"Gonna call Lou?" Adam asked.
"I'll call him later."
"You think he knows something about what happened to everyone today?"
"He's a paranormal investigator," Conner said. "I'm sure he knows all about this kind of stuff."
"I hope so. I'm starting to get a little freaked out that the devil crap is still going on. Maybe everyone who said they saw the devil is possessed now."
Conner wondered if Jared had experienced the same delusional seizure that the kids at school suffered. Did Jared see the devil at Lake Bantam? Is that how he'd become possessed? And the kids at school, were they still under some hypnotic spell? Or were the paramedics able to revive those affected?
What about Hailey? What did she feel and see? Did she truly see the devil as they'd all claimed?
Had Conner imagined a sinister element to the shadow on the classroom wall? And if so, why had it attracted Melanie's attention? Had it caused her seizure? What if he hadn't chosen to ignore the shadow? Would he have suffered the seizure and claimed to see the devil?
Asking himself the series of questions, Conner realized he didn't understand any of it. To try and make sense of it all, he needed to call Lou sooner than later.
Dressed and comfortable, he entered the bathroom with Adam's phone in hand. "When you get out, I want to call Lou."
"Just do it now. You know he's waiting to talk to us."
"Fingerprint or code?"
"Zero, zero, eight, five, zero, zero."
"What the? Ohhh . . . I get it." Grinning, he shook his head as he turned toward his room. "I'll try calling Trevor again too."
"Yep, yep."
Conner sat on the edge of the bed and selected the most recent phone call received. It only rang once.
"Hey, Adam. How are you guys doing?" Lou asked.
"It's Conner."
"Oh, Conner. Good to hear from you. Are you guys all right?"
"We're fine."
"You wanna tell me about what happened at the school?"
"Actually, I have a few questions of my own. Maybe we can meet later. I'll answer your questions, and then you can answer mine."
"Sure. That's fine. When and where?"
"Um. Not sure. Let me figure it out, then we'll text or call you back. Unless you're busy later."
"I've got time for you. My evening is pretty much free."
"Great. So, we'll talk to you soon, then."
"All right."
Conner ended the call and then lay back on the bed. As far as he knew, the school still hadn't contacted his mother about his belongings. He wanted his phone and backpack. Someone had already mentioned that the school might be closed the next day. There was no school scheduled on Wednesday anyway because of the Thanksgiving holiday. He didn't want to wait until the following Monday to get his stuff.
He entered Adam's passcode, then searched for Trevor's contact. Expecting the call to go to voicemail, he was surprised when Trevor answered. He shot upright. "Damn, dude. What the hell?"
"Yeah, I know. I didn't have my phone, but my mom knew some of the cops, so she bitched until I got my stuff back."
"Wish my mom worked at the county attorney's office." He walked into the bathroom, where he found Adam in front of the mirror, flossing his teeth. "Flossing. Really?"
Adam simply smiled. "I need clothes."
"You know where my clothes are. And I'm talking to Trevor."
"He okay?"
Conner nodded and then returned to his room. "What happened? I mean, nothing happened to you, right?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. It was crazy, man."
"No kidding."
"Obviously, you and Adam are okay."
"Uh, huh. But we saw Hailey have one of those seizures. But we don't know how she's doing now."
"Oh, crap."
"What about Miguel and Levi?"
"I saw Levi right before I left the school. I don't know anything about Miguel, though."
Seated on his bed again, Conner said, "I called Lou. We're going to meet him tonight. I want to ask him about what happened at school and about Jared."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You want to go?"
"We're sticking together, no matter what. So, hell yeah, I'm going. My mom wants me to stay home. But we'll figure it out."
"Okay. Cool. Call you later."
Conner watched Adam rummage through the dresser drawers. In spite of how many times Adam had been in Conner's room and borrowed his clothes, Adam searched with the interest of a young boy hoping to find a new toy or a special treasure. Once he was dressed, he turned toward Conner as if seeking his approval.
"I wonder how Hailey's doing." Conner said.
