Spirit [New Crescent 2] (BookStrand Publishing Romance) (23 page)

Chase said, “It’s all coming to a head isn’t it?”

Ernestine raised her eyebrows and ate a french fry in silence. He looked at Reggie.

“We’re running out of time,” Reggie said.

After dinner, they dropped Ernestine back home and as she turned to leave them, she said, “Look inside yourself, Reggie. You never know what you’ll find there.” As she walked past Chase, she grabbed his hand and squeezed, pulling him down so she could kiss his cheek. When she did, she whispered, “Don’t give up. You’ve already won. All you have to do is see it.”

The trip back to Bennett House took them past the elementary school. Reggie looked at it with nostalgia. Ernestine had been right. She’d had a happy childhood. She and her friends never had to deal with the kind of problems Todd and his friends did. In the darkness of her car, she exchanged a smile with Chase. It seemed he too was reliving fond memories.

Their expressions changed to alarm when they heard breaking glass. Chase slammed on the brakes and made a sharp right turn into the school’s parking lot. He started to tell Reggie to stay in the car, but she’d already jumped out. The rain had stopped, leaving huge puddles on the football field, and it occurred to Reggie that she’d get soaked running through it. She wished she’d worn jeans instead of beige wool–cashmere slacks.

Reggie and Chase ran toward the sound of laughter behind the school. The boys must have heard them because all four of them took off in different directions. Reggie raced after the one she thought looked like Aidan. She had to slow her pace when she hit the soaked football field because she lost her footing and slid in the mud. The kid had the same problem. He lost his footing and fell into a deep puddle. Reggie was convinced she’d catch him once he was down, but he was agile and jumped to his feet almost immediately. He made for the darkened forest. She knew she’d never find him in there, but she had to try.

The dense growth of trees blocked all light. She opened and closed her eyes trying to adjust to the thick blackness. Eyes open or closed, it made no difference. She was as good as blind. She could see nothing, but she could hear noises. Unsure of the direction the sounds came from, Reggie stopped dead. Damn it, the kid had the eyes of a cat on a carrot diet. The sounds of his footsteps faded in the distance, and Reggie tried to figure out which way he went. Finally giving up, she turned around and carefully retraced her steps. It wasn’t easy, and she prayed to God that for once her sense of direction was reliable. She heard Chase calling her name and gingerly headed toward him.

Chase was empty-handed as well. The boys had too big a head start, at least that’s the story Reggie and Chase agreed upon. They walked back to the school. Reggie was covered in mud. Chase had chosen to follow a kid who had darted toward Main Street so he was wet but not muddy.

Together, they inspected the damage. Three windows were broken, and obscene phrases and drawings were spray painted on the wall. Reggie looked at Chase with sadness.

“How do we get that off the walls?” Reggie pointed at one of the most explicit drawings. “Young children shouldn’t see such things.”

Chase shook his head and dialed Travis’s number with his cell phone. They waited for the sheriff. Reggie was glad she’d already had dinner.

* * * *

The next day, the sun shone so brightly it dried up the puddles left behind by the rain. Bennett House was quiet. Work on the renovations was still on hold. It was too dangerous. Reggie marveled that she and Chase were the only ones who could remain at the house with Vincent active. Constance protected them. Reggie was sure of that. She could feel her otherworldly presence the last time they’d ventured into the library. Ernestine had advised her to go with her gut. Reggie put a hand on her belly and said, “Okay. Go with my gut.”

She looked down at her hand and, in an impatient tone, said, “Well, gut…say something!” Her stomach lurched, and she felt sick. “Not what I had in mind.”

Taking a seat on the living room couch, Reggie took deep steadying breaths, waiting for the feeling to subside. So much for her gut, she thought. Maybe Ernestine and Constance were wrong. Was it possible? She’d never known Ernestine to be wrong about anything significant in her whole life. The old lady sucked at trivia, but she was an oracle when it came to the big stuff.

Gillian. She’d ask Gillian for advice. Maybe she’d be able to help. She stood up and called for Pru.

