The Departed - J A Templeton Read online

  I saw Cait making her way up the bleachers toward us. Mrs. MacKinnon and Maddy took a seat beside another mother and her young kid. Maddy didn’t look too thrilled to be stuck sitting with her aunt, and gave us a yearning glance.

  Milo leaned in. “So, Ri…you’re psychic. Does that mean you can read my mind?”

  Megan hit him in the arm and scowled. “Quit being a dick.”

  He rubbed his bicep and laughed. “What, babe? I’m curious. It’s intriguing…I’ve never known anyone who was psychic before.”

  Cait planted herself right in front of me, and I was forced to move my feet from where I’d had them on the bench.

  “Shane has the ball,” Cait said, leaning back against my knees.

  I smiled, proud of him and wished our dad could pull himself away from his girlfriend long enough to come watch him play before the season was over. The crowd groaned when Shane missed a goal by inches.

  “Bloody hell, he just about had it,” Milo said, sounding surprised.

  Within a few minutes Shane had another chance. Kade kicked the ball to him, and Shane nailed the shot.

  Milo and Richie were on their feet before anyone else, and Cait squeezed my hand. Megan glanced at us, and I saw a flash of jealousy in her eyes. I wasn’t sure if it was our friendship that made her jealous or if it was the fact Cait liked Shane and vice versa.

  When the visiting team took possession of the ball, Cait glanced at Cass. “So tell me, have you been car shopping with your dad yet?”

  She shook her head. “No, not yet…but on Sunday he promised we’d visit his friend in Edinburgh, a broker who deals in luxury vehicles.”

  “Luxury vehicles,” Cait repeated haughtily.

  Cass rolled her eyes. “I didn’t mean it like that.” She lifted her chin and grinned. “But it does mean that Daddy is listening.”

  “Anytime you want to switch rigs, we can do that.” Milo gave her a wink.

  “Uh, that would be a cold day in hell.”

  “I like Milo’s van,” Megan said defensively.

  Cass’s lips quirked. “Yeah, we know you do. It’s the only place you can shag without being bothered.”

  Megan’s cheeks turned bright red.

  As they continued to give each other shit, from the corner of my eye I saw movement on the bleachers to the left of me. I glanced and about ten feet away sat Peter. He faced us, knees to chest, arms wrapped around his legs. I straightened and sat back a little, hiding behind Richie.

  Maddy kept looking at us over her shoulder. Cait motioned for her to come sit with us. Maddy said something to Karen, who glanced our way and nodded. Maddy immediately started up the bleachers toward us.

  Maddy smiled seeing me, but looked hesitant when she looked at Milo and Richie. I understood her hesitation. I didn’t know many twelve-year-old girls who wouldn’t be a little intimidated sitting with seventeen-year-old boys.

  She took a seat beside Cait on the bleacher in front of me. “Hey you.” I gave her a quick hug and her gaze immediately shifted to where Peter was sitting.

  Peter moved closer, and I returned my attention to the game. Kade was talking with the coach, hands on narrow hips. He was nodding at what the coach was saying, but I could see his gaze scanning the crowd.

  I was stunned when across the field I saw a flash of black move behind the visitor dugout. And it begins, I thought to myself.

  The minutes ticked by and sweat broke out on my forehead. I tried to focus on the conversation around me, but it was impossible with the familiar figures that were filing into the bleachers and standing at the very bottom, looking up at us. One spirit in the middle lifted their hands to the cowl and pulled it back off their head. Laria…and she was looking right at me.

  “No,” Maddy said under her breath. She was looking at Laria.

  This was one time I wished no one else could see what I was seeing.

  “What’s wrong?” Cait asked. She glanced at me, but I didn’t drop my gaze from Laria’s. In my peripheral vision I still could see Peter.

  Oh my God…

  Randall appeared behind Laria and flicked open a pocketknife. My pulse skittered. Had they somehow gotten a hold of Cait’s knife yesterday?

  Laria started moving forward, her feet not touching the ground, speeding faster up the bleachers straight for me.

