“I understand that, but didn’t Daniel know you kissed Sam even with all those miles between you?”
“He did, but Magdalena explained it was the emotion he picked up on. We’ll be careful this time.” She hugged her mom and dad and gave Lena a big kiss, saying, “Be good for Grandma and Grandpa and I’ll see you soon.”
“Okay, Mommy. Bye, Mommy. Bye, Sam.” She waved when Sam and Annamarie pulled out of the driveway.
“I’ll miss Lena, but having her away from the house for a few days will be good. We need time to talk. We have to discuss battle plans.”
“Battle plans? You sound as if you’re expecting a war.”
“I think I am,” Annamarie said. “I saw a little of it this morning. Daniel still thinks I’m his and he wants Lena. Magdalena, Josef, and the rest will battle for us and now Tim has joined them. However, I think we need to have our own plan on how to deal with Daniel and his friends.”
“That makes sense. Do you have any idea where to start?” he asked while parking the car.
“I’m not sure what to do. Magdalena promised to visit my dreams and she’ll guide us, I’m sure.”
After an enjoyable, romantic lunch, Annamarie and Sam walked along the river front and watched families playing carefree in the water.
“Do you think that’ll ever be us? Lena and a brother or sister playing without fear anywhere?” Sam wondered aloud.
“Yes, I do and I think it’ll be soon. Lena is safe and we’re safe when she’s with us. We need to find a way to be safe on our own. Magdalena will help.”
“Where do we start?” Sam sat on a bench and appeared defeated. “I can’t lose you,” he said with tears in his eyes.
“You won’t, I promise, love.” She sat next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder.
She popped up off the bench and grabbed his hand. “C’mon, I thought of something.” She pulled him down the river walk toward the shops.
“Where are we going?”
“It was closed New Year’s Eve, but I remember an antique bookstore. Maybe they have some books on folklore we could use.”
“Look, here it is. Margareta’s Antique Books.” She looked at Sam with a surprised look in her eyes. “Margareta was my mom’s mother’s name--my grandmother. This can’t be a coincidence.”
“Stop before we go in. Magdalena is your paternal great-grandmother and now you find a book store with the same name as your maternal grandmother’s? I’m not sure I want to go in. This couldn’t be Daniel…?”
“He’s not that strong, at least not yet, and I don’t plan on letting him get to that point. Let’s go in.”
A charming bell jingled when they walked in.
A familiar voice said, “Annamarie Schneider is it really you?”
“Angela Bracker, I haven’t seen you since graduation. How are you?”
The two young women hugged while Sam watched in confusion.
“I heard about Daniel. I’m sorry.”
“Thanks, hon. This is my husband, Sam Wescott.”
“Nice to meet you, Sam. I’m glad you found happiness again, Annamarie.”
“Nice to meet you, too, Angela.” Sam held out his hand.
The girls chatted a bit while Sam wandered through the small shop. After exchanging phone numbers and promising to have lunch soon, Angela asked, “What can I do for you?”
“I was researching my family tree and found out we might be related to Gypsies. I thought perhaps you had an old book with some genuine information which could help.”
“I think we do. We don’t carry books with questionable folklore, drawings, curses, or the like. Our books have true history or information gathered from reliable sources, such as colleges.”
“That sounds good. I don’t want silly stories. I would like factual information.”
Sam said, “This looks interesting.”
“Yes, that’s the book I had in mind,” said Angela. “It gives the history of several families, and discusses which of the legends are true and which were made up for entertainment purposes.”
“It’s exactly what we need. We’ll take it,” Annamarie said.
Angela wrapped the old book carefully and Sam picked it up while Annamarie paid for it. Both women promised again to keep in touch and Sam followed Annamarie out of the shop.
They found a bench under a shady tree and opened the book. Annamarie paged through and said none of the names listed were part of her family, so it confused her as to why she saw Magdalena as a Gypsy.
“Do you suppose you see her the way you think she would look?” asked Sam.
