Kendall lifted her hands. “Because I couldn’t afford to fix it up and keep it, for one. Plus I’m not a Flynn.”
Ady sat back, shaking her head. “That ain’t the reason, child. That ain’t the reason at all. Amelia believed you could do anything.”
“Miss Ady, tell me, please. What’s wrong? I don’t want you to be worried about me.”
“I saw Amelia last night in my dream,” Ady said.
“You were probably thinking about her.”
“She wasn’t in my mind one bit, I tell you. She came into my dream because she knew if she talked to me while I was awake, I’d just think I was turning into a crazy old woman.”
“Tell me about the dream,” Kendall said.
Ady leaned forward again, and her voice was agitated when she spoke. “She said that plantation’s evil. Said it wasn’t always, even though there were always ghosts. They were the ghosts of good people. But something had changed a while back, she said, and it only started making sense to her toward the end, when she was getting close to going over to the other side herself. She said it was like some kind of evil from the past was coming back. Said she heard crying, like somebody was scared of the way the place was changing, going bad. And she doesn’t want that evil touching you, Kendall. That’s why she came to me. She’s afraid, and she wants me to warn you that something evil is out there, and that you have to be careful, because it’s coming for you.”
15
For a second Kendall just sat there, staring and feeling a chill creep up her neck. Then she took a deep breath and forced the feeling away as she realized what was going on here. Miss Ady was so sweet. Kendall had worried about her, so now Ady’s subconscious had found a way to return the favor.
Kendall nodded gravely to her.
“Thank you for coming to tell me that, MissAdy,” she said.
“Amelia told me to warn you.”
Dreams could seem so real. Kendall knew that all too well.
“You believe me now, Kendall, don’t you?”
“Of course I believe you,” Kendall said, and realized as she spoke the words that they were at least partly true. She did believe in the power of dreams to terrify.
Because what could it have been but a waking dream when she had seen the skeleton on a tarot card come to life and laugh?
She smiled gently and promised, “I’ll be very careful.” After what had happened this morning, it wasn’t a promise she would mind keeping.
Ady’s eyes remained grave, but she nodded and rose. “Well, that’s it, girl. You just mind me and Amelia, you hear?”
“Of course.”
Ady started out, and Kendall followed her. When they reached the front of the shop, she saw that Aidan had arrived, and everyone seemed to be getting along fine.
“We’re fine to go now, Rebecca,” Ady said.
Rebecca stood, and Aidan, Mason and Vinnie rose automatically.
Rebecca offered her hand to Aidan. “Mr. Flynn, it was a pleasure to meet you. Mason, Vinnie, you two behave.” She walked over and gave Kendall a quick kiss on the cheek, whispering, “Sorry. Mama just had a bee in her bonnet, and I had to bring her to see you.”
“I’m always happy to see you both,” Kendall said, squeezing Rebecca’s hand.
When she and her mother reached the door, Rebecca hesitated and looked back. “Mr. Flynn, if you repeat me on this, I’ll call you a liar, but I have a suggestion for you. Find yourself a polite way of getting those bones back. You got to understand. The people where I work, they mean well, but this city’s still got troubles, and they’re busy dealing with that. I hear you got friends in high places. Use them.”
She nodded firmly. Clearly she, too, had had her say.
Kendall cleared her throat as soon as the door shut behind the two women and looked at Aidan. “What was that all about?”
He was still staring thoughtfully after Rebecca as he answered her. “Vinnie asked me if I was getting anywhere searching for Jenny Trent. I mentioned that I thought the bones I’d left at the M.E.’s office might be connected. I guess she thought it over and decided to tell me what she thought before she left.”
“What about the voodoo dolls?” Mason asked. “Do you think they’re related to Jenny Trent? Or is someone just trying to drive you off the plantation so they can snap it up themselves?”
“Why leave a doll for Kendall, then?” Aidan asked him, watching carefully to see his response to the question. “She has nothing to do with the plantation anymore.”
“Someone left you a voodoo doll?” Mason asked, turning to Kendall. “And you didn’t tell me?”
“It just happened last night,” she said. “And in case you didn’t notice, we were busy all day, so I didn’t get a chance to tell you. Anyway, it was no big deal.”