Lancaster Green Chapter 8
The next day, James was scheduled for the afternoon and overnight shift. Madelyn wasn’t in when he got there, apparently she’d just finished the morning shift and he’d missed her by minutes. Something that was not intentional, Amelia had assured him. But that was fine. He was pretty sure they were alright now that everything was out in the open. He knew it would take time, but he already felt less panicked and hopefully she did too.
The overnight shift started at ten that night, when Amelia finally, reluctantly left. James wasn’t sure what time her shift had actually ended, but he had a feeling it was long before ten, which was when Bradley kicked her out. Things were quiet for a while. Bradley did paperwork in the living room while James worked on the list of tasks Amelia had left him, which unfortunately only filled about an hour.
After that, James didn’t actually have any paperwork to do. He was so used to the endless mountain of it that the captain always had waiting that he didn’t know what to do without it. And Bradley was both team administrator and second-in-command now, so he had twice the paperwork he had before.
“Can I do any of that for you?” James asked after he’d done a round of dishes, taken care of the cat duties, and checked in with other branches, leaving him again with nothing to do.
Bradley considered it. “Sure,” he said with a shrug, picking up a pile at random and dropping it on the coffee table in front of James.
They worked silently for a while. About an hour later, James’s phone buzzed.
MANNY
Hey man, I heard you’re back at work. Hope everything’s good
His cousin, Manny. One of four brothers, all between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-three. They all lived locally and whenever James got the opportunity, which wasn’t often, they’d meet up to play pickup basketball games at one of the parks near downtown Leominster.
“Huh,” he said quietly
“What’s wrong?” Bradley asked. “Which one is it?”
“Nothing,” James said. “No, not the paperwork. Just my cousin Manny checking in.”
“The house inspector?”
“Yeah,” James said, writing off a quick response to say everything was good. Then he set down his phone and paused. “How the hell did you know that?”
The same way he knew everything. Because he was a psychic fucking douchebag.
“He helped us with the O’Toole House last month,” Bradley said, before going back to whatever form he was currently swearing at as he tapped his pen on the table.
“Wait, what?”
“Right,” Bradley said, setting down his pen. “I know we all told you not to go back to try and catch up, but I didn’t think you’d actually listen to us.”
He had a point there. James had told himself he’d go through all the cases he’d missed, but when he got back it was all he could do to keep himself sane and moving forward.
“What the hell did my cousin Manny have to do with a case?”
“Me and your cou- Gabriella – had a demon house that turned out to be a demon deal,” Bradley said, a little too casually for James’s liking. Gabriella had to handle a demon deal, wonderful. “It was down by her place and it ended up working out that the guy’s house was a piece of shit, so the deal wasn’t fulfilled by the deadline. Your c- Manny – helped us figure it out.”
Was James high right now? Or dreaming? “What the fuck?” he muttered, looking back down at his paperwork.
Then it dawned on him. “Dammit,” he said.
“What now?” Bradley muttered.
“That’s why Gabs wasn’t going home, wasn’t it? She told me it was a water leak at her apartment and I knew she was lying. I thought she was being overbearing and tried to kick her out. God, I’m such an asshole.”
“Let’s be real,” Bradley said. “It was like thirty percent the demon thing. And you ended up not kicking her out. Besides, she just stayed here when she wasn’t at your place, you weren’t sending her back to Demonville.”
His phone buzzed again before James could keep beating himself up.
MANNY
Auntie Jules’ bday is coming up. She said to see if you could make it. No pressure
Bullshit, no pressure. “They’re all being so nice to me,” James said.
“They’re your fucking family.”
“I just mean, if they found out what I did, maybe they wouldn’t be so nice.”
Bradley let out a heavy sigh and set down his pen again. “I don’t know how we can make it any clearer,” he said, looking directly at James, his eyes slightly magnified in his glasses lenses as they bored into his own. “It wasn’t your goddamn fault. You did not do anything.”
“I tried to kill you!”
“So? I’m still here, you can try again.”
