Whispering Pines

by Mavis Applewater

  “Okay, so I just want to get the hell out of Kansas,” she said. She grinned wryly as The Wizard of Oz came to mind. “Just what in the hell was Dorothy thinking?”

  She rubbed her throbbing temples and debated calling Shawn again. She grimaced at the thought. After the fiasco last evening, it might be best to wait until Shawn contacted her.

  “Who the hell is Carey Jessup?” she snarled, recalling that Shawn was entertaining another woman when she finally made contact with her. The pounding in her head increased as she tried to will Shawn to call her.

  “One more day, then I’m out of here. Then what? I have a shoot in Scotland, but that isn’t for another two weeks.”

  She had nowhere to go.

  “Not a problem, I can always visit my parents,” she said grimly. The familiar stirrings of bitterness began to fill her. Growing up, she had been very close to her parents, until the day her father fell from the pedestal she had mistakenly believed he stood upon.

  “Let it go, you’re an adult now,” she reminded herself. It was the same reminder she tried to reinforce each time she visited them. Somehow, she just couldn’t let the betrayal go.

  Faith sprang off the bed as her cell phone chirped.

  “Hello?” she anxiously greeted the caller, whom she prayed was Shawn.

  “What’s wrong?” Shawn’s voice came from the other end over a background din.

  “What makes you think something’s wrong?” Faith bristled until she recalled whom she was talking to. “Nothing, just worried about you. And Kansas sucks. I hate this shoot. Trudy’s trying to be nice to me.”

  “And how is that a bad thing?” Shawn said with a throaty chuckle.

  “You don’t like her either, so don’t even try to convince me to play nice.” Faith snorted with disgust. “I told Dave she was all wrong for Whispering Pines, but I think they’re going to sign her.”

  “What? Did I hear you correctly? They want Trudy for the shoot at Whispering Pines?”

  “No.” Faith sighed. “They want you. You keep saying no, so they’re sticking me with Trudy. I think Dave’s trying to punish me. For some reason, the brass seems to think I’ve become a problem child.”

  “You, a problem?” Shawn laughed heartily. “If they think you’re being a pain in the ass, I could fill them in on some stories that would make your attitude in Kansas seem positively endearing.”

  “Such as?” Faith was suddenly feeling better. Her smile faded when Shawn failed to respond. “Shawn? Are you there?”

  “I’m sorry,” Shawn finally whispered. “I’m getting confused. Something about your family. I can’t quite figure it out. Sorry, my mind is a mess right now. My head is pounding.”

  “You just finished at the Joshua Ward House.” Faith wanted nothing more than to be there and comfort Shawn. “That place really messes with you.”

  “I know,” Shawn said. “Carey was completely spooked. Althea is worried that she won’t be able to go to Whispering Pines.”

  “Carey?” Faith’s own headache returned. “And how is your new little friend? Let me guess, all that noise I’m hearing is because the two of you are in a bar.”

  “Everyone’s here,” Shawn snapped. “We just wrapped. Faith, Carey Jessup is straight, and you know her.”

  “No, I don’t.”

  “Well, she knows you,” Shawn said. “She was ready to pull out of her contract because she doesn’t want to work with you. This woman really hates you.”

  “Okay, that would imply that she has met me before,” Faith said. “Honestly, the name isn’t ringing any bells. Is she on the crew?”

  “No.” Shawn’s voice sounded weary. “She’s a cop. She’s investigating the murders as a sidepiece for the special.”

  “I still don’t recognize the name,” Faith said, her concern for Shawn’s well-being growing. “Forget about it. I pissed off a lot of cops when I was a reporter. That’s probably how she knows me. You don’t sound well. I’m worried about you.”

  “I’m fine,” Shawn lied. “Just a really long day. I’m heading back to New York for a little rest before Scotland. Why don’t you stay with me, and we can fly over together, after you visit your parents.”

  “Wait, how did—” Faith almost laughed at the question she was about to ask. “Never mind. So, does this mean you’re not mad at me anymore?”

  “No, I’m still terribly upset with you.”

