by Lynn Emery
“Shelia is extraordinary when it comes to sensing spirits. Most of us get a hint compared to her gift for feeling their presence.” Miss Rose turned off the television. “Sandy went to class after I explained. I’ll text her the details.”
LaShaun fought off the urge to cry in frustration. “I thought I could keep my child, my family, safe.”
“You can’t do it alone, dear.” Pauline put an arm around LaShaun.
“Never works. That’s why we have the Third Eye Association.” Justine spoke in a brisk to-the-point manner. She waved at her twin’s frown of censure. “Hey, she needs the raw truth.”
“Indelicately put but no less accurate,” Daniel said.
“So we have two problems. A missing child and…” Miss Rose’s voice trailed off.
“Some thing tried to breach LaShaun’s stronghold,” Justine finished.
“And are the two related?” Daniel rubbed his bearded jaw with one hand.
Shelia faced LaShaun. “The good news is your defenses blunted the efforts. This spirit, whatever form it takes, only established a weak connection. From what Rose told us, Ellie may have helped fend it off. Beau gave the alarm to wake her.”
“At such a young age, gifted children sleep quite soundly. Their preternatural abilities burn up a lot of energy. Just like other activities for a baby. That’s why they need naps. Her abilities are dormant when she’s asleep.” Miss Rose looked at the other women.
“Thank the Lord for naps. Saved my sanity many a day when my three were young,” Pauline agreed.
“Ellie and Beau are two assets, but Ellie is too young to train just yet.” Miss Rose spoke to the twins instead of LaShaun.
“We usually don’t recommend before age six at least, but we’ve got a credible threat,” Justine replied.
“What do you mean?” LaShaun covered her mouth with both hands.
“Justine, you should try choosing your words more carefully,” Pauline snapped.
“Umm, right. Sorry. But look, we can assume that this whatever has evil intent. Am I right? Not news to LaShaun.” Justine turned to LaShaun.
LaShaun lowered her arms, her hands balled into fists. “She’s right. Don’t tip toe around me. I’ve fought this battle before.”
“And won.” Miss Rose placed a hand on the small of her back.
Justine grasped one of LaShaun’s hands. “You’ve got us, too.”
“All of us,” Daniel said.
“I’ll check outside.” Shelia picked up her belongings from the floor. She put the other items in her satchel but held onto her mini-tablet computer.
“I can show you around while at least one of you stays with Ellie.” LaShaun started for one of her jackets hanging on a hook near the kitchen door. She stopped when Shelia pulled her back.
“I’ll find my way.” Shelia’s brisk steps took her out the door and down the steps.
“How does she know where to go?” LaShaun watched Shelia move with self-assurance.
“Like I said, Shelia is one of six in the world. Fortunately, four are in TEA.” Miss Rose tapped away on the keys of her laptop as she spoke.
“Shelia can not only sense the paranormal when it’s present, but she can pick up residue left behind. Even years later. In fact, she can almost tell what month or day of the week. Of the six, she’s the superstar.” Justine gave a proud smile as her gaze followed their friend. “I’m going to observe. Fascinating to watch.”
“I’ll look up invading malevolent spirits in the TEA online database.” Pauline took out her cell phone and walked away.
“How does she do it?” LaShaun asked Miss Rose because Justine had scurried to catch up with Shelia.
Miss Rose smiled in understanding. LaShaun hadn’t asked for an explanation of Shelia’s ability. None of them fully understood paranormal forces. Rather, LaShaun’s question was about Shelia’s method, the mechanics of how she used her gifts.
“She pulls inward, goes still. We followed you, but Shelia stayed behind. Always the same, she becomes rooted to the spot. She calls it casting her net wide and slowly pulling it in. Then she moved close to the center or source, depending on the situation. The center is what pulls the entity in. The source is where the supernatural energy originates. In this case, she quickly determined the center was key.” Miss Rose went about tidying up the den as she spoke. She patted one last throw pillow on the sofa and straightened.
“I agree with Justine. I’d very much like to see her in action one day,” LaShaun said.
“Instinct tells me you’ll get a chance soon.” Miss Rose gazed out the window.
