Page 13 of Ghost of You (Haunted Souls #24)

Jude sat at the conference table waiting for Fitz to finish his call with Salem Police Chief, Cisco Jackson. He was updating their boss on the interviews they’d conducted with Oliver and Frankie’s parents. Aside from a couple of new names to pursue, they had no evidence pointing them to the killer.

“Cisco wants us at Frankie’s funeral,” Fitz said, as he walked out of his office.

“When is it?” Jude asked.

Jude knew that killers sometimes attended their victims’ funeral services as a way to further get off on their crime. Frankie had been dead for four years, it was possible her killer was long gone.

“Jude?” Fitz asked, sounding like he’d called Jude’s name more than once.

“Sorry, Cap, I was thinking about the funeral and how Frankie’s killer might not put in an appearance.”

“Why do you think that?” Ronan asked.

“Frankie was murdered four years ago. Whoever killed her has been living on the edge ever since. If it were me, I would have gotten out of town as soon as the heat died down and it wouldn’t have looked suspicious.”

Fitz tapped his pen against the table. “You think her killer is a stranger.” It wasn’t a question.

Jude sighed. “It’s the only option that makes sense.”

“Frankie was taken from her house, was tied up and had tape over her mouth. She was moved to a second location where she was shot in the head and left in the woods. If the killer was a stranger, they would have done the deed and gotten out of the house before anyone noticed he’d been there.”

“I hear you, Cap.” Jude sighed. “We’ve all done this job long enough to know that nine out of ten times the killer is somehow known to the victim.

You always talk about how our victims are flawed.

People are imperfect, so it makes sense victims would be as well.

It’s just that I don’t see any flaws in Frankie.

Here’s a woman who dedicated her life to serving others.

She was a member of the Salem City Council, volunteered her time and money to local food banks.

She participated in color runs, turkey trots, and polar plunges to raise money for all kinds of charities.

” Jude paused, trying to collect his rising emotions.

“Frankie was beloved by her husband, her family, her friends, her community, which is why I think her killer had to be a stranger.”

Fitzgibbon nodded. “If that’s the case, if it was a stranger, why risk taking Frankie out of the house in broad daylight?”

“The only thing I can think is that the killer gave her a reason to walk out of the house under her own power. Maybe the killer had a partner who was going to kill Oliver or Frankie’s parents if she didn’t come along quietly.” Jude shook his head. He knew none of this made any sense. “Fuck.”

“Everyone makes enemies, Jude,” Ronan said quietly.

“Neighbors who hate barking dogs, late night parties, and trash bins left out after collection. Coworkers who are jealous of a promotion or the special treatment you get and they don’t.

Drivers who cut you off on the highway. People who bring a cart full of groceries into the twelve items or less lane.

In this day and age, we find ridiculous reasons to hate each other.

I agree that Frankie was a paragon in this community.

She was a loving daughter, wife, and friend, but someone killed her anyway. Someone she knew and possibly loved.”

“You’re right,” Jude agreed. It made no sense that anyone would want to harm Frankie, but someone had. Someone who needed to pay. “What’s our next step?”

“Step one, I want you, Cope, and Tennyson to try to reach out to Frankie. Bring Carson in if you think he can help. We need to get as much information from Frankie as we can. Ronan, get on Doctor Vincent Holbrook. Where is he? Does he have a criminal record? Reach out to friends, family, an ex-wife or husband. Get me everything you can find. We’re going to pay him a visit tomorrow morning.

I’m going to do the same thing with Ambrose Watson.

I want to see him tomorrow afternoon. Shock and awe, no advance notice to either man. ”

“Do you think seeing them tomorrow will keep them away from the funeral? You know, make them duck and cover?” Jude asked.

Fitzgibbon barked a quick laugh. “We’re gonna have a press conference later in the day saying we have no suspects and want the public’s help.

Cisco’s setting up a tip line. Our faces will be plastered all over the news, making our potential suspects think they’re in the clear.

I want you both in suits, not black though, save those for the funeral. ”

“You got it, Cap,” Ronan agreed.

“Shout if you need me.” Fitz headed back into his office and shut the door.

Jude got up from the table and grabbed bottles of water for himself and Ronan from the office fridge.

He’d been so proud of Cope when Fitzgibbon put him on this case, but Jude hadn’t anticipated it going as wrong as it did at the Conti’s house.

When they’d gotten back to West Side Magick, Jude had offered to drive Cope home so he could rest, but his husband insisted on going back to work.

“How’s Cope?” Ronan asked, seeming to read Jude’s mind.

