The Resurrection of Josephine (6 page)

"A diary?” Martin nodded hopefully, but faded when Dev shook his head.

"It's an old phone book, with addresses and numbers listed. And one of those numbers is for Sandra Tilbet. The address lists her on Royal Street."

"What are the odds that she'd still live there?” Rumer came up behind Dev, glancing at the address book. “It's been fifty years."

"Well, New Orleans is a small town at heart, and lots of people stay in the same house their whole life,” Martin said. “I say we go there tomorrow and check it out."

After a discussion, it was decided that Rumer and Martin would go, since Noah was on for the early shift. Martin could tell Fletch and Dev wanted to take part, but they didn't want to overwhelm the lady either. That is, if they found her. In the end, his old friends offered to do more research on Josephine and see what they could come up with.

When Dev, Fletch, and Quinn departed, Rumer turned to Martin. “Are you all right?"

"Drained, is all,” he said. “Sometimes it really takes it out of me, and this was one of those times."

"We could stay here,” Rumer replied. “There's a big bed upstairs. We don't have to have sex, just relax and sleep together."

Martin nodded. Normally he pushed everyone away after a session, preferring to recharge his batteries on his own. Tonight, however, he felt the need for companionship from the two people standing in front of him.

"Let's go.” Rumer held out her hand, and Martin took it.

He followed her upstairs, with Noah staying behind to turn off lights and secure the house. Rumer led Martin to a room with a huge king-sized bed, and several posters featuring different scenes from New Orleans on the walls.

"This was my room, growing up,” Rumer said softly. “Grandmother let me keep my posters here, and I stayed whenever I felt like it."

"She seemed happy,” Martin offered, his voice low. “I know it's hard to be without her, but she wasn't sad, except about leaving unfinished business."

"I'll finish it for her,” Rumer said, her eyes blazing with emotion. “Josephine LeClaire will regret the day she ever laid eyes on my grandmother."

[Back to Table of Contents]

"You would not believe how much she's looking forward to this.” Martin and Rumer followed the tall, dark-headed woman through the several rooms. “Ever since you called, she's been a bundle of energy, which is a good thing."

The woman stopped and turned toward them. “Mother's not long for this world, and it does my heart good to see her happy about something. The cancer has eaten at her until she's so frail, sometimes it's hard for her to get out of bed."

"We'll keep it short and try not to upset her” Martin said.

"No, don't do that. She'd be upset if you babied her. This has been a wonderful development, and I know she's anxious to talk about Josephine. She's told me all about it and wants to help banish her for good. Their failure with Josephine has always weighed heavily on her mind."

Martin and Rumer exchanged glances as Tori Tilbet-Smyer walked out the backdoor of the house in the garden district. When the two had gone to Sandra Tilbet's house that morning, they'd been informed she'd gone to live with her daughter six months previously. The helpful neighbor had given them a phone number, and Tori had gushed for them to “come right over."

"Mama, they're here.” Tori sat down and patted her mother's hand, not in a condescending fashion, Martin noted, but with true affection. He smiled at the gesture, then held out a chair for Rumer.

"I made coffee,” Tori said, indicating the tray, which held stoneware mugs and a huge coffee urn. “Or I can make tea, if you prefer."

"Coffee, please, for both of us.” Martin swallowed another smile. It was as if they'd known each other forever. It had felt that way last night, too, when they'd gathered on the large bed, all of them naked, but none of them groping for each other. They'd exchanged lingering kisses between the three of them, then fallen asleep tucked around each other.

Noah had kissed them both softly when he'd left, and Martin had fleetingly wondered what it would be like to wake up that way every morning as part of a relationship, something he'd never been able to sustain in his lifetime. Things just felt so right with Rumer and Noah it was almost scary. Of course, that's not to say it would last. Maybe when things were resolved, Rumer and Noah would float away from him. But somehow he doubted it. Something inside him told him this was the real deal.

"You look like your grandmother.” The woman's wheezy voice pulled him back to events at hand. “And your mother. She was a wild one, that's for sure."

"I'm sure she still is,” Rumer said.

"Josephine LeClaire murdered my sister, Lydia.” Her matter of fact tone of voice made Martin wince.

