Grave Decisions (A Maddie Graves Mystery Book 7) Read online

  “Great.” Christy scampered back to Cooper’s side and Nick didn’t miss the pleasing smile the pseudo celebrity shot in Maddie’s direction. Thankfully Maddie missed it because she was gazing into Nick’s eyes.

  “Can I ask you something, Nicky?”

  “Always, love,” Nick said, keeping Maddie close as he directed her toward the maze.

  “Are you just doing this because you want Cooper to be proven wrong?”

  Nick’s expression was rueful. “Am I that obvious?”

  “I love you anyway,” Maddie said. “Sadly, I’m looking forward to him being proven wrong, too.”

  “That’s because you have a heart, Mad,” Nick said, releasing Maddie so he could grab her hand for their walk. “You’re the best person I know for a reason.”

  “Can we add bubbles to the bath?”

  The question came out of nowhere and made Nick bark out a laugh. “I think I can live with that,” he said. “Just for the record, though, how come?”

  “I got a new bubble bath that smells like flowers and I’ve been dying to try it.”

  “That’s as good a reason as any,” Nick said, tugging on Maddie’s hand. “Come on, Mad. Let’s get this over with so we can move on to the fun portion of tonight’s events.”

  “THIS IS ghastly,” Maddie said, wrinkling her nose as she studied a bloody scarecrow mounted above a Halloween dinner table that included enough fake body parts that Maddie wanted to gag. “I thought it was supposed to be scary. This is gross.”

  “This is gross,” Nick agreed, keeping Maddie in front of him so he could make sure they weren’t separated. He could hear Cooper’s fan club giggling as they followed him through the maze. “He’s putting on quite the show, isn’t he?”

  “He likes the attention,” Maddie said. “That’s all he cares about.”

  “I’m starting to think being jealous of him is a waste of time,” Nick said. “You hate him more than I do.”

  “I think being jealous of anyone is a waste of time for you,” Maddie counted. “You’re all I’m ever going to want.”

  “Right back at you, love,” Nick said, yanking Maddie’s body to his and scorching her with a hot kiss. When they parted, they were both out of breath. “We need to get out of here so we can take that bath.”

  “With bubbles.”

  “With bubbles,” Nick confirmed, grinning. “I’ve had enough of games for one night. How about we find the nearest exit and let Cooper put on his show without us?”

  “That sounds good to me,” Maddie said, shivering as she cast one more glance at the scarecrow. “He’s very creepy. I’m going to have nightmares.”

  “He reminds me of a movie, but I can’t remember which one,” Nick said. “I … .” He forgot what he was about to say when the couple rounded the corner and almost ran into Cooper. “Oh … um … hey.”

  The theatrical author stood with his arms outstretched and his eyes pointed to the sky, while his enamored fan club stood behind him and watched.

  “He’s feeling for energy,” Christy explained. “He thinks he can find the real body that way.”

  “Awesome,” Nick deadpanned. “Listen, um, we’re kind of tired so we’re going to go home and take a bath.”

  “I don’t think they needed to know that last part, Nicky,” Maddie chided.

  “Yes, but I like saying it.” Nick wasn’t bothered by Maddie’s tone. “I’m sure if you guys find a body, you can call the station and Kreskin will come down and handle it.”

  “Afraid of the unknown, detective?” Cooper challenged, lowering his chin and locking gazes with Nick. “Are you worried my ties with the paranormal world will intrigue Maddie? Is that why you want to isolate her from the possibilities of a new world?”

  “Actually I just want to get her naked in a bath,” Nick replied.

  “Nicky!” Maddie slapped his arm, causing Nick to smirk.

  “I can see you’re a non-believer,” Cooper said. “What if I can prove there’s a body in this maze?”

  “You would be surprised what I believe in,” Nick replied, squeezing Maddie’s hip for emphasis. “I don’t believe in you, though. You’re putting on an act. Granted, it’s a good act, but that’s not how I want to spend my night.”

  “And what about you, Maddie?” Cooper pressed. “Do you want to help save a lost soul or go home with your boyfriend?”

