Shadows of the Past: A Supernatural Suspense Mystery (Shadow Slayers Stories Book 1) Read online

  “I did not buy it, not then, not ever! Besides, it looks way too old to be something that they sell on HSN.”

  “Yeah, this looks kind of old, definitely looks used.”

  “Is there a note or packing slip in the box?” Josie peered in but found nothing. She searched around, pulling all the paper out, but finding nothing else in the box.

  “Maybe the note’s inside,” Damien said, opening the box. As he opened the lid, a music mechanism was triggered and a tinkling little tune began to play. Neither of them recognized the song although something seemed familiar about the music to Josie.

  “Wow!” Josie said as he opened the top, her eyes wide. Inside the box appeared to be a large ruby necklace. “Surely that’s a fake.”

  Damien lifted the necklace out of the box. “Whoa, it’s heavy, so it’s a good fake, if it is a fake.”

  “Oh, there’s a note underneath. Hopefully this will explain something. It’s probably not even for me, there’s probably a mistake or something.” Josie lifted out the note and stared at it.

  “What does the note say?” Damien said, still studying the necklace and the box.

  Josie didn’t answer.

  “Jos? What does it say?” he persisted.

  “Ah…” She paused, trying to make sense of what she read. “It says ‘My dearest Celine, or as you are now known, Josephine, A piece of your past to help bring you back to us in your future.’”

  Damien furrowed his brow in confusion. “Huh? What does that even mean?”

  “No idea. Who is Celine? Is that me? And why are they calling me Celine like my name changed?”

  “Let me see the note?” he said peering over her shoulder.

  She repositioned the note so he had a better view. “As you are now known? Yeah, looks like Celine is you, at least that’s what they think. Piece of your past…” He continued to read bits and pieces out loud. “Was this yours as a kid?”

  “Not that I remember. I’d remember something like this, right? I mean you’d think I’d remember something like this, but I don’t remember this at all.”

  He looked at the necklace and jewelry box. “Yeah, I think you would. I don’t remember it either. Nothing about this is familiar?”

  “No. Well…” She paused.

  “What?”

  “The music seemed familiar. But I bet I just heard that song somewhere along the line.”

  “I don’t recognize this song? I’m surprised you do; it’s not any well-known song that I can remember. Anything else about it?”

  “Nope. Nothing.” Josie was puzzled, not understanding the note or the object it accompanied.

  “Try asking your mom.”

  “Yeah, good idea. She may know something. Here I’ll take a picture, hold the box up,” she said, opening her camera app on her phone. “I’ll text her.”

  Josie attached the picture and typed: Hey Mom–Found this on my front porch with a weird note that called me Celine and said it was a piece of my past? No signature on note, don’t remember this at all. Any idea???

  “Okay, sent!”

  Damien had moved on to studying the necklace. “I don’t know much about jewelry, but if this is a fake, it’s an awesome looking fake.”

  Josie took the necklace from him. “Wow, this thing is heavy. It’s beautiful! Here, put it on me!” She handed the necklace back to him and swept her hair up, turning her back to him. After he clasped it, she spun around. “How does it look?” Without waiting for an answer, she headed toward the entryway mirror to admire the jewelry.

  “Looks… big and fancy,” Damien said as she made her way over.

  “Yeah, wow, it’s really something. It’d be crazy if this thing was real. No one wears anything this extravagant, right?”

  “Yeah, it’s really something. If that thing was real, it would cost a fortune!”

  Josie’s phone chirped to life, informing her of a new text message. “Oh, I bet that’s your mom answering you, Jos,” Damien said, carrying her phone to her.

  Josie was still admiring the necklace in the mirror. She rubbed her hand across each jewel as she eyed it on her neck, her other hand still holding her hair up. Damien held the phone out for her. “Josie, I bet this is your mom, wonder if she knows anything.” His efforts garnered no response. “Josie? JOSIE?” he almost yelled, poking at her arm.

  “Huh? What?”

