Our Red Hot Romance Is Leaving Me Blue (14 page)

Moving on, she stopped at a professionally made photo of Justin and Rachel on their wedding day. Justin’s wife was so much more than a radiant bride. Her beauty and the obvious affection between her and Justin brought a tear to Sophia’s eye. She was about to touch the likeness when she heard something. She froze where she stood and listened intently.

The sound was voices. Definitely. Two distinct female voices. They seemed to be arguing and the sound came from what had to be one of two rooms at the end of the hall. The only other women on the property were outside and there was no way Debbie Sue and Edwina could have come into the house and walked past her in the small, narrow hallway.

Moving slowly toward the sound, she eased a partially closed door open, revealing what was obviously the master
bedroom. Everything was neat and tidy. The bed was made; nothing appeared to be out of place. The female voices became louder in Sophia’s head and Gran Bella’s voice wasn’t one of them. Then suddenly, they ceased and the room became quiet except for the barely audible roar from a rotating fan in the corner.

The hair on Sophia’s forearms rose, chill bumps formed. No question, spirits were here. “Ladies,” Sophia said softly, “don’t let me stop you. My name is Sophia, I’m just looking around. Go right on with what you were saying.” Sophia moved stealthily through the bedroom.

At first, only one voice resumed, whispering in hushed, urgent tones. Then the second voice spoke with frantic inflection. They were arguing! Sophia would give anything to know the reason for the disagreement, but she could only make out a word or two.

Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, she closed her eyes and placed her palms on her cheeks, concentrating and listening. The intensity of the argument increased. Unexpectedly, the bedroom door slammed with an enormous force, making Sophia jump. A throw pillow bounced off the bed onto the floor. Then the argument stopped and the spirits seemed to be gone. Breathing hard, Sophia clasped her palm to her chest. She had no idea how long she had sat there.

She gathered herself, rose on shaky knees, then moved back through the house, out the doorway to the outside. Looking toward the barn, she realized her timing had been perfect. Debbie Sue and Justin were unsaddling the horses. Edwina was walking toward them, at the same time putting
her earphones and iPod back in her pocket. Normal. Everything looked very normal.

Leaving the shade of the porch, she approached them.

Debbie Sue came out of the tack room and met her. “Did anything happen when you were in there?”

Sophia managed a faint smile. “We should get everyone together.”

Debbie Sue called out to Justin and Edwina. “Y’all come on over here. Sophia has something to say.”

Given the floor, Sophia drew a deep breath and placed her hand on her trembling stomach. “I don’t know if this is helpful, but in the master bedroom, I heard two women whispering, but I couldn’t
see
them. They were in a heated argument, but I couldn’t clearly make out the conversation. Just a word or two every now and then and the words didn’t really make sense.”

“Whoa,” Debbie Sue said and tucked back her chin. “Are you sure?”

Justin’s face paled.

“Holy shit.” Edwina said. “Oh, my God.” She placed a comforting hand on Justin’s shoulder. “Bless your heart, you’re pale, hon. But that’s okay. Hearing something like that could take the wind out anybody’s sails.”

“You couldn’t tell what they were arguing about?” Debbie Sue asked.

“I’m not sure,” Sophia answered, her brow knit. She turned to Justin. “Was any of Rachel’s jewelry ever stolen or did she ever have a disagreement with someone about her jewelry?”

Justin frowned in thought for several seconds. Finally he said, “No, no, I can’t think of anything like that ever happening. Why? What did you hear?”

“The words I heard were ‘big pearl’ and ‘little pearl.’”

A Richter-scale-registering shriek pierced the air. Edwina dashed for Debbie Sue’s big pickup, her arms frantically waving. She yanked the passenger door open and tried to climb inside, but the toe of her tall shoe caught on the threshold and she fell forward across the seat. She up-righted herself and scrambled into the pickup. The next sound they heard was the pronounced slam of the door and the click of it locking.

J
ustin was confused. The report of two women’s voices, the discussion of pearls, Edwina’s response—what did any of it have to do with him or Rachel?

