Lena (Gypsy Spirits Book 3)

by Marianne Spitzer

  The sheriff said, “I’m going to talk to the employees. Someone may have seen something. By the way, any thoughts on who stole the body that ended up on Mrs. Graysbe’s front porch?”

  “No idea. The body wasn’t damaged and it’s since been buried. Didn’t I send you a report?” Dr. Webster glanced over at the sheriff.

  “I never received one.” The sheriff tapped his foot.

  “I’ll have to have my assistant send you a copy. I think that the hardest part of the investigation is yours.”

  “Why?” The sheriff glared at Dr. Webster.

  The portly doctor chuckled, “You have to figure out how a dead body spoke to Mrs. Graysbe. Any ideas?”

  “No!”

  Dr. Webster nodded and waved without looking up as the sheriff hurried out.

  Evening settled over Timmus Woods and Garret was restless. “Hey, I would like to eat food again. It has been a while. Let’s find someone with money and go to a decent place in Oaklin for a meal.”

  “Sounds good, I’m bored. We need to possess a couple people with money and dressed in suits. They won’t let us in anyplace nice dressed in jeans. How about we check out my dad’s insurance office? He’s out of town, someone has to be there and I know he has a new partner.”

  “Let’s go.”

  Garret and Daniel flew to the Logan Insurance office. Daniel had noticed his mom’s realty office was in their new home, but was surprised his dad took over the entire building. After flying through the building they found two men without wedding rings that appeared to be friends. Daniel thought they might be unnoticed for a few hours. Spinning around their bodies, Daniel and Garret were soon at home. They walked out of the office and found a brand new dark red pickup that belonged to one of the men they inhabited.

  “You can drive there and I’ll drive home. This is a beauty,” said Garret.

  “Okay,” Daniel agreed as they pulled out of the parking lot. He laughed as Steve waved at him and he waved back. “If Steve knew it was me, he wouldn’t be so happy.”

  “You’re right, but let’s forget about Steve and Timmus Woods and enjoy tonight.”

  Daniel stepped on the gas and sped down Prairie Road toward Oaklin.

  They dined on lobster and steak with all the trimmings. Enjoying drinks and desserts, they ate as much as they thought wouldn’t draw attention. Daniel paid the bill and they drove off in the truck. Garret stopped in front of a bar that advertised cold beer and pizza by the slice.

  “I haven’t had pizza in years. I can still eat more. Let’s go. I could also use a couple of beers.” Garret was climbing out of the truck before Daniel could say a word. Daniel followed Garret into the bar.

  After several beers and more pizza than anyone should have been able to consume, they stumbled out of the bar. Garret climbed behind the wheel and leaned his head back. “I am so full. I’ll need another body if I’m going to eat more. How about tomorrow morning for more of Ray’s blueberry pancakes?”

  “Okay, but let’s head back now. It’s early enough to spy on the old ladies. The sooner the town turns on Annamarie the sooner we’ll get our revenge. She’ll have other things besides us on her mind.”

  Garret laughed and headed toward Timmus Woods. He was driving too fast. Daniel turned the radio up. “I can’t wait to be alive in my own body.”

  “Me either, hey what the hell is that?” Garret began to brake. A fog formed at the city limits. “Are there faces in the fog?”

  “I’m not sure.” Daniel strained to see. “Don’t drive through it, they might be after us. Pull off onto the cemetery service road so we can hide in the trees.”

  Garret spun the wheel to turn, but lost control. As the truck hit the ditch and began to flip, Daniel and Garret’s spirits left the bodies of the young men. They could hear the men’s screams as they headed for the trees. Feeling secure and hidden safely in the grass, they communicated telepathically.

  “Something in that fog tried to stop us from getting back into town,” said Daniel.

  “I think they can tell it is us when we’re in another body.”

  “You may be right. From now on we travel out of town before we possess a body for any length of time. We can cause damage as spirits for a few minutes.”

  “Maybe one of us should always remain a spirit when the other possesses a body and be a lookout,” Garret suggested.

