Big Easy (Cowboy Craze) Read online

  “Okay. All right.” She felt a little letdown. “I don’t know what I was expecting, but this seems too easy.”

  “Nonsense. If this works, it won’t be because it’s simple, it’ll be because of you. You’re a natural, Jewel. Sensitive. Attuned. Born with power that men would kill for.”

  “Mom…”

  “Own it, sweetheart. You’re more powerful than I ever thought about being.”

  “Whoa.” Jewel stood up, returning into the house as if she were escaping from her mother’s observation. “That’s ridiculous.”

  “No, it’s not. You’ve always been…”

  Ring! Ring!

  “Excuse me, Mom. I’ve got to let you go. There’s someone at the door.”

  Remembering to check the computer, she saw Willie Mae standing there with a Mason jar full of dirt in her hand. She was heavily made up and wore a ton of jewelry. “Well, at least she looks happy.”

  Stepping to the door, she admitted her client. “Come in, Willie Mae.”

  “Thanks. I have what you asked me for.” She held up the jar full of graveyard dirt.

  “All right,” she muttered lowly. The graveyard dirt wasn’t the only thing Willie Mae had brought with her. At her side stood a transparent woman whose face was bloody and beaten. A woman who couldn’t take her eyes off the charm bracelet on Willie’s wrist. “Come right in. Make yourself at home.”

  Once they were inside the living room, Jewel noticed Eliza paid no more attention to her more recent visitors than they did to her. Jewel was grateful for that, at least. She didn’t relish trying to explain one specter to another.

  As Willie Mae sashayed to the dining table, she began extolling her husband’s virtues. “Oh, I can’t thank you enough! Everett is like a new man. He’s been so happy. So loving. So nice to me.” She patted her arm. “I told you about the bracelet he gave me, didn’t I?”

  “That’s my bracelet. Not hers!” Julie Davis whirled around to look right at Jewel. “You tell her. My mother bought those charms. You tell her it belongs to me!” Her voice was reedy. Inconsistent.

  Jewel didn’t answer, of course. She couldn’t have – she was too flabbergasted. Now, Julie Davis wasn’t the only ghost at Willie’s side.

  There were two others. Both as beaten and bloody as Julie.

  “Tell her that ring belongs to me!” a woman with stringy blonde hair wailed, pointing to the diamond on Willie’s right hand.

  “And the chain around her neck – it’s mine!” A petite red-headed woman with her hair in a bob, tried to grab Willie Mae’s shoulder.

  As for Jewel, she was having a hard time thinking of anything – other than how crowded her living room had become.

  CHAPTER TEN

  “Did you hear me, Jewel?” Willie Mae asked, waiting for a reply. “I told you about the charm bracelet, didn’t I?”

  “Yes.” She gave Willie a faint smile. “Yes, you did. Very nice.”

  Her mind was in a turmoil. Who were these other two women? She could only assume they were other victims – like Julie Davis.

  “I brought the dirt from Daddy’s grave, like you told me to.”

  Jewel turned her back on the spirits, who, like broken records, were endlessly declaring their prior claims on Willie Mae’s jewelry. “Good. I’m glad.” Ignoring the unnerving spectacle behind her, she began gathering the ingredients for the protection jar. Now, more than ever, the necessity of such an item was supremely evident.

  “Now, what is this you’re making me?”

  “A protection jar.”

  “Protection from what?” Willie asked as she moved in behind Jewel.

  Biting her tongue to keep the truth between her lips, she gave the woman the only answer she could. “From whatever might harm you.”

  As Willie watched, Jewel gathered broken shards of glass and pottery, nails and straight pins, a tiger’s eye jewel, and three herbs: blackthorn, foxglove, and wormwood. “Now, go to the bathroom and fill this with urine for me.” She handed the woman a paper cup. “When you come back, we’ll add the graveyard dirt and I’ll charge it for you.”

  “Ick.” Making for the rear of the house, Willie stopped at the circle. “What is this?” she asked, using her toe to brush through the line of white powder. The moment she did it, Jewel didn’t have time to voice a protest before Eliza shot through the hole like a small bird that found the cage door open.

