Getaway

by Fern Michaels

  How the hell could he be so frigging nice? She didn’t know, but he was, and right now, she was grateful. He wore a maroon robe and his gray hair, what was left of it, stood straight up on his head, reminding her of the great and powerful Oz. She smiled. “Robert, Ida needs you and Bernice, and Mavis and Wade, to come over. There’s a problem, and Sophie needs all of us to help her. Can you get Mavis and Wade up?”

  She heard Bernice pitter-patter to the door. “What in the name of Pete are you doing here this time of night? Shouldn’t you be in bed?”

  “Ida is in big-time trouble. Sophie needs us now. Just come over as soon as you can, and I’ll explain everything later. Tell me you can do this, as in right now?” Toots wasn’t wasting time. She needed to see this through, for Ida’s sake and for her own sanity. That laughing episode had truly frightened her, maybe even more than Ida’s possession.

  “Oh, all right. Give us a few minutes to get dressed, and we’ll be there,” Bernice said. “I’ll wake Mavis and Wade. They were late getting home tonight.”

  If the matter weren’t so serious, Toots would have teased Bernice about being in Robert’s bed, but now wasn’t the time. She mentally tucked the thought away for later. “Tell them to hurry, okay?”

  “We’ll be right over, Toots. Relax,” Robert said before turning away from the door and heading to the back of the house, where his bedroom was located.

  “Go on, we’re coming,” Bernice said. “I swear.”

  Toots decided she didn’t have any choice, she had to take them at their word and hope for the best. “Hurry,” she called out one last time before turning away. This was not the time for any of them to be thinking of themselves. Time was not on their side.

  Chapter Seven

  Abby checked on the twins one last time before heading downstairs. They’d been antsy all evening and hadn’t wanted to go to bed at their normal bedtime. Usually, she and Chris rocked them for a few minutes before putting them down for the night, but tonight, when she’d tried to rock them together, they’d wiggled out of her arms, whining each time she tried to pick them up again. Giving in, she’d let them play until their eyelids drooped. Lucky for her, they’d been content to play in their room, so when Abby saw they could barely keep their eyes open, she’d scooped them up one at a time and put them in their cribs. They missed their daddy; Abby was sure of it. Chris hadn’t spent a night away since their birth. She missed him, too, even though she knew he’d be home tomorrow evening. The big house felt empty without him.

  Downstairs, she let Chester out one last time for the night. As she waited at the back door, she saw headlights heading toward her mother’s house. Alarmed, she went back inside and dialed her mother’s cell phone. Toots answered immediately. “Abby, why on earth are you calling me at this late hour?”

  “Why are you up at this late hour? I was out with Chester and saw car lights headed your way.”

  “You did?”

  “I thought maybe someone was sick,” Abby said. “You don’t sound very good. Mom, are you sure you’re okay?” Abby knew for a fact that her mother and the three Gs—as she referred to Sophie, Ida, and Mavis—were always up to something. Just because it was past midnight and they were over seventy didn’t stop them from taking chances that most women their age wouldn’t even consider.

  A bit winded, Toots opened the back door to her house, more than a bit surprised when she saw Phil’s car parked in the driveway. She smiled. “I’m just fine, Abby. Go back to bed.”

  “Who said I was in bed?”

  “If you weren’t, you should be.”

  “I can’t sleep without Chris. Amy and Jonathan can’t, either.”

  Toots did a complete about-face. “Should I come over? I can be there in three minutes flat if I run.”

  Abby giggled. “No, I’m all right, Mom, seriously. Just out of sorts, that’s all. Now tell me why you’re still up and who’s at the house? I can see the lights through the trees. Your place is lit up like the Fourth of July.”

  Goebel or Sophie must have turned on all the lights downstairs. Probably Goebel, as Sophie had Ida to contend with. When Toots had left, the only light on in the house had been the bedside lamp in her bedroom. “I see that,” she said, stepping inside the kitchen. Phil was busy making a pot of coffee and didn’t see her when she came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He whirled around, his huge smile a welcome respite after the evening’s events. “Abby, Phil is here. I’m guessing those were his lights you saw.” She raised her eyebrows in question, and Phil nodded. He gave her a mug of hot coffee, her special grind. She mouthed the words “thank you,” then took a sip. Just what she needed, she thought. A shot of caffeine with a large dose of sugar.

