Darkwood Falls Paranormal Investigators Book One: The Dead Truth

Chapter Eleven

     "A valid concern," I said, grinning.

     "And why don't you have a cell phone?"

     "Oh.  I smashed it."

     "You smashed it?"

     "Long story," I said, waving my hand in a gesture of dismissal.

     "Well, I know you guys are going back to that house tonight, so I printed off a screen shot of the information we found earlier.  I did some more digging while you were passed out and found out how the guy died," he said, pointing to some papers laying on the coffee table. I guess important information didn't go in the floor.

     "Really?  How?"

     "He set himself on fire.   Burned alive."

     "What?!  How? In the house?  Wouldn't it have burned down? And aren't there less painful ways to go out?"

     "It said his body was found by his son in the basement.  He probably found him before it spread," Nick said.  He nodded toward the papers he had printed out laying on the table.  "You can take that to Richard."

     I sat up, but immediately groaned.  I felt a sharp pain in my hip.  I must have hurt it the night before when hit closet wall or the floor.

     "Are you sure you're okay?" he said.

     "Yes.  I'll be fine," I said picking up the papers Nick had laid amongst the debris on the coffee table.  "But we're both going to take this to Richard."

     "I don't know if he's ready to see my face right now," he said, looking apprehensive. 

     "I don't care what he is, or isn't ready for.  You found that information.  You love your job, and you deserve to have it back."

     "Are you always this stubborn?" he said, grinning.

     "Yes.  So there's no use fighting it.  You're coming with me."

     When Nick and I walked in the office building an hour later, everyone was gathered around Ruby's desk talking.  They stopped as soon as they saw us.  Ruby dropped the pink cell phone she had been holding.  It hit her desk  with a loud thud, but she ignored it, staring at Nick in shock.  Axl, who had been trying to conspicuously look over Ruby's shoulder at her phone mumbled something that sounded like, "Oh, shit."  Brandon looked to me, as if I had the answer as to why his jerk ex-best friend had the balls to walk into a place he had been fired.  Richard's eyes narrowed as he fixed Nick with an expression worthy of Michael C. Hall's "Dexter-kill-face."

     "Nick. . . " Richard started to say.

     "Richard, wait," I said, stepping between him and Nick as if I were already breaking up a fight.  "Nick has something he wants to say to you all."

     Richard certainly didn't look happy, but he closed his mouth and didn't say anything else.  I stepped back and let Nick take the floor.

     "I know these past couple months I haven't been very pleasant.  I've been a giant tool-bag, and that's putting it mildly," he said, staring at his own feet while nervously running his hand through his hair.  "I was going through something really shitty, and that's no excuse.  Time didn't stop like you think it should when something bad happens.  I felt so bad and I couldn't understand how other people were able to go on with their lives being happy.  I guess because I was miserable, I wanted everyone else to feel some of the pain I felt."