“Okay,” Lance said. “It couldn’t hurt.”
“Great,” Hannah replied and popped off the edge of the bed where she sat. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“I should get home,” Kirby said. “I’ll call you tomorrow morning when I have the diary, and you can meet me at my place. No one will bother you in the woods.”
“Great,” Lance said, and the two men shook hands.
~ * ~
Lance’s phone rang a little after seven.
“Hello.”
“Hey, this is Kirby, we have trouble.”
“What’s wrong?” Lance immediately was awake and alert.
“The police chief called me. He’s not sure he wants to release the diary. There’s been another death.”
“What? That can’t be related to the diary. The spirit needs to be called up with the spell in the diary. What happened?”
“That’s what I told the chief. Seems that someone stabbed a tourist last night. The man dragged himself back to his cabin, but by the time help arrived, he bled to death. His wife was hysterical, but she said he kept mumbling ‘tell them he said he’d be back.’”
“It’s our human killer,” Lance insisted. “A spirit doesn’t communicate that way. Not with a stranger in a remote place. If the man died here in the parking lot and I heard the message, I’d say yes it could be the spirit. We’re dealing with a maniacal human.”
“Well, you might be correct. The way I heard the story, the husband went for a walk last night. When he returned, he had a stab wound in his arm and a large bump and gash on his head. The stab wound wouldn’t have been fatal if he received prompt treatment. He must have fallen and hit his head and lay there for quite some time. At daybreak, the police followed his trail into the woods. They found the attack scene and a trail of blood. Then it appears someone laid next to a fallen log for quite a while and bled. Then there’s a short trail to the cabin. Whoever did this didn’t plan on killing him but didn’t stick around to be sure the guy was okay. What do we do?”
“We need to get the diary. Do whatever you can. Threaten to sue or call the media. That might make the chief release it since it’s already promised to you. Tell them you need to lock it away. Insist that you don’t want to carry the guilt of another murder. Say anything you might think will persuade them. It must be destroyed today. I’ll wake the others. Call me as soon as you have it.”
“I will.” Lance heard the click as Kirby ended the call.
What’s going on?” Hannah asked sitting up and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
“Another murder, we have to get dressed,” Lance answered as he headed toward the bathroom.
Hannah heard the shower, and she shuddered wondering what would happen next.
Lance walked out of the bathroom wearing jeans and rubbing a towel on his hair. “Your turn,” he said to a smiling Hannah. “What? Did I miss something?”
“Nope, I’m just enjoying the view,” she answered jumping off the bed. “I’m taking a shower.”
Lance shook his head and called Kellie.
Thirty minutes later the five sat in the only corner booth in the diner. Fortunately, they arrived after the early morning rush, and the diner was nearly empty. Kirby strolled in and scrunched into the spot next to Hannah.
“I have it,” Kirby explained. “I think the chief was happy to get rid of it.”
“Good,” Kellie said. “As soon as we eat, we need to find a quiet spot, and I’ll see what I can make out. I hope there is a way to destroy it without conjuring up that spirit. Lance and I most likely will be able to contain it, but who knows what other spells are in the diary. We may open a door we are unable to close. Olivia was the first person to use the diary. Would it be possible to have her meet us? I need to know exactly what she did that night. It might help.”
“Her mom wouldn’t let me speak to her yesterday. She said she’s grounded,” Hannah commented.
“I’ll call her and see,” Kirby offered and stood. He dialed his phone as he walked out of the diner for a bit of privacy.
Hannah ordered the morning special for everyone. “It’ll fill us up. I have a feeling we’re going to need strength.”
“Your uncle isn’t working this morning,” Lance observed.
“He and my dad can’t fill every shift, so we have three part-time cooks. The food will be just as good, I promise.” She smiled at each person sitting around her. “It’s a bit nerve-wracking wondering what’s going to happen, but Lance and Claudia make me feel safe.”
Claudia dressed in green with a multi-colored cape smiled back at her. “We’ll protect you. I surrounded us with a protection shield. It’ll work well against spirits. Once Kellie determines how to destroy the diary, we’ll be safe.”
Kirby returned and dropped onto the seat next to Hannah. “Olivia and her mom will meet us at my house in about thirty minutes. My cousin is out of town and of course, Olivia’s mom doesn’t want her to come alone.”
“Completely understandable,” Kellie commented. “I’d do the same thing.”
They filled up with scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, sausage, and pancakes before they left and followed Kirby’s vehicle to his house.
~ * ~
Olivia and her mom waited in their car for Kirby in front of his house. Kirby’s wife invited them inside, but Olivia’s mom refused before the girl had a chance to say anything.
“You know your dad will be livid that I allowed you out here. I’m only doing this to end the mess before you truly get into serious trouble.” She lit a cigarette and blew the smoke out her open window. “Do you realize what might have happened to you if you allowed Evan to do whatever he wanted all summer long? Your dad wants to ground you until you go off to college.”
