“Mrs. Stuart! You almost gave me a heart attack.” She pushed her eyeglasses back to the bridge of her nose and gave me a goodhearted yet disapproving scowl.
“Sorry,” I said sincerely. “Thank you for going the extra mile tonight, Doreen. Smells delicious.” I stuck a spoon in the sauce before she could object. “Can I do anything?” The sauce was delicious. Not like Bette would have made, but I couldn’t wait to dig in.
“No, ma’am. I have this under control. Dinner should be ready in about twenty minutes. I think your guests are a bit early.”
“Yes they are, and we aren’t in a big rush,” I said as I stole a warm yeast roll from the covered basket on the bar.
“You never said if you wanted me to serve. Did you want this buffet style?”
“Buffet style is perfect. We can wait on ourselves.” I resisted the urge to hug her. Doreen didn’t enjoy being touched—or surprised. I seemed to always do both. Leaving dinner in good hands, I went to join my friends, but Detra Ann caught me in the hallway and waved me into the bathroom. I giggled as she closed the door behind us.
“What’s going on? Are you dying to tell me the details?” I asked teasingly. Her distressed look made me change my tone immediately. “Detra Ann?”
“I thought about calling you after we left this morning, but I didn’t know what to say.”
“You should have. I’m sorry about that phone call.”
“You must think I’m a horrible person. I mean, I never meant for this to happen with Henri. It just sort of happened.”
I grinned at her. “What? You must be the only person who didn’t see this coming. And of course I don’t think you’re horrible—this is the way it should be. Nobody expects you to mourn forever, Detra Ann. This isn’t the 1800s.”
Sitting on the side of the tub with her head in her hands, she whispered, “I just don’t know. I don’t know if this is right. I don’t know if this is what I want. That’s horrible to say, isn’t it?”
I sat on the floor next to her and waited for her to look at me. Sitting this close, I could see the dark circles under her eyes that she tried to hide with expensive concealer. She hadn’t been sleeping and was much thinner than she had been last year. She didn’t have any extra weight to begin with. “I think it’s time for you to think about yourself. Not your mom. Not Henri. Yourself. It’s okay to take care of you. And if you’re not sure how you feel about him, then slow down. No one will fault you for that.”
“I’m leaving, Carrie Jo. I took a job in Atlanta.”
“Oh wow.”
“He thinks last night changed everything, but it didn’t. He doesn’t understand what I’ve been through. I mean, I know he knows—I’ve talked about it plenty of times—but he doesn’t know how I feel. It’s just too soon. It’s too much. I just can’t. And there’s this other thing.”
“What?”
“Lenore is right. I am a shade, a ghost. I think I am marked. I think—no, I know—that something bad is going to happen to me.”
Instinctively I grabbed her hands and said, “No! Don’t listen to her. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. We beat those ghosts, and it’s over. End of subject. Lenore is crazy—I caught her talking on the phone to nobody last night. There was no one on the other end.” No way was I telling Detra Ann what Lenore said or what Ashland saw.
Her beautiful eyes widened, but she continued, “You and I both know that with that house it’s never truly over. I can’t pretend that I understand why all of this happened. I still don’t know why Bette had to go and why Terrence is gone. What was the connection—what made me so special that I escaped? It’s not fair, and I think I just got lucky. But my luck is wearing out. If I don’t leave, if I don’t make a run for it, well, then I’m going to join them. I hear things. I see things. Dark things. If I sit still for too long shadows creep in. I can’t even close my eyes for very long. Something is coming for me, CJ.”
I heard Ashland call me from the hallway, and I scrambled to my feet and opened the door. “Right here. Be there in just a second.” I didn’t offer any explanation other than that. He’d have to wait. I closed the door and sat next to Detra Ann.
“Listen to me. If you decide to leave, that’s fine if that’s what you need to do. But if you’re leaving just to run away from some phantom, then you should stay. We can fight this, Detra Ann, and we can do it if we stick together. That was the mistake I made the last time. I took off half-cocked into that hospital room, and look where it got us. Bette is gone.” A sob escaped my throat. “And that’s on me. TD’s gone. And that’s on me. They had no idea what I was doing, and I put them in a horrible situation. You are not alone, and I’m not going to let you fight this by yourself. Let’s go in there right now, tell them what’s going on and get everyone on board so we can come up with some sort of plan. Enough with working behind the scenes—we need to be honest and put everything out in the open.”
