Jace was cleaning weapons when he saw Daphne on the close circuit TV outside the warehouse. He rose and hit the button to open the door, excited to see her back. She was three days early. She entered the warehouse and he closed the door. Her expression was sober.
“How did you close the door?”
She wrinkled her nose. “I did what you said and concentrated. I had to run all the way here. Those creeps were everywhere when I came through.”
“How did it go?”
She looked away from Jace’s inquisitive expression, appearing tense. “We can talk later. Is Merrick here?”
“No, he’s with Raymond and McNeal on patrol.”
Daphne looked relieved. “Jace, are you sure you need to go back?”
Jace froze at her worried look. “Why? What happened out there? Tell me now.”
Daphne wrung her hands and sat at the work bench, her blue eyes meeting his with reluctance. “It’s not how I thought it would be. One thing I can tell you is that there are plenty of us up there.”
“What do you mean?”
“Ghosts, Jace. They’re everywhere. It’s sad really. They must have gotten trapped there after they died.”
“What happened with your husband and his boss?”
“Aaron was in on it the whole time,” Daphne reported with a grimace. “He broke it off with her right after I died. She won’t leave him alone. I didn’t know it but my boss at the diner invested in security cameras for the restaurant. The cameras got her car and a partial plate. The cops are investigating her and she is close to breaking. It’s really sad. She did all that to be with Aaron and he doesn’t even care about her.”
“Where’s Jacob?”
“He’s with my mom like I told you,” Daphne said and smiled. “Aaron agreed to give her and my dad custody. He lied to them and said we had no insurance so they had to pay to bury me. What a jerk! Why am I surprised?”
“It’s only a matter of time before she confesses and takes him down with her,” Jace told her and nodded. “All in all, do you feel like you got closure?”
Daphne paused and regarded him with a sad look. “My son could see me, Jace. He smiled at me and followed me with his eyes. Isn’t that something?”
Jace felt for her, knowing she missed her baby son. “So how was the haunting?”
“That was fun,” she remarked with a chuckle. “All you have to do is concentrate really hard and you can move objects. Aaron about came unglued when I paid him a visit. He started to cry. Natalie hid in her closet. It was priceless. I should tell you that you can walk through walls and run really fast. You use this trick to move things and you get tired too.”
Jace looked fascinated. “But they couldn’t see you or hear you?”
She looked crestfallen. “No, nobody heard me or saw me; just Jacob. I tried; trust me. I saw how well my husband is living now and wanted to scream the house down. Another cool trick is steam. You have an outline then. I thought Natalie would lose it when I waited for her to get out of the shower. You should have seen her face.”
“Why did you come back so early?”
“I did what I wanted to do,” she explained and shrugged. “They’ll both get caught it looks like. My son is where I want him to be. There wasn’t much else I cared to find out.”
“Anything else I need to know before I go?” he asked.
Daphne smiled and rolled her eyes. “I’m sure, knowing you that you’ll discover more powers out there than I did. The trick is concentration and we both know yours is better than mine. I also think I made physical contact with Aaron.”
Jace stilled. “How?”
“I got so mad I swung at him,” she explained and shook her head. “I was so mad I couldn’t see straight. One of my blows he felt. I could see by the look on his face. He held his cheek and looked freaked out.”
Jace smiled grimly. “Good, what I got in mind calls for a little more action.”
“Did Merrick ever wonder where I went?”
Jace laughed. “He knew. I didn’t have to tell him. We told Raymond you went off to explore convinced you could lead a normal life down here. He didn’t think much of it. Goose and Will took off the week before so he thinks you’re all just ungrateful and hard-headed.”
“What will he say when you go missing?” she asked in concern.
“You just say I went off to look for the Newbies who are still missing; that’s it.”
“Jace, just be prepared to find that things aren’t the same. I would warn you now you won’t like some things. That was the hardest, not having anything to say about anything anymore. My mom spoils my son rotten. It was hard to sit and see it. Things like that. You aren’t there anymore. Life goes on without us.”
Jace sighed and thought of Sara and Dougie. He knew he could do nothing for them. His father hadn’t been sober one day since he died; he could almost bet. And Lindsay, how was she taking it? Not knowing was worse than discovering things he didn’t like. He had to know everyone was alright. He might have extended his time here in Oblivion, but it was worth it to him.
“When are you leaving?” she asked in a soft voice, her pretty face sad.
“Tomorrow after Merrick leaves for patrol.”
“Jace, I think you should also know that the other ghosts are a nuisance. They’re bored or something. I was constantly inundated with them, asking questions about what lies beyond. Their stories will really get to you.”
“Are any of them dangerous?” he asked and tensed by her guarded expression.
“I sensed violence in some of them, but they stayed away from me. Whatever work they had of their own took precedence. Just be warned they’re really curious. I also would warn you they crowded around me when I came through. Some of them tried to go through but you closed the door too fast.”
Jace felt ready to go back, excited in a way. Daphne saw his expression and smiled. “You can’t wait to see your girl, can you?”
“I ache to see her,” he admitted and sighed. “Every day I’ve been here felt like a year since I died. I have to make sure everyone I love is okay.”
“My death changed everything for the better,” she said with a sarcastic laugh. “My parents think of me more kindly. They regret our last fight. My mom still cries for me. My dad is real suspicious of Aaron and he keeps pushing the cops in that direction. My son has more advantages too. My boss even invested in more outside security.”
“But do you feel content now?” Jace persisted. “Did going back help?”
“Yeah, it did. In a way it is as if the anxiousness I felt when I got here is gone. I had no problem coming back. Jace, whatever you do, come back. Don’t think you’d be happy there long term for a minute. I see the way the others feel to see those they love with other people and see life go on around them without being a part of it. That would be worse than being here for eternity.”
Jace was sad to know Daphne was right. He couldn’t take seeing Lindsay with another guy, or see something go wrong for Sara and Dougie and be unable to do anything. That would be Hell in itself. Still, he had two weeks to say goodbye.
It was a funny thing about dying unexpectedly. The dead were no more prepared than the living to deal with the result. The love and sense of loss was just as profound. Jace wasn’t ashamed to cry some nights when he was alone. Every little thing he ever put off or took for granted came to mind, reminding him his life ran out and it was indeed too late.