Built during the Hollywood heyday by a legendary film producer who’d spared no expense. The place was massive, with a huge entrance hall illuminated by floor to ceiling windows that commanded a stunning view. The house itself was settled at the top of one of San Diablo’s many hills, and the view was epic, encompassing both St. Mary’s Cathedral and the San Diablo cemetery, not to mention the ocean beyond.
There was even a spiral staircase that led from the main balcony down to that cemetery. Because who doesn’t want direct access to where the dead sleeps? Theophilus Monroe definitely did, as he was the later resident who had the set of stairs installed. A relative of the town’s founder, Theophilus was a bit of a bad apple, as he dabbled in the black arts and made all sorts of revisions to the place.
I hadn’t been back here since we returned from Rome, and now I walked through the place assessing the damage. The battered staircase, the crumbling balcony, the gouged wooden floors and popped up tiles. Scorch marks scarred the walls and ceiling, and windows were cracked and covered with plastic sheeting.
I took it all in, and though the condition was horrible, I was even more glad that I decided to come today. Waiting for a delivery was the least I could do, especially since I felt somewhat obligated. All of this damage was the result of demons, after all.
Allie and Mindy were with me, and Mindy hadn’t been here since that horrible day when we’d foolishly believed the safe room that had been constructed to guard against demons would be strong enough to protect us from the likes of Lilith. We’d been wrong, as the condition of the house clearly attested.
“Whoa,” Mindy said as she looked around the entrance hall. “I guess the safe room looks even worse, huh?”
“You were there,” Allie said.
Mindy nodded, hugging herself. “I think I blocked most of it.”
“Are you okay being here?” I asked gently. “It’s all safe now.”
The moment the words were out of my mouth, I wanted to call them back. Lilith was behind all the trouble that had damaged so much of this beautiful mansion. And now Lilith was back in action again. Could I really say that any place was safe?
“I’m okay, Aunt Kate. It’s all good.” She looked toward Allie. “Is the upstairs a mess?”
“Is it?” Allie asked, her eyes on me.
The truth was, I didn’t know. “Why don’t we go find out?” I glanced at my watch. “I’ve got at least half an hour before the delivery’s supposed to come. Let’s go check out the damage in the rest of the place.”
I crossed the entryway to the massive staircase that led up to the second floor, Allie and Mindy following behind me andwhispering among themselves. I could hear them as we climbed the stairs.
It’s kind of creepy, but it’s also kind of cool!
I know, right? Can you imagine all the Hollywood parties?
And that freaky black arts guy? He probably had séances!
I smiled to myself. I wasn’t sure if I should be pleased or disturbed that these two girls thought the creepy mansion that had been almost destroyed by a powerful demon was cool, but I decided to go with pleased. It proved they were resilient, and that was a much better assessment than that they were crazy.
“Are you coming on Thursday?” I heard Mindy ask Allie.
I resisted the urge to turn and look at them. Instead I continued my eavesdropping as we walked along the landing toward the ballroom that opened off a set of double doors in the middle of the hallway.
“Are you kidding?” Allie said. “Of course I am. You’re starring in the freaking musical.”
Thursday was the preview for friends and family, Friday was their day off, and Saturday evening was the grand opening of the community musical in which Mindy had the starring role of The Baker’s Wife inInto the Woods.
I listened as they continued talking, Allie telling Mindy how excited she was for her, and Mindy telling Allie that she couldn’t wait for her best friend and family to be there for the preview and opening night. “My dad’s even coming on Saturday. Can you believe it?”
Despite the fact that Paul was coming to town—something that Laura was not going to be happy about—I couldn’t help but smile. There’d been a period when there’d been a rift between these girls. Allie had made the cheerleading squad, and Mindy had not. For a while, I’d feared that the easement between our houses would never get used again. Then, fortunately, we realized that Mindy was a miniature Celine Dion. She excelledin the choir, got parts in the school musicals, and generally found her way again. Mindy had been a little jealous of Allie and cheerleading, and Allie was a little jealous of Mindy and singing. It all evened out in the wash.
Now, though, I had to wonder. Would the fact that Allie was anointed with some sort of special Demon-Hunting skills change the dynamic again? As far as I knew, Allie had yet to tell her bestie the situation. Which meant that right now, they were pretty much on an even keel as far as Mindy was concerned—both ordinary teenage girls learning how to fight. But I couldn’t help but wonder how that revelation would change their friendship. I hoped it didn’t, but I knew better than to believe the road would be easy.
I paused in front of the double doors and waited until the girls were paying attention. “Have either of you been in here yet?”
They looked at each other and shook their heads. “It’s a great room,” I said, then pushed the doors open with bold ceremony. “Ta-da!”
“Wow,” Allie said, with just the amount of enthusiasm that I’ve been hoping for. “It’s huge.” She glanced around the empty room, which, I was glad to see, had sustained no damage during Lilith’s temper tantrum.
In truth, the room wasn’t completely empty. There were tables with knocked-over chairs surrounding them. There were even a couple of mattresses on the floor, though they were out of place in a ballroom. Most likely this place had been a refuge for vagrants over the years.
The room was cavernous, and in the back it opened on to a small staging area for food preparation. A set of stairs connected that service area to a basement tunnel that provided access to the kitchen on the far side of the house.