“I can’t do that to Henri. He is so broken up about Aleezabeth and Lenore. I don’t think he can handle one more thing right now. And let me remind you that you have a baby to think about. I can’t have you fighting Death on my behalf. I won’t do it. I just wanted you to know that I value your friendship. I am glad I got to know you.”
“Me too, but don’t talk like I’ll never see you again.”
“I want you to promise me something.” I didn’t like the sound of this, but I nodded. “Promise me that you will look after Ashland. If anything were to ever happen to me and you ditch him, I will come back and haunt you.”
“Of course I will. But don’t talk like this. We’re sticking together, remember?” Before she could protest, there was a knock on the door.
“What’s going on in there? Carrie Jo are you okay?” When did Ashland get to be so nosy?
“Yes. I was just feeling a little sick. I’m okay now. Coming right out.” Detra Ann and I hugged, and I emerged from the bathroom with my hand over my stomach. “Must be evening sickness.”
Soon the four of us were chatting, but it was impossible to really have a conversation with Doreen coming in and out. She insisted on waiting on us even though we’d agreed on a more informal buffet style. Thirty minutes later, she waved goodbye, and I gathered the supper plates and quickly carried them to the kitchen. I’d tidy those up later, but I had something to do. No way was I going to lose another friend. I decided it was time to take charge. I meant what I’d said about no more secrets. Wiping my hands on the kitchen towel, I marched back into the living room and stood with my hands on my hips. I didn’t give a hoot about what they were talking about. I spilled my guts.
“Detra Ann needs our help, y’all. I know that you have something to say, Henri, and I am sorry about this morning’s interruption. But this is a situation that can’t wait.”
Detra Ann scowled at me. “Carrie Jo…stop.”
“Nope. You might be mad at me forever, but at least you’ll be alive. We have to tell them. So tell them already!” Ashland and Henri stared at me like I had two heads. “I’m not kidding. You tell them or I will.”
Detra Ann shot to her feet and glared at me. “I didn’t want you to say anything, CJ!”
“Well, I did, and I refuse to lose another friend! You can hate me later, but tell them what’s going on.”
She slid her hands into the pockets of her fitted sweatshirt and paced the carpet in front of the big window on the side of the house. The streetlight was on out front, but the side of the house looked dark and gloomy. After a few moments, she leaned against the windowsill and stared out into the darkness with her back to us. “Lenore is right. Something is following me. I knew it the day I left the hospital. At first I thought it was the pain medicine. God, that stuff is awful. That’s why I prefer drinking. Booze doesn’t make my skin crawl or cause me to hallucinate. Pain medication makes me loopy big time, but that wasn’t it. At first it only happened once, maybe twice, a day. I was walking down the sidewalk in front of my mother’s house on Palladium Drive,
and I passed that big oak that stretches almost into the street. You know the one, Ashland, the one we used to climb. As soon as I stepped into the shadow, I heard it groan, like it wanted to devour me.” She shivered, turned around and leaned with her back against the window, her hands still in her pockets. “By the time I got into Mom’s house I was shaking so bad I thought I would pass out.” She began pacing again.
“Then the shadows in my house began to groan whenever I came close to them. You can’t know what it’s like having to leave the lights on 24/7 like you’re a four-year old! I don’t dare turn a light off because the shadows don’t just groan now—they call my name!” Detra Ann’s voice rose in fear. Henri reached for her, but she raised her hand and shook her head. “No. Let me finish.” She took a deep breath and continued, “A month after the hospital event, I was in the shower when the light went out in my bathroom. The bulb blew—that’s what I told myself anyway. There I was in the shower, naked and soaking wet, just waiting to die. The groans grew louder and louder—I could feel the darkness gathering. I tripped out of the shower and crawled to the bathroom door. A slimy hand grabbed my foot and pulled me back, but I kept struggling to get away. Finally I remembered the Lord’s Prayer. I said it, like you did the other night, Ashland. I said it, and it let me go. I reached the door handle and turned it, and I was free. Then I called Henri to change the light bulb for me.” She reached out and squeezed his hand. “You have been so good to me. I don’t deserve you.”
