by Sable Hunter
“We really don’t know anything yet.” Rachel’s voice sounded pitiful. Her complexion looked ashen gray and Nanette could tell Rachel knew in her heart what she’d not been able to say out loud. Rachel realized Kathy and the little girl were gone, and they would not be returning. Angelique and Nanette stood on each side of the woman and walked with her into the kitchen where Elizabeth stood at the sink, looking out at the backyard.
“Did the little dog ever show back up? A white poodle, I think you said?”
“No, and frankly I have been so torn up about the girls, I haven’t given much thought to the dog.”
Elizabeth nodded, and then spoke frankly. “He got rid of the dog first.”
Rachel gasped.
“Mrs. Townsend, the man who attacked your daughter and granddaughter came into this house intending on doing them harm. The violence was premeditated.”
“Who would do such a thing?”
Having no answer to her question, at present, Elizabeth continued, “I don’t have a name. The man does not think of himself by a name.” She stopped and went very still. “He considers himself to be ‘The Righteous’.
Only Elizabeth saw Angelique looking out the glass patio door, but all of them heard her gasp. They turned to see what was wrong and heard her whisper, “Mrs. Townsend, may I have a recent picture of Kathy and Lea?”
Nanette walked over to her companion. “You see something, don’t you?”
Angelique nodded.
Rachel walked into the adjacent room and came back with a framed photograph. She handed the photo to Angelique, who took one look at the picture and laid it down on the cabinet. She opened the door and walked outside. They slowly followed her as the stately woman walked toward the wooded back of the property.
“What is she doing?” Rachel asked Nanette.
“I’m not sure, but I think we had better get you a chair.”
Elizabeth knew that her mother had a good idea what would happen next. Rachel would be receiving tragic news.
Angelique walked toward the trees. The mown portion of the backyard ended abruptly in a thickly wooded area covered in low, dense underbrush.
Elizabeth tuned into Angelique’s thoughts. She didn’t like to do it; Angelique’s unique view of the world was not a pretty one. Closing her eyes, she saw what Angelique saw—standing at the edge of the trees, pale and covered in blood was Kathy McLemore. She held the hand of her small daughter. Elizabeth wanted to cry.
* * * *
Even after years of experiencing encounters with the dead, Angelique still felt the dread and the uncertainty she felt the very first time she had ever seen a ghost.
Angelique’s first time had been at an aunt’s wedding when she was only six years old. The ceremony was in the neighborhood church and Angelique had been asked to be a flower girl. She had been very excited and took her job seriously. As she walked up the aisle, scattering rose petals, Angelique noticed a little girl standing up at the front over by the piano. As she drew closer to the wedding party, who were standing in a semi-circle in front of the altar, Angelique drew a startled, audible breath. She was close enough now to recognize the other girl. It was her cousin, Bettina.
The job of flower girl had first been promised to Bettina and now she had arrived to watch someone else do what she had so looked forward to doing herself. Angelique even wore the dress originally sewn for Bettina. Angelique began to shake. Her steps slowed down to a crawl. Everyone watched Angelique as she so carefully stared at the area off to the right near the musical instrument.
Bettina was not happy. The look on the little girl’s face sent cold chills down Angelique’s back. The wedding party all looked at Angelique obviously wondering why she had stopped throwing rose petals halfway down the aisle.
All of this would have been easily solved—the bride would have been glad to include Bettina in the procession, Bettina’s mother would have been overjoyed to know Bettina had felt like coming to the church. Angelique used to love playing with her favorite cousin.
…but Bettina had died six weeks earlier from bacterial meningitis.
Angelique looked around the church with horror, but no one else could see Bettina. They were all looking at her. No one seemed aware of Bettina’s presence except Angelique. She pulled herself together and took her place at the front of the church. The wedding went on as planned. No one else saw the small dead girl as she walked up and down the aisle. She stopped at her mother’s pew, and then her grandmother’s. She came and stood by the bride and tried to pinch Angelique’s arm. It was all Angelique could do to keep from running from the church screaming. Finally, Bettina left. She walked into the wall on the right side of the church and Angelique never saw her again.
