“You see ghosts too?”
“No, but it was clear what was happening.”
“Nothing is clear about any of this.”
“Except Nancy Jo found Jelak once. She might be able to find him again. I went to Megan to see if she could help.”
“What did she say?”
“That she couldn’t hear or see Nancy Jo but that she believed Quinn when he said he could.” He grimaced. “So she’s no help to us.”
“Good God, I was hoping that you’d bring up something that was verging on reality. I’ve had enough of Jelak’s obsession that he’s a vampire. Now you’re telling me that we have to send Joe’s pet ghost after him?”
“No, I’m telling you that I’m hoping that we get lucky and can contact Nancy Jo.” He added soberly, “Because I don’t know what in hell to do if we can’t.”
Jane stared at him for a long moment. “You mean it.”
“Yes, I may think of something else. I won’t give up. But if Quinn was willing to use Nancy Jo, then that may be our best shot.”
Their best shot was a young girl who had been dead for days?
“So what do we do?”
“Quinn went to Allatoona to make contact with Nancy Jo. I thought I’d start there.”
“We’ll start there,” Eve said.
They turned to see Eve standing on the porch. She came slowly down the steps. “Let’s go.”
“It’s a long shot,” Caleb said. “My Lord, is it a long shot. It will be like talking to the wind. How do you know if she’s listening, if she’s even there? And even if she finds out what we need, how can she tell us?”
“Do we have another solution?” Eve demanded. “If you do, tell me, and we’ll go for it. If you don’t, then I’ll take your long shot. I’ll take any way I can find.”
“You could let Caleb and me go to Allatoona alone,” Jane said. “It could be frustrating as hell. You don’t need that right now.”
Eve shook her head. “I’m going. You want to help, but you don’t really believe in spirits. How could you? It hasn’t touched you. I believe in Nancy Jo. Because Joe believed in her. Who knows? That may help.” She got into the passenger seat of Caleb’s car. “Or it may not. I’ve got to try. Get me there as quickly as you can, Caleb. We don’t know what’s happening with Joe.”
Jane stared at her for a moment before she climbed in the backseat. Eve was right. She was out of her depth. She could only offer support, not understanding. Eve might need that support if Allatoona was as nonproductive as she believed it was going to be. “Tell me what I can do.”
Eve glanced at her as Caleb started the car. “Phone Gary Schindler. Tell him to meet us at the police impound yard in two hours so that we can get into Jelak’s car. Joe said she had to touch the blood on the passenger seat before she made the connection with Jelak.”
“Providing she’ll do it,” Caleb said. “And providing you can make contact with her to even ask her to do it.”
“I know all the ifs, ands, and buts,” Eve said. “At least we can make preparations if we do get through to her.”
And how would they know if they did get through, Jane wondered. It was like blundering around in the dark. But what choice did they have? She was already dialing the precinct. “I’ll make sure Gary Schindler is there waiting for us. Needless to say, I won’t explain why we want access to the car.”
FIFTEEN
“QUINN WENT INTO THAT STAND of trees,” Caleb said, as they got out of the car at Allatoona. “He told me that I wasn’t invited to go any farther than here.”
Eve was already walking toward the woods. Joe had described his meeting with Nancy Jo to her, but how did they know that this was the place that they could reach her? Who knew where she could be found? Her Bonnie had come to her in any number of places. But then Eve had had problems thinking Bonnie was anything but a dream. Did that make a difference?
She was in the shadow of the woods now. She was vaguely aware of Jane and Caleb behind her, the sound of the cicadas, the breeze blowing through the trees.
“What do we do?” Jane asked. “It’s not as if we can go knocking on a door.”
“Wait.” Eve moved deeper into the trees. She wasn’t feeling anything, she realized in despair. And she certainly wasn’t seeing anything. Not that she had expected to be able to do that. But she’d hoped she’d be able to sense . . . something.
They waited fifteen minutes.
Twenty.
“Eve,” Jane said gently.
“I know.” She straightened her shoulders. “The only thing we can do is assume she’s here and act accordingly.” She moved to the center of the trees. “I’m Eve Duncan, Nancy Jo. We came to ask you to help. Joe needs you. And we need to know where Jelak is right now.” She paused. “I know he said it hurt you, but Joe really needs you.”
No sound but the wind.
