The Phantom Queen: A Whisper Hollow Novel, Book 3 Read online

  “The light—can you tell if it’s sunlight? Or in a room?” Sophia had her notebook out and she was jotting down notes.

  “Not sunlight. The light makes me afraid and I’m not certain why. But I get a strong sense of apprehension surrounding the light and whatever is causing it.” She paused, frowning. “It’s almost as though the light represents….something terrifying. I know there’s a reason it makes me afraid. And yet, I sense the hope of escape.” She paused. “It’s not a room. It’s much smaller than a room and there isn’t much space to sit up.”

  “A trunk, perhaps?” Sophia asked.

  Tonya nodded. “I think so. That feels right when you say it.”

  “The light then, that’s outside. She had a hope for escape, and yet whoever put her in the trunk would also be out there. So we can figure she was picked up by the killer and shoved into the trunk while she was still alive.” My stomach lurched.

  “That would fit with the bruises on her hands. It looked like she had beat her hands to a pulp. They were black and blue. Which means she was in there long enough to almost break her knuckles, trying to get out,” Sophia said. “Poor girl.”

  “We have no real way of knowing how long he held her captive.” I glanced around. “When you found her, was the crime scene visible from the street?”

  “We didn’t find her. A jogger did. Greyson James came across her body while he and his dog were out for an early run. Given when her mother said she left home, and how long the ME says she’s been dead, at most the killer had her for between six to twelve hours. She died well before Rosemary and Emmet.”

  “That matches what Penelope told me.” I stared at the purse. “Should we be holding this without wearing gloves?”

  “It doesn’t matter much. Every print on there was smudged. Greyson’s dog found the purse and brought it out to him. He opened it, thinking the woman who lost it might have also lost her phone. He was going to try to find the owner. So his prints are all over the purse, along with dog slobber. But before he could sort through the contacts, his dog found Nancy’s body and started barking up a storm. Greyson went looking for the dog and found her sitting beside Nancy’s body, which was lying near Raven Creek.”

  Sophia pressed her lips together, her eyes bleak. She read “professional” in every move and word, but one glance told me she was taking this a lot like any mother would. And the fact that she had a daughter near Nancy’s age made it even worse.

  “I’m instituting a nine o’clock curfew. And I’m going to activate the emergency members of the force. All hands on deck. We need to find him before he strikes again.”

  “I think that’s wise,” I said. “Make the curfew mandatory. Get on primetime local news tonight. You have to warn the town, and a number of them may have missed your broadcast the other night. Neither Starlight nor Tonya knew about it.”

  “I’ll set it up for the five o’clock news.” She turned back to Tonya. “Did you catch anything else?”

  Tonya closed her eyes, still clutching the purse to her chest. “A lowrider. The car’s a lowrider, and it’s older. That’s what pulled her in—the car was unusual—and the man leaning against it called her over. I can almost hear him. He offered her a ride. And he offered her some…pills. Oxycontin.”

  She suddenly shook her head, her eyes flying open. “He charmed her. I don’t know how he did it, but I can feel a residue of his magic on the purse. He persuaded her to walk over to the car and talk to him, and then he grabbed her and…I think he injected her with some drug and shoved her in the trunk. Then I see the darkness again, and the sliver of light, but it’s too late. After that…it goes blank. Did you find her purse with her body?”

  Sophia shook her head. “It was about ten yards away. I think she dropped it when he was dragging her into the woods. It’s snowed enough since then to wipe out signs of the struggle, but I believe she was conscious when he took her out of the trunk.”

  “Yes, she was. And the purse quit absorbing energy—memories, if you will—when she dropped it.” Tonya handed it back to Sophia. “I’m sorry. I wish I could pick up more.”

  “You helped. Lowrider…there aren’t many of those in town. I’ll tell Frank to have all our officers be on the lookout. I wonder what pulled the killer to Whisper Hollow. You’d think he’d pick a larger area, given it’s pretty easy to spot strangers here.”

