Nick: Justice Series by Kathi S. Barton Read Free Book Online Page B

other one too, but that was where she wanted to be. Deciding to go back to the house with the pretty green shutters and ugly green appliances, Ellen waited until dark before jumping down from the tree and making her way back to the house.
    She’d have to walk it. Hitching a ride was going to be out of the question now, but she’d get there. And when she did, she’d be making sure that no one got the jump on her again. Ellen was going to make sure of that. There was no way, not ever, she was going back to that home.
    Walking with her pack of things, Ellen thought of all the things she was going to have to do to set up again. She was glad that whoever had told on her at the house hadn’t waited until she had things just the way she’d wanted them, or she would have had to leave her toys behind. Ellen so loved her toys. Anything sharp wouldn’t do. It had to call to her. Sort of make her feel like they were meant to be together. She supposed in some way that was what it was. Her toys were as drawn to her as she was to them. And she’d had no problem stealing them when they did call out to her.
    Ellen was looking forward to having her own play room, and fuck those who said she couldn’t do that. Her mother had always told her, “If it feels good to you, then you should pursue it with gusto.” So Ellen had. And now she was famous. Not the good kind of famous yet, but she would be. People would be writing about her for a long time.

Chapter 4
     
    Joel hated being ignored. And Evie wasn’t just ignoring him, but she was slamming doors in his face and just talking around him. And that butler of hers? He was acting like he wasn’t there as well. And that shit wasn’t working. When he shouted for her to tell him where Addison was again, a voice behind him told him to shut up.
    Joel turned slowly to look at the man. He was an older gentleman, dressed in a nice suit with a bow tie. Something about him—his face, his mode of dress—tugged at a memory for Joel, but the man spoke again before he could capture what it was that had him thinking he might have known him.
    “I’ve not had a headache in nearly fifty years, and you’re giving me one. What the hell is wrong with you? Just shut up and enjoy the afterlife.”
    Joel turned again and saw the portrait over the fireplace. The man in the portrait looked just like this man, from the top of his head and the bow tie all the way to the brown and white shoes he had on his feet. Joel looked at him again.
    “It’s me. I had to stand for that picture for two hours. And I hate it. But it brings my lovely a nice smile, so I have to think it was for the best.”
    “What the hell are you talking about? That man is dead. I know that for a fact. Evie talked about him…what do you mean, the afterlife? Are you trying to tell me that I’m dead? There’s no way…. Why are they ignoring me?” The man laughed and told him to shut up for a minute. “You can’t talk to me that way. I don’t know who the hell you think you are, but I’m not used to people talking to me like that.”
    “You’re dead. Get used to it, newbie. Here in the afterlife, where you are, you have to get used to a lot of things. Some you won’t mind, but there are a few that will bother you. The one thing I still have trouble with, even after all this time, is when they walk through you. Gives me the willies.” The man shuddered. “Even when you know it’s coming, it sort of creeps you out, as my granddaughter used to say. By the way, she’s not here. Addie is hiding. From you, I guess. Smart girl. And I’m thinking that everything my Evie says about you is right. You’re a moron and a bully, aren’t you?”
    “Where is she?” Joel decided to ignore the insult. But when the man didn’t answer him, he yelled louder. “Who the hell are you? And what do you mean by all this other stuff? I…I think I’ll go home.”
    “You can go home if you want, but you won’t get any more people noticing you