Dadgummit

by Maggie Toussaint

  “Avoidance is your best strategy, followed by and in conjunction with psychic protection.”

  “Can’t avoid this one. He’s preying on members of my community. Besides, we need to get Sheriff Blair back ASAP.”

  I wrested my phone from Mayes’ hand. “Specifics, Dad. What can we do? I’m able to shield two cops if they are in close proximity, but other than that, I can’t help them.”

  “In general, cops shouldn’t be vulnerable. They’re not the weak-willed individuals who are a PV’s normal victim.”

  “PV?” Mayes asked.

  “Psychic vampire,” I explained. “It’s another term for an energy vampire.”

  “I need to check into this more with my people,” Mayes said. “How do we catch this man?”

  “Stay close to my daughter for your personal safety. That’s the first thing. Most PVs can’t harm dreamwalkers.”

  “Most?”

  “I would say all of them, but some PVs invite other entities inside them, things that don’t belong on this side of the veil. If this PV is possessed, steel bars won’t hold him.”

  “What are the odds we’ve got one of those rogue PVs?” Mayes asked.

  This vamp was clever and manipulative. Jonas Canyon tricked us into thinking we were safe if he was secured. Now I knew better.

  “Gosh. Figures aren’t my strong suit,” Dad said.

  I imagined my dad standing there scratching his grizzled head. I felt the same way about math as he did, and it was all I could do to squelch the inappropriate grin that threatened to come out.

  “Maybe one in a thousand or one in a million,” Dad said.

  “That’s a pretty wide swing,” Mayes grumbled. “If we’ve got a rogue PV, what’s the deal?”

  “You could try exorcism, though getting a demon out of a PV is a problem.”

  “How about a bullet?” Mayes asked.

  “Might temporarily stop the host, but some entities aren’t fazed by bullets.”

  “Not a promising solution, but we have to stop the immediate trouble in our area. Jonas Canyon looked me dead in the eye and mesmerized me from the get-go. If not for Baxley, I’d be in the same fix as the sheriff. I hope we’re in time to save Twilla Sue.”

  Sirens wailed in the distance. Help was nearly here. I leaned in close to the phone. “About that … this guy must’ve been fully charged if he was able to hypnotize two law enforcement types simultaneously. Do you agree, Dad, that due to the PV’s high energy level, he wouldn’t completely drain Twilla Sue?”

  “Not right away, in any event. We don’t know what his rate of burn is, so the sooner you find her, the better.”

  Heartened, I kept going with my list of questions. “The house has eight people in comas upstairs. They’re nothing but skin and bones. What does that mean?”

  “Must be his private herd. He’s drained them until they’re at the brink of death. Few people can come back once they’ve been drained that far.”

  “He identified one of the people as his mother. If that’s true, I pity her. Is it possible that’s what happened to our vic, Haney Haynesworth? He didn’t have a mark on him.”

  “Entirely possible, unless he was in good health.”

  A chill shivered down my spine. Haney had looked to be in good health. “What does that have to do with it?”

  “He’d regenerate and recover until he couldn’t. Each time he bounced back from being partly drained, he’d use up more of his energy reserves. That tends to slim a body down.”

  “You’re saying our vic should’ve been emaciated if he was killed by total energy theft? He’d look like the people upstairs?”

  My father coughed. “That’s been my experience with PVs.”

  So much for my hope to quickly resolve Haney’s cause of death. My dad knew way more about this stuff than I did, so I believed him. “We’ll get the survivors on their way to the hospital, then hopefully, I can read this crime scene. Mayes suggested we consider also that the Little People might have killed Haney.”

  “The Nunne’hi?”

  The interest in my father’s voice vibrated through the line. I spoke louder over the approaching dual sirens. “You know about the fae folk here in the Georgia mountains?”

  “I do. They’re about knee high to a child, with long black hair, though they can also appear as tall as we are, temporarily. They’re rumored to live in caves or caverns, such as in these mountains. Legend says they come out at night to farm and dance.”

  Interesting and highly specific information. “Where’d you learn about them?”

