Shadows (Bayou Magic 1)

“Sure. I grew up in a haunted house. Nothing too crazy, just footsteps here and there. I don’t see dead people, like that movie, but I’ve checked into hotels and asked to have my room changed because the one they gave me felt off. That sort of thing. Is that what you mean?”

“That’s exactly what I mean,” I confirm. “I think that’s why you were able to see me, and the others weren’t. Sarah, I’m so sorry for what you went through, what you must have witnessed in that place.”

“I closed my eyes a lot of the time,” she admits on a whisper. “And I feel like a damn wimp for it, but I think I would have really gone out of my mind if I’d watched, you know?”

“Absolutely.”

“He was a monster.”

“The worst kind there is,” I agree. “But he’s gone. You got him.”

“Did they find his body yet?”

I frown and check my phone. There’s no message from Cash. “I don’t know. They hadn’t yet when we left the scene earlier, but I haven’t heard anything since then. They might have.”

“What if they don’t? What if I didn’t kill him after all, and he’s off somewhere getting stitched up?”

“He’s not.” I clear my throat. “Sarah, I’m psychic. A medium. I do see dead people. And I saw him. He’s dead, and that won’t change whether they find his body or not.”

“Wow.” She swallows hard. “Well, that sucks for you.”

We’re quiet for a moment, both lost in our own thoughts, and then it’s like a light bulb goes off in her head.

“Wait. Does that mean that you could see the others? The other women?”

“Yeah. I could see them. That’s how I knew something was going on. They came to me to warn me, and to tell me to find them. But now that he’s gone, they’re gone, too.”

“Well, I think that sucks just as much for you as it does for the rest of us.” She reaches for my hand and grips it fiercely. “You’re a victim, too.”

“We’re not victims, Sarah. We’re still here.”

“Damn right, we are. Can we stay friends? I mean, I know it sounds weird, and if it’s too off the wall for you, that’s okay, I just—”

“We’re totally friends,” I say, interrupting her. “I’d like that very much.”I don’t think a shower ever felt so good. I bet that’s how the others felt today once they knew they were safe and were able to wash away the filth from their time in that horrible room.

Best shower ever.

I hope that all the girls get the best counseling there is, and that they’re able to heal from their ordeal.

I towel-dry my hair then twist it up into a bun and dry off the rest of my body. When I reach for the lotion, I see my necklace, sitting right there by the sink as if it was there all along.

I searched high and low for it this morning and couldn’t find it.

“Must be going blind in my old age,” I mutter as I smooth lotion on my legs and loop the chain over my neck. “Apparently, thirty is when it all goes downhill.”

I smirk and pad out of the bathroom. My sisters both went home tonight, ready to get back to their lives. Part of me misses them already. We’ve always been close—except for my spat with Daphne—and it’s been nice having them nearby these past couple of weeks.

Having Daph speaking to me again is the best thing ever.

But I know they’re not far away, and I’ll most likely see one or both of them tomorrow.

I pause at the doorway of my bedroom and smile when I see Cash sitting up in bed, waiting for me.

Speaking of the best thing ever.

“Hey there,” I say as I walk to the side of the bed and slip between the covers next to him.

“Hey, yourself.”

“How are you?”

“I think this might be the most tired I’ve ever been in my entire life,” he says with a gusty sigh. “But it feels good to know he’s gone and not coming back, and that everyone’s safe tonight.”

“Yeah.” I cozy up next to him, enjoying the way it feels when he wraps his arm around me, and I fit right under his shoulder. I can hear his heart beating. “I like that, too. The whole thing is weird, don’t you think?”

“The fact that you saw murder victims and we tracked down the killer, only to discover that he had a thing for you and your sisters? Whatever do you mean?”

“Smartass.” I snort. “There are some holes that need to be filled, though.”

“I don’t want to talk about this tonight, Brielle.”

I look up at him. “You don’t?”

“No. We’ve been talking about it for weeks, and now that it’s over, I want to take one night to just enjoy you. We can talk about it tomorrow.”