"Yes, we are sure. The grave is empty. Zelda chased the thing and she is sure of it. As is Maurice." Hedy replied, flipping on the switch. The room blazed in incandescent light.
"Well, whatever could be behind that? Do you have any idea?" Michael asked, hanging his coat on the coat rack. He wore a red and black plaid vest, looking dapper as always. Hedy couldn't imagine how worn she looked after an afternoon of crying. She didn't dare look in the mirror.
"One theory is that there is a Lich here, coming after Louis. He ran afoul of a necromancer back in New Orleans and it might be after him now. We don't know for sure but it would explain why the house is so cold." Hedy heard Delphine's laugh again and the murmur of voices. She wanted to be in the warmth of the bakery and she took a step in that direction.
"I see. Well, it's a good thing you have friends with some abilities. Yours truly might be of assistance if this is true. It has been awhile since I had to work any kind of magic but it is like riding a bicycle. You never forget." He smiled and gave Hedy a wink, which she tried to return as best she could.
"Let's go join the others. I am actually famished. I could use a bowl of gumbo right now."
They stepped into the bakery and the laughter stopped immediately. Hedy gave Delphine a puzzled look, remarking "Don't stop on our account. What was so funny?"
The silence back seemed to stretch on until Bren chimed in. "Oh, nothing of consequence. Just a little story of my first transformation as a young boy in Berlin. I burned down a cafe by accident but the owner was thrilled - he wanted the insurance money."
"Guess you had to be there," Michael said, chuckling but no one joined him.
"Is dinner ready, Delphine? I could eat the whole pot." Hedy said, desperate to change the subject. Anything to cut the strange tension.
"Yes, it's ready. We thought we would just eat in here, if that is alright with you." Delphine replied brusquely. She took the stack of bowls and began ladling out gumbo and rice.
"Yes, let's eat in here. Haugrsson won't be joining us; he said he wants to chat with me in the morning." Hedy said, taking a seat since Delphine seemed to have everything in hand. It was strange having someone else serve her a meal in her own shop but she was beyond grateful for it.
"That's probably for the best," Delphine remarked, handing bowls to Ana and Mel, who were doing the serving honors. "We've had enough to deal with today. Tomorrow will bring new challenges."
"Hopefully it brings good news." Michael said and Delphine did not reply.
"Yes, we could use some. Let's toast to tomorrow." Hedy said, lifting her water glass. She was so thirsty. She had hardly had a thing to drink or eat all day.
"To tomorrow, whatever comes we will be ready." Bren said, raising his own glass, keeping his eyes on Michael. Michael raised his own glass in reply.
"Eat up everyone. You got the best gumbo recipe in your bowls right here. That's enough for tonight." Delphine said, bringing her own bowl to the table. Thana had joined them, sitting at the far end, closest to Michael. Hedy knew there was something very wrong in the atmosphere and she wanted to know what was behind it all, but she didn't have the strength to ask. It was enough that she had hot food in front of her and tomorrow's troubles were still hours away. Whatever was going on, she'd handle it then.
✽✽✽
After the gumbo, the group hadn't stayed together long. Ana and Mel hovered in the corner with Thana, looking over Thana's notes. Bren and Delphine did the washing up and Michael departed soon after, promising to come by in the morning to check on things. Hedy, beyond exhausted, had decided to call it an early night and had left for the attic. Uncharacteristically, both Zelda and Maurice had asked to join her. The three of them huddled under the covers in the large bed.
"I didn't always like Alice, and there was that time I tried to eat her when she was a chick, but I'm going to miss that feather headed creature." Zelda said, burrowing under the quilt so that only her face peered out. Maurice sniffed in response.
"Yes, we shall all miss her. Tomorrow, we'll bury her properly. Tomorrow, we'll do a lot of things." Hedy said, lightly tracing her fingers across Maurice's silky fur.
"It will be alright, Hedy. It will." Maurice said, creeping closer to the palm of her hand. He nestled his fur against her and the trio dozed, not even bothering to turn off the light. Hedy woke with a start when Delphine slipped under the blanket.
