FanStory.com - The UnWilling Heir - Chap 37by Begin Again

ENDING OF CHAPTER 36

"Is it feasible, Grandfather? Can he leave purgatory?"

"According to Sebastian, with the council's permission, he can leave for twenty-four hours."

"What happens if they can't find Jack and get back here in time?"

William turned and stared at his friend. Patrick sighed. "No risk, no gain."

"But what are you risking?"

Patrick didn't answer. Instead, he retrieved his drink and let the liquor pour down his throat. "Let's just say I wouldn't be able to do that ever again."

"Drink brandy?"

"What he's not saying, Billy, is — if he fails, he will lose his chance at salvation."

"He'll be damned forever!" Billy exclaimed. "Grandfather, we can't let him sacrifice his chance for us."

"It's not your grandfather's choice, son. It's mine, and I've chosen to do it. Besides, I don't plan on failing. Now, someone better introduce me to this Sandra and see if she's up for the challenge."

*****

CHAPTER 37

"Are you sure you want to do this, Sandra?" Assuming his fatherly role, Tim addressed his daughter, showing concern.

Sandra's eyes swept around the study, taking in the worried faces of her friends. They'd all gathered together, expressing their worries about the mortals hiding in the tunnels and the plans to steal the treasure, not to mention any hope of redemption for each of them. The air was heavy with so many unspoken questions.

"She says she's ready." William's voice was confidant and firm. "I wouldn't have suggested it if I thought she couldn't do it."

"Grandfather's right. We hate to ask, but Sandra's our only hope."

"Enough!" Sandra's voice rang out, cutting through the tension in the air. She stood and faced all of them. "I'm not committing a crime or anything. I'm just driving to the city to ask for help. What could go wrong?"

Lorrie twisted her hands in her apron, moaning, "Now, you've gone and done it, deary. Never be asking what can go wrong, because you be giving someone an idea to mess with your plans." She rolled her eyes toward the ceiling and hurried toward the kitchen, muttering, "I need to bake something. It always helps."

As she disappeared, Billy turned to Sandra, his voice strained with urgency. "If you're going, you should get on the road. It's getting dark, and you want to get into my old office." William cleared his throat, chuckling. Billy raised an eyebrow and smiled as he continued, "Our old office while no one is around."

"But what about the doors? Won't they be locked?"

"Never fear. That's Patrick's job. He'll get you inside."

"Speaking of Patrick —"

"He's already waiting outside. He's excited about his first trip away from the mansion."

"You're sure he'll be okay. Nothing's going to happen to him, is it?"

Billy glanced furtively toward his grandfather before answering, "Patrick will be fine. Just make sure you are back here by this time tomorrow night."

"I just hope the police officer is still working the building. What's his name again?"

"Jack O'Reilly."

Sandra's mouth dropped open in surprise. "Any relationship to Patrick?"

Billy smiled and nodded. "Yes, Jack is Patrick's grandson."

"So, that's why he's going with me. I thought it would be you, Billy."

"Even though Jack is an old friend of mine, Patrick will have the necessary leverage for you to convince him to come."

"Well, I better get going then." Sandra grabbed her sweater from the chair and moved toward the door, whispering to Tim, "Don't worry, Dad. I'll be fine."

"It's my job — trying to make up for some lost time, I guess."

"I regret you weren't there, but now I understand it wasn't because you didn't want to be there for Mom and me." She smiled at him and left the room, heading for the car.

*****

The setting sun cast a warm, golden glow over the mansion's facade. The tall trees cast long, thin shadows across the porch and driveway. The porch boards creaked beneath the invisible footsteps as the ghosts gathered to watch Sandra and Patrick start their journey.

Sandra climbed into her car, adjusted the seat and mirrors, and waved out the window. She then put the car in reverse but immediately pressed on the brakes.

"Umm, Patrick, you are in the car, right?"

A deep chuckle exploded from the passenger seat as his body slowly materialized. "Sorry. Guess I wasn't quite prepared."

Sandra laughed and turned the car towards the city. "Here we go."

The winding road disappeared into the encroaching darkness. The trees seemed to close in, their branches reaching out like skeletal fingers. The air was cool, the opposite of the warmth during the day. Things were changing, and not for the better.

A chill ran down Sandra's spine as she left the mansion behind. The car's headlights cut through the darkness, yet it barely seemed to illuminate the road. The sound of the engine faded as she rounded the first bend. She glanced in Patrick's direction and then returned her eyes to the road.

"Relax, Sandra. I expected a bit of a farewell from the demons."

Sandra's grip tightened on the steering wheel. "You think they'll try to stop us?"

"I'm sure of it, but we'll be okay." Patrick smiled and focused on the road ahead. "Time is of the essence, so maybe you could drive a little faster."

She pressed on the accelerator, and the car picked up speed. Sandra mumbled, "I don't remember so many trees hanging over the road and the road being so narrow. I don't want to get in an accident."

"You won't. Just keep your eyes on the road."

No sooner had Patrick spoken, Sandra rounded a curve and spotted a large tree blocking their way in the middle of the road.

She started to slow the car, panicking, "Should I turn around?"

Her eyes widened in fear as suddenly bodies began appearing on the road and surrounding the fallen tree. "Patrick, what now?"

She thought her passenger had lost all semblance of sanity as he laughed and shouted, "Floor it, girl! Drive through them!"