  “This isn’t happening,” Maddy said under her breath, and squeezed her eyes closed.

  “Riley, watch out!” Peter yelled, warning me.

  “What are you guys seeing?” Cait asked, looking as terrified as I felt.

  Laria kept coming, so fast, Randall right behind her. I couldn’t move out of the way fast enough. Maddy put her hands over her head, and everyone with us was terrified.

  A second later, I felt the rush of energy spike through me, my heart quickening, my stomach tightening, my head snapping back fast. My head would have hit the bar behind me if it hadn’t have been for Richie snatching me back.

  “What the hell was that?” Richie said, his arm around my shoulders. “You could have gone right over the back of the bleachers.”

  Milo jumped up. “I felt like a rush go through me. Did you all feel it?”

  No one said anything, except Maddy who nodded.

  I couldn’t catch my breath. I’d never had a panic attack, but I’m pretty sure I was having one now.

  Riley, are you all right? Peter asked.

  “Yes,” I said, feeling terrible that I’d let Laria convince me he wasn’t real.

  I was on the verge of tears, my thoughts scattered, my emotions all over the place.

  “I’m sorry, Peter. She told me that she was you.” The words were out before I could stop them.

  Richie frowned. “Um, who are you talking to, Ri?”

  “A dead little boy is who she’s talking to,” Maddy replied, appearing almost irritated by the question.

  “How do you know?” Milo asked, and everyone in our group turned to look at her.

  Cait stood. “I think we should take Riley for a walk or something. It’s not safe for her to be sitting up here any longer.”

  I didn’t feel at all well. In fact, I felt so nauseous, I wasn’t sure I would make it out of the bleachers before I lost my lunch. Thankfully I did, though. My friends were on my heels. “Maddy, go with Mum,” Cait said. It was the first time I had heard her refer to Karen as their mum.

  Not surprisingly, Milo lit up a blunt the second we were inside his van.

  He inhaled so deeply that his eyes rolled back in his head before he handed it off to Richie.

  “We’re in the school parking lot,” Cait said, stating the obvious.

  “I can’t wait,” he said, his voice squeaky as he exhaled and blew a stream of pot smoke over our heads.

  “Great, now we’re all going to be high,” Megan said, and reached for the door. All the girls followed her out.

  “You don’t want to get high?” Megan asked Cass, looking surprised.

  “No, I need to lay off that shit for a while,” she said, giving me a sideways glance as I leaned against the lamppost. “I end up eating too much junk food anyway, and my pants are already tight as it is.”

  As the minutes ticked by, the nausea I’d been experiencing began to wane and I felt guilty for leaving the game, especially when Kade had wanted me there, and Shane was having such a good game.

  I could stay and chance another go-around with Laria, or I could go home and try to find more ways to protect myself, because what I was doing wasn’t enough. Plus, I felt like I was slowly coming unwound, and I didn’t want to fall apart in front of an audience that included Dana and her friends.

  It was bad enough that rumors were circulating in school about me throwing myself down the stairs, cutting, and Kade’s infidelity. I didn’t need people saying I was losing my mind on top of it. I’d already seen Richie’s expression when I’d been talking to Peter. Even though he knew I was being haunted, and I was psychic, he still looked a little terrified of me.

&
nbsp; “I’m gonna go,” I said, and started walking.

  “No.” Cait grabbed my arm. “You can’t go alone. I’ll walk with you.”

  “We can drive you,” Megan said, heading back for the van.

  Honestly, my head was starting to pound, and I didn’t feel like inhaling pot smoke. “Can you take me?”

  Megan nodded. “Sure.” She cracked the van door open and Milo appeared.

  “I’m taking Riley home.”

  “I’ll go with you.”

  “But my car isn’t that big.”

  He pointed to his van.

  “No, we’ll take my car,” Megan said.

  “Fair enough.” Everyone walked toward the car. Apparently they felt there was safety in numbers, because no one stayed behind. I didn’t blame them for being freaked out. I didn’t like that they were being pulled into something they had no control over.

