Keeper of the Peace (Graveyard Guardians #2) Read online

  His car roared through the tiny roads, causing people to look up from weeding their gardens and watering their plants. Some people waved, even though they didn’t know who he was and others only stared, trying to figure out who was disturbing their peaceful afternoon.

  He reached a driveway that could barely be seen through the overgrowth around the entrance. Turning in, he followed the tiny dirt road into the trees, crossed over the rickety old bridge with no rails, and then pulled into the open area of the yard.

  Why did he come here?

  This shit was always better off left in the past. But, no, he had to go and rip the fucking bandages off his wounds that would probably never heal. Good going asshole.

  He killed the engine of his car and sat there, staring at his past.

  This part of his life was behind him and he knew that. His parents were gone and he was the only child, thank God for that, but the past never really left a person. He would wear the scars of his childhood forever. The only good thing that came from living in this hellhole of a place was Hannah and he fucked that up for good too.

  The single wide trailer sat on the edge of the bank which gave way to the creek below. On the backside of the trailer, a sliding glass door led to a deck that overlooked the water. He used to take his sleeping bag out there all the time and sleep under the stars with the sound of the running water lulling him into slumber.

  He didn’t want to get out of the car so he just sat there staring at the place. The outside was overgrown with tall grass and weeds. No one had been back to care for the place since his father died.

  The last thing he wanted to do was go inside that nightmare of a house. What he really wanted to do was burn the mother fucker down, and probably would if he thought he could get away with it. That was the reason why he never rented the place out or tried to sell it. It was almost as if he didn’t want to expose anyone else to the evil protruding within those paper thin walls. It was a nightmare, but it was his to deal with alone.

  Letting out a very long, emotional sigh, he glanced at his watch and saw that it was almost time to head over to Santa Rosa and see about the labs for the murder victim. He flipped the key and his baby let out a loud rumble in response.

  Time to get back to work and forget about all this again.

  CHAPTER

  3

  HANNAH

  The Estmond kitchen was packed full of Keepers and one dark haired Reaper. Everyone was talking or yelling as they tried to figure out how to handle the situation with Hannah.

  “I should just turn myself in,” Hannah insisted.

  There was a chorus of “No’s” and a lot of head shaking from the family.

  “Absolutely not!” Daniel told her sternly. “You need to act like everything is normal, which means going to work.”

  Hannah rubbed her forehead with the palm of her hand, unwilling to accept that she could just go on like nothing happened. “But, the body … the rodeo grounds.” Eventually they are going to figure out it was me.”

  “You don’t know that,” James offered, in a soft voice.

  “Yes, yes I do. I work in morgue, remember. I perform autopsies on the dead bodies of murder victims. I know what they will be looking for and I didn’t have any time to cover anything up.” She sat back in her chair and lifted her gaze to meet her brother’s. “The cops will figure this out. I’m better off turning myself in.”

  Liv came around and sat down across from her. “You are not doing that. We will think of something.”

  Jack, who had been leaning against the counter silently the entire time, finally spoke up. “Sorry, Liv, but this isn’t the kind of thing where we can just ‘think of something.’ We have to act now. Odds are that they will find out it was her. So, we have to come up with a story for why she did it and everyone needs to stick to it.”

  Hannah looked up at her sister’s boyfriend. “Self-defense?”

  He nodded, “Yeah, it’s your best bet. You said it yourself, they are going to find out it was you. Technology these days will somehow make the connection.” He shrugged. “You may end up in jail for a while, but we can bail you out once they set the bond.”

  She shook her head. Jack had no tact whatsoever, but tact wasn’t really what she needed right now. “All right, so we have to come up with a reason to why I killed him that isn’t Reaper related.”

  Everyone was silent for a moment and then Lucy spoke up. “How about if you basically tell the truth. This guy attacked you.”

  “I actually chased him first and they might be able to figure that out at the scene.”

  “Ok, then, how about if you tell them that he had been stalking you since you went on a date with him a long time ago, so when you came out of the senior center you saw him lurking around in the trees and chased him down to demand that he leave you alone. He refused and then grabbed you and tried to … um, force himself on you, so you stabbed him with the knife that you always wear for protection.”

  “I think that sounds like a believable story,” Jack agreed. “You have to tell them that you got scared and ran off though.”

  Daniel reached into his coat and withdrew his flask. “This is bullshit. Hannah shouldn’t have to be the one to deal with this. We are the good guys here.” He twisted the cap off the silver container and gulped down some of the whiskey inside.

  No one chastised him for drinking so early in the morning. In fact, Jack held out his hand for the flask. Daniel passed it to him and let Jack take his own pull.

  Hannah looked down into her lap. She had run home and taken a quick shower to get rid of the mud and also put on a new set of scrubs. “I have to go to work.”

  James rocked back on his heels. “Hannah, let them find you. Don’t go turn yourself in. There is a chance that they may not figure out that it was you.”