The shocked laughter that came out instead of telling Bradley what an asshole he was diffused the anger that was going in too many inappropriate directions. “Fuck you,” James laughed. “I can’t believe you worked with my cousin.”
“I can’t believe that you just said that,” Bradley said. “God, it was like McManus Cousin Central over here.”
“What do you mean?”
“Okay,” Bradley said, apparently abandoning his paperwork. “So there was that cousin, who basically got Nick Bana out of his demon deal with Father McEnerney. And then there was his brother, the one with the hauling service.”
“Reese or Wally?” James asked.
“Reese. Maybe? I don’t know. A little younger than us and built like a professional wrestler.”
“Reese. Why was he here?”
“Hauling. What do you fucking think?”
James looked around. Everything looked the same here and down in the gym. And then he realized. “Is the medbay cleared?” he asked.
“Yeah. It’s Jolene’s office now.”
“That must have taken forever.”
“Gabriella stayed late a bunch of times to do it. But yeah. Oh, and Agent Forester from the security team is apparently dating your cousin.”
“Reese or Manny?”
Bradley looked like he might regret saving James now. “Neither,” he said. “Your other cousin. The one with the haunted daughter?”
“Wait, Celia?” James demanded. “He’s like twenty years older than her!”
“And she’s an adult. But no, it’s more like fifteen apparently, your cou-” Bradley groaned. “Gabriella apparently asked because she’s got no fucking filter. And whatever, she’s an adult, she can do whatever she wants. But he was here dropping off the couch.”
James was lost, but before he could open his mouth, Bradley motioned toward the stairs. “It’s in the medbay.”
James got up and went down the stairs, that little bit of hesitation rising up as his gloved hand touched the door handle for the medbay. It was fine, it was just a creepy room full of shit. Not a single monster had ever been in there and none ever would.
And now it had been transformed, James realized as he turned the handle and pushed the door open. It was still dim and cluttered, but half of it was an actual medbay, with an exam table, shelves full of supplies, and a desk covered in paperwork. And beyond that he could see a closet-sized alcove with what appeared to be Celia’s old ugly den sofa in it.
“How did she possibly do that?” James asked as he turned around and saw Bradley up on the landing by the front door.
“She just did,” Bradley said. “I helped a little with the heavier stuff and Forester and Amelia got the furniture down there. But she said she appreciated what Jolene did for you.”
And throwing up on the threshold of Jolene’s new workspace was not how James was going to show his own appreciation. He closed the door and started back upstairs.
Bradley was on the stairs ahead of him and James could tell he was struggling. As he got to the top, he was limping. “What’s going on with it?” James asked, nodding toward his knee.
“It’s nothing,” Bradley said as he sat down in the nearest seat.
“Fuck you, it’s nothing,” James said. “Does it need surgery?”
Bradley shrugged. “They said there might be a slot open this summer to get it fixed,” he said. “We’ll see. I’d have to figure it out though.”
“You have sick time,” James said. “Screw them. Use it.”
Bradley nodded and James put it together. “I’ll bring you,” he said.
“What?”
“Schedule the surgery and let me know. I’ll drive you. You can stay with me again while you recover. Or I can go to your place, whatever you prefer. That might be easier for you this time.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Hey Bradley, how’d you fuck your knee back up?”
Bradley glared at him. “You did it by tackling me so that I didn’t cut my own goddamn throat,” James said. “I will take care of you after your surgery. We’ll watch movies and you can talk at me in French for forty-eight hours straight again. It’ll be fun.”
Bradley was still glaring at him, but whatever. If Gabriella was going to clean out an entire medbay in appreciation for what Jolene had done for James, then James was going to do this. He continued to hold Bradley’s glare until Bradley relented. “Thank you,” he said.
“You helped me.”
Bradley didn’t seem to have a response. But then the case printer turned on anyway and Bradley picked it up from where he was now sitting. “Checking on a broken camera over in Fitchburg,” he said, going to stand up. “It’s Madelyn’s case, so it doesn’t technically have to be done tonight, but-”
“I’ve got it,” James said.
