"DAMN IT," I said as I sat on the bed. "She must think this is some kind of scam. A publicity stunt."
"If she didn't lob accusations, she may only want to speak to you," Jeremy said. "There could even be some benefit in doing so."
I looked up at him. "How?"
"The longer we keep this in the news, the more worried the group will become. Having you claim further 'messages' from the victims may not be wise. But working with May Donovan's group...?" A graceful shrug. "Put the right twist on it, downplaying the spiritualism and playing up the ritualistic aspects of the killings, and she's likely to be quite willing to help."
"To uncover the worst kind of paranormal scam--one with real bodies. Perfect. I'll call now, tell her I want to talk."
I phoned the number May had left. The phone rang four times, then voice mail picked up. As I listened to her inviting me to press one to leave a message, I stopped, finger over the button. Then I hung up.
I laid the cell phone on my lap and thought. Then I thought some more. And while I did, Jeremy didn't question, just waited.
"May Donovan," I said finally. "Her accent. It sounds British, doesn't it?"
"I'm not very good with accents, I'm afraid. My language skills come from books, not conversation."
"But it could be British, right? I was just thinking about what Eve said--that Rachel's killer was a woman with a British accent. And I know that seems like an enormous leap, but..." I took a breath, slowing my thoughts and organizing them. "Zack Flynn said May had it in for Botnick. Imagine if she was part of this group and knew Botnick was searching for them. What better way to keep tabs on him? Purely professional interest. Even he wouldn't be suspicious."
Jeremy looked thoughtful. Dubious? After a moment, though, he said, "I think it's South African."
"Hmmm?"
"The accent. I believe it's South African."
"Like the folk magic we were investigating?"
He nodded. I called Eve.
I'd barely finished saying her name when she appeared.
"I see you haven't left the bedroom yet," she said, plunking onto the bed.
"You got here fast."
"She says, avoiding the subject. I didn't have far to travel. Kris and I have been patrolling. So far, nothing."
"What about this morning. Did you see a woman like this?" I described May. "She talked to the police earlier."
"Yeah, Kris saw her. She said she was a lawyer for the family, freaking out over the damage to the property, wanting to know how much longer they'd be digging up the backyard. Kris listened in, but he knows a lawyer when he hears one."
Jeremy and I exchanged a look.
"Did you overhear her?" I asked.
Eve frowned. "No."
I picked up the phone and dialed May's number, then held it out for Eve to listen. At first, she just fixed me with a "what the hell are you on?" look, but after a moment, she said, "That sounds like..." She stopped herself. "It sounds like the woman Rachel heard when she was kidnapped. But it might just be the accent. Who is she?"
I explained. As I spoke, Eve's frown deepened.
"Okay," she said when I finished. "She does sound like the woman Rachel heard. And she might be from South Africa. And, yes, falsely representing herself as the family's lawyer to get a look around is suspicious, but this is exactly the kind of thing a scam-buster would take an interest in--a potential child sacrifice, pseudosatanic shit. Someone who's so hell-bent on proving the paranormal doesn't exist certainly isn't going to get involved in it."
"It could make a good cover story," Jeremy said. "But Eve has a point. If she's been actively trying to disprove the paranormal for years, that's a very elaborate cover."
"Is it?" I settled onto the bed. "Do you remember what she said when we first met her? She started off on the opposite end of the spectrum. A seeker. Only after getting burned did she switch sides." I turned to Jeremy. "Eve met this guy in the afterlife who was running a poltergeist school. He had the gift, which is rare, but instead of trying to seriously teach others, he used it to entice nymphs to his school...and his bed. Nymphs made an easy target because, in the afterlife, they're always looking for power. They get plopped into a world full of supernatural ghosts, but they themselves have lost their powers."
"Except cheerleading," Eve said. "They make very good cheerleaders."