Randy White - Haunted

I said, “You’ll be the first to know when I find out. You were talking about Dr. Babbs. That he didn’t want to press some issue, but you didn’t say why.”

“Oh. Leslie and Theo got drunk together one night and something happened. I’m not sure what. It was in Leslie’s camper… Weren’t you there this morning when he told me?”

“You don’t have to scrub the skin off,” I said. “I tried to eavesdrop but missed that part.”

Birdy shut off the water and found a towel. “Oh… Leslie said he got a little carried away-he didn’t say carried away doing what-but told me not to believe Theo no matter what Theo claimed. That means it was either illegal or immoral. So I’m thinking drugs-Theo’s a druggie, remember. He experiments , whatever the hell that means. Or Theo brought Lucia and her friends to the camper and Leslie had some wild fun with them-or maybe Theo. Or maybe all of the above.”

The idea didn’t shock me, but I must have appeared shocked because Birdy laughed when I said, “Group sex with those women? Dr. Babbs? ”

“Don’t underestimate nervous little men with doctorates. I had this professor at BU”-Birdy turned with the towel in her hands-“well, let’s just say skill is more important than the toolbox.”

When she didn’t elaborate, I said, “You always do that.”

“What?”

“You know. I can’t help liking those kind of stories-everyone does. Which is why you dangle them out there, then leave me hanging.”

Birdy, still laughing, said, “Dangle,” and walked past me to the window. Stood there, the late sun flooding in, and thought while she folded the towel. “You know, the spot Theo dug up is only about fifty yards south of the Cadence house. That might explain why he was spying on us last night.”

“I knew it was Theo. What did the deputies say about him?”

“I asked about his family, too. They were carnival people-exotic animals and sideshows. His parents moved from somewhere near Fort Myers and got into the antivenom business. Snakes, they already owned a bunch and knew how to handle them. This was a long time ago. No one was sure when but Theo’s mother supposedly died of a snakebite. But the woman I mentioned, this prick of a detective, she said that was just a rumor.”

I said, “It would explain why Theo’s so bitter about the vaccine business.”

“Maybe. Or maybe he was acting. People like him, they’re chameleons. That’s probably why he has a fairly clean record. He was arrested only once for possession, but the county cops have been called out on several complaints. Mostly complaints about animals running loose.”

I said, “Don’t tell me.”

“Chimps or monkeys. I asked the same thing but no one was sure. They definitely had a lion for a while and a trained bear-carnival animals left over. Complaints about Theo, though, there was one for conning some guy, but the rest were nine-one-one calls from women. Usually Peeping Tom stuff, and one almost-assault, but she backed down and refused to press charges.” Birdy’s eyes found me over the rim of her tea glass. “Sexual assault-as in attempted rape.”

I said, “That son of a bitch.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m not spending a night in that house with Theo around. Not alone anyway.”

Birdy said, “You don’t need to. I talked to Bunny on the way here. She agrees it’s not worth it.”

“Your aunt said that? I left a message for her an hour ago. There’s something I want to discuss.”

Had Birdy asked me, I would have shared my theory about her aunt’s astrologer being a gossip-or possibly even knowing Lucia and the witches. But Birdy didn’t ask. Instead, she told me why we were all but done with the job I’d been hired to do. “With what I found out today, and what you already have, it should be enough. The only problem is, Bunny’s attorney wants photos of the grave sites. Human bones are good for dramatic effect, I guess. I didn’t see you take any this morning. Or did you?”

“I never got the chance. Dr. Babbs wouldn’t give me a moment alone.”

“Then do it tomorrow. Schedule your interview with the two cops and we’re free to have fun tomorrow night-if they’ll talk.”

I said, “Nope. I’ll do it now. I can be at the house in forty minutes and be done before sunset-if no one’s around. The interviews I can do by phone. Belton wants me to stop by tonight anyway. I like him; a nice old guy in his way, but he’s holding something back.” I got up and began collecting things. “You’re coming, aren’t you?”

No… Birdy had something else in mind but took her time getting to it. “I didn’t plan on checking out of the motel until Monday morning.”

“What’s the difference?”

“Well, what I’m thinking is, the cops said that Saturday and Sunday before Halloween are the two busiest nights of the year at the Cadence house. Teenagers go there to park and dare each other to jump the fence.”

I had my carry-on bag open on the bed but stopped what I was doing. “You’re saying I should be there with my camera tonight because it’s Saturday?”

“No, I’m saying we could hide inside and get video-or scare the hell out of them. Live video would make Bunny’s attorney very happy.” She laughed, picturing how much fun it would be.

I didn’t mind altering my plans with Belton, but there was an obvious problem. “You have to be at work at six in the morning and I planned on going to church. We wouldn’t get back here until late tonight.”

“I’m talking about tomorrow after I get off. Sunday will be just as busy and I work four to midnight on Mondays. We can stay as late as we need to and sleep in.”

Her eagerness was the tip-off. Suddenly, I knew what this was about. I said, “Brit’s attending brushfire school in Port Charlotte. That’s where you’re going tonight, isn’t it? It’s more than an hour away and you’re not coming back. Tomorrow night is a trade-off so I won’t be mad.”

The expression on Birdy’s face was partly genuine, partly mock surprise. “Psychic, that’s what you are. You and Lucia should compare notes.”

I said, “No, I had coffee with Joey before you got up this morning. By sunrise, I’d learned more than I wanted about how to set a woods on fire-controlled burns, state regulations-all sorts of things. That man’s as talkative as you when he’s full of caffeine. Well… actually, he’s shy and that’s how he covers it. Talking. Some people do.”

Birdy went to the window, a wicked smirk on her face. “Before sunrise, huh? So tell me, Hannah, how’d you sleep last night?”

15 October, 1864 (aboard Sodbuster) [LOCATION AND FIRST FOUR LINES BLOTTED]:… the Spaniard is a member of the Craft & what them 3 gerillas did to his wife and t’other woman now bind us by Sacred Obligation. The use of a cable & a tongue cutting might be due we will see. Glass rising and damn cold. Good NE wind for long reaches, a Lords blessing…

17 October, 1864 [no location]: Unknown raiders has sent them three Yankees to hell & now has the 4” guns from Labelle altho it aint much of a fort being only tents & a sutlers shed. But no help to a woman who kant talk for screaming prayers to a God who aint traveled this far inland. Sheepherders madness, the Spaniard calls it. This being a sickness that afflicts women in lonely country. But the Spaniard knows good as us that a bullet is his woman’s only cure. They was 5 Yankees she says now. Not 3.

On this windy Saturday before Halloween, the Cadence house looked forlorn and restless when I arrived at a little after six. It was not as busy as predicted, but I’d seen two big-tired trucks, one loaded with teenagers, on the access road when I turned in.