A Wishing Moon (8 page)

“
Something touched my cheek.” She placed her own palm over the spot where she had felt the touch. “It felt like a hand, I swear.”

“
It wasn’t me.” Evangeline stood ten or twelve feet away from her. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed two small children chasing after a roadrunner as it skittered over the pink granite surface. When she turned to look more closely, a young man with a baseball cap called out to Arabella.

“
Hey, don’t get too close to the edge! A guy fell off the side right about there a couple of weeks ago, and hurt himself real bad.”

At his admonishment, Arabella stepped back from the steeper, slick portion of the dome.

When Evangeline turned to meet Arabella to start down the trail, a thought occurred to her. “Do you think that was your answer?”

“
What do you mean?”

“
The man who said someone fell off E-Rock a couple of weeks ago. Could he be talking about your guy? And the touch—don’t forget the touch.”

Arabella’s face showed every bit of the emotion she was feeling. “I don’t know, but I’ve got to find out, Evangeline. I’m confused, hopeful, and at the same time scared to death. Let’s go home and search all of the newspapers and the internet. Maybe we can find a clue or an article about the accident that man was referring to.”

Evangeline didn’t hesitate to say exactly what she was thinking. “This is it, Arabella. I can feel it. We’re going to find him, I just know it.”

* * * *

Jade Landale panicked. The only lifeline he had to hold on to was the escape he had in his sleep. Strangely, this time his dream had not turned out as before. When he had first dropped off, he had been dreaming of his best friend in high school, Todd Reynolds. They had been climbing out at Heuco Tanks, which was about thirty-two miles northeast of El Paso. They had made that climb together several times, but this time Todd fell. The accident had been Jade’s fault—he’d watched his friend fall headfirst down Mushroom boulder. He had watched in horror as Todd bounced off the side like a rag doll. All of a sudden, a magnetic-like force had begun to draw him. He tried to fight the impulse, but the attraction was just too strong. Jade had been pulled into a tunnel-like vortex, and when he became aware of his surroundings, he was back on E-Rock.

At first, he had been relieved; standing on one side, seemingly where he had left her, was his lady. God, she looked beautiful. His loins tightened at the sight of her. He approached her, but this time she did not respond. Could she see him? He went up to her, but her eyes looked right through him. Her lips were moving, but he didn’t hear any sound at all. Panicked, he tried to make her look at him. He touched her face with his hand. She jumped—at last acknowledging his presence. Her hand came up and she touched the exact same spot. His heart leapt with excitement. She could feel him!

Then, cruelly, unwanted hands brought him back to unwelcome reality. He awoke to find several orderlies were working to move him and all of the machines that were keeping him alive. They were moving him to God knows where. Jade had no idea what was about to happen to him, and he wasn’t looking forward to finding out. He didn’t have a good feeling about any of this.

They were early, he thought. Time didn’t mean much to him. He did know the sun had come up. The lightness in the room betrayed that fact. No one came in to talk to him or offered him any explanation. He had so many questions and no answers. Had they given up on him? Were they taking him some place where he would get more individualized care? These questions were important to him, but what he wanted to know more than anything was why he hadn’t been able to make contact with the beautiful woman on E-Rock. She’d been his salvation. If he lost her then he would have nothing—absolutely nothing.

* * * *

Elizabeth, Nanette and Angelique made their way up to Rachel Townsend’s front door. Already, Elizabeth—by far the most sensitive one in the family—started picking up on the violent act, which had led to the disappearance of the mother and the daughter. Rachel came to the door after only a second or two. “Oh, thank you for coming. I have been waiting for you.”

The trio entered the home and Elizabeth went on back to the kitchen, not waiting for an invitation. Nanette took Rachel’s hand and held it within her own. “Mrs. Townsend, please accept our condolences. We are so sorry to hear about Kathy and Lea.”

“
We really don’t know anything yet.” Rachel’s voice sounded pitiful. Her complexion looked ashen gray and Nanette could tell Rachel knew in her heart what she’d not been able to say out loud. Rachel realized Kathy and the little girl were gone, and they would not be returning. Angelique and Nanette stood on each side of the woman and walked with her into the kitchen where Elizabeth stood at the sink, looking out at the backyard.

“
Did the little dog ever show back up? A white poodle, I think you said?”

“
No, and frankly I have been so torn up about the girls, I haven’t given much thought to the dog.”

Elizabeth nodded, and then spoke frankly. “He got rid of the dog first.”

Rachel gasped.

“
Mrs. Townsend, the man who attacked your daughter and granddaughter came into this house intending on doing them harm. The violence was premeditated.”

“
Who would do such a thing?”

Having no answer to her question, at present, Elizabeth continued, “I don’t have a name. The man does not think of himself by a name.” She stopped and went very still. “He considers himself to be ‘The Righteous’.

Only Elizabeth saw Angelique looking out the glass patio door, but all of them heard her gasp. They turned to see what was wrong and heard her whisper, “Mrs. Townsend, may I have a recent picture of Kathy and Lea?”

Nanette walked over to her companion. “You see something, don’t you?”

Angelique nodded.

Rachel walked into the adjacent room and came back with a framed photograph. She handed the photo to Angelique, who took one look at the picture and laid it down on the cabinet. She opened the door and walked outside. They slowly followed her as the stately woman walked toward the wooded back of the property.