  “Liar.” Faith sighed with relief. “I’ll see you sometime next week. Promise me that you’ll get some rest.”

  “I’m trying,” Shawn said. “This town is so active, I just can’t seem to shut the voices out.”

  “Baby,” Faith said, feeling helpless that she wasn’t there to help Shawn cope. “I’m flying out tonight.”

  “No, finish the job, and we’ll see each other next week.”

  Faith didn’t feel any better about things after she and Shawn said their good-byes. “Who the hell is Carey Jessup?” she repeated, thinking about the many times she had butted heads with the authorities in an effort to do her job.

  Her next call was to her parents, who were overjoyed by the news that she was coming home for a short visit. Deep in her heart, she wished she could muster the same enthusiasm.

  Chapter 39

  Salem, Massachusetts

  2005

  Shawn had another headache. She walked back towards the booths where the crew was partying. After wrapping up the shoot, everyone retreated to the small Irish bar just down the street from the Ward house. She felt queasy as she reclaimed her seat next to Althea and the ever-mysterious Carey.

  “Are you all right?” Carey asked.

  “Headache.” Shawn waved it off. “Places like that can be a bit much on me. What about you? After the last couple of days, you must be looking at things differently.”

  “You could say that.” Carey took a sip of her drink. “Are you sure that trash can wasn’t knocked over by a member of the crew?”

  “It wasn’t,” Shawn said with a shake of her head. Once again, she tried to shut out the sound of a small girl crying and the voices that were calling to her. She turned to say something to Althea, who was studying Carey carefully. Turning her attention back towards Carey didn’t help.

  “Althea’s worried about you,” she whispered to Carey.

  “I’ll be fine,” Carey said so that Althea could hear her. “I’m glad I got my feet wet over the past couple of days. I should be able to handle whatever the Pines has to offer.”

  “How’s the investigation going?” Shawn asked.

  “Very well,” Carey said enthusiastically. “The case is really shaping up. After reviewing all of the witness statements, I can’t understand why they didn’t bring the husband in for questioning.”

  “From what I understand, Captain Stratton owned most of the town,” Shawn said, the voices still trying to claim her. “Sheriff never let it go…” her voice trailed off as something popped into her head.

  “You’re divorced,” she said.

  “You know I am.” Althea gave a toothy smile. She looked past Shawn, and her smile vanished. “Oh, you mean Carey?”

  “Stop doing that,” Carey said. “It isn’t uncommon, given my profession.”

  “She can’t help it,” Althea said. “In fact, Shawn’s the reason I’m divorced.”

  “I’m not the reason,” Shawn protested. “Your husband’s girlfriend is the reason.”

  “Anyone ever try taking you to the track?” Carey asked in a transparent attempt to ease the tension that had suddenly sprung up.

  “Several times.” Shawn shifted her body in an effort to get comfortable. “I can’t pick horses, and I lost a lot of money in Atlantic City.”

  “That sucks.” Carey laughed lightly.

  The pain in Shawn’s head drifted down to her neck.

  “That’s pretty much what my dad said the first time he took me to the track.” Shawn tried to laugh it off as pain gripped her body. “Oh for the love of—” she mutte
red, hearing her cell ring before it actually did. She snatched the phone from her pocket and waited for it to ring.

  “For the love of God, go to sleep,” she barked, already knowing who was on the other end.

  “I was calling to tell you the same thing,” Faith whispered.

  “I know.” The throbbing in Shawn’s body was increasing. “I’m not staying much longer.”

  She listened as Faith tried to comfort her. Out of the corner of her eye she spied Carey playing with her glass. The sound of it scraping against the wooden table was adding to her discomfort. She reached out and clasped Carey’s wrist in an effort to cease the agitating noise.

  Suddenly filled with sadness and pain, she released Carey’s wrist and bolted to her feet. The cell phone dropped from her hand. Her chair crashed to the floor, and she raced out of the tiny barroom, crying.

