Bone-a-fied Trouble Read online

Chapter Eight

  Roger stopped the pickup at the front steps of Long Hall. He and Tabitha had been silent on the short ride, but her tension was palpable. Even the cats were subdued, though Trouble once again watched the horizon as if he expected Satan to pop out of the dirt. Roger opened the truck door, but Tabitha caught his sleeve.

  “If there’s anything you can tell me about your grandmother…I didn’t set out to trick anyone. I do want to bring Charline and Samuel comfort.”

  “Aunt Charline and Suellen were best friends. Most people shudder at the idea of living with an in-law, but the three of them had a loving family, and they always included me. They would have welcomed my mother, Hannah, if she’d let them.”

  “Where is your mom?” Tabitha asked.

  “Last I heard she was dating a lord or marquis or something of that nature in Europe. She has a man for each season, depending on where the weather is best. Monaco is a favorite spot. Venice, maybe.” He shrugged. “I don’t begrudge her a good life. I just don’t want her upsetting Charline and Samuel. Or meddling in the business of the farm.”

  “Charline told me Hannah would prefer the family sold the plantation and agricultural business.”

  “She’d go through the money like sh--, well like food through a goose.” He grinned. “Sorry. Mother gets a huge allowance and is always borrowing from me or hitting Samuel up. He seldom says no.” He paused for a moment as if he were thinking. “Lately, though, she’s been asking about the crops. What she doesn’t realize is that if the farm were sold, there’d be no steady income. For someone who loves money, she has no grasp of how to make it or use it. And she’s had every opportunity to come home and learn the business. My mother isn’t stupid but she is lazy and she’s made a career out of being the victim in the Long family, the poor little cast-aside—which was never the case. Charline and Samuel have done everything to include her.”

  “Family does seem to mean a lot to Charline. She mentioned how much she wanted to be close to your mother.”

  Roger got out of the truck and came around to open the door for Tabitha. “My mother is her own worst enemy. I’ve given up that she’ll ever find anything that satisfies her in a way that is more than just material gratification.”

  “That’s too bad. I had a pretty rough upbringing. I would have given anything to be included in a family where love was in abundance.”

  “My mother is…she’s selfish. She always felt like she’d been pushed to the outside. Not because Suellen or Roger and Charline treated her that way. She put herself outside and then punished everyone else because that was where she stood. I saw that long ago and refused to support her negative delusions. My uncle and aunt have been very good to me. That’s when she lumped me in with Samuel and Charline as a traitor.”

  Tabitha put a hand on his chest. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Hey, I’ve been lucky. I had plenty of love here at Long Hall. I’m sorry for my mother, but I also accept that I can’t change her. By the way, she’s coming for a visit. You’ll get to meet her.”

  He saw the surprise and then dread cross her face. “I should move back to the hotel. This sounds like a family time and a stranger shouldn’t interfere.”

  “Not so fast.” Roger grasped the hand that had touched his chest. Her fingers were long and tapered, her hands delicate. “You have to stay. You can prevent World War III. Besides, I need you to send my mother a message from the great beyond.”

  “What?”

  Roger laughed at her shock. “I mean you’re here. You’re relaying messages for Charline and Samuel. Couldn’t you send one to my mother?” The look on her face was priceless. She was truly shocked that he would manipulate his own mother.

  “What kind of message?”

  “Just tell her Micah Malone still loves her and wishes for her happiness every day. That he’s watching over her.”

  The relief on her face was palpable. “That’s a sweet message. Who is Micah Malone?”

  “The only person, other than herself, that she’s ever really loved. My mother can be a real b…witch, but the pain she inflicts on others is nothing compared to what she does to herself. I have a theory that she has never allowed herself to feel love, except with Micah. He was a troubadour, a singer song-writer California surfer. He drifted into her life and because he had no expectations and didn’t understand the concept of pressure, she didn’t have any defenses against him. He slipped beneath her armor. She loved him deeply.” He could see that Tabitha was clearly caught up in the story.

  “What happened to him?”