  They both heard a loud explosion and saw the fireball as the truck exploded. Daniel and Garret watched two misty spirits rise toward a bright light in the sky.

  Daniel said, “They’re dead. We’ll be blamed for this.”

  “Won’t they blame their drinking?”

  Maybe, but Annamarie will figure it out. The fog’s gone, let’s get back to the cabin.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Sheriff Richardson heard the explosion and ran outside in time to see the fireball down the road before the phone began ringing. Frightened residents were reporting the explosion. He radioed for Steve to come back to the station. Before he had a chance to call Greta in to man the phones, her car rolled up and she ran into the station in her pajamas. Her jeans, a shirt, and her purse were in her hands.

  The sheriff said to Greta, “I’m headed to whatever that was. Call if you need me. Tell Steve to meet me there.”

  As the sheriff walked out the door, he saw the town’s fire truck race down the road. He jumped in his cruiser and followed it.

  Both vehicles stopped near the service road alongside of Blessed Heart Cemetery. The fire chief and his men began to fight what was left of the fire. It burned hot and fast leaving a tangled, charred mass of steel laying on the edge of the cemetery grounds.

  The sheriff called the station and asked Greta to call the coroner’s office and get someone to the scene. He slammed the car door and walked toward the scene. He mumbled, “This is going to be another rotten night for someone. I can’t wait to retire.”

  The hospital had been alerted about the accident and sent the ambulance. Although Bonnie worked in Pediatrics, their department was notified to be on alert in case a child was involved. Afraid for her family, she called Carl at home.

  “We’re fine and the girls are asleep. Why would you worry? It’s late, we wouldn’t be out anywhere.”

  She whispered into the phone, “With everything that is going on with Daniel and Garret, I couldn’t be sure you didn’t go to Annamarie’s. Something could have happened. Sorry.”

  “I understand. Go back to work. All’s quiet here.”

  Bonnie hung up the phone and shuddered. Something felt out of place, she didn’t know what.

  Dr. Webster’s phone also rang, but his assistant answered. When he heard of the severity of the accident, he told Greta he would go to the scene and call Dr. Webster at home before he left.

  Dr. Webster was getting ready for bed when his phone rang. “Thanks for calling. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  Daniel and Garret made their way safely to the cabin. The woods were too quiet. They couldn’t hear a cricket or animal scampering around. Daniel said, “The spirits must have been around here looking for us. I still swear I saw faces in the fog.”

  “I did, too. Why were they there? Maybe to stop us from returning, but they couldn’t have wanted the truck to crash.”

  “No, they must have assumed you would stop and they’d get us. When you turned and lost control their plans changed. I think that’s why they didn’t find us. They helped the spirits of those two guys go into the light.”

  “I’m glad the witch taught us how to hide from them.”

  “I am, too. That Gypsy spirit grandma of Annamarie’s is going to tell her we’re responsible for the accident.”

  “What good will that do? Even if they know, they can’t tell anyone. Who’s going to believe them?”

  Daniel laughed, “You’re right, no one will believe her. I think we need to visit Mrs. Graysbe again. She’ll get the town more riled up.”

  The assistant from the Medical Exa
miner’s office arrived first. He walked up to the sheriff to inquire what happened.

  The sheriff shrugged, “Accident, looked like someone tried to turn and flipped the truck.”

  The assistant walked a bit closer to the truck and asked, “Do you know whose truck it is? It sort of reminds me of Trent Wallace’s.”

  “You know him? Plates come back to Trent Wallace.”

  The assistant doubled over and vomited in the grass. His face was pale when he looked back at the sheriff. “Trent is my cousin. There’s another body in the truck. Trent usually hung out with his brother, Travis.”

  “I know both of them. Good guys, worked insurance with George Logan. I can’t make an identification. We’ll have to wait for the coroner.”

  The assistant nodded, dropped to the grass, and sat cross legged. He rocked back and forth rubbing his temples. “My Aunt Lydia and my mom are going to be crushed.”

  The coroner’s car pulled up. The sheriff held his hand up at the assistant, “Sit, I’ll talk to him first.”