“It could be, but she appeared that way in my first dream. Sure, I rattled off what I told Daniel was a Gypsy curse, but Magdalena told me it was because of what I said that called them. They knew I was in trouble before I did. I don’t think it was my imagination. I had the first dream before Ben was murdered. I had no way of knowing he would die.”
“Maybe. I’m still trying to figure this out.”
“What about what’s going on now with Daniel’s spirit attacking me and Lena’s ability to see Magdalena? She told me her Grandma Lena looks like me. I didn’t tell her we look alike. We need answers and soon.”
“You’re right,” Sam sighed. “What do we do?”
“Read more of the book.” She smiled at him.
She flipped to a chapter on traveling Gypsies.
“This might be more of what we need. Mom said my ancestors were travelers and she rarely heard them referred to as Gypsies. They ran the carnival.”
“What’s it say?”
“Not much more than we know. It discusses palm reading and fortune telling. Neither of which my mom or Uncle Andreas ever mentioned. Mom does have her dream cards, but they don’t resemble the cards used in fortune telling in any way. See, here’s a picture of the colorful cards. Mom’s cards are simple blue paper cut from a large sheet of cards with black print and pictures. Her cards are half the size of these used for fortune telling.”
“If your ancestors didn’t tell fortunes or read palms and your great-uncle was right and they only put on shows to raise a little money and appeared at Oktoberfest carnivals, why do they appear like the pictures of the Gypsies in this book?”
“Maybe you’re right and I see Magdalena the way I expect her to look. I can ask Lena to tell me more about her. All she ever said was she has pretty hair like me. If Lena sees her differently, I’ll know my imagination is working overtime.”
Sam laughed and said, “Let me see the book before you begin to imagine even more.” He turned the pages and found a section on healing with herbs and those with special gifts.
“Hmm, it says here the Gypsies were very knowledgeable and many were better at healing with herbs than doctors were during the 1700’s and 1800’s. People mistook their simple lifestyle as peasants who were lazy or less intelligent than townsfolk. That is far from the truth. Many of the townsfolk came to seek Gypsy healing. Oh, listen, it also says some were gifted in hands on healing and could heal with a single touch. If this is true, perhaps it’s what Lena can do.”
“Then we must have ancestors who were Gypsies or another group of travelers. I don’t remember hearing about any other group having these types of powers except perhaps in stories of magical beings from other worlds. Does it say anything about Lena’s ability to see spirits while she’s awake?” Annamarie’s expression was a mix of concern and excitement.
“We’re losing the shade. Let’s move to another bench.” He closed the book and they walked a bit further down the river walk and found a quiet spot with a shaded empty bench.
He sat and the book opened to a new page. “This is interesting. It states some with the healing touch also were able to protect themselves and others with touch. It doesn’t explain what kind of protection or anything special about their touch.”
“Okay, perhaps Lena has both types of touch. If it doesn’t give examples, maybe the touch is different for each person. Maybe I’ll dream of M
agdalena and she’ll explain.”
“I hope so. Let’s get an ice cream cone and head home,” he said, smiling at her. He stood holding the book under one arm and taking her hand.
Finishing their cones on the ride home, Sam said, “I want to see if the wildflowers at Garret’s memorial are dead yet. If they are, I have time to use the roto-tiller tonight and till the ground and call a contractor tomorrow to pour the cement over the spot. Will that ease your mind a bit?”
“Yes,” said Annamarie as she laid her head on his shoulder. “I need to rid our home of memories of Daniel and Garret for good, even if it means a battle. I refuse to lose this one.”
Sam knew she meant every word.
* * *
Sam and Annamarie looked at what was once the lovely wildflower patch. Most of the flowers resembled dried up weeds.
Sam said, “I’m going to till this under now. It won’t take long and it’ll be faster when they lay the cement if the ground is ready.”
Annamarie lay in the meadow and watched Sam make quick work of the wildflowers and leave a nice area of clean soil. He raked the loose flowers out, placing them in a bushel basket.
