Cut & Run

by Traci Hohenstein

  After eating a couple of slices of pizza and watching part of a football game on TV with Red, Rachel was ready to go.

  “Hey, clean up after yourself before you go back to your own room,” she reminded him.

  “Yep. Good luck tonight.”

  Rachel met Michelle in the hotel’s lobby bar. She was glad to see that her friend had dressed casually, too, in jeans and a black T-shirt. Michelle’s blond hair hung loosely around her shoulders, and she wore minimal makeup. After a couple of drinks, they made the quick drive to Madame Verdene’s shop, parking on a side street that looked questionable. When they stepped inside, several other women were already waiting in the shop and looking over merchandise. Rachel counted eleven other women browsing around the store waiting for the ritual to start.

  Michelle picked up a voodoo doll kit. “I think I’ll buy a few of these for stocking stuffers. What do you think?”

  “Good idea. These are for your family. Not patients, right?”

  Michelle laughed as she twirled one of the six-inch colorful dolls around. “Well, I can think of a couple of patients that might find a good use for them,” Michelle said, sticking a large pin in one of the dolls. Rachel knew that Michelle had a challenging job as a couples therapy counselor.

  “And you wouldn’t want that on your conscience,” Rachel commented.

  “Good evening, everyone.” Rachel turned to see Madame Verdene walking toward the front of the shop. She was wearing another long black skirt with a matching black peasant blouse. Rachel noticed she was using a black cane to help her walk tonight. She hadn’t noticed the cane the first time she’d met Verdene.

  “We always start this evening’s ritual with a tour of the historic graveyard nearby,” she said. She pointed her cane at her shop assistant. “This is Debbie. She’ll be leading the tour. I’ll see everyone back here for the cleansing ceremony.”

  As everyone else lined up at the door to head outside, Rachel walked over to Verdene.

  “I’d like to speak with you after the ceremony. We’ve found some information about Erin, and…”

  Verdene cut her off. “I know what you want to talk about. We’ll talk later, honey.”

  “Okay,” Rachel said, feeling taken aback. She’d been hoping to find out whether Verdene had more visions of Erin to share, but she guessed it would have to wait. She held back the urge to tell the woman about the arm found in the swamp, as she knew it was confidential. She almost smiled thinking how Krapek would have her head if she found out Rachel was spreading the word about the discoveries on the investigation.

  The tour through the graveyard turned out to be fun, packed with details about the most famous witches, voodoo queens, and ghosts in New Orleans’s long history. During the tour, Rachel thought back to the pencil drawing she’d seen in Erin’s art studio. The graveyard on the tour looked very similar to the one in the drawing. She filed that thought away to discuss with Red later.

  Debbie, their tour guide, explained to the group that Cajuns had their own hybrid version of voodoo that reflected the culture that was unique to the area. Rachel hadn’t realized that the history of voodoo dated back over two centuries, to the time when African slaves arrived in the city, bringing with them a religion that had originated over seven thousand years ago.

  “Voodoo,” Debbie said, “means spirit or mystery. Believers of voodoo accepted the existence of one god, which the powerful spirits referred to as Loa. The powerful spirits were responsible for daily matters in the areas of family, love, money, happiness, wealth, and revenge.”

  Michelle nudged her and whispered, “Did you know voodoo could help you with love?” Rachel laughed quietly and returned her attention to Debbie.

  “There was one powerful and well-known voodoo queen in New Orleans named Marie Laveau,” said Debbie. “Laveau was a poster child for the mixed races that emerged from New Orleans, as she is said to have been a free person of color and part Choctaw. She was born to a wealthy French planter named Charles Laveau and a mother who was a voodoo practitioner from the Caribbean and also a slave.”

  As the tour wrapped up and the group followed Debbie back to the shop, Rachel felt like she knew everything there was to know about New Orleans voodoo history. She just wasn’t sure how much she really believed in it. Clearly, Erin had believed that it would help with her artwork—and maybe with other things, too. Whatever the case was, Rachel hoped to find out more.

