Shadows of the Past: A Supernatural Suspense Mystery (Shadow Slayers Stories Book 1) by Nellie Steele (read aloud .txt) 📗

She gave up on the bath, climbing out, toweling off and redressing. Perhaps she needed to get out of the house, she thought. She wasn’t sure where she would go, but anywhere was preferable to sitting at home unable to focus on anything. She grabbed her purse and keys and headed for her car.

“Got movement again. There goes Josie’s car.” Michael announced.

“Got the tracker up, let’s see where she goes.”

Michael looked over Damien’s shoulder watching the red dot move around on the app’s map. “Where are you going, Josie?” Damien asked his phone.

“Mall trip?” Michael asked, finishing his soda.

“Perhaps. Lunch break?”

“Could be. Doesn’t look like she’s heading to the mall.”

“Nope, doesn’t look like she’s heading to any of her favorite lunch spots either,” Damien said, studying her movement. “Actually, it kind of looks like…”

“She’s going to the motel,” they said in unison. Michael fired the engine and backed out onto the road. He put the car in drive and sped off down the road.

Josie pulled out of the driveway, knowing she did not want to stay at home. She didn’t aim for any particular place. She wove around the back roads in what she thought was an aimless pattern. Before she realized it, she was turning onto the road that housed the Mountain View Inn. She sighed, frustrated with herself for not being able to stay away.

She pulled into the parking lot. Gray’s car was there in front of room seven. She pulled in next to it. She climbed from the car and knocked on Gray’s door. After a few moments, Gray opened it.

He smiled at her and stood back to allow her to enter the room. He glanced around outside before closing the door, shutting the world out.

“It’s good to see you, Celine. I’m glad you came back.”

“I’m not 'back,’ Gray. Not the way you want me to be. But I didn’t like the way our last conversation ended.”

“Neither did I. I don’t like fighting with you, never did. Now, can we start again? Perhaps discuss things fresh?”

“I’m not selfish, Gray, Josie isn’t selfish either, but I made a bargain, I can’t go back. You must understand that. You were there at the end, you know what I suffered through.”

“Yes, I know. I wanted to help you. I wanted to be there for you. But you went ahead and did this without discussing it with me. Stubborn, like I said before.”

“I wasn’t being stubborn, come on, Gray.”

“You were. It always has to be your way. I wanted to help, you wouldn’t let me. You pushed me away. We were a team, Celine, at least I thought we were. By the time I knew what you had done it was too late, and it’s almost too late again. I refuse to lose you a second time.”

“You don’t have a choice, Gray. I can’t be involved. I can’t do this again.”

“Celine…” he began.

“No!” Her voice rose sharply. “No, Gray, we’re finished. I just didn’t want to leave things the way they stood. I need you to understand.”

“Well, I don’t understand. Not at all, I will never understand. So if you’ve come here looking for some absolution from me you can just turn around and go because you’re not getting it. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever, Celine.”

Josie shook her head, clenching her jaw. “Okay,” she said after a while. “I’ll go.” She went to the door, opening it. Before leaving, she looked back at Gray. “But you should go, too, because I’m not changing my mind, absolution or not.”

Josie left, almost running into Millie on her way out.

“Oh, Celine, nice to…” she said, her voice trailing off a bit as Josie pushed past her.

“Not in the mood, Millie,” Josie said and kept going to her car.

“What was that about?” Millie asked, entering the room.

“She’s mad because I won’t let her off the hook, tell her it’s okay to not come back, let her keep living her pretend life as Josie.”

“She sounds like she has her mind made up. This is the third time she’s told you that, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it is. But she will change her mind.”

“How can you be so sure?” Millie inquired.

“Because she came here looking for validation. She’s looking for an okay from me that what she was doing is right.”

“But you told her you didn’t agree, and she still didn’t change her mind.”

“No, she didn’t, but she will.”

“I don’t understand your sudden confidence, Gray. How can you be so sure?”

Gray gave her a half-smile. “Did you already forget what you told me, Millie?” Millie looked puzzled. “I know her, remember? If she hadn’t come back, it would have concerned me. But the fact that she did suggests that she’s thinking about it, reconsidering, feeling guilty for saying no. She came back because it’s bothering her and as long as I don’t tell her it’s okay, as long as I keep the pressure on her, she will keep being bothered. The guilt will grab hold of her conscience and squeeze until she changes her mind. I’ll text her later, keep the pressure on her, she’ll come around soon, I know it.”

“I hope you’re right,” Millie said. “I just got a text from Alexander. Things are continuing in a downward spiral. So, for all our sakes, I hope you’re right.”

Chapter 17

Josie drove back toward home. The conversation with Gray still bothered her. She wasn’t sure what she expected from him when she went to the motel. How could he accuse her of being selfish? He, of all people, should understand what she went through twenty-five years ago. She wouldn’t let him bother her. She needed to put it out of her mind.

She considered getting lunch at a favorite restaurant, anything to distract her mind, but she wasn’t hungry. Perhaps some shopping would help, she surmised. She aimed her car for the mall, parking outside of her favorite department store. She