  Dammit, why was this happening. Daniel was right. They were the good guys and now she may have to face jail time for killing someone who would have done the same to her. She looked to the rest of the family. “Vote? Those in favor of my turning myself in raise your hand.”

  Not one person raised their hand. Greg, the oldest of the siblings was still in San Francisco, so he wasn’t able to give his opinion, but she was pretty sure that he would side with the others. She let out a sigh. These were the closest people in her life and none of them wanted her to be convicted of murder if it could be avoided. She didn’t want to turn herself in, but she wasn’t convinced that it wasn’t the right thing to do either.

  “I guess that’s it then. We wait until they come after me … and they will, eventually, so I want you all to be prepared for when it does happen. Like bail money, none of us have enough money to get me out of jail when they take me.”

  Daniel raised his flask like he was going to cheers someone. “Leave that to me. I think I can get the money.”

  “And where they hell are you going to get that kind of cash?” Liv demanded. She set her hands on her hips and turned to face her brother.

  He shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. I can get it and that’s all that matters right now.”

  “You better not be doing anything illegal, Dan,” Hannah warned him. “One of us in jail is more than enough.”

  “Calm down, it’s not illegal.”

  Liv still wasn’t convinced. “Why all the secrecy about it then?”

  “Jeez Liv, just shut up. If we need money I can get it, now get off my ass.”

  Steph sat at the table beside Hannah with her arms crossed in front of her chest. “We should probably let dad know about all of this.” She glanced out toward the graveyard where her father’s soul now resided.

  “No.” Hannah shook her head emphatically. “No, we don’t need to tell him anything yet. Not unless we have to. He worries enough about us as it is since he is stuck to the confines of the graveyard.”

  “I agree.” Lucy paced back and forth in front of Jack. “I don’t think we should tell him.”

  Hannah wanted to slam her forehead
into the kitchen table, but at the same time she was scared shitless. None of this was supposed to happen. It made her wonder how many Keepers in the world were imprisoned for killing a Reaper.

  Sometimes being born into the life she had been was far from easy. She was a Keeper and nothing would ever change that, it’s not like you could just quit seeing souls. “I really do have to go to work now.” She stood and wrapped her fingers around the handle of her purse.

  Liv came around the table and embraced her sister in a firm hug. “You are going to be all right, we are going to fix this.”

  Hannah felt tears spring up in the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill over. “I know,” she replied, giving Liv a tight squeeze before releasing her. When they finally separated, the room had finally gone silent and every set of eyes was trained on her. “You guys don’t have to stare at me. Like Liv said, we will figure this out. Now, I’m going to work.”

  The fact that she could possibly be arrested before she saw any of them again was too much. She spun around, without saying anymore goodbyes, and walked as quickly as she could to her car.

  The gravel parking area of their driveway was crowded with vehicles, making it hard for her to maneuver her little Kia around them. It wasn’t until she was on the highway headed over the mountain that she was able to breathe a bit easier.

  The hospital hallways were busy, as always. She kept her eyes averted, not wanting to lock gazes with anyone. She just wanted to get down to the morgue and away from people. As much as she complained to herself about being a Keeper, mostly she appreciated only having to associate with dead people. Usually it was a lifestyle without much drama.

  Usually.

  The morgue was cold, like it always was. Becky, one of the other medical examiners on staff, sat in the office space, which was a bit warmer, going over some paperwork.

  “There you are.” Becky looked up from the clipboard when Hannah opened the door and slipped inside. “What was the hold up?”

  Hannah set her purse down on her desk. “Two things. I slept in, and then after I dropped a dish off to Mrs. Bradley, I ended up with a flat tire.”

  Becky rolled her eyes. “Seriously, when it rains it pours, right?”

  “Totally,” she responded, without looking at the other woman. “So, what’ve we got today?”

  “This guy was just sent here from Lake County, they couldn’t get him in fast enough over there.”

  A slight chill ran down her spine. “What? Why?” she moved across the room to look at the paperwork over Becky’s shoulder.

  “It was a murder and the morgues over there are full.”

  Hannah raised an eyebrow. “They’re full?”

  “Don’t ask me,” Becky tucked a lock of light brown hair back over her ear. “We just get the bodies and do our job.”

  It wasn’t the first time that they had a transfer from another county, but it was a rare occasion when it did happen. She held her hand out for the paperwork. “Well, I guess I better get to work so you can get out of here. Thanks for covering for me.”

  Becky handed over the clipboard. “No problem. It’s not like you’re ever late. This is the first time since I’ve been working here that you have been.”

  Hannah swallowed the lump in her throat and forced a smile onto her face. “Being punctual is sorta my thing.”

  “Well, don’t have too much fun,” Becky joked and then swiveled her chair around so that she could grab her purse from the floor beside her desk. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Unless I’m in jail.

  “See ya,” Hannah waved absentmindedly. She had already begun reading over the paperwork and slowly moving toward the door into the lab area.

  The guy’s record confirmed her suspicions about him being the Reaper from the rodeo grounds.

