Page 47 of Top Secret Vampire

Reese shrugged. “If there’s a ghost in the house, she’s not making her presence known other than to Wolfram.”

I explained how I’d seen her but hadn’t spoken with her, that I’d tried to reach out to her since without success.

“Here’s the thing,” Thain said. “This doll,” he poked his finger toward the toy mostly covered by the garbage bag, “was intended for Jolene’s daughter. The doll . . .” A grumble rose in his chest. “I didn’t get more than a few impressions, but I think the doll was left for you on purpose.”

“You’re saying it’s a message from Jolene or whoever’s been stalking me?” Reese asked.

“That, I don’t know. The only impression I got was that whoever left the doll wants you to act in some way to help the child.”

Perhaps it was a coincidence that the intruder was inside Reese’s office on the same night the doll appeared.

“I believe this is a message, and you need to heed it.”

“Could the doll have been left to help give Jolene closure?” Reese bit down hard on her lower lip.

“That’s my assumption from my reading,” he said. “I can’t be sure, but I don’t believe the doll was left by the intruder.”

“If that’s the case,” Reese looked my way, “how will we figure out what Jolene needs? I want to help her.”

“We’ll do more investigating, hoping we find clues that will point us in the right direction.” I tucked the bag back around the doll, secured the knot, and rose, lifting it. “We’ll go to the historical society next and see if they have any information about Jolene and her daughter, plus show them the doll. Thanks, Thain. I know that was hard for you.”

“I don’t mind doing readings but that thing,” his concerned gaze fell on the doll again, “it’s not only creepy, it’s almost haunted itself. Don’t keep it inside your house. I’m not sure what it might do.”

Reese shuddered. “I want to take this one out to the firepit and burn it.”

“I wouldn’t.” Thain stood. “Burning might activate the spirit lingering inside the doll.”

He walked us out to the door and with a wave, left us to return to his office.

“How can we dispose of it?” Reese asked as we left his office, the bag holding the doll in my hand. She was right to suggest I wash my hands last night. “Once we deal with whatever Jolene wants us to do, that is. I don’t want to keep it in my house after that.”

“I’ll ask my witch friend to handle it for you. She’ll send the spirit on, and after the toy is cleansed, it can be donated to someone who might actually want it.” I scratched the back of my neck. “Whoever that might be. Not someone who can sense paranormal activity, that’s for sure.”

We paused on the sidewalk.

“Do you have a witch in mind for the doll?” she asked.

“I do, though you won’t be able to meet her.”

“Why not?”

“Few witches are willing to reveal their identity.”

“You’re saying I might know her but not that she’s a witch.” Reese wrapped her arms around her waist.

“She’s a good person, but it hasn’t been that long since witches were hunted.”

“I don’t blame her then.” She sucked in a breath and released it. “Let’s go to the historical society first and then the hardware store.” She blinked up at me. “I can’t believe we’re casually talking about witches. Monsters are an amazing addition to our everyday lives, but those who can perform magic? I’m not sure what to think about that.”

“They can’t craft spells like in a fantasy novel. They mostly do spells that might influence a person in a slight way, craft charms to keep another away, or even perform incantations to help someone find a lost item.”

“All things we could use.”

I held open the door to the historical society for her. “How so?”

“Maybe we can get a spell to keep whoever’s stalking me away from my home. A charm might bring me good luck, something I’m out of right now. And we need to gather more information about what this creepy doll and Jolene want.”

“Good points.”

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