Shutter(48)

“Jesus. It’s my grandma.” I hurried back into my room to put some clothes on.

“Your grandma?” Chris put his clothes on faster.

“Yes. And the medicine man.” I fixed my hair into a tight bun and opened the door.

“Is this a bad time?” Grandma asked, staring at Chris as he buttoned his pants. I threw my arms around her.

“Grandma. It’s never a bad time. What are you doing here?” I looked around my kitchen to make sure there were no articles of clothing lying around. “Mr. Bitsilly. I’m really surprised to see you here. All the way to Albuquerque?” He, too, stared at Chris.

“Who is this?” Grandma pointed at Chris, who was now in his coat with his backpack in hand.

“My name is Chris.” He extended his hand, which Grandma weakly accepted.

“Chris. This is my grandmother. And Mr. Bitsilly. They both came from the reservation out by Gallup.”

“I’m working out there in the next week or so doing some survey work for the highway. Beautiful place.” He looked at me.

“Come in, Grandma. You guys sit down. I’ll make you some coffee.”

“It was great to meet you all,” Chris said, and I pushed him toward the exit.

“I’m so sorry about that. I wasn’t expecting them.”

“Don’t be sorry. Next week. Promise.” He handed me his phone. “Can I have your number?”

I smiled as I entered the digits, still feeling the heat of embarrassment. He bent down to kiss me, then walked down my stairway.

“Who was that?” Grandma was now standing in my doorway, livid.

“Just a guy, Grandma.” I moved quickly inside and tried to make coffee. Anything to keep me from having to look them in the face.

“Oh my God!” The front door swung open. “Did I just see that guy from last night make the walk of shame down the stairs? Rita, you animal . . .” Shanice rounded the corner and saw Grandma and Mr. Bitsilly waiting for coffee. “Oh. Hi, Grandma.” She lunged to the couch and gave Grandma a hug.

“I see the two of you were out and about last night.” Grandma started to straighten out the magazines on my coffee table. “You both smell like a bar.”

“I’m sorry, Grandma.” Shanice smiled. “It’s never Rita’s idea.”

“Listen to her, Grandma. It’s never me.” The coffee steamed from its spout. I was feeling sick to my stomach. I could sense their eyes on me, waiting to make contact with mine.

“What is everyone staring at?” I was turning red with embarrassment.

Mr. Bitsilly stood. “We came to see you because we know that something is going on. Something more than you’re telling.”

“All I had to do was walk into his house with your clothes in a bag for him to turn as white as snow.” Grandma glanced over to Mr. Bitsilly. “He knew right away that something was wrong, that you had gotten yourself into something you couldn’t get out of.”

“Wow.” Shanice gulped her coffee. “You knew all of that because of laundry?”

“We have been more than patient with this profession that you’ve chosen, but I think it has gone way too far.” Grandma scolded me like a spoiled child. “And then we come here and find you with a strange man, smelling of booze. No wonder.”

“Rita, I think I’m going to shower over at Philip’s. I’ll catch you later, right?”

I nodded.

Shanice mouthed “sorry” as she snuck out of the door.

I knew right then I had to come clean.

“I have this spirit that won’t leave.” I put my head down. “She will not leave me alone until I help her solve her case. That’s what’s going on. And there is no amount of praying that you can do to make her leave. Nothing will make her leave until I do what she wants.”

“I’ll never understand why you think you need to help these strangers. These people are stuck in this world and you’re only prolonging the agony. You need to stop what you are doing now. Stop before one of these things finally kills you.” Mr. Bitsilly was angry.

“She has opened a portal,” I explained. “There are people coming in and out all the time, and I can’t control it anymore. She is too strong. Last night she even pulled Gloria through.”

Grandma gasped.

“I can’t close it. I’ve tried. She’s just too powerful.”

“You need to quit this job of yours.” Grandma was shaking. “You need to quit it for all of us.”

“Grandma. It doesn’t matter if I quit. She will just keep following me. It’s what she does.” I glanced over at Erma, who turned to me and shrugged. “Either way, yesterday I was put on suspension. Now I have three months before I can go to work again.”

“Good.” Grandma sat up from the couch. “Now you can come home. Leave all of this here.”

Mr. Bitsilly took a bundle from his coat and began to sing and bless my apartment. My grandma hugged me as tightly as she could. He came over to me with his whistle in his mouth and pushed his prayers into my body, singing louder than I’d ever heard him before, until his voice became raspy and weary.

Once done, he wanted to leave. “I can still feel that thing here,” he said. Grandma agreed.