All Lost Things

Book 3 of the Killian Kendall Mysteries

By Josh Aterovis
Copyright 2026

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Chapter 18

When I woke up the next morning, Seth was still on my mind. I was starting to think of our conversations as visits rather than dreams. I wasn't sure why that comforted me, unless maybe I was accepting my descent into madness. Whatever the source of my newfound calm, I'd take it.

As I was getting dressed, I remembered Seth's suggestion that I talk to Judy. It seemed like sound advice. I didn't know where her new house was, but Adam did and he happily provided the address.

In no time, I was parking on the street in front of a light blue, Cape Cod style bungalow.

I walked up to the front door and rang the bell. A few seconds later, I found myself face to face with a scowling Jake. "What are you doing here?"

I fought to control my expression. I'd promised Judy I would do what I could to be friends with Jake, but his attitude was making that very difficult. Still, I hadn't gone there to pick a fight with him. I forced a smile.

"Hey, Jake. I know we didn't exactly get off on the right foot the other night, but I'd like to hang out sometime, maybe catch a movie or something. What do you think?"

His frown lessened ever so slightly, but his eyes remained suspicious. "Like a date?"

"Just as friends."

He rolled his eyes. "Right. I forgot. I'm not good enough to date."

"Actually, I'm sort of seeing someone."

So what if Micah and I had only been on one date. I was hoping it would develop into something more.

He seemed surprised. "Why didn't you mention that before?"

I shrugged. "I wasn't sure where it was going then, but...I like him."

Jake leaned against the doorpost and gave me a small smile, his first since he'd answered the door. "So dish. Is he cute? What's he like?" He waggled his eyebrows. "Does he have a brother?"

I laughed. "He's very cute. And he has two brothers, but they're not local. Can I come in, or do we have to talk at the door?"

"Sure. Sorry." He stepped back to allow me to enter, then led me to the living room. It was obvious he and Judy had just moved in. Unpacked boxes were stacked everywhere, and the furniture was arranged haphazardly.

I took the only chair not loaded with boxes while Jake sat on the floor. I had just finished filling him in on Micah when Judy walked in on us. "I thought I heard voices. Hi, Killian." Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she wore a paint-splattered t-shirt and jeans, leading me to believe she had been working in another room.

"Hey, Judy."

I tried to come up with a way to get her alone without making Jake think I was ditching him.

Judy solved my dilemma for me. "I'm glad you're here, actually. Before you leave, may I speak with you for a few minutes?"

"Uh, sure." My mind was racing, wondering what she wanted to talk to me about.

"You might as well do it now," Jake interjected. His expression was sullen again. "I was just leaving. I have to meet a friend."

Judy seemed to have been caught off guard. "Who are you meeting?"

Jake's face darkened. "What? You have to approve of all my friends now?"

"I didn't say that. I just didn't know you'd reconnected with anyone since we got back."

"Who said I reconnected? Maybe it's a new friend. Shouldn't you know already? You are psychic, after all."

I sank back in my chair and tried to pretend I wasn't there.

Judy's jaw tightened. "Do we have to play this game? I mean, really, Jake."

He glowered at her. "Is this interrogation over? I don't want to be late."

"Just go."

He swept from the room, taking most of the tension with him.

Judy relaxed visibly when the front door slammed behind him. "Sorry about that." She came in and shifted some boxes to the floor so she could sit down.

I shrugged. "He seems really angry."

"That's putting it mildly. Right now he's angry at the world in general, but me in particular. How was he with you?"

"Better than last time. He was pretty prickly when he answered the door, but he got better as we talked. I think we're going to go to a movie sometime soon."

She smiled at that. "Please do. I think you'd be good for him."

"Why do you want to speak to me?"

"What? Oh. Right. I don't."

"But...then why did you ask if we could speak before I left?"

"Because I thought you wanted to talk to me."

She had thoroughly confused me by that point. I just stared at her, slightly slack-jawed.

She chuckled. "Oh, don't look at me like that, Killian. I didn't need to consult my crystal ball to see you were struggling to figure out a way to talk to me without Jake around."

"You have a crystal ball?"

