Gypsy Spirits

by Marianne Spitzer

  ***

  The Grandfather clock in the parlor downstairs had just announced four o’clock when Daniel woke with a start. He quickly woke Annamarie and told her they were after him again.

  “What, who,” she mumbled, half asleep.

  “The spirits, I saw them all in the woods.”

  “You were asleep Daniel and had a nightmare.”

  “No,” he said. “I was in the woods alone, and the spirits are there.”

  “Then you can tell me what they look like.”

  “I don’t know, misty things floating around between the trees.”

  “That sounds like things we see in movies.”

  “,” Daniel yelled jumping out of bed. “They’re real and I could see their eyes staring at me.”

  “Eyes, are you serious?”

  “Yes, I saw them clearly.”

  Annamarie couldn’t believe it was beginning again. The entire time they were in Oaklin Daniel was well. No nightmares, no spirits. One night back in Timmus Woods and he was having nightmares.

  “Maybe Dr. Norse can give you sleeping pills,” Annamarie suggested, “It might help with the nightmares.”

  Daniel refused to tell any doctor about the spirits, and Annamarie felt helpless about what to do now. Maureen would be of no help, and George thought locking Daniel in a psychiatric ward was the only answer. Grandpa was gone, and she couldn’t tell her parents. They could move out of town, but Grandpa’s house would become a museum. He’d wanted Daniel and Annamarie to live in the house. However, they did have the bonds and could buy a house anywhere, and let the town have the house.

  She was so confused her head hurt. She would have to deal with this alone. She did her best to calm Daniel, and they both finally fell back to sleep.

  At breakfast, Daniel didn’t mention the nightmare or the spirits. He admitted the stress he felt facing his mother’s anger yesterday.

  Annamarie said maybe the stress might have brought on bad dreams, and Daniel ignored her comment. Annamarie knew he was beginning to believe the spirits were after him again. She didn’t think it would be long before he blamed them for his mother’s actions, and every other thing that went wrong in his life. Annamarie was relieved Daniel was asleep last night, and she didn’t tell him she thought she was pregnant. He would only worry more about the spirits and the baby. He might even compare her to his grandmother. Annamarie knew she had to find help for Daniel and the sooner, the better, but had no idea where to look.

  They left for work in separate vehicles since their schedules weren’t meshing. Daniel asked her not to go to the big house alone, but to pack at the ranch house until he could be with her. She agreed because there was a lot to do before they could move everything they needed into grandpa’s house.

  ***

  Maureen and George ignored Daniel for the most part at the office, and Annamarie found more work for her to do than usual. Mr. Hanson was slowly trying to get the dairy back up to running full time the way it was before Ben died. His goal was the following Monday, and Annamarie said she would do whatever she could to help.

  A little before eleven-thirty Daniel phoned Annamarie. He said Mr. Townsend called to tell him a messenger had just delivered their check. He told her they had a one o’clock appointment.

  “I’ll meet you there.”

  Able to leave at noon, she stopped in at Ray’s to kill some time and eat lunch before leaving for Mr. Townsend’s.

  Upon their arrival, Mr. Townsend handed them an envelope containing the check and had them sign a receipt for it. He also gave them a card for the financial counselor he had mentioned. He told them they could make an appointment with him, and ask questions before making any decisions.

  Thanking him for his help, they walked to the bank. They both signed the back of the check in front of the teller and said they wanted to deposit fifteen thousand into their account and have five thousand in cash. The teller needed to get her supervisor for the transaction.

  Annamarie was nervous because she knew the money was a payoff for Garret’s partner, and she felt like a criminal again. She wished it was all over.

  The supervisor seemed a bit suspicious even with Daniel as the person requesting the cash. It was a lot of money. Daniel quickly explained they were going to Oaklin to hire a contractor, plumber, and electrician plus order new kitchen cabinets and appliances for the Logan house, and needed the money for all the different down payments.

  “Of course, Mr. Logan,” He smiled.

