by J. D. Shaw
Vivienne gulped. “Well, a small part.”
He sniffed the cold air. “Like I said, ain’t nobody been home for a few days now.”
“Do you happen to know where they are staying?” She asked.
“I don’t stick my nose into other folk’s business.” He folded his arms.
“Mister Holt, mind if I ask you a question about the day Eddie Robertson was attacked?”
“Shot.” Gus corrected her. “I know a gunshot when I hear one.”
“But the medical staff found no evidence of a bullet wound on Eddie anywhere.” Vivienne explained. “How can that be?”
Gus shook his head. “I only know what I know. I told the police and I’m telling you that I heard a gunshot that day and no one is going to convince me otherwise.”
“Do you think maybe it was someone’s television turned up loud? Those home theater systems can really surprise you.”
Gus scoffed at her theory. “You sound just like those Keystone Cops downtown.”
“I’m just trying to figure out the truth of what happened here.” Vivienne pleaded. “For Natalie and Connor’s sake.”
“That’s all well and good, but I don’t have any other answers for you.”
Vivienne wanted to go snoop around the trailer for clues, but that wasn’t going to happen with Gus standing guard. “Well then, I guess I wasted some gas coming out here for nothing.”
“Sorry I can’t help you, Miss Finch.” Gus apologized and glared at her. “Was there anything else?”
“No.” Vivienne gave him a little smile and headed back for her car. “Thank you for coming out to let me know she wasn’t here.”
“Anytime.” Gus waved and stood his ground.
Vivienne pulled away, wishing she had a spell handy to make nosy neighbors disappear. She’d have to ask Nana Mary about one the next time she saw her.
As her car rounded the corner onto Cemetery Road, Vivienne spied a little kid running across the road. She slammed on her brakes, as the car skidded sideways off to the side and hit a small snow bank.
The little kid laughed and threw a snowball at her windshield. Vivienne gasped when she recognized the little imp. It was Connor. Dressed in a little black coat with a white hat and mittens, he gave her a smile. “Hey, don’t run off.” She yelled and exited the car. Connor turned around, giggled at her, and ran up the snow bank and into the Cayuga Union Cemetery.
“Connor.” Vivienne yelled after him. “I need to talk you.”
There was a faint giggle as a reply. Vivienne locked her purse in the car and gave chase through the snow. “Connor, I need to talk to you and your mom. Please come back.”
“Hide and seek.” Connor squealed with delight. “Come and find me.”
Vivienne hurried up through the main gate of the cemetery expecting to see Connor’s white hat bobbing along the headstones. She paused for a moment to listen for his footfalls, but was greeted with silence. Thankfully, the snow was a little deeper out here in the countryside and she was able to easily track his little boot prints. “Connor, I don’t have time to play a game today. Can you tell me where your mommy is?”
There was no answer. The late afternoon sun was hanging low in the western sky, the shadows from the tombstones grew long against the white snow on the ground. Vivienne followed his twisting little path without much effort, stepping further and further upwards toward the civil war monuments and the cannons. “Hey Connor, I bet you can’t find the big cannons in here. I’ll bet you can’t find them before I do.”
Suddenly, she saw the white hat leap upwards from behind a large marble stone and run off toward the cannons. “Yes I can.” He yelled back.
Vivienne charged ahead, careful not to trip on any of the smaller stones that had fallen over onto the ground. At last, she could see the large cannons looming ahead, their capped nozzles raised skyward. Connor was standing between them, he giggled and pointed at her. “Slowpoke.”
“You won, Connor.” Vivienne managed to speak between breaths as she trudged through the uneven ground. “You beat me fair and square.”
“I won.” He jumped up and down with excitement.
Vivienne was only a few steps from him when suddenly she felt her legs give out unexpectedly. She threw her hands upwards in shock as the ground disappeared below her and she was swallowed up into the cold darkness. With a muffled scream, she tumbled downward into a sinkhole where a forgotten grave had been.