  Back at the voodoo shop, the mood had been transformed. They were led back to the office where Rachel had first met with Verdene. The area had been cleaned up, and there were several candles lit. The smell of sage lingered in the room.

  “Please have a seat on one of the mats,” Verdene instructed the group.

  Rachel and Michelle joined the rest of the guests in sitting down and forming a circle around the voodoo queen.

  “This room has been cleansed of any negative energy. Likewise, the purpose of today’s ritual is to remove any negative energy that you may have lingering around you. After the ceremony, you should expect to feel light and free from any negative thoughts or energy.” Madame Verdene stood in the middle of the circle. “Now, the first thing I want you to do is close your eyes and relax. Inhale and exhale at a nice leisurely pace. Feel your breath become fluid within you.”

  Rachel had taken plenty of yoga classes before, so the phrase sounded familiar. She closed her eyes as Madame Verdene had instructed and did the calming yoga breathing she’d learned in the past.

  “I’ll be walking around to each of you to check your aura and energies. I will not be touching you, but you may feel a sensation of hot or cold when I do this. It will not hurt and should not be uncomfortable. Please try to keep your eyes closed, breathing nice and easy, and keep your mind clear.”

  After a couple of minutes, Rachel sensed that Verdene was in front of her. She felt warmth traveling down her body. It was an odd sensation but nothing unpleasant. It was similar to lying on the beach and feeling the sunlight caress your body. Within a few seconds, the warmth drained away and coolness followed. She tried to keep her breathing steady and her mind calm and empty. Another strong smell, one of sage mixed with lavender, enveloped her.

  She sensed rather than saw Verdene leave her and move to the next person. Rachel risked a peek and saw Verdene moving her hands across the length of Michelle’s body. Verdene wasn’t touching Michelle, but her hands were within six inches of her. After Verdene’s hands had gone up and down the length of Michelle’s body, Debbie handed Verdene a bunch of dried herbs, which emitted a light smoke. Verdene then ran it across Michelle. This was similar to the smudge stick Debbie had run across them when they returned from the graveyard tour.

  Rachel closed her eyes again and let her mind wander while she waited for Verdene to finish with the rest of the group. An image of Mallory popped in her head. Mallory was wearing a pink polka-dot bathing suit, and her long red hair was in a braid that ran down the length of her back. Her back was turned to Rachel, and she was building a sand castle. Rachel could feel the coarseness of the brown sand against her bare feet as she walked toward Mallory. She called out to Mallory and her little girl turned to face her. Mallory smiled and held her hands out to Rachel. Rachel started running to Mallory, but the faster she ran the farther away Mallory drifted. She screamed Mallory’s name over and over, but Mallory was gone.

  CHAPTER 21

  A strong smell of ammonia attacked her nose, waking her up. Rachel felt a cool cloth on her forehead as she tried to sit up. A feeling of dizziness and nausea passed over her, forcing her to lie back down.

  “Take it easy.” Rachel looked up to see Michelle sitting beside her. “You had a bit of an episode. How are you feeling?”

  “A little shaky. What happened?” Rachel looked around and saw they were alone in the back office. Everyone had left.

  “I don’t know. You were calling out Mallory’s name, and then you fainted. Have you had anything to eat lately?”

  “I ate some
pizza at the hotel before we came here for the tour. Where is everyone?”

  “After you fainted, Madame Verdene gave me some smelling salts. She ushered everyone out.”

  Rachel felt a little embarrassed as Verdene came back in the room. “Are you feeling better?” she asked Rachel.

  Rachel sat up, her head still swimming. “I think so. Just a little dizzy.”

  “That’s only happened one other time I’ve had a cleansing. It seems to affect a select few quite differently from others. Did you have a vision?”

  Rachel remembered Mallory sitting on the beach, smiling and playing in the sand. “My daughter Mallory. She was at the beach.”

  “Your daughter that is missing?” Madame Verdene asked.