  “Geez, obsessed much? Stop admiring yourself and check if this message is from your mom?”

  “Oh, I didn’t even hear that come in, thanks!”

  Josie unlocked her phone and checked her messages, finding one from her mother: Never saw that before. You sure it’s for you? Wrong address? Sounds like it was for someone named Celine.

  Josie answered her: The note has my name too. And box is addressed to me. She sent a picture of the note and the address on the box.

  Her mother answered almost immediately: No return address?? Some kind of joke?

  Josie answered: Nope, no return address… no postage either so someone hand-delivered… Yeah, could be a joke. Then she let the subject drop. Her mother knew nothing about either item.

  “So, she doesn’t have any ideas either, said she didn’t recognize the jewelry box and was wondering if it was a prank or a joke, but I noticed that there’s no postage on this, so someone hand-delivered this to the house, D,” Josie said.

  “Oh, well, that doesn’t help us. The hand-delivery might narrow it down. Who would do this as a prank? And why?”

  “No idea. It says something about bringing me back to someone? Might be an ex? Michael?”

  “What ex of yours would do something so weird, do you really think Michael would write a weird note calling you Celine? I mean unless you guys had some weird role-playing nicknames or something like that.”

  Josie laughed. “No, he never called me Celine for any reason at all, ever, so no. And none of my exes ever called me Celine. I’ve never heard that name mentioned before today.”

  “Okay, so your mom doesn’t recognize it, you don’t think an ex would do it. Anyone else with a weird sense of humor?”

  “You?”

  “Me?!?” he cried, his face incredulous. “I didn’t do it, why would I do this?”

  “No idea, why would anyone do it? This is just bizarre.”

  The pair of them studied the box and necklace, which Josie had now removed and replaced in the box but they weren’t able to come up with any answers. After about a half hour of further discussion, they packed the jewelry box carefully back into the package and set the package aside, giving up on solving anything for the moment, turning their attention to unwinding before the start of the week with some T.V.

  Before they headed to bed for the night, Josie was sure to check all the locks twice. “Paranoid?” Damien asked her, watching her jimmy the door to be sure it was locked tight.

  “I’m just getting an uneasy feeling. Someone brought that box with the weird note right to our door. I mean, who does that? Some crazy person who thinks I was named Celine or am Celine or whatever was literally standing three feet from where I am right now. It just gives me the creeps a little.”

  “Why not text some other people? Someone may have a clue? Might settle your nerves?”

  “And what if they all answer no? Then I might feel worse. The only one I could imagine might do this and it’s really a stretch is Michael. You said he wanted to get back together, and the note says something about bringing us back together.”

  “So, text him now, maybe you’ll sleep better.”

  “Okay,” Josie said, grabbing her phone. She sent a text to her ex, Michael, saying: Hey, super weird question for you but did you leave anything on the porch for me today?

  Michael responded within a few minutes: No????

  Josie took a moment to consider her response. She didn’t want to have a conversation with anyone now, especially not Michael. “He said no,” she reported to Damien as she typed back: Ok, thanks!

  Unfortunately for J
osie, that was not enough to end the conversation outright. Michael responded quickly: Everything ok? What was dropped off?

  “Now look what you’ve done,” she said to Damien, showing him the message, then typing back her own: Everything’s okay… some music box with a necklace inside.

  “Hey,” he said holding up his arms in protest, “not my fault! Tell him you’re going to bed. Speaking of, I can sleep in your room tonight if it makes you feel better? We still have that inflatable mattress in the closet, I can set that up.”

  “Uh, as much as I want to say no and I’m fine, I’m just going to lay awake thinking about who sent that and how creepy it is they were on our porch, so, yeah, I’ll save you the midnight wake-up call and take you up on your offer.”

  “All right, I’ll set up the mattress, you can finish texting with Michael.” He winked as he darted up the steps in front of her.

  Josie turned off the lights, made her way up the steps and into her bedroom. Damien was already dragging the inflatable mattress out onto the floor as Josie climbed into bed. She checked her phone to find another message from Michael: Wrong address? I assume you didn’t order it?