* * *
She awoke inside a room that smelled of old wood and lavender. It was dark, but there was a sliver of light peeking out from behind some boards that covered a small window. Her senses told her that she was in the throes of one her memory trips into the past.
Unlike the last time, she felt more grounded and part of the memory.
“You shouldn’t have come here.” A familiar voice spoke softly from the darkness. “You were not meant to see this.”
Vivienne coughed in the stale air. “Where am I?”
“My prison.” The voice replied. “The place where I was strangled to death by Edgar Rothwell.”
“Who are you?” Vivienne coughed again and pulled herself up from the cold floor.
A pair of slender white hands slid under her arms and helped her to her feet. “It’s me.”
Vivienne pivoted around to come face to face with Natalie Burdick. “Natalie.”
“You shouldn’t have come here.” She spoke softly.
“What happened to me? I was just in the cemetery with Connor.” Vivienne felt disoriented and weak.
Natalie glared at her with cold, dark eyes. Her features were gaunt, her pale skin pulled tight against her skull. Her dark hair was a tangled mess that cascaded over the familiar dark uniform she had seen her in during her vision in the Rothwell mansion. “Now you are here.”
“Where is here, exactly?” Vivienne looked around the barren room. She could see peaks where the roof angled upwards.
“The Rothwell mansion.” Natalie replied. “In the attic. After Edgar strangled me, he stored my body up here until he could find a proper hiding place for his crime.”
“I couldn’t find the attic.” Vivienne explained. “Is it one of the secret entrance deals?”
“He had it covered up, after my death. He didn’t want any evidence to be found.” Natalie stepped aside and revealed a blue-tinged figure wearing the same dress as her, tied up in a wooden dining chair. Streams of old blood, dried black, crusted her face. “He left me here for two days before he retrieved my corpse and stuffed me inside the old cannon in the cemetery.”
Vivienne gasped. “Why did he do it?”
Natalie walked over to her corpse and gently caressed the strands of hair that began to fall out in clumps. “He killed all of us because of my son.”
“Jacob?”
Natalie’s face contorted into one of great pain. “His real name was Connor, after my father.”
“When the Rothwells adopted him, they named him Jacob.” Vivienne followed along.
“They stole my child from me along with his rightful birth name.” Natalie’s voice cracked. “Stole the life of the great man my son was to become.” She broke down into frantic tears. “Poisoned by the father he loved unconditionally.”
“Why did Edgar kill all of you?” Vivienne demanded.
“Because Connor was his own flesh and blood.” Natalie dropped to her knees and began to cry. “He blamed that poor soul that worked on his railroad to cover up the fact that we had improper relations.”
“It was consensual?”
“I was young and stupid. I believed him when he said we could start a new life together somewhere far away from Cayuga Cove.”
Vivienne walked slowly over to Natalie. “He couldn’t leave his wife or daughter.”
Natalie shook her head. “I spent four years being a servant to that evil woman. Guarding my tongue when she scolded and threatened to fire me. Scrubbed every inch of her home until the skin on my hands was so raw and cracked that they bled daily
.”
“His frustration at the situation turned to contempt.” Vivienne nodded. “Contempt turns to rage.”
“He raged at the world. He raged at the church which taught him his sin would damn him to burn in the lake of fire. He raged at the wife whom all love was drained long before I came into their lives.” Natalie continued. “He raged at the lack of control that a man of his means should have. In the end, he raged at all of us and destroyed himself in the process.”
Vivienne couldn’t help but think of the symbol of evil, the snake eating its own tail. “I’m so sorry.”
“They’re not sorry.” Natalie looked up at Vivienne.
“Who are you talking about?” Vivienne wondered.
“All of them in the town. Those that keep secrets and act as if they are pure as snow.”
“You’re talking about Eddie Robertson, Eunice Kilpatrick, Nathaniel and Tristan?” Vivienne took a step back. “What do they have to do with what happened to you?”