“You’re sure?”
His first solo night trip since he’d been back. “Yeah,” James lied. “I’m totally sure.”
He kept the confidence up as he got in his car, the comms unit sitting beside him on the passenger seat. Normally he’d plan to do this, then grab some takeout on his way back to headquarters, but that idea nearly deflated his confidence entirely. In fact, now he was glancing uneasily at every shadow in his car, even the familiar ones.
Adele was gone. Yeah, they didn’t know where. But she was gone. And he was fine, he had long sleeves and gloves, nothing was going to touch him.
It turned out the camera wasn’t broken, an animal of some sort had just knocked it out of place. The house was empty, it had been abandoned for about three years now and the owners wanted to fix it up for their daughter and her new husband. So they had the Foundation checking which ghosts were there and how best to get rid of them. Technically it was Madelyn’s case, but James wasn’t about to leave this for her to deal with tomorrow. She’d lose out on important data without these cameras. Plus, the cameras were too high up. He was tall enough to reach them no problem. But she’d need a ladder and that would be more dangerous for her. So this was fine.
“It’s the living room one,” Bradley said over comms as James shined a flashlight around the dark front hallway.
There was no electricity, but the house was in decent shape beyond the fact that wildlife was getting in. “How much of the activity do we think is us and how much is Animal Control?” James asked as he looked nervously into a dark corner of the living room.
“Who knows?” Bradley said. “Let’s just get it over with.”
James stepped into the living room and started toward the back corner where the camera had been. It was fine, he could even see it on the floor as he swept his flashlight beam over the room. He’d just go pick it up and stick it back in place so the next raccoon could get it.
His beam slid over a corner of the room as he moved and James swore he caught movement out the corner of his eye. It was Adele, he was suddenly certain of it. He froze, every muscle locked in place as he silently panicked.
“What is it?” Bradley asked.
“It’s her.”
“It’s-” Bradley stopped. “I need you to shine your flashlight in the corner again.”
“I-”
“Shine your flashlight in the corner.”
James forced his arm up and the light bounced off of an old table pushed upright against the wall, its legs sticking out toward him. “That’s all it is,” Bradley said.
Of course it wasn’t her. She was gone, maybe even dead. Unlikely, but maybe. And she’d sounded so desperate, so apologetic when she came to the door that last night. She’d been begging James to forgive her, to just forget what had happened.
She had that ability. She’d been able to make him forget whatever she wanted. She could make him forget right now. Maybe she was doing it already. He forgot he’d seen her and now she was behind him.
“Fuck,” he heard Bradley mutter over the comms unit on his chest, breaking him slightly out of his terrified trance. “McManus, can you hear me?”
“Yeah,” James bit off.
He could feel her breathing behind him. “Just get out of the house, okay?” Bradley said. “The camera can wait.”
No, he had come all this way so that Madelyn didn’t have to. “I’m fine,” he lied, in a voice that was not at all believable.
“I can hear your breathing,” Bradley retorted. “Get out of the house and we’ll do it tomorrow.”
Was it his own breathing he felt? James forced himself forward before he could think about it, picking up the camera and clasping it back in place on the wall. She was right behind him. Her hands were about to slide around his waist and hold him in place, but he was going to get this camera back up first.
“It’s up,” James said.
“Okay, great,” Bradley said. “Just come back.”
James slowly turned around, shining his flashlight around the room again. Adele wasn’t there, she wasn’t right behind him. It was fine, he was fine.
A soft breeze blew across the back of his neck, like someone blowing on him from right nearby. James screamed before he realized what was happening, spinning around and running the flashlight wildly over the darkness.
“Stay where you are,” Bradley ordered. “Fuck. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. Just stay there. Or out by your car. I’m on my way.”
No, he was not going to make Bradley come and get him because he lost his shit in the middle of his first night trip since coming back. “No, I’m leaving now,” James said. “I’m going right now, I’m sorry.”
