Page 27 of Malice

“Wouldn’t you rather get settled in?”

“Nah.” She kicks off her shoes and hoists her tote bag over her shoulder. “I feel called to the kitchen.”

“Alright.” I gesture down the hallway and walk in that direction, but the closer we get, the colder the air feels. “Do you notice that shift in temperature?”

Jocelyn nods, her eyes shifting rapidly around the room. “Yep. Definitely something here.”

We enter the kitchen and she stops suddenly, then slowly turns her head to the left, near the island.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

She shivers, gazing at the sink. “Right here. This spot.”

“Yeah. He shot himself there.” I nod, but move back slightly. “It’s not my imagination that it feels different from the rest of the room, is it?”

“Nope.” She sets her bag on the counter then digs inside, pulling out a deck of cards, a candle, and a few other items I’m not familiar with. She lights a black candle and sprays something in the air that has a pleasant, slightly sweet scent to it.

“Where did you learn this stuff?”

She grins, winking as she opens the card deck. “I’ve been a practicing witch for years. I didn’t tell anyone because I knew it wouldn’t be received well by the folks and I figured it wouldn’t be interesting to you.”

Eh, I’d argue, but she’s right actually.

I watch in silence as she unfolds a black velvet pouch, revealing a board with a bunch of letters and numbers on it.

“What’s that?”

“A spirit board. If a ghost wants to talk to us it can do so through this.”

“Uh-huh. That doesn’t sound scary or dangerous.”

“It can be both,” she says plainly. “It’s not child’s play but it’s not my first rodeo either. I’ve done quite a few communications.”

“Really?”

“Yep.” She closes her eyes, inhaling and exhaling before opening them again. “Okay. Stand across from me.”

I move to the other side of the island. “Okay.”

“I’m gonna see if I can connect with anyone who might be here, but keep in mind, just because they might not want to talk, doesn’t mean they aren’t here.”

“Got it.”

“Alright, ghosties, who wants to say hi? We’re here and listening.”

It’s eerily silent, almost to the point where it feels like time is frozen. I start to speak, but before I can say anything, the little wood piece on the spirit board jerks dramatically to one side, causing both me and Jocelyn to gasp.

“Holy shit,” she says. “Okay, spirit,” Jocelyn says. “What’s your name?” She puts her fingers on the wooden tool, but it continues to make jerking movements across the board. “I don’t understand,” she says. “Can you slow down or try again?”

The jerking gets worse and Jocelyn seems irritated as she stares down at the board.

“Come put your fingers on the planchette next to mine,” she says.

I follow her instructions even as my hands shake with nerves.

“What is your name?” Jocelyn asks, slowly and clearly.

The tool under our fingers moves across the board, landing on the letter D. It quickly moves back and forth to several letters, too quickly for me to catch, but Jocelyn notices and gives me a fearful look.

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