Dead Voices (35 page)

But the traffic light was green, and the last thing Elizabeth wanted to do was alarm Junia. She knew that if she was in trouble, that was one thing, and she would just have to deal with it; but if at all possible, she didn’t want to involve — or endanger — Aunt Junia. She pressed down hard on the accelerator, and the car sped down the road. A cold tightness gripped her chest when, in her rearview mirror, she saw a pair of headlights wink silently on and pull out, falling in behind her.

“You
bastard
!” she muttered.

“Is something the matter, dear?” Junia asked.

Looking at the headlights behind her, which had dropped back and were following her at exactly the same distance as before, Elizabeth covered up by saying, “Oh, no — no. For a second, there, I thought that car was going to pull out right in front of me.”

“I didn’t even see it,” Junia said, twisting to look over her shoulder.

“Umm — I guess only fools would be out on a night like this, huh?” Elizabeth said, trying to turn it into a joke, if only to lighten her own mood.

But as she cruised down Route 302 toward Foster’s Comer, she kept well under the speed limit; not because of the wet roads, but because she no longer cared that the car was right there behind her. She calmed herself as best she could, resolving that she would handle things as they came. Worrying about who this was and why he was following her would only work to unbalance her, and she couldn’t afford that.

The car stayed with her all the way to Bristol Mills, but long before she had passed through downtown Gorham, Elizabeth no longer wondered who it was. The more she thought about it, the clearer it became. There was only one possible answer. This wasn’t someone “out to get her,” as Frank had said. That was indulging in paranoid thinking. No — Elizabeth was positive who it was, and as she drove down Main Street to Junia’s house, she vowed, first thing tomorrow afternoon — when she knew she could get him on the phone at work — she would call Frank up and tell him just where the hell he could go!

4.

“Hello. This is Officer Melrose,” Frank said, picking up the phone in the squad room.

“Frank,” the voice on the other end of the line said, and with that one word, Frank knew who it was. His mind flooded with thoughts and speculations as to why she was calling.

“Hey, Elizabeth. What can I do you for?” he asked.

“I think you’ve probably got a pretty good idea what you can
do
me for,” she said. “You can take a flying fuck at a rolling donut, okay?”

Elizabeth’s cold, controlled tone of voice was like a slap in the face. For a moment, Frank was confused. Hadn’t they ironed out everything yesterday afternoon before he dropped her off?

“Umm — I’m sorry,” he said, clearing his throat. ‘‘I’m not exactly following you.”

“Oh, that’s rich, Frank — real rich!
Following
me! I get it! You’re just too hilarious!” Elizabeth said. Her mock laughter crackled like fire over the phone line.

“Uh, look, Elizabeth,” Frank said, scratching behind his ear. “I was just heading out on patrol. Is there something I can do for you?” He glanced up at the clock on the squad-room wall and saw that it was already ten minutes into his shift. Norton had called in sick yesterday, and Frank assumed he wouldn’t be in today, either.

“You can start by leaving me the fuck alone, all right?” Elizabeth snapped. Her voice was steely and hard. “I remember what you said yesterday — that like it or not you’re going to be watching out for me. I didn’t think you meant it that literally, but I certainly don’t want to feel as though every time I turn around, I’m going to see you lurking in the shadows.”

Frank sighed deeply and said, “Elizabeth — you’re not making sense. What the hell are you talking about?”

“Last night ... ? Or don’t you remember? Driving out to Raymond and back ... ? A little house on Egypt Road? I
know
that was you who followed me.”

“I
what
?” Frank said sharply. “Last night I was on my usual shift from three to midnight. I don’t —”

“Frank, you can cut the bullshit with me, all right?” Elizabeth shouted. “I know it was you who followed me when I took my aunt out to visit a friend of hers last night, all right? I know that was you parked in that gas station waiting for me, and I know it was you who — finally — pulled off just before I drove into my aunt’s driveway, okay? All I’m asking you now ... No, I’m not asking you, I’m telling you — if you don’t stop following me around like a frigging watchdog, I’ll talk to a lawyer and have a ... an injunction or whatever thrown at you to keep you away from me! Can I make myself any clearer?”