  Josie sighed, it looked like she was in it for the long haul. Besides, it would help pass the time while the mattress inflated. She texted back: No… I didn’t order it. Wasn’t sent through a carrier, someone put it on the porch, no postage on box, just my name and address.

  “What’s he want now?” Damien asked, tossing himself across her bed as the mattress inflated.

  “He’s asking about whether it could have been a wrong address. I told him it wasn’t even delivered; someone hand-carried that box to our house. It doesn’t make sense.” Her phone chimed: That’s weird, are you sure you’re okay? I can come over.

  Josie rolled her eyes, sighing with annoyance. “Now what?” Damien asked, noticing her expression. She held the phone out for him to read the message.

  “I’m wondering if he didn’t do this just so he could offer to come over,” she said only half-joking.

  “What if you never texted him though? No, nope, that one doesn’t add up, next theory.”

  Josie was already answering: I’m fine… D is here, all good… just about to go to sleep, good night! She barely clicked her phone off when the response came back: Ok, text if you need anything, good night!

  “No more theories, I am going to sleep!” Josie said after finishing texting with Michael.

  “Sleep? You promise?”

  “Well, I will try,” she said, pushing her feet under the covers and playfully kicking at Damien to get off the bed.

  “Okay, okay!” he said, leaping off the bed and testing the mattress for firmness. He turned off the inflator pump, tossed his pillows and blanket on top and settled into the mattress. “Good night, Josie.”

  Josie turned off the light. “Good night!”

  The man watched the lights go out, plunging the house and its surroundings into darkness. She had gotten the package; he had seen her carry the box into the house earlier. He assumed she had opened it. He couldn’t know for sure. Did it have the intended effect? Did she remember? Only time would tell. For now, he could rest, having carried out the first piece of his plan. He turned the key in his car’s ignition and, without headlights, eased the car back onto the road from the service road he had hidden his car on earlier. Only after he was on the road did he turn his headlights on, heading to his motel. He’d work on the next step of his plan in the morning. For now, having finally accomplished something, he hoped for a good night’s sleep. The first in a long time.

  Chapter 3

  “Good morning,” Damien said, yawning as he walked into the kitchen and straight to the coffee pot.

  “Good morning,” Josie said, sipping her just-made hot tea. “Did you sleep okay on the air mattress?”

  “Yeah, how about you? Any bad dreams?”

  “Nope! Slept through the night, even with the creepy visitor thing looming. Thank you, by the way,” she said, putting her hand on his arm, “for sleeping in my room last night. It really helped.”

  “No problem,” he said, pulling her in for a hug. “I’m glad you slept.”

  “Me too,” she answered as the doorbell rang.

  They exchanged a puzzled glance. “Who would that be at this time of the morning? It’s not even six thirty,” Josie said.

  “No idea,” Damien answered.

  They stood in silence until they heard a knock at the door.

  “Whoever it is isn’t going away,” Josie said, her heart beginning to beat faster as adrenaline coursed through her body. She crept through the doorway toward the living room and the front door with Damien following her. They saw a figure looming at the front door.

  “Here, let me go first,” Damien said, pushing her behind him.

  “Get the bat from the closet,” Josie whispered. Damien grabbed the bat from the closet, holding it ready as he crept toward the door. “Who is it?” he called.

  “Michael,” a voice answered.

  They both breathed a sigh of relief as Damien dropped the bat and began unlocking the door. Josie rolled her eyes at him and made a face that Damien recognized as her “are you kidding me?” face.

  Damien pulled the door open. “Hey, man, how’s it going?”

  “Good, how are you? Hey, Josie,” he said, stepping into the house, “I wanted to check on you. How are you doing with all the excitement over that strange package?”

  “You could have texted, Michael,” Josie said crossing her arms. “You scared us half to death after all that excitement.”

  “Yeah, well, I knew you’d tell me not to come, Josie, but I wanted to make sure you were okay, like for real okay.”

