Миранда Джеймс - Fixing To Die

All at once the room lights came on, and as soon as her eyes could focus, Dickce sought out the source of the screaming.

Serenity Foster, her face distorted by fear, sat shivering in her chair. “Get it off me. Oh dear God, get it off me.” Suddenly she pushed her chair back and ran out the door. Straight into the waiting arms of Lieutenant Steinberg.

CHAPTER 36

At breakfast the next morning, An’gel ate with a great deal of satisfaction. Her idea to use a séance to psych out the murderer had worked, even better than she had hoped. Serenity Foster, terrified by the experience, started talking to Lieutenant Steinberg the moment she ran into his arms, and she confessed everything. She kept begging him to keep it off me , even as he took her into the library to hear her full confession.

The group had been quiet last night. Everyone went off to bed not long after the séance broke up. Benjy disappeared before An’gel could thank him for his help. He hadn’t yet made it to breakfast, although it was nearly eight thirty now. That wasn’t like him.

“You were terrific,” An’gel told Alesha Jackson for the second time.

The psychic smiled and finally responded to the compliment, her tone tinged with amusement. “I told you I could communicate with the spirit of the house.”

An’gel nodded, not really believing her but trying to be polite since the woman had been a great help.

“I was terrified when the candles went out,” Mary Turner said. “I thought I was fixing to die I was so scared right that moment.”

“That was really spooky, but I figured Miss An’gel had somehow rigged it to happen,” Henry Howard said. “How did you manage it?” He looked first at Alesha, then at An’gel. “It was a pretty neat trick.”

An’gel frowned. The extinguishing of the candles hadn’t been part of her plan. She had no explanation for how it had happened. She said that aloud.

Henry Howard turned back to Alesha. “Did you do it?”

She grinned broadly. “Only in the sense that I convinced the spirit to communicate with us. That was the spirit’s doing, not mine.”

An’gel wasn’t sure she believed the psychic, but she preferred not to dwell on it. The sudden darkness had served her plan beautifully, so she wouldn’t question its source. It might even have been what tipped Serenity Foster over the edge.

“Good morning, everyone.” Benjy stood at the threshold of the dining room. An’gel was surprised to see that he looked tired, as if he hadn’t slept much. He also seemed reluctant to enter the dining room.

Dickce got up and went to him. “Poor boy, you look exhausted. Come have something to eat. You’ll feel a lot better.” She put an arm around his shoulders.

Benjy nodded and allowed her to lead him to the sideboard. Dickce started heaping a plate with food while he poured himself a cup of coffee. He seated himself at the place where Dickce set his plate, picked up his fork, but then only stared at the food.

“Benjy, what’s wrong?” An’gel was concerned. He always had a healthy appetite. “Something is obviously bothering you.”

Benjy gazed at her with troubled eyes. “I had trouble sleeping last night after what happened. I was seriously creeped out by it.” He turned to look at Alesha Jackson. “Did you feel it, too?”

The psychic nodded. “Yes. You didn’t imagine it.”

Benjy appeared only slightly relieved by Alesha Jackson’s response.

“Feel what?” An’gel asked.

“The cold.” Benjy shivered. “I’ve never felt anything like it, even though it barely touched me.”

Dickce said, “I know what you mean. It feels like nothing on earth.”

An’gel stared at Benjy. He wasn’t putting on an act. He had really felt something last night. She looked at Alesha Jackson. “What exactly happened?”

“We called, and the spirit responded,” Alesha said. “The word murder evidently had the effect you wanted, but not exactly in the way you expected.”

“Are you telling me that the spirit reacted to the word by going after the murderer?” An’gel said, unnerved by the idea. She had believed Serenity Foster cracked under the pressure and the weird nature of the séance last night.

“Yes,” Alesha Jackson said. She gazed with sympathy at Benjy. “I felt the spirit the other day on the stairs. That cold aura surrounded me when I wasn’t expecting it, and I nearly fell down the stairs.” Now she looked at An’gel. “You were there; you saw it when it happened.”

An’gel nodded. “I did, but frankly I thought you were putting us on.”

“I told you I had felt it there,” Dickce said. “I thought you believed me.”

“I did,” An’gel said. “I know you wouldn’t lie to me about it.”

“But you thought I was putting on an act,” Alesha said. “I’m used to skepticism. I’ve encountered it every time I have been hired, so you didn’t intimidate me. Even when you told me that ridiculous story about my grandmother.”

“What are you talking about?” Mary Turner asked. “Do you know Alesha’s grandmother, Miss An’gel?”

“No, I don’t. I was told something about Alesha’s grandmother that turned out not to be true.” An’gel stared hard at Marcelline, who had entered the room moments before with another plate of biscuits.

The housekeeper set the plate on the sideboard. She hesitated a moment, then turned to face Mary Turner. “I told a lie, Miss Mary, because I was afraid you had gotten so angry at Nathan that you went and killed him.”

“If I hadn’t been worried you killed him to protect me ,” Mary Turner said, “I’d be upset by that, Marcelline.”

“I lied, and I’m sorry about that, Ms. Jackson,” the housekeeper said. Alesha Jackson stared hard at her for a moment before she nodded to acknowledge the apology. “But I wouldn’t ever take a life, Miss Mary, and I should have known you wouldn’t either.”

“We know that now,” An’gel said, “but both of you were strong suspects, you know, because of what Nathan told you the night he died.” She glanced at Henry Howard, then at Mary Turner, an eyebrow raised.

“It’s all right, Miss An’gel,” Mary Turner said. “I told Henry Howard everything. We stayed up until nearly two a.m. talking things over. I think we understand each other a lot better now.”

Henry Howard smiled at her. “We do, and I’m glad.” He turned to An’gel. “The only thing now is to figure out how to get out of the financial mess we’re in.”

“We can talk about that later,” An’gel said. “Dickce and I are going to introduce you to a friend of ours who is a banker. I’m sure she will get things sorted out with the mortgage, and you’ll do okay. We’ll see to it.”

“Thank you,” Mary Turner said. “I’m not sure we deserve your help, but I’m mighty glad you’re on our side.”

An’gel smiled but her attention had already shifted elsewhere. They had strayed away from the subject of last night’s strange events, and she was concerned about Benjy. He still appeared troubled, though he had finally begun to eat his breakfast. She didn’t know what to say or do to reassure him at the moment. She was beginning to come to terms with the idea that what had happened last night had happened, whatever the explanation. She was going to be content with that, and she hoped Benjy could make peace with it.

As if sensing An’gel’s thoughts, Alesha Jackson spoke to Benjy. “I know you’re troubled by what you saw and felt last night, but that spirit would not have harmed you. I can assure you of that.”

Benjy frowned and put down his fork. “I guess I believe you, but I don’t understand why it did what it did.”

“I think I know,” Mary Turner said before the psychic could reply.