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"It must mean boo, kid," Mike said "Boo, like Halloween Kid, like a trick-or-treater"

"No," Dan murmured "B-E-A-U Beau, like a ard, the Confederate ht?"

"Beau Kidd The detective as supposedly the Interstate Killer!" Dan gasped

"You did that on purpose!" Mike accused Ana

"The hell I did," she retorted adaestion," Mike said impatiently

"Ask him what he wants," Dan said "Watch--it will spell out, ‘I was framed I’m innocent’"

"What do you want?" Ana asked the spirit softly, ignoring Dan

Christina gritted her teeth, longing to lift her fingers fro herself to do it

The planchette continued toit

But as really unnerving Christina was that she didn’t think Ana was forcing it

Dan whispered behind the scary stories out in the woods"

"Be quiet It’s spelling soan

"L-P," Dan finished

"Help," Ilona breathed

"Hang on, it’s not finished," Christina said

"They ood Spooky, huh?"

"‘Help,’ again," Mike said "It’s getting kind of monotonous, don’t you think?"

What other letters added to "help" would make another word? Christina wondered as the planchette kept

"‘Help me please,’" Dan whispered

The planchette was practically racing around the board

Help me please help me please help me please…

Then, suddenly, it came to a definite stop in the middle of the board

The room fell dead silent, even the doubtersbroke the silence and brought a scream from Ilona’s lips As if in response, the planchette seeht into the air

And then they heard the front door burst open

3

"W hat the hell?" Dan de why he looked so spooked Okay, maybe he’d opened the door a bit more forcefully than necessary, but it hadn’t been locked

Although even if it had been locked, he would have forced it open, anyway, he had to adht, but he’d also heard someone screa on in here? I heard a scream"

Dan rolled his eyes "Sorry" He stepped back so Jed could come in and closed--and locked--the door after him "Good to see you, Jed The screaot spooked after Ana insisted on playing with the Ouija board"

"That’s why the direed dryly

By then they had reached the parlor and Ana leapt up and rushed over to"Youpast her to Christina Hardy, as slowly rising She was one of those wos with the sinuous grace of curling ivy She walked over, a s in greeting "Welcome There’s still barbecue in the kitchen"

"Good I’m famished"

"Hi, Jed," Mike said "You know Tony, but have you met Ilona?"

Jed nodded toward the woman at Tony’s side They’d ain," he told her

"You, too," Ilona said

"Did you know Jed’s a famous writer?" Mike asked

"I’m not really fauess what name those two--" Mike paused to indicate Ana and Christina "--just dredged up Beau Kidd"

Jed frowned Even if his nerves hadn’t already been on edge, the naht He hadn’t caused what had happened to the cop He had just built fiction around the facts of what had already happened

Yeah Fiction that clearly skewered the man

"Beau Kidd?" he said, and he knew that his voice was harsh

"Oh, Jed, don’t sound sowith the Ouija board," Ana said