Darkness Exposed - A Mary O'Reilly Paranormal Mystery (Book 5) Read online

  “Places where people are apt to give up control of their bodies,” he said. “Like the neighborhood pub where I’ve seen many a lad drink so much alcohol, he has no idea where he is or what he’s about. He’s a perfect victim for that kind of visitor.”

  Rosie cocked her head to the side, considering what Ian had just said. “So, those people who do crazy things when they’re drunk and can’t remember anything about it. It might be because someone else is in there with them?”

  Ian shrugged. “I can’t tell you for sure,” he said. “But, that’s the theory I’ve heard.”

  “Well, I’m not going to get drunk,” Mary said. “I’m just going to sit back and share my body with Jeannine’s spirit for a little bit. And with all of you here, I’m sure I’ll be safe.”

  “What do you think, Jeannine?” Ian asked.

  “I’d be very grateful to Mary if it works,” she said. “I really think it’s the only way we are going to solve my murder.”

  Ian stood up and checked his computer. “Okay, I think it best we not advertise what we’re doing over the cameras,” he said.

  “No, I don’t think either Sean or Bradley would be happy with this experiment,” Mary agreed, then she clapped her hand over her mouth. “Have they been listening in?”

  Ian clicked on a few screens and then shook his head. “No, luck is with us. They’ve both been offline for at least an hour,” he said. “Stanley, can you do me a favor and cover that camera with a paper sack. I’ll turn down the sound and send a message out that we’ve encountered a slight problem with the living room camera, but we’ll have it fixed in a trice.”

  A few minutes later, the camera was covered and Ian had set up another one to record the session.

  “Why didn’t you have that set up when Jeannine was being hypnotized?” Rosie asked.

  “Because I couldn’t capture Jeannine’s voice or form on the camera,” Ian explained. “And now I’ll be able to do both.”

  “And I don’t think I’ll be available to take notes,” Mary added, and then turned to Ian. “What will I be feeling?”

  He shrugged. “I have no idea,” he said. “You might just take a nap while Jeannine uses your body to communicate with us, or you might be along for the ride.”

  Jeannine hovered near Mary. “Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked. “We can try something else if you think it’s too dangerous.”

  Mary shook her head. “I’m sure,” she said. “Just don’t make me do a chicken dance, okay?”

  Jeannine chuckled. “I promise.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Bradley’s cruiser rumbled down the snow-covered gravel road. The county plows had been through to push the snow into the ditches and sprinkle sand on the road for traction, but the roads were still slick.

  “I’d always worry about losing an engine in one of the ditches in this kind of weather,” Mike admitted. “Those big girls aren’t made for slick narrow lanes.”

  “Yeah, during the last fire we had to call a couple snow plows and pull one of the hook and ladders out,” Bradley replied. “Luckily it was after the fire was out, not before.”

  Mike looked out the window and sighed. “I miss working fires,” he said. “It was such an adrenalin rush. From the moment that alarm sounded to the minute you finally put out the last flame, it was you against the fire. And you hoped you won that day.”

  “I heard you were one of the best they had,” Bradley said.

  “You were asking about me?”

  Bradley shrugged. “Yeah, well, I had to know a little bit about the guy who could pop into Mary’s life any time he wanted.”

  Mike laughed. “Yeah, anything you learned about me at the firehouse couldn’t have eased your mind too much.”

  “Actually, other than being a lady killer, they all had great things to say about you,” Bradley said.

  Mike turned back to Bradley. “How are the guys doing?” he asked.

  “Good,” he said, nodding. “They’re doing well. If you’d like, I could drive over there so you could check it out.”

  “Yeah, maybe after we check out the barn,” he said. “That’d be nice. Thanks.”

  Bradley shrugged. “Just being nice so you keep your hands off my girl,” he said.

  Mike laughed. “I’d take her in a minute,” he said. “But even though you act like an idiot, for some reason she’s still in love with you.”

  Sighing deeply, he shook his head. “I know I don’t deserve her and I don’t know how I got so lucky,” he said. “But I really do love her.”

  “Yeah, I know,” he said. “I can tell.”

  The ruins of the barn came into view. “Whew, that used to be a great old barn,” Mike said. “One of the few round barns left in the area.”

  “Yeah,” Bradley said. “Once the hay caught on fire, there was nothing they could do to save it. The fire department had no idea anyone was inside. The owner had already cleared out the livestock before they got there.”

  “So, the body that you found,” Mike said. “The person wasn’t a family member?”

  “No and there was no i.d. on the guy,” he said. “So we’re checking dental records. Hopefully that will give us something. Or...”

  “Or his ghost is still here and willing to talk to us,” Mike added.

  “Yeah,” Bradley said. “Exactly.”

  They pulled up in front of the barn, Bradley got out of his car and walked to the barn. Mike floated a few feet behind him. Within a few minutes, they heard the screen door on the nearby farmhouse close. Bradley looked up and saw the farmer, Leroy Johnson, heading toward him.

  “Morning,” Leroy said, extending his hand for a shake. “What brings you out here again?”

