“Especially not them,” Luis replied seriously. “The house has many hidden elements. Even though I knew just about all of Zelda’s secrets, I did not know everything. She never even told me where the disconnect box was located so that we could call out. Yes, I may have been her pool boy, but I wasn’t privy to all.”
And Zelda’s secrets crossed into the other side with her, unfortunately.
“But anyway,” he continued, “Zelda didn’t want the house to go to someone who wouldn’t appreciate it, so she took it away from Lemon and gave it to me. You must realize that I never expected to inherit it. Once Traylor and I were to reveal our secret to both women, I would have been scratched from the will. But now, of course, things are different.”
Right. Lemon had inherited only a few pennies, and Luis had a house worth at least a million dollars, if not more. The tables had certainly turned, hadn’t they?
“But you must believe me,” Luis pleaded. “I had nothing to do with what happened to Zelda, and if Lemon weren’t such a selfish woman, I would have already told her that she can have the house. But you see what she did to my face.” He pointed to the scratches. “But I tell you right now,” he said with fire, “I loved that woman more than her own daughter did. Did I not, Traylor?”
The lawyer sighed. “As much as I hate to speak badly of my wife, it’s true. To be honest, I don’t even think Lemon ever really loved me. I was only a stepping stone, a trophy husband that she could show off to her friends and pretend that her life was perfect in every way.”
Luis smiled gently at him. “Now our lives are perfect.”
Traylor smiled. “They are now.”
The two men took each other’s hands, and I watched, mulling over everything that we’d discussed. Did they seem like killers? No. I had to admit that first and foremost. But were they liars? Yes. Yet for good reason.
I wasn’t completely convinced that they were both innocent, however. One of them could have killed Zelda without the other knowing. It was as simple as that. Both men had a reason to want Zelda dead if she had discovered their secret. Luis had quite a bit of incentive—the house. Even though he claimed not to want it, was that true?
The more time I spent in this house with its elves and Christmas music, the more wonky I was feeling—out of sorts, that is.
“If there’s nothing else you want,” Traylor said, “we’ll return to the room now.”
I dismissed him with a wave. “No, I don’t need anything, and your secret is safe with me. I won’t tell anyone about the two of y’all.”
“Oh, that is wonderful,” Luis gushed. “Thank you very much.”
They left without holding hands. I understood why. If someone happened to see them, then all their hiding would have been for nothing.
I sighed as I took stock of the room. The box with the helmet sat exactly where it had been left, on Zelda’s desk. I studied it for a moment before rising. I had a simple plan: wake Roan up and have him, along with Alice and Ruth, help me call my father. It certainly couldn’t hurt, could it? After all, my dad was probably still around, wasn’t he?
I slid the lid from the container and took stock of the metal helmet constructed of bands and discs that would sit on the ears, like muffs.
“Dad, if only I could talk to you without using this stupid thing.”
A voice answered. “You can. But you have to promise not to catch me.”
I whirled to face my father, Vincent Breneaux, standing in the room alongside me.
Chapter 18
“Dad?” I said. The back of my arm itched. Lucky’s ghost gift was calling me, begging to be used.
My father’s dark eyes glittered. I don’t know why I hadn’t seen it during the séance, but he was powerful. The ghostly edges that many spirits possessed were sharp lines on him. His cheekbones, which had always been high when he was alive, now popped, they were so defined.
It was like Dad had gotten a makeover in Technicolor.
He smiled and in a rush of wind, he slipped through the room to stand in front of me. Then his hand was cupping my face.
“Blissful, I hate to argue.”
“Me too. Dad…”
My throat shriveled, and the words wouldn’t come.
“You want me to give myself up,” he murmured.
“Yes.”