  Outside, in the brisk night air, the voices quieted and Shawn could finally breathe. She brushed the tears from her face and leaned against the brick building. She took deep, cleansing breaths, trying to understand what she had seen. A tiny girl stood shaking and whimpering, beside an indoor pool. Shawn could smell the chlorine and hear the sounds of water splashing and happy children giggling.

  “Why?” the tiny little girl wailed at a tall, dark figure looming above her.

  “Stay away from me!” the tall woman said with a snarl, breaking the little girl’s heart.

  Shawn felt sick as she recognized the cruel voice. It was younger, she was younger, but there was little doubt that the figure was Faith. The feelings began to ebb as the image slipped away.

  “Jesus, Faith, I knew you could be brisk,” Shawn mumbled into the night air. “But scaring small children?”

  “Shawnie?” Mark, one of the techs, approached her.

  “Hey, buddy.” She felt the pain finally leaving her. “Did I manage to freak everyone out?”

  “Yeah,” he said with a warm smile as he rubbed her shoulder. “Are you all right?”

  “Better. Tell everyone I don’t have bad news,” she teased, knowing that many of her colleagues were wondering if what she had seen was a bad omen pertaining to their lives.

  “I just got one of those creepy Salem vibes,” she said. “I’ll be coming back in a minute, so tell the gang to stop changing the flight reservations.”

  Althea emerged from the large double doors that led to the tiny bar. “Good to know.” Mark smiled and patted her shoulder again before returning to the party.

  “Someone wants to talk to you,” Althea said and handed Shawn the cell phone she had dropped. “I’d like to tell you that I managed to chill her out, but I’d be lying.”

  “I’m fine,” Shawn calmly addressed Faith.

  “Bullshit,” Faith barked in response.

  “I am,” Shawn said. “I just had a funky vision. My senses are on overload. I really am feeling much better.”

  “Why don’t I believe you?” Faith asked softly.

  “I’ll tell you all about it when I see you,” Shawn said, body and mind finally relaxing. She listened carefully as Faith seemed to be grumbling about something. “Faith? Yo, oh tall one, I’m fine.”

  “Promise?”

  “Yes.” Shawn smiled, her heart warming at the way Faith was worrying about her. They talked for a little while longer until Shawn managed to convince Faith that everything was all right, and they both needed to get some sleep. Just as she was disconnecting the call, the crew stumbled out of the bar.

  “Closing time already?”

  “Are you sure that everything’s okay?” Althea asked sternly.

  “Yes.” Shawn rolled her eyes. “Go on. I’m just going to walk back to my hotel. The fresh air will do me some good. Hey, before you take off, why is Trudy going to Whispering Pines?”

  “She’s on the short list,” Althea said with a shrug. “Unless you’ve reconsidered?”

  Shawn chewed on her bottom lip, wondering if she should just do the shoot.

  “When do you have to know?”

  “As soon as possible.” Althea was beaming. “We’re heading there right after Scotland. In fact, I’m doing some prelim work with Carey Jessup and the Stratton descendants this week.”

  “What about Faith?” she asked, her heart pounding for some unknown reason.

  “She isn’t going to be needed until we head up there,” Althea said. “Shawn, are you really interested?”

  “I don’t want to go,” Shawn muttered. “I just think that I can’t avoid it.”

  “Get in touch with me before we leave for Scotland,” Althea said. “I’ll see you in two weeks.”

  They shared a quick hug just as Carey approached.

  “How about I walk you back to your hotel, and you tell me what happened earlier?” Carey said.

  “Oh, that was nothing.” They began to stroll down the deserted streets.

  “Not to me,” Carey said with a sigh. “It isn’t everyday a psychic touches my arm and freaks out. Should I be more careful the next time I go out on a call?”

  “What I saw was the past.”

  “It couldn’t have been my divorce,” Carey said. “Brian and I parted on very good terms. Heck, we’re still friends. What did you see?”

  “I don’t know,” Shawn said as they approached the hotel. “A lot of the time, what I see or hear is just a quick flash or jumbled image. I like to explain it as trying to listen to a song that’s caught between radio stations.”

  “That must be annoying.” Carey scrunched her brow. They stepped into the lobby.

