Hoodoo Woman (Roxie Mathis Book 3) (10 page)

Daniel hovered over my shoulder. “God damn, people can’t spell.”

“You said that already. Why don’t you move on to critiquing their grammar? Or better yet, go read on your own computer. You start critiquing the grammar of everyone on the internet, it should take you what, like, forever?”

“Vampires don’t have obsessive compulsive disorder. That’s a myth.” He pointed at the screen. “Did you really put a sex curse on the basketball team?”

“They got the clap from partying with strippers. I had nothing to do with it.” I scrolled further down the page. The hoodoo woman thread was indeed long and full of reminders of why I left Blythe in the first place.

He moved to the opposite chair and sipped his Bloody Mary, which really was bloody. “How did a bunch of high school basketball players find strippers? An away game?”

“There used to be strip clubs on the outskirts of town. Got run out of business years ago. This is such bullshit. I never did a spell to rig any homecoming court vote. Like I gave a damn about crap like that.”

There was more from high school, all nonsense. Except for the one about selling spells to pass advanced placement chemistry class. I totally did that. But then I found something I was really hoping wouldn’t show up. Ray’s name.

Did she really date Ray Travis?

I heard they fukked on the hood of his patrol car.

I herd she put a spell on him and that’s why he left Lisa. That spel will keep him in love with her forever.

Think she sell a spell like that?

Well, I’d had about enough. Who was Lisa? I went back to the front page for Blythe. The site was a mess, ugly as hell to look at and full of ads. The search function was terrible. Most of the topics were absurd and the comments were worse. It took a lot of looking to find anything approaching real information. However, there were several threads about ghost sightings and Britney’s death, all heavily trafficked. A lot of it sounded like crap but I made notes anyway. Ray might know more about some of the ghost sightings and the rumors about her death might be of interest to him. The thread listing several names of Britney’s married lovers was a goldmine, worth all the crap I waded through to find it. It might turn out none of it was true but at least the names were a place to start.

The phone book and a more general internet search were my next steps. Daniel flipped the TV between food shows and old episodes of
Golden Girls
, getting more restless as the minutes ticked by. I tried to ignore him and do my work.

A lawyer, a doctor, a judge. Not just older, married men but powerful men as well. Britney definitely had a type. It was what she knew, though, so I guess it made sense.

Daniel called my name from his slumped position on the couch. I checked the time. We had forty-five minutes until time to meet Ray and it would take twenty to drive into town. I powered down the laptop and got ready to go.

The cemetery where I’d first met Rozella stood three blocks from the heart of downtown but was secluded enough to make for a good spot to meet. Daniel and I left the SUV several blocks away in the library parking lot and walked to the cemetery. Nearly midnight, we were the only people out. Daniel hummed a song that tickled the edge of memory until finally the music encyclopedia in my head identified it.

“
Tennessee Flat Top Box
,” I said as I passed through the cemetery gate.

“Took you long enough.”

“We playing now? Okay. I’ll play.” I began to hum.

It didn’t take Daniel long to get it. “Lyle Lovett.
LA County
.”

“Is Lyle considered classic country yet?”

“I don’t know but he’s considered good music in my book. You see anything? The hair on the back of my neck is standing up singing
Ring The Alarm
.”

“Get out! You know a Beyonce song? How did that happen?” I turned in a slow circle to survey the area for spectral energy.

“You seen that woman? God.
Damn
. I don’t care what she sings.”

I rolled my eyes. “Real progressive of you.” A shade hovered over a grave at the east edge of the cemetery. It barely had enough energy to manifest and seemed to be caught in a loop. I pointed in its direction. “There’s something over there, by that old broken marker. It’s nothing to worry about.”

“If you say so.” He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “You ever think we spend way too much time in graveyards?”

I kicked at an empty beer bottle. “It’s where all the cool kids hang out.”

He snorted. “The cool dead kids, maybe.”

“You’re a vampire. Aren’t you getting into pot, kettle territory?”

Headlights raked the darkness. Ray parked his patrol car right outside the gate, killed the lights and the engine, and joined us. His mouth was set in a grim line. He greeted Daniel with a nod and me with a look I didn’t want to examine too close. He pulled a slip of paper from his pocket, handing it to me. “This is the access code for the alarm system in her apartment. I’m pretty sure it hasn’t been changed.”

The Ray Travis I knew years ago would not have even considered looking the other way over something like this, much less helping in such an overt fashion. I gripped the paper tight. “Thank you.”

“I’ll be patrolling the square as long as I can but if I get called away there’s nothing I can do about it. I’ll send you a text and let you know. Just be quick, be careful, and don’t do anything crazy.”

“Have you ever known me to do anything crazy?” I teased.