They spent a quiet night and Sam left for work shortly before Elaine arrived.
He phoned a short time later and said he found a contractor who would lay the cement that afternoon.
“Good, I’m going to run over to my mom’s for a bit and see Lena. Then I’ll be home in time to watch the workers.”
Annamarie told Elaine she’d be home shortly after lunch and if the contractor arrived early, she could show them where to lay the cement.
* * *
Annamarie pulled her car into her mom’s drive and saw Lena helping Paula pull weeds from the garden. Lena was covered in mud and laughing.
“Hi, Mommy, want to help me and Gamma pick weeds?”
“Not now, Lena, but I’d like to talk to you after you wash your hands.”
“Okay,” Lena ran to the sprinkler to wash the mud from her hands and giggled when the water squirted her.
“She’s been a perfect angel. No temper and no flying blocks or knocking anything over.”
“I thought she’d be fine here, but I had to be sure. I only want to ask her a few questions.”
Annamarie and Lena sat in the grass. Paula said she would get juice for Lena.
“Lena, honey, I want to ask you some questions about Grandma Lena, okay?”
“Okay, Mommy.”
“I know you told me she has hair like mine. What else can you tell me about how she looks?”
“She doesn’t like to wear shoes, just like you, Mommy. Remember you put your feet where hers were in the sand?”
“I remember, but can you tell me what she wears?”
“Pretty dresses.”
“What do they look like?”
“They have lots of pretty colors.”
“Are the colors all mixed up like scribbling?”
“No, Mommy, they look like my blocks. Some are small squares and some are bigger. They’re all different colors and she wears lots of colored ribbons in her hair.”
Annamarie sat there dumfounded for a moment. Lena had described Magdalena exactly the way she saw her in her dreams.
Annamarie mumbled to herself, “I think this is a relief. If they’re real, then we’ll be protected. We’ll need the protection. Now I know Daniel’s spirit is also real.”
“What, Mommy?”
“Nothing. What have you and Grandma been doing?”
“We made breakfast for Gampa. I put the jelly on his toast. He said he loves lots of jelly on his toast.” She giggled.
“I know you do, too. Did you put lots of jelly on your toast, too?”
“Yup and Gamma said she has to buy more jelly.”
Annamarie and Lena lay on the grass and giggled more. Paula brought out juice and they enjoyed Lena’s stories of breakfast, helped Paula do laundry, and pulled weeds.
After a fun-filled morning and lunch, Annamarie left for home to watch over the contractor’s work.
* * *
The contractors were busy at work when Annamarie climbed to the top of the hill. They had built a wooden frame and were busy mixing the cement in wheelbarrows. She watched them pour the cement and mix more and pour it until they were satisfied with the amount. They smoothed it over and told Annamarie they were finished.
“The cement will set quickly. If you want to write the date or have any kids who might want to place their hand prints in it, you should do it soon.”
“Thank you for doing the job quickly. My husband said you would send us a bill.”
“Sure thing, Mrs. Wescott. Have a good day.”
She watched them carry their implements and push the wheelbarrows down the hill and she smiled at the slab of cement. She couldn’t wait for it to be rock hard and for the memory of a flower memorial for Garret out of their minds.
* * *
After supper, Sam said he’d like to see how well the contractor had done and Annamarie said she would walk with him. Before they reached the crest of the hill, they could smell dead fish. The odor was intense.
Sam said, “It smells as if there was a fish kill in the river, but that rarely happens.”
When they reached the crest of the hill, they saw what was causing the odor. The wooden frame surrounding the cement slab was shattered into kindling. The slab was covered in a thick layer of river trout.
“What the hell?” Sam asked.
“It’s Daniel and Garret. I’m sure of it.”
“How, why?”
“I don’t know, but it has to be them. It’s what a spoiled, angry child would do. That seems to be their mentality level lately.”