  The teller counted out the money in one hundred dollar bills and placed them in an envelope. Daniel put the envelope in his inside suit pocket and thanked the teller. By the time they left, Annamarie’s hands were shaking.

  Daniel said, “Now we can put my plan into motion. Go home, I’ll get Nancy.”

  Annamarie was afraid, but she needed to be somewhere she felt safe, and even the ranch house was a sanctuary at this point.

  ***

  Daniel saw Greta’s car at the sheriff’s station and knew it was safe to get Nancy. He went to a pay phone outside the gas station and called Greta’s number. Nancy answered, and he told her it was time for the plan. He would be there in five minutes to pick her up.

  Stuffing what little she had into her bag, she ran out to Daniel’s Jeep when it pulled up outside Greta’s house.

  “Do you have the phone number?”

  “Yes, but I’m scared.”

  “Things will be okay. I worked out all the details.”

  This time Daniel drove to a pay phone outside the Tangledbranch Saloon. It was empty at this time of day, and Nancy could easily make and receive a call without being noticed.

  She dialed the number she was given when the man looking for her had tracked down her girlfriend. A male voice answered, and Nancy said what she’d been instructed to say.

  “My name is Nancy. I have his money,” and gave him the number of the phone. Nancy went back to the Jeep to wait with Daniel for the return call. Their wait was less than ten minutes.

  Daniel said, “You know what to do. It’s in your hands now.”

  He went with her, she picked up the receiver.

  ***

  Annamarie paced up and down instead of packing. She knew Daniel and Nancy would come to the house first, and then the three of them would head for the pines. She thought she should tell Daniel about the baby, but he might make her stay home, and they needed three for his plan. She could call the sheriff, Steve or even George. She needed someone, anyone that might help Daniel deal with the situation. Was she crazy to go along with the plan?

  Daniel thought killing this man was his only way to be free of him and the danger. If she called the sheriff, he could be there and arrest the man. In prison, he would be away from them. They would be safe. She had to call and reaching for the phone, she heard the Jeep pull up. It was too late.

  Daniel and Nancy walked in the back-door. Nancy looked fearful while Daniel had the look of a man on his way to a sporting event. He was happy and excited.

  “Baby,” he said to Annamarie, “did you remember to leave clothes here for me to change into?”

  “Yes, they’re on the bed.”

  Annamarie also had a change of clothes ready for their trip into the pines. Jeans, a long sleeve shirt, and hiking boots were important when you were walking near the bluff in the evening, both for stability and to keep the mosquitoes off. Annamarie didn’t have hiking boots, and her old gym tennis shoes would have to do. She didn’t plan on getting near the edge. Nancy’s knee high boots didn’t look like hiking boots either, but then she also wouldn’t be close enough to need non-skid boots.

  Daniel, on the other hand, needed them since he intended to be right at the edge to either push Garret’s partner over alive or toss his body after he’d been shot. Either scenario worked for Daniel.

  He said he felt the plan was working out perfectly up to this point. Nancy was able to convince Garret’s partner she found the money Garret owed him, and she’d give it b
ack to him. She explained he had to come to Timmus Woods by telling him the sheriff had been keeping her under house arrest with a crazy lady. She’d finally been able to escape, but couldn’t get back to Oaklin without being seen.

  Nancy said she would be waiting for the man if he took Prairie Road to where it ended at the pine grove. She told him it was a short walk into the pines to an open area where they could meet. The man said he would be there at seven that evening.

  It was a little past four, and Daniel asked if anyone else was hungry. Annamarie and Nancy said they would make sandwiches to eat while Daniel changed out of his suit. A few minutes later he returned dressed like a hiker, carrying his rifle bag.

  “Do we need to take the rifle?” Annamarie asked.

  Daniel said, “We need it for security, and if something goes wrong, I’ll shoot the man. If something happens to me, then you can use the rifle.”

  The room began to spin, and Annamarie grabbed the edge of the table to keep from falling. Daniel grabbed her and helped her sit down.

