Only because Walker looked sympathetic as she stood up did she agree to accompany him. If he’d been one of those glaring, belligerent cops, she’dhave... Behaved as she had with Carmel? If so, it was probably a good thing she hadn’t encountered police before or she would have a record for Walker tofind.
“Kurt told me I’m to ignore his mother’s temper, so I do,” Walker said, taking her elbow and escorting her toward a back entrance. “It sounds as if he gave you the sameadvice.”
“Was I awful? Kurt didn’t advise me of anything.I really don’t know where that came from. I’m a mousy looking person, driving a mousy little car, but I dare roar at lions?” She was still a little shaken by herbehavior.
“Mousy?” he asked incredulously, staring at her as he opened the side door and let her out. “If I were to describe you, it would be lionesque. Your roar suits youperfectly.”
“I don’t feel like a lion,” she grumbled.“Maybe a battered alley cat. What have you found and do I really have to go up thereagain?”
“You don’t have to see the body,” he said, with a hint of sympathy. “We’ve positively identified him. We know the last time he was seen. But Val won’t leave. And her tribe is starting to gather.” He gestured at the women congregating in the corner of the lot nearest theroad.
“So maybe Ican stay here and encourage them to stay here?” Sam asked with hope. “Or I can talk with them and ask what it will take to bring Valdown?”
“That works,” he said in relief. “Thank you. I know it’s nuts asking a complete stranger to deal with the locals, but I think that’s what’s needed. Everyone knows everyone too well around here, and they push each other’s buttons. You’re freshmeat.”
Sam laughed. “If Carmel had her way, I’d be roadkill. Why on earth would she care if I used the hotel’scomputer?”
“My guess is that she’s a controlling bitch. I’m sure the Lucys will give you more colorful alternatives. If you need any help, let Alonzo in the security officeknow.”
He started to walk toward his car, but Sam caught his arm, almost startling herself with thefamiliarity of the gesture. He wore a short-sleeved shirt and his brown arm was hard and muscular. She dropped it the instant heturned.
“Can you tell me who you found? And can I tell theLucys?”
“We haven’t notified his next of kin. He’s local, so the Lucys will know soon enough. Sorry, that’s all I canoffer.”
She let him go. The uneasiness had returned. Her legs seemedto be trembling, as if the ground moved beneath her feet. Maybe they were having an earthquake. But no one else appeared concerned. Maybe they had quakes here so often, no onenoticed.
Shakily, she walked over to join the women. She identified Tullah from the thrift store, Amber the Tarot Reader, Crazy Daisy, and Mariah. The others had been in the café, and she recognized their faces, ifnot their names. The only male today looked like a university professor with a closely-cut goatee and well-barbered chestnuthair.
He bowed slightly at her approach. “You are the forest sprite who has added lushness to my garden pot, thank you. I don’t believe we’ve been introduced. I’mAaron.”
“Of Aaron’s Antiques,” Sam said, recognizing his name from the sign. “Pleased to meetyou.”
Wearing her long black hair in multiple braids tied with feathers and beads similar to her ghost-catcher nets, Mariah spoke up. “The spirit is caught here. He’s furious and arousing the other spirits. My nets can only stop so much before all hell... and that could be literal... breaks loose. We need to pass him on. Val is trying, but she can’t do it by herself. We need safe groundfor aceremony.”
“What is safe ground?” Sam asked, thinking of landslides and earthquakes and wondering why they’d worry aboutthose.
Mariah gestured toward town. “The vortex is still safe, and the land beyond it, but that’s two miles away. We usually use Kennedy land but the cops won’t let us up there. We need somewhere unpolluted by evil and accessible for as many of our groupaspossible.”
All the women had dressed for hiking, but some were elderly and frail. Some of the more portly members were already seeking places to sit. The trail required athleticism, and the Lucys didn’t qualify. Sam got that part. “Unpolluted?” she asked. “How do we determine what’spolluted?”
“If you can’t tell, you can’t help,” Mariah said with a sigh. “I’d hoped Cass had sentyou for areason.”
For all Sam knew, she’d killed Cass and stolen hercat.
“I’ve only just arrived,” Sam said, trying to sound reasonable. She wanted these people to be her friends. She desperately needed their support. “I’ve not had enough time toexplore.”
“She’s right, Mariah,” Tullah said. Even in boots and khaki, she managed to look like an African queen. “It takes timeto learn the energy of a new place. What about trying her with one of Harvey’ssticks?”
“I have one with me,” Amber called, getting up from the rock where she’d perched. She carried a polished redwood branch. A carved seahorse head with a crystalline eye formed thehandle.
“Good thought.” Mariah brightened and tested the stick by circling it in the air, perpendicular to her body.“We should ask him to make one forSam.”
“I can’t pay him,” Sam protested, taking the lovely walking staff when Mariah handed it toher.
The sea horse perfectly fit her hand, and the energy flowing through the wood felt happy and positive. She coveted this stick. Which was crazy,right?
“He negotiates.” Mariel waved away the protest. “How does that feel? Lift it toward me,see whathappens.”
