Scarlet Bells by Jenna Ryan

Author:Jenna Ryan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Dark romance;suspense;voodoo spells;curses;calling cards and murder.
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Published: 2016-03-08T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

“Are you sure about this?” Tanner used the Hummer’s off-road capability to traverse a muddy stream. “It’s possible Des has been taken to a hospital by now. You said you thought she was badly injured.”

Rosemary regarded her cell phone. “I said I thought she was in a coma, but between what I saw in my head and this text message I received from Flora after we saw Madeleine’s ghost—can’t believe I actually said that—the bayou is where we’ll find her.”

Tanner’s thoughts detoured to the mysterious woman named Flora. Desdemona had only mentioned her a few times, saying that Flora kept to herself and didn’t possess any exceptional mental abilities.

“People like her, they come and go from the swamp their whole lives,” Desdemona had remarked the night before he and Rosemary had left Snake Scream Swamp. “It’s how some of us are built. Take me and Billy, for example. We gotta get out from time to time. Trapped just ain’t a good way to feel.”

It was a sentiment Tanner understood well. He’d felt trapped and irritable working for Crucible, more so near the end than at the beginning. He’d also discovered he had an active resentment for subterfuge. Suspicion was one thing. Screwing with friendship took it a giant step beyond any place he’d ever wanted to go.

He gave a stationary log a wide berth before steering back to shore. “When did Flora text you?”

“The message is dated two days ago, late afternoon, but I swear it didn’t appear until after we saw Madeleine near the dock.”

“Most of the Marie’s in a cellphone dead zone.” Tanner steered with his knee while he tied a rolled bandana across his forehead. The heat was a bastard this deep in the swamp, and for all the difference it made, they might have been breathing water rather than air. “You’re lucky her signal got to you at all.”

Rosemary twisted her own hair into a long ponytail, pulled on a Saints ball cap and tugged the tail through the back. She regarded her phone again. “I’m thinking Madeleine had a hand in the getting-to-me part, but I’m too worried about Desdemona right now to dwell on it. Flora’s text message says that Desdemona drove her son’s Jeep from the shop to her—Flora’s—home. She also says Desdemona had a head wound and a lot more blood on her than she should have had considering her arm was only grazed by a bullet, and the injury to her head came about from a blow to the back of her skull.”

“Could be she wounded her assailant before he got off a clear shot.” Tanner shrugged. “Woman’s pretty handy with a rifle.”

“We also don’t know where Billy was while her assailant was doing whatever he was doing. And I can’t believe I said that either.” Rosemary pressed on a nerve behind her ear. “God, Tanner, she’s got me half-believing that doll can think and move. Why are we stopping?” she asked, dropping her hands when he halted in a small clearing.

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