  I actually felt bad for Maddy since she was the only other one to actually see the spirits. Like me, she would never forget what she had seen tonight.

  A burning sensation started at the base of my neck and followed down my spine to the waistband of my jeans. I winced and sucked in a breath.

  “You okay?” Megan asked, putting a hand on my shoulder.

  I nodded.

  “You’re lying,” Milo said. “I can see fear in your eyes. You’re fuckin’ scared and it’s all right to say it.”

  Megan shifted on her feet. “Maybe I should stay the night with you. I mean I’m sure my mom would let me. Considering the circumstances, it makes sense. Maybe then I won’t have such horrible dreams.”

  Milo’s back straightened. No doubt the thought of his girlfriend staying in his buddy’s house was a bit disconcerting. Cait dropped her gaze to the ground between us. She obviously didn’t want Megan staying at my house either.

  “I would think the dreams would be worse, especially since this chick has been haunting Riley since she moved here,” Milo said, chewing his lip ring.

  “I’m all right,” I blurted, keeping the burning pain that was searing down my back to myself. “Thanks, though. I appreciate it.” I became lightheaded and a pain exploded in the back of my head. I was so tired, and the weight of my limbs felt overwhelmingly heavy, as if I had to walk more than a few steps I would go down.

  Megan grabbed my hand. “I’m taking you home right now.”

  I sat in the passenger’s side of Megan’s car while Cass, Cait, Richie, and Milo piled in the back. Thank God I lived close.

  Megan hit the speed bump faster than she should have, and the car scraped from the weight in the backseat.

  Cass snorted. “Didn’t I say I was eating too much shit lately?”

  I smiled, grateful for the humor.

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay with you?” Megan offered again, looking concerned.

  Before I had time to respond, another wave of dizziness washed over me, and this time I had to rest my head against my knees.

  “This is bad.” Cait sounded as frustrated as I felt.

  Within a minute we were in front of the inn. I opened the car door and immediately my gaze was drawn to the upstairs window, and the room that was directly across the hall from mine.

  A tall figure with thin stringy hair stared back at me.

  Randall.

  I steadied my nerves, wishing my dad was home.

  Cait followed my gaze, and must have seen by my expression that someone was there watching us. “Screw this. You are not going in there alone.”

  I couldn’t talk my friends out of coming with me.

  We filed up the steps to my room, and Miss A was on our heels. I started to sweat, and quickly ditched my sweater.

  Richie glanced at Milo and smiled.

  I had a tight cami on, but you’d think by Richie’s expression that I was wearing just my bra.

  I was more exhausted than I’d ever been. I sat on the edge of my bed, and glanced up at Miss Akin, who stood in the doorway. “What is wrong, my love?”

  “I feel sick,” I said, taking a few deep breaths, hoping the wave of nausea that hit me would pass.

  A high-pitched noise sounded in my right ear.

  Miss Akin turned to my friends. “Did she take something I should know about?”

  Cait shook her head. “Nothing. We swear, Miss A.”

  “Yeah, we promise,” Megan replied, and Cass nodded.

  “I didn’t take anything, Miss Akin,” I said, curling up on my bed in the fetal position. “I just need to sleep.”

  “Where’s Shane?”

  “The game is still going,” Milo said, scratching the back of his neck. “Maybe we should head back.”

  “Milo, will you bring Shane home immediately after the game?” Miss Akin asked.

  “You got it, Miss A.”

  Miss Akin took a deep breath, then released it with a controlled smile. “You should all go now. Riley needs her rest.”

  “I’ll call you,” Cait said, and I nodded. She leaned down, kissed my forehead.

  “Feel better, okay?”

  I nodded. “I already do.”

  She didn’t believe me. None of them did. I felt their fear. They had a right to be terrified.

  Every one of them hugged me goodbye before Miss Akin shooed them out of the room. I heard her ramble on as she walked them out.

  Across the hall, the door opened. Someone stood there, in the doorway of the other room. The floor creaked as they stepped closer.

  The breath in my lungs froze as I waited for another sound.

  Riiiiilllllleeeeyyyy.