  “I think I know, if what I suspect is right.” I paused. I wanted to tell the Society first, but Sophia deserved to know what she was dealing with. “Veronica told me there’s a necromancer around town. Chances are, given the killer is into necrophilia, the necromancer is probably the killer. And Whisper Hollow is the perfect place for someone who likes to raise the dead.”

  Sophia closed her eyes for a moment, then let out a long sigh. “Well, that’s something I didn’t need to hear. All right, I take it I should keep this under wraps until you or the Matriarchs give me the go-ahead to mention it?”

  I slowly nodded. “I think so. Also, tell your men to be cautious. We don’t know the extent of his magic. If he can charm as well, then we’re starting off at a distinct disadvantage. I also worry because Veronica told me that necromancers can, if they’re powerful enough, summon up the Unliving. And that’s the last thing we need.”

  “Do you think the Hounds called him into town?” Tonya asked.

  I shrugged. “I have no idea, though I wouldn’t put it past them. Then again, the Crow Man told me not to assume anything.” I paused, trying to focus on the feeling. Finally, I shook my head. “I think…this has very little to do with the Hounds, to be honest.”

  At that moment, both Tonya and I received texts. I glanced at my phone. Starlight had set the meeting up for nine thirty the next night.

  “Good, we have a meeting set for tomorrow night. We’ll try to figure out a plan then. But meanwhile, I suggest you impose a high fine for being caught out after curfew to dissuade people from breaking it.” I held Sophia’s gaze. “We can’t let any more kids die.”

  Sophia nodded. “Good idea. Kids will try to sneak out no matter what, but if they think it’s going to cost them a fine or community service, they may decide to cooperate. I’ll talk to the principals of the elementary, middle, and high schools and see if they can tie in a failing grade, automatic detention, or some other punishment for breaking the curfew. It’s an unusual idea but it might just work.”

  “That’s brilliant.” I yawned. The cold was making me sleepy. “All right, I want to go home. I’m tired.” I glanced around the area, deciding not to add that being out here in the dark where a serial killer had recently struck gave me the creeps.

  “I have to go, too. Nathan and Yasha will need dinner soon.”

  Sophia walked us back to my car. “Thank you, Tonya, Kerris. I appreciate the help and it gives us something more to go on.”

  I glanced around the park. “Get back in your car before we leave. We’ll all pull out together. You have a gun, but…” I let the words trail off, not wanting to add that having a gun didn’t automatically give you a pass when it came to a psycho.

  But Sophia was smart enough to catch my meaning. She saluted me, winking. “Thanks for caring. I’ll see you later.”

  Once she was in her car, I started the ignition and, following Sophia, pulled out of the park, grateful to be headed home. On the way to Tonya’s, we chatted about this and that, carefully avoiding the elephant in the room. Neither one of us seemed inclined to discuss the killings, but I knew that they were preying heavily on her mind, given she had a teenage daughter. I dropped her off, waiting to make certain she was inside before I pulled away from her house and headed home.

  Bryan was waiting for me, along with Peggin and Deev. I rubbed my head. I’d forgotten we had invited them over for dinner and a movie.

  “Crap, I knew I was forgetting something. Forgive me?”

  “Hey, we brought pizza and chicken. You supply the movie and we’re good.” Deev held up a couple of bags, out of which wonderf
ul smells were wafting.

  My mouth started to water. “My stomach will forgive a whole lot of things for what’s in there. Oh, by the way, the CMS is having a meeting tomorrow night at nine thirty. I’ll tell you all about it after we eat. They found Nancy’s body today.” I dropped into a chair, pulling off my boots and shrugging off my coat. “It’s clear that we have a serial killer in town.”

  Deev’s eyes narrowed. “Crap. Any idea of who he is and what his agenda is?”

  I shook my head. “Not really, though we do have a few things to go on.” I motioned to Bryan, who was hanging up my coat. “How’s the little baby?”

  “Sleeping. He’s all tuckered out. He also ate an entire can of food, which will probably give him a tummyache since it’s for adult cats, and he crashed shortly after. I made sure he was dried off and I petted him until he went to sleep. I called and made an appointment with the vet for tomorrow morning, by the way.”