  “Nothing. Hurry on.” Jewel shooed her away as she followed the small darting orb of Eliza’s spirit as she danced around the room like a firefly.

  As soon as the she heard the bathroom door close, Jewel whispered loudly, “Eliza. Come here!” The last thing she needed was for the little ghost to allow the draw of her former home to lead her away. “Eliza!”

  Her quiet frantic plea seemed to agitate the three women who’d attached themselves to Willie. Their movements became jerky and their transparent form seemed to shift, beams of light shooting out from their being. It was almost as if they were made from electricity and were shorting out. More used to such sights than most, Jewel still found herself alarmed by what she saw. What was going on? Why was she having so many encounters?

  A conversation she’d once had with Hazel returned to her memory.

  When times are perilous, when a great evil abounds, the supernatural world can feed on this energy. You’ll see more spirits at this time. Spirits who would normally be hidden even from a sensitive like us can become visible.

  She remembered standing at the window with her mother, gazing out toward the swamp. Fog swirled and fireflies flickered, creating doubt in their mind what was real and what was imagination.

  In times like these, you’ll realize how very many spirits there are in this world, not to mention the next. Houses aren’t the only thing that’s haunted, many times its people who have spirits attached to them. When you see this phenomenon come to pass, be wary. Beware. Danger is nearby – and its very rarely the dead you need to fear.

  “Hey!” She clapped her hands, seeking the attention of those who existed in a state of unrest. “Enough, ladies!”

  Used to being ignored by those unaware of their presence, her sharp rebuke caused them all to freeze – then vanish as one. Taking a moment to be amazed at their reaction, she was a bit startled to realize something was tugging on her shirt. Glancing down, she found Eliza as plastered to her side as a little ghost could get, trying to hide her face in Jewel’s clothing. “It’s okay, baby. It’s okay.”

  “Finally. I should’ve had more to drink before I came.” Willie Mae came into the room, laughing at herself, handing Jewel the paper cup full of pee. “I still don’t understand why I’m doing this, but I trust you, Jewel. I’d do almost anything you say.”

  “Good.” Jewel huffed out a breath, seeking calm. “I need you to trust me. When I finish this jar and you take it home, I want you to put it underneath your bed. And…” Jewel emphasized the word. “I need you to be careful. Trust no one.”

  “No one?” Willie Mae looked at her suspiciously.

  “No one.” Jewel motioned for her to sit down at the reading table. “No one until I tell you otherwise.”

  “You couldn’t mean my Everett, could you?”

  Remembering Willie’s fear from last week about her husband’s infidelity, Jewel wondered at Everett’s persuasive abilities. Today, the woman spoke of him in almost reverent terms. “Well, I’m not saying anyone in particular, Willie Mae. There are a lot of people in and out of your house. Your husband and his brothers have a lot of business dealings. I’m sure they make enemies. As a beautiful woman, you’re vulnerable. Besides, you’re pregnant. You need to be extra careful.”

  Seeing the flattery go to Willie’s head, Jewel sighed and forged ahead.

  “Okay, let’s do this.” Clearing her mind, she began to work. “God and Goddess, Lord and Lady, Mother and Father of all life…”

  * * *

  “I’d say you’re one lucky devil, McCoy. When I rode up to see you caug
ht in that bear trap with a big old water moccasin aiming at your dick – I thought you were a goner.”

  Philip laughed, dry-scrubbing his face with the palm of his hand. “I thought I was too, to tell you the truth. “The doctor said I was very fortunate. Like Wren said, the snake didn’t inject much venom and the trap wasn’t meant to kill, just hold.”

  “I can’t get over the idea that there are bears in these parts.” Easy slowed down to maneuver through deep ruts in the narrow, muddy road.

  “Right? Not to mention that there are poachers with balls big enough to set traps on McCoy land.”

  “Not to mention a killer running loose who’s using your land as a dumping ground.” Easy echoed his sentiment as well as his phrasing.

  “Yea.” Philip sighed. “Makes me wonder if my efforts are cursed. Part of this land is Indian burial ground, after all.”

