Page 31 of Thunder Road

Simon nodded. He quietly kept track of the younger psychics he mentored, knowing that without a support system, their gifts could be overwhelming.

“We don’t track our clients. But we notice when they aren’t around for a while. I got talking to James, one of the other volunteers, and we realized that a couple of regulars haven’t been in for several weeks or longer. That’s unusual for them.”

“Maybe they moved on? Found a better situation?”

“Maybe,” Ricky said. “And I hope that’s true—but that’s not what my gut says.”

Simon took intuition seriously. “What do you think is going on?”

“The guys who haven’t come around are hard cases. No family, no real social connections. Most of them have serious health conditions that aren’t getting treated—lung cancer, that sort of thing. They’re marking time until they check out,” Ricky went on. “We try to steer them into residences and other programs, but it’s up to them whether they stay. Some of them like being loners.”

Simon felt a prickle on the back of his neck as he guessed where Ricky’s tale might be going. “What’s changed?”

“For one thing, the ghosts that hang around the neighborhood seem edgy. I know it’s silly to talk about dead people being scared?—”

“Not at all. Spirits can be preyed upon by some supernatural creatures,” Simon mused.

“That’s—not comforting. Anyhow, I noticed that I hadn’t seen some of our regulars for a while. It’s not like we can check up on them. But we’re a free meal and a hot shower and a placeto watch TV for a couple of hours, so clients have a reason to come back,” Ricky said.

“I made a list—for what it’s worth. I don’t even know last names for most of them, and the names I do have might be fake. I think they’ve gone missing, and no one else has noticed.”

Simon picked up troubling vibes the longer Ricky talked.

“These are folks at rock bottom. They didn’t have bus fare, and I don’t think anyone would pick them up hitchhiking. I asked the ghosts, thinking that maybe some of the clients just died somewhere and got taken away as John Does,” Ricky said. “None of their ghosts answered, but the spirits that hang around got real freaky.”

“Freaky—how?”

“Like they were scared and didn’t want to talk about it. What scares ghosts?”

Really bad things.Simon could think of a number of entities that could scare spirits, usually with the threat of consuming them. The troll would definitely qualify.

“I think you’re onto something, but that’s a difficult group to prove someone has gone missing,” Simon replied.

“I know, which is why I didn’t go to the cops. Here’s my list.” Ricky slid a folded piece of paper across the table to Simon. “I’m sorry I can’t suggest how to find them.”

Simon took the paper and put it in his pocket. “I can check the John Does at the morgue and the vagrancy arrests. Also the involuntary commitments. My husband is a cop—he should be able to access the information. It’s difficult without full names, but we might be able to account for some of them. If they just moved on, there’s no way to tell.”

Ricky nodded. “I know. And I hope that’s what happened. But when I ask my intuition, I get that Magic 8 Ball answer, outlook not so good.”

Privately, Simon agreed.If the troll wanted to break the truce without getting caught, that’s the group to target. And if he just makes them disappear, there’s nobody to find, no proof. I’m getting the same feeling as that Magic 8 Ball.

The disappearances happened over time, so maybe the creature sneaks in a snack when he builds his power back up. The trick is going to be catching him at a low point.

Having a store along the beach and boardwalk meant Simon had gotten a crash course in homelessness. People who fell on hard times found their way to the beach, looking for a second chance or hoping to tune out. During busy seasons, the demand outstripped the town’s resources and services.

That could provide a banquet to a creature like a troll that chose targets no one would miss and left no evidence behind.

“Thanks for letting me know,” Simon told him. “We’ll take it from here. Please don’t go investigating on your own.”

Ricky crossed his heart. “No need to say that twice. But I’ll let you know if I hear anything else.”

Simon let him out the door, locking up afterward. He and Pete gathered their things and headed out.

“You think the troll is grabbing some extra meals?” Pete asked.

Simon winced. “Yeah. Predators are usually good at knowing how to pick off the ones that won’t be missed. There’s no way to issue a warning without sounding like a crackpot. We’ll have to figure out a way to stop the troll.”

He walked Pete to his car. “Remember, I’m going up the coast with Vic tomorrow, so I won’t be in. Call if you need me.”

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