Twisted Echoes

by Sheri Lewis Wohl

  “Sometimes you scare me, Mia.”

  She chuckled. “Sometimes, Renee, I scare myself. Come see me when you get back to town.”

  Renee set her cell on the nightstand and smiled. “I knew it,” she said to Clancy who was sprawled across the bed looking bored and not caring in the least what it was she supposedly knew.

  What she didn’t explain to the dog whose eyes were fluttering shut was that she’d been absolutely convinced that something otherworldly was happening to Lorna. There was nothing mental about the things she’d been seeing. Her thoughts after hearing Lorna’s confession were one hundred and eighty degrees from crazy. The advantage she had over Lorna was her chosen profession. It gave her access to things most people never even thought about.

  Mia’s declaration that Lorna was psychic didn’t shock her. The things Lorna shared with her last night were way too specific to be just dreams or a mind in the midst of fracturing. It was more like a story, and that had to have some basis in truth. The only one person she knew who could make sense of what was happening had been Mia, and she’d been right.

  As Renee hoped, Mia put the visions into perspective, and now she had some ideas to share with Lorna. What Lorna would think of her altered reality was anybody’s guess. She deserved to know and understand. It was bound to make her feel better. Renee thought it was pretty cool.

  All that aside, what she hadn’t expected was the detour into her own life. She’d called looking for help with what was troubling Lorna. Her problems didn’t figure into the mix. Hers were of the real world, bad luck variety.

  Mia always had different ideas no matter what she threw her way. This morning was no different. She’d zeroed in on Renee’s current situation in a heartbeat, and the weird thing was, Renee hadn’t shared any of it with her. In fact, she hadn’t called anyone to tell them of her misfortune. The only ones she even talked to about it were her mother, Lorna, and Jeremy. Outside of Mom, she wouldn’t have said a word to Lorna and Jeremy if it weren’t for the fact she was in the same house with them.

  Of course, the fire made the local Seattle news, and even if her name wasn’t mentioned, her shop was specialized enough that those who knew her well would pick up on it immediately. It was also stupid of her not to realize her friends might try to come by. Toss in some extra skills like Mia possessed, and she had no secrets. By now, she suspected her Seattle inner circle all realized she was displaced and why.

  That wasn’t the part that surprised her when she really thought about it. No, what caught her off guard were the cautionary words with respect to her heart. Love was near, or so Mia promised her, and just hearing the words sent a little thrill through her body. It was exciting to dream love could happen for her. She’d been alone a long time now.

  It was the warning that love found could easily be love lost that put a chill into the prediction. That part was not so exciting. The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away. Story of her life.

  For the time being, she wasn’t going to dwell on herself. What did it really matter anyway? In the big scheme of things, her love life was a minor issue. At a personal level, getting her home and business repaired was priority one. She had to have a place to live and make a living. It wasn’t cool to live off someone else’s goodwill too long.

  Despite the warnings about her love life, the rest of what Mia told her was pretty sweet. She couldn’t wait to grab her computer and do some digging. Hopefully, there was an Internet connection now that Lorna was around. Bea hadn’t been into technology at all. There’d never been a television in the house, let alone a computer. Hopefully, Lorna was more technology savvy.

  She dug through the meager clothes she had left here on previous visits and sighed. Not much to choose from. A trip into town to hit the local thrift shop was most definitely in order. With her source of income kaput, the thrift store was her best bet for adding to her non-existent wardrobe. Honestly, she didn’t mind. Going to the secondhand stores was sort of like gold mining. Most of what she came across was crap. Then, when she least expected it, kaboom, a gold nugget.

  For today, she’d have to be content with a very old pair of jeans and a University of Washington sweatshirt. As it turned out, there was a good reason she left a few clothes here between visits. She always thought it was because of walks on the beach, random rainstorms, and other unexpected reasons to need a change of clothes. Seemed to be more a case of the universe keeping a few clothes on her back when tragedy came calling.