She threw back her head and laughed loud and long. "No! I was just kidding."

A sheepish smile spread across my rapidly warming face.

She sobered and studied me carefully. "Something's on your mind. What's going on?"

I took a moment to try to organize my thoughts. It occurred to me that I hadn't come very prepared. I wasn't at all sure how to bring up such a delicate subject.

"Some odd things have been happening lately, and I don't know who else can help me with them."

She raised an eyebrow. "Odd how?"

"Well, um, it's kind of hard to explain. Can I ask you some questions first?"

"Of course. You can ask me anything you wish."

"How do your...um...powers work?"

"My powers?" She looked as if she wanted to laugh again but was restraining herself. "I'm not sure what you mean. I'm not Wonder Woman."

"You know...the psychic stuff. I remember the first time I met you, you popped out of the shrubbery and told me things you had no way of knowing. How did you know them? Does someone...come to you?"

"Someone? Like who?"

"Someone...dead?"

"No. It's not like that at all. I just...know. Sometimes it's a dream, especially if it has to do with the future. Sometimes I have a strong urge about something, like a hunch. I may feel I have to go somewhere or speak to someone in particular. I won't know why, exactly, I'll just know I have to do it. Then other times, I simply know something beyond any doubt. I'll meet someone and suddenly just have this knowledge in my mind, almost like a memory or as if it had always been there. It's rarely detailed or exact, and it's not really under my control. If it happens, I know it's for a reason and I need to act on it." She paused. "Why did you ask if someone comes to me?"

I bit my lip and wondered if I should just come clean. Finally, I decided that if anyone would understand, Judy would. Besides, hadn't Seth told me to talk to her?

"You know how I said strange things have been happening to me?"

Her eyes widened. "Someone comes to you?" I nodded. "My God! Who?"

"Seth."

"Adam's son?"

"Yes."

"He comes to you? How? In a dream?"

"I...I don't know really. At first, I tried to tell myself it was just a dream, or maybe my imagination. Then I thought I was losing my mind. But now I'm not sure. I'm starting to think that maybe...he actually does come and talk to me."

"Like a ghost?"

"Or something like that. He says he's not a ghost exactly, but I don't know what that means. And he only comes to me when no one else is around. Oh, and he says he can't show up whenever I want him to, only when I need him."

"This is...wow. I've never known anyone who could actually converse with the dead, at least not in the way you're describing. I knew you were gifted, but this is ridiculous."

"Gifted?"

"We'll come back to that. First, tell me how and when all this started?"

"He just suddenly started appearing a few weeks ago." I paused as a memory surfaced. "Actually, a couple of years ago, not long after he died, I had a dream that he came to me in the same way he does now. He showed me where he'd hidden his diary and then he left. I thought it was a dream, but I did find the diary right where he said it would be, so maybe he really was there."

"You didn't see him again after that until recently?"

"No."

"But now he's been showing up more often?" I nodded. "What do you talk about when he comes?"

"Mostly he just gives me advice on my love life."

Judy blinked. "On...your love life?"

"Yeah. He's kind of a busybody."

"This keeps getting more and more bizarre. Why on earth would he do that?"

"I asked him that. He said because...because he loves me."

"A love that reaches beyond the grave. This is just incredible. Does he tell you anything else?"

"He's about as vague as you are. But he told me to talk to you."

"He told you to talk to me?"

"Yes."

"About what?"

"He said you'd explain what was happening to me."

"Explain it?" She snorted. "That's a tall order. I have totally different gifts than the ones you're describing. It's taken me most of my life to get a handle on my own, how does he expect me to explain yours?"

I felt my heart drop. I'd hoped she'd be able to make some sense of things for me. For a moment, I hadn't felt quite so alone.

My disappointment must have shown on my face. Judy softened. "I'm sorry, Killian. I'll explain what I can. Where should I start?"

"Start with gifts. You keep using that word, but I don't know what you mean."

"Well, that's simple enough, I suppose. Gifts are sort of like talents, but instead of being able to draw pictures or play an instrument, we sense things others can't, like spirits or the future. The first time I met you, I sensed you were gifted, but I had no idea what form your gifts would take."