Frank’s face tightened into a hard, unsmiling expression as he stared blankly at the institutional green wall of the squad room. “No, Elizabeth. You couldn’t be any clearer,” he said softly.

“Good!” she replied. “I’d really appreciate it.”

Frank listened as she hung up with a click. For several seconds he just stood there with the receiver pressed against his ear, listening to the steady, insect like drone of the dial tone. Usually that sound irritated the shit out of him, but now-for some reason-he found it almost comforting, almost a distraction from the question that was raging inside his mind ...

Who the Christ is trying to terrorize Elizabeth? ... And why?

TWELVE

Visiting Caroline

1.

“You never let me explain about Eldon Cody,” Aunt Junia said when Elizabeth \ came to visit the next day. The rain had stopped during the night, and a warm, spring fresh breeze rustled the leaves, casting deep green shadows over the lawn. The world seemed refreshed and vibrant, truly alive.

Perched on the porch railing, Elizabeth was gazing out at the small downtown area, watching the sporadic traffic rumble by. The warm breeze carried the full promise of summer coming on fast, and she was filled with pleasant memories of sitting in the shade of the porch as a child, sipping lemonade as she watched the heat haze ripple along the road.

“I — what did you say?” Elizabeth asked, shaking her head as she drew her attention back. .

“Eldon Cody ... remember?” Junia asked, smiling. “I thought I mentioned him to you last night, on the drive home. “

“Umm, yeah — I think you might have,” Elizabeth replied although, searching her memory, all she had from last night’s rainy and dark drive was the heart-squeezing terror she had felt every time she looked up and saw those headlights, glowing in the rearview mirror.

“He’s someone else who might be able to help you,” Junia said. Lowering her voice and casting a suspicious eye toward the open kitchen door, she finished in a whisper, “You know — in contacting Caroline.”

As usual, Elspeth was dozing in the living room. Junia’s secretiveness made Elizabeth wonder if Junia’s involvement with occult and spiritualistic things was another dark secret — like her hidden bottle of brandy-that she had to hide from her older sister. Although she didn’t feel anything close to humor, Elizabeth chuckled and said, “After what happened at Claire’s house, I’m not so sure I want to mess around with stuff like that anymore.”

“Oh, that’s too bad,” Junia said suddenly, as she covered her mouth with one hand and opened her eyes wide with embarrassment.

“What?”

“Well, you see,” Junia replied, casting her eyes downward, “I thought you told me it was all right to go ahead and get in touch with him.” She shook her head as if she had an ear full of water. “Maybe I’m just getting old, but I could have sworn you said you thought it was a good idea. Anyway, I’ve already called him and arranged for you to go out and see him on Sunday afternoon.”

Elizabeth stopped herself before she snapped,
Well you can just call him again and tell him we won’t be there
, and, looking at the honest embarrassment in her aunt’s eyes, she felt a powerful surge of affection for the old woman.

“He lives in Standish, on Black Hill Farm,” Junia went on. “And from what I’ve heard, he’s done some pretty remarkable things.”

“Like what?” Elizabeth asked, her gaze shifting back out over the town. The view looked and felt as though a black cloud, heavy with rain, had passed between her and the sun. She shivered, dreading her aunt’s response and knowing she should stop the whole thing right now; she should admit to Junia that she hadn’t really wanted to go to Claire’s in the first place, and that she sure as hell wasn’t interested in this Eldon Colby or Cody or whatever the Christ his name was. Especially not after what had happened at Claire’s!

“He’s got this new method of communicating with the departed,” Junia said. “I haven’t seen him do it, mind you. I’ve only heard about him through a mutual friend of ours, but ... well, when I spoke with him this morning, he told me not to mention anything about his method.”

Elizabeth almost said,
Sounds like horse shit to me
, but then thought better of it.

“Because of something going on at church, Mrs. Saunders won’t be able to stay with Elspeth on Sunday, so it turns out I won’t be able to go with you,” Junia said. “I can give you directions to his house, though. I told him you’d be by sometime early in the afternoon.”

“Gee, thanks,” Elizabeth said, bristling at the thought of practically being forced to do this alone. If it had been anyone besides Aunt Junia, she knew she would have told that person to go to hell! Aunt Junia’s forwardness bothered her. though; it didn’t seem like her, and Elizabeth wondered if maybe she, like Elspeth, was starting to show her age.

