This doesn’t necessarily mean I’m going to revisit the spirit world, I replied, choosing to ignore his bitter comment.
Moments after I ushered the women to the couch in my living room, I introduced them to Ryan. He said he recognized them from around town since Peter MacGregor had plenty of local friends. Ryan poured both of them large glasses of store-bought sweet tea. I had to admit defeat on my lame attempts at perfecting the Southern comfort drink myself, and, instead, bought a gallon. I kept it on hand for Ryan and his crew to drink during their breaks.
“So Peter mentioned me…” I prompted the women.
Jill was the first one who spoke. “Well, Mama knew Peter for quite some time, and…” she took a deep breath as if drawing up her courage, “he spoke very highly of you. He said you helped him solve a mystery about Adele.”
I nodded, reluctant to get into all that, but I needed to know what Jill wanted from me. All the while, I kept hoping it wasn’t what I thought it was.
“Well, we have our own situation that needs solvin’,” her mother, Ada, finished.
You have a talent for getting yourself into trouble, ma minette, Drake said.
The look on Ryan’s face emphasized Drake’s sentiments. He shifted his weight in his chair and gave me an uneasy look.
Jill glanced at her mother, who nodded to her before she looked back at me with a small smile. “It’s uncomfortable for Mama to talk. Tires her out too quickly.” She cleared her throat. “We’re here because we need to help my Memaw Alice. My mama’s mama.”
“Your grandmother?” I asked as I faced Jill. I looked at Ada. “And your mother?”
Ada nodded with a small, sad smile.
Jill folded her hands in her lap and looked down as she spoke. “Memaw Alice never knew who her real mama was.” She looked back up at me. “You see, Memaw was adopted.”
Jill took a sip of tea, then continued, “When Memaw Alice learned she was adopted, she wanted to find out who her biological mama was. Memaw’s adopted mama told her that she’d been abandoned at a hospital back in 1910, in New York City, of all places, back when she was just a newborn. Anyway, Memaw Alice got a kidney disease and when things started gettin’ bad, that’s when she really started searchin’ for answers. My mama,” she gestured to Ada, “and I got involved ‘cause Memaw couldn’t use the computer.”
Ryan frowned. “Did Alice pass away?”
“Yes, Memaw Alice passed,” Jill said, her voice softening. “Last year.”
“Sorry to hear that,” Ryan said. “I didn’t know her well, but my sister, Trina, always spoke fondly of her.”
Jill gave him a small smile. “You’re Trina’s brother?” she asked as her smile grew. “Memaw did love your sister somethin’ fierce! She loved eatin’ lunch at Trina’s hotel restaurant on Sundays.” Jill took a slow breath and then faced me again. “Well, I did that Ancestry DNA thing everyone’s been talking about. And they connected me to some other living relatives who were registered on their website.”
“I did that too,” I said with a quick smile. “It’s pretty cool what they can do nowadays.”
“Yes,” Jill answered but her mind wasn’t on my reply. She was still trying to get her story out. “Through Ancestry, we learned who our other ancestors were.”
I nodded, wondering if it would be possible for me to find out who someone’s mother had been. Maybe the spirits could tell me that. The more I thought about it, the more I assumed it wouldn’t be that difficult.
Jill scratched her head, then looked down at her hands. “Anyway, I found some blood kin through the website that we never heard of. They live up in New York City; that’s where Memaw was abandoned as a baby, remember?”
“Yes, I do,” I answered.
“Well, I went lookin’ on the ancestor side o’ things to see how we were related to those folks up in New York, and I found out we were all connected by Memaw Alice’s biological grandparents, Harriet and Francis Arnold.”
I still wasn’t sure what any of this had to do with me but I also didn’t want to rush Jill or her mother. That wasn’t proper Southern etiquette. Instead, I patiently sat there and listened to her long explanation of her relatives while trying to piece together the puzzle in my head.
“The New York kin would have to be descendants of Harriet and Francis…” Ryan started.
“Arnold,” Jill finished, eager to make sure we were all on board.