I frowned remembering our first meeting and the way she'd stared at me, as if she knew something I didn't. "This all sounds more like a curse than a gift. What if I don't want these gifts?"

"You don't really have a choice in the matter."

"Can't I just ignore them?"

"You could, but I don't think that would be a good idea. These things have a way of refusing to be ignored. If you don't control them, they could easily control you."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not trying to scare you, but it's important that you understand your gifts."

"How can I understand them if you can't teach me? Why would Seth send me to you if you can't help?"

She sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean I wouldn't help. It's just...it's not every day someone tells me they can talk to ghosts. I'll do my best to help you, but since we have different gifts, I will only be able to do so much."

"And then what?"

"I'll talk to people I know who are gifted. Maybe one of them can help you. There are books I can check as well."

"Okay." I nodded. That was a start. "So, what's going on with me? You're sure I'm not going crazy?"

"Well, I can't promise anything." She laughed at my expression. "I'm teasing, Killian. Breathe. It sounds to me like you're a sensitive and your gifts are starting to manifest themselves."

"What does that mean? What is a sensitive?"

"A sensitive is someone who is, well, sensitive to other planes beyond the one in which we move. They're more aware of things many people never see or feel. Sometimes this gift is called the sixth sense."

"Did I always have it?"

"Yes, but gifts have a way of showing up when they want to. Some people have them from a very young age, and some seem to develop them later. There are various types of gifts. Some people seem to have one strong, predominant gift, sometimes accompanied by a combination of other gifts of varying strengths. It would appear that your particular sensitivity is towards the dead, which in common terms would make you a medium."

I shuddered. "Lucky me."

"It could be worse. You could get glimpses of the future. Trust me. That's not all it's cracked up to be."

I thought of my dreams of the ax murder, but decided to focus on one impossible thing at a time. "Okay, well if I'm a medium, then what are you called?"

"A small."

"What?"

"That was a joke. Some would call me a seer or precognitive, or maybe a clairvoyant since I can also sometimes see or sense things that are happening presently. Remember how I just knew something was wrong the night you were almost killed?"

I definitely remembered that. I suppressed a shudder.

"Have you seen any other gifts manifesting? Experienced anything else you couldn't explain?"

"I've...had dreams."

"What kinds of dreams?"

"Confusing things that didn't make sense at the time, they just seemed like a nightmare, but then later...I think maybe I was dreaming about something before it happened."

Judy frowned. "Precognition, too? That at least I know something about."

"But you said I can't control it?"

"Not your dreams, not really."

"What about the ghost thing?"

"That I have to confess I don't know as much about. I don't think you can control if you see them or not, but there may be things you can do to protect yourself from them."

"Protect myself? Can they hurt me?"

"Again, this isn't my area of expertise, but yes. I believe it's possible."

"How do I protect myself?"

"That I don't know, but we'll find out. Have you seen any other ghosts or just Seth?"

I thought about my experience at Amalie's house. "Not seen, but I think I heard a ghost at the house Steve just bought."

"Steve bought a house?"

"Yes, out in the middle of nowhere. He's turning it into a bed and breakfast. But you're missing the point. I think it's haunted."

"Fascinating. So that means it's not just Seth."

"So...I might start seeing dead people everywhere?"

"Possibly. Any other questions?"

"Um, yes. Like a million. Why am I a sensitive? Where does it come from?"

Judy laughed. "I'm not completely sure, although it seems that gifts often do run in families. You should ask your mom sometime if anyone else in the family ever had a reputation for being psychic."

I rolled my eyes. "Right. That's easy enough to bring up."

"It might not be as hard as you think, and if, say, there's a grandparent, aunt, or uncle floating around with similar gifts, then you have a resource available to you close to home, so to speak."

"All my grandparents are dead, and my mom only has one sister. I'm pretty sure she would have mentioned it if Aunt Kathy talked to ghosts."

"I know this is a touchy subject, but what about your dad's family?"

I frowned. "Dad didn't have any brothers or sisters."

"Okay. Then that's a dead end, I suppose. No pun intended." Judy winked at me. "Any more questions?"

"Not at the moment, but hang on. I'm sure I'll have more in a second."