  “You need something to eat,” said Daniel.

  “I’m not hungry. I had lunch. Your rifle bag scared me. It didn’t seem real until now.”

  “Don’t worry, baby. I’ll be okay, but I’m hungry.”

  “Me too,” said Nancy.

  Annamarie couldn’t decide if she wanted to scream or weep. She thought about the baby and how her own emotions might somehow affect it. Someone needed to remain rational, emotions under control for now. It would have to be her.

  If she mentioned the baby, the only difference would be Daniel forcing her to stay home, and someone had to help him. With Daniel’s mindset about the partner and the spirits, if she stayed behind and called the sheriff, there could be a tragedy beyond measure. The idea of Daniel in the pines with a rifle and the sheriff and his deputy walking around terrified her.

  Daniel said he needed to talk to Annamarie, and the two of them went into their bedroom.

  “You understand the plan, right?” said Daniel.

  All Annamarie could do was nod her head. She felt sick.

  “When that creep gets there, Nancy will give him the envelope of money, and once she’s far enough away from him, I’ll walk out with a rifle. I’m hoping at that point I can push him off the bluff without shooting, but I’ll shoot if necessary, and then throw the rifle over the bluff into the river.”

  Annamarie heard it all before, and it sounded like something from a book or movie, not reality and certainly not her reality.

  “If he has a gun or something else goes wrong, you’ll be close enough to get the rifle, and shoot him.”

  Annamarie’s mind began to spin again.

  “If he has a gun, you have a rifle, and something goes wrong, how do you expect me to get the rifle without getting shot?”

  “If he has a gun, he’ll pull it out when he talks to Nancy to keep her in line. I’ll just shoot him, and it’ll be done.”

  Voice shaking, she asked, “Don’t all men like him carry guns?”

  “Maybe, but I think he’ll be worried about being caught with a gun if the sheriff sees him again after what happened at Ray’s. Neither one of us will be hurt. Ever since we returned home, I feel the spirits growing stronger, and I believe they’re all following Magdalena now. She’s the strongest and the leader. She’s your spirit and will take care of us. I know it.”

  Annamarie realized it was useless to argue with him. Daniel said it was time to go, and she knew her husband was never going to change without help. George was right, he did need counseling and Annamarie was going to be sure he got it one way or another when this was over.

  She gave one more fleeting thought about staying behind and calling the sheriff, but Daniel with a rifle in his hands out in the pines kept her from notifying the sheriff.

  “I’ll be right out. Go have a sandwich with Nancy.”

  “Okay, baby,” Daniel said.

  Annamarie checked the drawer. The gun was still there. She felt a bit of relief knowing Daniel was only taking one gun.

  Daniel said, “We’ll take both vehicles, and park them in the garage at the Logan house. Then walk into the pines from the meadow behind the house, near where the outbuilding used to be. It gives us perfect cover there. After it’s over, Nancy you take the money to help get a good start. It’s the least we can do for Garret. You should also take the man’s vehicle. Take a right down Tangledbranch Road away from Timmus Woods, no one will notice. Get as far away as you can, and catch a bus to where your family lives.”

  Nodding, Nancy agreed with the plan, and the three of them left.

  Nancy and Daniel left in the Jeep so they could fine-tune the details. Annamarie followed in her car, shaking and crying over what was about to happen.

  While she drove, Annamarie said to herself, “I’m not a murderer, nor am I the type of person who would do anything like this, and now I’m going to be a murder accomplice. I don’t know about Nancy’s character, but Daniel’s not a murderer either. I read people can be pushed to this point. How am I ever going to know if this is part of Daniel’s character, or his fear of spirits has driven him to this? We need answers. Maybe I’ll have Daniel hospitalized for a while for his own good. George may be right. Daniel needs psychiatric care. It’s not normal to contemplate murder. After all, we have a baby coming. I pray my baby doesn’t grow up to be like Daniel. Please, little one, be a girl and gentle as a summer’s breeze.”