Debbie Sue had left him and Sophia, gone over to her truck and promised Edwina that she intended to call OnStar if the woman didn’t unlock the truck door. Debbie Sue was now counting to ten. At the count of nine, the door opened and Edwina slid out.

Justin excused himself from Sophia and walked over to Debbie Sue’s truck just in time to hear Edwina bark, “Don’t you try and explain this away, Debbie Sue.” Justin had assumed Edwina was in big trouble with her partner, but she was far from being contrite and apologetic for her hysterics. “I don’t see any way possible you’re going to make me feel
better,” she said to Debbie Sue. “Those two damn women made my life miserable before and they’ll do it again.”

“Ed, dammit, lower your voice,” Debbie Sue said. Then she smiled and waved at Sophia, who was still standing at the corral.

Edwina sounded as if she knew the people whose voices Sophia claimed to have heard. “You’re acquainted with the women Sophia was talking about?” Justin asked her. “How?”

“There is a perfectly logical answer to that question,” Debbie Sue said.

“I think I’d like to hear it,” Justin said. “After all, it’s my house where this so-called argument took place.”

Debbie Sue outlined a story of how fifteen years earlier, Edwina had come to know of the Paredes family in the first place—the young granddaughter, Sophia, whom Edwina had played checkers with; Edwina’s mother-in-law, Little Pearl and Little Pearl’s mother, Pearl. “If you ask me,” Debbie Sue concluded confidently, “Sophia’s only remembering things from her childhood. Edwina’s hysterics probably jarred loose memories the poor kid suppressed long ago.”

“Are you saying Sophia’s a fake?” Justin asked, his patience shrinking.

“I wouldn’t go that far. I think she genuinely wants to help and might even have the gift, but so far, everything I’ve seen has a logical explanation.”

“I am so damn tired of that word
logical
,” Edwina said.

“Then what is the lo—What’s the explanation?” Justin asked.

Before Debbie Sue could answer, Edwina said, “But how
did she know Little Pearl and Big Pearl were dead, huh? Just tell me that.”

“Ed, didn’t you say yourself that right up until Little Pearl died she went regularly to see Isabella Paredes?”

“She did. I know because she kept in touch. My youngest daughter, Jimmie Sue, was her only grandkid. Little Pearl wanted to be a good grandma to her. Plus, she liked to give me hell every chance she got. She never believed the stories I told her about Jimmy Wayne. She told me right to my face that it was always the woman’s fault when a man strayed. The bitch.”

Justin had a distinct feeling of losing control of the situation. Were these women as dingy as they appeared to be? “So at best, you’re calling this whole thing questionable?” he asked cautiously.

“That’s what I believe,” Debbie Sue answered, “but at the same time I sure don’t want to think it’s something Sophia came up with intentionally.”

Striving for damage control and placing himself in a position so as not to spend any more money needlessly, he said, “I have nothing against Sophia personally, but like I told y’all earlier, she has to prove herself. And so far I haven’t seen anything to make me a believer in this psychic stuff. Or to make me want to spend three thousand dollars.” He glanced at Edwina, whose focus was volleying between the house and Sophia.

“A long time ago, when I was quitting smoking,” the brunette said, waggling her hand and clacking a bunch of
bracelets on her wrist, “I did some reading on this whole clairvoyance thing. ESP, mediums—”

“This is true about the reading part,” Debbie Sue interjected. “When Ed was trying to give up cigarettes, she read everything in front of her, whether it needed it or not. She single-handedly kept a whole bookstore in business.”

Justin was certain that had to be an exaggeration. He was rapidly losing confidence in the Domestic Equalizers.

“Did you know that these psychic people don’t communicate with only the dead?” Edwina said. “They talk to the living, too, by reading their thoughts, same as with spirits.”

“And?” Debbie Sue prompted.

“And there’s a good likelihood Sophia knows what we’re talking about right this minute. Keeping our voices low isn’t keeping anything a secret from her.”

