by Jane Tesh
“I don’t know! This whole thing’s got me so rattled!”
“Calm down. Cooperate with the police. I’m going to solve this.”
“I need to hire you, don’t I? I need you to clear my name!”
“Nathan, it’s going to be all right. First of all, Amanda’s already hired me, so I’m on the case. Second, unless you’re lying to me, and I don’t think you are, your name doesn’t need clearing. You don’t have a reason to want Harold dead. Or do you?”
“No, of course not. I don’t have a thing against Harold Stover.”
“No leftover resentment from Celosia High? He didn’t bully you or stuff you in a locker?”
“No, no. We weren’t even in the same class. I knew who he was in town, but we rarely came in contact.”
“Then you need to calm down.”
He took a few deep breaths. “All right. I’ll try to keep it together.”
“Show me what’s going on around camp.”
Giving me another tour and talking about all the events he’d planned helped Nathan steady himself. At the end of the open house, he blew his whistle and announced it was time to go. “Thank you for coming, everyone! If you haven’t already signed up for the summer session, please go by the main cabin. Those of you riding the camp bus, make sure we have your address. We’ll see you Monday morning.”
While Nathan made sure everyone had a ride home, I met Jerry at the campfire site.
“Here’s what I found out today,” I told him. “According to Constance Tate, who may or may not have a black rose tattoo hiding under her watch, Amanda has difficulty getting along with people because she’s such a perfectionist.”
“Not the word I would’ve chosen, but go on.”
“Two members of Harold’s committee told me Harold had no enemies. I couldn’t get in touch with two of the girls on Annie’s list, but the third, Renee Hedley, is going undercover in the Parkland coven, despite Annie’s protests.”
“Damn, I wanted to go undercover.”
“You may still get your chance.”
“Don’t you think Annie knows more than she’s telling?”
“I’ve felt that from the beginning.”
“I’ve been busy, too. Nathan says to get to the edge of his property on the Westberry side, you cross the lake and go through his woods about three miles until you come to a fence that separates his woods from the woods that border Peaceful Meadow. He said we could explore whenever we liked.”
“Good. Oh, two other things. I left a message for Amanda’s ex-husband’s wife, Tammy, to give me a call. And the murder weapon was a heavy piece of wood.”
“That’s what Nathan told me, when he was coherent. That phone call scared the hell out of him. He said he never should’ve lost his temper in front of the other counselors.”
“Yes, but you know how provoking Amanda can be.”
Amanda was beyond provoking.
Then Nathan joined us. He’d just gotten off the phone with Amanda. “That woman’s completely insane! She wants to come out here and hunt for Emmaline’s cabin. I told her if she set one foot on Camp Lakenwood, I’d call the police. She’s not going to find anything because I won’t have her put that stupid play of hers on my land. Tell her to find another place for her drama. There will be no drama here!”
Oh, I was sure there would be drama. “Jerry and I will look across the lake, anyway. I’ll be sure to tell Amanda we didn’t find any historical sites.”
Nathan motioned toward the dock. “How are your rowing skills? Do you want to use one of the canoes?”
Jerry and a canoe had “overboard” written all over it. “How about a rowboat?”
“Take what you like. I’ve got things I have to do in my office. Do you have a compass? How far into the woods are you planning to go?”
I didn’t want to upset Nathan by mentioning that the woods bordering his land had been the site of a coven. “To the edge of your property. How far is it?”
“Close to three miles.”
“Is there a path of any sort?”
“No, but if you walk straight in you should come to a fence.”
At the dock Jerry and I chose one of the sturdier-looking boats. We sat beside each other in the boat and rowed out across the lake. The water was as calm as a bathtub with a few ripples as ducks got out of the way.
When we first saw Camp Lakenwood, an obstacle course and some ancient teepees had been on the opposite side. Nathan moved the obstacle course to the main area of the camp, but teepees still poked up from the trees on the far side of the lake. Even with our amateur rowing skills, it took less than fifteen minutes to cross the lake. We pulled up to the sagging dock, which was a bit shaky when we stepped up onto it, but held our weight.
Jerry tied the rowboat to one of the dock’s warped posts. “This is the next thing Nathan’s going to fix. He said the campers can stay at the main camp this year until he decides what to do with the teepees. They’ve been here since the Fifties.” He paused. “I thought there were six of them.”
Five faded and dilapidated teepees stood in a circle at the edge of the woods, the remains of an ancient campfire in the center of the circle. Thick grass had grown in and around the teepees. As we approached, a startled rabbit fled from the grass. A few feet away, the forest was slowly reclaiming the land, vines reaching out from small saplings and leaves and pine needles thick on the ground.
Growing up in Pageant Land, I didn’t spend much time outdoors. Jerry had had the extensive grounds and woods of the Fairweather estate to play in and needed his forest skills later in life when running and hiding from people who failed to appreciate his attempts to separate them from their money. So when he took an experienced look at the sun, said, “This way,” and charged on ahead, I naturally followed.
