It only just printed."

He pushed the paper at me again and I took it out of his hand.

His crazy vigor was making me nervous. What had him all…excited?

"Look at it," he said pointing at the paper, tapping it with this finger.

"Ok," I agreed, adding, "You better pick up all the papers."

Gavin jumped to it quickly picking up the loose papers.

Springing up, he turned facing me, too enthused to give me time to read.

Excitedly he asked, "Is that how much they'll pay you?"

"Give me a second to read it," I ordered glancing down at the paper.

I scanned over it and then froze. I blinked as if I wasn't seeing things clearly and read it again.

Gavin hovered in front of me.

"It's what I think it is…right?"

"Let me see the other papers," I demanded, hurriedly.

Quickly Gavin did ask asked.

I scanned through each paper. My mind running wild.

"Gavin," I reasoned, "it has to be a mistake. I mean who in their right mind…would pay that much?"

Gavin interrupted me, suggesting very reasonably, "If it were me what would you do?"

My eyes snapped up.

"You would give every dime you had, wouldn't you," he said, "I mean look what Nana did. When mom and dad went missing, she used all her savings, she tried everything she could. If it weren't for Danny's parents, she might have lost the house."

I shook my head.

They were offering me not one hundred dollars, or even one thousand dollars. It was one million dollars.

"Gavin, her dad is just the grounds keeper. How would he have that kind of money just laying around? Nana didn't even have that much in savings! This is just…"

Gavin slunk into my office chair, as if he were melting.

"Doesn't seem plausible does it," he replied forlorn, "That's what you're saying."

"Something has to be wrong. No one has ever offered me this kind of money!"

I took a seat in the floor thumbing over the papers. There was a lot of mumbo jumbo going on, but something had to be in there as to why they would pay so much.

Throwing up my arm I gasped, "Found it!"

With my heart pounding, I read through what they were requesting.

Hanging on my words, Gavin breathed, "What does it say?"

I cocked my head as a small puff of air rushed past my lips.

"Tell me," Gavin begged.

I held up my hand to shush him, and then read aloud, "It just reads that I will receive the allotted sum of one million dollars, based on any information that I may have."

I peered up at my brother wondering if he just caught what I had.

"Any information that you "may" have," he questioned in disbelief.

I flipped through it again making sure I'd not missed anything.

With all these papers one would think that the family would request more of me. They didn't. Why?

"You think this is strange too? Right," I tested, "You know besides the money. I mean are they going to give me a million for each piece of evidence? One piece of evidence? Heck! They didn't even say EVIDENCE at all."

Suspicion filter across my brother's face.

"Wouldn't you think they would want to make sure your tip was real? You know, before they pay you? They didn't even ask that the tip be credible."

I nodded pointing my finger at my brother. He totally got it. He understood the absurdity of the whole thing.

Gavin wasn't dumb after all.

"Typically contracts state when and what money can be released. The larger lumpsum typically isn't released until it's found credible."

"That's what I'm saying," Gavin jumped up frustrated, scratching his head vigorously.

Turning towards me he criticized, "With this amount of money…wouldn't you want to make sure that you aren't being lied to?"

"Exactly," I snorted, "This is ridiculous!"

Gavin opened his mouth to speak, only to close it. He was at a loss of words. He realized the same thing I did.

Crazed, I picked through more of the papers. Slinging them, as I looked for the last page, I kept shaking my head in disbelief.

Gavin had not put them in order.

Anxious he asked me worriedly, "What are you looking for?"

"By law I have to know who's hiring me, and also who's paying me. Their name has to be in here."

There it was! I gasped.

Celia… Mayes?

My head swam the second I saw her last name. The strongest sense of foreboding swept over me.

Her last name was Mayes, which meant that she was somehow related to Ryder. Wasn't that a conflict of interest?

My reaction alarmed my brother.

He asked in a panic, "What! What's wrong?"

Snatching the paper from my hand, he demanded, "What did you…?"

His voice fizzed as he saw it for himself. Gavin's eyebrows were practically up in his hairline they were so high.

"THEY were the ones who requested a Medium," he barked aghast.

"Cilia Mayes," I was so shocked my brain had died a little, "Wouldn't that be a relative of Ryder?"

My brother could only say, "Shit."

"I'm so confused," I admitted.

Truly it didn't make sense.

Why would the Mayes' contract someone who can communicate with the dead? Especially if their family member might have done it? Did they just not know what sort of person Ryder was?

"Celia…that's Ryder's mom," Gavin replied joining me in the floor, "She's also Willy's sister."

I felt like I'd just been slapped in the face, not once but twice.

I shouted, "What?"

My brain was on the verge of exploding.

"You're telling me…Ryder's OWN MOTHER requested a State Certified Medium?"

Gavin faced me, his face empty.

"Looks like it."

"Her own freakin brother is the Chief of Police," I fussed, "How does that make sense?"

Gavin shrugged.

I breathed a deep shaky breath, my cheeks puffing out from it.

What was I going to do? Go? What was I going to say? Your son did it?

I could see THAT going well.

"So, what are we planning on doing?"

I blinked at Gavin, clueless.

"I don't know."

Gavin blanched.

"Well, I won't let you go by yourself. How do we know they aren't trying to trick you to into coming out alone again?"

"Because those guys died."

Gavin looked at me pointedly.

"And how did those men die," he asked me, "Who killed them? See you don't even know, and you want to do this alone? Not going to happen."

He had another good point. Surprisingly Gavin was brimming with great points today.

"Fine," I agreed.

"What are you going to do if Mary's not dead," Gavin asked, "I mean, you can't help if she's not a ghost."

I looked up at him.

"I would rather her be alive, but your right. If she's dead, I'm screwed," I snorted, adding absently, "I wish I could just touch someone and know if they killed someone."

Gavin nodded.

"Well, I guess I should go ahead and sign. I'm going to have to take the job anway."

I stood up.

Gavin reached out to me taking my hand.

"Do you really have to? I mean I know before I wanted us to because of the money…but now I think Nana was right. WE don't know what sort of mess we're getting into."