  “Running Bear has shared much with me about his people. He’s quite versed in Cherokee lore as well.”

  My father’s friend Running Bear embraced his Native American heritage and still practiced the old ways. Many nights of my childhood had been spent with Running Bear and his wife Gentle Dove at our home. They were my parents’ best friends, and I enjoyed being around their peaceful energy.

  Beside me, Mayes nodded his head.

  I directed my attention back to the phone. “Have you ever seen one?”

  “No. And if you see a Nunne’hi, don’t follow it. You’ll end up in their world with no idea of how much time is passing.”

  “Understood.” The ambulances turned down Bear Claw Lane. I could barely hear myself think. I held the phone close, even though it was on speaker mode.

  “You need me to come get you?” Dad asked.

  “I’m good for now. Thanks.”

  I ended the call.

  “Your father is a knowledgeable man,” Mayes said. “He understands what we’re up against. We’re trying to catch a psychic vampire for the crimes committed here, but Haney’s killer might be fae folk. We have to be careful about releasing the information. No one will believe this.”

  “Then we’ll keep the mysterious part out of your report.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  The last pair of the eight comatose people from the house were being loaded into ambulances when Gail Bergeron joined us in the yard. She moved slowly, favoring her injured arm.

  I patted the bike rack we perched on. “Wanna sit with us? There’s plenty of room.”

  Gail ignored my offer and fixed her gaze on Mayes. “Any word yet on Sheriff Blair?”

  “Her vehicle and cell phone were abandoned in a busy shopping plaza,” he said. “A senior citizen from the same plaza reported her vehicle stolen. We’re searching for her sedan.”

  “I’ve heard the rumors going around the grapevine. I don’t believe in this woo-woo stuff, not unless I witness it firsthand.” Gail spared me a glance. “You’re the real deal, but you’re the exception, not the norm.” She nodded at the last gurney. “What happened to these people?”

  I weighed the possible responses, rejected all but one. “We don’t know. They were unresponsive when we found them.”

  “Curious. I’ll follow up with them at the hospital.”

  Awkward silence followed. Two techs were inside, taking photos and collecting fingerprint evidence.

  “Why are you waiting here?” Gail asked.

  “Ms. Powell and I will conduct a walk-through as soon as the house is cleared,” Mayes said. “Meanwhile, another crew is processing the sheriff’s SUV. We’re throwing everything we’ve got at getting the sheriff back.”

  “So you’re stuck here temporarily?” Gail asked.

  I didn’t like that speculative gleam in her eye. Last time I’d run across Gail on a case, she’d more than earned her nickname of Ice Queen. A natural authority figure, she took the lead on cases and told people what to do. Worse, she didn’t take no for an answer.

  I met her laser-like gaze. “There’s nothing else I can do on your case without additional people to read or new evidence to touch. Plus, I need to direct my energies to this active case. The sheriff’s life is in danger.”

  Two crime scene techs came out with sealed cartons. They took footies, coveralls, gloves, and masks off at the door and bagged them. One of them
nodded to Mayes. He stretched and stood, then held a hand out for me. “We’re up,” he said.

  I took his hand to steady myself as I eased off the bike rack. “About time.”

  Gail darted in front of us and waved her good arm. “Wait. As a medical professional, I should examine that house. To check for contagion.”

  “If something in there is contagious, Ms. Powell and I are already infected,” Mayes said.

  Gail blocked Mayes as he tried to step around her. “In that case, I should establish a baseline for your biometrics.”

  “Not on your life.” Mayes steered me around the roadblock. His tone wasn’t pleasant. “Twilla Sue’s in trouble. Let Ms. Powell do her thing and get a bead on what’s going on. Then you can examine the house ad nauseum.”

  We donned protective gear and entered, while Gail fumed on the porch. “Just as well,” I said in a voice only Mayes could hear. “We don’t have to worry about her rummaging around while we’re in here.”

  “Where do you want to start?” he asked.