Justin turned and looked at Sophia for several seconds. “If she really has the power,” he said.

Sophia patiently watched Justin and the Domestic Equalizers. They could only be discussing Edwina’s dramatic behavior. Luckily, Gran Bella had taught her to not take disbelief on the part of others as a personal insult. For people to admit to the existence of something of which they had no knowledge or had denied their entire lives meant their thinking had undergone a catastrophic change. Doors had opened into venues that were frightening to them. For any medium to try to argue the point or flaunt his or her abilities accomplished nothing. Time and events, more often than not, es
tablished a good mentalist’s capabilities and made believers out of the skeptics.

Something about the mention of jewelry and pearls was what had sent Edwina into a frenzy. This unexpected development hadn’t been helpful at all. In fact, it might have caused some harm. Sophia would have to go more slowly next time with her revelations.

Her next report, she decided, would be so rock solid, so earth shattering, no one would be able to question her.
I’m learning, Gran Bella, I’m learning.

The threesome was looking at her now, not speaking or moving, just staring. Then they came in her direction, with Debbie Sue in front. Debbie Sue was obviously the leader and the more aggressive of the two Domestic Equalizers.

“Sophia, do you remember the woman Ed was with the first time she came to your home? She was a regular of your grandmother’s.”

Ah, so this was the foundation of Edwina’s hysterics. Sophia remembered clearly now—Little Pearl Perkins and her mother, Big Pearl. Those two were the women she had heard arguing in the bedroom in Justin’s house. “Yes. I think it was…” She deliberately paused for effect. “Was it Little Pearl? I remember thinking those were such funny names.”

Visibly relieved, Edwina shouted, “Yes! You
do
remember.” She pressed the back of a skinny hand to her forehead. Thank God.”

“I’m sorry,” Sophia said, “I don’t understand.”

“We think,” Debbie Sue said, “that perhaps that knowledge of Edwina’s past might have clouded your, uh, you
know, your ability to see…that is, to think…Oh hell, I don’t know what I mean. Is it possible that your subconscious memory of them and their connection to Edwina is affecting you and your…whatever?” Debbie Sue twirled her fingers at her temple.

In spite of Debbie Sue’s faltering explanation, Sophia knew what she was trying to say. “Of course,” Sophia lied, “that is a possibility.”

“Whew, what a relief,” Debbie Sue said and turned to Edwina. “See, Ed? I told you.” She turned back to Sophia.

“Where do we go from here?”

Sophia studied the faces of the three people in front of her. She had a strong skeptic in Debbie Sue, an anxious, sentimental soul in Justin and a confused, fearful believer in Edwina. None of them had faith in Sophia Paredes. “We need to plan a séance,” she told them.

“Oh, no,” Edwina said, backing up, shaking her head and raising her palms to emphasize her protest. “No way, no how. I do not need to see any dead people. You are not getting me into a séance.”

“A séance,” Debbie Sue repeated.

Justin stood stone still. “What’s a séance?” he said.

Edwina expelled a great breath and folded to the ground in a cross-legged position.

“Ed, you okay?” Debbie Sue asked.

“Don’t mind me. I’m just trying to keep it together. If I fall apart, I want to be sitting down.”

“You have to participate in the seance, Ed,” Debbie Sue said. “Remember what I said about cowboying up?”

“What’s a séance?” Justin asked again. “It’s people getting together with a psychic to communicate with the dead,” Edwina said.

“Not a psychic,” Sophia corrected. “A mentalist.”

“Whatever,” Edwina said.

“Oh, you mean like playing with a Ouija board, like we did as kids,” Debbie Sue said. “But nothing ever happened.”

Laymen had such erroneous theories about the spirit world, Sophia thought. Conversing with those from the other side required much more skill and finesse than sitting on the floor with a board and a plastic triangle. “Ah, but you had no one to guide you.”

“Well, I’m game,” Debbie Sue said. “Let’s do it.” But the reply sounded like fabricated enthusiasm. “Do we go back inside the house for that?”

