Aunt Dimity Goes West

by Nancy Atherton

  “Like Amanda’s?” Toby hazarded.

  “Just like Amanda’s,” Rose confirmed. “Ludo announced that he had, indeed, sabotaged the mine, but that he’d done so with mind power alone. In other words, he’d willed the mine to collapse.”

  “That must have gone over big in Bluebird,” I said sarcastically.

  “They couldn’t arrest him for the illegal use of willpower,” Toby pointed out. “What happened to him, Mrs. Blanding? Did the townspeople take the law into their own hands?”

  “I’m sure they would have, if they could have gotten to him in time,” said Rose. “Fortunately—or unfortunately, depending on your point of view—the Herald’s editor arranged for Ludo to be spirited away to an asylum near Denver before the interview appeared in the newspaper. I suppose he didn’t want Ludo’s blood on his hands.”

  “What happened to Ludo’s wife?” I asked.

  “She had relatives in Ohio, but she chose to stay on in Bluebird. I imagine it was easier for her to stay here, where the story was already known, than to confess the awful truth about her husband to her family. There was a great stigma attached to mental illness in those days.” Rose sighed as she returned the group portrait and the newspaper clipping to the archival box. “A year to the day after the mining disaster, her body was found floating facedown in Bluebird Creek. The coroner ruled her death accidental, but I suspect that he was being kind. Suicide would have barred her from being buried in the cemetery.”

  “And the child?” I asked.

  “He was sent to an orphanage. As for Ludo, he was never seen in Bluebird again. He died two months after he entered the asylum.” Rose replaced the lid on the box. “It’s been said before, but it bears repeating: Gold fever is sometimes a fatal illness.”

  Toby and I stared down at the archival box in somber silence, but our thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell.

  “Three times in one day?” I said, astonished. “I’m going to have to hire a social secretary.”

  Toby must have been hoping for a return appearance by James Blackwell because he ran to answer the door before I could make a start toward it. A moment later we heard him bellow angrily, “What are you doing here?”

  Rose and I exchanged alarmed glances and hastened into the great room, arriving just in time to see Amanda Barrow, in full gypsy regalia, sweep in from the foyer with Toby hot on her heels.

  “I did not come here of my own volition,” she declared. “I was summoned!”

  Twenty-one

  “I didn’t summon you,” said Toby, eyeing Amanda contemptuously.

  “Nor did I,” I said.

  “You misunderstand.” The bangles on Amanda’s wrists rattled as she spread her arms wide and gazed toward the ceiling. “I was summoned by no earthly power. I responded to a call beyond the reach of human hearing.”

  “Like a dog?” Toby said scathingly.

  I didn’t even try to disguise my hoot of laughter with a cough. I had no idea what had brought Amanda to the Aerie, but her timing couldn’t have been worse. The baleful influence she’d exerted on young Tammy Auerbach was still fresh in my mind and although I couldn’t bring myself to send her packing, I wasn’t inclined to give her a warm welcome.

  Toby, on the other hand, looked as though he might take a swing at her, so I hurried over to place myself between them.

  “Amanda,” I said, “what can I do for you?”

  “You can do nothing for me,” she said, lowering her arms. “But I can do something for you.”

  “Thanks, but we’ve already washed the dishes,” said Toby, in tones of withering scorn.

  Amanda spared him one disdainful look, then focused her attention on me. “I do not, of course, refer to a mundane chore.”

  “Pity,” said Toby. “The mudroom could use a good scrub.”

  “Good afternoon, Amanda,” Rose said, crossing to join our merry group.

  “It is afternoon, Rose, but whether it be good or bad I cannot yet tell.” Amanda sidled past me and began to prowl around the great room with her eyes half closed and her arms stretched at full length in front of her.

  “If you want to see the Aerie, we can schedule a tour,” I said.

  “I do not wish to see the Aerie,” said Amanda.

  “Then what in heaven’s name are you doing?” Rose demanded. “Playing blindman’s buff?”

  “I am allowing myself to be guided,” Amanda replied, continuing her circuit of the room. “I sense your hostility, Rose, but you and I are not so very different.”