  “I want to take a bath,” Maddie admitted, causing Nick to grin.

  “Well, I want to save a lost soul,” Cooper said. “In fact … .” He broke off, tilting his head to one side and then the other, giving off the illusion of a confused dog hearing noises it couldn’t identify. “The body we’re looking for is right here!” Cooper hurried down a passageway, disappearing from view, and his gaggle of followers hurriedly raced after him.

  “That guy is a major tool,” Nick muttered.

  “What was your first clue?”

  Nick mimicked Cooper’s outstretched stance, causing Maddie to chortle.

  “Let’s go home, Nicky,” Maddie said. “I’m ready for us to be alone.”

  “I’m ready, too, love.” Nick kissed her. “I think there’s an exit back the way we came. It’s not too far.”

  “I don’t want to see that gross table again, but that’s our best bet,” Maddie said. “I … .”

  An ear-piercing scream split the night air, causing Nick to snap his head in the direction Cooper disappeared. “What the … ?”

  “Nick? Hurry.”

  Maddie recognized the voice. “That’s Christy.”

  “Let’s go,” Nick said, grabbing Maddie’s hand and pulling her with him. “You stay close to me, Mad. I’m not kidding. Don’t let yourself get separated. When we prove that whatever they’ve found is another scarecrow, I’m kicking all of them out of here and we’re going home for our bath.”

  Nick took two wrong turns before finding Cooper and his fan club, and when he did he wasn’t impressed with the sight in front of him. The scarecrow in this setting – one that looked strangely ritual, like a pagan sacrifice – had a bloody pumpkin over the head and a pool of fake blood beneath it.

  “Well, this is great,” Nick said, rolling his eyes. “You found a fake scarecrow body in a maze. I’m truly … amazed.”

  “That is not a scarecrow,” Cooper intoned.

  “Really?” Nick was annoyed. “I can’t take this. We’re going home.”

  “Nick, I think you should look closer,” Christy prodded, grabbing his forearm. “I think it’s a real body.”

  Nick blew out a frustrated sigh. “Fine. I’ll look. When it’s fake, though, everyone needs to get out of here and go home.”

  Nick rummaged in his pocket until he came up with a small flashlight. He released Maddie’s hand and pointed. “Stay right here, love. Don’t let anyone separate you from me.”

  Maddie watched as Nick moved closer to the scarecrow, flicking the flashlight on and moving it up and down the body. To Maddie’s surprise, he studied it longer than she expected, and when he tugged on one of the gloves covering what should’ve been straw hands he revealed a human hand – with painted fingernails.

  The screaming started again, and Maddie found herself being pushed toward the opening with no way to fight the forward momentum. “Nicky!”

  Nick managed to grab Maddie away from the scattering horde and pull her to his chest as he shifted his gaze to Cooper. “How did you know?”

  Cooper’s answer was simple. “The spirits told me.”

  “Well, great,” Nick said, exhaling heavily as he kissed Maddie’s forehead. “I have to call Kreskin. That’s a real body.”

  Maddie wordlessly nodded.

  “I don’t think we’re going to get that bath tonight, Mad,” Nick said. “I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”

  “I think this is more important, Nicky.”

  “Nothing is more important than you, but … this is more urgent,” Nick said, digging for his phone. “Something tells me this is going to be a l
ong night.”

  “I DON’T understand.”

  Dale Kreskin paced the small area between the female body and Nick, Maddie, and Cooper. He was Nick’s partner, but sometimes when he was worked up he felt like Nick’s father.

  “I don’t think I understand either, but that’s how it happened,” Nick said, rubbing the back of Maddie’s neck. “Cooper claimed he sensed a body in here. Everyone went with him so Maddie and I followed in case there were problems. This is what we found.”

  “This is just … .”

  “Impressive?” Cooper asked, fishing for compliments.

  “I was going to say annoying and ridiculous,” Kreskin snapped. “You’re the television guy, right? You pretend to have psychic visions that lead you to bodies. Only this time, you’re saying you actually stumbled across a real body. That’s what you’re saying, right?”

  “I do not fake visions,” Cooper snapped. “I am psychic. I am at one with mystical energy. It invades my body and shows me things. It showed me this.”