"I'm sorry."

Sandra turned her gaze to him. “It's why we tried to banish her, Lola, Mary Elizabeth, and myself.” She stopped and breathed heavily, reaching down for an oxygen mask and pulling it to her face. When she dropped the mask, she focused on Rumer. “We were young, and stupid, and I was angry because she'd murdered Lydia."

She reached down again and brought up an eight by ten frame, turning it toward Rumer and Martin.

"Josephine,” Rumer said, her eyes widening.

"This is Lydia,” Sandra replied, turning the photo toward her and running her fingers over the glass. “She was so young, and very, very strong. Her abilities were much sharper than my own. It's why Josephine targeted her, after she failed with your grandmother."

"I'm so sorry,” Rumer said, reaching over to take the woman's hand.

Sandra nodded, then brought the mask back up to her mouth, and breathed heavily again. She lowered it, then sighed. “We were young, too, and very headstrong. Instead of contacting elders, or people who might have been able to help us, we followed her to the cemetery. She was burying the body she'd just discarded."

"Makes sense,” Martin said. “That's when you decided to bind her spirit to the crypt?"

"Yes. I knew Lydia was gone, nothing left of her but her body, inhabited by that devil. Too late we realized that if we bound her, we'd have to unbind her to kill her human body, Lydia's body. And if we did that, she'd probably kill us before we could get to her. She was very strong. The only reason we were successful was because we snuck up on her while she was placing the first body in the crypt."

"That means—” Rumer's voice floated off.

"Yes, to kill her, you're going to have to unleash her. Our words were wrong. When Lydia's body died, Josephine's spirit clung to the crypt, and that was our mistake. I can tell you the spell we used, but you're going to have to be prepared. Lydia's body is gone, and Josephine is no more than spirit now. The first thing she'd do is hunt for a new host, a strong magical one, probably you.” Sandra pointed to Rumer and Martin sat up straighter.

"To kill her, we're going to have to kill her host.” Martin felt as if the words were pulled out of his body, his stomach clenching in pain as he spoke.

"Yes,” Sandra said. “Do it on Samhain. That's the night we bound her all those years ago. Do it before midnight."

"That's your plan? Not no, but hell no! Fuck no!” Noah paced the kitchen at Fletch, Dev, and Quinn's house. Everyone sat around the table except Fletch, who stood at the stove, stirring a huge pot of gumbo.

"It's the only way,” Rumer said. “Sandra Tilbet is sick, fatally so, and when she dies, Josephine is free. We have to kill her before she has the chance to do to someone else what she did to Lydia Tilbet, and all those women before her."

Noah wheeled on her, and Martin could see the other man's anger, and pain, deep inside him.

"So your solution is to let her take over your body, kill it, and then she's gone."

"It's perfect,” Rumer said. “You can bring me back, you're a paramedic. We wait two minutes until Josephine's spirit is gone, and then you do CPR on me and it's all back to normal."

"What happens if it's Josephine that comes back, and not you?” Noah put his hands on the table and leaned toward Rumer. “You have no idea if this will work, and I will not risk it!"

His voice rose with every word, and Martin reached out and stroked his arm. “Calm down."

"Are you kidding me? You're going along with this?” Noah pounded his fist on the table in front of where Martin stood.

"No, Noah, I don't agree with it,” Martin said. “I've already told her that, but she wanted to propose the idea to everyone."

Noah crossed his arms over his chest, starring daggers at Rumer. “So what's your plan, we shoot you? Stab you? Poison you?"

"Quit being an asshole,” she replied calmly. “Strangulation would work best. And I'm sure when I come back it would be me, and only me. Josephine wouldn't have had enough time to get a stronghold in my body."

"I won't do it,” Noah's voice was devoid of emotion, but Martin could feel his pain.

"Noah, please.” Rumer reached out for him. “This is the only way."

"Maybe not.” Fletch came over, placing the pot in the middle of the table. “Food you get, service you don't. Everyone can help themselves. And, as I was saying, maybe not. My aunt, she's a voodoo priestess. Maybe she could help."

"What, turn her into a zombie? That would be worse, wouldn't it?"

