by Rose Pressey
She lit the candle and then the incense. She waved her hand around, spreading the smoke and scent. I coughed and she quirked an eyebrow.
“Sorry, it was the strong smell that got to me.”
She waved the incense stick under my nose. “This smell, as you call it, is very important for doing voodoo.”
I shook my head. “Of course.”
She tucked the items under the counter. “I know you don’t believe in any of this.”
I peered around at the voodoo dolls hanging around the store. “Of course I do.”
She snorted. “Okay, that’s enough of your fibbing.”
I pointed at the counter. “So this is what you needed to finish before we go to lunch?” I couldn’t help but think about the sticks that I’d found in front of my neighbor’s door and then again in front of mine.
As if Courtney had read my mind, she asked, “Have you found any more of the sticks in front of your neighbor’s place?”
I wished she hadn’t asked because I wouldn’t be able to lie to her. I gave it my best shot. “No, I haven’t seen anything.”
I tried to look her in her eyes so that it would appear that I was telling the truth. She stared at me and I was sure that I had been figured out.
She waved her hand. The bracelets jingled on her wrists as she gestured her hands. “You know what you need to do, right?” she asked.
I shook my head. “No. What do I need to do?”
“You need to find the men and find out exactly what it is that they want. That would be the best way to put all the pieces together.”
I contemplated what she had said for a moment, but I still wasn’t sure it was the right thing to do. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I needed to dig deeper. I was used to taking risks, so I couldn’t stop now. Just because it seemed dangerous was no excuse. I’d seen the men following Dangerfield and then he’d claimed someone had followed me. The cop Phillip West had to be involved in this somehow.
I tapped on the table filled the strange bric-a-brac. “You know, now that I’ve thought about it, you are right. I do need to find them.”
“There you go. It’s a good idea,” Courtney said.
My decision to find the men had barely entered my mind when I regretted it. I was staring out the front window daydreaming and only half-listening to what Courtney was saying. That was when I noticed the men.
“That may not be necessary,” I said and then pointed toward the street.
She looked up and out the window. “What do you mean?”
I stepped closer to the window. “I think they are coming in here. How did they know I had come in here unless they’ve been watching me?” They were the lowest of scum.
“I think you are right,” she said.
“We should get out of here.” I hurried back over to where she stood.
She blew out the candle and grabbed her purse. I must have gone into some kind of shock because I just stood there as if I couldn’t move my legs. She grabbed my arm and yanked me back. That was when I snapped to my senses. We ran out the shop and down the alleyway.
“I can’t leave the store unlocked,” Courtney said.
She had a point. We would have to hang around until we saw them leave. That wouldn’t be easy.
“We will have to go around to the front of the store and see if they are hanging out,” I said.
Courtney motioned toward the front of the building. “I’ll go in and see if they are in the store. If they are gone, then I can lock the front door and we will get out of here.”
I nodded. “Just be careful in there, okay?”
Chapter Thirteen
After a couple minutes I got nervous and decided to go check on Courtney. My heart raced as I stepped into her shop. No one was around and I worried that Doug and Russ had done something to her. As I headed toward the back of the store to look for her, she popped out from the back.
I clutched my chest. “Thank goodness you are okay. Are they still here?”
She shook her head. “No, but they left something.” She held out her hands and showed me a bundle of hair and twigs.
“That’s disgusting. What is it?”
She stared at the debris. “I don’t know.”
“Is it voodoo?” I asked.
She blew the hair out of her eyes. “Yes, it is.”
“Then how do you not know what it is?”
Courtney placed her hands on her hips. “I’m not a know-it-all.” She pointed. “Don’t say a word.”
I held up my hands. “I wasn’t going to.” I really had planned on commenting, but I digress.
She motioned for me to follow her. When we stepped outside, she locked the door, then said, “I know who can help us.”
“Who?” I asked as we walked down the sidewalk. For all I knew the men were still hanging around.
“My friend worked at a bed-and-breakfast in the city for many years before retiring. Now she lives in an old plantation just outside of town. Apparently, she knew the owners of that house where you saw the cop that night.”
“And you’re just now telling me?”
Courtney threw her hands up. “Don’t look at me like that. I was getting ready to tell you when the men showed up.”
“So how does your friend know about the house?” I asked.
“You know, she didn’t tell me how she knew them or what she knew. I’ll call and ask if we can come to see her.” Courtney pulled out her phone and dialed her friend.
I listened to the one-sided conversation as we hurried to Courtney’s car. After a couple minutes, Courtney hung up the phone.
“Sorry it took so long, but she had to tell me about her bingo game.”
I laughed. “That’s understandable. How was the game?”
Courtney unlocked her car. “Let’s just say she didn’t win and she wasn’t happy about it. She accused someone of cheating.”
“Drama at the bingo hall, huh?” I said. “What did you find out?”
“My friend worked with the owner. I thought she knew the previous owner, Bentley Miles, but she knows the current owner, Michael Hook. Well, his wife at least. I’m sure when we see her she can tell us more.”