Natalie sprung forward like a cat and knocked Vivienne to the floor with a thud. Her eyes were dark as the night sky and her smile twisted upwards almost to her ears. “I cannot rest, so I will make them all pay for the sins of the past. Why should I alone be made to suffer for eternity?”
Vivienne tried to fight her off, but the weight on her chest was unbearably heavy. “I can give you peace if you let me.”
“Peace?” Natalie cackled maniacally. “It’s too late for reparations. For too many years I have haunted the streets from the shadows, unable to do anything but observe. But, thanks to the witch that opened the portals, I now have the power to walk among you and punish the guilty.”
Vivienne gasped as the weight of Natalie began to push the air from her lungs.
Natalie threw her head back and let out a scream that roared like the wind in a winter storm. The room began to shake, the boards rattling as her crescendo rose higher and higher.
A bright light exploded from the attic roof above. “Vivienne? Can you hear me?” Joshua’s voice echoed faintly.
“No.” Natalie screamed in frustration as more light poured into the attic.
Vivienne could see a hand inside the center of the light. A warm, flesh-colored hand that seemed more real than her surroundings. She reached upwards and clasped onto it. The attic dissolved away, revealing a wall of earth surrounding her.
“I’ve got her.” Joshua’s voice filled her ears.
She felt herself rising into the air, as Natalie grabbed onto her legs and tried to pull her down. Vivienne started to kick in frustration.
“She’s fighting me.” Joshua’s voice returned. “Don’t let go of my hand.” He ordered.
“This isn’t over, witch.” Natalie hissed. “I’ll take them all to the grave before this Yuletide.”
Vivienne felt the grip on her legs loosen. One of her boots slipped off as she was pulled out of the ground. Her eyelids fluttered for a moment and then she saw the cemetery.
“Oh, thank God.” Joshua leaned forward and swept the dirt off her face. “Can you breathe okay?”
Vivienne blinked, the bright light began to fade to a more tolerable level. She coughed up some dirt that tasted terrible in her mouth. “Water.”
Gus Holt stepped forward with a small thermos. “I have some hot cocoa in there. Give her some of that.”
Joshua twisted the top off and poured a small amount into the little plastic cup. “Drink some of this.”
She did as he asked, coughing again. She spit out the first mouthful, hoping to get rid of the dirt that had fallen in. “More.”
Joshua poured another cupful and she swallowed a little bit without coughing. “How did you find me?”
“You can thank Gus for that.” Joshua wrapped a warm blanket around her. “He was heading down into town and recognized your car in front of the cemetery.”
“You fell into a grave.” Gus added. “This old cemetery is full of sink holes.”
Vivienne noticed the paramedics working their way through the headstones. “Why are they here?” She croaked.
“Because you almost suffocated.” Joshua assured her. “We’re going to have you checked out.”
Vivienne shook her head. “I’ll be fine.” She coughed again, a little more violently.
“Sure you will. After you go to the hospital and have everything checked out.”
The paramedics stood over her. “We’ll take it from here, Deputy Arkins.”
Joshua easily lifted her off the ground and the paramedics guided her onto the stretcher. “Easy now.”
Vivienne weakly reached out to him. “I need to tell you something important.” She coughed again.
“Let them help you.” Joshua ordered.
Vivienne tried to clear her throat. “It’s about Natalie…” Her voice gave out.
The paramedics carried her swiftly down through the cemetery. She coughed again and again, spitting out bits of dirt. It was no use. She’d have to wait until later to tell him. With her energy fading, she closed her eyes as they loaded her into the back of the ambulance and into the warmth.
CHAPTER 19
Friday, December 13th
Vivienne had never been so happy to walk into her front door. Tommy Cat bounded at her with a concerned meow as Joshua helped her inside. She had been in the care of the staff at Cayuga Memorial Hospital for the past four days. Of course, she only could recall the past two days, as she was informed she had lapsed into a mini coma on her ambulance ride in on Monday afternoon.
