Born on the 4th of July - Heather Graham Pozzessere Page 0,4

said.

“They flew! The crows . . . they flew out of the trees, as if in warning. She even murmured something about it. A murder of crows. And then . . . he was there. He came from across the path, but he just seemed to emerge from nowhere. He walked across the cemetery in a hooded cape of some kind, ridiculous for this weather. And he was wearing a mask, which no one would notice, most would applaud, but it was a mask that covered his face and his head. He walked straight to her. He walked with purpose and intent. He had a handkerchief or a cloth drenched in something that knocked her out instantly. And he carried her straight back across the path, fast, almost as if he flew like a crow. He walked through the graves and behind a mausoleum and . . . I ran. I moved as fast as I could, but they disappeared, they just disappeared. She was kidnapped and I saw it—and I was powerless!”

“He didn’t come by car?” Jackson asked.

“If he did, he parked far away. How could he have walked through the cemetery like that with others not noticing? There aren’t many people here today, and I know the world may be social distancing, but . . . he appeared from nowhere and he disappeared back to nowhere.”

“We have to search the cemetery,” Angela said. “He may have a family mausoleum, and maybe he hides out in it until . . . until an accomplice comes for him.”

Adam and Josh had joined them by then. Cameron Adair looked confused that Josh was with them, but then said, “Hello, young sir. Oh, this gentleman sees me, too,” he said, referring to Adam.

“No, I’m afraid my dad only sees me. And that took forever,” Josh said. “I heard you, though. I’ve brought him up to speed.” He gave his fellow revenant a grim smile. “My dad put these people together; they are great law enforcement agents, and they’re exceptionally gifted, too. Or cursed. Most often, I say ‘gifted.’”

“Thank you,” Cameron said.

“So Lieutenant,” Jackson summarized, “your daughter came to pay honor to you for the upcoming Fourth of July. She comes frequently, and her husband always allows for a little alone time for her before joining her, and they leave together. Usually. But today when he came back, she was gone. And you saw what happened. A man knocked her out and seized her.”

“And he ran into the cemetery, not to the road. He didn’t drive in to get her. And wherever he was parked, you didn’t see him drive out,” Angela said

“You think this man is hiding out in the cemetery?” Adam asked then. “It’s got several family mausoleums, but—” he paused, looking about, not sure exactly where the ghost of Cameron Adair might be, “I’m not sure how you could hide a living woman who . . . might wake up.”

Adam had carefully worded his question and statement. Angela knew he was trying not to suggest the only way to assure a captive would remain silent would be if that captive was dead.

“There may be a place to hold on to someone until an accomplice arrives,” Jackson said.

“Quite possibly,” Angela said. “A number of these family mausoleums are a fair size.”

“I’m going to the offices; there will be one person on duty. Angela, you and Adam—”

“Adam, would you be so good as to pick up Corby and bring him here? If Jackson and I split up, we’ll have a better chance,” Angela interrupted.

“Angela—” Jackson began. “If you could get on the research angle—”

“I will, but I won’t leave the cemetery. I have my phone and I can access any file I want this way. I’ll look out for similar occurrences in nearby areas. I’ll find out what the police have. And so you can feel I’m safe and we can move more quickly, I’ll go to the office here at the cemetery. You can start searching the cemetery for tracks, broken locks, anything you can find. When I get to the office, I’ll find a bench. There’s a beautiful place to sit between the office and the old chapel, and we can all rendezvous there. Adam, if you don’t mind—”

“I’ll get on the phone to our offices and the DCPD. Josh, Corby, and I will come right back here,” Adam said.

Angela knew Jackson wasn’t happy. Well, of course, he wasn’t. But for the very reason he was so worried, she was,