“I’m lucky that you had some inside information.” I opened the car door.
“It’s not much and I wish I could help more,” Courtney said.
“You’ve done a lot. I don’t know what I would do without your help.”
“You know I will always help you, but you have to remember to be honest with me about that voodoo stuff. I can’t help you with that if I don’t know what is going on.” She waved her finger in warning.
“I promise to keep you informed about anything new that happens,” I said.
I wanted to know everything about the owners of the home. That wouldn’t be an easy task. I would have to research and find out more, but talking to Courtney’s friend would be a step in the right direction. Once I had that information, maybe I could track Michael Hook down. I wasn’t sure how I would uncover details, but I would give it my best shot. I had a few secret methods that I used for my reporting, so that was where I would start. If those tricks didn’t work, I would have to reevaluate and devise a new plan. It shouldn’t be too hard to find names, but once that was done, I would have to find out more. That was when it would get a lot tougher.
“If this woman is Michael Hook’s wife and your friend knows her, then where is she now? Did they go on vacation or was that one of them I saw in the cop’s trunk?” I asked.
Courtney cranked the engine and pulled away from the curb. “That’s a scary thought.”
There was no sign of Doug or Russ. I hoped that they had disappeared for good. “Yes, it is. But’s it’s a real possibility.”
“I’m glad you got away from that cop, but it’s scary to think he showed up at the restaurant. He’s not a very nice man to say the least.”
“You can say that again. I’ve seen rattlesnakes that looked like Bambi compared t
o him. I can’t believe he has me looking over my shoulder now.”
“Better to look over your shoulder than to let him sneak up on you,” she said. “My friend did mention something odd. She said she’s been tried to contact the woman for a long time and never gets an answer. She even went by and no one answered the door.”
“I wonder what’s going on with them.”
Courtney blew out a deep breath. “It’s frightening to think about.”
After a few moments lost in thought, I asked, “Where are the homeowners?”
“If they’re missing then we need to find them,” Courtney said.
“You’re right. It just makes my stomach turn to know what this cop did.”
Courtney glanced over at me.
“What?” I asked.
She stared at the road ahead, and said, “Are you one hundred percent sure about what you saw?”
I frowned. “Of course I am sure about what I saw. Why don’t you believe me?”
“I believe you,” she said. “I just thought maybe it was something else and you just thought it was a body.”
“No way. There was no mistaking that it was a body,” I said.
“I would have freaked out. So what other plans do you have?”
“While we’re driving I should call Marc,” I said.
“On a first-name basis, I see. At least you get to talk with the handsome cop again.” She smiled.
“That is the furthest thing from my mind.” I pulled out my phone.
“Whatever you say, but I know you are not blind to his good looks.” She merged onto the highway.
I tried to hide my smile. “Yes, he is good-looking and I know it. Now can we change the topic?”
“Sure we can, but you won’t forget how hot he is when you are talking to him on the phone.”
“Yeah, thanks to you I will be thinking about it the whole time.”
“That’s a good thing,” she said with a wink.
I dialed Marc’s number. My stomach flipped as I waited for him to answer. I wasn’t exactly sure why my anxiety spiked so much just from dialing his number. It rang several times and I thought about hanging up. Marc would probably recognize my number on his missed calls though, so that was pointless.
Just as I was about to hang up he picked up the phone. It was too late to turn back now. Did I even know what I was going to say to him? I was accusing his partner of some very bad things. I hoped it didn’t make him mad at me.
“Officer Marquez,” he said.
I hated that every time I called him was because I wanted his help. “You are going to get sick of me calling every time I need something.”
Marc laughed. “Hey, that’s better than you not calling me at all.”
If Courtney had heard his comment she would have said he was flirting with me. Maybe he was. If so, I certainly didn’t mind. If it wasn’t for all the craziness in my life maybe I would even go out on a date or two with him. The first dinner definitely hadn’t been a date.
I couldn’t worry about dating right now. There were too many other things to do and worry about.
“Are you calling to invite me to dinner?” he asked.
That question caught me off guard. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have bothered you at work.”
“No, it’s fine. What’s wrong?”
My next comment would make me sound nuts. “I’m worried about the owners of a home. A friend says they haven’t been seen or heard from for a few days. I am worried that something happened to them,” I said.
“How do you know this?”
I suppose I didn’t know for sure. It was just hearsay at this point. “Like I said, a friend told me. The thing is, the home is where I saw Phillip West that night.”
Marc was silent for a long time. I thought maybe he’d hung up. Finally, he asked, “What do you think happened to them?”
“To be honest, I think it has something to do with your partner.” I rushed my words.
He paused and then said, “That is a big deal, you know.”
“I realize that, and I am sorry for dragging you into this, but I felt it was something that you should know. It was something that I had to do,” I said.
He released a deep breath and then said, “I know you are doing what you feel is best.”
“I’m glad you understand.”