“Arnold,” Ryan repeated. “So, one of the Arnolds’ children is Memaw’s parent?”
Jill and Ada both nodded. “This is where it gets interestin’,” Jill continued. “Three of the four Arnold children had children of their own, but one did not – her name was Dorothy Arnold. Those living relatives in New York City that I mentioned? They are direct descendants of the three other Arnold children. Which means…”
“You’re not,” Ryan answered for her.
“Okay, wait.” I held up a hand, trying to understand what she was saying. It almost felt like a question on the SAT. “But you are directly related to the Arnolds—Harriet and Francis. Both of them?”
“Yes,” Jill answered. “We believe that Dorothy Arnold did have a child, and that her child was Memaw Alice. I did some diggin’, and it turns out Dorothy disappeared in New York City a couple weeks before newborn Memaw Alice was abandoned at a hospital there in 1910.”
“Dorothy kept her maiden name,” Ada suddenly piped up when Jill gave her an encouraging smile. “Which means, she wasn’t married,” Ada continued. “An’ at that time, that simply wasn’t acceptable.”
“We believe Dorothy hid her pregnancy and gave her baby up for adoption as soon as she was born,” Jill finished for her mother.
“So if you know, or think you know who Memaw Alice’s mother was, what do you need me for?” I asked with a shrug, utterly confused as to how I fitted into this picture.
“Well, now wait… there’s more,” Jill started, taking a deep breath. “Memaw’s kidneys quickly went downhill right about the time that we found all this out,” she continued, her voice trailing off.
Ada was looking down at her lap.
Jill continued on. “But Memaw Alice seemed satisfied that Dorothy Arnold was her biological mama. We found pictures that looked just like her. But when we investigated Dorothy’s story, we couldn’t find anything that mentioned what happened to her. It’s like she simply disappeared in 1910. There was no information about when or where she died.”
“So you want to know what actually happened to Dorothy?” I asked as soon as I realized where this was going.
“Yes,” Jill answered quickly.
My stomach dropped to my shoes as I comprehended what that meant. Jill and her mother wanted me to do the same thing I did for Peter—to go back in time. Only then could I witness what became of Dorothy Arnold. Meaning: I’d need Guarda’s help again. My heart raced in my chest at the thought of seeing that old, scary, voodoo priestess again.
It’s okay, mon amour, Drake soothed me. Naturally, he could feel what I was feeling, and picked up on my anxiety. Perhaps we accomplish it between the two of us, without you going back to Guarda. And if we can’t, you can always refuse to help them.
I bit my cheek and studied Ada’s frail appearance. It would be more than difficult for me to say no to this old woman who obviously cared so much about all of this. I doubted she had many days left in her life as it was. That only further pulled my heartstrings.
“Well, yes, we want to know what happened to Dorothy, absolutely!” Jill said, her wide, blue eyes meeting mine with visible optimism and joy. “We were hoping you could, you know, talk to her.”
TWO
Ryan’s posture stiffened and his lips tightened in a straight line.
“Talk to her?” I repeated, frowning.
“Well.” Jill took a deep breath and smoothed down the front of her pants, as if she worried how I would take what she was about to say. “You see, Mama,” she said, nodding toward Ada, “she had brain surgery about a
month ago.”
I looked from the old woman to Jill.
Jill continued. “She died right there on the operatin’ table.”
I couldn’t keep the confusion from my face. “Your mother…” I nodded in Ada’s direction, “died?”
She is a very believable ghost, mon chaton, Drake piped up from inside my head. I had to hold my smile back.
Jill nodded slowly. “For twenty minutes, my mama was dead. But the doctors, bless their hearts, revived her.”
“I was in a coma for two weeks,” Ada added with a heartfelt nod. Then she grew quiet again.
“The doctors said she wasn’t going to come out of it. But she did,” Jill continued as she smiled at her mother. “And the first thing Mama said when she woke up was…”
“Memaw’s in trouble,” Ada finished for her daughter.