His feet were glued to the old floorboards, but he just needed to make them work. Bradley did not need to come get him like he’d gotten homesick at a slumber party. “I’m fine,” he said again. “I’m sorry.”
He just…needed…to…RUN.
James bolted through the darkness, down the hall, and out the door. His car was parked right at the bottom of the front stairs and he got in, slamming the door behind him. “I’m out,” he said, breathing heavily. “I’m out of the house and the camera is back in place. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes.”
He tried to get his keys out of his pocket with a shaking hand, fumbling them and dropping them on the floor beside the pedals. James hit the interior light button and a dim yellow light filled the car.
Then his phone rang just as Bradley was clearly ordering him to stay there. Leaving his keys for a second, James picked it up.
“James, are you alright?”
It was Amelia. Bradley must have called her. Of course he did, he had to if he was leaving headquarters empty.
“I’m fine, I’m sorry.” James said for what was probably the millionth time. “He doesn’t need to come get me.”
“I told him to wait a minute so I could talk to you,” she said. “What happened?”
He was distantly aware that his comms unit was still on. “She was in there,” James said.
“How do you know?”
“I- I just do, I could feel her in there. And yeah, I couldn’t see her and neither could he. But she made me forget things, Amelia. She made me forget things like how I was going to kill you. If she could do that, she could make me forget I’d seen her there.”
“I was watching the whole time,” Bradley said over comms. “She wasn’t there.”
“She could’ve…” James trailed off, at a loss. He knew she could have done something, but there was no way to word it.
“She’s human,” Amelia said, her voice calm like she was talking to, well, a terrified child. “The connection between you two is broken. It was physical, it was in your blood, James. And now it’s gone, I promise.”
He swallowed and nodded, even though neither of them could see him. Outside his car, the little house meant to become a family home once the ghosts were gone still sat there, completely empty.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“It’s okay,” Amelia replied, still in the same tone. “I’m right here. Just sit for a minute okay? Are you safe?”
He was. He was locked in his car, the light was on, and there was no one else here. And he couldn’t bring himself to feel stupid yet, he was still too terrified.
James tried to take deep breaths, like Graham had said to do, all while looking around. It was dark outside the car. But inside he could see the steering wheel, the comms unit on the seat, the keys on the floor, an old pack of gum in his center console, and the rearview mirror reflecting only the backseat and the darkness beyond it.
He could feel his gloves, the seat under him, the…
“You’re okay?”
“I think so.”
The panic was receding. He knew he’d be embarrassed in a few minutes, but he had to get under control before he could feel that.
“Good,” Amelia said. “Good. Do you want Bradley to come get you? Or I can. I’ll pick up your car tomorrow.”
“No, I can get back,” he said. “Just give me another minute.”
“Of course.”
He heard Madelyn’s voice on the other end of the line. Right, Amelia was at home and it was midnight. “It’s fine,” Amelia said away from the speaker. “It’s all good.”
Now that the adrenaline was leaving his blood too, James was exhausted. But it was only fifteen minutes back and there was no need for either Bradley to leave headquarters on an injured leg or Amelia to leave home after working her own shift. He’d get himself back.
It had been maybe ten minutes since he left the house. “Alright,” he said. “I think I’m okay.”
“You’re sure?” Amelia asked.
“Yeah, I’ll let you go. You should go back to bed.”
She laughed. “I’ve been watching dating shows. You didn’t interrupt anything important.”
“You should go back to that, though. You’re invested, aren’t you?”
“There’s these two women, Rikki and Pearl? If they don’t end up together I’m going to burn something down.”
Now James was laughing too, and it didn’t sound as sick as he expected. “Thank you,” he said.
“Of course.” she replied. “You’re going to stay on comms with Bradley until you get back, okay?”
That was a reasonable enough request. “Okay.”
“Great. And text me when you get back.”
They hung up a second later and James sighed, falling back against the seat. “I’m on my way,” he said.
“Alright.”
Fifteen minutes. He could do this.