The inside of her car was still muddy from the night before. Reggie grimaced and wondered what that was going to cost her. She had to see to that soon. She’d been so occupied with Bennett House that she’d neglected everything else. When was the last time she’d seen her parents? Sam was home from the hospital, and she hadn’t even visited him. Reggie reminded herself that there was life beyond Bennett House and that she’d have to live it. She pulled into Gillian’s driveway.

Hank greeted Pru with enthusiasm and Gillian smiled at Reggie in welcome.

“Hey there, what’s up?” She frowned at the look on Reggie’s face.

“I think I need some girlfriend time. Do you mind if I hang out here with you for a while?” Reggie asked.

“You know you don’t have to ask. Did you want to talk about something in particular?”

Reggie nodded. “Yeah, I do, but do you mind if we just hang for a bit? I think I need to forget about Bennett House and the Big Bad for a couple of hours.”

Gillian smiled gently at her friend. “I’m all yours. Travis is working on the haunted house. Sam’s there too, but I’m sure he’s just there to make sarcastic comments because with that leg, he’s pretty useless. Chase is expected as well. So I guess we are all taking a break from the Big Bad today.”

It was a relaxing day. Reggie and Gillian never ran out of things to say to each other. They laughed a lot, often at Travis’s expense.
Nothing beats a woman friend,
Reggie thought. Even the most sensitive man could never replace a girlfriend. She understood that and every day she felt gratitude for her friendship with Gillian.

Reggie said, “So I guess Travis hasn’t got it right yet, huh?”

Gillian laughed. She knew exactly what Reggie was referring to. The whole town knew that Travis and Gillian would be married. It was just a matter of time. It all rested with Travis. Gillian had insisted he get it right. He had to ask her properly in order to get the answer he sought. So far he’d failed miserably. The town had a pool going. Everyone was making bets on when Travis would finally get what he wanted. Reggie had yet to get in on the action. She hoped to get inside information before putting her money down.

Gillian giggled. “So far, he’s put a ring in my soup. I almost broke a tooth. He tied a string around my finger while I was sleeping and waited for me to wake up and pull it, and I don’t know what he’d planned.” She nodded at Reggie, “Lame, I know but worse…he’d tied it so tight the string left a red mark on my finger. Sky writing? He tried that too, but the guy he hired got my name wrong, and Travis ended up asking Gilligan to marry him. Do you have any idea how many people in New Crescent know the
Gilligan’s Island
song?”

She paused and waited for Reggie to stop laughing before continuing. “He put a ring in a bubble gum machine and had to take Cindy Wilton for ice cream every day for a week before she’d give it back. She thought it was pretty. He’s written me the most hilarious poetry. Who taught him how to spell? Jethro Beaudine?” Both women cracked up and started to imagine even more hilarious ways Travis could bungle the simple act of asking the woman he loves to marry him.

“I swear, there’s a genius to his incompetence,” Gillian said.

“He’s made it performance art.” Reggie giggled. “He really is the best, though, isn’t he? You gotta admire his persistence.”

Gillian nodded. “So, feel like talking now?”

Reggie told Gillian all that Constance had said about her life with Vincent Bennett.

Horrified, Gillian said, “Oh my God, that poor woman. What an evil man.”

“Yeah, and Chase and I are expected to defeat him. Constance even said my life depended on it.”

Gillian frowned, “Really? She shouldn’t have said that.”

Reggie paused and looked at her friend with suspicion. “What should she have said, Gillian? What do you know?”

“Last summer, Ernestine told Travis that if he didn’t stop the rapist, he would not survive it. Pretty dramatic huh? But true. Failure would have destroyed Travis. In a way, he would have died, I guess. Could that be what Constance meant?”

