Part 27 (1/2)

Daniel followed her, albeit more slowly, his arm still around her, his expression bereft, as if he was losing her.

Brett came up the stairs with Lara, a pretty five-foot-seven-inch blonde who clearly knew Diego well, judging by the warm hug she gave him the minute she entered the room. Then she stood back, anxious to meet Scarlet. They were introduced just as the rest of the Krewe came up the stairs.

Lara Mayhew was warm and sincere, and obviously deeply in love with Brett. Scarlet could tell she made Brett happy.

But as soon as the pleasantries were exchanged, Matt said to Scarlet and Diego, ”What's going on here? You two look as if you've been hit in the head with a brick.”

”Our ghosts were here,” Diego said.

”Ghosts-plural?” Meg asked.

”Daniel and Ca.s.sandra Wells,” Scarlet said.

”Ah,” Jane said quietly. ”So it did mean something, you seeing her last night.”

”Yup. Newly found ghost magnet here,” Scarlet said lightly. ”Daniel suggested I should go to the morgue and try to talk to the Parkers.”

”He also suggested a seance,” Diego said, as if Daniel had suggested that they all grow horns.

”Have you ever been to a morgue?” Meg asked Scarlet.

”No,” Scarlet said.

”Spirits seldom linger there,” Matt said.

”It's an ugly place to be, with what's left of your physical self lying on a stainless steel table,” Brett said.

”But...a seance,” Diego said. ”I mean, we're above that, aren't we?” he asked hopefully, then answered himself with a groan. ”No, we're not against anything that might work.”

Jane said, ”Intriguing idea, actually-a seance. Why not?”

Diego looked over at her. ”I a.s.sume you mean we should involve our suspects?”

”Involve our suspects?” Scarlet asked.

”Invite them to join us, see how they react,” Diego told her.

”I don't think you'll ever get Angus to a seance,” Scarlet said flatly.

”Probably not. But Angus wasn't at the Twisted Antler and he didn't discover any of the bodies, so I think we can back-burner him as a suspect,” Adam said. ”I actually think that's not a bad idea. We'll arrange it for tonight. I'll speak with Ben and Trisha.”

”What if they refuse?” Scarlet asked. ”And even if they agree, this will be one unwieldy seance. There are eight of us, then Ben and Trisha, Terry, Linda and Gwen and Charles. And what about the Levins? That's a party, not a seance.”

”Meg and I were planning on following the Parkers' trail tonight,” Matt said. ”Take the highway in from Denver and stop at the places where they might have stopped, see if anyone remembers seeing them or seeing anyone or anything strange. I know their pictures have been out in the media, but sometimes you get better results with the personal touch.”

”We're also going to try to figure out where the killer might have stashed their car,” Meg said.

”And since Angus won't be coming, someone needs to keep an eye on the stables,” Brett said. ”Lara and I will stay here and keep an eye on the museum at the same time. And the back door to the main house,” he added irritably.

”Well, Adam and I will be here,” Jane said, smiling. ”I know how to conduct a seance. Not that I think it matters whether we're seance experts or not, because if something is going to happen, it's going to involve Scarlet.”

”Do you really believe we can convince the dead to come talk to us?”

”Who knows,” Jane said. ”But whatever happens, it will be interesting to see how the others react, don't you think?”

”If the killer's really one of them and he believes the dead are about to literally unmask him, things could become dangerous.”

Jane looked at Scarlet. ”Seance or morgue? Your call.”

Scarlet was quiet for a long moment. She didn't like either option. ”Let's start with a seance,” she said at last.

”Great,” Diego said. ”So now, all we have to do is wait for darkness to fall, the moon to rise and the candles to flicker. I can't believe that's how we're trying to solve this case,” he said. ”But who knows? Maybe our ghosts will arrive and our killer will believe.”

14.

As Scarlet had suspected he would, Angus opted out of taking part in the seance.

His exact words were more definitive. ”No. No how, no way, not now, not ever, and you must be kidding.”

Scarlet, accompanied by Jane, had gone down to the stables to talk to him. She told him it was fine if he chose not to join them-they were just trying to see who might be interested. But despite that rea.s.surance, the mere suggestion of a seance set him off.

”You want a seance?” he asked. ”Oooooh, spooky. Why not do some really weird s.h.i.+t? Let's ride up to the cemetery at midnight so we can perform a Native American ritual and wake up all the spirits?”

Angus stared suspiciously at Jane, as if he held her personally responsible for all this, since she was the newest arrival.

Jane refused to be offended. ”Maybe we'll do that, too,” she told him cheerfully.

Scarlet watched Angus's reaction with amus.e.m.e.nt. He was an old grouch, but even he wasn't immune to Jane's charm. ”We're just trying anything we can think of, Angus, because these murders are so awful and we need all the help we can get. It's fine if you don't want to be part of the seance, but will you be around tonight? In case we need you?”

”For what? You think the horses are going to start speaking in tongues?” Angus asked.

Jane smiled. ”Not that, but you never know with horses. You know yourself-they're intuitive. If something bad is going on, they'll sense it and react But no, that's not what Scarlet meant. It's just that you're smart, strong, and you know this ranch better than anyone. If anything is off, you'll notice, and it would be good to know you're out here, just in case there is any trouble. Human trouble. There's still a murderer out there, and we can't let ourselves forget that.”

Angus looked at her curiously, but seemed pleased by the compliment.

”I'm usually around anyway, but I'll make sure I'm here tonight. I'll keep an eye out for anything that looks wrong.” He shook his head and rolled his eyes. ”But a seance? b.a.l.l.s! I'm sorry, and I get that you have to try everything, but...b.a.l.l.s.”

They thanked him for his willingness to watch for trouble, then headed back toward the house.

”I told you that would be his reaction,” Scarlet said.

Jane nodded. ”That's all right. At least we know he'll hang around in case the killer makes a move or something.”

Inside, everyone from the main house-except Matt and Meg, who were already on the road-was just finis.h.i.+ng up breakfast, the giant moose head seeming to look down at them as if it agreed with Angus about the idea of a seance, which they were animatedly discussing.

”We'll do it. We'll do anything you want,” Ben said. ”I have to admit, I think it's silly. But if you guys think it'll help, Trish and I are in. Aren't we, honey?” he said, turning to her.