  Kreskin exchanged an incredulous look with Nick. “I see.”

  “What about you, Maddie?” Kreskin asked, causing her heart to flop. “Is that how you remember things?”

  Maddie let loose with a shaky breath when she realized Kreskin wasn’t going to put her on the spot and ask if she had the same psychic flashes as Cooper. As if reading her mind, Nick gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

  “Pretty much,” Maddie said. “Nick and I were back that way and we’d decided to go home when we heard someone scream. It took us about a minute to find everyone. When we did, Nick took the flashlight out of his pocket and when he removed the glove to investigate everyone screamed and stampeded out.”

  “And made a mess of our crime scene,” Kreskin muttered.

  “That’s my fault,” Nick interjected. “I was so surprised I couldn’t stop them. I didn’t realize what was happening until it was too late and my first instinct was to grab Maddie so they didn’t separate her from me.”

  “Son, your first instinct is always to grab Maddie,” Kreskin said, struggling to keep his face stern but ultimately failing. “Well, I placed a call to the state police. We’re going to need help on this one.”

  “I saw that coming,” Nick grumbled. “Who are they sending?”

  “I think you know him,” Kreskin said. “You have the same last name and he’s living in your old house.”

  “John,” Nick said, shaking his head. John Winters was Nick’s older brother, and while the duo was close they also had a competitive relationship. “Well, I guess that means we’re going to be here late.”

  “I guess it does,” Kreskin confirmed. “We need to gather as much evidence as we can. The mayor and council are going to be ticked as all get out when they can’t use this place tomorrow, but we can’t let people in here.”

  “I would like to offer my services,” Cooper said, clasping his hands in front of him and bowing. “I believe I can psychically see who the killer is if I’m allowed to help with the case.”

  “We’re good,” Kreskin said, shaking his head. “I think you’ve done quite enough.”

  “You mean find a body?” Cooper challenged. “I don’t understand how that can upset you.”

  “And that’s why we don’t need you hanging around and muddying the waters,” Kreskin said. “You’re staying at the bed and breakfast on the main strip, right?”

  Cooper nodded.

  “Don’t even think about leaving town,” Kreskin ordered. “We’ll probably have more questions tomorrow.”

  “I can’t wait,” Cooper said, his tone dry.

  “I’ll take Maddie home and be right back,” Nick offered.

  “I can walk myself,” Maddie protested. “It’s not even midnight yet.”

  “No offense, Mad, but we just found a murdered woman in a maze,” Nick argued. “You’re not walking anywhere by yourself. I don’t care if it is only two blocks.”

  “I can walk her home, sir,” Cooper said. “It would be my great pleasure.”

  “Over my dead body.” The words were out of Nick’s mouth before he realized how shrill they sounded.

  Kreskin pursed his lips as his gaze bounced between the two men. “You know what? I’m going to walk Maddie home.” He held up his hand to cut Nick’s argument off before he could get a full head of a steam. “You need to tell your brother exactly what happened when he gets here. Maddie needs to be walked home, and neither of us wants this guy doing it. That leaves me. Do you want him or me?”

  Nick didn’t look thrilled with either option. “You,” he said finally, cupping the back of Maddie’s head and kissing her forehead. “I’m sorry, love. I’ll be home as soon as I can.”

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  Kreskin held out his arm to usher Maddie forward. “What’s going on there?” he asked. “Those two look ready to fight for your honor.”

  “I think it’s a man thing,” Maddie explained.

  “I hear that,” Kreskin said, causing Nick to scowl as he remained behind.

  “Well, I guess I should be going,” Cooper said. “I’ll have a long day tomorrow if I expect to solve this murder on my own.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure you will,” Nick said, rolling his eyes.

  “You don’t trust me, do you, Detective?”

  “Not in the slightest,” Nick said. “I don’t care what you do, though. Stay away from this place, and while you’re at it, stay away from my girlfriend.”

  “You sound worried for a man who believes he’s found his perfect mate,” Cooper tossed back as he headed for the exit.

