Page 119 of The Haunting of Lockton
“Yeah, he’s okay.” It made me happy that he was concerned about it. He might’ve joked about Alan being his rival or whatever, but I could tell the two had become friends in the time Skyler had spent at our house. “He may not make himself visible though. I’m not sure.”
But I hoped he would. He and Julian had a lot in common and would get along well.
Julian grabbed two bags from the back and closed the hatch. “Thanks again for inviting us over. And I don’t mind helping out with groceries.” He tipped his head toward Skyler. “Especially with how that one eats.”
Skyler sneered at him.
“It’s no trouble at all,” I responded.
“Let’s get inside,” Skyler said, lightly bouncing in place. “It’s cold as fuck out here.”
Itwaspretty chilly that day. A cold front had come in late last night, and the gust of crisp air was a sign that winter was on its way. Snow was forecasted for tomorrow morning.
As I led them into the house, I noticed Julian seemed like he was back to his normal self. The incident with Owen had just worn him down. After food and rest, he was right as rain. Butstill. It could’ve been so much worse. Their decision to end the investigation was for the best.
“I’ll show you where you can put your bags,” I said before going upstairs. Their steps trailed behind me.
As I reached the door to my mom’s room, there was a knock in my chest.
For the first two years after her death, I hadn’t touched her room at all, with the exception of dusting. I hadn’t wanted to move her hairbrush from the nightstand or put away the book she’d been flipping through before being taken to the hospital. Her favorite house shoes with the panda bears had stayed on the floor beside the bed. The tube of lipstick on the vanity I’d helped her put on when her hands had shaken too bad to do it herself.
All of those things had since been moved and tucked away for safekeeping. I had even donated her clothes—something that had caused me to have a major breakdown the night after doing it. Alan had held me as I’d cried. His eyes had been glassy, and if ghosts were capable of crying, I knew he would’ve been too.
I blinked away the memory and opened the door. “You’ll be staying in here,” I said to Julian. “I hope that’s okay.”
“It’s great.” He set his bags on the freshly made bed. “Thank you.”
“What about me?” Skyler asked with a lopsided grin. “Do you have a special place in mind for me to sleep?”
“Special?” I exaggerated a thinking face. “Eh. It’s nowhere you haven’t already been. Several times. Many of those times without any clothes.”
His smile widened.
“When are we meeting Val?” Julian asked, joining us in the hall.
The meeting was to discuss the final results of the investigation and show her the evidence they captured. They would be recording some of the meeting for the concludingepisode of their show as well. Val also wanted to discuss the wrap party slash Friendsgiving celebration on Wednesday. The twins had already agreed to it, but details needed to be sorted so they knew when to publish the episode and everything it entailed.
“Two thirty,” I answered. “And make sure you bring your appetite. I think she mentioned Miguel baking bear claws today.”
“Oh hell yeah.” Skyler made a sound not too different from the ones I helped him make in bed. A thought that made me have to adjust a bit. Damn him. “This day just keeps getting better.”
As the three of us went back downstairs, Alan stayed hidden. I caught Julian glancing at corners on occasion or at random areas of the room, so I knew he was there, at least, even if we couldn’t see him.
When Skyler started complaining about being hungry, I cooked us lunch. I tossed a basket of chicken strips into the air fryer and made crinkle fries to go along with it. It wasn’t the most glamorous lunch for their first day staying with me, but it was quick and tasted great. Sometimes, fried, carb-loaded food just hit the spot like nothing else could.
Julian snapped his head toward the archway leading into the living room. He stared for several seconds before returning his gaze to the laptop he’d set up at the table.
“Does it drain your energy being here?” I asked. It hadn’t occurred to me before then, and after seeing how he’d been yesterday, I was worried.
“No.” Julian’s fingers lightly clacked on the keyboard. “Being around ghosts doesn’t seem to affect me. It’s mainly when I intentionally search for them or pick up a trace of their energy and try to follow it. Or… whatever it was I did yesterday.”
“Something you won’t be doing again anytime soon,” Skyler said, stealing a chicken strip that was still piping hot and bitinginto it. An action he instantly regretted as he did a “hah hah” sound with his mouth open and breathed like a dragon.
“Yeah, yeah,” Julian muttered, focusing more intently on the laptop screen. He looked sad. Helping the ghosts at Lockton had been so important to him. Ending the investigation must’ve hurt him a lot. Probably more than he showed.
Around two o’clock, we hopped into their SUV and headed downtown.
The shopping district was packed, and cars lined the street, taking up all available spots. Fortunately, there was a private lot for those working in our building to use, so we wouldn’t have to hunt for one among the crowds of shoppers.