  “Something went wrong when he was surfing. He ended up in a place that was dangerous, and a wave crashed him into some rocks. He died.” He shook his head. “The one time she didn’t bully someone to get her way, she should have. Can you believe it?”

  “I can,” Tabitha said, and she turned away. “I had a terrible feeling when Trudy said she was moving here. I should have stopped her.”

  “You can say that,” Roger said. “You can even believe it, intellectually. But emotionally you know there was no way to dissuade Trudy from a damn thing. You might as well try to capture the wind.” He put his arm around her shoulders. “Blaming yourself is wrong and gets you nowhere.”

  She looked up at him, “Thank you. I needed to hear that.”

  But he could see she wasn’t ready to forgive herself yet. He recognized that need to hang onto responsibility. He was like that about his mother. He couldn’t control her yet he constantly felt responsible for her actions.

  “When will your mother arrive?” Tabitha asked, looking up at the massive dwelling.

  Roger checked his watch. “She should be here this afternoon.” He took her arm as they walked to the front door. “You may charm her. You’re unique.”

  He liked the tinge of a flush that touched her cheeks. “After my reading with Charline, I’ll ask her if I should leave.”

  “She knew Mother was coming,” Roger said. “She invited you anyway. The house has two dozen bedrooms. There’s no shortage of space. The only awkwardness could be meals, and if that happens, I’ll invite you to dine in town with me. Mother won’t miss me.”

  He opened the front door and ushered her inside before she could protest. Lunch was ready to be served, and he made sure there was no time for her to back out. He wanted to find Trudy, but he also wanted to find out more about Tabitha Kingsley. She’d intrigued him, and he didn’t mind admitting it.

  * * *

  When they appeared in the kitchen with three cats, Charline only lifted an eyebrow. She prepared three bowls of fresh Gulf shrimp that Nancy had steamed and shelled. When she put the bowls on the floor, the cats ate with relish.

  “The orange kitty belongs to one of my employees,” Roger reminded his aunt. He could see how attached she was becoming. “The two black ones…” He laughed nervously, “As I told you, one belongs to Sarah Booth Delaney and the other lives at the Prince Albert hotel.”

  Charline nodded. “Yes, one is a detective and the other a traveling salesman. They’re from the planet Catnip and they’re here to study how humans grow cotton.”

  The black cat called Trouble polished off his shrimp and made a great show of rubbing against Charline’s legs.

  “That cat knows who to butter up,” Roger said. “Next thing he’ll be sleeping in bed with you and Sam.”

  Tabitha burst into a laugh, and the issue of the cats passed. Samuel had gone to Memphis to run some errands, so they gathered in the dining room. The conversation was easy and casual, and Tabitha was aware that Charline kept glancing from her to Roger and back.

  Lunch was a delicious squash soup with a fresh avocado salad. When the meal was done, Roger excused himself and Charline motioned for Tabitha to follow her into the parlor. “Is this a good time? Are you refreshed?”

  “It’s a perfect time,” Tabitha said, feeling like someone had starched her jeans. Guilt scratched and pricked her skin. She was playing Charline, and she didn’t like it. She c
ouldn’t back out now. She’d set this whole thing in motion and she had to see it through. The only comfort she had was that she honestly hoped to bring relief and closure.

  They settled at a small table in a sunny corner. It was a perfect early spring day with warm sunlight filtering in. The window gave a view of a vast, flat expanse of cropland. The house was surrounded by magnolia and cedar trees, but the fields were immaculate except for the brakes that allowed protection from wind erosion and drainage. There trees were allowed to grow thick and lush, a windbreak and also a refuge for the wildlife that was once plentiful but now on the decline. Tabitha took in her surroundings as she centered herself as Mama Bettite had taught her.

  She looked down at her hands lightly holding Charline’s hands on the small table. Closing her eyes, she focused on her breathing, on letting everything negative out with her breath and drawing in healing and energy with each inhale, opening to the sensations that sometimes spoke to her or left her with images or symbols.

  “Suellen Long,” she said softly, “please come to us. Charline misses you. She wants you to know that she and Samuel both miss you.”