  “I’m fine, slept okay, no nightmares, no more weird packages.”

  “You’re still having the nightmares?” Michael asked, smoothing his tie against his dress shirt. He used that matter-of-fact tone that irritated Josie to no end. The tone she had nicknamed his “Dad” tone.

  “Shouldn’t you be getting to work?” Josie asked, trying to avoid the question.

  “I’ve got time,” Michael answered. “Can I see the package?”

  “Yes, it’s right here,” Josie answered, irritation dissipating a bit since she did not mind if he looked. She showed him the box on the table.

  Michael picked it up, looking at the address and lack of postage on the top of the box. He opened it and pushed the packaging aside to pull out the music box.

  “Whoa, this is heavy, nice, it’s beautiful.” He opened it, looking at the necklace first, then the note. “So, are you Celine? Why would you think I sent this?”

  “I don’t know, I didn’t think it came from you. It was more of a hope because it’s disturbing to realize that some random person dropped it off.”

  “It was definitely not me. But it concerns me that some strange person who thinks you’re someone else dropped stuff off on your doorstep. You should contact the police. And it may be a good idea if I stayed here, just in case.”

  Typical Michael, Josie thought, using the situation to his advantage to try to push back in. Growing up in a prominent family, Michael Carlyle had never wanted for anything. He was a savvy businessman, learning from his father and grandfather who had taken a small family business to a multi-billion-dollar international industry. Michael’s split-second decisions and overconfident behavior sometimes drove Josie to the point of madness. “Neither is necessary. I mean it’s creepy but I don’t think it’s dangerous.”

  “How do you know? This person sounds like a whack-job. Calling you Celine? Talking about this being a piece of your past and hoping it leads you back to …whoever this is? It’s crazy.”

  “We’ll be fine,” Josie said, crossing her arms, trying to dismiss the conversation.

  “I’d like to be sure. I can sleep in the guest room, you won’t even realize I’m here.”

  “Won’t I? Really?” She raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

  “I’m not goi
ng to argue about this, Josie, I’m not taking any chances. Sorry, I realize it bothers you I still care, but I do. I can stop by my place after work, grab my gear and be over.”

  “You want to help out here?” Josie said turning to Damien.

  He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head, unwilling to get into the argument. Josie threw her arms in the air, sighing. “Fine, whatever, the more the merrier, I guess.”

  “Great! I’ll see you later then,” Michael said, squeezing Josie’s arm before turning to head out the door. “Damien, nice seeing you again.” He nodded to him as he left.

  “Thanks so much for the assist, D,” Josie said, after Michael left.

  “I’m not getting in the middle of that and besides, I wouldn’t mind having someone else here, between your nightmares and the creepy stalker. Sometimes you listen to him more than me.”

  “He’s not a stalker. We have no idea what’s going on. Oh, never mind, never mind, let’s just forget about this stupid thing,” she said, stuffing the music box back in the box and shoving it into the nearby coat closet along with the discarded bat. “I’ve got some errands I need to run. I’m going to head out. I’ll be back later.”

  “Okay,” Damien answered, knowing when she needed to cool off. “I’m heading into the office for a few hours. See you when I get home?”

  “Yep, have a good day, D.”

  Josie stormed up the steps, trying to push the morning’s events from her mind. It was barely 7 a.m. and she’d already had enough of this day. Stepping in to her room, she closed the door behind her, shutting her eyes and taking a deep breath. She opened them and scanned the room, seeing the air mattress lying on the floor. She gave it a half-smile. She was glad Damien had stayed with her last night. Thinking about it, perhaps it wouldn’t be half bad having Michael in the house, too. She hated to admit it but she had some unresolved feelings about him. Perhaps this would help resolve them.

  She would not dwell on it now; she’d concentrate on getting dressed and out of the house to run her errands. One perk of self-employment was running errands when most other people were at work. She hopped into the shower, dried her hair, put on some makeup and was out of the house within the hour.