“Who did? Who were they?”
“Mom, hurry up. Don’t ask a bunch of questions right now.”
I heard Cherilyn from outside. “Tali. Someone’s coming and I don’t know who. It could be the bad guys.
Great. We didn’t know who the bad guys were.
I grabbed the door handle and rattled the door as hard as I could, then saw the damned latch with the padlock at the top of the door. Well, shit. That hadn’t been there before.
“Cherilyn, throw the axe through to me.”
“Something’s watching me.”
“Do it anyway, I have to get Cass out of here.”
“Where is it?”
“I don’t know. I’m in here, you’re out there. I know I dropped it before I launched myself through that little hole.”
“Oh. Here it is.”
I waited. “Throw it already.”
“All right, watch out.”
I dodged to keep from being hit by the flying blade. I picked it up and whacked at the padlock with the thick end of the tool. The angle was too high for any decent leverage but I figured if I banged at it long enough the wood might give way.
Finally, the wood splintered and the lock fell off. Cass burst through the door much as Cherilyn and I had the day before, her eyes wild as her tangled hair. She threw herself at me, catching me in a bear hug that took my breath away once again.
I staggered back, grabbed her in a hug and dragged her toward the door. “Let’s go, babe. Cherilyn said something was coming.”
She stopped, stiff like a post, her eyes wide with fright. “Wait. I can’t go out there if they’re coming.”
“Who do you think is coming? Why?”
“I don’t know who. Something grabbed me from the house. I passed out or something and woke up in that room. But if the thing is coming back, I don’t want to go out and meet it.”
“Was it Chase or his friends?”
“Mom. What part of I don’t know don’t you understand? I passed out. I was alone here when I woke up. End of story.”
Well she was feeling better. Every muscle in my body hurt from jumping through windows to rescue her. “Not end-of-story if the mysterious kidnappers are coming back. And why did they or he take you in the first place?”
“I wouldn’t know, I’m not a mind reader like you. I know it’s better here than out there.”
“It’s not safe in here so let’s go, now, without any more argument, young lady.”
“All right, already. Don’t get your stuff in a bunch.” She dragged a chair to the door, stepped up and climbed through, much more gracefully.
I climbed up, sat on the edge of the window, grabbed waiting hands, and jumped down. “JT what are you doing here? How did you find us?”
“I could ask you the same thing. How did you end up here?”
“I asked you first. Cherilyn and I cut over from the lake, not realizing we could get here from there. Her car is still back there.”
“We got a call reporting activity at the old Rayburn house so we headed out.”
“That was convenient. Who reported it?”
“Didn’t leave their name.”
“Do you think someone wanted you to find Cass?”
JT raised on eyebrow. “Seems that way but then why bother taking Cass in the first place? What would that accomplish other than scaring her and you?”
“Maybe that was the idea, making us feel vulnerable or something. I don’t know. I keep trying to find some logic in all of this. Do you think the murders are somehow connected with the kidnapping?”
JT shook his head. “I don’t see how or why. It has to be coincidence.”
I took a deep breath and let it out. “How long have you been in law enforcement? How often do you see true coincidence?”
Cass’s eyes were smudged by dark circles and her voice shook. “How long are we going to hang around out here?” she snapped. “I’m cold, I have to go to the bathroom, and I’m tired. Can’t you guys figure this out at home and let me get cleaned up, take a shower?”
* * * *
I was right. Home didn’t feel secure any longer. It was the second time in six months someone had broken the front window. I was so tempted to take it out, or add bars, but I refused to live in a jail. I hoped Mumsie’s homeowners insurance would pay. I’d have to come up with the deductible because if we hadn’t come, it wouldn’t have happened.
Poor Mumsie. If we hadn’t moved into her house last spring, her life would have been so much simpler. No one would have broken windows or scrawled graffiti to the front. She wouldn’t have been pulled into rescuing us from the killer who was after me because I served on his jury. An angry ghost might not have settled into the house for a while. Now, it had started again.
I hadn’t been back to the amphitheatre or auditorium to check behind the cleanup crew. I felt as if it should be later in the day but there was another hour before Sean made it home from school. I heard the shower still running. Cass might turn into a prune and use all the hot water before she came out, but that was fine. I told Mumsie I’d be right back and jumped into the car. As I pulled out of the drive, I saw Mumsie gesture and wave, and I waved back.
The amphitheatre was empty, the dressing rooms padlocked so no one could set up housekeeping or decide they were public restrooms. The rows of concrete steps were swept clean of food containers, funnel cake plates, drink cups, cotton candy cones. The carnival was gone, the Ferris wheel down already. The Pavilion stood empty of animals. Something watched, waited. The hair on the back of my neck rose, sending shivers down my back.
I was creeping myself out. Time to go. I turned to go up the stairs and saw a flash of red, more than a flash.
Oh, please. I couldn’t breathe. Not blood. Please, not blood.
Chapter Twenty-one
I trudged up the stairs to the fourth row up and saw something stuffed under one of the wooden benches next to the wall. Stuffed, not pooled, so it wasn’t blood. But what was it? How did the crew miss it? I pulled it out and shook it, saw it was the missing costume from the Queen Contest. That’s odd. The contest was in the auditorium, not the amphitheatre. How did it end up here?