"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you. Everything is wrapped up downstairs. The girls have left and the house is locked up. Go back to sleep." Delphine said but Hedy barely heard her before she drifted back into darkness.
✽✽✽
It had to be dawn if she judged by the light but Hedy wasn't sure. She heard pounding and voices and feet running up the stairs. She sat up, blinking, trying to get her bearings. Delphine was sleeping next to her. Zelda and Maurice were curled up together between them. The footsteps were louder and there was a rap on the bedroom door.
"Hedy, it's me, Bren. Can I open the door?"
Bren didn't want for an answer but instead was standing there in his robe and slippers.
"What's happening, Bren?" Hedy stammered, still not sure what was happening.
"Come quickly. There's been a murder."
Chapter Twenty-Two
Hedy, Bren and the barely awake Delphine raced down the stairs. Two officers stood in the hallway, the front door wide open, letting what little heat in the house slip outside. It had snowed overnight and the front porch had an inch of snow, with several sets of boot prints leading up and down in the powder.
"Miss Leckermaul?" The first officer asked, watching the trio descend the stairs. He was bundled up in dark coat and his hat was pulled low around his ears.
"Yes, I am Hedy Leckermaul. What's happened?" Hedy approached the pair and they shifted apart slightly so she could peer out the front door.
"There is a body in your front yard. A neighbor reported it just before dawn. Someone has been mauled. We need to ask you some questions. All of you." The second officer said, closing the gap again to keep Hedy from going outside.
"Let's go in here," she gestured toward the bakery and the officer closed the door before following her into the room. The lights were off and the room was freezing.
"Is this everyone who is in the house right now?" The first officer asked, watching her as she flipped on the light and turned up the thermostat.
"I have a guest upstairs who is visiting." Hedy said, wondering how the Director had managed to sleep through the racket.
"That's all," Delphine said, giving Hedy a steely look that said no one should mention Louis.
"Well, you better wake him up because we'll need to talk with him as well." The second officer said, sitting down at the table. "Do you have any coffee?" He asked, watching Hedy nod.
"I'll wake up Haugrsson." Bren said, turning back toward the entry.
"I'll fix the coffee." Delphine said, heading behind the counter.
"Then you can answer some questions, Miss Leckermaul." The second officer said, gesturing toward the chair.
✽✽✽
The next several hours were a blur. Again and again, the officers wanted to know if anyone had left the house, what time they had gone to bed, had they heard anything, and on and on. Everyone answered the same - no one had left the house after 8:00 PM, everyone had gone to bed early and no one had heard a sound. Outside, there was a coroner's vehicle from the county, several more officers and a bright barrier of police tape around part of the front yard. Hedy could see the bright color through the front window.
"Did you know the deceased, a Mr. Stuart Miller?" Hedy shook her head, as did the rest of the group. They were grouped around the officers, with Director Haugrsson standing near the entry.
"Why are you all staying in this house?" The ruddy faced officer asked, looking first at the tall blonde man leaning against the wall.
"I have business with Miss Leckermaul." Haugrsson replied, clearly not planning to elaborate.
&
nbsp; "Bren and Delphine are friends. They are visiting." Hedy replied. Two cups of coffee later and she still felt like she was dreaming. Someone was dead on her front lawn. She saw the flash of cameras through the window, taking photos of the scene.
"We'll need you to keep your shop closed today while we continue to investigate. And don't leave town. We'll need to make prints of your shoes, Mister Aldebrand and Mister...Haugrsson. There were prints found in the snow near the body. Officer Nguyen will accompany you upstairs to gather the shoes. We'll print them now, in our mobile unit outside, so as not to inconvenience you." The ruddy faced officer said, closing his notepad. The second officer stood, gesturing for Bren and the Director to lead the way.
"Officer, may we go get dressed? It's a bit chilly in our robes." Hedy said and the officer nodded. Both Hedy and Delphine followed the trio up the stairs and continued on to the attic.
Hedy had barely closed the door when Delphine pulled close to her, whispering, "We can't let them know about Louis." There was panic in Delphine's voice.
