A Wild Fright in Deadwood (Deadwood Humorous Mystery Book 7) (42 page)

“Uh oh,” I whispered, locking onto the handle of the war hammer. I scrambled very ungracefully to my feet, my thighs wobbly, stumbling over my own boots until Doc caught me by the arm and held me steady.

“What do you hear?” Aunt Zoe asked, pulling a lighter from her bag along with another foot-long bundle of twigs.

Twigs? A lighter? These were her chosen weapons of defense? Was she going to offer the
lidérc
a marshmallow, some chocolate, and a graham cracker and then Kumbayah it to death?

“Violet Lynn,” she grabbed my arm in a solid grip. “Answer me. What do you hear?”

I pointed up at the ceiling. “Nothing now, but I heard footfalls going across the floor up there, only they sounded like high heeled shoes. Or maybe hooves.” I glanced at Doc. Seriously, if it took the form of Doc’s former lover, dead or not, I could not be held accountable for my actions.

“That makes sense,” Aunt Zoe said, aiming her light up at the ceiling.

“What makes sense?” Reid asked.

“A
lidérc’s
footprints are said to be that of a horse.”

“I didn’t hear a thing, did you?” Reid’s question was directed to Doc.

“No,” Doc said, “but Violet can often hear things I can’t.”

“I thought you were the medium.”

“I am, but so is she, and her toolbox is bigger than mine.”

“That’s not true,” I told Doc, hefting the war hammer as I stepped toward the hallway leading to the back rooms. “You just have a smaller tool.”

Complete silence followed my statement.

Ah hell. I winced as I continued down the hallway. That didn’t come out right. Maybe nobody would notice my
faux pas.

“Nyce?” I heard Reid ask. “Do you think your girlfriend meant that metaphorically?”

The low vibrations of Doc’s laughter reached me as I tiptoed back to the end of the hall where the old stairwell had been boarded up.

I heard Aunt Zoe tell Reid to shut up and then a
thwap
, which was probably her hand smacking his coat.

Doc caught up with me at the end of the hall. We stared up at the boards separating us from whatever was upstairs. My heart throbbed fast and hard clear to my toes. Did Prudence know when the end had been near in her reign as the local executioner? Had she been drowning in doubt about her abilities to take out her next kill like I was at the moment? Would I be able to fill her shoes with as much finesse as she so often crowed about?

“Doc,” I whispered for his ears only, wanting to clear the air before I went up to face this horse-hooved devil.

“What?” he matched my voice level.

“I have a confession to make.”

He waited for me to continue, both of us looking upward.

“Tiffany said something to me recently that sort of has me worried.”

I felt his gaze move to my face. “And what was that?”

“Something along the lines that any feelings you may have expressed for me might be disingenuous.”

I kept staring upward, afraid to meet his stare.

“Violet, do you really think now is the time to talk about this? Here of all places?”

“Probably not, but if whatever is up there wins tonight, I sort of want to clear this up in my head before we climb those stairs.”

“It’s not going to win.”

“We don’t know that.”

“Your Aunt Zoe is here to make sure you walk away when it’s over.”

“She’s scared. I can see it in her eyes. There is no guarantee with each kill. You know that as well as I do. Besides, it’s not me I’m worried about as much as
you
.” I blew out a breath, brushing some loose bangs out of my face. “Well, and Aunt Zoe and Reid, too, of course.”

“Are we going to compare tool sizes again?”

I shined my light at the dirt covered floor. “Sorry about that. Would it help if I wrote you a sonnet about my appreciation for your tool?”

In the dim light, I could see the corners of his eyes crinkle. “I think a limerick is a more appropriate style of verse for that particular object.”

I cleared my throat and started with, “There once was a medium named Doc, who had an obscenely large …”

Doc covered his eyes, shaking his head.

“Would you like me to continue?” I asked, giggling.

Laughter acted as a magic elixir, calming my fluttering stomach, easing my fears about what I needed to face upstairs.

“Please don’t, not here.” He glanced around. “You can remedy the wound your ‘small tool’ remark inflicted on my ego the next time we’re in bed.”

“Deal.”

“Now, about Tiffany’s comment.”

I held up my hand. “You know what? Never mind. I don’t want to go there right now.”

“You sure?”

