Page 59 of In Her Bed
Diana’s expression became secretive, almost sly.“Wouldn’t you like to know?He understands the vibrations.He knows the truth about the astral plane, about what’s really happening in Pinecrest.”
She began moving around the counter, herding them toward the door with surprising determination for someone who moments ago had seemed frightened.
“I think you should leave now,” she said, her voice suddenly calm again, though her eyes remained wild.“I have nothing more to tell you about any of this, and I certainly don’t need your interference with Tyrone Voss.That’s my battle to fight on the spiritual plane.”
“Ms.Wells, please,” Jenna tried once more.“This could be serious.If someone is threatening you—”
“OUT!”Diana flung her arm toward the door, the crystal in her hand catching the light and sending prismatic reflections across the walls.“The energy in my space is corrupted now.I’ll have to cleanse for hours.OUT!”
Speaking calmly and quietly, Jenna said, “We’re only concerned about your safety.We’re going to post some officers outside to watch out for you until we solve this case.Don’t worry, they won’t do you any harm.”
The door chimed merrily as they found themselves back on the sidewalk, the sound incongruously cheerful after the intensity of the encounter.Through the window, they could see Diana frantically lighting additional incense, moving around the shop in what appeared to be some kind of cleansing ritual.
Jake let out a long breath.“Well, that escalated quickly.”
Jenna nodded, still disturbed by Diana’s comment about her aura.“She’s genuinely frightened of something.Whether it’s Tyrone Voss or some other perceived threat, I’m not sure.”
“That comment about a guardian?Security system?Guardian angel?”Jake suggested.
“Whatever it is, she trusts it more than law enforcement.”Jenna pulled out her phone.“We should update Colonel Spelling and Chief Morgan.And we need to get some officers watching over this place, despite her objections.”
Jake nodded in agreement.“You think this Tyrone Voss is worth looking into?”
“Absolutely,” Jenna said, dialing Colonel Spelling’s number.“If he’s the one who sent that message, he needs a conversation with law enforcement, at minimum.”
The call connected quickly.Jenna gave Spelling a concise summary of their strange encounter, emphasizing Diana’s paranoia and the threatening email from the anonymous sender who might be Tyrone Voss.
“We’re going to need someone watching her store,” Jenna concluded.“She refused protection, but I’m concerned she might be in danger—either from this Voss character or from her own mental state.”
“I’ll coordinate with Chief Morgan,” Spelling replied.“We can have plainclothes officers observe from a distance without alarming her further.”
After ending the call, Jenna turned to Jake.“Ready to pay a visit to Firmament Reach?”
“Nothing I’d like more than to meet a self-proclaimed spiritual guru who sends threatening emails,” Jake said dryly.“That is, if he really is the one who sent it.Think he’ll read our auras too?”
Jenna smiled despite herself as they walked back to the patrol car.“Let’s hope not.According to Diana, mine is ‘fractured.’“
She tried to make the comment sound like a joke, but Jake’s expression turned serious.
“She couldn’t know,” he said quietly.“It’s just part of her whole mystical persona.”
“Of course,” Jenna agreed, yet she couldn’t quite shake the lingering unease.“Either way, we now have two persons of interest—Ray Tucker and Tyrone Voss.Let’s see if we can connect either of them to our victims before there’s another death.”
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
Diana remained at the window, watching the police cruiser pull away from the curb.She still clutched the quartz crystal, its cool surface now warmed by her grip.
They knew.Somehow, these supposed officers knew about Midnight Voice, about her past life at Astral Waves.Her heart hammered against her ribs as she stepped back from the window.The crystals on the sill seemed to pulse with warning energy, their usually comforting presence now screaming danger.
She called out to her employee, Janet Roff.
“Janet, fetch me a bundle of white sage,” she said.
Janet hurriedly complied.
“Protection circle,” she muttered, rushing to the center of the store with the sage in hand.“Need to cleanse the energies.They’ve contaminated everything.”
She lit the sage with shaking hands.Smoke billowed around her as she moved through the space, waving the smudge stick in elaborate patterns.The familiar ritual brought a momentary sense of calm, but the underlying panic remained, vibrating through her body like a discordant note.
