What Death Doesn't Say

By Isabelle Arocho

Just another day in Celestin City for Holly Garrett, or so it seems.

All Holly wants are answers about who she is, her role in the grand scheme of life as a mortis sensate, but Death isn’t telling. In her search for those answers, she unleashes a dark evil she has no chance of defeating. On top of that, an old friend is back with his own share of dangerous secrets, and sexy as ever.

On top of that, Holly wants to help her ex-boyfriend Creed end the murderous terror of the creature framing him.

With this many threats, can everyone survive?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Isabelle Arocho
• Release date: Dec 13, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310087509

Isabelle Arocho

Hello everyone, as a self-published author I like to talk to you in my own words so here we go, here's my story:I used to avoid everything pertaining to reading and writing in school because it was never my strong suit. But then something happened when I was fourteen years old, and I found I had a deep passion for telling stories. As far back as I can remember, I would always create stories in my head and call them my made up movies. These are the movies I make into books today.I shied away from telling anyone about my passion for telling stories and kept it to myself for a long time. I learned from reading book after book how to write a proper novel and found the confidence to share my work, first on online communities and now with the world.In 2012 I have decided to take the leap into self-publishing. I write and edit all my work myself, no excuses, but if you see any mistakes I apologize.A little bit more about me...My name is Isabelle Arocho, I’m of Hispanic descent. I grew up in Perth Amboy NJ and now live somewhere in the sticks of FL. I am a woman, sister, daughter. I have a passion for rock music, tons of TV shows, and of course reading when I’m not trying to create my own masterpiece.I write all types of genres including mystery, fantasy, suspense, romance, paranormal, and cop procedurals. I'm always striving to get better and I hope you enjoy my work enough to stick with me on this journey. I have hundreds of characters in my head always in a scene crawling to get free onto paper. I'm grateful for writing because without it I'd just be a crazy nut who talks to herself.I have a few books out now in both Ebook and paperback format. I’m working on several different of ideas to be released soon in all those genres I mentioned above. Visit my personal website, isabellearocho.com, for more information.PS: Don't forget to review and let me know what you thought about the book you read. I love hearing from you and it helps to know what you think.

Book preview

WHAT DEATH DOESN’T SAY

BY ISABELLE AROCHO

Copyright 2016 Isabelle Arocho

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s mind and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organization, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy.

More Novels by Isabelle Arocho

Set in Celestin City:

Sinfully Departed

Blood Sins

Sin of Hope

Deceptions

Anticipations

Repercussions

Death Says Hello

Let Me Breathe Again

Dear, Sinfully Mine

Christmas in Celestin

Visit isabellearocho.com for purchase information and updates.

CHAPTER 1

You know what wasn’t a fun thing to do at night? Investigate crime scenes in the rain. With every clap of thunder, I wondered why the murder couldn’t be conducted during the day, when the sun was out and the skies were clear. Celestin’s rainy season ended but Mother Nature must’ve missed the memo. The post-holiday chill in the air wasn’t helping either.

Hey, Garret! Detective Martine called out, his pleasant French accent was strained behind the rainfall. Have you found anything? he stood above me on the Celestin Bridge. I was below on the dirt walkway of the lake. The body of water started off narrow with grass on both sides for picnics or camping, then it opened up into a much larger open space for boat sailing.

No, sir! I think the rain washed away any physical evidence!

The victim; a woman in her earlier twenties, going by Jane Doe until an ID could be made, was found on the nearby picnic bench to my left. The witness’ car broke down on the bridge where he spotted the woman while in the middle of changing his tire.

The team from the medical office—Dr. Kane, and his assistant for the night, Jake Thompson—collected the woman out of the rain. The cause of death was an obvious gunshot wound to the chest. The detectives would have to wait for an autopsy to be performed in order to learn more, like evidence not readily viable to the eye. Large lamps were set up all over the scene and I photographed everything I could; even if it did all look like mushy leaves.

It was time to call it a night.

I gathered my equipment and started moving it back to my city issued van. My feet sloshed inside my boots. I was pretty sure I was covered in rain water down to my underwear. On the way to the van, the opening to the nearby quarry grabbed my attention. I could swear I saw something. It was a quick flash of light. I wasn’t a natural investigator; I didn’t run toward danger, I didn’t even like to walk past it. All the inner voices in my head that were cautious told me to turn away but…if it was something important I’d never forgive myself for being a coward. The quarry was only about thirty feet ahead. It could’ve just been some type of animal running past and I caught its eyes in the reflection. Untrimmed trees and grass did cloud the entrance.