  “With Tomás, I hope?”

  Bryan nodded. “Yes, with Tomás.”

  Peggin frowned. “What are you talking about? Did you adopt another cat?”

  “Not exactly. I found a kitten under one of the huckleberry bushes out back. I looked around but couldn’t find his mama or any other kittens. It’s like he appeared out of nowhere. He’s adorable, though.”

  “How do you think the Tufty Trio will behave?”

  Peggin had dubbed my three Maine Coons the “Tufty Trio,” given all the tufts of fur they had on their ears and toes. She loved them, but her ferrets kept her busy enough without adding a cat to her own mix.

  “I have no idea. I’m hoping they won’t throw a fit, given he’s such a tiny boy. There’s something about him that’s…I don’t know…special. I think everything will be okay.” I knew that I was overoptimistic, but that didn’t matter. I had already fallen in love with the little guy. “I’d bring him out, but he needs to be checked just in case he’s caught something. I don’t want to expose my cats to anything dangerous.”

  “Good idea. He looks healthy but you never know,” Bryan said, pulling dishes out of the cupboard for our dinner. “Somebody set the table while I make coffee?”

  “I’ll pop in and take a look at him,” Peggin said, taking the dishes from Bryan. “And make that mocha, please.” She flashed a cajoling grin at him.

  “You two and your mochas. You’d live on chocolate and caffeine if we let you. Right, Deev?” Bryan shook his head, but obligingly turned on the espresso machine.

  Dr. Divine snorted. He wrapped his arms around Peggin’s waist as she began to set the table, kissing her behind the ear. The man towered over her, especially in his platform boots, but they fit together in a way that I couldn’t see her fitting with anyone else.

  “I keep telling her to slow down, but it doesn’t do any good,” he said, giving her another kiss on the back of the head before letting her go. “When does your sewing class start, babe?”

  She glanced over her shoulder at him. “In a week or so. I’ll be going directly there from work so on Wednesdays, don’t expect me until late.”

  “What’s this?” Bryan asked. “You’re taking a sewing class?”

  Peggin told him about her class, and I decided that it was a good time to mention that I wanted to find a job or go to school or something of the sort. We were still discussing potential careers for me over dinner when my phone chimed. I flipped over to texts. It was from Penelope.

  veronica needs to see you again. she has news. tonight, at 9:30. bring your friends, if you like.

  Wondering just how Veronica knew I had company, I glanced over at the others. “How would you like to go to a…party?” I said flippantly. “Veronica wants to see me again.”

  And with that, conversation came to an abrupt halt.

  Chapter Eleven

  I felt odd, leading the three of them through the Pest House Cemetery. For one thing, Peggin seemed as thrilled to meet Veronica as she was to have a root canal. For another, I didn’t know how much I could trust the Queen of the Unliving. But crossing Veronica’s wishes was about as wise as turning my back on a cougar. Never take your eyes off them—to look away is prey behavior. And the last thing I wanted was for Veronica to view me as prey.

  It had taken me an hour and a promise that Bryan and I would help Peggin sort through the boxes still in her garage before she gave in.

  Dr. Divine, on the other hand, was all too eager. “I’ve never met one of the Unliving, not that I remember,” he said. “I might want to sculpt her.”

  Peggin had elbowed Deev at that. “You aren’t thinking about ditching me for royalty, are you?”

  He laughed. “I’m already sculpting you and you’ll be the most beautiful creation in my portfolio. But this is a chance we might never have again. And when you think about it, since Kerris has to deal with this on a daily basis, shouldn’t we support her, as friends?”

  “Right, and the only reason you eat PB-OHs out of the box is to save on dishes,” she retorted. Then, with a rueful smile, she gave in. “Fine. We’ll go. Though I have no clue what she could want with us, and it better not involve blood or ritual sacrifice.”

