Iva looked right at Callie. “We’re going to have a séance.”
Eight
“I can’t believethey talked me into this,” Callie hissed into Fiona’s ear as they began to climb up the steps inside the clock tower. “This isinsane.”
“I can’t believe you insisted I come too,” her friend replied. But her eyes danced and she looked remarkably at ease considering the fact that Maxine Took, of all people, was going to be the medium for the séance. “Besides, I did a palm reading on Iva the other day. She definitely has a marriage line, and her life line is long enough. I don’t think she’s going to die at her wedding.”
“Well that’s comforting,” Callie muttered.
“Hurry up you two,” ordered Maxine, who somehow had managed to push her way ahead of everyone and was at the top of the stairs, walking stick in hand.
That was when it dawned on Callie that the walking stick was more of a prop than an ambulatory aid.
“Now, Brucie, you’re going to have to be quiet during this whole thing,” Juanita was saying as she made her way up a bit more slowly than her counterpart.
“She’s bringing herdog?” Callie whispered to Fiona. “Isn’t that going to…ruin things?”
“Well, you know animals are more sensitive to these sorts of things,” Fiona replied. “My cat Gretchen definitely was.”
“I’ve got the Ouija board,” said Iva, puffing a little as she caught up to Callie and Fiona on the steps. “I’m not sure if we’re going to need it, but just in case.”
“We don’t need no Wee-jah board,” Maxine called down. “I’ve got my own way, talking to the spirits.”
“That’s ’cause you’re a witchy woman,” snickered Juanita, and she and Cherry began to sing the refrain from the old Eagles song.
“Besides,” Maxine continued as the oooh-ooohs echoed in the stairwell, “I asked Jean to be here, so she can interpret for us.”
“Who’s Jean?” asked Callie, really wishing she’d just stayed in Grand Rapids tonight.
Sheknew what to expect. These poor little old ladies wouldn’t stand a chance against the angry, violent Brenda Tremaine and the fake cranberry champagne cocktail stuff she was always flinging around. That was why Callie had let herself be talked into coming—someone had to be there to save them.
“Oh, Jean is their friend who died—actually, she was murdered—two summers ago. She was the sixth Tuesday Lady, and after her death, she came back and haunted her niece1until she figured out Jean had been murdered and helped to catch her killer. It was before I moved here, but I heard all about it,” said Fiona.
“That’s right,” said Orbra, who’d brought up the rear of the climbers. “Like I said before, if anyone was ever going to haunt anyone, it would be Jean Fickler. That was a good idea to invite her tonight, Maxine,” she called up. “It’ll be just like old times with the six of us together again.”
Finally, they all got to the top and Callie opened the door to the room. It was just as clean and quiet and still as it had been last week, before she pissed off Brenda Tremaine and got caught in the tornado of her fury. And the chairs and cocktail tables she’d ordered for the reception and forgotten to cancel had been delivered. Just lovely. Another fee she was going to have to eat.
The heat wasn’t on, so the air was chill. They were going to have to remain in their coats and hats. Callie wished—briefly—for a fire like the one she’d enjoyed at Ben’s last week.
Then she quickly shut down that thought.
“All right, Brucie, you’re going to have to sit on Mommy’s lap and be very good,” said Juanita, gently extricating the small dog from his tote.
“Everyone sit in a circle,” ordered Maxine. “We need chairs. Get some chairs.”
“Get your own chair,” Juanita grumbled.
She tucked Bruce Banner under one arm and began to muscle a cushioned, upholstered chair to the center of the room. Callie shook her head as the other ladies scraped and dragged chairs from the stacks against the wall. There were multitudes of cold breaths puffing around, grunts and groans and loud scraping sounds.
“We need a table,” Maxine said after all of the chairs had been arranged—which then meant the chairs had to be moved in order to fit the table through.
Callie rolled her eyes as she and Fiona carried the table over. This was going to be a cluster-freak of the highest order.
“I’ve got the candles,” said Cherry, and she and Iva began to arrange ten candles in the center of the table. “And some incense that will help to soothe our minds and open our sixth chakras as we welcome Brenda Tremaine’s spirit to our circle tonight.”
“This is surreal,” Callie murmured as she took a chair next to Fiona.
“It’s going to be fascinating,” replied her friend as she arranged her flowing skirts and long parka over her legs.