My feet didn’t move. My eyes stayed strained on the quarry opening. I wasn’t sure what I was waiting for, I just knew I couldn’t move.

The flash of blue light wasn’t a light at all. It was...something unnatural. I assumed it was a woman because of the dress hanging from its mummified skin. Her face fared no better, her teeth were sharpen into edges, and her eyes nonexistent as empty sockets sat in their place. The light hung around her like a shadow. The creature stopped its walk around the inside of the quarry as she noticed me. An ear piercing screech came from her mouth.

I jumped back and fell right on my ass in the middle of one of the larger puddles.

Hey, Garrett. Jeff called out. Now isn’t the time to be falling on your ass. Let’s go before I freeze my balls off! he was watching me, he should’ve seen the woman in the quarry.

My heart sunk. If I was the only one that saw her that meant I was seeing things again. Could the woman have been a ghost? She didn’t look like anything I’ve encountered in the past. I had the bad luck of being able to sense out the soul energy left behind during death, whether it was the person’s ghost or their memories of a tragic time. I braced my hands in the puddle to stand up. I was covered in mud and terrified. The night ranked as one of the worst Saturdays I’ve had.

I might’ve spoken too soon.

When I tried to stand, my rubber boots slipped on a slick of I-don’t-know-what and I went flying back on my butt again, this time hitting my head on a large boulder of a rock. I wasn’t one for cursing. My mom forbid it and even after I lived alone, I always used words that sounded like the curses I meant to say. Laying there in the freezing rain I cursed like a sailor.

It was a blur getting home. I cried with relief when I was able to make it into the shower without stumbling on something else. Washing away my night was the closest to heaven I could imagine.

I was securing my towel around my chest when I heard, Well, isn’t this déjà vu.

I spun around so fast my wet hair left a welt on my cheek. Hunter! I ran closer to the door where he stood. He looked just as beautiful as I remembered. I hadn’t seen him in months. How are you here? I reached for his hand expecting to feel the electric sensation his spirit carried. I gasped when I wrapped my hand around something solid instead. Is this real?

His beautiful blue eyes softened with something like sadness. Holly, what are you doing here?

What are you talking about? I cupped my hands around his face, not believing I could actually touch him. He felt so warm, solid, real. I kept noticing his sad eyes. My heart broke seeing him like that. What’s wrong?

You’re not supposed to be here, princess.

I started to remember the only other time I was able to touch him. It was in a dream. What’s going on? I hit my head and.... the pieces startled to miserably make sense. I didn’t have Hunter back. I haven’t woken up? it was hard to think I was still unconscious thanks to my fall.

You have to go back. That was the worst thing he could’ve said.

No. I miss you so much. I want to stay here. I wrapped my arms tight around him. He felt real, everything was so real that I couldn’t accept it was some outer body dream or something. Dreams couldn’t feel this good.

This land isn’t for the living and you have so much more living to do.

No. I cried and held on to him for as long as I could. All these months didn’t make a dent toward the grief I carried for losing Hunter. I watched him die right in front of my eyes. I didn’t know him when he was a living human being with tons of aspirations in front of him. Hunter became my best friend in death, as the ghost that hung around my every move.

Cruelly, the dream was over. My eyes opened in a hospital room. I tried to figure out what happened in order not to remember Hunter, how he felt in my arms.

I worked on trying not to cry. It wasn’t going to help anything.

There was a tap on my hospital room door, and the last person I expected stepped inside with a slight smile on his face.

Creed Shay was Hunter’s older brother. For several weeks we dated and it was good. But of course it didn’t take long for real life to get in the way. He lived several hundred miles away in Georgia, the distance got to be too much of a strain for a brand new relationship. That’s what we agreed on when we broke up but deep down I knew that wasn’t it, at least not fully. Creed wasn’t willing to accept my word existed. Angels, demons, death. I couldn’t blame him at the end of the day.

There was no malice in our break up. I was still painfully attracted to him and I was happy to see him too. I sat up and asked, What are you doing here? I winced at the wave of nausea hitting me.

Creed noticed it. Are you ok? Do you want me to get the nurse? he stepped closer to take my hand.

No. I’m fine. I smiled for his benefit. I’d rather talk to you.

Someone named Jake called me from your phone. He told me you fell at work during a rainstorm.

Mother Nature wasn’t being nice to me. I didn’t think it was a big deal and please tell me you didn’t come all the way from Georgia because I bumped my head. I was embarrassed by the possibility.