“He’s shell-shocked.” Jude thought that was the best description of what his husband was going through. “You heard me offer to take him home, but he said no. He’s standing his ground.”

“Tennyson is the same way when we work cases. The day I took him to the prison to meet with Tank Hutchins, his lawyer, and you, I had no idea that just being close to the prison would affect him the way it did. I had to pull off to the side of the highway so he could throw up. Not having these gifts ourselves makes it hard to anticipate how certain situations will affect Ten and Cope. Not to mention the fact that we’re conditioned to handle the kinds of violence these cases entail. ”

“You’re right, we are used to seeing humanity at its very worst,” Jude agreed.

“Fitz wants me to work with Cope on connecting with Frankie again. I know our case could very well depend on what her spirit is able to tell us, but Jesus, he saw Frankie bound and screaming for help. Help Cope couldn’t provide.

I want nothing more than to solve this murder.

I know Cope does too, but how do I protect him from what he sees? ”

“I don’t know.” Ronan sighed. “It’s possible that when Cope makes contact again, Frankie will appear to him like any other spirit, but I don’t think that’s likely.

When Ten and I worked that serial killer case, one of the murder victims could only speak to Ten through images.

It wasn’t until we caught the killer that Justin Wilson was able to speak with Ten like this.

” Ronan motioned between himself and Jude.

“At least that boy was able to find a way to communicate. What if all Frankie can do is show Cope her last agonizing moments?” Jude remembered Frankie fondly from the time they’d met a few years back.

The idea of seeing her bound with duct tape broke him and all he could do was imagine what happened. Cope had seen it with his own eyes.

“All we can do is trust in Cope and Ten’s abilities.

Whatever information Frankie is trying to convey is critical to this investigation.

It’s possible that Tennyson might be able to speak with Frankie in a way Cope can’t.

Not to say your husband isn’t as skilled, but the one thing I’ve learned over the years working with Ten and Everly is that their gifts work differently.

We know there are things Everly can do that Ten can’t.

We also know their gifts are stronger together.

I’m sure the same will be true with the two of you. ”

Jude nodded. “The three of them working together on Cope’s spell is what led you and Fitz to find me when I was taken.

” He shivered in the warm room. Jude still struggled with being abducted and held in a cage.

Cope had put his cauldron away several years ago, but pulled it back out in order to find Jude.

His husband was more powerful than he realized.

What Jude needed to do was make Cope remember what a badass he was.

Yeah, it was horribly tragic that Frankie had been abducted and murdered, but it would be even more gutting if her killer was never captured.

“Frankie and I have so much in common, only I was found in time. She was not so lucky.”

“I was wondering when you’d mention that,” Ronan said on a sigh. “If you’re struggling with this case, it’s okay to tell me. What you went through a few months back was traumatic and terrifying. It makes sense you’d see similarities between yourself and Frankie.”

This was the exact reason Jude had kept his thoughts on this subject to himself.

The last few months had been trying in so many ways, not the least of which were well-meaning friends and family who offered unsolicited advice on how to get over what happened to him, or worse, handed him the number of their shrink.

“I’m okay. I can handle anything that comes my way, but Cope isn’t built that way.

I need to step up and do everything I can to help get him through this case.

He’s full of feelings and emotions that I tend to tamp down.

I’m not sure I’ve got the right skill set to help him. ”

“Bullshit!” Ronan rolled his eyes. “You’ve been exactly what Cope needs when things go sideways.”

“Maybe,” Jude muttered. Jude knew his strengths and his weaknesses. Dealing with emotions was definitely not one of his strongest suits.

“Spoiler alert, asshole, you do have those same feelings and emotions! The only difference between you and Cope is that he lets them out so they don’t fester.

You shove them down deep until they have no choice but to erupt out of you.

Usually at the worst possible moment. There’s no one more capable of helping Cope through this case than you. ”

“Maybe you have a point.” Jude checked his watch and stood up from the table. Cope’s reading session was scheduled to end in a few minutes.

“There’s no maybe about it. If you want me in on this meeting, that’s no problem. I’ve got plenty of time to work on Dr. Holbrook so we’re prepared to meet him tomorrow.”

“You’ve worked so closely with Ten on these cases. I’d appreciate you being there.”

“You got it.” Ronan slapped a hand on Jude’s back. “We’re gonna find the fucker who did this to Frankie and when we do, he’ll wish he’d never been born. Right?”

“Right,” Jude agreed. He took a deep breath and steeled his spine. Being drugged, kidnapped, and held against his will had been the worst experience of Jude’s life, but if it gave him a leg up on helping to solve Frankie’s murder, then it was worth every second of the pain and trauma he’d survived.