Further in, the trees were older and thicker, mostly pine trees, but a few I recognized as oaks and sycamores. I was ready for us to fight our way through the underbrush, but except for tangled groves of thorns, we didn’t have any trouble.
Around one stand of trees Jerry pointed out a clump of rhododendron bushes. “Look out. Evil rhododendron.”
“If it grows all through the woods, the witches would have easy access. Tell Nathan not to let the campers chew on it.”
“We’re not letting the campers chew on anything.”
A large fallen log blocked the path, and after checking for snakes, Jerry said it was safe to climb over. “A hollow log is good snake territory. Now that the weather’s getting warm, they’re coming out.”
“You are so handy.” The forest stretched off in all directions. I was already turned around. “If we find it’s too far, we might reach the coven site from the other side.”
“I don’t mind being out in the woods with you.”
“I’m glad you’re along. All these trees look the same to me.”
“If we come across the coven site, what are you hoping to find there?”
“I think the younger witches are using it.”
“Would they have a reason to poison Eric Levin? Or have a connection to Harold’s murder?”
“The men may have discovered their secret place and threatened to expose them. All this is conjecture, you understand. I really don’t know what’s going on, but that has not stopped me before.”
We’d walked about half an hour when we saw a tall, saggy triangle of cloth propped between two large pine trees.
“I think we’ve found the missing teepee,” Jerry said.
A walking stick with a dragon’s head rested against one of the trees. Little pots full of fuzzy plants sat under a clothesline draped with gauzy scarves and wind chimes. We could hear a woman’s voice singing about flowers and rainbows.
“And Megan Underwood’s hideout. Hello!” Jerry called. “Anyone home?”
Megan came out of the teep
ee, still dressed in her bohemian flowing skirt and blouse, her long curls in disarray and wound about with daisy chains. She didn’t seem alarmed or surprised to see us. “Greetings, friends.”
“Greetings,” I said. “I’m Madeline Fairweather, and this is my husband, Jerry.”
“Madeline.” She took my hands in hers and stared into my eyes. “You are a seeker of truth and a creator of beauty. Welcome to my home.” Then she caught Jerry’s hands and held them for a long moment. “You have a delightful, playful soul, but there has been great tragedy in your life, tragedy you were finally able to overcome. I’m so glad for you.”
Jerry thanked her, giving me a brief frown. His parents had died in a fire, and for years, he’d mistakenly thought it was his fault. I’d found out the truth, and he was able to overcome the tragedy. “That’s quite a gift you’ve got there, Ms. Underwood.”
“Yes, yes, a gift and a curse.”
“How long have you been living here?” I asked.
“For years. Centuries. Time has little meaning for me.”
“You do know you’re on private property that belongs to Nathan Fenton.”
She waved a hand as if to dismiss this minor detail. “The forest belongs to everyone.”
“No, this particular part of the forest belongs to Nathan.”
She smiled at me as if I were a small child. “No one can own nature, Madeline. It’s like trying to contain the wind. It must blow as it chooses.”
“That’s something you need to discuss with him.”
“I need to be where Emmaline Ross lived and breathed. I need to feel her presence in the roots of my soul.”
“Is this where her cabin used to be?”
“I have called upon the half moon to communicate with the spirits of the moon.”
“Did they know?”
“We must wait till the moon is full.”
“Jerry, you try.”
He stepped forward with his best smile. “Ms. Underwood. May I call you Megan? I have also spoken with the spirits in séances. My guide is a lovely enchantress, very much like yourself, who helps me contact those who have passed on to other realms. What led you to this particular spot?”
I could tell Megan liked being described as a “lovely enchantress.” She toyed with one of her many beaded necklaces. “There was a strange element in the atmosphere. I’m not sure how to explain it.”
The smell of spectral grapes, perhaps? I wanted to ask.
She closed her eyes. “I was drawn to this place as I was drawn to embody Emmaline. The peace, the serenity.”
“That’s about to change,” Jerry said. “In case you didn’t know, on Monday, Camp Lakenwood is open for business, and dozens of small children will be yelling, splashing, and screaming all day long for six weeks.”
Her eyes opened wide. “Is this true? Will they be coming over here?”
“Not at first, but eventually, yes.”
“Dear me.”
“Maybe we could help you move your things to a more receptive place?”
“I must go deeper into the woods.”
“No, Nathan owns the forest, and he’s planning to let the campers use all of it.”
Megan thought it over. “Perhaps it’s time for me to move on.”
“Do you have a place to stay?” I asked.
“I’ll go where the wind takes me.”
“If you get a part in the outdoor drama, you’ll want to be closer to town,” Jerry said.
I followed his lead. “And if this is the site of Emmaline’s cabin, no one should disturb it. Why don’t you gather your things? Jerry can take me across the lake and then come back for you.”
Megan agreed to this plan. While she wedged the little pots of herbs into a large worn shoulder bag with ragged fringe, Jerry pulled me over to one side. “Something else is going on here, trust me.”
“What?”