  They arrived at grandpa’s house and as planned, parked both vehicles in the garage. They walked through the meadow toward the pines and Nancy saw where the outbuilding had been. She understood why Daniel felt the need to have it torn down. She too was happy it was gone.

  Entering the pines on the well-worn path, they stopped approximately twenty feet from the clearing. Daniel told Nancy to walk into the clearing, meet the man, and he would be close enough behind her to get a decent shot.

  It occurred to Annamarie shooting this man had been Daniel’s plan all along. Revenge for Ben and Garret.

  Nancy slowly moved into the clearing with the envelope of money in her hand. She wants revenge, too Annamarie thought.

  A truck pulled up from the opposite side of the pines where they entered, and in a few minutes a man appeared. He didn’t seem like someone threatening except for the gun in his right hand. Walking, he casually tossed his keys up and down in his free hand, acting like a tough guy on TV. He approached Nancy where she stood looking out over the bluff.

  “Did you bring the money? I need to get out of here. Pine trees make my eyes itch,” he said.

  “Right here,” Nancy said when she held out an envelope.

  The man rubbed his eyes. “I can’t see. The pine burns my eyes.”

  Annamarie and Daniel felt a small breeze and smelled the strong scent of pine. They looked at each other in amazement.

  The man dropped his keys when he tried to clear his eyes, yelling, “What kind of place is this and what kind of trees?”

  He kept complaining about his eyes, backing away from where the scent was most intense.

  To Nancy’s horror, she watched him topple over backwards off the edge of the bluff. He never screamed. Nancy wondered if perhaps he’d grabbed a branch after he fell until she heard a thud.

  Daniel and Annamarie came running from their hiding places and Daniel peered over the edge. “He’s dead, that’s almost a thirty foot drop onto those rocks. No one could survive. It’s over.” He hugged Annamarie. “We did it.”

  Daniel picked up the keys and handed them to Nancy.

  “Take the money and the truck. Go to your family. We’re all safe. Drop us a postcard when you’re settled so we know you made it.”

  Nancy hugged Daniel and Annamarie and said, “Thanks.” She hurried out of the pines, into the truck, and drove as fast as she dared, away from Timmus Woods.

  Putting his arm around Annamarie, Daniel drew her close to him. “I can’t believe we did it and I didn’t have to shoot him. Someone will f
ind him in a day or two, and assume he fell while creeping around, trying to spy on me. This couldn’t have ended better.”

  Annamarie wasn’t sure and began to tell Daniel her concerns. He refused to listen. No one was going to trace this back to him. Besides, the spirits would see they were safe.

  Daniel grabbed Annamarie by the arm and pulled her closer to the edge of the bluff. “He’s dead. No one knows. We won.”

  “I know,” Annamarie said, her head spinning from the height.

  “What the hell’s the matter with you? You should be happy,” snapped Daniel.

  “I don’t feel well,” Annamarie said thinking she had to tell him about the baby. He had to stop acting this way. Daniel’s carefree attitude had changed.

  “Where’s the woman I saw taking on the sheriff, the one who put my mom in her place? What did you do with her?” Daniel said.

  Annamarie began to cry. “Daniel, stop. Please don’t yell at me. I feel sick.”

  Daniel said, “You feel sick, perfect. We’re supposed to be celebrating, and you get sick.”

  “What’s wrong with you, Daniel? What happened to the sweet man who made all the promises, and said we’d have a happy life together?”

  “Yeah, yeah we’ll be happy. Your spirit will see to that.”

  Annamarie stressed to the extreme and feeling her hormones going into overdrive, screamed at Daniel, “We don’t have any spirits. It’s only your imagination. You have to see that. You’re losing your grip on reality. You’ll be committed if you don’t stop all the spirit talk.”

  Daniel grabbed her by the shoulders. Annamarie didn’t want to look over the edge again, and tried to push away from Daniel, but he held on tighter.