  The brooding sense I’d felt before in the house was gone. Now the place seemed empty. “I don’t know if one of your guys touched the doorknobs, but I suspect no one who was in a state of great stress touched the plates. That’s our best shot. Jonas grabbed this handful of dirty plates and placed them in the sink once we arrived.”

  “How can I help?” Mayes asked.

  I passed him my phone. “Run interference if this takes a while. Jonas is still alive, so his spirit can’t trap me on the Other Side. But I never know what I’ll come across while in a meditative trance or a dreamwalk. Call my father if you become concerned for any reason.”

  He nodded, his eyes cop-sharp as he scanned the room. “What social worker approved this place? No way in hell should this dump be a group home.”

  I stood in front of the stack of plates. Since I knew I’d be dreamwalking, I hadn’t put on my right glove. Physical barriers like gloves weakened my tactile reception. I waggled my fingers and steeled my nerve. “Going in.”

  Mayes said something, but I barely heard him as I slipped into a meditative trance. Light fractured into kaleidoscopic panels whirling and turning and making me dizzy. At the same time, rage vectored up my arm, turning my stomach, making me want to puke. In a flash of light, I saw a clearing where nothing grew. The image whirled and stopped at a strangely shaped tree. The earth was disturbed there. Blackbirds cawed and flew at my face.

  I willed myself back to the group home and found Mayes supporting me, his hands holding my hips in a snug grip. “What?” I asked, gazing at the refrigerator and the sink. Hadn’t I been in front of the sink when this started?

  “You’re okay,” he said. “I’ve got you.”

  Being held felt nice. More than nice. But this was wrong on several counts. My marriage. His being a stranger. I stepped away from him. “Did something happen?”

  “You dropped the plates immediately. Your eyes twitched, then you started walking. Tried to walk right through the refrigerator. That’s when I grabbed you, so you wouldn’t hurt yourself.”

  Odd. I’d never moved during a dreamwalk before. “Thanks, I think.”

  “I’d offer you something to drink or a seat, but you don’t want to do either in this strange house.”

  Something else was different about this vision. Something that had not happened. For the first time, I’d felt truly alone on the dreamwalk. “You’re right.”

  “Was it worthwhile?” Mayes asked. “Did you learn anything to help us find Twilla Sue?”

  Instead of touching my necklace, as I often did to center myself after a vision or a dreamwalk, I touched the tattoo on the back of my hand. Cold as ice. Usually Rose’s tattoos heated when I crossed the curtain. Not this time. Hard to say I missed Rose, but her absence puzzled me.

  “The vision was filled with changing images, light, and rage,” I said. “I saw a weird tree with disturbed earth nearby. Not a leaf on this skeleton tree, just black bark. The limbs twisted in every direction.”

  “How does this help us find the sheriff?”

  “I don’t know. I’d like to talk with you later about the images, about the places I saw. I’m unfamiliar with the area so I don’t know if they are landmarks or remote areas we might never identify.”

  “We will.” He seemed to draw into himself for a moment. “Meanwhile, during your dreamwalk, we found the stolen car, but no Twilla Sue. I’ve ordered scent-tracking dogs to the location.”

  “We’ll find her,” I said with more conviction than I felt. I had no idea what we were dealing with in Jonas Canyon. Was he more than an energy vampire? That was enough, truly, but how did he bend people to his will so easily? “Did they find any computers or phones in the house?”

  “Nope. Nothing modern like that. Not even a TV. These folks didn’t read or play games either. Other than the dirty dishes, this place has none of the usual clutter of life. No books, no photos, no games, no mementos. You up for more touch tests?”

  We walked around the house, me touching doorknobs and bedposts and lamps. Nothing in the way of a zing. There were only a few items of clothing in each closet. Nothing jumped out at me when I touched them. The refrigerator was empty. Absolutely empty.

  “Did the lab guys take all the food?” I asked as I closed the fridge door.

  “I can check the evidence log.”

  “Not necessary. I think your initial assessment is correct. This place feels like a rest stop, only the people weren’t in any shape to travel.”

  “You moving away from the psychic-vampire-enslaving-them theory?”