  Easy chuckled. “Well, being an Indian, I’ll give you a pass on that one. No one would treat this land with more respect than you.” Clearing his throat, he decided to broach the topic that was bothering him. “The cabin where we just left Wren Rabalais, it sits on your property, doesn’t it?”

  “Yea, it does.” Philip shifted in his seat, looking down at his bandaged leg and ruined jeans. “We haven’t lived here since 2005. It’s a wonder there haven’t been others who’ve moved in and tried to lay claim to some of the land.”

  “What are you going to do about it?”

  Philip seemed to think, watching out the Jeep window at a flock of egrets taking flight from the wetlands. “I don’t know that I’m going to do anything about it.”

  “Why?” Easy asked, even as he figured he knew the answer.

  He sat still for a minute, not saying anything, still staring into the distance – and then he threw back his head and laughed. “You know why.”

  Easy joined him in his amusement. “That girl got to you, didn’t she?”

  “Yea. She did,” he admitted with a sigh. “Did you see her charging in to help me? Taking that stub tail moccasin by the tail and flinging it over her head? She was fierce. Fearless. Determined to save me.” He shook his head. “She and that little old cabin of hers isn’t taking up much room.”

  Easy didn’t argue. It wasn’t his land. It wasn’t his place. “She was pretty.” He’d give Philip that much. “Not exactly your type though.”

  “Really?” Philip frowned at him, then grinned. “I didn’t know I had a type.”

  Easy snorted, rubbing his chin. “Seriously? You’re a fuckin’ McCoy. You attend charity balls and faculty dinners with high society women or other lady professors.”

  Even as he spouted off his unsolicited observation, Easy knew Philip could take exception to his boldness. To his surprise, the man didn’t argue.

  “You know, I have this old memory of watching television with my mother. She loved old movies. Sometimes on Saturday mornings, she’d watch the Turner Classic Movie station. Some of her favorite movies were the Tammy series.”

  “The what?”

  Philip shrugged, a pensive look on his face. “They weren’t your typical movies a young boy would like. Not a shoot-em-up, not a superhero in sight. I watched them because I loved to see my mama smile.”

  Seeing how invested Philip was in his reminiscing, he gave him room to talk it out. “What were the movies about?”

  “Ah.” He held up a finger as if making a point. “Here’s the connection. Tammy, the heroine of the movies, was this sweet, naïve girl who lived in an area very much like this one. She spoke with this rich, southern accent. A sweet, polite country girl always looking for romantic love. The storylines of each movie contained common elements of her falling in love, singing about falling in love, city folk learning from her folksy wisdom… Well, you get the idea.”

  “Did you have a crush on this Tammy girl?”

  Philip chuckled. “A huge one. After all, she was played by Debbie Reynolds.” At Easy’s blank stare, he winked. “Look her up sometimes, there’s even a resemblance to Wren.”

  “So, you see Wren as Tammy.”

  “Yea. At first.” He tapped on the window next to his face, trying to dislodge a wasp that was clinging to the rubber insulation. “Just the way she looked. The way she was dressed. That slow, syrupy way of speaking.” Giving Philip a sidewise grin, he confessed, “But when you left us alone to check me into the hospital, and later when you went into the post office to mail my soil samples for me, we talked.”

  “About what?” The atmosphere in the truck made Easy feel like he was about to be let in on some valuable secret. “What did she have to say?”

  “We…connected. Sounds too simple, doesn’t it?” Philip let out a puff of air, like he’d been holding his breath. “Sometimes it’s just as simple as that. She asked real questions, she seemed interested in me as a man – not my name, not my money – not my credentials. Wren had this amazing way of just cutting through the fog of my turmoil and seeing the real me. Do you know what she said to me?”

  “What?”

  “She said I was a part of the land. She could tell by how I walked on it with respect. How I cradled the soil in my hand. How I took the time to look beneath the surface to see what lay there waiting to be found.” He shook his head, trying to sort out his feelings. “I think she was telling me that there was something of value to find in her…lying just beneath the surface of what we can only see.”