Henri’s dark eyes sparkled with tears. “Don’t say that. I am the lucky one. I love you, Detra Ann.”
“I know,” she said sadly. She turned back to the big window. Nobody said a word; I sure didn’t know what to say. “Even now, if I stepped into the yard and stood under that tree where the shadows are the darkest, it would take me and I would never escape.” She peered out the blinds, and my skin began to crawl.
“Detra Ann, get away from the window,” Ashland warned her sternly. He stood in front of me and waved his hand behind him, and I got off the couch and moved to the doorway. I couldn’t see anything, but apparently my husband did.
It didn’t seem to faze her. “See? I can see the darkness gathering now. It’s just waiting for me. I don’t know what’s in those shadows, but I know if it touches me, I’ll die. Tell me I’m wrong! Any of you! Tell me I’m wrong!”
“Detra Ann, get away from the window!”
Tearing her eyes away from the darkness, she looked at Ashland. As she did, the window behind her shattered with a loud boom, and pieces of glass flew across the living room. Ashland fell on top of me to protect me, and Henri snatched Detra Ann’s hand and pulled her to the ground. As we lay there trying to figure out who was hurt and what happened, the chandelier flickered.
“Everyone get up now!” Ashland yelled. “Upstairs, everyone!”
We did as we were told and climbed the stairs like four maniacs. I flipped on light switches as we ran so none of the shadows could touch Detra Ann. She wasn’t crying or saying anything at all, just running with fear in her eyes. I couldn’t blame her. If Death were chasing me and using shadows to reach me, I would be fearful too. When we made it to the end of the hallway, I grabbed her hands. “Don’t run away from us, Detra Ann. Stay close, okay?” She bobbled her blond head. Her makeup was running under her eyes, and her hands shook.
Standing on tiptoe, I tried to see the ground floor, but it was completely dark. I imagined that I too could almost hear an inaudible whisper.
“Oh God, it’s calling my name. Lenore was right! It is Death. He wants me! I cheated him, and now he wants me. He’s come to claim me!”
“Well, he’s going to have to fight us if he wants you because he isn’t going to take you, Detra Ann! We’re safe here. There is light up here, see?” I heard the light bulb pop above us, and the light faded.
“Oh my God!” she shouted and ran into the guest room.
“Stop, Detra Ann! Wait for me!” I ran to her, flipping on every light I could as I went. “Follow me. I have a flashlight somewhere in my bedroom.” Grabbing her hand I called, “Ashland! Where is the flashlight?” Coming to himself now, he ran to us and opened the closet. Hidden in the back was a huge Maglite that could light up the neighborhood when fully charged. He turned it on. The light was so bright it was nearly blinding. Henri was holding Detra Ann now, and she was weeping.
“I love you. I love you. I love you,” she repeated over and over again.
“Shh…it’s okay. Shh, now. It’s okay. We are all here together.”
Then the guest room lights went out and the lamps popped. We were in total darkness except for the Maglite, which lit up the entire room with harsh white light. So far it wasn’t flickering, but who knew how long it would last? We heard a sound, a slapping, crashing sound. The tree limbs from the oaks that surrounded our house were slapping the windows—slapping them so hard they were all breaking! Between the crashing and the groaning, it was a horrible cacophony. Surely the neighbors would hear this! Somebody would come help us! But what if they didn’t?
“I love you, Henri. I’m sorry. I am sorry…” Detra Ann was crying quietly now. The whispers became louder and more threatening. Henri held her as if it might be his last chance. Tears ran down his cheeks.
“Ashland,” I said fearfully as he wrapped his arms around me.
Suddenly the smashing and crashing of the branches ceased, and the door to the bedroom flew open—a tall figure stood in the doorway. We gasped and waited. A tall figure stepped out of the darkness and into the brightness of the Maglite.