  A comb through her wet hair, and she was ready to face the day. Clancy, on the other hand, was still snoring softly in the middle of her bed. The dog was a real ball of fire this morning.

  “Seriously,” she said as she ran a hand over his head. His fine black hair was soft and shiny. “What kind of guard dog are you anyway? You snore so loud an earthquake would be quieter.”

  He raised his head, his dark eyes blinking. The expression on his face seemed to say, “What?”

  She laughed, gave him one more pet, then walked to the door and opened it. “Come on.” She waved her arm in the direction of the hallway. “Rise and shine, handsome. Another day awaits us. Dragons to slay, demons to defeat, breakfast to be eaten.”

  As if he’d been up and perky all along, he leaped off the bed and trotted out in the hall. His nails were a brisk click, click, click against the floor as he trotted toward the kitchen.

  “Show off.” She followed, laughing.

  Chapter Eleven

  Jeremy was hanging over Lorna’s shoulder as absorbed in the search as she was when Renee walked into the kitchen. She glanced up and smiled. A second later, she was laughing as Clancy draped himself across her lap, waiting, apparently, for the petting he believed his due. The dog was a crack-up.

  All in all, it was turning into a good morning. By the time she’d finished telling Jeremy her theory on the strange doings around here, instead of thinking her crazy, he’d been intrigued. The feeling of lightness his belief in her instilled was astonishing. She hadn’t realized how important it was to have him believe her, particularly when she had a hard time believing it herself.

  It was nice to have a brother who had her back. She had the same sense about Renee even though their time together had been short. There was just something about her that radiated trust and honesty. That was something she needed in her life. The breakup with Anna had been traumatic enough just on the face of it, but throw in the fact that she discovered Anna had been lying to her for months, and truth was something she sorely needed in her life. She had the sense that regardless of what was going on, Renee would give her that.

  “Good morning,” she said to Renee, really looking up this time and telling herself not to stare. It wasn’t that Renee came in looking like a model, but there was something about her casual clothes and long shiny hair that made Lorna want to drink her in.

  She was lovely in a way Anna never had been, and it struck her how snarky that sounded. Still, it didn’t make it any less true. There seemed to be a light around Renee. She almost laughed at that, thinking that perhaps Renee was rubbing off on her, and she was now seeing auras. Could be that she just wanted to see a light around her. It made her even more dazzling and, frankly, a little intoxicating. Even with everything going on around her, Renee was a distraction she found thrilling though she’d keep that to herself.

  “Good morning,” Renee said. “You two are up early.”

  Jeremy laughed as he looked up at Renee. “Definitely up early for me. Big sis here didn’t really go to bed.”

  Renee looked surprised. “I saw you head off to bed. What got you back up, and why on earth would you stay up all night?”

  Lorna leaned back in her chair. “I had some ideas that I wanted to start digging into, and no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t switch my brain off. Let’s just say I came up with some interesting shit.”

  Renee poured a cup of coffee from the fresh pot Jeremy made, though she didn’t know why he’d dumped out the stuff she’d made about three
a.m. Maybe it was a little strong, but she didn’t have a problem with it. It was great for keeping her wide-awake. No sissy coffee in her kitchen.

  “Good,” Renee said after taking a sip.

  “I’ll take credit for that,” Jeremy said as he held up his mug in a mock toast. “Big sister here seems to think that black sludge is fit to drink. I respectfully disagree. We’re in Western Washington, the home of awesome coffee, and I refuse to drink black, burned goop.”

  Renee returned the mock toast. “Amen. I’m spoiled living in Seattle. We certainly don’t lack for fantastic coffee. And in case you’re wondering, I don’t do sludge either, thank you. So, sorry, Lorna, and thank you, Jeremy.”

  She just rolled her eyes and took a slug from the cup that had been sitting in front of her for hours. It was cold and gave her the expected jolt. In her opinion, perfect for the job. “You two are coffee snobs.”

  Renee shrugged. “No argument there. So tell me what you’ve been looking at.”

