True Grit Spirit: A Maddie Graves and Hannah Hickok Mystery

by Lily Harper Hart

  “I guess.” Nick didn’t look convinced. “I just thought you would want to be the center of attention for the night.”

  Amusement sparked in the depths of her sea-blue eyes. “No, you wanted me to be in the center of things because it makes it easier for you to watch me. Newsflash, Nicky, it’s going to be even easier if I’m standing right next to you.”

  She had a point, and Nick brightened considerably. “I think I can handle that.”

  “Somehow I knew you would say that.”

  THIRTY MINUTES LATER THE SEANCE WAS UNDERWAY.

  Cadence proved to be an adept leader. She had a certain presence that Maddie admired. She was also faking it every step of the way.

  “She’s a fraud,” Maddie whispered to Nick as the enthusiastic woman started chanting into the wind. “That is not how you do a seance.”

  Nick eyed his wife with a mixture of curiosity and adoration. “How do you know that?”

  “Because I have participated in a few seances, and I’m not talking about the type that are popular at high school sleepovers. I’ve participated in the real deal.”

  That caught Nick by surprise. “When did you participate in these seances?”

  “When I was in Detroit. There was a time, however brief, where I thought I could help people by talking to the dead. That turned out to be a terrible mistake — and involves a story I don’t want to share when there’s a risk of others eavesdropping — but suffice it to say that I know about channeling the dead, and that’s not what Cadence is doing.”

  “I’ll take your word for it.” Nick slid his arm around Maddie’s waist and shifted to meet Cooper’s gaze as the security guru approached. “Maddie says she’s a fraud,” he whispered.

  “I think anybody with eyes can see that,” Cooper noted, cracking his neck. “She’s all pomp and no proof.”

  “What about the others?” Maddie queried. “Have you been watching them?”

  “I have.” A muscle worked in Cooper’s jaw. “We have a problem.”

  Cold dread momentarily washed over Nick, but he managed to keep his face impassive. “Those are never words I want to hear.”

  “They’re words I hate saying even more,” Cooper acknowledged. “The thing is ... look at these women.” He held out his hands toward the crowd. “Some of them look interested in what’s happening. Others look bored. Some clearly think this is a joke. Others are deadly serious.”

  “Yeah?” Nick cocked an eyebrow. “So what? That sounds pretty normal to me.”

  “Exactly.” Cooper was grim. “Nobody here is dancing around, or clearly reveling in Velma’s death. Do you want to know why that is?”

  “Because nobody here is stupid,” Nick automatically answered.

  “And whoever did this is already a master at playing a part. We should’ve taken that into consideration. Nobody is going to show their hand in public like this.”

  “What about the ghosts, though?” Maddie asked in a low voice. “Isn’t it possible that they’ll be able to lead us to the frauds?”

  “Perhaps, but can all psychics see ghosts?” Cooper was calm as he posited the question, not a single iota of recrimination in his voice. “I mean ... I was under the impression that psychics could do multiple things, including read minds. It doesn’t all revolve around ghosts, right?”

  A sinking feeling invaded Maddie’s stomach. “No,” she agreed after a moment’s contemplation. “Talking to ghosts is actually a rare gift.”

  “So, just having a ghost sidekick isn’t proof that someone is the real deal, and vice versa,” Cooper concluded.

  “You’re right.” Maddie was rueful as she turned to Nick. “I think I overestimated what we would be able to do here.”

  “That’s okay, Mad.” He slung an arm around his wife’s shoulder. “We’ll figure it out.”

  Melanie Sanders picked that moment to join the crowd. She hadn’t been part of the theatrics earlier, but she’d clearly appeared on the scene at some point. The look on her face as she watched Cadence pretend to call to her mother’s spirit was ugly.

  “Are you okay?” Cooper asked, instinctively moving toward the woman. “Are you feeling all right? We can head inside and you can sit down if that will make you feel better.”