  I desperately wanted to scream for Miss A, but I was paralyzed with fear. I squeezed my eyes closed. A strange dragging sound followed, and I couldn’t bring myself to open my eyes.

  Mom, help. Please make it go away.

  I immediately envisioned a bubble surrounding me, a protection exercise from one of the books I’d read.

  A man’s cruel malicious laughter vibrated in my ears as a cool rush of air rose up to greet me.

  “You will not fight me on this tonight, my love,” Miss Akin said, and I gasped. I was so relieved to see her plump face when I opened my eyes. She had a couple of pill bottles in her hand and she removed a tablet from each. “I poured some apple juice so you can wash them down. I will not have you losing any more sleep. I just cannot have it. I am half tempted to call your father and tell him to come home immediately.”

  “No,” I said, taking the pills from her and downing them in one swallow, chasing it with the juice. If she called Dad, he would have me on lockdown. “He’ll be home soon enough as it is. No need to scare him more.”

  Her face mirrored the concern in her voice. “But he can help you, my dear.”

  If only that were true…

  Chapter 10

  The pills did what they were supposed to do. Within twenty minutes I felt the lull of sleep and I welcomed it, but I forced myself to stay awake until Shane got home and I had a chance to talk to Kade.

  Miss Akin sat in the chair, crocheting a sweater for a friend’s grandchild, a little pink sweater that spoke of innocence. She smiled at me in her comforting way, but I saw something else there. Fear. I didn’t know if she feared for me or actually feared me. I had seen that same look earlier on my friends’ faces.

  Despite my best effort to stay awake, I nodded off, but I heard Shane’s voice.

  “What happened?” he asked, the bed shifting beneath his weight as he sat beside me.

  “She wasn’t feeling well,” Miss A replied. “I gave her a pill for nausea…and one for pain.”

  “Did you call Dad?”

  “She didn’t want me to.”

  “I can understand,” he said, his palm flattening against my forehead.

  I cracked my eyes open and smiled.

  “Hey you,” he said, his lips curving, but I could see the concern on his face. “I’ll crash in here tonight, okay?”

  I nodded.

  The chair creaked as Miss A stood. “I’ll k
eep my door open, just in case you need anything.”

  He walked her to the door. “Actually, you might lock it.”

  I wanted to tell him that no lock on earth would keep Laria away. That she was capable of so much more than any of us gave her credit for. If all of them knew the truth, I wondered what they would do.

  I had to give Miss A credit for sticking it out with us. I didn’t know of many people in her position who would.

  ***

  I was taken back to another time…

  The landscape changed the moment we came over the mountains. The dreary carriage ride went from bumpy and jarring to halfway pleasant as we made our way onto the main road that led to Braemar.

  My father glanced up from his book to stare at me, as was his custom. I hated the white wig, preferring instead his usual ginger locks. But he was playing lord of the manor for all it was worth this day.

  “You are Laird and Lady MacKinnon’s guest, and that means I expect you to behave as a guest would.”

  He did not fool me for a minute. I knew what he intended. He expected this trip to yield a marriage proposal. Soon I would be eighteen, and on the shelf, so to speak.

  I was not opposed to marriage. I knew it was my lot in life—especially being the eldest of five daughters. I just never imagined my family would be in such a hurry to be rid of me.

  I was also aware of the rumors circulating throughout our household. I had been told on more than one occasion, from both parents and my siblings, that I was spending far too much time in the company of Thomas, a footman in our home.

  The first time I had seen Thomas was when I’d returned from boarding school for the holidays. We’d been attracted to each other—friends and kindred spirits from the moment I saw him sitting on the back stoop, and shooting to his feet the second he saw me, as though he expected to be reprimanded for sitting down. I had smiled and told him to not worry.

  Soon we became inseparable, spending his free hours together. I liked him more than a friend, and fancied what our life would be like together. That is until he told me about a young seamstress who worked in a small, nearby village. He had fallen hopelessly in love with her, and they were saving money to one day buy their own parcel of land, to move away, since her father did not approve of Thomas.