  A shot of excitement went through Lorna. A price was going to be paid later for not sleeping, but it was worth it. She always felt better when she was armed with information. “Great shit. I was able to dig up a bona fide mystery. It’s about the family who built this house. They had one child, a daughter, who died under mysterious circumstances.”

  “As a child?” Renee asked. “Lots of kids didn’t make it past a couple of years back then.”

  Lorna shook her head. “In this case, she was a young woman, healthy and attractive. With wealthy parents, she had the world in front of her.”

  “Interesting.” Renee leaned back in her chair and sipped her coffee.

  It was fun sharing what she’d found. “Gets better. Her death is just part of the mystery. One day, she’s alive and well; the next, six feet under.

  “You’re thinking it was some kind of an accident?”

  That was the last thing she thought when she’d read through all the old records. “No, I don’t think it was an accident. There would have been more in the records of the day if it had been.”

  “That leaves suicide or murder.”

  “My first thought too. Then I narrowed it down a little more. If it was murder, once again, we should be able to find more in old newspapers, except I didn’t find a single thing. Like I said earlier, it was as if one day she was here, and the next day she wasn’t.”

  Renee set her mug on the table and caught Lorna’s eyes. “It had to have been suicide.”

  “My thoughts exactly. Lots of veiled references in what I could dig up online, but nothing that came right out and said it. Seems a little too sterile for my liking. I’m convinced there’s a story in there. You know, like a really rich and powerful family that could bury the embarrassment of a suicide.”

  “It occurs to me that if she did take her own life, maybe she’s the one trying to get through to you.”

  Lorna was feeling great. For the first time since this all began, she wasn’t alone. Renee appeared to be in total sync with her. “Again, you’re on the same page with me. I’m thinking maybe something like that could explain what I’ve been seeing. She could be sad and looking for forgiveness or something along those lines.”

  Renee nodded, a slight smile pulling up the corners of her mouth. “I agree, and if you promise not to laugh, I’ll tell you why.”

  Lorna couldn’t imagine what Renee could tell her that would make her laugh. In her opinion, none of this was a laughing matter. A young beautiful woman taking her life was a tragedy no matter how many years ago it might have happened. If any of what she’d seen in her visions helped push her to take her life, it made her all the more sad. “Cross my heart.” She used her index finger to trace an “x” across her left breast.

  Renee leaned back in her chair and turned serious. “I don’t know how much of what I do professionally my mother might have shared with you.”

  Lorna shook her head. Jolene hadn’t mentioned her much at all and certainly hadn’t gone into detail about her business. Her memories of Renee were vague recollections of a girl about her own age who was pretty though quiet and reserved. Until she showed up with Clancy, she didn’t even know she had a dog, let alone what she did for a living. The only unique fact she had was what Renee had shared last night about her ability to see auras.

  “Nothing really. Just said you have a store in Seattle. She never said what kind of store.”

  “That’s it in a nutshell. I own a building in Pioneer Square. I live upstairs, and the store is downstairs. Great view, wonderful walk-up traffic, and all things considered, pretty successful. The important part of the whole story is that my store is—was—rather specialized.”

  “Specialized, as in…?”

  “As in mind, body, soul specialized. I carry all the things regular bookstores will barely touch and a whole array of alternative medicine. My herbal mixtures are well known throughout the region. I have some very unique skills and a very unique client base.”

  “So witchcraft and voodoo kind of stuff.” She almost said crap and caught herself before the word fell out of her mouth. She didn’t put much stock into shit like that. Never had and never would. She just didn’t believe.

  On the other hand, she didn’t believe in visions until she came here. So either she needed to open her mind or find a really good psychiatrist. The way things had been going lately, opening her mind seemed like a much better alternative.