I was rarely sure of anything when it came to him and me, but he was right—now was not the time for that conversation. “I’m sure.”

He shined his light back up at the boards. “Heavy footfalls, huh?”

“Extremely. I expected the ceiling to give way.”

“Christ, Killer. You sure keep life exciting. Come on.” He grabbed my arm and led me back out to the front room. “What now, Zoe?”

“We go up.”

The clomp-clomp-clomp of footfalls boomed again on the ceiling, heading back to the front of the building, making me flinch and duck as they thundered overhead. My fear came back in a tidal wave of goosebumps.

“That’s a bad idea.” I took a step away from Aunt Zoe.

“Violet, we are going up there.”

“You’re not hearing how big that
thing
up there sounds. Maybe I should go alone.”

Or we could just go home and I could call in sick for the filming tomorrow, and the next day, and the next, until Jerry either gave up on me or fired me. Either was preferable to risking our welfare on some silly, Hungarian pest.

“I don’t need to hear it.” Her hand snaked out and locked onto my wrist. “My purpose tonight is not to hear but rather to help you destroy.”

“It could be a good devil. Have you ever thought of that? Maybe we should just leave it be for another hundred years.” I tried to tug free, but she was in badger mode. “I mean who are we to condemn it to death?”

“You’re an executioner. You’re going upstairs, Violet Lynn, and I’m going with you.” She started towing me toward the front doors.

“Reid,” I said, dragging anchor. “It’s probably not safe to go up those stairs is it?”

He followed us out into the cold night. “Actually, the stairs are still in pretty good shape. It’s the foundation that didn’t pass inspection.”

Thank you for not helping, Mr. Fireman.

“Okay, okay!” I tugged free of Aunt Zoe’s grip. “I’ll go, but I’m leading the way.”

“No, I am.”

“No, you’re not,” Reid said. “You know the rule. I lead.”

Aunt Zoe glared at him. “Reid, you don’t understand the first thing about what we’re dealing with up there or how vulnerable you are now that it already knows your scent.”

He held up his watch. The glass charm band sparkled in the bright headlights. “But I have your protection charm.”

She sighed, lowering her bag to the ground. “All right. Come here.” Reid moved closer. She grabbed him by the shoulders and settled him in front of her. “Doc, would you step over here for a second, please?”

Doc moved closer while I stayed off to the side, shooting fret-filled glances up the dark stairwell.

I could hear a clacking sound from somewhere at the top of the steps, reminding me of something from my childhood. What was waiting for us? Were those teeth gnashing? Was it another bone cruncher?

“Get in line behind Reid, would you?” Doc did as asked. “A little closer.”

“What the hell, Zo. Why are you lining us up like school children heading out for recess?”

“I’ll explain in a minute.” She turned slightly to her right and took a deep breath.

“This better not be a game you’re—” Reid started.

“Look!” Aunt Zoe pointed up at the sky. “A shooting star.”

Reid looked up, so did Doc. I would have too, except I was preoccupied by that clacking sound, trying to place it in my memory. My distraction kept me staring straight ahead, so I had a clear view in the glow of Reid’s headlights of the uppercut that Aunt Zoe delivered to Reid’s jaw.

I gasped, watching wide mouthed as Reid fell backward into Doc, who managed to catch the fire captain as his knees gave out and he slid toward the ground.

“What happened to him?” Doc asked, hitching Reid up as best he could. Doc was strong, but Reid was no lightweight.

With a scoff, I rushed over to help Doc. “Aunt Zoe sucker punched him again.”

“Again?” Doc gaped at Aunt Zoe, who was grimacing as she rubbed her right hand.

“Reid has a glass jaw,” she explained, making a fist with a wince. “One solid blow in the right spot,” she snapped her left fingers, “and he goes down every time.” She leaned forward and lifted Reid’s eyelids one at a time, shining her light in each. “He’ll be fine in a few minutes.”

“How many times have you done this to him?”

“A couple of times. But only for his own good. Mostly, anyway.” She reached down and wiggled her left hand into Reid’s front jean pocket. “Why don’t you carry him to the pickup and lock him inside.” She pulled her hand out and held up two sets of keys. She handed Doc the small ring that held the pickup keys on it. “You hold onto these in case something happens to Violet or me.”