  “Aren’t we?” Rose said skeptically.

  “We both believe that the supernatural plays a role in everyday life.” Amanda paused to wave her palms over the rustic cabinet, then moved on. “We believe in a power greater than ourselves. We believe in revelations, prophecies, and the continuation of the spirit after death.”

  “I don’t believe in using fear to intimidate innocent children,” Rose said tartly.

  “Yes, you do,” Amanda countered evenly. “You believe in hellfire and eternal damnation, and you use those beliefs to intimidate children in every Sunday school class you teach.”

  “I beg your pardon,” Rose began heatedly, but I decided to redirect the conversation before things got out of hand. I didn’t want the pastor’s wife to take a swing at Amanda, either.

  “Sorry,” I said firmly, “but my guests aren’t allowed to discuss religion or politics under my roof, even when I’m only borrowing the roof. Since you’re an uninvited guest, Amanda, the rule applies doubly to you.”

  “But I was invited,” Amanda insisted, moving her hands in a circular motion over the dining room table. “I was summoned soon after you left me yesterday. Your unwillingness to accept the orb’s insights made me hesitant to respond to the call, but ultimately it became irresistible. Ahhhh…” She let out a hair-raising moan and glided toward the foyer as if an invisible force had seized her by the wrists and pulled her there.

  “Good,” said Toby, standing aside. “The exit’s to your right.”

  But Amanda didn’t turn toward the front door. Before anyone could stop her, she plunged through the foyer, up the stairs, and into the family suite corridor. Rose and Toby stood rooted to the spot, as if they couldn’t believe what they’d just seen, but I tore after Amanda, half afraid that the invisible force would take her straight to Aunt Dimity’s blue journal. I didn’t want the inner eye that had “seen” Cyril Pennyfeather to get anywhere near the journal’s pages.

  “Get back here, Amanda!” Toby roared, finding his voice.

  I heard scurrying footsteps behind me and knew that he was on his way, with Rose Blanding bringing up the rear. I would have knocked Amanda down with a flying tackle if she’d attempted to enter the master suite, but she didn’t. She allowed herself to be dragged along until she reached the boys’ room, where she stopped so suddenly that I had to hop sideways to avoid running into her.

  “Here,” she whispered loudly. “The vibrations emanate from here.”

  Rose collided with Toby, who collided with me, and before we could sort ourselves out, Amanda was off and running again, with her bangles rattling, through the boys’ bedroom and on into the playroom. By the time we caught up with her, she was standing stock-still in front of the freestanding tent. Her stillness was so absolute, her concentration so razor-sharp, that instead of ordering her to leave the room, as I’d intended, I found myself hushing Rose and Toby and motioning for them to keep back.

  “The curse lingers in the very fabric of the building,” Amanda intoned.

  She raised her arms slowly, lowered them inch by inch until her palms faced the floor of the tent, then snatched them back, as if they’d been scalded. I jumped, Rose clucked her tongue irritably, and Toby scowled.

  Amanda inhaled deeply, then closed her eyes and addressed the ceiling. “Dark things abide here.”

  “I’ll have you know that my sons sleep here,” I said, bristling.

  “I see darkness, I see flames, I see a hate
-filled heart seeking to destroy.” Amanda pivoted on her heels, raised a hand to point at me, and cried, “A full moon rises tonight. Heed my warning! Escape while there’s still time!”

  My companions’ furious gasps made me hope that Amanda would heed her own warning, but she didn’t move.

  “Amanda Barrow,” Rose said awfully, sparks of hellfire dancing in her eyes. “I’ve never in all my life seen such a revolting display of cheap theatrics. Your circus act may impress fifteen-year-old girls and inebriated acolytes, but I can assure you that it does not impress us.”

  “Actually, I thought she did it pretty well,” I murmured, but Toby talked right over me.