I waited for a flash of something from holding the outfit, but nothing. Go figure. If I had paranormal gifts, they were not being too helpful at the moment. Nothing was right.
Okay. I was whining again. There must be something positive I could do to make myself feel better. Like have sex with a good-looking man. Now that was random.
I climbed back down the stairs, crossed the stage, and climbed the hill to the street. It was clear and empty except for one red Chevy.
I started across the street when the car shot toward me. Something hard slammed into me, carrying me into the ditch at the side of the road. I knew I was dead and gone. When I landed, I was still conscious and not hurting—much. I wasn’t among the deceased. What hit me? Who? Why? I was so tired of questions.
I looked down at my body… and the one under me. Under me? I rolled over. “Aiden, what are you doing here, and why are you under me?”
He grinned. “A good place to be, if you ask me. What did you do to make her so mad?”
“Who?”
“The person who just tried to run you down.”
My knees shook to the point I had to sit on the curb and look up at him. “How did you happen to be here to rescue me, and how do you know that person saw me?”
“She saw you all right.”
I couldn’t have heard him right. “You’re telling me someone tried to run me down, on purpose? What? You could read her mind? Why didn’t you stop her or chase her down?”
“In broad daylight? Where people can see? I can’t do that.”
“You did your thing—whatever it was—twice with me.” I held out my hand. “Help me up, you’re making my neck hurt.”
“In an emergency, because someone has to keep you from getting killed. You managed to be where the wolves gathered to prepare for the full mo
on. You ended up involved with murder and witchcraft in such a short time.”
“Witchcraft. We are not witches. Why won’t anyone understand that having a gift doesn’t automatically make you a witch?”
Aiden shook his head. “I wasn’t talking about you or your family. I was talking about the black magic surrounding this town. Something evil.”
The quiet street filled with traffic as people passed on their way to pick up kids from school. “What are you talking about? Like, the wicked witch of the west?”
“No. Not a fairy tale. Reality, Tali. Magic exists, as does evil. Some people would consider me evil. That thing you held in your hands when I tackled you reeked of magic.”
It was my turn to shake my head, in disbelief. “It’s a kid’s dance costume from the contest. What did you think it was?”
“I think the dress could be part of the magic that killed those women… girls. I think you are dealing with something beyond what you or JT realize or have the ability to handle.”
I shivered, wishing I’d grabbed my jacket when I jumped into the car to leave. My cell was in the pocket. “Aiden, I need to go. Sean will be showing up soon. I should be with the family now that we’re all together again.
“You found Cass? Where was she? You should have told me.”
“You’re right. That was thoughtless of me. I’ve been so wound up with everything, I’m becoming way too self centered.
“We need to talk about this and we need to talk about us.”
I turned to face him, my hands in fists so tight my nails dug into my palms. “I don’t think there is an ‘us’ and I don’t know why you are trying so hard to scare me, but you’re doing it.”
Aiden reached out to touch my shoulder. “I’m not trying to frighten you, just find a way to keep you safe. Make sure you know what you are facing.”
“No one can keep anyone else from harm. I’m responsible for myself and my family.” I walked away from Aiden without looking back, leaving the man who just saved my life standing alone in the street.
* * * *
At home, after dinner, Mumsie paced the kitchen. “I tried to stop you from going out without more help. You didn’t pay attention.”
Hot water steamed the window as I rinsed dishes and set them in the dish drainer. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you say anything.”
“I ran out and tried to stop you.”
“I’m sorry. I was in such a hurry, but everything is fine. I’m not hurt.”
“Through no fault of your own. Why would you rush out like that and go back where the murders happened, by yourself without at least talking to me first?”
“I really don’t think I was in danger. This is the town I grew up in. I can’t be afraid to go anywhere or to be at home.”
“Tali, there are things going on I’m not sure you understand or would want to know.”
“You sound like Aiden. He babbled on about black magic and witchcraft, fairy tales. I tried to tell him we were not witches. We just have a gift.”
Mumsie turned off the water in the sink and handed me a towel.
“Hey, I’m not done.”
“Come sit down. We need to talk about this.”
I followed her to the table.
She gestured and I sat down. She sat opposite. “Aiden is a smart man. He knows what he’s talking about. You have to listen.”
“But he’s not making sense—wicked witches, monsters, evil.”
“Tali, do you really think the murders have nothing to do with magic? You described the bodies to me. A person couldn’t do this—at least not anyone we know. But someone or something did. Who do you know strong enough to jump through a window, snatch a full-size girl, run away on foot, and not get caught? Are these what you would call normal, everyday incidents?”
“You really think something from a horror movie is stalking women in Love, Texas.”
“I know Love attracts magic and magic attracts all kinds of things. This town is a magnet and things are drawn here that don’t always appear elsewhere. Most of these convergences take place in cities, but we got lucky enough to have one in our little town.”
“Well thanks so much. First a ghost and now… what am I supposed to do now?”
“You are supposed to do what you do. Help people, find the evil, and get rid of it, but not without help from others, not practically by yourself.”