She told her grandmother about Bettina when she got home. Granny Thibodeaux had not been able to go to the wedding; her arthritis would not permit her to leave her home, very often. She had sat Angelique down and explained to her about the gift. She said they shared this gift, which always skipped a generation. Granny’s daughter, Angelique’s mother, could not see spirits, but she and Angelique could.
Now today, she saw the spirits of Rachel Townsend’s family. Angelique came as close to them as they would allow. She attempted to talk to them, but at this time, they had no words. They turned slowly and walked to the woods as if they wanted to be followed. Angelique did the only thing she could do, she followed them.
The two ghosts appeared very lifelike. Obviously, they had been severely beaten around the head and shoulders. They did not look back to see if Angelique followed them, they just continued on their solemn journey. Soon, they came to the remnants of an old well. The concrete curb enclosing the top of the well was still visible. Vines clung to the sides of the curb and an old piece of rusty tin covered the opening. Kathy and Lea stopped at the well and turned to face Angelique. She did not have to look into the well to know what lay at the bottom.
Back with Rachel, Nanette and Elizabeth quietly sat, waiting on Angelique to return. When she did, she knew they would easily read her face. “Mrs. Townsend, it is my strong belief your daughter and granddaughter have met a tragic end.”
Rachel Townsend crumpled over with the news, and if Elizabeth had not supported her, she would have fallen to the ground.
Angelique continued her sad news. “When the police return, have them search in an abandoned well, which sits at the back of your property.”
Nanette looked at Elizabeth. “Call someone to come.”
Elizabeth went in the house to phone the police. Angelique moved near to Nanette and said softly, “We have a bigger problem than you might think.”
Nanette walked over to one side with Angelique. “What do you see?”
“Kathy and Lea aren’t the only ones here.”
Nanette looked at Angelique with horror.
“What do you mean, Angelique?”
“There are at least five others here, all of them women.”
Nanette turned and looked at the woods as if this time she would see more. “I believe you.”
“As I walked behind Kathy and Lea, they just started coming from out of the woods. They want us to know that they, like Kathy and Lea, are here—waiting.”
* * * *
The gumbo tasted excellent. The Louisiana favorite only improved with reheating, which was fortunate, since they weren’t all able to return to Wildflower Way for supper until almost ten o’clock that night. So much had happened; they could barely take it all in.
Over at the Townsend’s, Detective Garrison and Officer Meyers had found Kathy and Lea’s battered bodies in the old well, exactly as Angelique had said they would. Kathy’s keys and purse were found with the bodies. Garrison had not said much, but he’d told Elizabeth that the accuracy of the information provided by the women amazed him.
Elizabeth had asked the detective to call on them the next day. Somehow, she had to convince the detective to look for more bodies buried in the woods. Secretly, she looked forward to the
visit. The detective was a very handsome man.
Publicity also concerned Elizabeth. There was no way their involvement would escape the notice of the media.
Evangeline and Arabella had reported they had cast a circle at Enchanted Rock and felt they had made contact. Arabella also told what the young man had said about the accident that had happened there only days earlier. “I assume you are going to follow up on that nugget of information?” Elizabeth asked.
“Of course, first thing tomorrow,” Arabella assured her.
“And you are planning on meeting him tonight?” Angelique spoke softly and carefully.
“Yes, I am going to perform the same ritual and use the dream pillow as I did last night.”
Angelique reached into the pocket of her dress. “I have something for you.” She pulled out a sapphire necklace.
“Oh, Angelique, how beautiful.” Arabella held out her hand.
“Wear this tonight. The stones will help you dream and it aids in what they call today, astral travel. You have to realize, this young man may be unaware he is leaving his body. He may not know this is anything more than a dream. You must ask him some questions and find out who he is, and if he is in trouble, where he is.”