During her stay, Stephanie had taken over the bakery on a limited hour basis and kept things moving smoothly. Kathy had stopped in to visit, informing her that Eunice Kilpatrick had been discharged from the hospital and that Sally Rollins was formally charged with hit and run.
“Now don’t jostle her too much.” Nora appeared from the kitchen wearing a festive snowman apron which was splattered with red tomato sauce.
Vivienne took a seat on the sofa. “I’m fine, mother. My oxygen levels stabilized.”
“You had a collapsed lung from nearly suffocating in that sinkhole.” Nora chided her. “You still need to take it easy.”
“She’s right, sweetie.” Joshua agreed.
Vivienne fought the urge to roll her eyes. “I must be dead if you two are agreeing with each other.”
“Don’t say such a thing.” Nora clucked her tongue. “Now, I made your favorite spaghetti and meatballs with my special sauce.” Nora smiled and returned to the kitchen humming a cheery Christmas carol.
“Family recipe?” Joshua asked.
Vivienne chuckled. “Only if our last name is Prego.”
“I’m glad to see you back in fighting form.” He smiled and sat down next to her.
“So the big question, why did Sally Rollins run Eunice Kilpatrick down?” Vivienne asked.
“Turns out she’s quite the alcoholic. The team went out there and found bottles hidden all over the trailer.” Joshua explained. “She was cursing up a storm when they brought her in, blaming Eunice for blabbing her secret vice.”
“You mean before she was run down?”
“Yes.” Joshua added. “Eunice smelled alcohol on her breath many times at the bank and she reported it to social services who removed her grandchildren from the trailer after they investigated the claim.”
“So, she goes on a binge and gets in the car to run Eunice down as payback?” Vivienne shuddered. “I don’t know about this. I was in her trailer before and I never saw any bottles or smelled alcohol.”
“I’m just telling you what the team has in the report.” Joshua interrupted.
Vivienne leaned close to him. “So, what did your background check on Natalie turn up?”
“Nothing.” Joshua frowned. ‘The same thing with Eddie Robertson “It’s as if they both just fell into Cayuga Cove out of thin air.”
“They exist.” Vivienne pointed out. “We’ve all seen and interacted with them.”
“Are you sure it’s not some sort of spell?”
Vivienne shook her head. “I’m positive. Magic can fool the eye for a short time, but not that long.”
“Natalie and Connor have both been missing since Monday. Sheriff Rigsbee wanted to ask her some questions about Sally Rollins but she hasn’t been back to her trailer. You were the last one to see Connor, actually.”
“You saw the boot prints.”
“We found yours, mine, Gus Holt and the paramedics. None of them were child-sized.” Joshua reminded her.
“She must have erased them.”
“With magic?”
Vivienne shrugged. “I guess that’s possible. But I can tell you for certain that I was not chasing a ghost that left footprints.”
“So what the hell is she?” Joshua asked.
“If I had to guess I would say we’re dealing with a banshee.”
Joshua whistled. “Great. Another supernatural creature to try to wrangle in.”
“Natalie isn’t a ghost because too many people have seen and touched her. She has a physical form, she walks in daylight, and she has been exposed to the most brutal tragedy.”
Joshua shifted uneasily on the sofa cushions. “So, what about Connor?”
“She must have found a way to bring him back from the dead. Who knows what powers she has now. I wish I had the answers, but I’m afraid Natalie is the only one to give them up.”
“Is she writing the Bad Santa notes?” Joshua wondered.
“I think she is and she’s using magic to circulate them.” Vivienne deduced. “She told me herself that when Missy Collins opened the dark portals, it gave her energy to leave the graveyard and start interacting with everyone in town.”
“But what’s the reason for the notes?”
Vivienne thought for a moment. “She was lied to and had no one to come to her defense when she was alive. She had to sit back and take every bad thing that came to her without complaining.”
“So, when she gained this new power to work dark magic, she decided to start dealing out punishment to those whose deeds she had witnessed first-hand.” Joshua added. “Writing Bad Santa notes to stir up the town and get everyone as upset as possible.”