"What makes you think Louis is involved? We've lied to the police and that will be a problem if they find him in the basement." Hedy said, whispering hoarsely. She knew she should have corrected Delphine's statement with the officer but how could she without implicating both Delphine and Louis.
"It's a mauling and it was a full moon. If there is a chance he was involved, I have to protect him." Delphine hissed back before hurrying to her suitcase for her clothes. The women dressed hurriedly, throwing on whatever warm sweaters were closest to hand.
"I'm going to slip down into the basement to check on him. If the officer asks, I'm still up here dressing." Delphine said, allowing for no argument. She was gone before Hedy could stop her.
"This is a mistake," Hedy murmured under her breath. "A terrible mistake."
Hedy slipped down the stairs quietly, avoiding the squeakiest treads. She heard murmuring in Haugrsson's room; apparently the officer was still gathering the shoes with Bren and the Director. The second officer was still in the bakery, or at least not in the hallway. Delphine was standing near the basement door.
"Where's the key?"
"I left it in the lock." Hedy replied, looking around Delphine to see the keyhole was empty.
"Everything alright?" The officer said, coming out of the bakery. He had his coat back on and appeared to be heading outside.
"Yes, everything is fine. We were going to cook some breakfast in the kitchen. Did you want anything, Officer?" Hedy replied quickly, gesturing toward the doorway nearest the basement door. The officer shook his head. Hedy heard the tread of Bren and the others on the stairs.
"Not now," she said to Delphine, waving her toward the front. She slipped into the kitchen to start some eggs on the potbelly stove.
Minutes went by and Hedy heard Bren step into the kitchen. By now, she knew the sound of his feet. The cast iron skillet was filled with a dozen eggs - far more than they probably needed - but watching them thicken and fluff in the pan made her feel steady.
"They are back outside. The body has been moved. Something tore out his throat." Bren said, coming up to stand by Hedy as she stirred the eggs.
"Louis," she said, hardly daring to say his name.
"The key is gone. He is locked in." Bren replied quietly.
"The basement has those stairs that lead to the backyard access door, back when the house used coal for heat. We have to check if it is locked too. Both were locked last night. The skeleton key works both locks."
"We'll have to wait until the police are gone. Let's hope Louis is a late sleeper." Bren replied, watching Hedy pull the cast iron off the heat and place it on a trivet on the table.
"Hopefully sleeping is the only thing he has been doing. God help us if it is anything else." Hedy said, suddenly not at all hungry.
✽✽✽
It seemed ages before the police were done, finally leaving and taking everything but the yellow caution tape away. Finally sure that they were gone, Hedy and Bren headed around behind the house to the access door. It swung open easily, the skeleton key lying in the snow next to it. Someone had opened the door.
"Louis?" Hedy called, stepping carefully into the cellar before Bren could stop her.
"Hedy, wait. He might be dangerous. Let me go. At least I can defend myself with fire if I have to." Bren said, holding on to her arm. She nodded and let him step in front of her.
The light was on in the basement, which seemed strange if Louis was still asleep. There, sitting on the mattress, was Louis, eyes open but acting as if he were in a daze. His sweatshirt had a smear of red against the white letters that read "Tulane".
"Louis, Louis, are you alright?" Hedy said, still standing behind Bren. The young man gave no response. "Bren, something is wrong with him. Look at his eyes."
Bren kept a distance from the mattress but squatted down so he could peer into the man's face. Louis did not seem to know he was there.
"Louis, can you hear us? It is Hedy and Bren. Are you alright?" Bren said, waving a hand in front of Louis' face. Nothing registered.
"Hedy, take the key and unlock the door inside. I will carry him upstairs. He must be in some kind of shock or...something worse." Bren said, still waving his hand in front of Louis' face. Hedy hurried up the stairs, careful not to slip in the snow, before trekking back into the house from the front porch. She stomped her boots on the rug quickly and ran toward the basement door with the key.
"You found the key. How's Louis?" Delphine asked, hovering in the doorway for the kitchen.