“Think about it. She called you a seeker of truth and a creator of beauty, so she knows you’re an investigator and an artist. And all that about great tragedy in my life? Easy enough to look up on the Internet.”
“Is she conning us?”
“Of course she is. But she probably doesn’t see herself as a con artist. She uses the same tricks to make people think she’s magic. So what’s she really doing out here?”
I glanced back at Megan, who was rolling up the wind chimes in the scarves. “Good question.”
“Check her for tattoos.”
I’d already decided that Megan was an ideal candidate for the original coven. “Let me help you with that, Megan. What lovely bracelets you have. Did you make them?”
She lifted and turned her hand so I could admire the bright beads and seeds strung together on twisted pieces of string. “I did. It’s so comforting to be touching nature. All these were woven from plant fibers dyed with natural dyes.” She held up her other hand and twisted them both, making the bracelets dance.
No tattoo. I glanced at Jerry and shook my head. He raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Megan, let’s see about getting you home.”
Chapter Ten
Jerry and I rowed over to camp, and then he returned for Megan and her treasures. Everything she owned fit into the oversized shoulder bag.
Nathan was not happy to learn she’d been squatting on his land. “Ms. Underwood, you did not have my permission to camp over there. I would be liable if something happened to you.”
She apologized. “I must have taken a wrong turn. I didn’t know that part of the forest was Camp Lakenwood. I was following my instincts.”
“Did your instincts lead you to any real proof that Emmaline Ross lived there?”
“No, but who needs proof when the truth lies in the heart?”
“I do,” he said. “Please find somewhere else to camp.”
When I asked Megan where she’d like to go, she said she needed to meditate on the answer, so she spent the trip to Celosia singing softly in the backseat. We heard “Flower days, dancing sunbeams, and rainbows, loveliest place in the universe” until I had a sugar rush.
Jerry grinned and spoke over his shoulder to Megan. “What is that lovely song?”
“Oh, we sang it all the time in Peaceful Meadow where I grew up. It was like our national anthem.”
“Do you mind if I sing along?”
“Please do.”
Even my fiercest glare couldn’t keep him from joining in. When they’d finished, I said, “Were you trying to get back to Peaceful Meadow?”
“Yes, but I had to stop and enjoy the forest.”
A forest that led to another forest before reaching the meadow. Had she really been that turned around?
In town, Megan asked to be let out at the park. “Thank you very much for the ride. I can tell you are sensitive souls who are grateful to have found each other. Let me give you this gift.” She rummaged in the bag and handed Jerry a pale leather circle with an open weave design in the center. Beaded fringe and feathers dangled from the end. “It’s a dream catcher. May it catch all the bad dreams and let the good dreams through.”
Jerry thanked her. I tried again for more information. “Megan, is there any other reason besides this connection you feel with Emmaline that you wanted to be in that part of the woods?”
Her dreamy eyes gazed off in the distance. “What more reason do I need?”
“Maybe you were looking for the site of the Darkrose Coven.”
If I was hoping for a reaction, I didn’t get one. “Oh, no. That’s long gone.”
“Were you a member?”
“No, I had no interest in casting spells.”
“When you lived in Peaceful Meadow, did you ever see them?”
“They weren’t very friendly. When they came out there, they stayed in the woods.”
“No one from the commune obje
cted?”
“We should all strive to be kind to one another. Live and let live, I say. Thank you for the ride, my friends.”
That was all we could discover. She gathered her shoulder bag and got out of the car.
Jerry watched her drift away. “She’s got the whole act going, though, the wild hair, the beads, the reincarnation.”
“If it’s all an act, then what is it for? She didn’t have a black rose tattoo, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t have one in the past.” I checked my watch. “Our little encounter with Megan set our coven search back.”
“Plenty of daylight left. We could try it from the Peaceful Meadow side.”
We were halfway there when my phone rang. It was Joanie Raines.
“Madeline, can you come to my house right away? There’s a policeman asking all sorts of questions, and I need you to explain things.”
“What’s the trouble?”
“Apparently, a lot of people heard me complaining about Amanda Friday night. She’s insisting someone set her up for Harold Stover’s murder, but it sure as hell wasn’t me! Come tell the police that. I live on Viewmont Road next to the Methodist church.”
“Be right there.” I ended the call. “First Amanda, then Nathan, and now Joanie Raines is a suspect and wants me to talk to the police.” I turned the car around. “There’s something to be said for being the only detective in town.”
***
For such a large woman, Joanie’s house was tiny and dainty. Everything was pink and ruffled, including the mailbox, the bird bath, and the welcome mat. Joanie and the policeman were standing in the narrow foyer. Jerry and I squeezed in. The policeman was a fellow I’d met before, but I didn’t get a chance to say hello before Joanie demanded I set him straight.
“Tell this officer exactly what happened Friday night and what I said.”
“To the best of my knowledge, you said Amanda was setting everything up so that she could be the star of the outdoor drama. It was her game and we had to play by her rules.”
“And that we hadn’t lived here long enough to see that what Amanda wanted, Amanda got,” Jerry said.