  “As long as you and the gang are okay, I’m going to call it a night.”

  “If you need me, just call, okay? Something tells me this night is going to be a long one,” Toots said. “Kiss the babies for me.”

  “I will, Mom, and thanks. I needed to hear an adult voice.” Abby ended the call, and for a moment, Toots wanted to race to her house but remembered that Abby was a big girl now. If she’d really needed her, she wouldn’t have minced any words.

  Before she had a chance to ask Phil why he’d returned from New York so soon, Mavis and Bernice, with Wade and Robert trailing behind them, entered through the back door. “Is everyone all right?” Mavis asked her in sweetest voice. “Where are Sophie and Ida?”

  Toots spoke up. “There’s a situation,” and she proceeded to update them on the evening’s happenings. “Ida seemed to have calmed down a bit before I left, so I’m assuming she’s still okay.” They gathered around the table, as was the norm for them. Phil poured coffee and started a second pot.

  Goebel spoke up. “Ida’s fine as far as I know. Sophie wants to sit with her for a while before leaving. Toots, is it okay if we have the séance here? I don’t think it’s a good idea to leave Ida, given what has been going on in our place.”

  “Of course,” Toots agreed. “Mavis, will you help me set up in the formal dining room?”

  Mavis wore a pair of brown slacks with a cream-colored blouse. Her strawberry blond hair was neatly combed, and she wore lipstick, even at this late hour. Toots couldn’t help but smile. When she’d first contacted her dearest friends five years ago, Mavis had been so obese that Toots had feared for her life. Now, however, she was the picture of health. She rarely had a hair out of place and always adhered to her diet, rarely indulging in anything that wasn’t good for her health. She thought of the song lyrics “We’ve come a long way, baby.” And they had. Every single one of them.

  “I’d be happy to. Do you still keep the candles and glasses in the same place?” Mavis asked. It’d been a while since they’d held a séance here.

  “As far as I know, everything is where it was the last time we held a séance here,” Toots responded. She followed Mavis to the dining room. She flicked the switch, and the overhead lighting warmed the room with its soft, golden glow. Toots rarely came in here anymore, and decided she needed to use this beautiful room that she’d spent so much time decorating when she’d purchased her home all those years ago. A brief thought passed through her mind: She would have Bernice and Robert’s wedding reception here at the house. This room would be perfect for a sit-down dinner.

  Mavis found the old purple sheet they’d used in California. It had been left behind at the beach house by a former pop star. Sophie swore by it, said many old souls had touched its silken threads. Toots wasn’t sure about that, but she’d remembered to bring it along when she left California.

  She removed the large floral arrangement in the center of the table. Mavis held the purple sheet in front of her, then shook it out and spread it across the table. Toots found several tapered candles in the drawer of the hutch, and put one where each point of the compass would be. Sophie said this helped guide the spirits in the right direction. At this point, Toots was willing to do anything to rid Ida of the evil that had overta
ken her body. She removed a box of rocks glasses from the bottom of the hutch. They hadn’t used this batch before. Almost every time Sophie held a séance and used glasses, they wound up broken. Toots made sure they always had a large supply, just in case. She closed the drapes even though it was dark outside. They knew to follow their routine. As Sophie explained time and again, sticking to the exact procedures each time only ensured success. She wasn’t willing to risk anything at this point. The clock was ticking.

  Toots found a legal pad and several sharpened pencils in the hutch drawer. She’d forgotten about them until now. They’d discovered who had murdered Thomas, Ida’s first husband, through psychic writing. Looking around the room, Toots remembered the air-conditioning vent. Dragging a heavy chair to the other side of the dining room, she stood on it in order to reach the air vent. Pulling the small lever to the closed position, she gave an extra pull just to make sure. A lot of Sophie’s work involved air movement, hence the need to shut all artificial, man-made sources of air.

  Mavis positioned the chairs around the table. “I can’t think of anything more we can do to prepare for this, can you?”