  “Jonas was an energy vamp, that’s for sure. But something else is bothering me. How’d he get the people to come inside this place? Why would they stay after he drained their energy partially? And how is our victim associated with Jonas other than this address? I see nothing to indicate Haney ever lived here. It’s like these people are living ghosts.”

  Mayes’ radio squawked. We listened to the update from the deputy with the scent-tracking dogs. No news on the sheriff’s whereabouts. The dogs had lost her trail by the highway. Worse, two of the comatose people evacuated from the victim’s house had died on the way to the hospital.

  Sweat trickled down my spine. These darn protective coveralls didn’t breathe. “I’m not getting anything else in here. Let’s wait for our ride outside, where it’s cooler.”

  We trudged to the front porch. “That’s weird,” Mayes said.

  I wrestled with a coverall sleeve. “What?”

  He pointed. “There’s an ice cream truck parked in the driveway.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Ice cream? Could there be any better treat after roasting in these coveralls? I peeled the protective gear off and raced out to the truck. My mouth watered at the prospect of something cold and comforting. I ordered a chocolate and toffee-covered bar of ice cream. Gail stood talking to the driver, an older white male in a crisp aqua uniform shirt and hat. The name embroidered on the shirt was Joe.

  “Do you usually stop here?” Gail asked, voice recorder in hand.

  “Not hardly,” Joe said. “This place always looks deserted. Never saw a face in the window. Never saw anyone on the porch or in the yard. Never saw a single bike in that rack out front. That’s saying something, because I’ve had this route for over a year now.”

  “What about cars? Ever notice any vehicles here?”

  Joe shook his head. “Nary a one. I can’t believe people lived there. Seems like I should’ve known.”

  Mayes flashed Haney’s picture on his cell phone at the ice cream vendor. “Ever seen this guy?”

  “Sure. That’s Haney.” Joe beamed. “He lives across town. I usually see him out walking. He goes for orange sherbet every time.” Joe studied the picture closer. “Why’s he sleeping? Did something happen to him?”

  I wondered if Mayes would say Haney was dead. Technically, Haney’s family hadn’t been notified, but just as technically, he didn’t appear to have any
family.

  “Haney died,” Mayes said in a matter-of-fact voice. “His body was found yesterday. We’re trying to locate folks who knew him.”

  “Haney. God love ’im,” Joe said, “Haney wasn’t quite all there, you know? A few quarts shy of a full tank, but he loved Atlanta Braves baseball. He knew stats for all the players. That guy could talk your ear off about baseball.”

  “Where did he live?” Mayes asked, edging in front of Gail.

  “I don’t know. I assumed he was homeless because I never saw him at a house. He was always out walking on the road. He’d flag me down and get a treat. Never had dollar bills. Paid me in coins.”

  “Did he ever talk about family, friends, or work?”

  “Noooo. He’d talk baseball, even in the winter. I saw him last week, and he was all fired up about the playoffs.”

  “We need you to show us where you saw Haney. All the places.”

  “Can’t do that. I have my route. My customers expect me at certain times of the day.”

  “Call your boss. We’ll square it with him.”

  “I don’t want to do that. The boss thinks I goof off as it is. He’s looking for a reason to fire me because his nephew got laid off from the car place.”

  “Call your boss. Or me, you, and your boss will have an extended meeting in Sheriff Blair’s office in fifteen minutes.”

  Joe shook his head real fast. “If we don’t take long, I can make up the time later on the route.”

  “I’ll have another of those chocolate-toffee things,” I added.

  Gail and Wayne looked at me as if I’d lost my mind. “I need to stay hydrated,” I protested. “No telling what will happen next. Life’s short. Eat dessert first.”

  “Good point. I’ll take another one in that case,” Mayes said, reaching for his wallet. “And I’ll ride with you. We’ll note the GPS coordinates of every location where you saw Haney. Gail, you and Baxley follow us in the Hummer.”

  The ice cream bars weren’t cheap, but they were worth every cent. I felt worlds better after my belly was full. Which made me wonder if a sugar boost would help after every dreamwalk. Except then I’d be taking in too many calories.