She laughed and got up to come hug me. "I'm here any time, day or night. If you need anything, you just let me know."

"Thanks, Judy."

I was resting in my bedroom later that evening thinking about everything I'd learned from Judy, when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," I called.

I was glad I was lying down when I saw who it was. If I hadn't been, I might have fallen over from shock. It was Asher.

"Hi." He sounded almost shy.

I sat up. "What are you doing here?"

His eyes slid over my body. I'd forgotten I wasn't wearing anything but my boxer briefs, but I wasn't too concerned. He'd seen me in less.

"I came to apologize."

If I'd thought I was confused before, he'd just made me more so. "Huh?"

"I'm sorry."

"For...what?"

"For being a jerk yesterday."

"You were a jerk?"

"I should have listened to you."

"Wait. Start over. I'm lost."

"I should have never gotten mad at you about Caleb. I should have listened to you all along. You were only looking out for me."

A pang of guilt hit me. I wished my motives had been as altruistic as he was making them out to be.

"Where is this coming from?"

"I've been having some...doubts about Caleb, partly because of what you told me, but also just a feeling I've had lately, especially since he got out. I talked to Marcus last night and he told me I was being a dick. So, I came to apologize."

"It's...okay. Under the circumstances, I think you're allowed to be a little prickly. And I probably didn't handle things as sensitively as I should have. So, um, what kind of doubts are you having about Caleb?"

"I know he's been lying to me about so many things. I know you caught him in lies, and I'm pretty sure I haven't even heard about all of them. Right?"

"I...I...well...I mean..."

"It's okay, Killian. I won't get mad. I just need to know."

"Right." I didn't know where to start.

"What else has he lied to me about?"

I sighed. "It would just be easier to tell you the whole story and let you decide for yourself."

Asher walked over and pulled out my desk chair, then sat down. "Go on."

I told him everything I'd found out or pieced together. I explained what Marco had admitted to me and how that had led me to Finn.

When I finished, Asher shook his head sadly. "Damn. I can't believe he used me like that. And I only saw what I wanted to see."

I shrugged uncomfortably. "They say love in blind."

He snorted. "I didn't love him. I thought I did, but I just liked him because I thought he needed me." He paused. "Unlike you."

I frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I shouldn't have said that. I didn't come here to start a fight."

"No, but you said it, so please explain. What did you mean by that?"

"Just that...I don't know. When we first got together, I felt like you needed me, like I was sort of your protector...or your voice of reason or something. But then, it started to seem like my opinions mattered less and less, that you were going to do what you wanted regardless of how I felt. I kind of feel like we grew apart."

"Or maybe I just grew up. At some point, we both needed to make decisions for ourselves, find our own ways. Is that why you applied to Georgetown behind my back?"

"Yeah, that was part of it. I'm sorry, by the way. I'm not sure I ever really apologized for that. Do you think we'll ever be able to be friends again?"

I hesitated, maybe a little too long. I could see his shoulders slump. "I hope so," I said finally. "But if so, it'll have to happen organically. I don't think it's something we can force, and I might need a little time."

"You're right." He stared at the floor for a few moments. "So, um, maybe I don't have any right to ask this, but do you think maybe you could, uh...continue looking into the murder?"

"What?"

"Please, Killian. I need to know whether he killed his father or not."

"I mean, that makes two of us."

"So you'll do it?"

"No."

"But you just said—"

"I'd love to know the truth, but I've been banned from investigating by everyone from the police to my boss. I'm not on the case anymore."

"What if he gets away with murder?"

"This is so crazy! You wanted me to get him out of jail, so I got him out of jail. Now you want me to put him back in?"

"Only if he's guilty."

"Why do you care? If you know he lied to you, just walk away and consider yourself lucky that you found out when you did."

"I wish it were that easy, but you know as well as I do, it's not. I need closure. I need to know."

I sighed. "I can't make any promises, but I'll think about it. Okay?"

"You promise? You're not just saying that to get rid of me?"

"A bit of both, really," I said with a grin. Asher's face fell, and I quickly added, "I'm kidding. I promise I'll think about it. If I can get Novak on board, I'll see what I can do. But I'm not going behind his back—he's done too much for me to repay him like that."