“I will try.”
They were about to call it a night and retire upstairs, but Nanette stopped them. “Arabella, before we go to bed, let’s check every window and every door to make sure this place is safe. The things we have been preoccupied with today are important, but our well-being must take first place. Tomorrow, we will put up a ward around this home to keep out any enemy or any evil. For tonight, wear your red gris-gris bags to bed and I will pray for our safety.” They listened carefully to their elder relative and did as she requested. Elizabeth could hear her mother’s thoughts as clearly as if she were speaking aloud. Nanette could feel the danger and thought it may very well be connected to the murders in the neighborhood, but she did not have the proof, yet. Elizabeth prayed they would have the answers, soon.
* * * *
The day had been a long one. Nanette, Angelique and Evangeline had not had more than a couple of hours sleep the night before, and they were exhausted. Arabella made sure everyone had everything they needed before she went to her own room.
She couldn’t wait to see what her dreams would bring. After preparing for bed, she placed the sapphire necklace around her neck with the red flannel bag. She could tell the piece was very old. She charged it in her right hand and asked the spirit of the stone to allow her to find out his name. The dream pillow went underneath her pillow and she, once again, smudged the room with mugwort and lavender. Not wanting a repeat of last night’s restless tossing and turning, she opted to begin reading a book from the outset tonight. Arabella had chosen a work by the great Edgar Cayce, The Sleeping Prophet. He wrote a great deal on astral projection and even though she found it very interesting, The Sleeping Prophet put her right to sleep.
Almost instantly, she found herself right where she had longed to be all day. Even though the hour had been late when she went to bed, sunlight shone brightly on Enchanted Rock. Again, she heard the cry of a hawk. Frantically, she turned around in a circle searching the vast top of the pink granite mount. She was all alone, no one in sight. Her heart lurched with deep disappointment. She fell to her knees and began to weep. Despair flooded her soul. What more could she do? With head in hand, Arabella prayed to the gods for mercy and help.
A shadow covered her. Lifting her head, she saw the object of her desire, kneeling in front of her. She threw her arms around his neck and wept with joy. He drew her close and cupped the back of her head. “Don’t cry. I’m here.”
Arabella found his lips with hers. The kiss this time was tender and full of reverence. “I didn’t think you were coming.” She held on to him with all the strength she possessed. The solidness of him seemed to be a contradiction she couldn’t bear to examine very closely. Afraid that she would lose herself in his embrace, she forced her mind to think clearly. “You are real, aren’t you? Tell me your name.”
He took a deep breath and rested his head on her shoulder. “My name is Jade, Jade Landale.”
She stroked his hair with her hand. Something was desperately wrong. “Jade, come to me. My name is Arabella and I live at Wildflower Way in Wimberley, just a few miles from here.”
“I can’t.”
What did he mean? “Then, I will come to you. Jade, how can I find you?” He turned her loose and stood. She rose also. Arabella held on to him, afraid he would vanish at any moment.
“I am at Tranquility.” One moment, her fingertips knew the warmth of his skin, the next he was gone and everything went black.
Chapter Five
His name is Jade.
His name is Jade.
His name is Jade.
The litany played over and over again in her mind. She lay in the bed and stretched luxuriously. The world looked brighter. He had a name. Jade Landale. But the place, Tranquility? Arabella didn’t understand—tranquility was a state of mind, not a place. Nevertheless, she had somewhere to start.
A tap on her door interrupted her reverie. “Come in.”
Evangeline opened the door and eased in to sit on the bed beside her cousin. “Did you learn anything?”
“His name is Jade Landale.”
“Jade. What an unusual name for a guy, but a pretty name. What else?”
Arabella sat up in bed and scooted back until she could lean on the oak headboard. She tidied her hair with her hands and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “I didn’t get much more. When I asked where I could find him, he said something strange. He said he was at tranquility.”