  Name: Unknown

  Alias: Jeffery Myers

  Place of Birth: Unknown

  Date of Birth: Unknown

  Home of record: Unknown

  Place of death: Summer Hollow, California. County: Lake

  Shit.

  She placed the clipboard on the table beside her tray of tools and sighed. What were the odds of her having to autopsy the same guy she killed? All she wanted to do was forget about the whole damn thing and now she had to pick apart his body.

  Awesome.

  The guy was prepped and ready for her. His body lay on the table beneath a crisp white sheet, covered from head to toe. The sterilized tools rested on the tray, glimmering in the bright fluorescent light. Vials for samples stood in a holder, lined up in rows of four. Last but not least, her phone was automatically synching to the wireless speakers in the corner of the room.

  Before she went any further, she pulled her cell out of her pocket and swiped until she found her work playlist. Within seconds, ZZ Ward filled the room and she felt her stress level lower just a tiny bit.

  The souls were everywhere in the room. A shimmering blue mist swirled around the vaults where the bodies were kept. Some of the souls could solidify and appear as their human shell had. Those who could solidify could usually speak as well. Most of the souls simply remained a beautiful glimmering cloud moving about the room.

  That was her real job … guarding the souls of the dead until they crossed over.

  After scrubbing up, she got to work, first taking all the required samples before cutting into the body. It occurred to her that working on the body of the same Reaper she killed may not be such a bad thing. She could rig the reports, eliminating any information that would lead to her.

  My God, was she really thinking of falsifying a report?

  She thought of the Reapers and their vendetta against the Keepers, their mission to find the Chosen One, and knew that if she hadn’t killed him first, she wouldn’t still be breathing.

  Damn straight she was going to lie about what was found on the body.

  She heard the door behind her open and then close again. “I’m working,” she announced over the music to whoever had entered the room.

  “Duh, so am I,” a woman’s voice retorted.

  Hannah looked up. “Kate!”

  “Hey Hannah, I was in the area and thought I would save you a trip by picking up any of the samples that you had for me.”

  “Awesome. I actually do have one for you. I think Becky already sent the others up.” She reached over and picked the appropriate vial up off the rack and handed it to Kate.

  She and Kate had gone to medical school together and were roommates almost the entire time. While Hannah always knew she wanted to be a medical examiner so that she could look over the souls, Kate’s goal was to be a brain surgeon. She was almost there too. Right now Kate was an intern and really, really close to being able to perform the actual surgeries. Until now, she had only assisted.

  Hannah was extremely proud of her friend.

  “Thanks.” Kate accepted the vial, holding it in her right hand. “So, are we still doing that girls night thing?”

  Hannah shook her head. “I don’t know. Things got really busy the last month with my family.”

  Kate frowned. “Well, we have to do something soon. It’s been a really long time since I’ve gotten to go out,” she paused, “and I don’t want to go out with just anyone. I miss you.”

  She didn’t have to force the smile this time. A genuine feeling of happiness came over her. “I miss you too.”

  Kate threw her hands in the air. “I don’t understand how we can work together and barely get to spend any time together.

  Again, Hannah smiled. “We’re in the medical field. If we wanted much spare time we should have become something else.”

  “True.” Kate sighed and then looked at her watch, “speaking of, I have to get going. I have a meeting in ten.”

  “Thanks for picking that up.” Hannah gestured to the vial still in Kate’s hand.

  “No problem.” Her friend waved at her and then disappeared back out the same door she had come in through.

  Once Kate
was gone, the happy evaporated as well. She got back to work, the faster she got this guy done, the faster she wouldn’t have to look her victim in his dead eyes.

  It wasn’t five minutes later that she heard the door again.

  “Excuse me?”

  The male voice was familiar, but she didn’t care. She was working. No one bothered the surgeons during their operations, but it was no freaking problem to bug someone just because they were working on a body that was already dead.

  “Come back later. I’ll be done here soon.”

  She didn’t hear him retreat. Nope, his footsteps moved toward her instead. “I’m sorry, but I’m looking for the body that was brought in from Lake County. Would this happen to be the guy?”

  She rolled her eyes to the ceiling and cursed under her breath “Jeez! Do you not understand the meaning of I’m working.” She spun around and faced the intruder. “Come back later!”

  The moment her eyes rested on the man in front of her, her heart skipped and her stomach sank at the same time. There stood the man who she had loved more than anyone except her family. That very same man who had left her to move to Los Angeles and never came back.

  “David?” The words were out of her mouth before she could think of something better to say. Like ‘get the fuck out’ or ‘hey asshole, hope your life sucked as much as mine did after you left.’ But, no, she could only manage to stumble his name over her lips.

  This fucked up day was never going to end.

  CHAPTER

  4

  DAVID

  Time seemed to stop.

  The facade of Detective David Foster fell away and he was left with only David.

  The sound of his name rolling off her lips. Her dark red hair pulled back into loose bun at the back of her head. Those big brown eyes staring him with surprise and anger. It was almost an exact replay of the last day he had seen her.