He nodded slowly, a hint of reluctance in his eyes. "Yeah...I guess that's fair." He stood up, glancing around my room. "I should probably head out. Honestly...it feels kind of weird being back in here."

I raised an eyebrow. "Try being in your underwear."

That got a grin out of him. "Been there, done that."

I chuckled. "Get out."

He made his way to the door but stopped just before stepping out, turning back to look at me. His expression softened. "Thank you, Kill."

For a moment, neither of us moved. I just nodded, the words catching in my throat. And then he was gone.

I woke up the next morning to a knock at my bedroom door. I sat up groggily and looked around. Kane wasn't there, so it must have been later than I first thought. A quick check of the clock revealed that it was, in fact, mid-morning. Obviously, I'd slept in. So why did I still feel so tired?

The knock came again. I started to get up to answer the door, but then decided it was probably just Adam or Steve making sure I was awake. I dropped back onto the bed. "I'm up," I called, hoping whoever it was would just leave so I could go back to sleep.

The door opened and Micah stuck his head in. "Hey, is it okay if I come in?" I yelped and scrambled to pull a sheet over myself.

Micah started laughing. He walked into the room and shut the door, even though I hadn't given him permission. "I've seen guys in their underwear before, Killian."

"Yeah, but not me. And I just woke up. My hair..."

He laughed again. "Your hair is fine. I kind of like it. You've got that whole messy, bed-head thing going on. It's very sexy."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "You're here awfully early, aren't you?"

"It's after ten."

"So, what's your point?" I grinned to let him know I was kidding. "Is anyone else here? Who let you in?"

"Your little brother. He told me to come on up."

I rolled my eyes. "Figures." I'd have to get Kane back for that little stunt. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this unannounced visit?"

He grinned. "I just couldn't stay away any longer. I had to see you again. I was going to call and ask you out, but then I decided I'd rather see you in person. Harder to turn me down that way."

I felt myself blush at his comments. "You say that as if I'd turn you down otherwise."

"So, would you like to go out again tonight?"

I nodded. "Sure. Why not?"

He gave me a crooked smile. "Don't sound so excited. I'll pick you up around six. Dress casual. See you later." He leaned in for a quick peck on the lips, leaving my heart pounding and my face flushed.

After he left, I showered, threw on some clothes, checked my email, and read the news online. By the time I made it downstairs to the kitchen, Adam was starting on lunch. He looked up as I entered the room. "Good morning. It is still morning, isn't it?"

"Barely," I answered with a sheepish grin. "What's for lunch?"

"Just sandwiches, nothing fancy. Was that Micah here earlier?"

"Yeah. He asked me out again."

Adam smiled. "When?"

"Tonight."

"What about tonight?" Steve asked as he entered the room carrying his cell phone.

"I'm going out on a second date with Micah."

"A second date? Already? Is this serious?"

"It's a second date, Steve. Calm down."

"I'm perfectly calm. Should we start working on the wedding invitations?"

"I can design them," Adam said.

"Will the ceremony be formal?"

"You guys are hilarious," I said dryly.

Steve laughed. At least he was amused. "Okay, okay, but in all seriousness, do you need condoms?"

"Steve!"

Adam glared at Steve. "On a second date?"

Steve rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, Adam. You were a teenager once. Hell, if I remember correctly, we had sex on our second date."

"Too much information!" I squawked.

Adam blushed. "We were grown men."

"And so is Killian."

"He's eighteen!" Adam protested.

"Which is, by any legal definition, an adult," Steve countered.

"I don't need condoms, okay? Can we please stop talking about this now?"

"We need to be able to talk openly and honestly about sex," Steve insisted.

"Not right now we don't." I hoped the finality in my tone would end the conversation. "I promise if and when I have sex for the first time, I'll use condoms."

Adam gasped. "For the first time?"

"We're not talking about this right now!" I stormed from the room, my face blazing.

I was sitting on the front porch later that evening waiting for Micah. I was mainly trying to avoid more talk about condoms, but the cool breeze off the ocean felt amazing.