She hesitated, unable to grasp the possibility of driving through people and crashing into an enormous oak tree. "I'll kill them and us!"

Patrick laughed even louder, actually enjoying the moment. "You can't kill them. They are already dead."

Suddenly, Sandra felt the accelerator move under her foot, and the car lurched toward the spectral figures. "Hang on, Sandra. We're going for a wild ride."

Sandra screamed as she braced for impact. Instead, the spectral beings scattered into a misty haze, dissolving as the vehicle hurtled forward. The tree, another vision of her imagination, disappeared as well.

Breathing heavily, Sandra checked the rearview mirror. The road behind them was empty. "What just happened? There's no damage to the car — nothing. And we're fine!" She checked the sides of the road and all around the car. Everything was gone.

Patrick chuckled. "Reminds me of the good old days."

Still trying to absorb what had happened, she glanced at Patrick. "You crashed cars for a living?"

Patrick smirked, momentarily enjoying a flashback. "Not exactly. But my partner crashed quite a few while we chased the bad guys."

Sandra laughed as the tension eased. "Sounds as if you were right up there with the best of them, if this was an example."

"We did what we had to do. And so will you, Sandra. Keep going. How far do we have to go?"

"About thirty minutes." Sandra let the tension ease from her shoulders. "As long as we don't meet any other obstacles."

"We're safe, but it was fun while it lasted."

*****

The city was still buzzing with nighttime activity when Sandra passed her old office building and drove the few blocks to the Judge's office.

"Drive around the block and enter through the alley so you won't be seen."

"Sounds like you've done this before, Patrick.'

He shrugged. "A few times, I suppose. Especially when I visited William and didn't want anyone to see us together."

"Cut the lights and go slow."

"But I can't see. What if I hit something?"

"Trust me. I can see." Patrick pointed out a dark, secluded spot next to a garage. "Pull in there, and we can walk to the office building."

Once Sandra maneuvered the car into the spot, they climbed out and walked down the alley, staying close to the buildings. An orange tomcat foraging for food hissed and howled as they passed a few stinky garbage cans, but the rest of their walk was uneventful.

At the service entry, Patrick told Sandra to stand out of sight in the shadows.

"I'll be right back."

Sandra's eyes widened. "You're leaving me here? Where are you going?"

"Didn't I tell you to trust me?" Patrick chuckled.

"I do trust you, but not whatever else might be in this alley."

"Count to twenty. I'll have you inside before you know it." Before Sandra could protest, he was gone.

Unable to stop her trembling, she concentrated on counting — one, two, three. Something skittered past her shoes, causing her to catch her breath, but she was proud she hadn't screamed. As she reached twenty, the service door opened, and Patrick appeared. "See, I told you!"

"But how?"

"Don't ask. Some things are better that you don't know. It also helped that the owners never changed the alarm code. I shut it off, and you are now safe to proceed."

Sandra shook her head in disbelief. "Stairs or elevator?"

"Are you kidding me? I'm too old to climb all those stairs."

"But —"

Laughing, Patrick held the elevator door, bowing at his waist, "Madam, your chariot awaits."

******

The elevator stopped on the third floor, and its door automatically opened. Sandra stepped into the dimly lit hallway, checking both ways to see if anyone else was there.

Satisfied the hall was empty, she turned to ask Patrick if he could open the door. An unsettling silence greeted her. The elevator was empty, and Patrick had vanished.

Approaching the Judge's office, Sandra felt an unexpected sense of familiarity. Was it because she was entering a place that Billy and William had once called home? It wasn't a house, of course, but according to both of them, they'd spent more hours inside these walls than they ever did at home.

She reached for the door handle, expecting resistance from the lock, but instead, it turned easily in her hand. She smiled, whispering, "Thanks, Patrick."

Once inside, she looked around the outer office, her heart pounding. Nothing had changed. The furniture and cabinets had white sheeting draped over them. Stacks of boxes filled with paperwork and whatnot lined the walls, their contents a mystery. It was as if time stood still when Billy died.

Sandra hurried across the room to the main office, where she was familiar. The secret door hung from one hinge, exposing papers and books she'd left behind.

With a flashlight in hand, she made her way to the window ledge, choosing to sit there and admire the city view until, hopefully, Jack appeared.

After an hour, Sandra could feel herself dozing off as boredom settled in. She rummaged through the dusty files, satisfying her curiosity that they hadn't left behind anything important, like an actual map, to help them find the treasure.

"Hands in the air!"

Startled, Sandra dropped the file she was holding, her head snapping toward the man, pointing a gun in her direction. Her voice trembled as she stammered, "I can explain."

"You're under arrest for trespassing. You can do your explaining at headquarters."

"The judge sent me here." Sandra knew she sounded foolish, but she had nothing else to offer.

"Lady, I might be new to the force, but even I know the judge's been dead for over a year."

Sandra looked around the room, praying Patrick would rescue her. "But — I was supposed to meet Jack."

"Sure, you were. Unfortunately, Jack must have forgotten. It's inconvenient for you, but he took a few hours off."

He took out his handcuffs and told Sandra to put her hands behind her back. As he escorted her out of the office, she muttered, her voice filled with desperation, "Patrick, where are you?" She was under arrest, her heart sinking, without a plan or a ghost to help her.