It was too soon. Little Pearl and Big Pearl revealing their presence had caused too much agitation around everyone, including Sophia, and they might still be in the house. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m unable to do it now. I need some time to meditate, to clear my thoughts and prepare myself to receive messages from the other side. I wouldn’t want, as you say, subconscious memories affecting the results.”

“Riiight,” Debbie Sue agreed, cutting her a suspicious look. “Well, hey, it’s almost lunchtime. Shall we grab something to eat and meet back here this evening?”

The last thing Sophia needed was to spend time with Edwina, whose aura did seem to be attempting to intrude on Justin’s. “Thanks, but no thanks,” she said. “I’ll get some lunch when I get back to Odessa. I’m going to my motel
room, where I have quiet and privacy for my meditation. I’ll meet all of you back here at seven, if that’s all right?”

Debbie Sue looked to the others. Justin scowled, but nodded. “Seven’s fine.”

Sophia smiled and turned to Justin. “Is there a picture of Rachel I can take with me? It will help me in my meditation.”

“Well, uh, I guess so.” He reached back, brought forth his wallet and opened it. “I’ve got one right here.” He slipped a photo from its acetate sleeve and handed it to her. “I wouldn’t want to lose that.”

Sophia studied it a moment and smiled. “Thanks. I’ll be sure to give it back.” She opened her car door and looked at each of them. “See y’all later.”

“Right,” Debbie Sue said. “Seven o’clock, here.”

“Seven o’clock,” Sophia repeated. She started the engine and drove away.

Debbie Sue watched as Sophia motored out of sight. Everyone seemed to be stunned to silence. No one said a word. After a long pause, she said, “I’ve got this funny feeling she isn’t coming back.”

“I think you’re right.” Justin agreed. “I don’t think we’ll see her tonight. Or any other night. At least all I’m out is the cost of a room.”

“But what about the picture you just gave her?” Debbie Sue asked.

Justin kept staring straight ahead in the direction of Sophia’s car. “I’ve got others.”

Edwina still sat on the ground. “Oh, she’ll be back. I can’t explain it, but I’m pretty sure we haven’t seen the last of Sophia Paredes.”

With Sophia gone, Debbie Sue could see no reason for her and Edwina not to leave also. God knew that with an infrequent free Saturday afternoon, there was plenty to do elsewhere. “Justin, we’ll come back this evening at seven. If nothing else we can check our equipment for any activity. If we’re going to catch someone red-handed, it’s best if you leave the house too. Not much chance our vandal will come around if you’re here.”

“Guess you’re right,” Justin said. “I’ve got some business in Odessa. I’ll go ahead and take care of it and see you back here at seven.”

Debbie Sue climbed behind the steering wheel of her pickup and Edwina plopped onto the passenger’s seat. They had driven only a few yards from the house when Edwina said, “Debbie Sue, do you really think Sophia won’t come back? I didn’t get that impression at all.”

“I don’t know, Ed. It’s just a feeling. She had the oddest look on her face when we were talking to her. Like her mind was a million miles away, like she was planning her escape or something. Hell, I don’t know. I’m just saying I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“I’m working real hard on not letting anything else surprise me,” Edwina said. “I’ve made an ass of myself twice today. I’m not particularly anxious to go for a third time.”

Debbie Sue gave her friend a sideways glance and smiled.
“Don’t be too hard on yourself, Ed. I think you had good reason to react the way you did.”

“You do?” Edwina asked, incredulous.

“Well, yeah. I mean I was looking at it from a different perspective than you were. You reacted from an emotional level, where my reaction was purely cerebral. You know, intellectual.”

“Purely cerebral? Intellectual? Since when did you start thinking purely cerebral? Why, Debbie Sue Overstreet, if they ever perform an autopsy on you they’ll find your brain smack-dab in the middle of your heart. Cerebral my ass.” With a huff, she crossed her arms over her chest.

“Want to put a purely cerebral bet on whether Sophia comes back?”

“You’re on,” Edwina said.