Reggie shook her head, “No way. She meant that it was a matter of life and death. And you know? I believe her. I’ve felt the evil in that room. If it’s ever unleashed Gill, there’s no telling what damage it would wreak”

Gillian nodded and the expression on her face was serious. “You could be right. Ernestine’s been teaching me about what being a Guardian entails. I wasn’t born here, so it’s all so new to me.” She shrugged humbly and said, “According to her, there are towns like New Crescent all over the world, places that act as a buffer between the supernatural world and the natural world. These towns attract people with special abilities, people like me.” Gillian put her hand on her heart and said, “We feel at home here the moment we cross the town boundaries. But Guardians have a special mission. We are women who accept responsibility for the town’s safety. We guide the people of our town and help them to make good decisions so that we can stand firm against the forces that would destroy all that is natural and good.”

As a card carrying member of the Old Families and an expert on New Crescent and it’s position in the scheme of things, Reggie already understood all that Gillian was saying. But the passion in Gillian’s voice was so compelling she sat silently and listened to her friend’s tirade.

“People must be protected from evils such as Vincent Bennett. They’re unprepared for the kind of power he can wield. He will unleash a kind of Hell on earth, should he succeed. Outsiders cannot possibly conceive of the forces from which we protect them. It’s our job. New Crescent is the first line of defense. Sadly, Constance failed to do her job. She is now tied to that monster until he’s destroyed. She’s had to keep him in check for hundreds of years.” Gillian bent and hugged her dog Hank, and she spoke as much to him as she did to Reggie. “Once loosed, Vincent could infect so many others, I’m afraid to even imagine the numbers.”

Gillian stopped speaking and Reggie stayed silent for a moment. Finally, she said, “What you said about Constance makes sense. I couldn’t figure out why she stuck around. I guess she didn’t have a choice. She’s been a Guardian even in death. How tragic.”

“She needs your help just as much as you need hers. It’s a symbiotic relationship. Use it to your advantage and force Constance to tell you everything. She’s the only one who can do it.”

Reggie shook her head uncertainly. “She’s so reluctant. Her pain is so fresh. Even after so many years, Constance still suffers every day.”

Gillian nodded. “She was too young to be a Guardian, but after all this time, surely she’s matured enough to tell you all she knows.”

“I guess that’s my next task. Make Constance tell me her entire story. I can feel that time is running out. I don’t know how, but I’m sure Chase and I will have to do this thing soon.” Reggie hugged herself and ran her hands up and down her arms to stimulate circulation. She felt cold.

“How’s Chase during all of this?”

“He’s been wonderful. We’re not fighting anymore.”

Gillian smiled knowingly “Is that a good thing?”

“You have no idea.”

* * * *

Back at Bennett House, Reggie didn’t waste time. She had a mission. She walked through the garden and stopped near the iron gate. She didn’t need to call Constance because she was there waiting.

“You knew I was coming, did you?” Reggie’s voice was firm.

Constance just nodded.

“Tell me more. Chase uncovered rumors of Vincent and his possible involvement in the disappearance of a number of Asian servant girls. Do you know anything about that?”

Constance flinched, but didn’t say anything.

“We’re running out of time. Halloween is next week, and you know how significant that day is. Vincent will use it to his advantage. I need to be ready.” Still Constance said nothing. “Damn it woman, tell me what you know about the servant girls!” Reggie was losing patience.

“He liked them young.” Constance’s voice was hollow. “Some weren’t yet fourteen. He’d traveled widely and used his considerable wealth to satisfy his sick impulses. The Orient was a rich feeding ground for a man such as my husband. Those poor girls were completely helpless. Even the authorities turned a blind eye.”

She turned away from Reggie but kept talking. “He’d been doing such things for years. It wasn’t so easy in New Crescent. People here would have done something had they known. When he was here, he was careful to be discreet. I got pretty close to one of the girls. It wasn’t easy because they were all so frightened. I don’t know what her parents called her, but she told me ‘Mr.Vincent’ called her Mai.” Constance shook her head sadly, “She didn’t even have her own name. This exquisite child was his undisputed property and she knew it. Once I’d understood my husband predilections, I knew Mai wouldn’t survive his attentions for long. I put a stop to it.”