When Olivia got to FM 77, she slowed and turned right. She knew what was down the road. There were three old farmhouses set quite far apart. The first two were inhabited by older couples, and for lack of money, the houses had been allowed to deteriorate. Last year Josh Hartman had been paid by the church to repair the roofs. She knew he had put in many more hours than he was paid for.
At the end of the road was the third house and no one had lived in it for over twenty years. It was set way back from the gravel road and had once been owned by an old man with six dogs. He’d left the house to his son, but no one could find him so the house had sat vacant.
Olivia drove down the road slowly and at each driveway she had an impulse to turn around. This was ridiculous! Why were they here? To give money to some charlatan? To be ripped off because... Because they had hope? Is that what they were trying for?
By the time she neared the end of the road, she was driving so slowly the car was barely crawling. She could hear every piece of gravel under the tires.
Kathy turned in her seat and looked out the windshield. “Are you okay?”
“I’m feeling silly. Why are we doing this?” Olivia asked.
“Why not? Getting out of the house, thinking about something positive instead of the rotten things men have done to us has to be good.”
Olivia smiled. “I like your attitude.”
“Look!” Elise leaned between the seats and pointed.
There was a brand-new green-and-white sign that said, EVERLASTING STREET. Olivia couldn’t help giving a snort of laughter. “This is a driveway.”
“Magic comes in many forms,” Kathy said.
Olivia turned into the driveway that was now called a street. There were big old trees shading the way, and it wasn’t until she got to the end that she saw the house.
What had once been a derelict, decaying old place had been completely rebuilt. Big windows had been added and the front section built out to form a tall bay window. The old porch enclosed the entire side of the house.
“Looks like some work has been done,” Elise said. “Think it was magic?”
“Unless I miss my guess, it was Josh Hartman. He c
an design as well as build. I can assure you that the original house never looked this good!” Olivia turned the engine off and sat for a moment looking at the pretty house. It was a nice size, not sprawling, but not a cottage either. She was a bit annoyed that no one had told her this had been done. Stacy, their designer, was Josh’s sister, so she should have mentioned that her brother was—
“You okay?” Kathy asked.
“Sure.” Olivia tried to brush away the feeling of having been left out. “Let’s do it.”
Elise got out of the car and the others followed her.
It was very quiet around the house. Birds chirped; the wind rustled the leaves. To the right, a tall wooden fence had been put up, with an arch over the gate. Olivia went to it and glanced inside. It was a large vegetable and herb garden. Right now, it was new and raw, but give it a couple of years and it would be glorious.
“For witch’s brew?” Kathy asked, lightening Olivia’s sense of foreboding. “We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”
Before Olivia could reply, Elise started running. “Come on, you two. Let’s go.”
“She’s really unhappy in her life, isn’t she?” Kathy said softly.
Olivia sighed. “I don’t want to think about what’s in store for her. This hiatus won’t last long. When she’s found, her parents will... I don’t know what they’re going to try to do. She needs a job and...” Trailing off, she looked at Kathy. “Whatever gives that child even a minute of hope, I’m all for it.”
As soon as they reached the front door, it was opened by a pretty young woman. She was medium height, with lots of unruly brown hair, and she was quite thin. She had on a loose green T-shirt and black cotton trousers.
“Hello.” Her smile showed even, white teeth. “You are... No, don’t tell me. Olivia, Kathy, and you’re Elise. Did I get it right?”
If Dr. Hightower had told her they’d be coming, it wouldn’t have been difficult to guess who was who.
Olivia was standing in the back. She’d always been an observer of people. When she was acting, she liked to think how to play the character. Unless she missed her guess, this young woman was very nervous. Her bravado was forced, as though she was trying to cover some insecurity.
“You’re Madame Zoya?” Elise’s tone told of her disappointment.
“No, I’m not.” She said it with a fierceness that smacked of defiance. “That’s my aunt. I’m Arrieta Day. I...” She paused and took a deep breath. “I’m taking my aunt’s place.”