  Melanie’s gaze was dark when it landed on Cooper. “I’m fine,” she forced out, annoyance evident. “I mean ... why wouldn’t I be fine? That woman is up there pretending to talk to my mother, basically making a mockery of the entire thing.”

  “I don’t think that’s her intention,” Maddie hedged. “I mean ... I think she’s probably trying to help.”

  “No, she’s not.” Melanie shook her head. “Don’t you see what’s happening? Now that my mother is gone, all of these women see a vacuum. They want to fill her spot, become the new queen bee. That’s all they care about.”

  Maddie ran her tongue over her teeth, unsure what she was supposed to say. “I’m so sorry for your loss,” she offered lamely after a beat. “I’m also really sorry that you’re so upset about this. I didn’t think you would be out here tonight.”

  “Well, I am.” Melanie drew her eyebrows together, dour. “They’ll never be my mother.”

  “Of course not,” Cooper responded automatically. “Your mother was one of a kind.”

  “They’ll never be as powerful as her,” Melanie huffed under her breath. “This is just ... disgraceful.”

  “I’m truly sorry,” Cooper offered sincerely. “If it’s any consolation, I don’t think this will be going on much longer.”

  “How is that any consolation?” Melanie snapped. “The damage is already done.” She moved to walk away and then spoke again. “Just ... disgraceful. If my mother had a grave yet, she would be rolling over in it.”

  With those words, she was gone, and the guilt Maddie had been feeling only moments before doubled.

  “I’m starting to think this was a bad idea,” she said finally.

  “Well, it’s too late to take it back now,” Cooper said. “We’ll figure out a direction to look. We just need to think. The answer is out there.”

  Maddie fervently hoped that was true.

  13

  Thirteen

  Maddie was exhausted by the time they returned to the hotel. She stripped out of her clothes as she walked toward the bed and climbed in wearing nothing but her bra and panties as she buried her face in the pillow.

  “I think I’m getting old, Nicky,” she said as she drew the covers around her.

  “Yes, I’m going to get you a cane as soon as we get home,” he teased.

  “I’m serious. My feet hurt. My back hurts. I still have a bit of a headache.”

  “I think all of that is because you overloaded on caffeine earlier,” he noted. “You always get a headache when you have too much caffeine.”

  She made a face. “That’s a gross exaggeration.”

  He stopped midway through stripping off his shirt and stared at her. “Do I need to remind you of the Mountain Dew incident of 2007?”

  “What Mountain Dew incident?”

  His amusement was evident as he tugged the shirt over his head. “Let me set the stage. We were at the Firefly Festival. It was the spring of junior year. There was a dance — I remember because Ally Linkletter was wearing a dress that you could see through and she asked me to slow dance with her — and you interrupted my carefully laid out plan to see if she was wearing underwear when you ran up to me and insisted you’d seen a vampire.”

  Maddie’s scowl grew even more pronounced. “I don’t want to hear stories from when you were lusting after other girls.”

  “Hey, that was only a few months before I realized I was in love with you,” he pointed out. “Besides, nothing happened. I left her in the middle of the dance floor to take care of you because you were so freaked out. When I finally managed to calm you down, you admitted you’d had four Mountain Dews and perhaps you were a little hopped up on sugar and caffeine.”

  Maddie rolled her eyes. “I
interrupted you because I was jealous. I didn’t like you dancing with Ally. Her boobs were bigger than her brain.”

  “All you had to do was tell me how you felt and we could’ve been together then.”

  “You just said that you didn’t realize you had feelings for me at that point.”

  “Yes, but I’m betting a declaration of love from you would’ve pushed the realization up a bit.” He unbuttoned his pants and dropped them, revealing a pair of plaid boxer shorts that always made Maddie smile. They were one of the first gifts she’d purchased for him when they started dating, and no matter how ratty they got, he refused to throw them away.

  “I don’t see what the caffeine has to do with my feet hurting,” Maddie argued. “I’m being serious. They feel ... swollen ... or something.”