"Maybe Jasmine or Miguel know something."
Standing, Conner stretched. "Let's go downstairs. Then we'll call Jasmine."
* * *
Hailey's mother didn't want her daughter to leave the house, and she certainly didn't want her to leave alone. But Hailey had insisted. She had a mission to fulfill. She sought solace and counsel, which is how she'd convinced her mother to allow her out of the house on her own.
She parked the car near the entrance of Saint Ann's Church and quickly headed inside. Directly down the long corridor, she knocked on the office door, anxious for it to open.
When Father O'Leary appeared in the doorway, she instantly burst into tears. "Oh, Father. Something terrible happened. I need your godly guidance."
He appeared surprised and unnerved by her despair, but he invited her into the office. "Hailey. Please, come sit. How can I help you?"
She choked back her tears. "My mother didn't call you?"
"No."
"Oh, good." She grabbed a tissue from his desk. "At the school today, there was a horrible incident. Kids started to have seizures, and they were talking about seeing the devil."
His good-natured expression didn't fade. He encouraged her to continue speaking.
"And I was one of them, Father. It scares me. I was one of the kids who fell into some sort of trance and said that I saw the devil. I think the devil is trying to seize control of us just like he did to Jared."
He gestured to a chair.
As she sat, she cried, "I'm scared the devil will try to claim my soul. What if it happens? What if I die like Jared did?"
Sitting in the chair next to her, he said, "Hailey. God protects all His children. He will protect you from Satan."
"Why didn't He protect Jared? Why didn't He save Jared?"
He looked reluctant to speak, but he said, "God did protect Jared."
"How? How?" she sobbed. "Jared's dead. The devil killed him."
Father O'Leary gently touched Hailey's hand. "Jared wasn't killed by the devil. And he wasn't possessed by him either. Jared suffered a terrible ordeal under the power of a demon. Not Satan."
"But he died."
"God saved him."
"But he died."
"And Jesus died for our sins."
She suddenly stopped crying. It was as though a magic word had been spoken, breaking the spell of fear and sorrow that held her in its grip. "Yes, He did. I know."
"The devil and demons have power. That's true. But their power lies in trickery. Deception. Whatever happened at the school was a trick. I don't believe you or any other student saw the devil. Do you?"
"I don't remember seeing anything or even saying that I did."
"Deception," he repeated.
Her chin trembled as she lowered her head. She thought of the night at the Smiths' house, the sexual activity with Conner, and the white lie she'd told her parents. "What if I caused the evil to choose me? What if I said and did things that invited the devil to trick me?"
"It's much easier for evil to prey on the weak. You are not a weak girl, Hailey. Tell me why you believe you may have invited the devil to trick you. Then I will set you straight."
She pressed the Kleenex to her nose. "The devil prowls around like a lion, seeking someone to devour."
Father O'Leary
seemed to contemplate her words. Then he said, "Temptation is human. But it is not a door cracked open for the devil's entrance into your life."
Breathing in deeply and finally at ease, Hailey asked, "Why did the demon torment Jared?"
Once more, he appeared reluctant to answer, but he said, "Because Jared let him."
TWENTY-ONE
The city of Newman and Hartford County wasted no time arranging for inspectors to visit the school within hours of the incident. Because the victims had not been limited to one area of the school, the first suspicion was that the affected kids had shared a common allergy or toxicity, such as mold. The second possibility was that the school's ventilation system had dispersed a chemical that caused twenty-seven kids to suffer the seizures and hallucinations. But the students—and even some of the staff—believed the incident was the work of the devil.
All of the students' belongings had been collected and relocated to the gym. Early that evening there was a two-hour window of time to claim backpacks, phones, and other personal effects. Conner seized the opportunity to get his stuff and to use the time away from home to meet with Lou.
Trevor's mother had been adamant that he should stay home for the night. But he'd told her that he needed to gather things from his gym locker anyway. She'd finally surrendered when he reminded her that he was practically an adult and that he wanted to make sure Conner and Adam were okay.