  “Listen up, Amanda,” he said coldly. “If you ever mention the curse to either one of Lori’s sons, I’ll throw your crystal ball and your rune stones and your entire stock of tarot cards into Lake Matula.” He raised his arms and wheeled around slowly until his palms were facing the corridor. “Hey, look, Amanda, you’ve been summoned again! A voice beyond the reach of human hearing is telling me it’s time for you to leave.”

  “I will go,” said Amanda, drawing herself up with great dignity. “I have done my best. I can do no more.”

  “I’ll walk you to the front door,” said Toby and followed Amanda out of the playroom like a prison guard escorting a fractious inmate.

  “Well, really…” Rose released an indignant breath, then turned to me. “I feel as though I should apologize, Lori, though I don’t know why I should. We’ve always exercised tolerance toward Amanda and her band of followers, but it looks as though she needs to be reined in. It’s completely unacceptable for her to march into a private home and carry on in such an appalling manner. She’ll be disrupting church services next.”

  “No, she won’t,” I said soothingly, hoping to head off a witch hunt. “She won’t invade the church or the parsonage or any other house in Bluebird. Don’t you see, Rose? The Aerie holds a special attraction for Amanda because of the so-called curse. She simply can’t resist performing on such a ready-made stage.”

  “What if she drops by while your sons are here?” asked Rose.

  “Maybe I’ll let her conduct an exorcism,” I said with an easygoing shrug. “It’d be worth it to get her out of my hair.”

  “You’re more generous than I am,” said Rose. “The nerve of the woman…”

  “Let’s not let her spoil the day.” I nodded toward the corridor. “Why don’t we cool our tempers with a couple of tall glasses of iced tea?”

  “I’d love to, but I can’t,” said Rose, looking at her watch. “I have to attend a Gold Rush Days committee meeting in less than an hour. Besides, I don’t want to overstay my welcome. I’ll just collect my box and be on my way.”

  We met Toby in the foyer, where he was keeping an eagle eye on Amanda’s car as it disappeared down the twisting drive. After she’d gone, he fetched the archival box from the library and stowed it in the trunk of Rose’s car. Annelise and the twins joined us as we waved good-bye to Rose.

  Neither Will nor Rob had discovered any fossils, but they’d found enough rusty nails, railroad spikes, and leftover bits of mining machinery to make me thankful that their tetanus shots were up to date. They lovingly arranged their finds on the hearth ledge in the great room, then asked if they could go to town with Toby, who’d volunteered to pick up dinner at the cafe. Toby didn’t believe that anyone on vacation should have to cook two big meals in one day, and I agreed with him, but before giving the twins the go-ahead, I took Toby aside.

  “I need to speak with Annelise,” I said quietly. “Can you handle both of the boys on your own?”

  “Sure,” said Toby. “They’re great kids. I won’t have any trouble with them at all.”

  “I hope not,” I said and gave my sons the thumbs-up.

  Toby and the twins headed for the van while Annelise and I settled down on the breakfast deck with glasses of iced tea, to discuss her reasons for keeping the boys away from the Brockman Ranch. I was a bit apprehensive about what I would hear. Annelise didn’t usually consult with me or Bill about the twins unless she needed serious backup, which she very seldom did. Will and Rob really were great kids.

  “Okay,” I said, gripping my glass with both hands. “What happened at the ranch?”

  “Two things,” said Annelise. “First, we had a little language problem while we were on the trail ride.”

  I smiled with relief, though I was frankly surprised that she’d felt the need to bring such a trivial complaint to my attention.

  “The boys can’t help using English words and phrases,” I said reasonably. “They’ve grown up with them. Besides, you were there to translate.”

  “I didn’t have to translate,” said Annelise. “The Americans on the trail ride understood Will perfectly when he called the little boy ahead of him a ‘son of a bitch.’”

  My jaw dropped and iced tea sloshed onto the table. “What?”

  Annelise nodded. “They understood Rob, too, when he used the word that rhymes with ‘duck.’”

  “He…what?” I sputtered, spilling more tea.

  “I don’t have to spell it out for you, do I?” Annelise shook her head bemusedly. “They weren’t even angry. The words just popped out of their mouths as if they used them every day. Heaven knows what the other adults on the ride thought about their upbringing.”