  Nick’s brow furrowed as he climbed onto the bed and drew down the covers. To his surprise, Maddie’s feet did indeed look swollen. “Do they hurt?” He grabbed the nearest foot and started rubbing.

  Maddie let loose a low moan, delighted. “Oh, that’s the best thing in the world right there. Don’t ever stop doing that.”

  He arched an amused eyebrow. “I believe you said something similar after the first time we spent the night together. You’re going to bruise my ego if you think this is better than that.”

  “Don’t stop,” Maddie instructed, her eyes drifting shut. “That feels really good.”

  “Well, we aim to please.” He was silent a bit, his fingers busy. Finally, he asked the obvious question. “Were you really jealous of Ally and me dancing?”

  “Yes.” Maddie didn’t open her eyes because she knew she would blush if she met his gaze. “I was crushed because I was certain you were going to fall in love with her and forget all about me.”

  “That could never happen.”

  “Oh, no? Even I found those boobs of hers mesmerizing.”

  Nick barked out a laugh. “You’re so funny. I ... .” He trailed off when he heard a noise at the door that separated their room from the one next door. “Hold that thought, Mad.”

  She propped herself on her elbows and watched him stride to the door. Even in just his boxer shorts, he was a formidable sight as he threw open the door ... and came face to face with Maude.

  “What the ... ?” Nick was completely flabbergasted.

  Maude, already in her ankle-length nightgown, her steel-colored hair wrapped in rollers, looked between them. “They really did give me an adjoining room.” She seemed surprised. “I went down and requested a room change after you complained about me being too far away earlier today. They said they arranged it so we were right next to each other, but I didn’t believe them. I thought for sure they put me next to a pervert. This is much better.”

  Nick was absolutely certain he didn’t feel the same way. “You’re right next to us?”

  Maude smiled and bobbed her head. “I am. Now it will be just like at home.”

  “Except there’s an entire living room, kitchen, stairway, and two spare bedrooms separating us from you at home.”

  “Details.” Maude let loose a dismissive wave and turned to Maddie, who had the covers clutched around her chest. “So, listen, I’m not a prude or anything, but I think it would be best for all concerned if there’s no funny business.” She waggled her eyebrows suggestively to let them know exactly what she was referring to.

  “Oh, geez.” Maddie tugged the covers over her head and sank low on the bed, causing Nick to frown.

  “Now, I get that this is a romantic vacation for the two of you, so I don’t expect you to adhere to my wishes simply because I’m an old woman and the sound of you guys doing stuff could give me a heart attack,” Maude continued. “So, if you get urges that simply cannot be contained, knock twice on the door before you get going and I’ll put in the earplugs I bought at the airport. They were ten bucks because they overcharge for everything at the airport, but I’m willing to take one for the team.”

  Because he was absolutely certain Maude had just ruined his sex life forever, Nick didn’t respond. He simply closed the door that separated them and made sure to lock it so they wouldn’t wake up to an unwanted guest.

  “I’ll see you in the morning,” Maude called out.

  Nick wasn’t surprised to find Maddie still hiding under the covers when he turned back to the bed. “I love her,” he started, unsure where he was going with the rest of the statement.

  “She’s the devil, though,” Maddie noted, her voice muffled by the blankets.

  “She’s definitely the devil.”

  NICK SLEPT HARDER THAN HE THOUGHT HE would knowing that Maude was on the other side of the thin walls. He woke rested the next morning, only mildly muddled, and automatically reached for Maddie so he could enjoy his morning snuggle ... only to panic when he found the sheets next to him cool and Maddie’s spot vacant.

  He bolted to a sitting position, his eyes automatically going to the door that led to Maude’s room. It was closed. It didn’t look as if it had been disturbed since the previous evening. Honestly, that made Nick feel worse. He tossed off the covers, hopped to his feet, and then pulled up short when he heard a distinctive noise in the bathroom.