“There was one thing he did say, though,” Junia added.

Elizabeth looked at her, arching her eyebrows questioningly. “I’m not so sure I want —”

“He said you should bring two blank cassette tapes with you.”

“What?” Elizabeth said, unable to hide her surprise. She couldn’t deny the uncomfortable feeling that she was being railroaded into all of this.

“That’s what he said,” Junia replied firmly as though, now that she had said her piece, that was the end of the discussion. “He said for you to bring two blank cassette tapes, and for your own good, make sure they haven’t been opened.”

For my own good, huh? Elizabeth thought bitterly. That’s the whole problem with practically everything that’s happened since I got home: everyone’s telling me what I should be doing for my own Goddamned good!

2.

Elizabeth helped her aunts with supper that evening, and, throughout the preparation, eating, and cleaning up of the meal, neither Elizabeth nor Junia again mentioned anything about Claire or Eldon Cody or engaged in any other kind of occult talk. Maybe, Elizabeth thought, it was because Elspeth stayed awake until after ten o’clock, by which time Elizabeth had to head home, and Junia had to keep quiet about such things around her sister; or maybe it was simply because everything was settled, and there was nothing left to discuss.

After ten, Elizabeth excused herself, saying she had to get home so she would be fresh for work the next morning. She wasn’t really the least bit tired, but didn’t want to exhaust either one of her aunts, or overstay her welcome.

Elizabeth didn’t know why, but as she approached the turn onto Brook Road, she began to feel tense and restless. More than a week ago, her mother had told her there were three things she wanted her to do. First, call Doug and talk to him. which Elizabeth had no intention of doing. She knew she couldn’t avoid it simply by putting it off, but so far her mother hadn’t mentioned it again.

The second thing was to stop lying to her mother. That comment had cut Elizabeth deeply, because she felt more than a little guilty. She convinced herself that they were nothing more than’ ‘little white lies,” but why couldn’t she just be direct and honest with everyone, all the time?

The third thing was perhaps the most difficult to accept or even contemplate — it was visiting Caroline’s grave. Although Elizabeth hadn’t told her mother about it. She had tried, that day she had bumped into Doug at the cemetery; but for· some reason she was positive she wouldn’t have been able to go up the hill to the site. The thought that she didn’t even dare go visit her daughter nagged at her mind constantly day and night.

Elizabeth knew she had to eventually go out there. The least she could do was place some fresh flowers on the grave. She also knew damned well she couldn’t go there now — not after the sun had set! But as she slowed for the turn onto Brook Road, the turn that would bring her past the Oak Grove Cemetery gate, the stinging pain of loss gripped her heart. She was suddenly seized by a blind fear of even driving past the cemetery, so instead of turning left, passing it, and going home, she headed straight out Route 22 toward Buxton. She knew she was just fooling herself by excusing her action as just her need for a long drive. but that didn’t make her turn around.

Heading west on Route 22, Elizabeth watched the road unscroll lazily In front of her headlights, feeling a small measure of relief when she didn’t see another set of headlights come up behind her and stay there, dogging her tail. At one time a car did approach from behind, but, not being in any mood to fool around, she slowed down way below the speed limit until the impatient driver passed her — honking his horn angrily and crossing a double line, no less!

“Where are the Goddamned cops when you really need them?’ she said to herself. She chuckled at the thought of Frank, pretending he hadn’t followed her out to Claire’s house and back the night before.

As the taillights dwindled and then disappeared around the curve, Elizabeth gasped aloud when she realized where she was heading. She slowed the car to a stop at the side of the road, then killed the engine. Slouching forward over the steering wheel, she stared blankly at the intersection up ahead. From out of the darkness, a night bird sang and then fell silent. The night closed down around Elizabeth. She was aware only of her ragged breathing and the rapid
thump-thump
of her heartbeat, pulsing in her ears.

She was parked about a’ hundred feet from the spot where, only a year and a half before, she and Doug had watched in horror as the Buxton town snowplow scooped up their Subaru and carried it down the hillside and off into the dark night. She snapped off her headlights and just sat there, staring ahead into the swelling night.