Page 6 of Weston (Sheppard’s Shadow #4)

Carrie didn’t want to bring attention to herself while the three ghosts that were arguing finished up whatever they were doing. She knew who they were, why they were with her, and who had killed them. But she couldn’t tell them anything unless they figured it out for themselves. As it stood right now, she didn’t figure that they’d ever get to that point, and she wasn’t going to be telling them anything until then. It had been several months now, and they were still fighting amongst themselves like she was sure they’d done when they were alive. The older of the three of them turned to her, but she didn’t let her see that she wanted to be elsewhere. Ghosts could be mean at times, and she didn’t feel like messing with them today.

“You there. Are you going to just sit there, or are you going to help us sort this out?” She told the elder woman, Helen Pine, that she was waiting on them. “Waiting for what? You need to get us something to eat and drink while we figure out where Howard is. He should be here too.”

“I’m not going to do anything until you figure this out on your own. I’ve said that to you several times now, and until you do, you’re going to just stand where you are.” They had to be where they were because it was the house they’d been killed in. This house, one that had been well kept, was a place they’d been squatting in for the past several weeks. Then, for some reason, Howard Pine, Helen’s son, had had enough of them and had killed not just his mother but his father and grandfather. “I don’t think that Howard is coming back here either.”

Howard had been killed several counties over by the police when he tried to rob a convenience store. He’d been on his way out of town when he’d made his fatal decision. Sunny joined her in the room just as she was thinking about leaving them to their business.

“I thought that you had hours set up for them to come and see you.” She explained how these people had been murdered three months ago and still hadn’t figured out that they were dead. “Does it usually take that long? I would have thought that with the way that they look, they’d have gotten it right away.”

“They only see what they want to see.” Sunny laughed, drawing their attention to her. “You leave her alone, or there will be hell to pay. Just get with your argument and leave the two of us alone while you do whatever it is that you’re doing.”

“Where is Howard?” She said he had dealt with his personal business and had moved on. “What’s that supposed to mean? And don’t think that I didn’t notice that you’ve never gotten us anything to eat or drink. What kind of place are you running here if that’s the way you treat people?”

“You get what you give.” She’d only just learned that, too. If they were mouthy with her, she could give them the same. If they tried to hurt her in any way or form, she could do the same to them. This whole seeing the dead thing was draining at times, but she was getting better at it, and sometimes it was fun. She looked at Sunny then. “I’ve got an idea that I wanted to run by you about the new women to the family. What if we had lunch with them once a week? It would have to be on the weekend, like a Saturday or something, because Thelma wants to teach starting in the fall, but don’t you think it would be fun to get together like that?”

“I’ve been wanting to do that since I got into this family. Hoping that the men find their mates so that I could have female friends. I’ve been hanging out with men most of my life or waiting on their sorry asses. When did you want to start?” She said today was as good as any. “Great. I’ll contact Rogen and her sisters. Did you know that they’ve been selected to build the fire station? If you would have asked me, I would have thought it would have been an easy build. A bunch of bricks in a square shape, and poof, you’re done. But they’re going to make it more appealing to the eyes.” They both laughed, and she looked at the dead again. “Do you think they’ll get it?”

“I’m thinking that the older Pine has figured it out. Notice how he keeps looking at the spot in the room nearest the fireplace? That’s where his body was when they found it. I think he is remembering that’s where he died.” She asked her about the other two. “Mr. Pine won’t get it until his wife says he can. She’s got him so tied up it’s like he’s not even a person without her influence.”

“Howard, they said that the first decision he made had gotten him killed. I’m assuming that his mother was treating him the same way she did her husband.” Carrie told her that was about right. “Did he linger, too?”

“No. He came to see me after he was killed. Crying like a baby. He told me that if I could give him a month without his mother around, he’d be all right with being dead. Once I told him that I couldn’t do that, he moved on. Poor man. To think that he’s been treated the same his whole life and had to resort to killing his family before he could be his own man. Only to end up dead a few hours later.” Mrs. Pine stood in front of her. “What is it I can do for you?”