“Mom,” Olivia cried. “That’s over a year. You know what happened. What was I supposed to do? I didn’t want to go to prison for life. I believed Evan.” Olivia dissolved into tears.
“Olivia,” her mom’s tone changed to try and calm her daughter. “You should have trusted us. You know you can come to us with any problem. Your dad would have taken care of all of this. Evan wouldn’t have threatened you and the library incident would never have happened.”
Olivia dried her eyes. “I know. I’m so sorry. I liked Mr. Handling. I didn’t know Evan stole the diary or would use it.” She dropped her head again.
“All right, dry your tears. I see Kirby’s pickup. Let’s see what he wants.” She opened her car door, climbed out, and ground her cigarette into the gravel.
Olivia walked around the car and stood next to her mom.
Kirby walked toward them and said, “Good morning, Laura and Olivia. I’m glad you’re here.”
Laura stared at Claudia. “What is that?”
“That’s a who named Claudia. She’s a psychic and from what I understand, she’ll help us. This is nasty business, Laura.”
Laura stood and tapped the toe of her right foot and scowled at Kellie and her friends. “Let’s just do this. I have things to do today.”
“Follow me,” Kirby said.
Fifteen minutes later they arrived in a clearing filled with tall grasses and wildflowers. Kirby stopped and asked, “How’s this? We can see what’s close by and are far enough away from any people that if something goes wrong, no one will get hurt.”
Kellie walked around and smiled. “It’s a lovely spot. Peaceful. We need that to keep things under control. Do you have the diary?”
He nodded and pulled the leather-bound diary from his jacket pocket. He handed it to Kellie, and she sat on a nearby tree stump. Max stood next to her, and Hannah gripped Lance’s arm. Claudia strolled in a large circle around Kellie. Laura groaned her frustration and Olivia stood wide-eyed next to her mom.
Kellie carefully opened the diary and read the first page. “It’s a warning. It was written by a high priest of a secret society from what I understand. It explains it’s better to close the book, put it in a safe place, and never return.�
�
“Should I put it in the safety deposit box?” Kirby asked.
“No,” Kellie shook her head. “We need to destroy it.” She read on, and a large smile crossed her face. “It will be easier than I thought and we don’t have to conjure up any spirits.”
Lance walked up to her and leaned over the diary. “What does it say?”
“Remember I told you that Reginald thought the symbol could be as old as the Mesopotamian era and the diary most likely just as old or, at least, the spells contained in it?”
“Yeah, but how does that make this easier?” Lance asked.
“According to the diary, there is only one way to destroy it. It must be covered with pure oil and set on fire. I assume that back in this era, oil was treasured, and since it must be pure, it would be nearly impossible for anyone except a high priest to acquire. They used pure oils for their holy oils. We use it every day for cooking.”
Claudia smiled. Max stammered, “What?”
Kellie looked up, “We need extra-virgin olive oil and a heatproof glass bowl or pan.”
“It’s all my wife uses. She buys it at the organic food store. I’ll get a new bottle. She always buys several when she shops. Be back as soon as I can,” Kirby said and took off running.
Lance asked, “It can’t be that easy, can it?”
Kellie answered, “For us, yes, but when this was written, the oil was nearly impossible to get and certainly not enough to waste on drenching a diary or book. Also, from what I understand, it must be burned in a flawless pottery bowl. Glass is the closest idea I have. Let’s hope it works. This diary can’t remain where someone can find it. I read the first spell in the book. It will conjure up a creature that will cause deaths as far as the eye can see and a hundredfold for each stricken. It must be a plague of some kind.” Kellie closed the book and gripped it tightly in her hands while they waited for Kirby’s return.
A few minutes later Kirby burst into the clearing carrying a glass baking dish and an unopened bottle of olive oil. “Told ya the wife buys a lot of this.” He smiled and gasped for air.
Lance took the dish and placed it on the ground. He poured a third of the oil into the dish. Kellie put the diary in the dish and Lance poured the rest of the oil over the book. He removed a book of matches from his pocket.
A loud crack caused Olivia to scream. Lance grabbed his arm and fell to the ground. Hannah dropped beside him.
Max yanked Kellie off the tree stump and covered her with his body. Claudia dropped down next to Kellie. “Don’t move,” she whispered.
A second shot rang out and Olivia, who had been pulled behind a tree by her mom, screamed again.
Lance handed the matches to Hannah. “Light one and toss it into the dish. Hurry,” he groaned as he held onto his arm.
A third shot hit the ground near where Hannah lay. She struck the match and tossed it into the pan as Kirby’s shot rang over their heads.
A loud whoosh drew Kellie’s attention to the dish, and she watched the oil flame and the diary burn. She waited for the anticipated thunder or lightning, but the clearing remained silent except for the breathing of her friends. No unearthly screams or howls. Kellie breathed a sigh of relief.
Kirby yelled, “Whoever is out there come out now or I’ll shoot you again. I know I hit you. Do you want to die?”