  “Stay away from my girlfriend,” Nick repeated. “I’m not worried because I think you can charm her. I’m worried because you knew where a dead body was located. Don’t even look at Maddie funny. I’m not kidding.”

  “I would never hurt Maddie,” Cooper replied. “I see great things in her future.”

  “So do I,” Nick said. “That’s why I want you to stay away from her.”

  5

  Five

  Maddie didn’t mean to fall asleep, and when she did, her dreams were troubled. She found herself lost in the fall festival maze, her heart pounding as she rounded corner after corner. She cast the occasional glance behind her, worried someone followed, but she never heard any noise to indicate she wasn’t alone.

  Why did she enter the maze on her own?

  She couldn’t figure out the correct answer, and as each step led her farther into the twisted tableau, she became more and more convinced she wasn’t alone despite the overwhelming silence.

  Maddie rested against one of the straw walls, briefly wondering if she wouldn’t be smarter just to push the wall over and escape to the street that way. The problem was, due to the darkness, she couldn’t be sure which way the main drag was located. She’d taken so many turns, she didn’t know which direction she faced.

  Maddie pushed herself away from the wall again. She wasn’t sure why she was convinced she wasn’t alone in the maze, but her inner danger alert dinged and she inherently knew she was running out of time.

  Maddie raced past the now familiar dinner table scene, cringing when she recognized the fake head on one of the plates. Whoever designed this horrible maze should be banned from doing it again. She made a mental note to ask who was responsible – if she survived, that is.

  When Maddie got to the spot where the body was found, she realized the form perched on the pike above the ritual scene wasn’t the same as the one they discovered hours before. That’s when Maddie became certain she wasn’t in a dream, but instead someone’s memory.

  “Oh, no,” Maddie whimpered, her hand flying to her mouth. She turned quickly, frowning when she saw the dark figure moving into the square area behind her. Maddie couldn’t make out any features. What was there was dark and masked. Maddie opened her mouth to scream, but only one word came out.

  “Nicky!”

  Maddie bolted awake, tears streaming down her face. Nick’s side of the
bed was empty, and a quick glance at the clock told her it was almost four in the morning. Maddie couldn’t stop the tears, and when the master bathroom door opened and illuminated Nick’s strong figure, she almost wept she was so relieved.

  “Maddie, are you okay?” Nick asked, moving toward her. “Did you just cry out my name?”

  “I … .” Maddie couldn’t find the words to explain her dream. Instead she reached out to rest her hand on Nick’s chest. “I didn’t think you were here.”

  “I was brushing my teeth, Mad,” Nick said. “I just got home. You were out like a log when I got here. Hold on.”

  Nick moved away from the bed long enough to flick the bathroom light off and then rolled onto the mattress next to Maddie. He slipped an arm under her waist and pulled her to him, settling her head on his shoulder as he tucked the covers around them.

  “Tell me what’s wrong, love,” he prodded, kissing her forehead and hating the way her body shook. “Did you have a bad dream?”

  Maddie nodded as she buried her face in Nick’s chest.

  “Okay,” Nick said. “You don’t have to tell me what it was about if you don’t want to. It’s okay.”

  “It wasn’t a dream, Nicky,” Maddie whispered. “I thought it was a dream at first, but it wasn’t.”

  “Okay.” Nick knew better than forcing the issue. Maddie would tell him what she saw when she was ready.

  “I was in the maze and I thought someone was following me,” Maddie said. “I remember going past that horrible dinner display and thinking whoever designed it should be banned from festival events.”

  “Probably,” Nick agreed, rubbing Maddie’s shoulder to relax her. “You’re shivering, love. Try taking deep breaths.”

  Maddie did as instructed. “It wasn’t until I got to the spot with the ritual setup that I realized it wasn’t a nightmare,” she said. “The body on the pike was a scarecrow. It was a memory, but it wasn’t mine.”

  “Do you know who it was?” Nick asked.

  “No. I was in her body, but I couldn’t see my reflection or anything. She didn’t feel familiar.”

  “Okay,” Nick said. “What happened?” He was exhausted, but he knew Maddie couldn’t let the vision go until she told him about it.