“Let’s figure out if what happened here is connected to Dina’s kidnapping.” LaShaun rubbed her arms hard at the cold that crept through her.
“Your Ellie may have protected not just herself, but all of us today. She’s a powerful one.” Miss Rose had transferred her thoughtful gaze from outside to Ellie.
“Now we have to find out what she protected us from to stop it.” LaShaun swallowed hard against the lump of terror in her throat.
Chapter 5
The next day, Pauline teamed up with Mr. Earl to plant more shrubs around the property. What the twins and Miss Rose called a psychokinetic fence. Chase, arms crossed, stared out of the kitchen window. He’d come home for lunch on what should have been his day off. He wouldn’t, or rather couldn’t, rest at home with a missing child case unsolved.
“My mother would have a fit over this,” he said, nodding due east where Mr. Earl moved back and forth planting.
“Like we care what Queen Elizabeth thinks.” LaShaun grinned at him, but his stone face didn’t change. She cleared her throat and continued folding laundry. “Do you?”
“She’s my mother, you know. I can’t just write her off.”
“I never asked you to.”
LaShaun stomped down the hall with the basket of clean clothes. Her first stop was Ellie’s room. Instead of napping, Ellie sat in bed talking to her stuffed doll. LaShaun eased her down and put the doll next to her on the pillow. Before LaShaun made it to the door, Ellie had popped up again. Accepting Ellie wasn’t sleepy, LaShaun took the toddler to her play pen in the kitchen.
“She has her faults,” Chase said, continuing on the subject. “Sure she can be stubborn at times.”
“Add dictatorial, interfering, judgmental,” LaShaun snapped back, “and let’s not forget bigoted.”
“Maybe you could work harder not to be so defensive.” Chase didn’t turn around.
“Don’t try to push this all on me.” LaShaun’s voice volume began to rise. She stopped when Ellie stopped playing to stare at her.
Chase faced her with a frown. “Mama’s no different from a lot of people around town, LaShaun. Of course she was uneasy when she met you after years of gossip about the Rousselle family and then the two cases that involved you.”
“Oh, so it’s my family’s fault, too.” LaShaun glared back at him, eyes narrowed. Why don’t I go over there now and apologize for being me. While I’m at it, maybe I should apologize for Ellie. She’s got those notorious Rousselle genes, too.”
“LaShaun.” Chase raised a finger.
“Spit it out. What’s really bothering you? Our life isn’t white picket fence all-American enough?” LaShaun paced around the den picking up toys thrown about by Ellie and Beau. The stress of the past few days added to taking care of a small child and dog while Chase worked long hours. It pushed her nerves to the limit.
“Well it would be nice for once, just once, if I didn’t have wizards and ghost-whisperers mixed up in my case or my life for that matter. I’ve got to explain all the damn time when my mother…” Chase chopped off his words. “You don’t come close to understanding.”
“I get it. You’re tired of defending me to Elizabeth and some of your other precious relatives. Now you’ll have to tell her Ellie isn’t like all her other grandchildren.” LaShaun threw stuffed animals and chew toys into the brightly painted toy box. She shut the lid with a loud thu
mp.
“What are you talking about? What’s wrong with Ellie?” Chase pulled LaShaun back into the den before she could leave.
“The same thing that’s ‘wrong’ with me, Chase.”
“I didn’t mean it the way it sounds,” Chase protested.
“Joëlle Renée, my first born, my daughter, has psychic abilities. Now go tell your precious mother that!”
“Your daughter?” Chase shouted, then quickly lowered his voice. “Ellie is my daughter, too. Of course I’m concerned about her wellbeing.”
“It’s not a disease. You’re worried about upsetting Queen Bee and the rest of your bigoted, small-minded family. Tell you what, we’ll hide Ellie in the car next time we visit. I wouldn’t want you to be too ‘concerned’, you know?” LaShaun looked up into his dark eyes ablaze with suppressed fury.
“Don’t ever suggest I’m ashamed of our child, LaShaun. Just don’t.”
