Medium Chris Wilson is used to the dead, but the living Derek Brandt is her biggest challenge yet. As they hunt for his brother's killer, the wall between skeptic and believer begins to crumble. In a house full of restless spirits, their uneasy alliance might just become the one thing they can't live without.
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Joe stared through the open door, watching as the truck drove away with his love and the closest thing he’d ever had to a sister. He didn’t know what to do next. “Figure it out,” Ron had barked at him. He’d better figure it out fast if he wanted Chris to go on living.
Find Derek and Jimmy. That was his next step. He’d cross the other bridge—actually communicating with Derek—when he got to it. Remembering everything Ron had taught him, he calmed himself and focused on Derek’s living room. He opened his eyes and found himself standing there.
Well, that was easy.
The house appeared empty, though. “Hello?” he called. “Jimmy? You here, son?”
No answer. Joe muttered curses as he searched the house. He checked Jimmy’s room to see if he was sleeping but found it empty. He kept looking to be on the safe side, but he didn’t turn up anything useful. They’d left no clues as to where they might have gone. They could be anywhere.
At a loss, Joe did the only thing he could think of. He focused on Ron. She was always easy to find.
He found himself in a crowded truck cab, practically on top of her. Chris sat next to the old man, who kept a pistol pointed at her. Only a flicker of her eyes told Joe she’d noticed his arrival. Otherwise, she kept her gaze fixed straight ahead.
“Tell me you found Derek,” said Ron.
“Sorry. He’s not home and neither is Jimmy. I don’t know what to do.”
“Jimmy’s likely to be with Derek. Focus on him like you did me. You’ll find him.” She put a hand on his shoulder, and squeezed. “You can do this, babe. You kinda have to.”
Joe nodded. “Hang in there,” he told Chris. Then he closed his eyes and fixed his thoughts on Jimmy, forming a vivid picture of the boy in his mind.
When he opened his eyes again, he was in another house, one he didn’t recognize. Derek was there, arguing with another man, a big man who bore a striking resemblance to Chris’s abductor.
“Joe?”
He turned to see Jimmy standing there. “What are you doing here?”
“Someone’s taken Chris. I think he plans to kill her. Ron went with them, but they need help.”
“The box. Derek left it in the car. It’s parked outside. I don’t know if I’m strong enough to bring it in.”
“Not sure I am either,” said Joe. “Only one way to find out.”
He found the car easily. The ghost box lay on the passenger seat. Joe had no trouble getting hold of it. It took more concentration to carry it with him back to the room where Jimmy waited, but he managed.
“It’s not on,” said Jimmy. “Can you turn it on?”
“Show me how.”
Jimmy pointed to a switch, and Joe flicked it. The box lit up as Jimmy shouted, “Derek!”
Both men stopped shouting at each other and turned. “Uh, what is that thing?” asked the big guy.
The box remained silent during most of the drive to Steve’s house. Jimmy only spoke up when Derek asked to make sure he was still there, or that the box still worked. Otherwise, like the sullen, angry teenager he still was, he sulked in silence.
It was nearing sunset by the time they pulled up in front of Steve’s. “This is it,” Derek told Jimmy. “I suppose you want to come in with me?”
“Kinda no point in coming if I didn’t,” came the reply.
“Okay, but the box stays here. It would raise questions I’m not ready to answer yet.”
“Fine.”
With a sigh, Derek got out of the car. He would just have to trust that Jimmy followed him. He rang the bell and waited. When Steve answered the door, he was all smiles. “Derek! What brings you back here so soon?”
“We need to talk.”
Steve’s smile faltered a bit but remained friendly. “Sure. Come on in.” As he led him to the living room, he asked cordially, “Can I get you something to drink?”
“No. This isn’t a social call.”
When Steve looked back at him, the smile was gone, replaced with a perplexed look. “Okay. What’s up?”
“Did you know a college recruiter was going to be at the game?”
An already arched eyebrow crept even higher. “Which game?”
Derek let out an unbelieving laugh. “The homecoming game. The one Jimmy was supposed to play in a few days after he died.”
Steve’s other eyebrow inched up to match the first. “No. I didn’t. The recruiter didn’t show up until the end of the season.”