  Bradley shrugged. “Just wanted to take another look around,” he said. “Make sure I didn’t miss anything,”

  Leroy turned toward the barn and tipped back the brim of his baseball cap. “In all my years I never saw a barn go up like that. Strangest thing.”

  “What was strange?” Mike asked.

  “What was strange?” Bradley repeated to Leroy.

  “Barn door was open when I got out here,” he said. “All the livestock were already in the pasture. Didn’t lose any animals, not a one.”

  “That’s strange for an arsonist,” Mike said to Bradley. “They like to see things burn.”

  “The other farms that lost barns, did the same thing happen to them?” Bradley asked.

  Leroy scratched the side of his head. “You know, now that you mention it, I think I remember some of them saying the same thing,” he replied slowly. “That’s a strange coincidence.”

  “That’s not a coincidence,” Mike said. “Something stinks here. Might be insurance fraud, might be something else. When there’s fire, animals hide, they don’t try to escape. That livestock was let out before the fires were started.”

  “So, in your experience, when there’s a fire, do livestock try to escape?” Bradley asked Leroy.

  Leroy shook his head. “Naw, they ain’t smart enough to escape,” he said. “They try to hide. Most livestock dies of smoke inhalation in barn fires. If they had tried to escape, they would have made it.”

  “So, do you think they’re breeding smarter livestock?” Bradley asked.

  Leroy laughed. “Only if they’ve graduated from damn stupid to just plain stupid,” he said.

  Bradley chuckled. “Thanks, Leroy. Hey, you don’t mind if I walk around a little?”

  “Naw, enjoy yourself, take your time,” he said. “If you need something, I’ll be in the machine shed.”

  Once Leroy was out of hearing distance, Bradley turned to Mike. “What do you think?”

  Mike was already walking through the remains of the barn, examining the scorched pieces of wood and the debris on the ground. “The fire started here,” he said, “In the center of the barn. Where did you find the body?”

  Bradley picked his way through the rubble and joined him. “Back here,” he said, pointi
ng to an area a few yards away from them. “He was covered by an old metal trough. It was the only thing that kept him from being cremated.”

  “Did you ask where that trough used to be?” Mike asked.

  Bradley nodded. “Yeah, Leroy had it up in the loft,” he said. “Didn’t use it anymore, but didn’t want to throw it away in case he needed it.”

  Mike studied what remained of the support beams and loft of the barn. “My guess would be the fire spread up first, instead of out,” he said slowly, pointing to the scorch lines on the beams. “The loft caught and the floor panels were weakened, so the trough fell through the floor on top of the body. But whoever was there was dead before the fire started.”

  “So, you think the fire was set to cover up a murder?” Bradley asked.

  Mike nodded. “Yeah, I’d put a month’s salary on that one.”

  Bradley looked around the area. “You see any ghosts walking around out here?”

  Mike shook his head. “Nope, and that makes my theory even stronger. That body wasn’t killed here, he was brought here.”

  “Perfect crime, except the trough got in the way.”

  “Yep, pretty much how I see it.”

  “You wouldn’t consider staying on this case with me?” Bradley asked as they made their way out of the wreckage and walked to the cruiser.

  “Just try and take me off this case,” Mike said.

  “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Ian, are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Stanley asked, watching as Mary lay on the couch and Jeannine hovered above her.

  “No, Stanley, I haven’t the damndest idea what I’m about here,” he said. “But I’m doing what seems to be logical.”

  Mary patted Ian’s arm. “We have confidence in you,” she said. “Don’t we Jeannine?”

  Jeannine chuckled. “Sure we do. Besides Hawaii is lovely this time of year.”

  “Oh, that’s easy for you to say,” Mary said. “You can float on clouds. I’d fall like a rock.”

  “You aren’t going to Hawaii,” Ian grumbled. “Now if you’d just give a man a moment of silence we could get things going here.”

  Mary bit back her laughter. “Sorry, I’ll be quiet.”

  “Me too,” Jeannine said. “Sorry dad.”

  They both burst into giggles.

  “Oh, and it’s a jolly time for everyone until someone gets possessed,” Ian lectured.

  The laughter continued for a few more minutes, then Mary took a deep breath, wiped her eyes and turned to Ian. “I do apologize,” she said. “I get this way when I’m nervous.”

  Ian nodded. “Understood,” he said. “But if you could both concentrate, I think I’m ready to try this.”

  Mary took another deep breath and nodded. The mood in the room changed as Mary closed her eyes and began the deep rhythmic breathing Ian had suggested.

  “Aye, that’s grand, Mary,” he said. “Now, I want you to hold my hand. There you go. If things get a bit dicey for you, you know I’m here for you. Okay?”

  Mary nodded.

  “Now, Mary, do you give Jeannine’s spirit permission to enter your body?” he asked.

  Once again, Mary nodded. “Yes, yes I do.”

  “And Jeannine,” Ian continued. “Do you promise to do no harm to Mary while you inhabit her body? And promise not to misuse the privilege Mary’s granted you?”

  “Yes, I promise ,” Jeannine said.