Conner pulled his mother's car into the Helms' driveway. While waiting, he asked Adam, "Do you have any questions for Lou?"
Adam shrugged. "Eh. I don't know."
"The three of us can make a list of questions. But if you think of something while meeting with him, just ask him. You don't always have to let me or Trevor take the lead."
"I don't."
"Not all the time. If it involves girls"—he grinned at Adam—or fighting. But other things . . . you take the back seat to us."
"Really?"
"Yeah, but it doesn't have to be that way. None of us are more important the other. Okay?"
"You guys are better at the serious stuff."
Trevor appeared on the porch and headed their way.
"But," Conner said, "this involves all three of us equally."
Once Trevor was in the back seat, he tapped his buddies on their heads. "Good to see you guys. It was so effing crazy at school, dudes. I was worried."
Adam smiled. "Don't you mean fing-cray?"
Trevor reclined more comfortably. "Nah. Today was straight-up crazy. No fing-cray about it."
During the drive, they narrowed their questions for Lou down to two main topics. The trip to Lake Bantam and the incident at school that day. By asking about the two events, they hoped to have a better understanding of what happened to Jared at the lake and what was currently taking place in Newman. By doing so, perhaps they'd be prepared for what might happen in the near future. Because, in the end, the three feared that something sinister was seeking them out.
The moment they walked into the gym, it was as if the three had waded through a shallow pool of animosity. Several friends and acquaintances regarded them with contempt and scrutiny, as if the three might carry a dangerous contagion. Eyes followed their path from the entrance to the collection table. Your friend Jared brought this evil to Newman. You guys toyed with the devil by going to the Smiths' house. Then the same eyes followed their walk out of the gym.
"This is so stupid," Adam complained on their way to the car. "Everyone's acting like this is our fault."
"People can think what they want," Trevor said.
Conner sent a text to Hailey. Then he searched for Lou's number in the recent calls. "You guys ready to meet Lou?"
"Yeah," Trevor and Adam replied in unison.
"Maybe Lou can tell Jared's story so everyone can understand this crap was bigger than any of us. We didn't invite the devil to town."
"Well," Trevor said. "We didn't do a very good job of changing everyone's mind when the rumors started. The reporters and the crap at school today didn't help."
Conner selected Lou's number. "All right. Here we go."
Lou had given them the address to a different hotel than before. They didn't think much of it until they stood in the lobby, waiting for Lou to stroll out of the elevator. When he finally made an appearance, a pretty blonde woman walked alongside him. Conner recognized her as the woman who had approached them outside Jared's funeral service.
"What the hell," he muttered. "That's the woman from the church."
Adam glanced toward the elevator. "Why is she with him?"
"Hey, fellas," Lou greeted with a wide smile. "Glad you guys could make it. I know it must have been a very stressful day."
"Uh, yeah." Conner gestured to the woman. "You tried talking to us at Jared's funeral."
"Yes, that was me." She offered her hand. "Stella Wilcox. It's nice to meet the three of you."
Lou folded his arms across his chest. "She and her partner are working with us on Jared's story."
Conner felt a glint of betrayal as he released her hand. "Why didn't you tell us that before? We thought it was just you and Dave."
"Stella's an investigator like me. She does good work and she's knowledgeable. She's also the one who got the priest to agree to an interview."
Trevor reacted with interest. "What did he say?"
"We'll find out tomorrow," she said. "We got some details during a preliminary interview. But the big sit-down is tomorrow morning."
Lou clasped his hands with a clap. "So . . . we'd like to hear about what happened at school today. And you said you had some questions for me, well . . . for us. Shall we go up to the suite now?"
The heat in the lobby coupled with the warmth of Conner's jacket had produced an embarrassing sheen of sweat on his forehead. His growing nervousness didn't help either.
Lou stepped toward the elevator as if he'd extended an invitation to follow. "Then let's go figure it out."
Conner exchanged quick glances with Trevor and Adam. Then the three followed Stella and Lou like polite young men.