  The sheriff and the coroner spoke quietly. The coroner strolled over to his young assistant. “Go home son. Find out if Trent or Travis are anywhere to be found and I’ll call Dr. Zendler for their dental records. I don’t want you in on this investigation. Take a few days off if this turns out to be family.”

  The young man nodded, ran to his vehicle, and drove down the road.

  The sheriff and Dr. Webster walked around the truck. It was too hot to get close enough for a good look at the bodies, but they were dead. That was evident even with the only light coming from the spotlight on the sheriff’s cruiser. Steve’s Jeep pulled up while they were examining the scene. The additional light from Steve’s Jeep did little to help them. The sheriff saw the tire tracks where the truck tried to stop then turned flipping over.

  He said to Steve, “Wonder what would make them hit the brakes way out here on the edge of town.”

  “A deer,” Steve suggested.

  “Maybe, whoever was driving turned most likely trying to avoid something. They were traveling fast.”

  The coroner’s van approached and they tabled their discussion. They watched the firemen extract the two men from the truck and place them in body bags and then the coroner’s van.

  The sheriff asked Steve to wait for the tow truck driver to remove the wrecked vehicle. He’d be back at the office waiting for the coroner’s call. Steve could see the sun beginning to peek over the horizon. He knew this would be a difficult day for the entire town.

  The sheriff walked into the station to find Greta dozing with her head on her desk. He placed his hand on her shoulder and she jumped, “I got it, I got it.”

  “It’s okay Greta, it’s just me. I’m going back to grab forty winks before the coroner calls. You okay here?”

  “Yeah, sure. I’ll make a pot of coffee. Want me to call Jeannie to fill in? None of us have gotten much sleep.” Greta wiped the sleep from her eyes.

  “Great idea. Do you mind coming back after dinner hour?”

  “No, that’ll work.”

  The sheriff nodded as he headed for the back of the station and the cot.

  The sun rose and filled Annamarie’s bedroom with light, but she was deep asleep. She was sitting in the pines with Magdalena and Josef listening to a horrible story about Daniel and Garret causing a tragic truck wreck at the cemetery.

  “This is heartbreaking. What would cause them to crash a truck?”

  “It may have been us. We knew they had possessed two bodies and left town, we waited at the town limits for them to return. When they did we blocked the road with fog hoping they would stop. We would have been able to grab them as they left the bodies,” Josef said while he held her hand.

  Magdalena added, “Instead of stopping they turned, the truck flew into a ditch, and turned over. There was fire everywhere. The two young men died instantly. Their spirits left their bodies as did Garret and Daniel. We had to be sure the two young men made it to the light before Daniel and Garret absorbed their spirits. Unfortunately they escaped into the trees and grass where we cannot see them.”

  “I think I understand, but how do we stop them?” Annamarie felt tears form in her eyes. She didn’t know who died in the accident, but Timmus Woods was a small town. It would be someone she knew.

  “Daniel and Garret know we can tell when they possess someone so they will be more careful. They may use animals, go to another town, or quickly possess a body to leave a thought or suggestion and then leave before we can reach them,” Josef said as he pulled Annamarie into a hug. “You and yours are safe. I worry for the unsuspecting people in town.”

  Annamarie nodded and felt herself pulled back to her bed. She rolled over and snuggled up against Sam.

  Lena ran into the room, “Mom, Dad, wake up. Something awful happened. I’m not sure what, but Daniel and Garret killed someone last night.” She jumped on her parent’s bed.

  Annamarie sat up, “I know all about it and it was two young men. This is getting out of hand.”

  Sam mumbled, “What are you two talking about and how do you know? Never mind, you had dreams. Tell me what happened.”

  At the same time, Doris and Loretta were making coffee and blueberry muffins. The sweet smell of muffins filled the air in the kitchen. “Let’s have our coffee and muffins out on the patio. You wouldn’t believe how many butterflies my butterfly bush attracts.”

  “I love butterflies,” Doris said as she looked for a tray to carry the muffins and dishes.