  As his voice trailed off, Easy realized he was listening to his friend, but he was also applying everything Philip was saying to his own life. Oh, not that he had money or credentials. Hell, no. He came with a whole different set of baggage. A half-breed with little money, no higher education, and a butt load of guilt. Yet…he felt that same bond with Jewel. Like she could see past all his bullshit and right into his soul.

  A bark of laughter slipped from Easy’s lips. “She can, you fool.”

  “Can what?” Philip asked.

  Easy blinked at him. “Oh, not you. I was just realizing how Jewel Baptiste can look right into my soul with that ability of hers. I wouldn’t ever be able to hide anything from her.”

  “Yea, from what I’ve heard, she might have an unfair advantage.”

  Narrowing his gaze, Easy stared at him. “What have you heard?”

  “Oh, I visited that bar last night, the one we’re supposed to go to on Friday night. Everyone was talking about the murder, the woman we found.” He let out a wry laugh. “I didn’t volunteer any information, if you’re wondering. I prefer to drink incognito. They didn’t need to know her body was found on my land. Anyway, one man said the police ought to consult Jewel Baptiste.”

  “Really? What else?”

  Philip tilted his head, chewing on his bottom lip. Obviously, he’d rather not say more. “There were a couple who agreed with the guy. There were others who vehemently opposed it, saying she was a charlatan, a fake. Another couple spoke her name with fear and trembling. Saying she was in league with the devil. Saying she could help the police, but that help would come at a cost.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “I figured.”

  “Not that she doesn’t have…a talent.” Easy didn’t know exactly how to put it. “She’s a healer. She’s intuitive.”

  “Oh, I don’t doubt that. We’ve got one in our family too.”

  “You’ve got what in your family?”

  “A woman with power. A healer. Who can tell you things – about things.”

  “Really? Who?” Easy was mentally naming off women in Philip’s family, trying to guess who it might be.

  “Cady. Joseph’s wife. Her maiden name was Acadia Renaud. Her family has quite the reputation for magical power. From New Orleans.” Philip gave Easy a sly wink. “Typical Louisiana girl.”

  “Maybe.” Easy pulled up to the mobile office. “Well, here you are. You should rest. I’m going to head out and check Wesley’s progress.”

  “Oh, I might rest,” Philip mused, then gave Easy an over the shoulder grin as he climb
ed from the Jeep. “And I might go visiting. Wren gave me a standing invitation for coffee.”

  “Ah. Okay.” Easy tossed Philip the keys to the Jeep. “I understand. I have a date tonight myself.”

  “Oh, really? Miss Baptiste, I presume?”

  “None other.”

  “Be careful.” Philip pointed at him in jest. “She might put a spell on you.”

  “I’ll keep my guard up,” Easy joked back, then whispered to himself, “Too late. I think she already has.”

  * * *

  “I hope you don’t mind me waiting here a bit. My friend dropped me off while she ran an errand, I’m still not supposed to drive.”

  “No, Irma. I’m glad you’re here. I wanted to get you these things as quickly as possible.” Leaving the ailing woman sipping coffee at the reading table, Jewel moved from cabinet to cabinet, filling small bags with the proper herbs and concoctions. She also stopped by a small chalkboard hanging on the adjacent wall to put a checkmark next to two things on her to-do list: Healing herbs for Irma and Protection Spell for Willie Hill. Only two things remained for the day: Help Eliza and Evening with Easy.

  “I’m just so thankful you’re getting treatment,” Jewel said breezily, feeling hopeful. “Combine medicine with magic, we’ll have a winning combination. Hopefully.”

  “Oh, I feel confident, Ms. Jewel. In fact, I have something for you.”

  Jewel looked over her shoulder to see what Irma was doing. “What?”

  Digging in her purse, she pulled out a little box. “I brought your necklace back to you and I thank you so much for allowing me to use it. It worked like a charm.” Irma laughed at her own joke. “I would’ve never had the courage to go to the doctor without it.”

  “You keep it, Irma. I want you to have it.”

  “Oh, really?”

  As Jewel put the clear mixture of water and blue scorpion venom in a dropper bottle, she assured Irma of her wishes. “I do, indeed. I think the ruby is happier with you.”

  Taking the necklace from the box, Irma held it up to the light. “How can you tell?”