  Toots perused the room. “It looks good to me. I’ll let Sophie know we’re ready.”

  A crash from the kitchen sent Toots and Mavis running. “What in the world?” Mavis asked when she saw Coco and Frankie on the kitchen countertop, cowering in fear. Mavis hurried over to her beloved Chihuahua, who huddled in the corner next to the canisters. “Be careful,” Phil said, pointing to the broken glass on the floor.

  Toots grabbed a shaking Frankie. “What happened?” she asked. “The dogs were in my room last time I checked.”

  “They both came barreling down the stairs, their hackles practically standing straight up in the air,” Phil said. He took the little dachshund from Toots. “Maybe someone should check on Sophie and Ida.”

  Toots didn’t waste one minute. She raced up the staircase so fast her hair whipped behind her. She entered her room. “Sophie! What’s going on? We’re ready for you downstairs.”

  Sophie and Ida were huddled together in the corner, and Toots watched Sophie as she urged Ida to look at her.

  “Listen to me! You are not wanted here! Do you understand?” Sophie spoke in low tones, but Toots was still able to hear her.

  “What?” she asked.

  Sophie waved her hand in the air, indicating silence. Toots stopped when she realized Sophie was totally focused on Ida, and the words were for her ears only.

  “I need to see your face, Ida. I need you to listen to me, Ida. Do you understand what I am saying to you, Ida? You may not touch the animals, do you understand me? I won’t let you harm them, do you hear me, damn you!”

  So that’s why Coco and Frankie were cowering downstairs. A wave of anger coursed through her. She wanted to slap Ida’s face. How dare she try to hurt those precious dogs? No wonder Sophie hadn’t wanted to leave her alone.

  “Fuck you, pig! You’re an ugly, crippled pig! Do you hear me, damn you!” The words came out of Ida’s mouth, but the voice wasn’t Ida’s. Angry and mean, the voice continued to pummel Sophie with filthy language. “Do you hear me, bitch?”

  Toots couldn’t stand it another minute. She raced across the room, filled with such an intense rage it scared her.

  “Stop, Toots. Stay where you are,” Sophie shouted. Her eyes never left Ida.

  Toots stopped, then plunked down on the edge of the bed, her heart hammering so fast in her chest she feared she would suffer a heart attack. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she watched in fascinated horror as Sophie touched Ida’s face with the wooden cross she’d taken from her bag. When Ida failed to respond, Sophie lay the cross beside her. She whispered something Toots couldn’t make out, then, right before her eyes, Ida virtually slumped into a pile of black silk, her body limp.

  “Help me get her on the bed, quick!” Sophie shouted.

  Toots grabbed Ida’s feet while Sophie took her arms. “On the count of three, let’s put her on the bed. One, two, three.” Together, they hefted Ida onto the bed. Ida wasn’t overweight, but she felt like she weighed a ton.

  Ida, the real Ida, moaned when Sophie propped her head up. “What?” she asked in a soft whisper. “What happened?”

  Sophie stared at Ida, her gaze never wavering. “Do you know who I am?”

  “Sophia.”

  Ida almost always called Sophie Sophia.

  She turned her so that she could see Toots. “And who is this?”

  Pushing herself up on her elbows, Ida spoke. “Why are you asking me this?”

  “Do you know her name?” Sophie persisted. “Tell me her real name.”

  “Teresa.”

  Sophie’s shoulders sagged in relief. “Tell me what you remember of the past few hours. I know we’ve been over this before, but I need to hear it again.”

  Ida nodded, knowing her situation was very serious. Her face, void of makeup, looked haggard and worn. “I just wanted to see you, Sophia. The catalogue for the fall collection, you know this. I am so tired, I don’t know if I can . . .” Ida struggled to continue. “I’m confused. This is the longest day of my life. I know that I’m”—she threw her hands out—“absent from myself. It makes no sense at all. What’s wrong with me? Do you know? I can’t go on like this!” Tears fell from Ida’s eyes.

  This was truly Ida, and Toots could see she was very scared and confused. She had a moment’s guilt when she remembered how she’d wanted to slap her a few minutes ago. While Ida was stuck up and beyond arrogant, she did not deserve this. No one did.