Fletch filled a bowl with food and sat down. “I called her today, and told her the gist of the story. She say there's a spell she could use, to destroy the demon, for that's what Josephine is, isn't she?"

A round of affirmative answers filled the air. “Do you want me to call her again?"

Martin waited for Rumer's answer. Rumer looked to Noah, who still stood, his hands on his hips, fire burning in his eyes.

"It's worth a shot,” Noah said. “It's better than the idea of killing you, and then bringing you back."

"I agree with Noah,” Martin said, glancing between the two of them. “It's too risky the other way. If Josephine comes back when the CPR is successful, then we're up the creek."

"Voodoo scares me,” Rumer said. “I don't know enough about it."

"Josephine scares me,” Martin replied. “Fletch's Aunt Margrette is a good woman. I've met her, and she's strong."

Martin could tell Rumer considered their idea, even if she thought her own was better. Finally, after a few moments, she nodded. “Call her, but I'm not agreeing to anything until I meet her in person. If it comes down to it, and you guys refuse to help, I'll find another witch, maybe Sandra's daughter, to help me."

"Margrette will be thrilled,” Fletch said. “She's itching to help. Now, let's eat. I slaved all day on this."

[Back to Table of Contents]

It struck Martin as funny that they didn't even discuss where they would spend the night when they left their hosts. They were on foot, as always, and when they headed away from his house, Martin knew they were going to theirs.

He fell into step with them easily, walking with Rumer in the middle. She had her arms crossed over her chest in silent defiance. No one had agreed to her plan to play host to Josephine, then be killed and brought back with CPR. She hadn't mentioned it again after they'd agreed to talk to Margrette, but Martin could tell Rumer was itching for a fight.

"Busy day today?” Martin directed his question at Noah, who snorted.

"No people in fountains if that's what you're asking."

"Too bad, it might have brightened your day, old man.” Martin stopped when Noah stepped in front of him.

"Don't call me old man, pup."

"Why not? You've got at least ten years on me.” He pushed around Noah and held up his arms in confusion. “Where the hell are we going, anyway?"

"Our house is just down the block,” Rumer said.

"Good.” Martin started to walk, then turned to Noah. “See if you can keep up, or do I need to find a wheelchair and haul you the rest of the way?"

He easily sidestepped Noah's outstretched hand, then took up a boxer's stance, bouncing from foot to foot and jabbing his fists toward the other man. “Come on, put ‘em up."

Rumer giggled, walking without the men following her. “Stop acting like children."

Martin kept up his swagger, bouncing backwards down the street, punching his fists toward Noah, whose ire rose with every punch.

At the gate, Martin danced circles around Noah while Rumer clicked the lock open. After she opened it, Martin darted inside, continuing to spar with his invisible opponent until Noah stepped in front of him.

"Come on, let's go. You got the drop on me the other night, but you won't do it tonight. Put ‘em up."

For a minute, Martin thought Noah wouldn't play along, that he would dismiss Martin's attempt at lightening the mood a little. And then suddenly, Noah took a swing at him, jabbing his right arm out. Martin saw it coming and deflected it with a laugh.

"See, told you I was good.” They traded punches, some of them missing, some of them landing, but none of them hitting with enough force to cause any pain. After a few minutes, Martin tackled Noah. Rumer, who had been watching and giggling, laughed louder.

"You two are like little kids. Stop it.” Her halfhearted command fell on deaf ears as the men rolled around together. After a few minutes, Martin pinned Noah to the ground, holding his hands above his head. He leaned down and kissed him, their tongues dancing around each other, both their chests heaving with exertion.

Martin rubbed his crotch into the other man's, both of their cocks strained against the pants they wore, and Martin kissed him harder, capturing the loud groan of pleasure that escaped Noah's lips. When the kiss broke, he nipped at Noah's nose, then he whispered, “Let's get her,” in Noah's ear.

"Good idea."

The two men jumped up and turned to Rumer, who still laughed, even though she'd pasted a mock frown on her face. Martin saw the minute realization hit her, and she took off for the house, fumbling with the keys as she neared the door.

Martin grabbed her around the waist, pulling her into his chest. “Where do you think you're going?” He dragged her back into the yard as Noah darted into the house.