I glanced at Ada. She looked up at me, her eyes rimmed with tears. No, there wasn’t going to be any refusing them…
Ma minette, would you please consider my counsel before you give them your answer? Drake piped up. You are not required to decide at this very moment!
I ignored him as Jill continued. “We thought Memaw Alice died in peace after findin’ out her mother was Dorothy Arnold, but when Mama died at the hospital for those few seconds, Memaw came to her. Memaw said Dorothy couldn’t pass on to the other side because she was stuck here on this plane.”
“She’s stuck?” I repeated, and something sunk in my chest.
“Yes. An’ Memaw Alice can’t get to her. It’s like, she can see Dorothy, but she’s shut off from any communication. And somethin’ is holdin’ Dorothy’s spirit. Memaw could feel it.” Jill glanced at her mother. “That’s what she told Mama.”
Perhaps she is one of those spirits that are doomed to reliving death repeatedly, Drake said, his voice sad.
I’d encountered such spirits before. Usually, they died in such horrific ways, they were trapped in that final moment of their lives. The saddest part was that they were unreachable, and as such, destined to remain that way forever.
“And well, we just…” Tears filled Jill’s eyes. “Memaw Alice won’t move on until she can take Dorothy with her.” She looked at the rail thin Ada. “And we refuse to allow Memaw to not be at peace.”
My heart sank in my chest. I couldn’t imagine what they were going through. But if Drake were right, and Dorothy Arnold was truly stuck, reliving her final moments over and over again, there was nothing I could do. Unlike sentient spirits, spirits like these didn’t interact with outside forces. It was as if they were just bits of energy, replaying the same scene over and over again.
Ada discreetly wiped away the tears that rolled down the crinkly skin of her cheeks. She looked at me and spoke in her raspy voice, her chest rising and falling with the obvious exertion it took for her to expel the words.
“After we talked to Peter about you, we just knew you could help us,” she said as she looked at me with imploring eyes. “If you could just find Dorothy and talk to her…”
“I don’t know…” I answered, searching for what to say. How could I possibly break the news to them that Dorothy was probably not only unreachable, but remaining that way because she died a horrific death?
“We have plenty of money,” Jill started.
“It’s not…” I began, shaking my head.
“There’s more than just finances to worry about,” Ryan said with a solemn look on his face. “These forays into other dimensions are very taxing… they take a lot out of Peyton,” he said, nodding to me.
The women deflated at hearing his words.
“It isn’t just that,” I said gently. “I don’t know how we would reach Dorothy without knowing exactly where she died. When I’ve contacted the dead in the past, I’ve had precise information regarding where to find them…”
Jill’s gaze leveled on mine. “Peter said you went back in time once. Something about a murderer. The Axeman? He heard about it from Trina… and we thought if…”
And there it is, I inwardly lamented to Drake.
You cannot go back, mon chaton. It is too dangerous! I refuse to allow it!
Ryan folded his arms across his chest and didn’t look too surprised, like he knew where this was going too, but he didn’t seem as moved by their story as I was.
“If you went back once…” Jill continued, the optimism in her voice nearly hurting my ears.
“I did,” I said with a sigh, “but it was… very risky.”
There is nothing you can do, ma minette! Drake railed at me, clearly becoming more annoyed at being ignored. If Dorothy is a trapped spirit, she cannot be reached!
But we don’t know that for sure, I argued. Maybe there’s another reason why she’s stuck and can’t communicate with Alice.
“We have money,” Jill said again, her voice soft. “We have been saving it up for a while because this is so important to us.”
The two women were anxiously waiting for me to say something, and I noted the dullness of Ada’s eyes. Jill was wringing her hands. They were desperate for my help. The pit in my stomach ached; I had to at least try to help. Even if that ultimately meant another trip to Guarda.
“Can I talk to you for a second, Peyton? Alone?” Ryan asked but I knew he wasn’t exactly requesting it.
I gave the two women a small smile. “Please excuse us. Just for a minute.” They both nodded solemnly.