  She heard Charline’s sniffles but she didn’t open her eyes. There was no guarantee that she would get any message but if she didn’t, she’d have to fabricate something. She’d practiced a spiel, but that was before she’d come to see Charline’s deep loneliness and Roger’s regard for his aunt and uncle. They’d been a theoretical couple she needed to get close to if she meant to find her sister’s trail. Now she really wanted to make a connection with the departed Suellen, if she could.

  She’d done fine with the other couples she’d held séances for in Sunflower County. Well, there’d only been two of them, but word traveled fast—and grew with embellishments—in a small town. She’d counted on that and it had certainly worked. Now, dealing with a woman she genuinely liked, she couldn’t let her emotions get in the way of her job, and her job was finding Trudy.

  She tried to clear her mind of the anxiety and the minute she calmed, a damp, cold chill touched her skin. It was so unpleasant, she almost reacted by pulling her hands away from Charline and standing up. The bright sun still warmed the table, but she was so cold her teeth almost started to chatter.

  She sensed rather than felt something behind her left shoulder. Someone. Even if it was just her imagination, she had to come forth with something for Charline. “Suellen, do you have a message for Charline? She’d love to hear from you. She wants to know that you’re happy and okay.”

  The energy she felt was male rather than female, and with it came the sound of waves kissing a shoreline and the smell of the ocean. She could almost see a manifestation in a corner of the room, but it didn’t form. There was only the echo of a thought. “Hannah.” The word whispered around the corners of the room. “The truth lies beneath layers.” And then the entity was gone, replaced by the light smell of magnolias and Suellen’s lighter energy.

  “Suellen, Charline is here, waiting for you.”

  “Find her. Quickly.” The words entered her mind on a voice that was feminine and refined, though Tabitha knew no one had really spoken. This was exactly as Mama Bettite had told her connecting with spirit would be. More sensation than fact, but Tabitha couldn’t deny the urgency conveyed to her.

  “Find who?” Tabitha asked, but she knew. This wasn’t a message for Charline, it was for her. Either her subconscious was in overdrive or some spirit had made contact.

  “Too trusting.” The words came on a sigh, like a breeze teasing spring flowers.

  Tabitha inhaled sharply. “Where is she?”

  Before the spirit could answer, a beautiful painting across the room fell to the floor. The clatter made Charline stand up so quickly her chair fell over. “What is going on?” she asked, distressed. “Is Suellen angry? Why would she do that? She loved that painting. She loved telling the story of how the Long family came to own it.”

  Tabitha used all her reserve to pull herself out of the cold realm and back to the present. “No, no, Suellen is fine,” she said. “She had a message, that’s all.”

  “For me?” Charline’s eagerness made Tabitha feel guilty all over again.

  “For you and one for me too. I’ve been looking for someone and she was trying to help me.”

  “By knocking a painting to the floor?” Charline had two high spots of color on her cheeks and her eyes were still wide. Tabitha realized that she had to take quick action.

  “Maybe it’s a clue,” she said. “Let’s look at the painting and see. Would you tell me the story you mentioned?” She went to the heavy painting that had not been damaged in the fall and lifted it up. The hook holding it had come loose from the wall.

  Charline had regained her composure and she looked at the hook and then the empty hole in the wall. “I’ve never seen anything like that happen here. It took me by surprise. I didn’t mean to sound so…upset.”

  “Please don’t worry.” Tabitha examined the painting. It was a lovely landscape of the Delta. The flat land extended to a horizon where a bank of clouds that could be a cavalry charge was highlighted by shafts of golden light and the colors of sunset. “The vistas here in the Delta are so beautiful. Was this painted here at Long Hall?”

  “It was something Suellen acquired. It’s the Delta but it was painted probably seventy years ago.” Charline was happy to talk about the Long family’s history. “Suellen said that back in the Depression, there was an artist traveling through the area. He’d stay in some of the plantations and would paint for his room and board. His name was Redmond, Asa Redmond. He stayed here at Long Hall for nearly a year, and that was one of his paintings. If you go up to the third floor and look off the back balcony, you can see the exact same vista.”

