Page 35 (1/2)

He nodded Unsure why he was so co with her, he ad for her--whoever she is I cao The police aren’t officially connecting her disappearance to Winona Hart’s--not yet, anyway--but I’m sure there’s a link Actually, I don’t think the cops even believed they had a possible serial killer until I found the body yesterday"

She nodded knowingly "Too often we don’t see e don’t want to see, I’m afraid"

"Well, what I’ve discovered so far is that the two girls who are still hosts and the occult They were both looking for host stories So far, I have no idea where Jennie Lawson, the girl I’, but Winona Hart disappeared from a beach out on Anastasia Island No one saw her leave The police have pretty thoroughly investigated the other kids ere out there that night, and I don’t believe any of the to do with Winona’s disappearance The only possible suspect I’ve discovered so far is a wo to Winona earlier in the evening"

"And you don’t believe I was out on that beach that night?"

He cast her an apologetic smile "You don’t look like a hippie in your thirties or forties"

"I’ "My last birthday party was a hoot"

"I’m sure it was," Caleb said "But this is serious That wo out your cards, with your address here in Cassadaga"

"Business cards are very easy to print And I suppose it’s still a point of aa" When he looked at her curiously, Martha gave a decisive nod and explained "My naustine over a hundred and fifty years ago She didn’t call herself a witch, of course In fact, I don’t think she called herself anything at all Back when I was a little girl, kids up here in the north of the state had a nursery rhyme of sorts about her ‘Martha Tyler, Martha Tyler, trust me, child, there’s no one viler One, two, three, four, whatever you do, don’t open her door or she’ll see you buried far under the floor’"

"That’s quite a story I appreciate you helpingcookie cru her hand to say goodbye

She s his hand over to look at his pal after all," she said, laughing Then she turned serious and looked closely at his hand "You need to stop doubting yourself," she told hiuy," he said lightly, but he didn’t pull his hand away Her grasp was unexpectedly strong for a woe, he realized

She looked up into his eyes and s you back No, no--don’t get defensive," she said when he started to object "You’d risk your life for so your o Don’t de If you…just open your mind, you’ll find the answers you need Don’t be afraid of being judged, don’t be afraid of the opinions of others Let yourself be you"

"Thank you Good advice," he said

"It’s only good advice if you take it," she told hihtened "Soer She’s very close to the situation Too close And you need to stay near her Everything is connected She’s treading too close to the truth, and…you need her if you’re to see this situation through"

He pulled his hand away, startled by the wave of electricity shooting between them as she spoke

"Look, Martha, I’m not the doubter you seem to think I am I work for a man named Adahted "I don’t know hihly of him and the work he does"

"Good Then you’ll believe me when I say I know a number of people ho believe they communicate with spirits, and I have to adh whatever it is they do So--"

"Her name is Sarah McKinley," Martha said

"What? How…?"

"The woman And don’t worry, it’s just a simple deduction," Martha said "In the nineteen hundreds Martha Tyler was the housekeeper at a mortuary Sarah McKinley owns the old place now I’ve seen it on the news--they found skeletons in the walls," she said "You do know the young woht?"

"Yes"

"And you’re close to her" It wasn’t a question

It was iht, then wondered how Martha had known Definitely ave hi a little too weird

"We’ve beco just how much this woman saith her brilliant blue stare

"The future is always and only e make of it," Martha said "So please open your heart and soul to everything that’s possible--and even i over us right now Be careful, very careful"

She stood, and he realized that she had said her piece, had done what she could for him, and now she was done and ready for hilad that he had co that this woo witch but more crucial to know that she wasn’t the woht--but also sorry he had co him to open hishim afraid

For Sarah

She wasn’t a blonde and that made her safe, she’d joked, but the woman whose body he had found on the beach had been a brunette

This was not a killer--and now there was, beyond a doubt, a killer--who selected his victi them by his--or her--ability to charm them into the woods or into a back alley…or off the side of the road