My mind drifts back to the day I found out my dad was a suspect in a series of killings that happened over the summer a few years ago now. It was a ridiculous idea to me at first, until I read the articles about the events. It took a while for the cops to make a connection between the killings since the murderer seemed to choose his victims at random, with nothing standing out to create a motive. Men, women, different ages, any race—it didn’t matter. The few loose threads the police found were that all of them were young, below the age of thirty, and all of them were stabbed to death with a dagger.
Each victim was attacked late at night, usually on their way home from either a job or being out socially, and while all were stabbed, there was no consistency in how, which made the link hard to find. Some had their throats cut, others were stabbed in the heart, while others still had gut wounds. Two were stabbed in the back. It was only when one detective noticed thatevery victim was missing their underwear, even with their other clothes back in place, that the pieces started to come together.
My dad was on the second list of suspects because his car was seen leaving the area of two different crime scenes. When questioned, he managed to come up with a loose alibi that detectives easily invalidated, but they could never find anything substantial to link him to the crimes. No DNA, no footprints or tire tracks, no trophies found in his home.
I rub my forehead, recalling the day I found out about his arrest and subsequent release. I don’t even remember how many years had passed since I last saw him when I opened the door to a reporter shoving a microphone in my face and asking me how I felt about my dad’s arrest. That was when everything changed for me. I have to be on alert at all times, even now, for the people still out there chasing the story, wanting to determine his guilt or innocence even after his horrific death.
My phone buzzes, interrupting my unpleasant trip down memory lane. “Hello?”
“Hi, Keagan, it’s Talon.”
“Hi.”
“I’ve decided to help you with your situation, but I’m bringing a friend. Her name is Mercy.”
“Great. Thank you.”
“When would you like us to stop by?”
“Whenever you can. Sooner the better.”
“Right. How about in an hour?”
“That works. I’m in Beverly.”
“I know. I’m in Salem, so I’m not far.”
“I’ll text you my address.”
“Perfect. See you soon.”
She ends the call with no additional pleasantries again, but I guess this isn’t for fun.
I busy myself for the next hour by straightening up my place and putting teacups out on the kitchen counter. My grams always said to be prepared to offer coffee or tea when guests come over. I have both.
When I hear the knock on the door, my stomach flips. This is it. My chance to finally put an end to all the open questions in my mind, assuming Talon can get him to talk to us. I hurry to open the door, smiling when I see Talon and her friend standing on my stoop.
“Please come in.”
Talon nods, glancing around the living room, while Mercy looks decidedly more serious. Talon has a sweet look to her—a little bohemian, with her long red hair with braids interspersed, a long flowing dress, and plenty of necklaces around her neck—while Mercy looks like she’s about to beat some ass. She’s dressed in black leggings and a tight-fitting black tank top, and her arms ripple with muscles. She has short black hair, big light brown eyes, tan skin, and a gaze that could make a weak person pee their pants.
“I don’t like the energy here,” Mercy says with a thick accent I can’t place. “You feel it too, Tal?”
Talon nods. “Definitely. Wilder was right.”
“Would you like tea or coffee?” I ask, because I have no idea what else to do.
“Later,” Mercy says, already looking up the stairs. “We should go deal with this.”
“I agree,” Talon says. “Let’s go.”
The three of us walk up the stairs, but I don’t even have to direct the women to where Wilder thinks the spirit is. They can sense it, apparently.
Talon pauses with her hand on the doorknob to my bedroom. “What is this room?”
“My bedroom.”
Talon and Mercy exchange serious glances as Talon turns the knob and opens the door.