“That’s because the homecoming game was canceled so they could hold Jimmy’s memorial that night instead. Are you sure you didn’t know he was scheduled to be there that night?”
“Yes, I’m sure.” Steve folded his beefy arms and narrowed his eyes. “Why are you asking me this?”
Derek looked away and rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s nothing. Forget it.”
“Do you think I had something to do with what happened to Jimmy?”
Derek started to deny it, but this wasn’t the time to put feelings first. He met Steve’s gaze. “Did you?”
Steve’s stricken look told him all he needed to know. “How could you ask me that?”
Derek shook his head. “The scout’s a motive. It’s the best lead I’ve had—”
“How dare you?” Steve cut him off. “Jimmy was like a brother to me. So were you! But you come into my home and try to accuse me of—”
“Derek!”
Steve stopped talking and stared at something behind Derek. Derek followed his gaze to see the ghost box floating in mid-air. “Uh, what is that thing?” Steve asked.
Derek shook his head, and sighed. “That’s Jimmy.”
“Jimmy?”
“Hey, Steve,” said the box. “Good to see you, bro’.”
Steve moved past Derek and approached the box. “Jimmy?” he said again, passing his hands around, over and under the floating device. He looked back at Derek. “You mean, like, his ghost?”
“He’s been here this whole time,” said Derek. He went over and took the box from Jimmy. It was too unsettling, even for him, seeing it just float there like that. “This thing lets me talk to him.”
“We don’t have time for this,” barked the box.
“Jimmy, we—”
“This isn’t Jimmy, it’s Joe.”
Steve’s brow furrowed. “Who’s Joe?”
“Long story,” Derek told him. “Joe, what—”
“Chris is in trouble. Your uncle took her.”
“My—” Derek looked up at Steve. “Uncle Jim? What do you mean he took her?”
“I mean he had a gun, and he came into the house and took her. I think he means to kill her.”
“That’s crazy,” said Steve. “My dad wouldn’t do that.”
Derek took a deep breath to steady his pounding heart as Joe’s news sunk in. He didn’t want to believe it either. But he didn’t have that luxury, and he didn’t have time to deal with Steve’s denial. “Do you know where he took her?”
“Not yet. Ron’s with her. I just checked a few minutes ago and they were still drivin’. I won’t know anything until they get where they’re goin’.”
Derek looked up at Steve. “Where would he be taking her?”
Steve looked from him to the box, his face plastered with disbelief. He shook his head. “Nowhere! This is my dad, Derek! He’s not a kidnapper!”
“I didn’t think he was a killer either, until a few seconds ago. But I think maybe we both don’t know your dad as well as we thought we did.”
Steve stared down at him. “You think my dad…”
“He said nobody was supposed to die,” said Joe. “He told Chris that they were only supposed to injure Jimmy, not kill him. But he’s going to kill her if we don’t get there in time.”
Steve stared at the box. “Why?”
“I was getting too close,” said Derek. “He must blame her.” At Steve’s questioning look, he explained, “She’s psychic. Sort of. She can see and talk to ghosts. Look, Steve, I know this is a lot for you to process right now, but we need to move if we’re going to stop your dad from doing something we’ll all regret.”
Steve looked like he was about to be sick. But he swallowed, and nodded. “Okay. Okay. Just, um…I’ll call the police.”
“We don’t have time.”
“Well, what are you going to do, Derek? Just storm in there and tell him to stop?”
Derek sighed. “Good point. Okay, call Detective Hanson.” As Steve went to get his phone, Derek said, “Joe, can you see where they are now?”
“Joe’s gone. This is Jimmy. He already went to check on them. He said he’ll come back as soon as he knows something.”
Derek nodded. “Great. Okay.” He looked around and rubbed his forehead as a feeling of complete helplessness came over him. He wanted to jump in the car and start driving, but he knew it would be a foolish move until he had a destination.
He consoled himself with the knowledge that Chris wasn’t alone. She had her sister with her. And from what Derek knew, Ron was resourceful. So was Chris. Gun or no gun, Jim Lansing had probably bitten off more than he could chew. At least, Derek hoped so.
Either way, all he could do now was wait.
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