“What the hell does that mean?”Cherry said.
“Looks like gibberish to me,” Maxine grumbled, thumping over with her cane to look more closely at Brenda Tremaine’s message. Callie followed her and shined her mobile phone light on the wall.
“Far-well-ware-rail? What is that? Some sort of word puzzle?” Orbra sounded annoyed.
“You know, Jean, if you were going to help us, you coulda made sure she wrote something that actuallymeantsomething,” Maxine said, planting her free hand on her hip.
Thunk!! Thunk!!
“Whatever,” Maxine sneered. “See if I call your ghostly butt into my next séance.”
THUNK!!!
“I guess it’s a good thing Jean hasn’t learned the whole indoor-tornado technique yet,” Fiona muttered to Callie, who couldn’t keep from laughing. The whole situation was just ludicrous…and as far as she was concerned, nothing was really resolved. “And what’s that red stuff that’s splashed all over your face—and mine too, I assume? That’s from Brenda?”
Callie nodded. “It washes off. I think it’s a throw back to the cranberry champagne cocktail she was holding when she died, and guessing she used whatever it is to write her message.”
“Well, now, let’s just calm down and take a minute to see if we can decipher Brenda’s message,” said Iva in her prim, librarian voice. She probably had no idea her face was covered in blood-red streaks as well. “And not go around insulting specters and phantoms, shall we, Maxine?”
“It’s not like they didn’t speak English when they were living,” Maxine grumbled. “Where’d she go to school anyway?” But Callie noticed her sharp eyes were fixed on the words and she could almost hear the wheels moving in the curmudgeonly woman’s brain.
“All right, so let’s just take it one little bit at a time,” said Cherry. “Far…well…ware…rail. It’s a little bit of a tongue twister…”
“Far well could be ‘farewell’,” said Juanita, who was cuddling a much happier Bruce to her ample chest. “She just missed a letter. Maybe she’s saying goodbye.”
“Good point,” said Orbra. “You did ask her to leave, Maxine,” she reminded her friend.
“She didn’t ask, sheordered,” Juanita said.
“True dat,” Maxine admitted.
“So she’s saying farewell, is she? That bodes well for your wedding coming off, doesn’t it, Iva?” said Cherry.
“I like it. Jean, we need an interpreter. Is she saying farewell?” asked Iva.
Thunk.
“Since it wasn’t a vehement you’re-on-the-wrong-track thunk, I’ll take that as a yes. So that’s good. The wedding ison!” Iva beamed at everyone, spreading her arms wide. “I can’t wait to tell Hollis! He’s going to be so excited—and nervous. I’ve never seen a man so nervous about getting married in my life—and it’s going to be hisfourthwedding! You’d think he’d be used to it by now.” Her cheeks were pink behind the red streaks and her eyes positively sparkled.
Calliereallyhoped Iva was right.
“But what about the rest of it? Don’t forget, Brenda was around in the 1920s, so we need to think about common vernacular back then.” Cherry said, standing in front of the wall again. “Ware…rail. Ware…rail. Waril? Whirl? Hmmm. War?”
“Ware could be from beware,” said Juanita. “Isn’t that an old-fashioned way of giving a warning? Ware those who step on a gravestone, yada yada?”
“Could be,” mused Iva, who clearly didn’t like the idea of a warning. “What about rail?”
“Rail. Well, there’s a railway station out there—or used to be—and the tracks go by right below. And there’s a rail going up the stairs—anda rail on the balcony,” said Orbra. “She did die on the balcony, don’t forget.”
“Maybe she missed another letter and it was supposed to be trail,” mused Cherry.
“Or rain, instead of rail—oh, that could make sense. She’s warning about rain on the balcony during your wedding, Iva,” said Orbra.
“Oooh. That could be—”
“But it’s winter. It’s probably not going to rain in December. Why wouldn’t she say snow or ice instead of rain?” said Fiona.
“Maybe she was trying to cover all bases,” said Juanita.