“You mean you’re not going to knock out Doc, too?” I said, helping Doc lift Reid enough to get a better grip on the fire captain’s limp body.

“Don’t get smart, Violet Lynn,” she chastised.

After Doc and I had returned from lugging Reid to his pickup and locking him inside, she explained, “Reid was the most vulnerable of all of us. The
lidérc
had already seen him. It would have gone for him first.” She shined her flashlight up the dark, covered stairway. “Now we have the element of surprise on our side.” As she started up the stairs, I heard her add, “I hope.”

I hesitated, my foot on the first step of the iron stairway, the cold railing under my palm. This was what I was born to do. Shouldn’t I feel more puffed up about facing yet another foe? Then I remembered Aunt Zoe mentioning that being scared would keep me on my toes, and I started up after her with Doc on my heels.

At the top step, I heard the jingle of keys.

“Here we go,” Aunt Zoe said and the lock clinked. She unhooked the padlock and turned the knob. The door opened without a single creak oddly enough. Complete darkness waited for us on the other side of the threshold, along with whatever it was I could hear mouth-breathing inside. Sheesh, bulldogs rasped less.

Then the clacking sound started up again.

Damn it, how did I know that sound? A memory of climbing narrow wooden stairs flashed through my mind.

Aunt Zoe flicked her lighter, holding the flame under the bundle of twigs. It flared to life and then eased to a pungent, smoking glow. She stepped inside, leading with the burning twigs.

Doc followed me inside.

“Here.” She handed him another bundle of twigs and lit those as well. “Keep this between you and the
lidérc
at all times.”

“What is that?” I asked.

“Birch twigs mixed with some incense. Normally it’s used to prevent a
lidérc
from entering one’s dwelling, but I’ve also read you can use it to keep the creature at bay.”

“Where’s mine?” I asked.

“You don’t get one.”

“Why not?”

“Because, Executioner, you have a war hammer.”

Oh, yeah. I lifted it, readying for battle. “Let’s go.”

“Which way?” she asked me.

Which way? I thought she was the fearless leader here.

Then I remembered that she couldn’t hear it like I could. I pointed to a narrow hallway on the far side of the open room. “Back there.”

Stepping aside, she nudged me forward. She shined her flashlight over my shoulder, lighting the way as we crept across the old wooden floor. It creaked unbelievably loud with every step, letting our host and probably half of the folks on this side of Lead know we were coming.

I followed the clacking sound down the hall, noticing a black spot on the wall at one point. That must be where Reid had seen the
lidérc
disappear.

Then I noticed several other black spots along the walls.

Or maybe it wasn’t the place Reid had mentioned.

We passed three darkened rooms, pausing at the doorway of each to shine a light in them while Aunt Zoe sprinkled something along the threshold. One was an old kitchen, ancient looking sink and stove still in place. Another was the bathroom with an old chain-pull style toilet with the tank on the wall, no bathtub or mirror. The other had a broken down iron bedframe in it and plenty of dust bunnies and critter droppings. All of them smelled musty, full of stale air.

The clacking sound continued.

Dominoes? I used to play them a lot with my brother, building long trains of upright dominoes to knock down.

No, that wasn’t it.

We stopped on the threshold of the final room, this one twice the size of the others. It was empty except for a wooden chair sitting dead center.

Had the
lidérc
somehow slipped passed us? Moved through the walls?

I focused, slowing my breath, closing my eyes, listening.

The clacking sound started up again, louder now. The rancid odor of rotting flesh wafted over my skin, making me gag.

It was right in front of us.

I opened my eyes, seeing nothing yet but that empty chair.

My grip tightened on the handle of the war hammer. “It’s here,” I said, not bothering to whisper. No use playing hide and seek anymore. “I can smell it.”

I heard Doc sniff a couple of times. Was he picking it up, too? Or had he caught the scent of something else hiding in here with my prey?

“You need to call it out,” Aunt Zoe instructed.

I’d sooner call this whole thing off and get her and Doc out of here. Instead, I obeyed like a good little killer.

“Show yourself,
lidérc
,” my voice sounded a lot tougher than I felt at the moment. If only I could see what I was dealing with instead of feeling my way around its lair.

No sooner had that thought finished when I noticed movement in the far corner.