  “Ready to call it a murder yet?” Shawn was eager to change the subject.

  “Oh, yeah.” Carey chuckled. “The bar’s still open. Up for another round? I’ll tell you all about the case.”

  “Cool.” Shawn perked up.

  “You know, it would be a lot easier if you could just tell me where the bodies are,” Carey told her after they received their drinks and claimed a spot near the fireplace.

  “So, now you believe me.”

  “Maybe,” Carey said with a familiar cocky smirk. “Still, as so many defense attorneys like to say, no body no crime. Any idea where the bodies are hidden? Sheriff Mulder and Richard Stratton were convinced they were buried in the garden. They dug it up the day of Horatio Stratton’s funeral and found nothing.”

  “They’re in the house,” Shawn said thoughtfully.

  “Care to be more specific?”

  “I wish I could.” Shawn sighed with regret. “Why did they think it was the garden?”

  “You’re going to love this,” Carey said eagerly. “Captain Stratton was constantly digging in it. By all accounts, he seemed to be obsessed with the garden. That is, if you can believe the witness statements. Most of them claimed that the garden would blossom overnight.”

  “She still tends her garden,” Shawn said absently. “Sorry, just having one of those moments.”

  “Why the house?”

  “Just a feeling.” Shawn shrugged, her body relaxing from the heat emanating from the fire. “And what happened to the film crew after my visit there. They brought in a douser and the house went berserk.”

  “What’s a douser?” Carey asked.

  “They have a gift that allows them to find bodies,” Shawn said, offering the short version. Carey furrowed her brow, clearly not believing what Shawn had told her.

  “Have you found anything in the old records that might be helpful?” Shawn asked.

  “No. On the morning Anna and Catherine disappeared, the kitchen was covered with blood. The sheriff requested to have a look after most of the staff showed up in his office, panicking about it. He drove up to the house, and the captain refused to show him the kitchen. The only statement he offered was that his wife and sister were out of town on a family matter. Apparently, it was quite a trip, since they never came home. They were never seen or heard from again. Unless you take into account the scattered statements of staff members who have claimed to have seen their ghosts.”

  �
��Which you don’t.” Shawn nodded with a smile.

  “I can’t,” Carey said. “The only tangible evidence I have to work with is that their belongings were either burned or sold by the captain. I understand you have the only identifiable possession.”

  Shawn held up her wrist and allowed Carey to look at her bracelet. “You should check out the shop where it was purchased,” she suggested. “A member of the family has already confirmed that it was Anna’s.”

  “I did go to the antiques shop and couldn’t find anything, as did Ms. St. James,” Carey said. “I’m meeting with the rest of the family this week. Could I take this with me just to confirm that it was indeed Anna’s?”

  “No,” Shawn politely declined. “Take a good look now and compare it to the photo. This doesn’t leave my wrist.”

  “It must be very special to you.”

  “It was a gift from Faith.” Shawn felt Carey’s demeanor turning cold. “You really should stop doing that every time I mention her name.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Yes, you do.” Shawn kept her tone soft. “I don’t know what happened, but I will if you keep allowing your emotions to surge every time I mention Faith. You could just tell me. Why you changed your name, for starters. Maybe I could help.”

  “There’s nothing to tell.” Shawn didn’t need her gift to know that Carey was fuming. “You already know why I have a different name. Jessup’s my married name. There you have it, mystery solved.”

  “That’s why you have a different last name,” Shawn said. “I still don’t know why you have a different first name.”

  Carey’s jaw clenched before she blew out a heavy sigh. “You’re pissing me off. You know that, don’t you?” she grumbled. Shawn simply nodded in agreement.

  “Does it ever get to you, knowing things that are meant to be private?”

  “Constantly,” Shawn said. “I don’t want to invade your privacy. I just want you to know that it happens. If you don’t want me to know, then try not getting so angry every time you hear Faith’s name, and I promise to not mention her.”

  “Fair enough,” Carey said. “So, let’s talk about the case. I get to visit the actual crime scene in a couple of weeks.”