  “My sons have had an excellent upbringing,” I said, shaking drops of iced tea from my hands. “You know very well that we don’t use that kind of language at home. They must have picked it up from someone at the ranch.”

  “I’m sure they did,” said Annelise. “Two of the guest children are foul-mouthed little beasts, and their parents are just as bad, if not worse.”

  “Did you have a talk with Rob and Will about good manners and polite language?” I asked.

  “Naturally,” said Annelise. “That’s when we ran into the second problem. When I asked Will and Rob where they’d heard those words, they told me they’d heard them here, at the Aerie. Now, you and I don’t use that kind of language, and I don’t think Toby Cooper does, either.”

  “Toby would never swear in front of children,” I agreed.

  “Will and Rob assured me that they didn’t learn the words from Toby,” said Annelise, “but they can’t say who they did learn them from. They insist that they heard them in their tent, in the playroom, during the night. They must be lying, Lori, and to tell you the truth, the lying troubles me more than the smutty language.” She paused. “Lori? Are you listening?”

  I nodded vaguely as I stared into the middle distance at an image only I could see—the image of Amanda Barrow’s hands recoiling from the playroom tent as if they’d been scalded.

  “Those you love most will surprise you,” I said under my breath.

  “Sorry?” said Annelise.

  “Nothing.” I cleared my throat and stood. “I’m sure you handled the situation perfectly, Annelise. I don’t think we should make a big deal out of it, but I’ll…I’ll call Bill to see what he thinks.” I drummed my damp fingers on the teak table. “Yes. I’ll call him right now. I’ll be in the master suite, and I don’t want to be disturbed.”

  “All right,” said Annelise. “Give him my best.”

  “Who?” I said blankly.

  “Bill,” said Annelise, eyeing me curiously. “Give Bill my best.”

  “Oh yes,” I said. “I’ll do that.”

  I left the breakfast deck and crossed the great room at a rapid pace, breaking into a run as soon as I reached the foyer. I dashed up the stairs, through the corridor, and into the master suite, where I snatched the blue journal from the white armchair and opened it without bothering to sit.

  “Dimity,” I said urgently. “I need to talk to you. You, too, Mr. Pennyfeather, if you’re around. Something really weird is going on.”

  Twenty-two

  Aunt Dimity’s familiar handwriting was the first to appear on the page, followed closely by Cyril Pennyfeather’s flowery script
.

  What seems to be the problem, my dear?

  May I help in any way?

  “Are both of you one hundred percent sure that the Aerie isn’t cursed?” I asked.

  I think I can speak for both Mr. Pennyfeather and myself when I state categorically that the Aerie is curse-free. What’s troubling you, Lori?

  “Amanda Barrow.” I lowered myself into the white armchair and stared pensively at the ashes in the grate.

  The psychic? Aunt Dimity clarified.

  The hysterical psychic? Cyril added.

  “She may have been hysterical, but she gave me a pretty accurate description of you, Mr. Pennyfeather,” I reminded him. “After you took off, she looked into her crystal ball and started telling me things. I thought it was a big joke at the time, but I’m not so sure anymore.”

  What sort of things did she tell you?

  “She said I’d come from afar,” I began, “and she was right—I came to Colorado all the way from England.”

  She could have heard of your journey from any number of sources.

  “That’s what I thought,” I said. “But she also predicted that I’d meet a short, dark stranger.”

  Shouldn’t it be a tall, dark stranger?

  I glanced down at Cyril’s polite inquiry and remembered that Toby had muttered the same thing as Amanda had peered into her orb, but I was too distressed to crack a smile.

  “Amanda predicted that I’d meet a short, dark stranger,” I said, “and she was right again. James Blackwell showed up at the Aerie this morning. He’s short, dark-haired, and deeply tanned, and until today he was definitely a stranger.”

  James Blackwell, the missing caretaker, returned to the Aerie this morning?

  “Yes, but let’s stick with Amanda for the moment,” I said, refusing to be distracted. “She also said that Death had come to claim me, but I’d escaped his grasp.”