Ghost Writer - Pandora Pine Page 0,61

going on?

Thinking back over the cases he and Jude had worked for West Side Magick over the last year, his guess would be something sinister. It seemed the universe was constantly dropping these kinds of cases on his doorstep, which sometimes seemed like an insurmountable burden. On the other hand, these cases wouldn’t come his way if he weren’t suited to help people out.

After today, it seemed the number of people and spirits caught up in this case was growing. Top among Cope’s concerns was Peg. He hadn’t been Marc’s biggest fan when he’d met the man, but what was he up to, contacting him and Jude behind Peg’s back? If Peg was reading the situation correctly, Marc was trying to do something underhanded to get his wife out of the picture, but why?

Cope didn’t know the pain of being cheated on by someone he loved more than his own life. If Jude ever strayed it would kill him. Cope had no idea how he’d come back from a heartbreak that cutting. The question was, if Jude cheated, would Cope do everything in his power to make his husband think he was crazy? Cope hoped not, but it remained to be seen, hopefully forever.

Continuing to play that scenario out in his mind, Cope realized that, as his husband, Jude had access to all his money and assets. He’d even be able to grab the money they’d put away for Wolf’s college fund. Was that the reason Marc was trying to get rid of Peg without divorcing her?

Reaching out for the notepad on the coffee table, Cope jotted some notes. He yawned, long and loud.

Thinking about Marc taking advantage of Peg made his blood run cold. He and Jude had been right to advise the woman to find somewhere else to spend the night. The last place Cope would want to sleep, if he were Peg, was in that house.

Speaking of The Beecher House, Cope wondered if the property had its own role to play in this saga. Legitimately haunted places existed. Gallows Hill in Salem. Eastern State Penitentiary in Pennsylvania. The Winchester House. The Lizzie Borden House. The list went on and on, but was it possible for a place to harbor evil inside it like a rotten egg left in the back of the fridge?

Was The Beecher House making Marc evil, or was he a douchebag long before he and Peg moved into the house? If he’d been on his game earlier, he would have asked. His pencil scratched over the paper as he wrote his question. He and Jude would definitely need to look into Marc Waller more closely.

Next on Cope’s list of people to protect was Brooks. What he couldn’t figure out was if the man were being kept from speaking with him or was his story so horrific that he was afraid to spill the beans. Shame worked in mysterious ways. Some people were ashamed of being arrested, while other publicly touted their time behind bars. What would horrify Brooks might not necessarily horrify Cope. Add in seventy-plus years of time and things that would have been shameful to Brooks in the 1940s, might not be a social issue today. Being born out of wedlock didn’t carry the stigma today it had during the Baby Boomer era. Times changed, and with it, progress was made.

How could Cope possibly protect Brooks when he didn’t know where the danger was coming from?

Which, of course, brought Cope back to the mystery guest. It seemed to him like that silent spirit had some sort of hold on Brooks. Whether this hold was of the other spirit’s making or a third party, Cope wasn’t sure.

At this point, he didn’t know how he was going to find out. It all seemed to rest on the shoulders of Brooks. Taking a deep breath, Cope listened for the familiar clicking of the ghost writer. All he heard in return was silence.

With his eyes slipping shut, Cope’s thoughts turned to Wolf. What new thing had he done today? Did he behave for Kaye? Eat a good lunch? Have a good nap?

Thinking about naps made Cope yawn. Picturing his son in his mind’s eye, he slipped off to sleep.

28

Jude

Riding shotgun in Ronan’s Mustang reminded Jude of the Hutchins Case, the first one he’d worked with Ronan. They hadn’t been overly fond of each other at the time, but a strong friendship had been built over time. Now, they were closer than brothers.

“The more I read about