  “I’ve heard of traveling artists like that.” Tabitha was glad the conversation had turned to a more neutral topic. “During the period before the Civil War, a lot of the wealthier homes opened their doors to painters and musicians who would then entertain at soirees and gatherings. I always thought what a gracious and inspiring life that would have been.”

  “Yes, if you were part of the social elite,” Charline said. “Farming is a hard life, but once it’s in your blood, there’s no happiness anywhere but on the land.”

  Tabitha studied the painting, the way the artist had created almost sensual curves with the green land, the mist, the clouds in the sky. “It is lovely. I hadn’t realized that flat land could be so awe inspiring.” Tabitha was reluctant to leave the painting.

  “I’ll have Roger rehang it when he’s finished with his work for the day.” Charline’s tone had returned to her normal calm. “It seems Roger has taken a special interest in you.” She smiled. “He needs a woman in his life. One who can share him with this land.”

  “I’m hardly what he needs.” Tabitha felt the heat rise in her own face. She couldn’t deny that she found Roger attractive. He was a handsome man with confidence and certainly a degree of kindness she hadn’t expected. The sensation of his arms around her, comforting, came back to her. He had a lot of qualities she liked, even admired, but their paths had crossed because of Trudy’s disappearance. Once Trudy was safely found, Tabitha and her sister would return to New Orleans where they belonged. Roger’s life was in the Delta, growing crops, harvesting, working the land. They had little in common except the missing woman.

  Tabitha took a long, slow breath and resettled at the small table. She took Charline’s hands again and closed her eyes. The scent of wisteria came to her, strong and sweet. It was a summer day and she suddenly stood outside Long Hall in a garden.

  The same refined voice came to her again, and Tabitha caught snatches of summer, a beautiful garden, and the sweet lemony scent of magnolias. Tabitha was filled with a sense of serenity, an ease. She understood she was to convey that to Charline.

  “I will.” Tabitha spoke the words aloud, though she knew Charline could hear only one end of the conversation.

  For a brief second
, an older woman in an elegant lavender suit stepped out of the garden shadows. Tabitha felt the moment slip away from her. She found herself sitting in the sunshine in the parlor.

  “Did Suellen wear a scent, something light, like magnolias?”

  “She did.” Charline sat forward. “What did she say? You were talking to her?”

  “She’s grateful to you and Samuel for the upkeep on Long Hall and the way you love this place like she did. She is happy and safe. She doesn’t want you to worry about her or waste your time missing her. She wants you to live your life to the fullest. She’ll always be around here if you have need of her. She takes great comfort in the love you have for her grandson and for Long Hall. She is happy, Charline. She wants the same for you and Samuel.”

  It wasn’t exactly the message Tabitha had received, but close enough, and it would bring the Longs real comfort.

  “I knew she was right here with us,” Charline said, squeezing Tabitha’s hands. “Thank you.”

  The front door opened and closed, and Tabitha was relieved when Roger stepped into the parlor. “If you’ve finished with my aunt, I’d like to show you those processing plants I told you about,” Roger said to Tabitha.

  “Oh, by all means, show her the farm,” Charline said with a mischievous smile. “Nothing like an education in farming to give a woman an appetite. I’ll make sure we have something hearty and delicious for dinner. You two have become quite the team.”

  Roger blushed, and Tabitha found it charming. He was a confident man, but his aunt knew exactly what buttons to push.

  “Aunt Charline, I’m borrowing some of your jewelry for a photo shoot. Long story, but I’ll return it later today. I helped myself in the safe.”

  “Photo shoot?” She raised an eyebrow. “You’re always up to something, Roger. As Samuel says, you’re a marketing genius. Help yourself to whatever you need.”

  “Aunt Charline, did you ever meet Trudy Wells, my missing employee?”

  Charline frowned. “I did meet her. I went down to the office one day and she was the receptionist. She seemed…sweet.” She hesitated. “She did ask me something very strange.”