Page 37 of Haunted By the Shadow of Death

“To Old Freddy?” he repeated, as if he hadn’t already asked that.

“Yes, to Old Freddy,” I said firmly.

He narrowed his eyes. “I don’t think that’s going to be something I can help you with.”

“It’s fine. I’ll try again on my own.”

He’d repeatedly said he wanted to help, and the first thing I asked for, he wouldn’t do it. He stared at me as if he couldn’t believe I’d even ask such a thing. Then he wondered why I didn’t ask for help?

“Pips, it’s not that I won’t. I can’t. It’s—”

“It’s fine. You don’t need to explain.” I got off the couch, and he stood at the same time, grabbing my arm before I could leave.

“Pips, Old Freddy is dead. He’s been dead for a couple of decades.”

“Dead?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

“Yes. Dead.”

I only managed to shape an O with my lips. Well, on the bright side, that was a very good reason he couldn’t help. At least my faith was restored in Kicks, even if I’d just shown my hand more than I’d wanted to.

“Are you sure there isn’t another Old Freddy?” I asked, grasping at straws.

“There was only ever one Old Freddy.”

There was no way I was telling him he had a nurse of some sort with him. She must’ve been a ghost too. Or something…

What was I becoming? It seemed as if no matter what I did, I was surrounded by death. I leaned a hip on the couch, trying to keep my composure and my legs underneath me. What I wouldn’t give to go back to the good old days of wondering where my next meal was coming from.

“You don’t look as shocked as I’d imagine,” Kicks said, watching me closely, his hand still on my arm.

I moved back to the couch, missing the feel of his touch the second he let go.

“Because I might not be,” I said. “After I transitioned, being able to kill people wasn’t the only thing that changed. There are things that appear to me now. Well, not exactly things, but people.” My voice trembled slightly. I hadn’t seen Death in a while, and I wasn’t ready to go there. The dead people were bad enough.

“You can speak to Jaysa,” he said, his tone steady, as if he had already known, or at least strongly suspected it.

“You knew?” I asked.

“Remember when my pack member died throwing the ax at the hotel? That night you talked about Jaysa telling you things that you couldn’t have known unless she’d spoken to you beyond the grave.”

I remembered that night like I’d recorded it in hi-def in my mind. When he hadn’t pushed me for more details, I’d thought I’d skated.

“You knew this whole time? Why didn’t you say something?”

“It was a guess, and if you’d wanted to tell me, you would’ve.” He walked closer. “Are there others?”

I wasn’t sure if he wanted to know or felt compelled to ask.

“There’s Widow Herbert, too.”

“Anything else I should maybe know?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I think we should just leave it at that for now,” I said, not wanting to freak him out with anything else. This was plenty.

He nodded, looking satisfied to leave some things unsaid.

“I think we’re going to have to get to California at some point soon,” he said, finally breaking the silence after a couple heavy moments.

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