I was in town when Jake called, but I would’ve come either way. That bump on your head needed seven stitches and you were out of it for a few hours. You scared me. The honesty behind his words reflected behind his blue eyes. The ache of losing his brother didn’t leave any room for Creed to think rationally. He feared death invading his life again. I sometimes wondered if that was another reason he suggested we take a break; my connection to the very thing he feared the most.

I continued to hold onto his hand because it reminded me of the beautiful connection we shared before. I’m ok. What brought you to Celestin?

A case I was working. It’s not a big deal. How’ve you been? The last time we spoke was about a month ago, when he headed back to Georgia full time.

Pretty much just working. I’ve been helping the SCF more and last week I saw the body of a hell hound.

Last week I was taking pictures of a cheating husband. You win for excitement.

CHAPTER 2

Around lunch time the following day the admitting doctor finally said I could go home. I couldn’t wait to sleep a few hours in my own bed. Jenna called to say I could take as much time I needed off.

I looked through my bag of things to find my shirt was ruined with blood and my pants didn’t fare much better. It looked like I might have to head home in a hospital gown that knew nothing of the word modesty.

It looks like you need these. Michael stood at my hospital door holding out a shopping bag.

I smiled lopsidedly. My guardian angel. Literally.

You can’t say I don’t have impeccable timing. I grabbed everything from your dresser, so it should be to your liking. He handed me the bag and that’s when I noticed he was dressed in his uniform scrubs. They were powder blue. Michael was a nurse at Celestin General Hospital when he wasn’t helping me out of sticky situations or answering some of my endless questions. It was a good look. His arms looked long and ripped hanging at his sides.

Anything is better than my butt hanging out.

I would’ve stopped in sooner but I was away from home. Not even gone a day and you’re—

A hopeless mess? I didn’t plan for that rock to get the better of me. I think I’ve been doing pretty well lately. No demons have come knocking on my door. Or weirdly intriguing fallen angels.

Thankfully. I’ll wait for you outside. He excused himself in order for me to get dressed.

Michael gave me a ride home. He was due for a break and he didn’t want me to call a cab. I had a feeling there was more to it than a generous handout but I didn’t say anything. Normally Michael didn’t relay good news.

He followed me up to my apartment and I braced myself. I moved to the couch to sit before he noticed I was dizzy after the elevator ride to my apartment floor.

He leaned his butt into the armrest of another chair. Is there anything you want to tell me? Like what really happened last night.

I wasn’t surprised he didn’t accept it was just a simple fall. He probably knew more about it than me. I don’t think you can help me with this. Michael was my guardian angel for reasons neither of us knew, not even Death, and the ultimate grim reaper wasn’t a happy camper about it. Death warned me not to rely on Michael too much because that would send the wrong message. Death and his tree branches couldn’t show alliance to heaven or hell.

Since what happened in the underworld you’ve been different with me, like you’re going out of your way to be distant.

What happened last night was a ghost thing and I got spooked. It’s no big deal and it’s a subject you can’t help me with. In the past he could put a name to what I’m supposed to be, a mortius sensate, and he could even give me a textbook description but realistically he didn’t know anything about my newfound world. The same way I knew nothing of his and the High Order.

Have you been getting help for it?

I didn’t like how our conversation left me feeling guilty. He hasn’t come back around since what happened. Death was there the night Ethan kidnapped me, the night I saw demons for the first time and had to fight them. Death prevented me from dying. Ironic, I know. Sometimes I wasn’t sure if I wanted his guidance or I wanted to never see him again.

Whatever it is, if you need help I’m here, Holly.

It wasn’t easy to accept I was part of Death’s world with Heaven and Hell both wanting a piece of me but I had to accept it, and I did... or so I liked to tell myself. I had to be stronger. There was no turning back; there was no going back to normal. I stood up and made sure to square my shoulders. I’m ok. I’m going to try and get some rest. You can head back to work knowing I’m fine. There was a huge part of me that wanted to spill my guts, tell him all my worries and ask him what I was supposed to do next, but that would just make everything worst. He couldn’t help me.

Michael followed me to the door. Are you sure? I have some time to spare if there’s anything you want to discuss or.... a tempting offer I turned down.

I’m all out of questions for now. Have good day, Michael.

In bed, I stared up at my ceiling. The curtains were closed tight to create a nice dark atmosphere, and my pillows were just right. There was no reason I shouldn’t be asleep. I gave up after an hour of tossing and turning, counting sheep, reading off my phone, and a horrible attempt at singing. My stomach started to growl and I knew exactly what I had to do.

The Chinese restaurant a few blocks from my apartment was my go-to place when I was hungry. There was nothing on