“If it is or not, I have to bury these fish. I would love to pour gas on them and burn them, but the stench would be too great and the wind is blowing toward town.”
He hurried back to the shed to retrieve a shovel and rake. He dug a long, shallow trench and raked about a quarter of the fish into the trench and covered them with dirt.
He repeated it with a second trench when Annamarie called his attention to something she saw on the cement.
“There is something indented into the cement and it isn’t fish. Look at this.”
Sam raked more fish away and Annamarie screamed. It was the indentation of a body and she recognized the face.
“Don’t touch anything until I come back.”
She ran to the house. Inside the study, she dialed Steve’s number. Trying to catch her breath, she asked Steve if he would come over right away. It wasn’t police business, but it had to do with Garret’s death. She said to park behind the house and come into the meadow where the stable had been. He said he was on his way. She ran back to be with Sam.
Sam had buried more fish and uncovered the rest of the body indentation.
“I don’t understand this. Kids might dump fish if they saw the contractors, but it would take an artist hours to do this indentation. Look at the detail.”
“I know,” she said. “Steve’s here and Deb is with him.”
Deb said, “What’s wrong, Annamarie? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Maybe I have, but I have to explain something first. I have been having nightmares about Daniel and Garret blaming me for their deaths. I couldn’t stand the fact there was a memorial of flowers here for Garret. I killed them with weed killer, and we had the ground cemented over. When Sam and I checked it, we found it covered with dead trout. Sam was burying them when we found something else. Steve, you’re the only one who can tell me if what we’re seeing is a joke, or if this is the way it was the night Garret died.”
Steve was curious and walked up to the cement slab. He looked at the indentation and took a huge step backwards. He nearly fell over.
“It’s Garret. It’s his impression exactly the way he was lying after I shot him. What the hell’s going on? Why all the fish?”
“Daniel knows I hate fish, especially raw fish. They ma
ke me shudder.”
“She’s right,” Deb said. “Remember, Steve, when all of us were on the camping trip and Daniel tried to get Annamarie to scale a fish and she was so sick she stayed in her sleeping bag all night?”
“Yeah, I remember, but I’m still confused by it all. I’d like answers.”
“We don’t have any. I’m sorry to put you through this, but I had to know if this was the way Garret’s body was laying. You may think I’m crazy, but I think Daniel has joined the spirits he claimed were in the woods and Garret’s with him. Remember the tree on New Year’s with the burned out hand prints? I think Daniel’s anger pushed over the tree.”
“You can’t be serious. This is crazy.”
Sam said, “This is one thing in a long list of what has been going on. We wouldn’t have involved you, but you had the answers. I wish Deb had stayed home. I don’t want to worry anyone else. Tomorrow I’m going to fill in the indentation and sit here while it dries.”
Deb hugged Annamarie and both girls were crying.
Annamarie added, “I’m going to sprinkle the entire slab with holy water and pour some in the indentation before Sam fills it. I think it’ll keep them away.”
Deb asked, “Okay, if it’s Daniel, you’ll only be keeping him away from here. What about everywhere else?”
“It’s too long to explain, but the house, Lena, Sam, and I are safe and we’ll fight Daniel. You should go home and sleep. You look pale.”
“She’s pregnant,” said Steve.
“Deb, you should have stayed home, but I’m so happy for you.”
“Steve Dunley, she’s my best friend. I wanted to tell her. We only found out today.”
“We’re all going home now. C’mon Deb, we’ll walk back together.”
When the girls were out of earshot, Steve asked Sam, “Do you believe what Annamarie is saying or is she ill?”
“I believe every word and I have witnessed more than I care to admit. Daniel’s a spirit and he’s angry with her about dying and marrying me.”
“How can you win against a spirit? If that’s truly what’s going on?”
“This may sound crazy, but Annamarie’s protected by her own spirit. I can’t explain more. Go home and don’t worry. Take care of Deb, I’ll take care of Annamarie.”
Annamarie and Magdalena (Gypsy Spirits Book 2) Page 23