  Rachel was surprised. “My daughter has been missing since she was three years old. She’s never been found. How did you know?” she asked.

  Madame Verdene was quiet for a moment. “I felt a presence while doing the ritual on you.”

  “You’re a medium?” Rachel asked.

  “If that’s what you want to call it. I communicate with the afterlife.”

  “Mallory is dead?”

  “No, she’s not. This was a spirit of an older woman. Does the name Queenie mean anything to you?”

  Rachel felt goose bumps on her arm. “Beatrice is the name of my grandmother. We called her Queenie.”

  “She was with you during the spiritual cleansing. That’s usually the time when the spirits come through the best.”

  “What did she say about Mallory?”

  “The woman indicated that you lost a child. She wanted me to tell you that your daughter is safe.”

  Rachel couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief. But then again, Verdene could’ve read all about Rachel and Mallory on the Internet. It wasn’t too hard to get the story online. Especially with all the media surrounding the O’Malley case, Rachel and her team were in the news constantly. Still, how did she know about Queenie?

  “You don’t know what happened to your daughter?” Verdene asked.

  Rachel shook her head. “I’ve been working on leads for years, but I’ve found nothing but dead ends so far.”

  “When you feel better, I can do a reading for you. See if I can help you find your daughter,” Madame Verdene offered.

  Michelle helped Rachel stand up. Her head was starting to clear and she felt stronger.

  “Maybe,” Rachel said. She gathered her things. “Thank you for an interesting evening.”

  Verdene reached out for Rachel’s hand and put it in her own. “The visions only come to those who have an open mind and are willing to let the spirits guide them. You have a special gift and only need some guidance to learn to channel those visions properly. Let me know when you are ready.”

  Just as Rachel was about to walk out the door, she remembered what she was going to ask Verdene earlier. “About Erin. You mentioned that they would find Erin in the swamp?”

  Madame Verdene nodded. “They found her wedding ring, right?”

  Rachel thought about the picture of the swollen arm and the gold wedding ring still attached to the finger. “How did you know?”

  “I saw the vision before Erin even died. I knew she’d be found in the swamp.”

  “Why didn’t you warn her?” Rachel asked.

  “It wouldn’t have done any good. It was her destiny.”

  CHAPTER 22

  “Okay. That was weird. You don’t believe in all that, do you?” Michelle asked.

  They were back at the hotel, where Michelle had insisted they go immediately after the incident at the voodoo shop. Michelle poured more red wine into Rachel’s glass and put another slice of leftover cold pizza, which Red had thoughtfully stored away in the mini-fridge, in front of her.

  “I don’t know. It was definitely a unique experience.”

  Rachel knew that Michelle was skeptical of the whole voodoo thing, just like Red was. Hell, she was skeptical, too. But Rachel desperately wanted to believe that Mallory was alive. It was always what she felt in her heart. She kept hope that one day they would be reunited. The most important thing was that Mallory was alive and well. From the information Rachel had gotten in Mexico about the illegal adoption ring, she had reason to hope that Mallory was with a nice family.

  “The voodoo tour was fun and informative, but I was a little dubious of the whole cleansing thing.” Michelle drained the rest of her wine. “I just don’t want you to get your hopes up.”

  “You’re a good friend, and I appreciate you going along with me tonight.” Rachel knew it was probably all hocus pocus and she had probably passed out just from the heat of the day or from not having eaten enough. She had dreams of Mallory all the time, so how was this really any different? But, on the other hand, it couldn’t hurt to take Verdene up on her offer to help. “The conference ends tomorrow at noon,” said Michelle. “I can spend an extra day or two in New Orleans if you’d like some help with the O’Malley case.”

  “Really? It would be nice to get to spend some more time with you. Plus, we could use all the help we can get.”

  “Well, that settles it. I’ll call Jim and let him know that I won’t be home until Monday afternoon.”

  Rachel finished up her cold slice of pepperoni and mushroom while Michelle called her husband.