  “I’m going to help you, I promise. You have to do whatever I tell you, no matter what, okay? This is serious stuff, Ida, nothing like the OCD. Do you understand?”

  “Of course I do. I’m not ignorant.”

  This was Ida, Toots thought, and smiled.

  “No, you’re not, and that’s a good thing. I’m going to tell you what I suspect, and you have to promise me that you’ll listen until I’m finished. Can you do that?” Sophie asked Ida, then looked at Toots. “And you, too.”

  Toots and Ida nodded.

  “Remember the séance the other night and how I had trouble contacting the other side? I believe I was blocked by an evil entity.” Sophie paused, then went on. “I’m sure this entity is a soul who hasn’t crossed over. He may be hanging around because of some unresolved issue, maybe he feels guilty, or maybe there was a death that was tragic. Suicide, murder, who knows. Anything violent would prevent a peaceful crossing over. I’ve felt a strangeness in the house for a while now. Sudden bursts of cold air. Then the dreams, or the visions, I’m not really sure at this point, but I know that the woman in these dreams or visions is trying to tell me something. She’s lingering, and wants me to find an answer so she can rest in peace. When you stopped by my house this morning and saw all the destruction, I believe this entity was so strong, he took possession of your body.”

  No one said a word.

  “Are you telling me I’m possessed by the devil?” Ida asked, her face so pale her features were blurred.

  “No! Not the devil. No, thank God, this isn’t like that! Don’t even have those thoughts, do you understand me? Remember how when I go into a trance, the spirits make themselves known and use me as a conduit to deliver their message? I believe this is what’s happening now, only you didn’t have a choice. This entity is using you as a portal, a means to torture those who he deems to be weak. This is nothing personal, Ida, but you’re the perfect candidate for something like this. You’ve had psychological issues in the past, and this evil entity knows your weaknesses and is exploiting them. In a matter of hours, you’ve urinated on yourself, and the language you’ve been using is unlike you, and just a few minutes ago you tried to kick Frankie and Coco.” She stopped. That was more than enough for now.

  “I kicked the dogs?” Ida whispered.

  “No, you didn’t. I got to you before you could. And that’s another thing supporting this analysis, Ida. We b
oth know that you’d never hurt an animal when you’re in the right state of mind, so given this, I’m sure we’re dealing with an evil spirit.”

  “Should I go downstairs and tell the gang we’re canceling the séance?” Toots had been silent much too long.

  “No, we need to do this now while Ida is . . . herself. Do you think you can manage to come downstairs now? Are you too weak?” Sophie asked Ida.

  “Of course I’m coming with you! I don’t want to be left alone! I’ve got to call Daniel. He’s coming home, and if I’m not at the airport to drive him home, he’ll be worried. I don’t want him to worry about me. He’ll get tired and find . . . never mind. Yes, let’s just do this and get it over with. I have too many good things happening in my life right now!” Ida’s renewed energy spurred Sophie off the bed.

  Sophie and Toots helped Ida to her feet.

  “Then let’s get this over with before this entity returns.”

  Chapter Eight

  As they gathered around the large dining-room table to call up the dead, Sophie bowed her head in prayer. “To our highest power, we ask for your protection from benevolent spirits and we ask St. Michael the Archangel to watch over us and protect us from all malevolent spirits who might want to inflict harm upon us. We are here to summon the spirit of Theodore Dabney.”

  Sophie sat at the head of the table, with Ida on her left side and Toots on her right. Bernice was seated beside Ida, and Robert sat next to Bernice. Mavis and Wade sat opposite Robert and Bernice. Phil and Goebel sat at the end of the table opposite Sophie.

  Mavis and Toots had set the table up as they’d done numerous times before. The rocks glass was in the center, and at each corner a candle burned, their flames dancing despite the lack of any air circulating.

  No one spoke a word as Sophie continued her speech to the dead. “We’re here to make contact with the other side. If there is a presence in this room who wishes to communicate with any of us, slide the glass in the center of the table to my right for yes. Slide the glass to the left for no. I ask you to enter this space peacefully, with no evil intent.”