“Did you get the impression I’ve turned into Buffy the Vampire Slayer somewhere along the way, or Xena the Warrior Princess? I can’t fight evil. I can’t even pay the kid’s medical bills.”
“You are going to have to accept it, Tali. Somehow you have tapped into the magic here and I believe you can use it to help find out who murdered people in this town. Somehow it’s part of the contest and fair and us. We don’t have a choice. Why do you think I have spirit guides who reveal themselves to me? Most people don’t. I can’t tell everyone about them or I’d be on a locked adult psych unit somewhere being treated for schizophrenia.”
“You see them? They’re here? Are they here now?”
Mumsie used her soothing voice. “Yes, they’re here right now. Amen Ka looks bored and Chung Po is watching you with great interest.”
“Great. Just great. You mean I have creepy guys following me around too?”
“Um, no. You have only one and she’s never spoken to me, she usually looks a little unhappy—well, a lot unhappy. You never speak to her yourself.”
By this time my mouth had fallen open. I snapped it shut. “I’m not going there. Can you imagine if I start going around talking about—or, worse yet, to—an imaginary friend?”
“Tali, she doesn’t look Egyptian or Chinese. She might be an informative guide.”
“Thanks, but no thanks. Let’s go back to this fighting-evil thing. Aiden has powers, physical powers, I’ve seen them. Can’t he do it, fight the evil whatevers?”
“About Aiden, there is something you need to know about him—”
I interrupted. “Okay then, there must be someone. I don’t have any physical powers. I can’t fight like some superhero. I’m just me.”
“Most warriors don’t have superpowers unless they are truly magical beings like angels, fairies, or an occasional demon. Warriors may have some training, but Sam Lopez could help you with that. The other thing most warriors have is friends with the expertise to help. You have Aiden, me and the boys, as you insist on calling them. They hate that by the way. You have JT.”
“What if Aiden doesn’t stay around? And JT has Laurel, too.”
“Someone else will come and your abilities will increase. You will get stronger.”
“Do you know how much I hate this whole idea? I attract magic, evil—and fate says I have to battle it, defeat it somehow? I came here to raise my family in a safe place. Lead a life, not lead an army against the legion of darkness.”
I stood up. “If you knew all this, why didn’t you warn me when I first got here? How could you do this to me? You’re my mother. I’ve put my children in danger by coming and the idea is to protect them, not the damn universe or this town. You’ve always known how I felt about the woo-woo stuff and now I’m in the middle of it.”
Mumsie was hurt by the accusations but she spoke quietly. “This was all set in motion long before you came but your choices had to be your own. And you made the right ones. You did come, you did stick to it when you stopped the last string of murders. You’ll make the right choices this time too, in spite of your instinct to run the other way. But remember, you’re dealing with an ancient evil draining the life-force from people, that’s what turns them into mummies.”
“Why? How could someone do that?”
“If you steal someone’s life force, you stop your own aging process.”
“That’s sick. I don’t even want to think about it.”
Tears stung and pushed against the backs of my eyes. I turned and walked away onto the deck, leaving Mumsie staring after me like I had left Aiden earlier. Now whe
re do I go, what do I do? There wasn’t a good place for me to stomp off to—like a corner bar to order a double martini. Love County was dry. My face wasn’t. Tears spilled over and down my face. I didn’t bother to wipe them away.
I shivered and hunched my shoulders. Fall was here. I should fire up the chimenea but didn’t have the energy.
What did they want from me? Was I really supposed to risk everything, fight things I didn’t want to know exist? It’s not fair. Daddy, it’s not fair. I stopped. I hadn’t had one of those conversations with my dad for years. I used to run to him when my mother wanted me to do something I felt was unreasonable. He’d explain to me why it was okay, how I truly wasn’t being singled out of all the other kids in the world to be tormented.
He always made me feel better, and I so wished he was by me now, his arm around my shoulder, assuring me of my place in the world in the scheme of things. I took a deep breath and thought I detected the scent of Dad’s aftershave, old-fashioned Old Spice. I felt a warmth, as if something kept me safe.
Fear drifted away for a moment. He was here—at least, in my heart. And I didn’t have to decide everything this moment. I didn’t have to accept everything that was thrown at me. And if I had the means to stop murder, I’d have to do it. It wasn’t as if I could just look the other way.
Panic slammed in right behind the calm and I let out a scream when another, harder, and not-so-warm arm came down on my shoulders.
Chapter Twenty-two
I gasped, jumped, and slugged Aiden. “Shit, shit, shit, that hurt.”
“You shouldn’t try to hit me, you’ll only hurt yourself.”
“Hell fire and damnation. You have to stop just appearing. My God, you will succeed in giving me a heart attack.”
He backed up when he saw the expression on my face. “What’s wrong? I wanted to see if you were still angry with me.”
“Oh, I’m fine. I’m having a nervous breakdown. Mumsie gave me the whole speech, you know—all about monsters and fairy tales are alive and well and living in Love County.”
He grinned. “What was your reaction?”
Carol Shenold - Tali Cates 02 - Bloody Murder Page 16
