Part 28 (2/2)
”My G.o.d!” Haden's eyes widened in shock. ”Who...?”
”Calm yourself. I didn't speak personally to Old Scratch.” Esther laughed. ”I linked with a woman who says she's not a witch, but I know she is. She's a white witch, though, and-”
Haden grabbed Esther's chin. She yelped when his long, thin fingers bit into her cheeks.
”You've allowed someone to learn your ident.i.ty, someone you don't know and trust?” Haden glowered at her. ”You little fool, do you know what you've done?”
”What's wrong with you? Why are you so upset?”
”Do you know who this woman is?”
Esther shook her head.
”Does she know who you are?” he asked.
”I don't think she knows-” Esther gasped.
”What?”
”She called me Esther.”
”You're an idiot. You've exposed yourself. Exposed us. This woman who is capable of telepathy knows you're a practicing witch. Our lives will be ruined if that truth is revealed.”
”But...but...why would she...what would she have to...oh, Haden, who do you think she is?”
When he shoved her off his lap, she almost lost her balance, but managed to grab hold of the desk. He paced the room. Esther stood silently by and waited until he'd worked off some of the anger-fed energy.
”Genevieve Madoc!” Haden cried. ”The girl who lives on the mountain. The people here in Cherokee Pointe say her grandmother was a witch woman. Supposedly she has strong psychic talents. It has to be her. I don't think there's anyone else it could be.”
”Isn't the sheriff her cousin or her brother or something?”
”Her cousin. And if she tells him about you and he starts poking into our business-”
”I'll hide everything,” Esther said. ”I'll gather up all my books and potions and...I promise I won't-”
He grabbed her shoulders. ”If he connects us to the animal sacrifices that were done in the woods last fall, then it will be only a short leap to suspecting us of murder.”
”Murder? But who-”
”There have been three women sacrificed in Cherokee County. Don't you think people are going to believe that someone who sacrifices animals as part of their devil-wors.h.i.+p rituals might easily sacrifice human beings?”
”Maybe it wasn't Genevieve Madoc that I contacted. Maybe it-”
Haden shook her soundly. ”You didn't contact her, you fool. You have no powers. She contacted you. Now she knows who you are.”
”What-what are we going to do?”
”You're going to get rid of everything connected to your black magic. I don't care what you do with it, just make sure it can't be linked back to us.”
”But what about the Madoc woman?”
”Don't worry. I'll take care of her.”
Chapter 23.
With his strong arm firmly placed around her waist, Dallas walked with Genny from her grandmother's room to her own. She had depended on Granny for most of her life, whenever she'd recuperated after using her gift of sight. But during the past six years, she'd had no choice but to rely on Jacob and Jazzy and occasionally Sally and Ludie. They were the only people she trusted implicitly, the ones who truly understood her situation. But now she had Dallas, for however long he chose to remain in her life. He gave her strength, as no one else could, the bond between them unique.
As Dallas helped her into her bed, Jacob stood in the doorway. Genny held out her hand to him and called his name.
Jacob went to her and took her hand in his. ”I'm here, i gi do. What is it?”
”Esther Stowe is practicing witchcraft. She is the high priestess of a coven in Cherokee Pointe,” Genny said. ”While I was inside her mind, I drew images from her thoughts, images of animal sacrifices and wild orgies.” Genny paused, took several shallow breaths and then continued. ”She yearns for magical powers and is calling on the devil with incantations that she actually believes will work.”
”Did you get a sense that she is in any way connected to the sacrificial murders?”
”No, but...” Genny's eyelids drooped, then closed.
”Genny?” Dallas called to her.
”She's asleep.” Jacob released her hand and turned to Dallas. ”You'll stay here with her?”
Dallas nodded and the two men walked out into the hall.
”I think I'll pay a friendly visit to the Reverend and Mrs. Stowe,” Jacob said. ”I can't accuse them of anything since I have no evidence of any kind. And no judge is going to issue a search warrant so we can inspect the church and the parsonage just because Genny had a vision. But I can shake the Stowes up a little simply by dropping by to see them.”
”Genny didn't seem to sense that Esther Stowe was connected to the murders, but what if Reverend Stowe is? Or maybe one of the members of Esther's coven. Could be our guy has a past history with witchcraft.”
”I'll call-”
”Let me contact Teri. We'll get quicker results that way.”
”You'll have her check out Carson, Pierpont, and Jamie Upton, as well as Haden and Esther Stowe?”
”Most definitely,” Dallas said. ”Call me after you talk to the Stowes.”
”Yeah, I'd planned to call you to check on Genny, anyway.”
”Don't worry about her. I'll be here to keep watch over her.”
Esther Stowe was a delicious creature, lithe and supple, her body made for f.u.c.king. When she'd asked a favor of him, he'd readily agreed, knowing she would repay him with s.e.x. Since he was a faithful member of her inept little coven, she believed she could trust him. And she could-up to a point. If he gave away her secrets, he'd also be admitting that he belonged to a devil-wors.h.i.+pping cult. Not something he wanted made public. But if she ever betrayed him by naming him as a follower of Satan, he would punish her severely.
”You'll have to keep everything in your bas.e.m.e.nt,” Esther told him. ”I know it'll be safe with you. And we won't be able to meet for a while. Haden said not until we're sure the sheriff isn't watching us.”
”There's no need to worry,” he told her. ”We'll find a way to get around Sheriff Butler. In a few weeks, we can use my bas.e.m.e.nt, if we're very discreet.”
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