  He cocked his head, listening, and almost cried out in relief when he heard the noise again. Then he realized exactly what he was listening to and pushed open the bathroom door. His heart rolled for an entirely different reason when he caught sight of Maddie on the bathroom floor, her face buried in the toilet as she threw up.

  “Oh, baby.” Nick hunkered down behind her, his hand automatically going to her back. “Why didn’t you tell me you were sick?”

  Maddie’s eyes were red-rimmed and murderous when they landed on him. “Why would I possibly tell you?”

  “Because, I believe in those vows we exchanged, there was something in there about sickness and health. It’s my job to take care of you.”

  “And what do you think you can do about this?” Maddie wasn’t the grumpy sort, but she wasn’t in any condition to hide the annoyance running roughshod over her innards. “You can’t puke for me, Nicky.”

  “No, but ... .” Nick hesitated. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to handle this situation. “Do you think you have the flu?” he asked finally, his hand going to her forehead. He made contact — briefly — before she slapped him away.

  “It’s probably just the remnants of all that coffee I drank,” she said darkly. “I don’t have the flu. I’m just ... mildly sick. It will go away once my stomach settles.”

  Nick adopted his most pragmatic tone. “And how are we going to make that happen?”

  “You’re going to find me some Vernors.”

  “I can do that.” He straightened. “Do you want me to pick you up some toast from the restaurant downstairs while I’m out?”

  “Do I look like I want toast?” Maddie’s face was flushed, sweat beading her forehead. “Just the Vernors, okay?”

  Nick held up his hands in surrender. He couldn’t remember her ever being this cross with him. “Okay. I’ll get the Vernors.” He started for the door, only stopping when she said his name.

  “Could you also check on Granny? I need to make sure she’s not getting into trouble.”

  The request was enough to make Nick smile. Even though she was sick, Maddie couldn’t shirk her responsibilities. That’s simply who she was. “I’ll take care of it,” he promised, grabbing a washcloth from the rack next to the sink and shoving it under the cold water. Once it was damp enough, he moved it to the back of her neck. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  Maddie waved off his concern. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. This is probably one of those three-hour bugs or something.”

  Nick wasn’t familiar with a three-hour bug, but he let it go. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. You ... stay right there.”

  The look she shot him was withering. “Where is it you think I’m going to go?”

  MADDIE WAS STILL ON THE BATHROOM FLOOR when Nick returned thirty minutes later.
Tracking down a Vernors in Michigan was easy. It took some work in Kentucky, which meant he purchased an entire twelve-pack from the convenience station on the corner before returning.

  “Sorry it took me so long, Mad,” he offered as he cracked open the can and handed it to her. “Apparently Vernors is not sold in every vending machine outside of Michigan.”

  “It’s okay.” She reverently took the can and immediately sipped, closing her eyes. “This will fix me right up.”

  Nick had his doubts. “Mad ... .”

  “Don’t say it.” She was back to being cross. “I’m not going to the doctor when we get home. I’m fine.”

  “I don’t think you are.” He was earnest as he ran his hand over her knee. He wanted to hold her — actually, he desperately wanted to pull her into his lap and tune out the rest of the world — but he didn’t want to risk her getting sick all over again. “This is like the fourth time in two weeks, Mad. You need to be checked out.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “People who are fine don’t constantly throw up.” He was adamant. “I want you to promise me you’ll go to the doctor.”

  “Nicky ... .”

  “Promise.” He was firm as he squeezed her knee. “I love you more than anything, Mad. I’m not going to rest until I know you’re okay.”

  “Fine.” She blew out a sigh, frustration growing. “You have nothing to worry about, though. They’re just little bouts of nausea. I mean ... I get them and then they’re gone in less than an hour. I’m pretty sure that means I’m not dying or anything.”

  Because the mere thought of her leaving him was enough to make his blood run cold, Nick had to take a moment to collect himself. Then, out of nowhere, something occurred to him. “Wait ... could you be pregnant?”