“Family or friends would have to file a missing person’s report, but I will find out what I can and give you a call,” he said.
At least that was a start.
“Thanks again for everything,” I said.
“Call me when you’re ready for that dinner,” he said, and then hung up.
“What did he say?” Courtney asked when I hung up the phone.
“He’s going to look into it for me,” I said.
“Whew. That’s good to know. We have extra help.”
I pushed the hair out of my eyes. “I need all the help I can get.”
Courtney didn’t take her eyes off the road. “And it doesn’t hurt that he is good-looking.”
“Yeah, you mentioned that once or twice.”
Chapter Fourteen
Once on the road, I tried to calm down. I leaned my head back against the seat and tried not to worry about Russ and Doug. Of course I kept looking in the rear-view mirror to see if they had followed us.
The drive to Courtney’s friend’s home wasn’t long. Finally we arrived and turned into the driveway. Courtney steered the car down the pebble driveway. Oak trees shaded the drive.
“As far as I know this home has been in my friend’s family for quite some time. They weren’t the original owners, but bought it sometime in the forties,” Courtney said.
She parked the car and we climbed out. I followed her up the porch stairs and to the front door.
“What is your friend’s name?” I asked.
“Melanie Gray. You’d better call her Ms. Gray though.” Courtney rang the doorbell.
“I’m coming. Don’t ring that damn bell one more time,” Ms. Gray called to us from inside the home. She opened the massive door. “Well, come on in. Don’t just stand there.”
Courtney motioned and I followed her inside the dark space. I peered around as the woman led us deeper into the old house. It looked like it was in need of some repairs as the walls had quite a few cracks.
Courtney must have noticed me looking around because she said, “Melanie insists that she is going to fix the place up but she won’t let anyone help. I’m going to do it soon whether she likes it or not.”
“I heard that,” Ms. Gray said. “Over my dead body.”
Courtney looked at me and shrugged. We stepped into the parlor to the right.
“Please have a seat.” She pointed toward the old velvet wing-backed chair. “I am so glad you came all this way to see me.” She acted as if we had traveled all the way from California. Nevertheless, it was cute how excited she was to see Courtney. “Would you all like some iced tea?”
It would be rude to turn it down. “Yes, that would be lovely. Thank you.”
“I’ll be right back,” she said with a smile. Ms. Gray shuffled off toward the back of the house.
After a few moments, she returned with the glasses of iced tea. I reached out and took a glass from the tray and then leaned back in the chair. We sat in silence as we each took sips from the frosty glasses.
Ms. Gray placed her glass on the small table beside her chair. “What can I do for you, Ms. Charley?” she asked Courtney.
At least she got right to the point.
“You mentioned that you knew the owners of the home over on Royal Street. My friend here is interested.” Courtney pointed at me.
Ms. Gray looked me up and down. “Do you like my tea?”
I glanced at my glass. “Yes, it’s delicious.”
“The woman and her husband bought the home just a few months ago from that actor. I don’t remember his name, but Ms. Hook lives there with her husband. I don’t know what her husband does, but if you as
k me it’s shady. He’s a shady character.”
“Why do you say that?” Courtney asked.
Ms. Gray shrugged. “Just a feeling, I guess. A lot of people went in and out of the house when I was there.”
“You were at the house?” I asked.
She eyed me up and down. “Yes, I consulted with Ms. Hook a few times.”
Before I could ask her more, a car door slammed outside. I’d had no idea the woman could move that quickly. She ran over to the cabinet and pulled out a shotgun.
My eyes widened. What had she seen out the front windows? I exchanged a look with Courtney. I hoped that the men hadn’t followed us to the house, but I was almost willing to bet that was what had happened.
I jumped up and so did Courtney. Her friend was already headed for the door. This wasn’t going to end well. I was almost sure Ms. Gray would shoot someone if she felt she had to.
Ms. Gray flew out the front door. I followed but stopped in my tracks at the front door.
Dangerfield held his hands up in the air. “Please don’t shoot.”
She pointed the gun at him. “What are you doing on my property?”
He stepped closer and she fired a shot into the air. Dangerfield stumbled backward, but managed to right himself before falling.
“I’m just here to see Chase Charley.” He didn’t move closer this time. He needed to stop moving before she really did shoot him. “Like I said, I am here to see Ms. Charley.”
“Is that right?” she asked without taking her eyes off him.
I stepped out on the porch. “What the hell are you doing?”
“It’s okay, Ms. Gray, he’s a friend of ours,” Courtney said.
I exchanged a look with my cousin. I would let it slide that she had called Dangerfield a friend.
Ms. Gray looked from me to my cousin and then at Dangerfield. “Well, I suppose if he is a friend of yours then it is okay.” She lowered the gun and he released a deep breath.
“Is it okay if I come closer now?” he asked with his hands still in the air.
Ms. Gray lowered the gun. “Come on up here.” She looked at me. “He is a handsome man. Where have I seen him before?”