  “Everything involves blood with the dead,” I muttered. “Sometimes, I think my life would be so much easier if I hadn’t been born a spirit shaman. I mean, I love it. Really, I do. But I spent fifteen years running away from destiny, and now that I’ve embraced it, life’s proving to be more complicated than I ever expected. I didn’t expect to be dealing with serial killers and Cú Chulainn’s Hounds and all this extra…crap.” I drained my glass of sparkling water.

  “Well, I guess that’s just part and parcel of your job.” Peggin raised her glass. “Here’s to all those lovely unexpected perks that come with being a working girl.” She snorted. “Like, for example, today one of Corbin’s patients came in and I think he was drunk, because he dropped his pants and demanded I take a look at his wiener since Corbin couldn’t see him till tomorrow.”

  I blinked. “At least I’ve never been flashed by a ghost.”

  Deev, however, wasn’t so flippant. “Fucking hell. Who did that to you?” He was wearing his goggles so I couldn’t get a good look at his eyes, but I had a pretty good idea what his expression was.

  Peggin shook her head. “Can’t tell you. Medical confidentiality and all that. I shouldn’t have even mentioned it, but seriously, who does that?”

  “Did he just want you to appreciate his assets, or was he asking for a diagnosis?” Bryan asked, chuckling.

  “Diagnosis,” Peggin said. “He’s got more than one kind of itch and this one happened because of the other. He’s a playboy who isn’t at all careful about who he plays with.”

  I picked up another drumstick. “I know who it is. Puck. It has to be. I can’t think of anybody else who would have that much self-assurance.”

  Puck was a longstanding inhabitant of Whisper Hollow. He never seemed to age, which led me to believe he wasn’t human. He was charming as a long summer day, and as horny as a rabbit. He had never bothered me, given I was a teenager when I last lived in the town, but he had hit on almost every available woman in town who was of legal age, at one time or another. Grandma Lila had warned me about him a month or so before I ran off. He had tried to seduce her in the produce aisle and had gone away limping after she kicked him in the shins. But he was basically a good guy, and not once had any report surfaced of him taking advantage of a woman, or hitting on a teenager.

  Peggin arched her eyebrows. “Yes, but don’t you tell anybody. I’d get fired.”

  Dr. Divine let out a low growl. “Perhaps I should pay a visit to Mr. Puck and teach him some proper manners.”

  “Dude,” Bryan said, “Let it go. If Peggin can’t handle her problems, she’ll come to you. I’m surprised he didn’t hit on you while he was at it, though,” he said to her.

  Peggin laughed, shaking her head. “Oh, he did, about eight years ago. He came onto me in a bar. Called me Aphrodite’s twin. I considered it, because he’s
cute as can be, but he’s a nympho and I knew there was no possibility of a future. I’m no prude, but if I wanted a fuck buddy, it would have been easy enough to find one who wasn’t running the chance for every disease in town.”

  Deev looked at her. “You deserve a prince,” he said.

  “Maybe so, but I want a doctor. You in particular,” she lobbed back at him. “Don’t be jealous and don’t get all possessive. Puck has no chance with me, you know that.” She leaned against his shoulder, and he planted a kiss on her cheek.

  “Good. Because I’d be heartbroken if you threw me over for him.” He straightened, smiling, and reached for a slice of pizza. “So, how was his wang?”

  Peggin snickered. “Looking rather sad and lonely, judging by the way it perked up when I caught sight of it. I think he’s got chlamydia. I didn’t notice anything, but he was itching so bad that he had rubbed himself raw.”

  “Maybe he was just utilizing his hand too much?” I couldn’t help joining in.

  That set us off again and we finished our dinner with raunchy jokes and much laughter.

  Around nine, we were getting ready to head over to Veronica’s lair. The mood had gone from raunchy to solemn, and I wondered again about the wisdom of taking Peggin and Deev into Veronica’s territory. But she had said to bring my friends, and I decided that it was better they knew what I was dealing with rather than to keep wondering.

  Bryan had met Veronica, of course, but until now, Peggin and Deev had only heard stories. As I straightened my ponytail and touched up my makeup, Peggin sat on the bed next to me.

  “Good thing I brought my boots,” she said.

  “Are you afraid?”