His lips quirked. “It’s not raining so I guess I’m safe. Text me when you’re done.” He left.

The dark could hide my blush but Daniel, being a vampire, could detect the slight rise in body temperature that went along with it. “Girl.”

I adjusted my glasses. “Come on, let’s go.” I left the cemetery at a brisk pace.

Of course the vampire had no trouble keeping up. “
Gurrrl
.”

“Shut up.”

“Don’t leave me hanging, Roxie.” He leaned close, exaggerating his accent. “Confess your sins.”

Britney’s empty apartment was above an antique store on the square. It was owned by the Parker family, which gave us a break because anyone else probably would have sold or rented the place by now. We slipped through an alley to the fire escape. The bottom of it hung over the ground, two feet above my head. Daniel lifted me with ease. “I don’t believe in confession. Not too sure about sin, either.”

Despite being old and rusty the fire escape held our weight without too much creaking. Daniel jimmied the window and entered, going straight for the front door and the alarm system with the paper I’d given him. Ray had drawn a layout of the place for us as well as all his other help. The beeping stopped within seconds thanks to Daniel’s vampire speed.

He didn’t need any light but I did. I took a small flashlight from my bag and headed for the bedroom while Daniel went through the kitchen and dining area.

Clothes and shoes were scattered everywhere. The bed was unmade. Except for the layer of dust and the fact that Daniel had been able to enter, it might have seemed like a place where someone still lived. Unease trickled through me. Being here felt wrong, intrusive. I’d never had any qualms about doing what a job required, mostly because I was picky about what jobs of this nature I took on, but disturbing the home of a murder victim just felt wrong. Even though I was trying to solve her murder and help her ghost find peace.

I shook off the feeling and got to work, checking the usual hiding places first. Nothing of note was under the bed, in the drawers, or the top of the closet. The only thing of interest I found was a small corner table with old candle wax on the wood. Yellow, blue, red, and green - traditional witchcraft colors representing the elements. I searched for more evidence of Britney being a practitioner. All I found was empty space where some books might have been stored, the dust level there not quite as high. If Britney was any sort of witch, someone had done their best to remove all traces of proof.

Standing in the middle of the room, I moved the light over everything slowly, trying to find anything that jumped out as being out of place. I spotted an air vent high in the ceiling, one screw missing and a chair underneath. Someone had already beaten me to whatever Britney hid there but I was going to look anyway.

Among the many things in my bag was a set of small screwdrivers. Finding one that fit, I made quick work of the other three screws. A pen was the only thing left behind.

Why was Britney Parker hiding things in her own home? Most people hid cash, jewelry and valuables. Why a pen? What was taken before we got here, and by who? The most amazing sense of freedom in my life came when I first moved into my own place and didn’t need to hide stuff anymore. No more stashing magical supplies and romance novels under floorboards. No more labeling burnt CDs with the names of Christian groups when they were really blues or something my mother would find equally objectionable. In my own place, no one but me would be poking around. No one else had access.

Which was the answer, of course. Had to be. Britney lived here but her family owned the building. What would she feel the need to hide from them?

Daniel rushed into the bedroom. “We’re in a tight spot.”

“What the hell?”

“Somebody else is breaking in. Come on, we got to hide.” He pulled me into the closet, closing the door and grabbing my flashlight. The small space plunged into darkness.

Heavy footsteps came from the front of the apartment. Hurried, frantic even. A man searching for something. A closet was a good place to look. I groped for my phone in the dark, texting Ray. By the dim light of the phone I could see Daniel’s face. He’d gone from goofy to dangerous in the space of a heartbeat. Less, as his heart did not beat. His fangs were out and I knew he’d use them if he felt like he had to. I’d rather he used his vampire compulsion, though. I placed a hand on his chest to get his attention, then made a downward calming motion.

A crash came from the living room, followed by a man swearing. The clumsy burglar must have knocked something over. Daniel took a deep breath. The steps came closer, along with more awkward fumbling. What the hell was the guy doing? Light shone under the closet door. More swearing was followed by running water. Daniel leaned down to whisper in my ear. “He cut himself.”

“You’re not allowed to eat him,” I whispered back. “Ray’s on his way.”

A sudden pounding on the front door almost made me scream. I did jump, Daniel catching me.

“Sheriff’s department, open up!” The door swung open, hinges creaking. More swearing came from the bathroom.

Daniel leaned his forehead on my shoulder, giggling. “You ‘bout jumped out of your skin.”

“Shut up.”

I could hear Ray arguing with the burglar. Whoever it was, Ray knew the man and did not find him a threat. I pushed Daniel away, pressing my ear to the closet door in an attempt to hear better. The voices were too low. I opened my phone, shining the light in Daniel’s face. “What are they saying?”

