Page 10 of Shadow Scorching

I leaned forward. “All right, we can come out tomorrow and check out the house. Then I can tell you whether I think we can help.”

“Would you? I miss my wife and kids, but it’s not safe for them to be there.” He pulled out his checkbook. “What do I owe you?”

“Why don’t you wait till we assess the situation. Then we can talk about a retainer.” I motioned to Sophia. “Set up an appointment for one PM tomorrow, if that will work for you, Michael?”

“One’s fine. I’ll meet you there.” He stared at the table. “I can tell you this: I’m terrified. We put all our money into this house. We can’t afford to move.”

“We’ll do what we can,” I said, standing. I shook his hand. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”

As Sophia showed him out to the front desk, I turned to Carson. “Research the place. Who lived there, has anything ever happened? The usual. Orik, can you make sure our equipment’s in good shape? Dante, see if you can find out anything that might match thisoctopus ghost.”

“I don’t recognize anything off the bat, but I’ll see what I can find out. So, you thinking poltergeist?” Dante stared at his notes.

“Not yet. But there’s something there. I could see it in his eyes…I could feel it. Ismelledhis fear.” I glanced at Dante, holding his gaze.

“That’s new.”

“Yeah, tell me about it. Anyway, let’s get busy. The more armed with knowledge, the better.”

As we headed back to our offices, I kept thinking about the ‘octopus ghost’…something about it felt terribly familiar, but for the life of me, I couldn’t put my finger on it.

CHAPTER FOUR

Our one o’clockturned out to be a no-show. I asked Sophia to call her to make certain she was okay, and apparently the woman’s car had stalled on the freeway. We rescheduled her for the next week, when her mechanic would be able to fix her car. Until then, we gave her some basic advice to protect herself, just in case she was right.

As we readied to leave the office, Dante held the elevator for me as I activated the security alarm.

“So, did you find out anything about our octopus ghost?” I asked.

“I found a number of cases that concerned animal ghosts, but nothing quite like what Michael seems to have encountered.”

“I’m not sure it’s a ghost,” I said. “There are plenty of astral creatures who have never been human. The claw marks make me think it’s some entity rather than a spirit.”

“I guess we’ll find out tomorrow,” he said.

“Right, enough! I hope we can resolve it without a problem. I don’t like thinking about his family being terrorized.” I let out a long sigh. “Let’s wait till tomorrow to discuss it and focus on having a nice dinner with Tilly.”

“Just remember,” Dante said, “we need to try to find out who this guy is that she’s intending on marrying. I have a bad feeling about it all.”

Tilly lived in the Market,the most expensive neighborhood in Kirkland—across the lake from Seattle. She lived near Waverly Park, right on the water and her house was worth more than my entire life’s earnings. It was three story, with an elevator, even though most wolf shifters were strong enough even in their later years that they didn’t need accessibility aids.

The house overlooked Lake Washington, and the park was less than a two-minute walk down a trail. Waverly Park was a full-service family park, with a roped off swimming section, piers that old men fished on during fishing season, a playground for the children, and trails for walking. The parking lot was bigger than most parks around the area, and overall, it was one of the most pleasant beach fronts in the area.

By the time I arrived, Dante was already there.

I’d hurried home to dress—Tilly was one of those regal older women who had come from money, and who loved to remember the ‘old’ days when people dressed for dinner and had cocktails before the meal. She had lived through the Civil War, as well as two world wars, through the Great Depression and every other economic rollercoaster since her birth. She’d seen the birth of the automobile, the growth of technology, and still, she had met every shift in society with grace.

I straightened my dress. I’d changed into a flirty little black thigh-high dress, and had paired it with a crystal necklace and earrings, with my hair pulled back in a high ponytail. The gray and silver tones of my hair against the black dress and bolerojacket created an elegant look, though I never considered myself as elegant, per se. But it was formal enough for Aunt Tilly. She always excused my less-than-formal manners to my demon heritage. I picked up the bouquet of white roses and red carnations I’d bought and headed for the door.

Diana,the maid, opened the door. Wearing a black dress and a white apron that resembled a modern version of the maids’ outfits from Upstairs Downstairs, she’d been with Tilly for several decades. Human, Diana had grown up in Tilly’s service, and was now in her fifties.

“Good evening, Ms. Sarasan,” she said. “May I take your coat?”

I slipped out of my jacket and handed it to her. “Thank you, Diana. I hope you’re well?”

“Yes, Miss. Let me show you to the parlor. Ms. Franco and Mr. Franco are waiting for you.” She led me to the parlor and stopped outside the door, opening it to announce me.

I slipped inside, smiling at Tilly and giving Dante a little wave. Tilly was actually Dante’s great-aunt. She’d married his great-uncle, but was now widowed. But to Dante, she was always ‘Auntie.’

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