* * *
Hailey had situated her desk chair at the window in her bedroom. She looked out to the passing clouds, contemplating God and all the good in the world. But she also reflected on the evil that exists in the darkness of lost souls. How she wished a glimmer of light shone in those shadows to give people hope when in despair.
She clutched a rosary to her chest. It had been a gift from her grandmother after Hailey's baptism. The silver chain was adorned with a silver crucifix, glass pearls, and pink Swarovski beads. She didn't pray with it often, saving it for occasions requiring serious prayer. Other times, she prayed with the rosary as a means of feeling the connection with her departed grandmother.
On this night—especially after visiting Father O'Leary—Hailey believed the rosary would strengthen the power of her prayer.
"Dear Lord, I pray to you to praise your glory. Please, I ask of you, watch over me. Please lay your hand upon me and bless me with the gift of good health and a strong spirit. I pray the same for my family and friends. Please lay your hand upon them and protect them. Watch over us and protect us from the evil that has touched our lives.
"And I pray for Jared Smith, a child of God who suffered the torment of a demon under the devil's power. I know you blessed him with your presence. Thank you for blessing him with your almighty power. Thank you, dear Lord. Thank you. Amen."
She lowered the rosary to her lap and continued to gaze out the window. The neighbors across the street turned on the lights in their living room, and she wondered if they were oblivious to the shadow of evil that had clouded Newman. Although Hailey was certain nearly everyone in Newman had heard of Jared's possession and death, was it possible there were some who remained completely oblivious to the fact that true evil had lurked in the shadows? Could tragedy occur just down the street, without someone ever knowing that it had happened?
* * *
Stella had ordered room service—two carafes
of hot cocoa and a plate of warm cookies. She explained that it was her suite during her stay in Newman, and that she and Lou had decided the guys might be more comfortable in a more spacious environment.
The suite definitely looked more expensive than Lou's hotel room, which Adam mentioned in his typical manner. "Yep. This looks like it cost twice as much as Lou's hotel."
Adam's observation put Conner at ease. He settled in an armchair and immediately noticed a wet red leaf stuck to the bottom of his shoe. Slightly embarrassed that he'd tracked debris into the semi-fancy suite, Conner pinched the crumpled leaf from his sneaker and set it onto the table. After draping his coat on the arm of the chair, he leaned forward and warmed his hands with a mug of hot cocoa.
Lou sat with Stella on the sofa across from the three. He glanced at each face as if waiting for someone to speak, then he finally said, "Do you guys wanna tell us about what happened at school?"
Conner opened his mouth, but Adam blurted out, "Let's talk about Lake Bantam first. What the hell do you guys think went on there?"
The seriousness of Adam's delivery was not lost on Conner. He noticed the purse of Adam's lips and the slight crease between his eyebrows. Conner wanted to chuckle because Adam had obviously taken his earlier words of advice to heart. You don't always have to let me or Trevor take the lead.
"Stella and I have talked about this a few times," Lou said as he wiped cookie crumbs from his shirt. "And she has a better education about demonology than I do. So perhaps I should let her answer."
She handed Lou a small square napkin and then smiled at the boys. "I don't want to give the impression that I'm an expert. I'm not. But I do know my fair share of demonology."
"Lay it on us," Adam replied.
"I read a little, and I consulted someone who knows more than I do, but I have a pretty good idea of what the man at the lake hoped to accomplish."
"Voodoo crap," Adam stated assuredly.
Conner edged closer to the coffee table and set his mug down. "So, it was a ritual thing that man was doing?"
She nodded once before speaking again. "He was going to use the goat as a sacrifice to the demon he wanted to conjure. You said that the goat was standing on a fresh pile of dirt. That symbolized earth or Mother Nature. The rattlesnake symbolized the demon and its transformation; snakes shed their skin when they become a bigger, better version of themselves. The tree had four symbols etched into the bark. We don't know what all four symbols were, but it's safe to say that they represented four elements important to the ritual. And the tree itself possibly played the most important role."
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