He waved a dismissive hand. “It’s some guy who had a fling with Britney a year or so ago. He’s checking for pictures or anything that can prove it, afraid his wife is about to find out. Step back, Ray’s about to open the door.”

It was too late. The door opened and I fell against Ray. Warm, strong hands righted me quickly. “I’m gonna get him out of here then you two get gone.” He closed the door before I had a chance to say anything.

I turned to find Daniel leering, eyes bugged and brows wagging. “Confess your sins.”

“Only if you confess yours.”

That wiped the smug grin off his face.

Within minutes Ray had the other burglar escorted out, then we retraced our steps and hurried to the car. Once on the highway headed to the lake house I said, “We’re in a tight spot? Really?” I laughed.

“We should break and enter more often. That was kinda fun.” Daniel hit the button to lower the window and hung his head out, singing at the top of his lungs. “I am a vam-
pire
of constant sorrow!”

Somehow I managed not to go off the road despite how hard I was laughing.

Home safe and sound, I lamented not having enough time to find something that might be useful in the séance.

Daniel picked up the jacket he’d dropped on the back of the couch. “I almost forgot, I got these.” He withdrew a pair of CDs from the inside pocket.

“What are they?”

He flipped them over one by one to read the labels. “Pink. Uh. I think it’s supposed to be the word misunderstood but apparently spelling is a challenge.”

“Geezer,” I said under my breath.

Plastic clacked as he snapped the two CDs together. “I heard that!”

“What’s the other one?”

“It’s a mix labeled favorites. In gold marker.” He left the CDs on the table and started opening cabinets. “Want a drink?”

“A cup of tea, if you don’t mind.”

He turned on the kettle.

“Why don’t you quit for the night and talk to me about something else.”

We sat on the sofa and I waited for him to bring up whatever he wanted to talk about.

It didn’t take long. “I heard from Blake.”

“Yeah?” I sipped my tea, not sure what to think. “How is he?”

Daniel gave me his
bitch please
face. “He’s convinced Stack is evil and you’re about to go dark side if you don’t banish him. I tried to talk sense to him but he wouldn’t listen.”

“He called you? He’ll call you but I get emails.”

“Look, I don’t want to meddle and I don’t want to tell you what to do. But I love you and I’m starting to get worried.”

“Worried about what? Stack? Bubba, I told you.”

He cut me off. “It’s not you I’m worried about. No, honey, I’m worried about Blake. I think this is a problem.”

“Hell yeah, it’s a problem. I have to make him see Stack is not a threat. They need to meet again, this time with me there. I think that would help.”

“That’s not going to help.” He paused for a moment, staring into his glass as if the words he wanted would float up out of the amber liquid. “I’ve seen vampires go through this. They pass through the initial blood lust, then things start to change. They start to remember what it was like to be human. To be mortal. To have a conscience. It’s a personal hell that’s different for everyone and you either go through it and come out the other side, or you get stuck. I came through it. I can’t say whether I came through it quite whole, but I came through and I can function and I can live with myself again. I’ve seen some get stuck and when that happens, Roxie.” He shook his head.

“What?”

“It does things to a person. The guilt. Having to face what you’re capable of.” He looked at me. “His aura’s black. You told me so.”

“It was a starfield. It wasn’t totally black. It looks like, like outer space. Like astronomy pictures.” I tried to keep my tone light but a cold dread seeped into my bones.

“There’s a whole lot of emptiness in space, honey. There’s a whole lot of emptiness in him he’s having to face.”

“I should be with him.” Guilt of my own tugged at me. I’d been so busy figuring out how to work with Stack, building a new business and trying to fashion a new home, I hadn’t given much thought to what Blake needed.

“You should be as far away from him as possible.” Daniel took my hand, his skin cool but not cold. That was the booze and the blood working in him, raising his temperature to something approaching normal. “This isn’t something anybody can help him through. He has to help himself.”

“That hardly seems right. I’m his girlfriend.” I had an obligation to him, didn’t I? That’s how relationships worked. I didn’t want to screw this one up like I’d done so badly with…in the past. “We get this Britney Parker business wrapped up, I’m going to Blake.” I left the couch and headed for my room.

“Then I’ll go with you.”

I looked back, raising an eyebrow. He said, “There’s no sense arguing. I’ll stay out of the middle of things as long as he doesn’t cross a line but I’m gonna be close by, just in case.”

“Blake is no danger to me, any more than Stack is.”

“Blake has always been a danger to you, because you can’t see him for what he is.”

“And what is he?”

Daniel stood. “A sorcerer with a black hole where his heart and his conscience should be.” He drained the last of his drink as he walked to the kitchen.

Saying nothing, I turned on my heel and went to my room. Daniel was wrong.

He had to be wrong.