“
What is she doing?” Rachel asked Nanette.

“
I’m not sure, but I think we had better get you a chair.”

Elizabeth knew that her mother had a good idea what would happen next. Rachel would be receiving tragic news.

Angelique walked toward the trees. The mown portion of the backyard ended abruptly in a thickly wooded area covered in low, dense underbrush.

Elizabeth tuned into Angelique’s thoughts. She didn’t like to do it; Angelique’s unique view of the world was not a pretty one. Closing her eyes, she saw what Angelique saw—standing at the edge of the trees, pale and covered in blood was Kathy McLemore. She held the hand of her small daughter. Elizabeth wanted to cry.

* * * *

Even after years of experiencing encounters with the dead, Angelique still felt the dread and the uncertainty she felt the very first time she had ever seen a ghost.

Angelique’s first time had been at an aunt’s wedding when she was only six years old. The ceremony was in the neighborhood church and Angelique had been asked to be a flower girl. She had been very excited and took her job seriously. As she walked up the aisle, scattering rose petals, Angelique noticed a little girl standing up at the front over by the piano. As she drew closer to the wedding party, who were standing in a semi-circle in front of the altar, Angelique drew a startled, audible breath. She was close enough now to recognize the other girl. It was her cousin, Bettina.

The job of flower girl had first been promised to Bettina and now she had arrived to watch someone else do what she had so looked forward to doing herself. Angelique even wore the dress originally sewn for Bettina. Angelique began to shake. Her steps slowed down to a crawl. Everyone watched Angelique as she so carefully stared at the area off to the right near the musical instrument.

Bettina was not happy. The look on the little girl’s face sent cold chills down Angelique’s back. The wedding party all looked at Angelique obviously wondering why she had stopped throwing rose petals halfway down the aisle.

All of this would have been easily solved—the bride would have been glad to include Bettina in the procession, Bettina’s mother would have been overjoyed to know Bettina had felt like coming to the church. Angelique used to love playing with her favorite cousin.

…
but Bettina had died six weeks earlier from bacterial meningitis.

Angelique looked around the church with horror, but no one else could see Bettina. They were all looking at her. No one seemed aware of Bettina’s presence except Angelique. She pulled herself together and took her place at the front of the church. The wedding went on as planned. No one else saw the small dead girl as she walked up and down the aisle. She stopped at her mother’s pew, and then her grandmother’s. She came and stood by the bride and tried to pinch Angelique’s arm. It was all Angelique could do to keep from running from the church screaming. Finally, Bettina left. She walked into the wall on the right side of the church and Angelique never saw her again.

She told her grandmother about Bettina when she got home. Granny Thibodeaux had not been able to go to the wedding; her arthritis would not permit her to leave her home, very often. She had sat Angelique down and explained to her about the gift. She said they shared this gift, which always skipped a generation. Granny’s daughter, Angelique’s mother, could not see spirits, but she and Angelique could.

Now today, she saw the spirits of Rachel Townsend’s family. Angelique came as close to them as they would allow. She attempted to talk to them, but at this time, they had no words. They turned slowly and walked to the woods as if they wanted to be followed. Angelique did the only thing she could do, she followed them.

The two ghosts appeared very lifelike. Obviously, they had been severely beaten around the head and shoulders. They did not look back to see if Angelique followed them, they just continued on their solemn journey. Soon, they came to the remnants of an old well. The concrete curb enclosing the top of the well was still visible. Vines clung to the sides of the curb and an old piece of rusty tin covered the opening. Kathy and Lea stopped at the well and turned to face Angelique. She did not have to look into the well to know what lay at the bottom.

Back with Rachel, Nanette and Elizabeth quietly sat, waiting on Angelique to return. When she did, she knew they would easily read her face. “Mrs. Townsend, it is my strong belief your daughter and granddaughter have met a tragic end.”

Rachel Townsend crumpled over with the news, and if Elizabeth had not supported her, she would have fallen to the ground.

Angelique continued her sad news. “When the police return, have them search in an abandoned well, which sits at the back of your property.”

Nanette looked at Elizabeth. “Call someone to come.”

Elizabeth went in the house to phone the police. Angelique moved near to Nanette and said softly, “We have a bigger problem than you might think.”

Nanette walked over to one side with Angelique. “What do you see?”

“
Kathy and Lea aren’t the only ones here.”

Nanette looked at Angelique with horror.

“
What do you mean, Angelique?”

“
There are at least five others here, all of them women.”

Nanette turned and looked at the woods as if this time she would see more. “I believe you.”

“
As I walked behind Kathy and Lea, they just started coming from out of the woods. They want us to know that they, like Kathy and Lea, are here—waiting.”

* * * *

The gumbo tasted excellent. The Louisiana favorite only improved with reheating, which was fortunate, since they weren’t all able to return to Wildflower Way
for supper until almost ten o’clock that night. So much had happened; they could barely take it all in.

Over at the Townsend’s, Detective Garrison and Officer Meyers had found Kathy and Lea’s battered bodies in the old well, exactly as Angelique had said they would. Kathy’s keys and purse were found with the bodies. Garrison had not said much, but he’d told Elizabeth that the accuracy of the information provided by the women amazed him.