“Howard isn’t coming, is he?” She told her that he was not. “Well, I’ll see about that, the little shitter. He wasn’t worth the sweat it took me to push him out. Nothing but a pain in my backside. Did you know that he wanted me to allow him to marry and bring some woman into my house? That’s not going to happen.”

“No, it’s not.” She looked startled when she so readily agreed with her. “Have you gotten it yet? Why you’re here, and Howard isn’t?”

“He left me.” Carrie agreed that he had. “You’ll tell me now or so help me, I’m going to teach you how to respect your elders. Why aren’t we able to leave this house?”

“We’re dead, that’s why.” She knew that Mr. Pine senior had gotten it, but it looked to her like he might well have gotten a backbone in dealing with his daughter-in-law, too. “That son of your’n killed us off like we weren’t…well, I don’t think he meant to kill me. I’ve been good to him all his life and his little girl, a damn sight better than you’ve been to him anyways. But I think that me coming into the room the way that I had it what—”

“What do you mean we’re dead? Don’t you think I’d notice if I was dead or not? Shut up until I speak to you, you old bastard.” Helen looked at her. “We ain’t dead if that’s the conclusion that you’ve been waiting on us to get to. I’d know if I was dead or not, and I’m not.”

Carrie just stared at the woman. She had a feeling that she figured it out as well that she was as dead as the other two of them were as well. Some people, like this woman, didn’t believe they were ever going to die, and it was sad for them, really. Helen marched over to where her body had been found, slumped over the couch like she’d been reaching for something lying just beyond her reach and had died. Well, she had the big axe in the back of her head, which was a testament to how much her son hated her.

“I’m dead, aren’t I?” She nodded at the older man. “Thought as much. Can’t seem to get it out of my head that I’ve been killed. You go on now and send me on my way. I’m going to get me a bit of peace and quiet before she comes around and ruins that, too. Damned woman was forever screaming about something not being to her liking. You send me on now, I’m ready. Hopefully, I can see my missus, too.”

Carrie didn’t need to do anything to send people on like the elderly man. Once they made peace with the fact that they were no longer living, they just sort of faded out of this plane onto the next. She hoped that he got his time with his missus and had some of the quiet that he’d been craving, too. It had been a real shame that he’d been killed, too. The poor old man.

It didn’t take long for Helen to notice that her father-in-law was gone. She bitched at her about doing something with him until she told her to go away. The only thing she could do was wait on them, and once the other man figured it out, he faded away as well. She could only hope that there was a special place for people like Helen.

“I’m not dead.” Carrie had had enough and told her that she was. “No. I won’t believe it. I’ve too much to do to be lying around in my casket. You tell that son of mine that he’s to come here and do my bidding.”

“He’s moved on. The same as you should.” She said that she refused to believe that he’d do something without her permission. “Yet he did, didn’t he?”

Carrie stood up and glared at the other woman. She could see her glancing at where her body had been found. The couch was gone. It had been moved out a few hours after she’d been killed. The only person left, Danielle Pine, Helen’s granddaughter, was going to move into the house as soon as she moved here, and hopefully, Helen would have moved on. Or she’d move her on. It made very little difference to her.

“Why are you in charge anyway?” Carrie told Helen that she was and that there was very little that she could do about it. “We’ll just see about that, won’t we? I want to see your boss. Right now, bring him here.”

That made her burst out laughing. And when she told Sunny what she’d said, she laughed too. It took them more than twenty minutes to get their humor calmed down enough to have a conversation with Helen, and by then, she was spitting—literally spitting mad.

“I’ve had enough.” Carrie told Helen that she was going to send her to the other place if she spit on her once more. Of course, they were never hit by any of the spittle, but it was the fact that she was doing it that pissed them both off. As soon as she could, she was going to banish the woman to the other place—a place that she’d only heard of in order to make it so that she couldn’t bother her or anyone else that was in the living area. “You will apologize right now or be gone.”

“No, I will not.” That was all it took to send her on her way. She had better things to do than sit around and listen to the woman anyway. Snapping her fingers, not only was she gone, but she was also quiet too. It was the nicest thing she could have done for herself. Banishing the woman would be good for a great many people, too, she thought.