I couldn’t believe it—it was Lenore!
Chapter 14—Detra Ann
“You believe me now, don’t you? I said you were a shade.” She spat the words out like she hated me. Like I wanted to be in this battle with Death itself.
“How did you get up here? Is there a way out?” I demanded, suddenly feeling hopeful.
“The only way out is the way you came in, and it’s pitch black outside.” She leaned against the doorframe staring at me.
Carrie Jo stood by me protectively. “How did you get up here? Did you see it?”
“I saw nothing but the wind blowing and the house dark. I can feel it, though. It’s still very close.”
“She’s right. We’re not out of the woods yet,” Ashland added.
“I don’t understand why this is happening! Why won’t it leave me alone? How do I make it stop? Do you know, or are you going to continue to hate me? Why don’t you try to help me since you seem to know so much?” Anger and frustration rose up inside me. She could help me, I knew it, but for some reason she wouldn’t. “Why? What have I ever done to you? I don’t even know you, Lenore!”
She didn’t answer but glared at me with her almond-shaped eyes. Her mouth was a pair of hard lines.
“I know who can help us,” Carrie Jo said in a rush.
“Who?”
“Father Portier! He’ll know how we can defeat Death.”
“What makes you so sure, Carrie Jo?” Henri asked.
“Because he’s already dead.”
“What?”
“There’s no time to talk about this.” She waved the flashlight and walked out the door. “Let’s go before this thing comes back.” She grabbed my hand, and we scrambled down the stairs with lightning speed, the guys following behind us. CJ grabbed her purse off the entryway table, and we headed out the door. We climbed into her BMW, and I was surprised to see Lenore climb in the back seat beside me. CJ slid the key into the ignition and we rolled down the driveway onto the crowded street. Ashland passed me the flashlight, and I held it like my life depended on it. Maybe it did.
“Oh no, it’s a parade night,” Carrie Jo said as we drove down Dauphin and nearly ran into a barricade. “We’ll have to go around to Conte Street. Maybe that’s not blocked off.” She turned right and eased down the street slowly. There were people everywhere.
“Where exactly are we headed?” Ashland asked her in a worried voice. “Not to Se
ven Sisters, I hope.”
“No, I don’t think this has to do with the house. Not directly, anyway. We’re going to the cemetery. That’s where the gate is, and that is where I met the priest. This must be why. I didn’t put it together until tonight.”
“Hold on now. Nobody said anything about a cemetery. We’re trying to escape Death, not knock on his door,” Lenore said fearfully.
“As you said, he’s not looking for you, right? Then you have nothing to fear.” Henri snarled at her impatiently. “And nobody asked you to come.”
“Someone has to look out for you, Henri Devecheaux.” He snorted and looked out the window.
“What are you thinking? How are these things connected?” Ashland asked, his blue eyes full of questions.
“Detra Ann is a spiritual person. She said that she was able to escape it when it came for her in the bathroom by praying the Lord’s Prayer.”
“Okay…”
“There must be some prayer we can use to make it leave her alone for good. The priest told me to look for the secret.”
Ashland’s face was filled with doubt, but I piped in, “Listen, it might be a long shot, but I’m willing to go on a little faith here. Even if it means walking through a cemetery.”
“What if the gate won’t open? What if we can’t get to the priest? You said yourself you don’t know how you got there.”
“It will open. It has to.”
Ashland looked at me in the rearview mirror. “You sure you want to do this?”
I nodded, and Henri squeezed my hand. “I’ll be right with you the whole time,” he murmured.
Ashland nodded and said, “We’ll have to park and walk. This is about as close as you’re going to get.” Carrie Jo pulled the car to the side of the road, claiming the last parking spot on the street. The sidewalks were jammed with revelers streaming toward the parade route. “Let’s see. If we cut through that vacant lot, we should come out on Virginia Street, but the cemetery will still be a few blocks away. Keep the flashlight close and stay close to the group, Detra Ann.”
The Ultimate Seven Sisters Collection Page 59