Before LaShaun could toss back the verbal bomb on the tip of her tongue, his cell phone rang. Their house phone rang at the same time. They separated like two prize fighters at the ring of the bell to answer. Chase stood talking into the phone. LaShaun grabbed the cordless handset from the granite top of the kitchen island.
“Yeah.” LaShaun listened, her mind still half on the fiery argument. Five seconds later she got off the phone.
“They want us both at a crime scene.” Chase shoved the phone back into the leather case clipped to his belt.
“MJ just told me the same thing. I can’t simply pack up Ellie and run off.” LaShaun raked fingers through her tangled hair. “Not to mention I need to get dressed. Where am I going to find a babysitter?”
“Wait a minute.” Chase strode off, cell phone to his ear, and then returned. “I can take her over to my folks. They’re home. Dad says it’s no problem. He’s at home wrapping the kids’ Christmas presents, but he can lock them up in the spare room.”
“A whole bedroom? Your parents agreed not to load up the kids with toys.” LaShaun went to the play pen and picked up Ellie.
“I didn’t say he had them stacked to the ceiling for cryin’ out loud. Don’t jump to assumptions just because it’s my family.” Chase followed her toward the hallway.
“Better check to make sure your mother is okay with keeping Ellie. I mean, she’s part Rousselle.” LaShaun gave a snort.
“Wait a minute, that remark is way over the line. My mother…” Chase pulled a hand over his face. “We can’t have this discussion now and not in front of the baby. Okay, the last few days have been rough. The strain is getting to us both. Let’s just stop, not say anymore.”
LaShaun stared past him as Ellie wiggled in her arms. She heard the note of warning in his deep voice. Insults hurled at his close-knit family were bad enough. But she’d questioned how he felt about their little girl. Chase’s words also held an unspoken plea to avoid saying even worse things to each other, which made LaShaun wonder about his mother’s influence, about their marriage. What more did he have to say about his secret thoughts? Maybe Chase had miscalculated how much his family’s disapproval of her would matter. To say the Broussard extended family were close was an understatement. Like most in south Louisiana, family meant everything. Did Chase blame LaShaun for causing cracks in that bond? Still, he was right. Now wasn’t the time.
“Fine. I’ll get ready.” LaShaun stopped when Chase touched her arm.
“I’ll dress Ellie since I’m good to go.” Chase held out his arms and Ellie promptly leaned out. He took her from LaShaun. “I’ll bet you want to wear your favorite overalls with the pink pony.”
He walked away to Ellie’s bedroom without waiting for LaShaun to react. His voice, tender and affectionate, came down the hallway. Ellie’s answering babbles sounded excited to have her daddy dressing her, an unusual event. LaShaun went to their bedroom to dress with guilt about her angry outburst going along for the ride. Then she reminded herself that Chase had hinted at his resentment, and her anger sparked again. Minutes later, LaShaun met up with Chase and Ellie at the back door. She had her cell phone and tablet just in case she needed to do research or make notes.
Chase looked at her. “We’re going to—”
“MJ texted me the address. I have it on my GPS.” LaShaun kissed Ellie’s smooth cheek before heading through the door.
“I’ll meet you there then.”
LaShaun waved a hand without looking back. She got into her SUV, revved the engine and drove away. Five minutes later, the hands-free in her car beeped, and she answered a call to her cell phone.
“I assume you’re on the way,” MJ started without a greeting.
“You do realize I’m a mother with a young child, right?” LaShaun snapped irritably. “Local law enforcement is always dragging me about silly ghost stuff but think nothing of calling me up last minute.”
“Whoa, somebody woke up today with a bee in her ass. Sorry, didn’t mean to cuss in front of the baby.” MJ’s throaty voice came through the SUV’s speakers.
“Chase is dropping her off at his parents’ house.”
“Okay, um, see you in minute then.”
“Yeah.”
LaShaun tapped the button harder than necessary to end the connection, her mind still on the argument with Chase. What bothered her most were the things they hadn’t said. The heavy sensation in her chest told her they were moving closer to saying them. And then what?
Ten minutes later, she arrived at the crime scene—Tommy Bradford’s house. Sherry and her mother stood outside. LaShaun could hear their wailing sobs as she pulled her SUV behind a sheriff’s department cruiser. Arliss Bradford, dressed in an over-sized t-shirt over dirty pink sweat pants, spoke in a voice made gruff by years of smoking.