By the time she was ready to go out to lunch with the other women, Carrie was in a better mood. All morning, she’d been dealing with the Pine family, and she needed to relax and to chill out. As soon as they were in the restaurant, she did something that she’d never done in her life. Had a large piece of apple pie before she ate her meal. Of course, the others teased her about it.

“I’m a grown-ass woman who can have pie before her meal. You should try it sometime.” The pie was warm with a large scoop of ice cream on it. She moaned at the taste of it. “I mean, I might not even order lunch and have another piece of pie. You guys don’t know what it is you’re missing.”

The others ordered pie, too, and when it was brought to them, she could hear the moans all around the table. Who said you have to eat a meal before you had your dessert had never had a day like she had. Dealing with the living or dead was enough to make anyone upset enough to have a carb-filled luncheon date, too.

She did make herself eat a nice lunch when she ordered. Figuring that the salad would make her feel better after the sugar rush was fun. She didn’t even mind that she got a little heartburn from it. But she might well order her another piece for when she was finished. Carrie simply didn’t care who stared at her either.

~*~

Danielle looked around the house. It was a great deal bigger than she remembered it being from when she was a child. Of course, she’d never been allowed to be beyond the living room or the kitchen. The dining room was no place for a brat, she’d been told. The first thing she was going to do when she got moved in was have a sloppy meal in the dining room and get food all over the table.

She wouldn’t. She knew better than to be a mess anyplace. Her mother and grandmother had been the same type of person as her Grandma Helen had been. Mean. She wasn’t sometimes mean either; she was just mean all the time, and she couldn’t believe how much she’d hated to come here. Now, it was all hers.

“Ms. Pine, there are a couple of things about the house that you need to be made aware of. Your father lived here until he was killed, so there are things still in his room, as well as the others that called this their homes.” She told the attorney that she could deal with it. Mr. Sheppard had been talking to her all along since she’d been notified that her family was all gone. “Also, while there is enough money in the estate to take care of the matter, there are still a few outstanding bills that will need to be paid.”

“You told me that there was money in the estate, correct?” Jameson told her that there was plenty of money, and that was hers as well. “Good. I don’t want to sound greedy or anything, but I don’t think I could be here without that money. What else should I need to know? I feel like you’re holding something back.”

“No, I’m not. I swear. But you have been told that your great grandda and your grandparents were killed in the living room, and that is why the couch is missing.” She said she’d been told. Danielle turned to him, almost fearful that he’d leave her now that she was here. “It’s going to be fine, Danielle. You’re going to be just fine.”

“Thank you. I didn’t know how much I needed to hear that until just now.” On impulse, she hugged him. When tears filled her eyes, she didn’t release him until she said what she needed to. “You’ve been kinder to me than any member of my family had been. I wanted to thank you for that.”

When she pulled away, he handed her a handkerchief. Danielle hadn’t known anyone to carry one of those in all her life. After wiping at her eyes, she told him she’d get it back to him as soon as she could, and he smiled at her.

“You have my number, correct?” Nodding, she told him that she had him on speed dial. “Good. You remember that if you need anything. I’m here for you. I feel…well, I’ve never had a little sister before, but I’m betting she’d be just like you. I know I keep saying this to you, but you’re going to be just fine. I know it.”

“Thank you again.” She was just ready to grab him again to hug him when someone rang her front doorbell. It was the sound of running elephants, she thought, and she was going to change that as soon as she could. Her grandmother would have done that. She just knew it. Going to the door, she was surprised to see a man standing there with a pizza box and a huge smile. “Can I help you?”

“My brother said you were moving in tonight, and he thought you could use some company for your first meal.” When the man entered, she looked at Jameson. He told her it was his brother Archie and his wife, Carrie. Then, before she could close the door, another brother entered, and Nash and Sunny arrived. “Come on honey, where did you want to eat this meal?”

“In the dining room.” She thought it fitting, too, that they were going to eat pizza of all things in her grandmother’s formal dining room. Never would she allow any pizza in her house, much less in the dining room fit for a queen of the castle. “Oh good, you have soda too. She’d hate every minute of this.”

