I would’ve shaken my head, but it would create too much noise.
I motioned for Captain Blount to come toward me. He did, and then I used what I considered noncomplicated hand gestures, like point at myself, then at him, then miming jumping out and scaring whoever hid behind the house, so that the captain would understand the plan.
He looked at me as if I was a talking turkey.
“Just stay behind me, and if I need you to scare someone, do it,” I said in a low voice.
“As you command, madam.”
Bushes rustled only a few feet away. This was it. I curled my hands and readied to leap out. When a murmur cut through the air, I launched myself.
“Stay where you are!” And for some reason I’d pulled my hands into a gun shape like I was a little kid playing cop.
What was wrong with me? Better question, what had Haunted Hollow done to me? Never would I have jumped from behind a house with gun hands in my old life, and I would’ve kneed anyone in the gonads who suggested such a thing.
Funny how things changed.
Anyway, I yelled at the perp, and next thing I knew, something soft filled with hard things bounced against my leg.
“Stay where you are,” Captain Blount commanded. “I am a captain in the Confederacy, and I demand it!”
“Ah!” came a reply.
Hands were thrown up in the air. Someone screamed, and that’s when I yelled, “Stop!”
I squinted. “Ruth. Alice. Is that y’all?”
The two women appeared from behind a bush that hid the HVAC. They were dressed in dark clothing, which was why I didn’t immediately see them.
“Blissful.” Ruth sounded relieved. “I’m so glad we found you.”
“You found me,” I murmured bitterly. “I was hoping you were Fannie Sullivan.”
“Why?” Alice said.
I bent down and picked up Alice’s purse. That’s what she’d thrown at my legs. “Good thing there wasn’t anything harder in there than a tin of shortbread. That could’ve really hurt.”
Alice took the purse gratefully. “Oh, I would never hurt you, Blissful. At least, not on purpose.”
“Thanks.” I smirked. “That makes me feel better.” I stared at the two elderly women. “Just what are y’all doing out here?”
“We came to look for you.” Ruth spat a line of tobacco to the ground. “Tell you that Axel and Pepper were back and waiting for you.”
I groaned. “Right. Well, I don’t have the spirit. So there’s not going to be any sort of ritual tonight that’ll break his hold on this earth.”
Alice brushed off the bottom of her purse. “You can tell them that. I think they’re at the B and B.”
“Thanks. Roan’s probably tried to call. I’ve had my phone off.” I turned to Captain Blount. “Captain, thank you for all your help tonight. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
He saluted me. “You are very welcome, madam. If you require my assistance in the future, you know where I can be found.”
I smiled. “Yes. Thanks, again.”
Captain Blount slowly seeped into the fabric of the atmosphere. He disappeared slowly, as if dissolving in water. It was cool to watch.
I turned back to Alice and Ruth. “Have the two of you eaten?”
“Does shortbread count?” Alice said.