Ryan and I walked back into the kitchen and stood in the far corner by the sink while I waited for him to say something. His hands were on his hips, and the muscles in his arms bunched up in coils under his thin t-shirt.
“Pey, goin’ back to Guarda is clearly out of the question.”
“I can’t refuse to help them,” I answered with a frown.
Ryan swiped his paw of a hand over his eyes at my words.
Le barbarian is right, ma minette. Helping them comes at a steep price. Guarda! We still don’t fully know the cost of our previous encounters with her…
Drake’s words made me shiver with uneasiness and a tingle ran down my spine. Ever since I’d gotten tangled up with Guarda, I hadn’t felt quite right. Like when you start coming down with the flu, you sense something has invaded your body, but you don’t quite know what’s wrong. As time passed, the feeling remained even though it became easier to live with it. Drake picked up on it too, which wasn’t surprising, seeing as how he was living inside me.
“I need to at least talk to Lovie,” I started. “Maybe she can figure out a way for me to reach Dorothy without physically traveling to where her ghost is…”
Ryan sighed. “What happens if she can’t?”
If she is a stuck spirit, no one can reach her, Drake replied. You should tell that to the ladies at once so you do not perpetuate their hopes and false aspirations.
Maybe Lovie will have some ideas about that too, I retorted inwardly to Drake. I looked up and said to my visitors, “I have to at least try.”
“I’ve been feelin’ that a talk with Lovie is long overdue.” Ryan looked at me pointedly.
I knew what that was about. And so did Drake.
I prefer not to be banished to the house again, he responded. If he were standing in front of me, I knew his arms would be crossed over his chest, and his chin would be jutting out with stubborn defiance.
I shut Drake out, silencing his chatter while Ryan and I had a discussion. If I hadn’t, I knew Ryan would have gotten riled up. At the thought of Drake haunting my house again, I let out a big sigh. If Drake’s spirit was returned to my house, every time Ryan and I started getting a little frisky, Drake would start busting out light bulbs, stomping on the floorboards, turning the faucets off and on and otherwise causing chaos.
But none of that was the real issue. The real issue was an uncomfortable truth I couldn’t deny anymore; one that filled me with guilt. Despite the inconvenience of living in a haunted house, I actually was fond of having Drake inside me. I looked forward to his constantly funny banter and childish exc
itement over modern conveniences. I enjoyed his advice while I shopped through dusty antique stores in search of forgotten treasures. I asked Drake his opinion on everything and I valued it. Drake’s keen eye for detail, and first-hand experience with early twentieth century decor, helped me immensely in my newfound profession. What was more, Drake had become my friend.
“You know,” I said, testing the waters with Ryan, “I’ve kind of gotten used to not having a haunted house…”
Ryan’s eyes grew darker. “Haunted house?” He pointed a finger at my chest. “Pey, you’re haunted. Am I supposed to pretend it doesn’t bother me that you have a man livin’ inside your head? Hell, you talk to him just as often as you talk to me, probably more!”
“That’s not true,” I started but then swallowed my words because it was true.
“I can tell when you’re talking with him, since it happens all the time,” Ryan argued. “Sometimes, I have to wonder which of us you’re really dating…”
“Ryan,” I said, putting my hand on his chest to calm him down, but he took a step back.
“Is he listening to us now?”
“No. It’s just us.” I took a deep breath to add something, but Ryan spoke first.
“This arrangement,” he said, waving his hand in my general direction, “was supposed to be temporary. I’m grateful for him protectin’ you, but you don’t need that anymore. You’ve got me.”
“Without Drake, I can’t help Jill and her mom. He’s the only reason why I can access the spirit world.”
Ryan didn’t say anything for a minute, but gazed at me with tired eyes. “I’m not sure if it would be such a bad thing if you stayed in the mortal realm.” Before I could reply, he put up his hand. “You’re startin’ up a new business and you’ve got more than enough on your plate without addin’ someone else’s problems.”
“I want to help them, Ryan.” I gave him a stern look to let him know I meant it. “I don’t even know if I can, but I want to try.”