  “I’m all yours,” Michelle said, after she hung up the phone.

  “Great. Can I ask you a favor?”

  “Shoot.”

  “Would you be willing to talk to Matt O’Malley tomorrow? Seeing as you’re willing to help, I’m hoping you can assist him with recovering his memory.”

  “Of course. What exactly do you want me to do?” Michelle asked.

  “Just talk to him. Maybe you can give him some exercises to help with his memory.” Rachel threw the entire pizza box and empty beer can away. “I would also like your professional opinion about him.”

  “You think Matt is lying about the amnesia?”

  Rachel shrugged. “At this point, I really don’t know. We don’t have much to go on.”

  Michelle picked up her purse and her shopping bag. “Okay. I can meet you back here at the hotel around two o’clock?”

  “Perfect. I’ll ask Matt if that will work for him.” Rachel gave Michelle a hug. “And thanks for tonight.”

  “Not a problem. It was…an experience.”

  As Rachel was getting ready for bed, her cell phone rang.

  “Hey, Rachel, this is Matt O’Malley. Sorry for the late-night call. Do you have a sec?”

  “Sure. I was going to call you in the morning. What’s up?”

  “I met with the FBI earlier today.”

  “Really? How’d that go?”

  “That’s what I’d like to talk to you about. Can we meet tomorrow?”

  “Remember the psychologist friend I talked to you about the other day? She said tomorrow would work if you’re willing to see her. We can talk afterward?”

  “Give me the time and place. I’ll be there.”

  CHAPTER 23

  When Matt showed up at Rachel Scott’s hotel room the next day, he was relieved to find that the woman psychologist seemed approachable. Not like she wanted to trap him in a lie. After his meeting with the FBI agents, he’d felt like they were looking hard at him for Erin’s apparent murder and his own kids’ disappearance. Now, with the media whirlwind surrounding the sensational case of his missing family, Matt was feeling the pressure all the way around. Even television personality Nancy Grace was calling him for an interview, and that was a headache he wanted to avoid. Everyone knew Nancy had a penchant for tearing into any husband of a missing wife or child.

  “Would you like me to give you guys some privacy?” Rachel asked.

  “No, I’m fine with you staying,” Matt said.

  Michelle agreed. “Well, let’s get started.”

  They all sat around the small table near the hotel window.

  Michelle’s first round of questions related to his health and his experi
ence with the doctors in Baton Rouge.

  “So all your blood tests and physical examination came out normal?”

  Matt nodded. “Just a bump on the head and a possible concussion.”

  “Okay. Let’s get to what your last memory was. What do you remember?”

  “A couple months prior to the accident I took the day off to get a haircut and run some personal errands.”

  “Anything particular that happened that stands out in your mind?” Michelle asked.

  “It was a nice day, so after a visit to my tax attorney, I walked to a nearby coffee shop for a bite to eat. That’s about it.” Matt sighed. “I’ve been over this a million times. I feel like something significant happened that day, but I just can’t quite grasp it.”

  “That’s fine,” said Michelle. “I want you to relax and take your time. Close your eyes and let the memory flow naturally. This time, mentally use all your senses. I want you to hear the click of the scissors while the barber cuts your hair. Feel the warmth of the sun on the top of your head as you walk down the street. Smell the coffee brewing in the café.”

  Matt took a seat next to the window and closed his eyes, just like Michelle suggested. Making himself comfortable, he let his tense muscles relax. He caught a thread of memory and followed it, not talking aloud, but pretending he was recounting that day’s events to someone listening.

  That morning, I started the day off with a hair appointment at a local barber. Erin had been on me for weeks about getting my hair cut because it was getting close to my shoulder. My hair is naturally curly, and Erin kidded me that I was looking like a surfer dude with the long hair. After a thirty-minute appointment, I left and met my tax attorney about an issue on my income taxes. That problem was resolved, and I left the attorney’s office earlier than anticipated, although five thousand dollars poorer.