It was by and far the most fun she’d ever had in this house, and she told them so. Archie said that he’d known her grandmother and had never cared for her at all. Even Sunny, who had lived here all her life, had said that she’d never liked the old bitch and often time felt sorry for her son Harold. She felt like they were her friends by the time they left her later that night. Jameson told her once again that she’d be all right. The thing was, when he left her then, she really did feel like she was all right.

Wandering through the house, she found things that she’d noticed as a child and had never been able to touch. Her grandparents’ closets were still filled with things that they’d left behind. Jewelry in her jewelry box and powder that she had worn were still there as well. Of course, the bed was made up, a habit that she picked up here when she’d been allowed to visit. There were things like lined-up shoes on the floor in the cupboard. Hats of her grandfathers hanging on the hooks by the door, just waiting for him to return.

The house and its belongings were left to her by her dad, who, since he died last, had gotten it from his parents. There were no taxes to pay up, no mortgage for her to keep up with. Every part of the house was hers so long as she wanted. And if she didn’t, then she could sell it and move on with her life. But she wouldn’t. It was hers now, and it meant a roof over her head and a place for her to sleep. Something that she’d not had in the last few months of being on her own.

Eight months ago, she’d lost her job and her apartment. Not on the same day, but close enough that she couldn’t believe it. The place where she had worked had decided that it didn’t want to be open any longer, and the complex that she’d been living in had sold out to a larger company, and they were going to tear the place down.

Jameson was looking into that for her. There should have been something for her to move into when they took her home from her. But no, they’d given them fourteen days to move out, or they’d find their stuff, furniture, and lives stuck in the dumpsters that were on the property the next morning. Luckily for her, she’d been able to sell everything and get out in time. There were families that were in the process of getting out when the big bulldozers came along and crushed their dreams of homelife right into the dirt.

Finding her dad’s room in the house wasn’t difficult. He’d been raised to keep things nice, and his room showed it. Everything in its place, he’d tell her when she was a child living with her now long gone mother. Debra, her mom, was the exact opposite. Nothing had a place unless it was on the floor.

Some of the things she came across while going through his things brought back memories that hurt her. He’d saved every card that she’d sent him, filing them in a large box marked with her name. There were drawings of hers, too—she’d forgotten that he enjoyed drawing. He’d been good at it too.

His clothing smelled as he did. A little bit of baby powder that he’d put under his arms and the cologne that he would wear on his cheeks. Inhaling deeply, she wondered if she’d miss the scent of him. He’d been out of her life so long that she knew that she’d not miss the man himself. And that she blamed on her grandmother.

Grandma Helen was a terror. She hated her mother and, in turn, hated her too. The handful of times that she’d been to her home had been wroth with fear and anger. She wouldn’t allow her to have anything nice in the house because she thought of her as beneath her. Look now, she thought, it’s all mine.

Tomorrow, she was going to box up all the clothing and donate it someplace. Then there was the matter of the food and things in the cupboard that she was going to get rid of as well. There had been staff when her family was alive, but Danielle didn’t need it. She’d live in her big house and do for herself. If she couldn’t get to a couple of the rooms, then no one would know but her, and that’s the way she liked it.

Going to bed that night, after stripping off the covers and linens off the big bed, Danielle lay there thinking about her luck. The house she’d been told by Jameson was worth a great deal, in the millions she’d been told, but again, she had no desire to sell it, at least for now. There was a bit of land, too, that she’d been told was bringing in some income, enough to pay the taxes yearly that was rented property. There was also a trust set up by her great-grandda for her too that would ensure that she would have money to keep her in food and beds, he’d said in his will.

He’d been the only person that she’d ever want to be alive if she could. Her father hadn’t been around all that much, but her great-grandda had written to her faithfully monthly. He’d been sending her money, too, little bits at a time that would show up just when she needed it. Which was really all the time, but it was nice to have.