  “Mary, I want you to picture yourself in a room, a cozy room, that’s comfortable and friendly,” he said. “Look around the room; it’s filled with all of the things you love. There are photos of your family and friends, books you’ve read, movies you’ve watched and even your memories are stored in this room.”

  Mary smiled.

  “Ah, that’s fine now,” Ian said. “Now, Mary, walk to the door of the room and let Jeannine inside to be with you.”

  Mary moved through her cozy room, all colored in gold, browns and deep reds. There were overstuffed leather chairs and brightly colored thick rugs. Chenille throws waited for snuggling and a blazing fire was within a stone hearth. She ran her hands along the leather bound books in the oak bookcases and caught the scent of a burning candle.

  The door was oak and curved at the top. It had a brass handle and a small window framed in brass. She peeked through it and saw Jeannine waiting. She opened the door. “Jeannine, my friend, come in,” she said.

  Ian watched Jeannine’s spirit float down into Mary’s body.

  “Did it work?” Rosie whispered.

  Ian turned and nodded in Rosie’s direction, then put his finger over his lips to remind her to remain quiet.

  “Oh, that’s right,” she said, “I’m supposed to be quiet.”

  Stanley rolled his eyes. “Shhhhhh,” he whispered harshly.

  Ian grinned and turned back to Mary.

  “Jeannine, if you can hear me, I want you to squeeze Mary’s right hand.”

  He felt the light squeeze on his hand. “Excellent. Now I want you to listen to my voice and only my voice,” he said. “You are in a safe place and your friend Mary is right there beside you. I want you to relax. Close your eyes and take deep cleansing breaths.”

  Mary’s rhythmic breathing changed to deeper, fuller breaths.

  “Aye, that’s good, that’s good,” he said. “Now I want you to clear your mind and just think of the things I’m saying to you and nothing else.”

  “Mary, are you with me too?” he asked.

  Mary nodded her head.

  “Good. I want you to relax too,” he said. “It’s going to be like you’re a passenger in a car. You will see what’s going on, but you don’t have to worry about driving. Just relax and watch, okay?”

  She nodded again.

  “Now Jeannine,” Ian said. “I want you to go back in your memories. I want you to go back to the day you and Bradley went for the ultrasound.”

  Mary smiled and moved her left hand over her stomach. “A girl,” she whispered. “Bradley, we’re going to have a girl.”

  She laughed lightly. “No, you can’t paint the nursery Bears blue, it has to be pink.”

  “Really, Bradley, I’m not an invalid. Women have babies all the time, all over the world,” she sighed heavily. “Okay, fine, I promise.”

  “Now Jeannine,” Ian said. “We’re going forward to the next morning. Tell me about that day.”

  “It’s a beautiful day outside,” she said. “The sun is shining, the grass is green and I’m going to have a baby girl. Bradley made me breakfast in bed. Not only is he going to spoil me, he’s going to make me fat. He must think I’m giving birth to a small horse.”

  She giggled.

  “Okay, he’s gone to work,” she said, “Good thing, because he doesn’t know my secret.”

  Rosie and Stanley sat up in their chairs and looked at Mary.

  “What secret?” Ian asked.

  She giggled. “He’s been so worried about me and the baby, he forgot his birthday was next week,” she whispered. “I’m having Harvey Wasserman help me put together a man cave for him down in the basement. Harvey knows everything about computers there is to know and he is building a computer just for Bradley. Bradley’s going to be so surprised.”

  “When does Harvey come by?” Ian asked.

  “After Mercedes, his wife, goes to the gym,” she said. “Mercedes can’t keep a secret.”

  “So, Bradley just left,” Ian said. “Let’s go back there.”

  “Okay, he kissed me good-bye,” she sighed. “It was a really good kiss...

  Mary stood at the bottom of the stairs. She looked around and realized she was in Bradley’s house. Bradley was on the stairs, adjusting his tie as he carelessly jogged down. He kissed her on the cheek as he passed, then walked over to the mirror on the wall to check his tie. She walked up behind him and nearly choked when she saw Jeannine standing where she should be. She was inside Jeannine, living her memories. How the
hell did that happen?

  Bradley moved past her and opened the closet by the door. She watched him unlock the small safe against the wall and retrieve his gun. He checked the safety, placed the gun in his holster and closed the closet door.

  “Now, you remember what you promised,” he said, walking back to her.

  “No heavy lifting, no heavy cleaning and no heavy breathing,” she said with a grin

  He pulled her into his arms. “I’ll give you heavy breathing,” he whispered just before he crushed her lips with his.

  Her already hyper-active hormones soared into high gear. She wrapped her arms around him and held as tightly as she could. “Let’s go back upstairs, darling,” she whispered against his mouth. “You can be a little late.”

  Okay, this could get a little awkward.

  He put his hands on her shoulders and eased her away. “Do you want me to lose my job?” he asked.

  She nodded. “Yes, because then you could stay home and be my sex slave.”

  His deep laugh did nothing to ease her desire. “There is nothing I would want more than to stay home with you, Jeannine,” he said. “But I’ve got to go and make the world a safer place for mankind.”

  Mary pouted for a moment, but he kissed her again and patted her on the bottom. “Stay out of trouble.”