Page 41 (2/2)

Martha felt fiercely protective of the stunning young beauty on the bed

"I will never let one speck of injury co body, my dear!" she whispered softly froan would sleep peacefully for a few hours, thanks to Martha’s simple herbal tea She would have the rest that she needed In Martha’s houarded--Martha felt like an old bulldog herself, but that was that

She sirl had come to her

She headed for her kitchen, then snorted out loud "Wiccans!"

That Morwenna and her silly husband, Joseph, with his ridiculous, dyed black hair!

And Megan’s husband Thatall kinds of trouble

Not he, not anyone, was getting to young Ms Megan No one, Martha determined Thus deter after he’d hung up the phone, Finn began to question his own sanity

By chance, surely, the book had fallen open to Bac-Dal

And so, he had gone off the deep end

Great He’d made a writer and her husband think he was crazy Grist for the ive her too much to write about

He’d already showered, but he decided to shower again, hoping the hot water would ease the tension in his muscles and help clear his an had gone to Martha’s, and she would be all right there Whether they thought he was crazy or not, he had a feeling that the couple froht have the ability to clear away some of the nonsense--make all that was bizarre beco to be co in an entirely businesslike fashion He wouldn’t even ask her for an explanation

But as he lathered in a fury, he had to fight to maintain a sense of sanity and determination He’d been told to watch out for her In the dark Beware the fog

Well, that was just great, and hard to do You never knehen the stinking fog was co with hi to be rather hard to watch out for her

Drying in an equal fury, he thought again that they should just get the hell out Maybe he could talk to her that night Megan, don’t you just hate it in those stupid horror fil around, when the killer coers who are in the woods, fooling around? I think we’re in the woods It’s tiet the hell out, and screw our careers Let’s just opt for our lives

But Lucian DeVeau had just told him that it wouldn’t have mattered at all if he had tried to run He would have wound up back there

That had to be bull And he had to have been nuts, calling those people They were probably just as crazy into an iinary psychic power as the Wiccans And still…

He dressed, then deterton House for a cup of coffee

So that would keep hiht, he strode into the parlor, wondering if he would run into anyone or not Fallon--

who an had left and would stare at hi monster he assuuests, but doing so with a reserve and superiority that would e

But neither Fallon nor Susanna was around The only occupants of the parlor were the children, little Ellie, and her big brother Joshua They were playing a board gareeted the tith a cheerful hello, and said that he hoped they were having fun

"Sure," Joshua said with a shrug "How did you like the ht, I liked it a lot"

"I like the place Mr Smith has!" Ellie piped in

"Dr Srees, that’s what Moreed, gritting his teeth Why? The guy was bright and rational It wasn’t his fault that he was an old friend of Megan’s--and bright and rational

Ellie stood and ca his coffee "It’s scary here," she said

He s down by her "Ellie," he said, though he had known the touch of fear himself, "it’s just Halloween Dress up You know that even in those monster museums, the monsters are either ht?"

"Monsters are just people in costumes," she repeated "What about when they’re not in costuri uncomfortable "I think Mr Fallon is a monster, and maybe Susanna, too"

"Oh? Why is that?" Finn winked at Ellie "Susanna is kind of like an old scarecrow--sh! Never tell anyone I said that! But she’s just a cranky old lady, really"

"They were doing things"

"Things?" Finn said, wondering at the child’s revulsion He wondered if the two old crankpots--Susanna and Fallon--had been getting it on together The idea sure was repulsive, and he could see how it ht never want to have sex as adults, were they to witness such a coupling!

"I woke up in the ht I’d run to Mommy’s and Daddy’s room… but I heard a noise and I called for Joshua… and we ca over the fire in the kitchen They were throwing things into it"<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>