I'd dressed casually as he had suggested: a pair of well-worn jeans that fit me like a glove and a blue short-sleeved polo shirt that brought out my eyes — or so Adam had insisted.

When Micah pulled up, I ran to his car and jumped into the passenger seat before he could get out and open the door for me.

"Hi." I turned to look at him and found myself slightly breathless, and not from the short run to the car.

He was smiling ear to ear, his dark hair falling adorably over his eyes. He was wearing a tight white t-shirt that hugged his chest and dark jeans. He looked delectable.

"Hi. This was the longest day. I couldn't wait to see you." He leaned forward and gave me a quick kiss before throwing the car into reverse and backing into the street.

I smiled and tried not to blush. "Where are we going?"

"Nothing fancy this time. Do you like pizza?"

"Depends on the pizza."

"I think you'll like this place. You up for it?"

I shrugged. "Sure. I'm up for anything."

Micah gave me a suggestive look. "Anything?"

I couldn't think of a comeback, so I blushed in silence. Micah found my reaction quite amusing.

We made small talk until we arrived at the restaurant Micah had chosen. It was a cozy, old-school pizzeria with a wine-bottle-turned-candle holder in the center of each red-checkered tablecloth. Besides pizza, they served the usual assortment of Italian fare, but we ended up just ordering a large pie.

We continued to chat while we ate, and soon the pizza was history. Micah paid the bill, and we walked out to the car.

"So what now?" I asked.

"Well, traditionally, this is the part where I drive you home and we share a lingering kiss good night."

"Oh." I felt my face heating up again and I was glad it was dark so Micah couldn't see me blushing yet again.

"I'm kidding, Killian. Do you need to get home right away?"

"No, not really. I work in the morning, but it's still early."

"Then how about we go walk on the boardwalk and people watch."

I smiled. "That sounds nice."

We managed to find street parking and walked to the boardwalk, where Micah bought me an ice cream cone from Dumser's Dairyland. When we'd finished our ice cream, Micah suddenly grabbed my hand and dragged me toward the ticket booth for the amusement park.

I laughed and pulled back. "Wait. What are you doing?"

"I have an idea."

"Are you going to tell me?"

"Let's go on the Haunted House ride."

"No!"

"Okay. That was vehement. Don't tell me you're afraid. It's just a silly ride. I thought it would be romantic."

"Romantic?"

"Yeah, you know, an excuse to cuddle."

"Okay, maybe, but I've had enough of haunted houses recently."

"Um, that sounds like a story I need to hear."

I sighed. "Okay. Here's the deal. Adam's boyfriend Steve just bought this huge old house."

"Hold up. Adam's gay?"

I glanced over at Micah. "I didn't mention that before?"

"No, only that he took you in after your father kicked you out and that he was your friend's dad."

"Oh. Well, yeah, Adam's gay. Anyway, Steve bought this mansion out in Chicone. He wants to turn it into a bed and breakfast. The only problem is that it seems to be haunted."

Micah's eyes lit up. "Really? Why do you think it's haunted?"

"To begin with, it's been rumored to be haunted for a long time, stories going back decades. Previous owners have claimed to have seen her. That's why the house sat empty for decades."

"So the ghost is a she?"

"Yes. Her name is Amalie."

"You even know her name? That's incredible. Have any of you seen any signs of her?"

"Well, I heard footsteps and no one was there."

"But that's it."

"That was enough. So you don't think the whole thing is silly?"

"Silly? No way. I think it's really cool."

"You and Steve would really get along."

"But you know this haunted house isn't real, right?"

I laughed. "Yes."

"Then what's the big deal? I promise I'll hold you and keep you safe."

I gave in. "Well, with an offer like that..."

Micah's face lit up. "Perfect. I'll buy the tickets."

The Haunted House had been around since the '60s and was a bit of a local legend. We never went to the amusement park when I was kid, and as a teen, I'd always refused, preferring the Zipper or the Himalaya rides.

It turned out to be fun, though, with extra cheesy dark ride stunts that popped out at you to provide cheap jump scares. It really was the perfect excuse to be close.

Plus, it turns out that the haunted house ride is a great place to make out.

You really do learn something new every day.

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