Page 53 of Deadly Deception
Uncarved pumpkins lined the drive, and a gathering of cornhusks were tucked into a corner on the porch. A plastic skeleton hung from each porch post and a string of orange lights wrapped over the front door. I’d forgotten that Tompkins enjoyed holiday decorations. While his house wasn’t the most decorated on the block, it was respectful.
Tompkins opened the door before I had a chance to knock. He appeared grim, but otherwise well. “Good to see you, O’Hare. Come on in and get out of the wind.” A gust came by and swung one of the skeletons wide.
I ushered Boone and Clark inside first and followed, closing the door behind us. Boone made introductions. “ShaneTompkins, this is Tabitha Clark. She’s the medium the Magical Usage Council sent.”
Tompkins’s eyebrows rose, but he got over his surprise quickly. “Medium, huh? Never met one that I know of, but it’s good of you to come.” Tompkins shook his head. “Something needs to be done for that poor young man.”
Boone shucked his coat and asked worriedly, “Did something happen to Navarre?”
“Nothing new. I did get him to eat some breakfast and lunch. He took a shower too, but that’s about all I’ve gotten out of him. I’ve tried striking up a conversation or two, but he doesn’t really respond. That’s not to say he’s not talking.” Tompkins scratched the back of his neck, looking distinctly uncomfortable. “He’s talking tosomeone. Hell, I think he’s having full-blown conversations with them. I’ll be damned if I know who though.”
Tabitha Clark hummed quietly and headed for the hall.
“Third door on the right,” Tompkins said as we followed her.
She waved us off. “I know where he is, or more precisely, where the spirits are.” She knocked once, not waiting for an answer before opening the door and walking in. Boone followed, standing close to Tabitha. I moved just inside the doorway, and Tompkins stood within it. We were an odd group, and the room wasn’t nearly large enough to hold all of us comfortably. Idly, I wondered just how many others were crowded inside the space as well, their noncorporeal bodies absent but their spirits suffocating.
“My, my,” Tabitha hummed. “It is quit the collection. Impressive.” She sucked in a hissed breath.
“Are you—”
“Hush,” Tabitha scolded Boone. “Let me concentrate.”
Boone did as he was told. Tompkins and I followed suit, and the room grew deathly quiet. Navarre didn’t so much as look up.He simply sat there, staring out the window across from the bed. Forearms resting on his thighs, Navarre’s gaze was vacant.
The air rustled around Tabitha’s head, stirring her silvery strands. Head slightly tilted and eyes closed, she gently swayed back and forth, purse still dangling from her forearm but clutched a bit tighter to her chest. The seconds ticked away, turning into minutes. Tompkins shifted his weight, leaning against the opposite doorjamb. Boone glanced my way, raising a single eyebrow. I could only shrug in response, unsure how long this would take either.
With a heavy exhale, Tabitha opened her eyes. The gentle breeze surrounding her settled and her shoulders sagged. Navarre stayed where he was while the rest of us remained quiet.
“Well, now… That’s…” Tabitha seemed at a loss for words. With a soft shake of her head, she turned and headed back to the doorway. With a wave, she indicated we should follow, and like good little ducklings, we did just that, heading back into Tompkins’s living room.
“Coffee?” Tabitha asked Tompkins hopefully.
“As long as you’re okay with instant, I can get you something quickly.”
“It’ll work. Please tell me it isn’t decaf.”
I wasn’t certain if Tompkins’s horror was in jest or not. “Don’t even joke about such atrocities.”
Tabitha chuckled while easing down on a chair cushion. She nodded with approval, as if the seat met her comfy standards. “Please. Sit.” Tabitha waved toward the available seating. Boone and I took the loveseat, leaving Tompkins the other lone chair.
It wasn’t long before we heard the beep of the microwave and soon the scent of instant coffee filled the air. Tompkins came out carrying two cups. He handed one to Tabitha and kept the other to himself. “If I remember correctly, you’re not a fan of instant.”Tompkins motioned toward me. “And Erasmus seems more like a sweets man.”
“True enough,” Boone answered. “I got my sweet tooth from my momma, honestly. Plus, it helps when I work.”
Tabitha blew on her coffee before taking a sip. After swallowing she said, “Caffeine’s my picker-upper.” After downing about half her mug, Tabitha set the mug on a nearby table and said, “I don’t believe I’ve ever felt so many spirits huddled together before. The best way I can describe it is like a dense cloud, almost like fog. It’s difficult to see through and even more difficult to parse out individuals.”
Boone shot me a worried glance before he asked, “Can they be separated?”
Tabitha tilted her head, eyes distant before she answered “Yes, I believe so, but it will take time. Most likely more time than what I allotted. The spirits will need to be stripped away, one at a time. It will be like peeling an onion.”
“Jesus,” Tompkins muttered. “How is he coping with that?” Tompkins’s gaze strayed toward the hall and the room containing Navarre.
Tabitha shrugged. “I would suspect it is something he’s gotten used to. All these lost souls didn’t show up at one single time. They’ve attached to Navarre over a lifetime. Chances are, the ones that are closest to him, the ones he can see and hear the loudest, are the oldest.”
Boone shook his head. “I’m not sure that’s entirely true. Pretty sure that DeWayne Foster’s soul was his latest, and from what I can piece together, Navarre said he was pretty loud. We had DeWayne’s body, so I was able to pull his soul back and then send it into the afterlife.”
Tabitha gave a thoughtful nod. “That may be so. Perhaps it depends on the strength and tenacity of the soul. It is alsoprobably driven by emotion. Powerful emotions typically lead to powerful spirits.”