“Tranquility, what does that mean?”
“Good question, I don’t know if it’s a place or an emotion. You don’t think he’s dead, do you?”
Evangeline patted her on the leg, offering comfort. “Why don’t we use a pendulum and ask some questions?”
Arabella brightened. “What a good idea. Let me get dressed and we’ll search for his name on the computer, and then use the pendulum if we don’t find all the answers on the Internet.”
Evangeline left Arabella to get ready.
When she went downstairs, wonderful smells greeted her. Coffee was brewing and breakfast was well under the way—Elizabeth’s French toast. “Hey, baby. Are you hungry?” Arabella realized she had really missed her mother.
“Yes, as a matter of fact, I am.” She poured herself a cup of coffee, and not being able to wait a moment longer, opened up the laptop and entered Jade’s name in the search engine. Her heart skipped a beat when there were several hits. Evangeline came in and leaned over her shoulder to see what she had found. “Hey, look at this.” She clicked on the first website in the list. “Oh, my God. Now, I know why he seemed familiar. Jade is a State Congressmen. Here is a picture of him rock climbing with a local club. A large picture at the top of an article made her gasp. “Mother, look at this.”
Evangeline and Elizabeth both leaned closer as Arabella pointed at the tall good-looking blond man hanging by a rope off the side of a cliff. “Oh, he is handsome,” Elizabeth whispered.
Then Arabella moved the screen lower. “Oh, please—no.”
The headline read, EXPERIENCED CLIMBER, STATE CONGRESSMEN FALLS AT E-ROCK. She quickly scanned down the article until she reached this line. “Sadly, Congressmen Jade Landale will likely never recover. Doctors report Landale is completely paralyzed and will probably remain in hospital care for an indeterminate length of time. A promising political career has come to a tragic end.” Arabella’s heart lurched. Her mother placed a comforting hand on her daughter’s shoulder.
Tears were streaming down her face. She remembered what the man had told her at Enchanted Rock yesterday. The reality that he had been badly hurt wasn’t a possibility she had let herself consider. In her dreams, he was so vital and strong. “How can this be?”
Nanette and Angelique joined the group and Elizabeth softly explained to the
m what Arabella had found.
“I’m so sorry, baby.” Nanette leaned over and kissed her granddaughter. “Does the article say what hospital he is in?”
Arabella finished reading the write-up, but there had been no mention as to where Jade Landale was being treated. “No.” She clicked back to the list of other web addresses that mentioned his name. “Here’s something.” She clicked on an article in a San Antonio newspaper.
A gasp escaped her lips. The other article had hit hard enough, but this one took her breath away. A smiling Jade Landale stood at the side of a beautiful blonde. CONGRESSMAN ANNOUNCES ENGAGEMENT. Arabella slowly shut the computer, stood up and exited the room.
* * * *
Elizabeth started to follow her daughter up the stairs.
“Let her be for a while.” Nanette stopped her daughter. “Evangeline, get on that thing and see if you can find anything else out about that boy. Something is not right, here. Elizabeth, can’t you pick anything up?”
Removing the golden brown French toast from the griddle, Elizabeth prepared her mother a plate. “No, I can’t sense him at all, probably because he’s never been here, nor do we have any material item that he has ever touched. I have to have some physical contact with an individual before I can hone in on anything.”
Evangeline did not find anything more on the internet relating to his accident. She did find several sites devoted to raising support and money for a possible gubernatorial race in his name. After breakfast, she had every intention of going up and checking on her cousin. Before she could head up the stairs, Nanette stopped her.
“Wait a minute, sweetie. We have a big job to do. As much as I would like to help Arabella find her beau, what I came here for trumps that concern. I saw danger in the waters and I cannot get the idea out of my head that what happened to those little girls down the road is tied in with my vision.” Nanette’s narrative got their attention.