  Loretta and Doris sat down at the patio table and began to enjoy breakfast. A few minutes later they saw the first butterfly. More and more butterflies appeared.

  “I’ve never seen so many butterflies,” said Loretta.

  Doris noted, “Is it my eyes this morning or are they getting bigger?”

  “And darker,” added Loretta.

  As the two women sat watching the butterflies, they began to realize the butterflies were beginning to resemble bats. The butterfly bats flew toward them and buzzed their heads.

  Doris shrieked.

  Loretta said, “Let’s get into the house.”

  They did their best to run. Loretta fell, and Doris helped her up. Blood ran down from the cut on Loretta’s knee. The bats were attracted to the blood and swooped down and covered her leg. Loretta screamed and swatted at the bats. The bats flew at her face and the more she swatted, the more flew at her. Doris pulled on Loretta’s arm while fighting off bats with her free arm. The bats kept flying at them. The sky above the backyard was getting black with bats.

  A cold breeze began to blow through the backyard. It blew harder the closer the women tried to get to the house. Doris and Loretta fought the wind as they tried to open the screen door. When they were finally able to get in the screen door, Doris slammed the heavy wood door, too and locked it. Several bats flew around inside the enclosed porch. Once they were safely in the kitchen with a closed door between them and the bats, Loretta sat at the kitchen table. Doris helped her wash the blood off her knee.

  “You’re going to need stitches,” Doris said as she glanced out the window. The back yard was full of black bats slamming into the house. “We also need the sheriff or animal control, I’ll call.”

  Loretta hobbled into the living room. “Take the phone. Get in the closet, one’s in the kitchen.” Both women pushed into the closet and closed the door. A thin strip of light could be seen at the bottom of the door. A bat was trying to squeeze through. Loretta stuffed two sweaters into the gap. Doris dialed 911.

  Steve stopped at the station on his way home. “I’m just checking in before taking the day off. Being on for twenty-hours has done me in.” He dropped into a chair across from the main desk.

  Greta said, “Jeannie will be here soon to take over for me, too. It’s been a long day. The sheriff’s asleep in back.” She reached for the phone as it began to ring.

  Steve mumbled, “Don’t let it be more bad news.”

  “Calm down, calm
down. I’m sure it’ll be okay. Yes, someone is on the way. Stay where you are.”

  Greta looked at Steve, “Sorry, but can you stop at Mrs. Loretta’s on your way home? She and Doris Graysbe are hiding in her living room closet. It seems the butterflies they were watching out back of her place have turned into blood loving bats. They chased them into the house. Mrs. Loretta might need help with an injured knee.”

  “On my way, I’ll call in if there’s a problem.”

  Steve stopped in front of Mrs. Loretta’s house and the neighborhood seemed quiet. He walked around the house into the backyard. Several small butterflies were fluttering around two butterfly bushes. “Nothing out of place here,” he mumbled.

  He approached the back porch and noticed both doors were closed. Opening the screen and then the wooden door, he noticed a butterfly setting on the windowsill. He knocked on the kitchen door. Listening, he thought he heard muffled voices. He opened up the back door and called out loud, “Police, anyone home.”

  He could hear the voices more clearly. “Mrs. Loretta, Mrs. Graysbe, its Steve Dunley, I’m coming in.” Entering the living room he saw a second butterfly sitting on the top of a lamp shade. He also heard both women calling for help from the closet.

  “I don’t see any bats out here, only a butterfly. I’m going to open the door.” He saw the two elderly women hugging each other tightly. Mrs. Loretta’s knee was bleeding. Both women’s eyes were wide open and they were shaking. Trying to explain at the same time, Steve was finally able to get the story.

  “Whatever caused the bats to swarm here, they’re gone. I’ll do my best to get the butterfly out of the house and I’ll take Mrs. Loretta to the hospital.” He took off his hat and caught the butterfly. He set it free out the front door.

  Doris and Loretta were sitting next to each other on the sofa. They were whispering. “Steve thinks we’re crazy. Let’s not say anymore or anything at the hospital,” Doris suggested. Loretta agreed.