Part 32 (1/2)

A little gasp from behind me told me that Gilley could see her too. She looked at him then, and she said, ”Now, Gilley Gillespie, you don't be afraid neither. I need you to stay close to my Mary Jane. You hear? You be a good friend to her, 'cause I believe she'll be needin' a real good friend for a spell.”

”Yes, ma'am,” Gil squeaked obediently.

And then my mother looked one last time at me with such tenderness and love that I nearly shattered inside. She blew me a kiss, mouthed, ”I love you,” and then she vanished into thin air.

Gilley and I had never once spoken about that morning, and I carried the memory of it like a safely guarded secret. It was such a bittersweet memory that to tell anyone about it might forever taint it in some way, which was why I told no one, and I pushed it to the back of my thoughts to keep it safe and pure.

So, I couldn't imagine why, after all these years, I'd be dreaming about it on the eve of leaving Ireland for Dunkirk to film the next segment of our reality TV show, Ghoul Getters, Ghoul Getters, but here I was all grown-up now, having a dream about visiting that same porch back in Valdosta, which was once again scattered with Barbies, Ken dolls, and tiny clothes, and there was my mother, standing in the doorway, looking every bit as lovely as I had remembered. but here I was all grown-up now, having a dream about visiting that same porch back in Valdosta, which was once again scattered with Barbies, Ken dolls, and tiny clothes, and there was my mother, standing in the doorway, looking every bit as lovely as I had remembered.

”h.e.l.lo, Mary Jane,” she said softly, almost shyly.

I blinked-just like when I was eleven. ”Mamma?”

My mother stepped forward, her smile filling up the room and my heart. ”I been watchin' you,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. ”My, what a lovely lady you've turned into!”

I opened my mouth to speak, but the emotion of seeing my mother was too much and the words just wouldn't come.

Mamma was kind enough to ignore that and simply stepped closer. Taking my hand she said, ”I am so proud of you, Mary Jane. You just light me up with how smart you are and how courageous you've become. Why, I remember when you were afraid of your own shadow!”

I swallowed hard and attempted a smile. In recent years I'd played on my natural psychic-medium talents and become a credible ghostbuster. While working on the Ghoul Getters Ghoul Getters show, I'd faced and fought back against some of the most fearsome poltergeists you could ever imagine. show, I'd faced and fought back against some of the most fearsome poltergeists you could ever imagine.

”Lord, Mary Jane!” my mother exclaimed knowingly. ”I've watched you tackle murderous spirits, and vengeful witches, and now, even a phantom!”

My chest filled with the pride and love from my mother. But just then my mother's beaming face turned serious, and she seemed to hesitate-as if she were about to choose her next words carefully. ”There is a mission about to be offered to you that I know you'll accept, honey child. One that involves the most horrendous evil imaginable.”

I blinked again. Was she talking about the ghosts in the haunted village in Dunkirk? The next place on the Ghoul Getters Ghoul Getters agenda? ”I've already read the literature,” I tried to a.s.sure her. ”This time I'm going in prepared, and honestly, Mamma, I don't think it's anything we can't handle.” agenda? ”I've already read the literature,” I tried to a.s.sure her. ”This time I'm going in prepared, and honestly, Mamma, I don't think it's anything we can't handle.”

My mother squeezed my hand, however, and sighed heavily. ”Nothing can prepare you for this, Mary Jane. But I know better than to try to talk you out of it. Sam has come to me, you know.”

I shook my head, utterly confused. Was she talking about the deceased grandfather of my fellow ghostbuster and current boyfriend, Heath? ”You mean, Sam Whitefeather?”

My mother nodded. ”He's tellin' me he's your new spirit guide.”

I smiled. Sam had made himself noticeable to me shortly after I'd met his grandson and since then he'd worked hard to keep me from getting too beat up on our ghost hunts.

”He needs your help,” my mother continued. ”He wants my blessin' before he asks you to help his people. I've seen how Sam's been lookin' out for you, and how he's even saved your life a time or two. For that I'm truly grateful, but I just don't know that I can give my blessin' on this.”

”Mamma,” I said, trying to sort through this cryptic bundle of information and decipher why my mother looked so uncharacteristically worried. ”I don't understand. Are you telling me Sam won't be coming with us to Dunkirk or something?”

My mother didn't answer me. Instead she stroked my hair, stared deep into my eyes, as if she was considering telling me more, and then abruptly looked over her shoulder. I followed her gaze and saw that Sam Whitefeather was now standing in the doorway. He seemed to be waiting for something like an invitation or permission to enter the room.

”May I, Maddie?” he asked, bowing formally to my mother.

Without answering him, my mother turned back to me and cupped my face in those familiar warm hands. ”Stay safe, Mary Jane,” she whispered, leaning in to kiss me on the forehead. ”And under no circ.u.mstances are you to even think think about joining me for a very, about joining me for a very, very very long time. You hear?” long time. You hear?”

I nodded, still wondering what this was all about,but my mother got up then and moved away from me. ”Mamma, wait!” I called after her, but she simply walked over to Sam, placed a gentle hand on his arm and said, ”Protect her as much as possible or you'll have me to answer to, Samuel Whitefeather.”

And then she was gone.

It was another moment before I could tear my eyes away from the place where she'd been standing to look directly into Sam Whitefeather's grim-looking face. ”What's this all about?” I managed to ask.

Sam studied me for several moments, as if he were privately weighing whether to fill me in. ”My grandson is about to receive a call. His uncle has been murdered.”

I gasped. ”Oh, no!”

Sam's shoulders sagged a little. ”I didn't know until it was too late, M. J. Whoever released the demon used dark magic to obscure it from us, and by then, my son was dead.”

My hand flew to my mouth. ”Oh, Sam! I'm so, so sorry!” Vaguely I remembered Heath talking at length about his three uncles, and I wondered which one of them had been murdered. I knew his favorite uncle was Saul, who'd been like a second father to Heath, and I held my breath, hoping that it wasn't him.