They heard bushes rustling and saw a young man emerge limping. “Damn you; you hit my leg. I’m gonna bleed to death.”
“You’re lucky I’m a good shot. Sit down and I’ll take care of it.”
Hannah sat up. “It’s Devlin. Olivia’s brother. What’s going on?”
Olivia ran over to her brother. “Devlin, what are you doing? When you said you’d take care of things, I didn’t think you’d hurt anyone. I told you about Evan so you’d make sure he left me alone.”
Devlin snickered, “I’ll take care of him all right. He can’t threaten my little sister. None of this would have happened if he just left you alone. No one listened. Those nosy people came to town and everything went from bad to worse. I did my best to stop them, Olivia. I’m sorry I failed.”
Max ran up to him. “You set fire to my house. You could have killed my wife and daughters.”
Devlin groaned loudly as Kirby tightened the tourniquet. “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. I just wanted to scare you away, and no one would hurt Olivia. I couldn’t let her go to prison.”
“Even me, Dev. I thought we were friends,” Hannah blurted. “You attacked all of us and killed that man this morning.”
“I didn’t kill nobody. I only scared him.”
“He died, Devlin,” Kirby divulged. “You’re going to prison.
Laura was uncharacteristically quiet while Olivia hung on to her and sobbed.
When they heard a siren in the distance, Kirby stood. “I’ll lead them back here. Don’t move or that leg will begin bleeding again.”
Hannah yanked on the sleeve of her top until it tore free and she wrapped it around Lance’s arm.
“I’m okay, Hannah,” he insisted. “It’s only a flesh wound.”
“We’ll see,” she stated. “Just stay still. Look, the flames are dying.”
They watched as the flames died down and the ashes blew in the wind.
“That takes care of the problem,” Kellie announced as she pulled herself off the ground. “We didn’t need to fight a spirit, and it can sleep in peace. No one will awaken it ever again.”
EMT’s arrived and carried Devlin while Lance insisted he could walk. A few stitches and a discussion with the police chief later, the friends gathered at the diner for a late lunch. Devlin was arrested for the attacks on the young women, the murder of the vacationer in the woods, and was told he’d stand trial for setting fire to Kellie’s home. Laura insisted he was a troubled young man, and they couldn’t hold him. The chief advised her to find an attorney.
Max, Kellie, and Claudia headed back to Malone Springs after their lunch. Lance decided to stay an extra day to rest his arm before driving home.
In the morning, Hannah promised Lance she’d call him every day to see how his arm was healing. Lance had no doubt she’d do it. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him until they were both nearly breathless.
“That’s so you don’t forget me,” she declared.
“I could never forget you, Hannah,” Lance promised.
Epilogue
A month later, the repairs to Max and Kellie’s home were completed. Kellie couldn’t find a single trace of fire damage. She was happy with the new carpeting throughout the house.
Kellie woke with a grin on her face. “Wake up, Max.” She shook his shoulder. “Today’s the day of the party. We have a lot to do. “Race you to the shower.” She won. He was still asleep when she returned. She stood and dripped water from her hair onto his face until he sputtered and agreed to get up.
By the time he showered, dressed, and made his way downstairs, Kellie was singing, and the girls were happily eating breakfast.
“It’s a glorious day,” Kellie announced. “They repaired the house, no more spirits, the kid’s birthdays, and the sun is shining. What more could we ask for? Life is good.”
A few hours later, friends and family arrived, and Kellie and Taylor ushered them out into the back yards. Kellie’s gazebo was turned into a gift center and was quickly filling with blue or pink wrapped gifts.
Lance arrived with Hannah. His arm had healed, and Hannah was as perky as ever. She held Lance’s hand as if she would never let go.
Claudia arrived dressed in white jeans and t-shirt with a blue and pink cape just for the occasion.
A professional photographer walked around snapping pictures of the most important moments.
Kellie and Taylor stood back admiring their handiwork. “We did a good job,” Taylor admitted. “People love the food, the kids are happily playing with new toys, our husbands didn’t kill us for over planning, and it didn’t rain.”
“Don’t forget the cakes. T
hey were gorgeous and delicious,” Kellie said.
The photographer approached them and asked if there were any additional pictures they wished her to take. While they spoke, her assistant gathered up the photography supplies to carry to their car. On his way through the house, he slipped into the laundry room and made his way to the garage. He opened the case he carried and placed a purple rose on the hood of Kellie’s SUV. Then he slipped out of the side garage door and meandered down the driveway.
The End?
Thank you for reading my book. I hope you enjoyed it. If you have a chance, please leave a review on Amazon. I would appreciate it. Reviews are the best way to let authors know if you enjoyed their books.
For more information on all my books, future Kellie Conley and Lance Cain Mysteries, and short story mysteries please visit my web site Marianne Spitzer, Author, Amazon site Marianne Spitzer on Amazon, my blog Musings Under the Willow Tree., Facebook page Marianne-Spitzer, Author or follow me on Twitter @MarianneSpitzer
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