“We told y’all he didn’t have nothin’ to do with Dina disappearing. Now go find out who hurt my Tommy.”
“You told us Tommy was off fishing, so what was he doing at home?” MJ replied, her voice quiet but firm.
“Well, you can see for yourself he musta come home. While y’all standin’ around askin’ dumb questions, the same people what killed him might have my baby.” Sherry waved her arms around like a pinwheel of distress.
“We have to collect evidence so we can figure out who did this and why. I don’t get what you think this has to do with Dina’s kidnapping.”
MJ continued her insistent pursuit of getting information with more questions. But Sherry and her mother became more emotional and less coherent the longer they talked. Their voices blended together in a mixture of angry shouts. LaShaun used their distraction to avoid being pulled into the storm of recriminations. With permission from another deputy, she put disposal booties over her shoes. She entered the small house where Tommy sometimes lived with his girlfriend. The more or less neat interior contrasted with the way they’d found Sherry’s trailer. A blue vase stuffed with yellow plastic daisies lay knocked over on the small coffee table. Pictures of more flowers and kittens dotted the walls. A dead body lay splayed out on the cheap throw rug. Tommy Bradford could have been mistaken for having passed out drunk except for the blood on what was left of his face. LaShaun took a step back.
“Strange, huh? Like somebody just dumped him here as an afterthought.” Det. Anderson looked around the room once. Then glanced at LaShaun. “Step outside a minute.”
“I’m okay.” LaShaun willed her gaze away from the dead man.
“I doubt it. Not unless you regularly stare at bodies in bloody crime scenes. C’mon. Some deep breaths of air will help.” Anderson gestured for LaShaun to walk ahead of him.
“Maybe for a minute or two.” LaShaun followed a deputy taking bags of evidence through the kitchen and out of the back door. “Who found him?”
“Nosy neighbor. She says all kinds of comings and goings been happening since they moved in. Well, since the girlfriend moved here, Brenda or Kris, they had two or three kids. Claims she reported to our station; thinks they were selling drugs.” Anderson stopped after they’d walked a few feet.
“I’ll check to see if we have anything in the system.”
LaShaun followed his advice. After a few breaths, she focused on Anderson’s words. “So Tommy Bradford might have been selling drugs. But where is Brenda or whatever her name is?”
“The neighbor says they were always fighting, so maybe she took off. But we haven’t checked to see if clothes are missing. You haven’t asked why we got you out here.” Anderson looked at LaShaun.
“More writing is my guess.”
“You’re psychic, so I figured you’d know.” He shrugged when LaShaun squinted at him from behind her sunglasses. “Just sayin’.”
LaShaun sensed no antagonism from the man, just disbelief. Det. Anderson, like most law officers, trusted what he saw, heard, and could verify; hopefully enough to satisfy a court system and put away bad guys. In that way he reminded her of Chase.
“Yeah, well I wish it worked that neatly, Det. Anderson. I can’t flip a switch and know stuff. My life would be way easier if I could.” LaShaun turned when she heard Chase’s voice coming from inside the house. “Anyway, you were about to tell me why you called the local voodoo woman to a murder scene.”
Det. Anderson laughed. “In New Orleans all that stuff is mostly for the tourists.”
“Not here. Not in many parts of south Louisiana either,” LaShaun replied quietly.
His smile faded. “Nothing but an excuse for doing dirt. The devil made me do it. Anyway, more writing found here. This time a message was left on paper. Part of it burned. Can you take going back inside?”
“Sure.”
“Good. We don’t want to move it until all photos are taken. It’s on the dinette table.” Det. Anderson waved for LaShaun to proceed with him back into the house.
Chase met them at the door. “The body has been moved. You feeling okay?”
“Yeah, just fine.” LaShaun brushed past him. She took off her sunglasses. “Show me the writing, Det. Anderson.”
“What writing?” Chase followed them.
“Another message. This time on loose leaf paper.” He led them to the small eat-in section of the kitchen. He stood back while a deputy took more photographs.