Getting up when she knew she wasn’t going to sleep, she decided to start her purge in the master suite that had belonged to her grandparents. By the time the sun was coming up, not only had she cleaned out the closets, but she’d been able to box up the items around the room that she’d have no use for. Those things were set aside so that if she decided to have a garage sale, she’d make a bit of cash off those as well.

At noon, she decided to have herself a treat. Walking to the little ice cream shop, she was able to have a shredded chicken sandwich and fries. Never one to like ice cream all that much, she did have a frozen Snickers bar and loved every bit of it. Danielle was just headed back to the house when she saw Jameson and another of his brothers. While she didn’t know his name, she knew that they were related for sure.

“I was just coming to see you.” Smiling, she told him how much work she’d gotten done already. “Good for you. Oh, this is my brother Wrangler and his son Wills. They were going to help you out if you need it. Moving full boxes would be too much for you, I think. I saw the size of the boxes you had, and I’m betting that you’ve filled them to the brim.”

“I did, actually. But I was on a roll and thought that if I had any boxes left over, I could divide up the stuff in them. They didn’t have much, did they?” Jameson told her that he’d never been in the house until last night with her. “Oh. I thought that you would have been invited, being that you have money. She only associated with people with funds, she told me once.”

“It’s doubtful I would have come to her home even if invited. She wasn’t a person that people wanted to be around.” Danielle agreed with him. “Anyway, I was thinking that you could use a hand with the heavy stuff. The three of us can help you out today with whatever you want.”

“I was thinking of having a sale, but I don’t know how to begin with that. Just putting the things that I don’t want out on the sidewalk appeals to me. Then, if no one picks it up, I can have it picked up by someone who deals in this sort of thing. Do you think that would be all right? I don’t want to break any rules.” Jameson told her that his brother was mayor and that he’d call him to ask. “Thanks so much. I really appreciate that.”

Wills made her a ‘free’ sign once it was established that she could do what she’d had in mind, and even before the second piece of furniture was brought out, people were lined up to take it away. Some of them asked if they could come inside to get the stuff, but Jameson put a stop to that. There was no telling what they’d take in the name of things being free.

By the time dinner rolled around, she was exhausted. Having been up for as long as she had and moving things out, she was ready to call it a day. However, once the women in the leap, she had known that Jameson and his family were shifters, showed up to help clean things, she sat in the living room, now devoid of furniture, and relaxed on her lounger for the yard. She was asleep in no time.

Waking up, not knowing where she was, scared her a bit. But once she realized where she was and what was going on, she found herself in the kitchen where food was being laid out. She’d have to pay Jameson back for this meal as it was Chinese food and pizzas again. Christ, she thought, her body was hurting everywhere for everything that she’d been doing.

“You’ve got a lovely home here. I’d never been inside, but it’s bigger than it looks from the outside, isn’t it?” She told Rogen that she’d never been in all the house until yesterday. “I never knew your relatives, but I’d heard about them. Your grannie sounds like a real peach.”

“You have no idea. Once, when I was visiting my dad, she made me wear plastic bags on my feet so I’d not bring things into her house. And I wasn’t to use the bathroom because I wasn’t part of the family that lived there. Great-grandda was a nice man, but he allowed Helen to be the way she was.” She asked about her dad. “My dad wasn’t all that brave around her. He’d do what she wanted, no matter how much it hurt me in the process. After a while, I just stopped coming around even though he had visitation rights with me. It was just easier to not come here rather than to be treated like pond scum.”

“That’s so sad.” She agreed and was grateful when Weston came over and changed the subject. “I will change the locks as soon as Monday. I’ve been thinking of other things, too, that I need to worry about. Like the land that I have. Jameson said he’d contact the renters and tell them that I’d get with them soon, but since it’s not broken right now—as my grandmother on my mom’s side would say, I’m not going to worry about it right now.”

There were a lot of things that needed to be taken care of in the house. Not just with the locks, which was important, but there were the outbuildings as well and the things that might be in them. There was a lawn service that came by, as well as someone who cleaned the house once a week that she’d need to decide on if she wanted them to continue or not. She never realized that owning a house could be so thought-consuming. But she’d get to it sooner or later.