  Renee didn’t seem to be offended by her comment even though it really was awfully close to being snarky. Her voice was the same gentle melody that was growing on her more every moment she spent with her. “Not exactly. Voodoo isn’t something I’ve ever delved into. I’m much more on the natural side of things. No dark magic, if you will. That doesn’t mean I discount the theories behind alternative belief systems like Wiccan for example. Keep in mind, it was a form of pagan religion in years gone by, and there’s a great deal of merit in some of their practices. There’s a lot of healing that can be accomplished through nature. In my practice, I try to incorporate what’s good and effective from all sources and bring them together.”

  “A sort of naturalist.”

  “In a sense, yes, but because of my unique inventory, all kinds come to me. I don’t judge their belief systems or monitor what they do; I simply provide products that are natural and healing. I’ve made friends with witches and voodoo priests, Wiccans, and folks who are just tired of working with traditional medicine. Regardless of their beliefs, they’re people like you and me.”

  She understood, sort of. Given the injuries, strains, and sprains suffered over the course of her years as a triathlete, she did understand that often it wasn’t pills and surgery needed but bodywork and a belief in self-healing. Still, she wasn’t so sure about a so-called natural healer. There was definitely room on her plate for a good old-fashioned doctor.

  “So what does that have to do with anything here?”

  “Here’s the deal. One of my regular customers has become a pretty good friend. Out of the hundreds of people I know who claim to have the gift of sight, she’s the only one I’m acquainted with who really does. I called her and told her what you’d seen. She gave me some advice.”

  Okay, now Lorna was intrigued. Her non-belief in things that go bump in the night was slipping even more, which was perhaps a good thing. If there was merit to the idea, it kept her sanity intact. Insanity was a nuisance that simply didn’t work for her. Paranormal was weird but a better alternative.

  Besides, she was totally curious now. “What did she say?”

  “Long story short, my friend Mia thinks this house is haunted. Not in the creepy, try to chase us away kind of haunting. Based on the things I shared with her, she believes there’s a spirit lingering because it needs something from us.”

  A shudder ran through her. “From me, you mean.”

  Renee nodded. “Yeah, from you.”

  “Why?” She didn’t add that she was already inching toward that same conclusion. She definit
ely wasn’t sure she believed her so-proclaimed psychic friend could shed any light on her predicament. In the alternative, what did it hurt to listen to a different point of view?

  Renee shrugged. “She didn’t say, and I doubt she knows. It was just an opinion based upon the visions.”

  “You know,” Jeremy broke in. and Lorna realized she’d forgotten he was still in the room because she’d been so focused on Renee. “It all makes sense in a really odd way. Think about it, Lorna, you were sane, relatively speaking anyway, before you left Spokane. You get over here and all of a sudden, you’re seeing visions. Now if the visions were random kinds of things, I’d be inclined to think you’ve tipped over the edge, if you catch my drift. But what you’re seeing has too much of a pattern to it. It’s more like a movie being screened just for you.”

  “I think what your brother is trying to say in a roundabout way is you could be psychic,” Renee said with a gentle smile.

  Lorna rolled her eyes even as she told herself not to. She was on board with the whole paranormal thing until right now. “I’m not psychic. That’s something people want to believe when nothing else makes sense. I’ll grant you that I’m leaning toward believing a fair amount of this stuff, but I’m afraid I’m not so inclined toward some latent psychic ability.”

  Renee put a hand on her arm. It was warm and friendly. “But you’ll consider that there could be a ghost trying to contact you?”

  Actually, the thought gave her the creeps. It also made her oddly curious. Could there really be such a thing as a ghost roaming the house, the ocean shore, and the grounds? Given what she’d been seeing lately?

  Yeah.

  *

  Jeremy took a fresh cup of coffee outside. The wind was blowing hard enough to pelt him with damp leaves. The sky was dark, the air carrying the scent of the ocean. Lorna and Renee were still debating the hows and whys of what was happening. The possibility of it being a ghost, and the idea that Lorna might actually be a psychic, albeit a reluctant one. Renee was holding steady with the contention that’s exactly what it was while Lorna was putting up mild resistance. His money was on Renee wearing her down.