When his doorbell rang, he answered without looking to see who was there. The freezing November air hit him as soon as he cracked open the door.
“Hey, cousin,” Mike said, walking inside.
Jason slammed the door shut behind him.
“I stopped by the house but Lauren said I’d find you here. So I left Amber there to help out and here I am.”
“What are you guys doing out here so early?” Jason asked, knowing Mike and Amber lived an hour away in Boston. Even Amber didn’t normally arrive until eleven on her day off.
“I have news,” Mike said. “I wanted to run that check for you earlier but I’ve been on a case and haven’t been able to breathe until now.”
Jason waved away the apology. “It’s fine. What have you got?”
“I didn’t want to tell Amber without you there.” Mike reached into his back jeans pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper. “Your plumber has an interesting background.”
Jason grabbed the paper, scanning the page. He didn’t have to look far. “Last job before JR Plumbing was at the Bricksville Correctional Institution.” Jason’s hands began to shake. “Are you kidding me?”
Mike shook his head. “He worked on the crew building the new wing. To do that he had to be prescreened. I ran a criminal check anyway and he’s clean. But-”
“I already know the but,” Jason said. “Bricksville is the facility where Mary Beth Perkins is currently being held.”
“Bingo. And the construction, which was recently completed, bordered the psychiatric wing of the prison,” Mike said.
Jason drew a deep breath. “I saw the wing yesterday when I went with Lauren to visit her sister.”
Mike let out a low whistle. “Visiting relatives? That’s something you only do for love.”
Jason shot his cousin a warning glare. “Let’s not discuss it, okay?”
Lauren had already decided her sister provided one very convenient barrier to any serious relationship. And now he had to go tell her their plumber friend, Brody Pittman, had ties to the same prison ward where her sister was being held. The same unresponsive sister Jason could swear had reacted to the subject of the Corwin Curse.
Coincidence?
After testing positive for drugs he knew he’d never taken, Jason no longer believed in the word.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CLARA FELT the evil before she reached the house. Poor Lauren. No wonder she’d looked so stressed and uptight. Her special herbal blend of tea would work wonders to help her relax, Clara thought. A cleansing ceremony might also fix what ailed both Lauren and the house. She’d have to judge once she stepped inside.
Lauren met Clara at the door with a warm greeting. As they entered the house, a black cat skirted past her. Clara watched him go, unfazed by superstition.
“That’s Trouble,” Lauren said, gesturing to the furry feline.
“I take it he’s earned his name?” Clara asked.
“And then some.” Lauren smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes. Clara wondered if there was more than the stress of the house wearing on her. If Lauren wanted to confide, Clara would provide an opening and then a shoulder to lean on.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t get over here last week like I promised but the shop got busy.” Clara shrugged off her coat and Lauren hung it in a nearby closet.
“That’s okay. We took an unexpected trip and we weren’t here. But I’m glad you’re here now.” Lauren shut the closet door. “Let’s go into the kitchen. Follow me.”
Clara did and found herself in a cheery room that defied the negative energy in the house. Yellow curtains hung on the windows, dark cherry cabinets and hunter-green granite countertops indicated the room had been recently redone. “I love cooking and this is a beautiful place to work,” she marveled.
Lauren nodded. “My grandmother didn’t spend much time in here but this was one of the few rooms she kept up. I think it was because she enjoyed having a cook prepare her meals.”
The fact that Mary Perkins hadn’t used this room much herself explained the sunny energy Clara felt in here. She’d love to spread the aura to the rest of the house.
“As promised, I brought you tea.” She pulled the canister of tea leaves from a shopping bag. “And I labeled how much to use and how long to let it steep.” She reached into the bag once more, removing one of her favorite items. “And this is an easy-to-use individual tea maker.”