Louise Jane said, “We don’t want that.”
“Why not? I had it on Friday.”
“That’s the one thing we’ll have to do without. The light’s too strong. The spirits won’t like it.”
“I’m not wandering around in the dark without a light,” Mary-Sue said.
“We’ll have small flashlights and cell phone lights,” Louise Jane said. “Just not that one.”
Ronald closed the drawer with a shrug.
“Okay, but if we’re reenacting Friday, then who the heck are you?” Lucinda pointed to Louise Jane’s cousin, who so far hadn’t said a word. I couldn’t help but notice that she didn’t bear the slightest resemblance to Helena. She wore a long black winter coat, way too heavy for this warm night.
“Her name doesn’t matter,” Louise Jane said. “She’ll play Helena.”
The cousin smiled and waved.
“Can this get any more ridiculous?” Ruth muttered.
“I bet it can,” Ronald grumbled under his breath in return.
“Now remember, everyone,” Louise Jane said. “Try to stick as closely to the path you took on Friday as you can remember. Helena, you keep to yourself and stay out of the light.”
“What do I do?” the cousin asked.
“You’re pretending you’re Helena, and I just told you what to do.”
“Oh, right. Sorry. Stay out of the light. Got it.”
“Ready?” Louise Jane asked. She didn’t wait for anyone to reply before saying, “Let’s go then. Now remember, do what you did on Friday. I’ll be on high alert for any paranormal presence, but if you sense something, give me a shout.”
“I sense,” Mary-Sue said, “that it’s past my bedtime.”
“I sense,” Ruth said, “a drink at the hotel bar calling my name.”
Louise Jane threw open the door.
Connor McNeil stood there, his hand raised to knock. He blinked in surprise.
Louise Jane stifled a yip of shock but recovered quickly. “Sorry, Connor. We’re busy. Private party. Women only.”
Connor spotted Ronald waving at him from the back of the crowd and raised one eyebrow.
“Women and librarians,” Ronald said, “I’m sure we can make an exception in His Honor’s case.”
“No, we cannot,” Louise Jane said. “If Connor tags along, it’ll spoil the atmosphere.”
“What’s happening?” Connor asked me. “This doesn’t look like much of a party.” He was dressed in a sharp suit, crisp white shirt, and silk tie; his unruly hair was combed flat, he was freshly shaven, and he’d applied too much aftershave.
“None of your business,” Louise Jane said.
I gave him an apologetic shrug as Bertie stepped forward. “Actually, as the library’s owned by the town, and as Connor’s the mayor of our town, it is his business. He can stay.”
For a moment Louise Jane looked as though she was about to argue, but recognizing that time was quickly passing, she gave in. “Okay. You can come. Be quiet and unobtrusive.” She marched out of the library. The line of women followed her. Ronald followed them. Bertie and I were last.
“I wasn’t expecting you tonight,” I said to Connor. “Is something wrong?”
“Wrong? No, nothing wrong. I was hoping to find you in, and I was surprised to see all those cars.” He took a deep breath and then spoke as though the words desperately wanted to be said. “As I haven’t had much luck in saying what I need to say, Lucy, I hoped to find you here alone and we could … talk. I guess this isn’t going to be the time either.” He patted his jacket pocket.
“Come with us,” I said, grabbing his hand. “We can talk later.”
“Somehow, I don’t think the mood will be right later.”
Bertie gave him a huge grin. “Never give up, Connor, never give up. The prize is worth the effort.”
“What on earth are you two talking about?” I said. “Never mind. We have to catch up with the others.”
Chapter Twenty-One
We trooped across the lawn to the boardwalk in a tight group. Some people seemed to be taking this more seriously than others. Ruth told everyone she was disappointed when the police told her she could leave: she’d been enjoying the enforced vacation. Sheila bubbled excitedly as she walked next to Louise Jane, constantly asking if Louise Jane sensed anything yet. Louise Jane finally snapped at her to be quiet. Mary-Sue asked Bertie if she’d ever thought about selling her house.
“What do I do now?” Fake Helena asked.
“You do nothing and keep quiet, as I told you,” an exasperated Louise Jane said.
“Okay. Sure is hot out here tonight. Do I have to keep this coat on?”
“Yes!”
Fake Helena stepped in a hole and pitched forward. She gave a startled yell and would have hit the ground face first had Ruth not grabbed her by the arm with a cry of “Watch it there.”
Louise Jane muttered something impolite.
Lucinda kept up with the rest, but she had nothing to say.
As a reenactment of the events of last Friday, this wasn’t working very well. That night, people had spread out almost immediately on leaving the library. Some walked faster than others, some strolled and chatted or enjoyed the evening, some stopped to admire their surroundings. Tonight, the group kept close together. Everyone, except perhaps Louise Jane, was frightened and wary. Lucinda didn’t try to flirt with Ronald, Sheila didn’t beg Louise Jane to tell a story, and Bertie and Ruth didn’t talk about the birds and wildlife of the marsh. Ronald hadn’t brought the Maglite, and I was definitely not enjoying the peace and quiet.
When the great 1000-watt bulb overhead went off, I couldn’t see a thing beyond the range of our few weak flashlights. The people around me were nothing but dark shapes drifting through the expanse of darkness. I was glad of the strong, solid warmth of Connor’s hand in mine and the steady sound of his footsteps on the ground and his regular breathing. He said nothing, just gripped my hand tightly.
The boardwalk appeared up ahead. “Step back,” Louise Jane said to her cousin. “Like I told you.”
Silently, Fake Helena slipped out of the circle of light and disappeared.
She must be, I thought, braver than she seems.
As one, the group stepped onto the boardwalk.
“It was here,” Louise