"I don't know. He seems lost, like he is awake but not there. The backdoor was unlocked and the key was in the snow. Someone did that. Someone from inside this house." Hedy said, twisting the key in the lock and Delphine gasped.
Bren had Louis slumped over his shoulder and had almost scaled the staircase. He carried the slight man over the threshold and headed for the stairs. The Director was standing on the landing, silently watching.
"Is he harmed?" Director Haugrsson asked, watching Bren carry the prone form of Louis but making no move to assist.
"We don't know." Bren replied, taking care not to jostle Louis too much as he hurried past the landing, toward Louis' room, with Hedy and Delphine right behind him.
Bren placed Louis on his bed, easing him gently against the pillow. Delphine gasped at the sight of blood on Louis' sweatshirt. The Director stood behind them all, in the doorway.
"What is wrong with him? Have you ever seen him like this, Delphine?" Hedy asked as Delphine started to pull the sweatshirt off of his still body. Louis' sightless eyes gave one slow blink.
"No, never. It's like he is in some kind of trance. I've never seen him like this. How do we help him?" Delphine said, sounding on the edge of hysterics.
"It's a charm. He has been charmed by something. You need a witch to break the spell." The Director said matter-of-factly.
"Hedy, what's going on?" From just outside the door, Michael's voice called out. She had forgotten he said he would be coming by. Hedy rose from the bed to go to the hallway but Delphine was quicker, pushing passed the Director.
"How dare you come to this house, after what you have done? You wretched man!" Delphine shouted.
"Delphine, what are you doing? It's Michael." Hedy said, stepping up to pair, with Bren and the Director behind her.
"I know who this is, Hedy. He is the one who betrayed Louis, who told the necromancer where he was. He probably poisoned him too. Did you do that as well? Answer me!" Delphine shouted again, taking a step toward Michael, who was backing up toward the wall.
"What is she talking about? What is wrong with Louis?" Michael said, looking from face to face in bewilderment.
"Mr. Syon. Let's save time. There is no need for denials. I have it on good authority that you contacted New Orleans and alerted Monsieur Constant as to the Rougarou's whereabouts. The only question now is whether you have done something to cause his current catatonic state." The Director said in a cal
m and measured words. Hedy's face turned from confusion to fury in a moment.
"Michael, is this true? Did you betray Louis? How could you?" Hedy said, horrified by what she heard. How could he have harmed her friend like this?
"Hedy, let me explain. I swear, I didn't mean for anything like this to happen. I was trying to help. With the Concierge." Michael said, his voice sounding strident and sharp.
"Oh, do explain, Mr. Syon. How would betraying Miss Leckermaul's friend in anyway change our decision about her waystation?" Haugrsson asked, almost looking amused.
"I wanted to be sure you understood how necessary this waystation is and how capable Hedy is as a host. I thought if there was a bit of trouble while you were here, you would see first hand and it would make your choice clear." Michael said, his tone growing sharper and angry.
"Ah, it becomes clear. A parlor trick for my benefit and it has backfired mightily. Well done, Mr. Syon. You have caused havoc and now others will have to clean up your mess." Haugrsson answered, turning away from the Imp to indicate his part of the conversation was over. Hedy was not through.
"Michael. Get out of my house. If you poisoned Louis or cast some kind of spell on him that turned him into...I don't know what, I demand you fix things. Michael, I am warning you." Hedy said fiercely, her voice almost a growl.
"Warning me? You? What are you going to do to me, Hedy? None of your little collectibles are going to hurt me. You have no powers yourself, so be careful with your threats." Michael roared, his temper clearly unleashed. In an instant, Bren was between them on the landing.
"Do not forget, I am not mortal, Michael. Take my threats serious. Tell us what you have done to Louis. Then leave this house." Bren's eyes glowed a dull red orange. Hedy could feel the heat emanating from his body.
"I swear, I haven't cursed Louis. Yes, I called New Orleans. But I didn't curse Louis. I only..." Michael stopped, clearly recalling something.
Sweet Tooth and Claw Page 12
