Page 13 of Property of Crypt Keeper

“She’s… exhibiting, um, strange behavior. I thought maybe she was just rebelling because of the loss of her parents. But then something happened.” She dropped her gaze and fiddled with the hem of her shirt.

Silence hung heavy in the room. I really wanted to tell this woman to get on with things, but I didn’t want to be rude, as I could tell she was really struggling with whatever was going on. I wasn’t a complete dick.

“Such as?” I finally asked because I simply couldn’t stand it. Patience wasn’t one of my strong suits.

“She killed all my chickens,” the woman blurted out and tears broke free.

My brows shot up so high, I was afraid they entered my hairline. When I turned to Boom and Killswitch, they were trying not to laugh, and I wondered if this was a joke. This woman was clearly distraught.

“She… killed your… chickens,” I repeated as I slowly blinked at her.

“Yes,” the woman whispered. Then she lifted her gaze to me. “With her teeth and claws.”

You could’ve absolutely heard a pin drop from a mile away at that point.

“Other than that, she’s a sweet girl,” she hurried to explain. Almost as if she was trying to convince me.

“Again, not sure what this has to do with me,” I added.

“Two days ago, I had to lock her in the basement. Lord knows, I didn’t want to. I kept telling myself she’s just a child, and that was cruel and insane of me to do, but I didn’t have a choice, I tell you.” She pulled back the sleeves of her sweater. There were deep, sutured cuts on her arms.

My eyes stared. The placement of the marks. The familiarity. Something niggled at the edge of my mind.

“I told them at the ER that my knife set fell, and I foolishly tried to grab them. I don’t think they believed me, but I couldn’t tell them the truth. I didn’t know what would happen to her, but I knew it wouldn’t be good. My neighbors had some issues with something unusual a while back, and they saw this woman in the swamps. I got her information and went to see her last night. She told me to come here and ask for you.” She sniffled and wiped her eyes with the tissue Killswitch offered her.

Fucking Madame Laveaux. That woman needed to quit sending people our way. Yet unease began to settle deep in my bones.

“She said you would understand and know what to do with her.” She was staring right at me, so there was no misunderstanding who she was speaking to or about.

“Me?” I asked, disbelieving. What the fuck did I know about kids, and why the hell would that crazy voodoo lady tell this poor woman that?

“Yes. You specifically. I told her she must be mistaken. I mean, you guys are… well, you know. She didn’t like that. She told me she doesn’t make mistakes. She told me to see you, then told me to leave her home. So here I am.” Her chin defiantly lifted, but I could smell the fear within her as she tucked a graying section of hair behind her ear.

“What do you want us—I mean, me—to do about her?” I asked.

“I need you to talk to her. See if you can help her,” she practically begged.

“Fine,” I sighed. “When?”

“Now.”

“Now?” I parroted. “Like, right now?”

“Yes. Please.”

“Fine. I’ll follow you,” I muttered as I reached for the doorknob.

She shot up to her feet and nodded.

I opened the door and we all traipsed after her.

When we got outside, I was expecting to get on my bike and go to the woman’s house. Instead, I was met with a running car parked in front of the clubhouse. She opened the back door and spoke softly as she leaned down.

A riot of dark brown curls appeared as a child, around five or six, climbed out of the back seat. She held a stuffed toy tightly to her chest.

“Zara, this is Mr. Dallas,” the woman explained to the little girl, whose golden eyes stared at me in an uncanny way.

“Hey, Zara,” I uncomfortably uttered with an awkward wave. I’d spent a shit ton of time around my brother’s kid lately, and he loved me, but I had never dealt with a girl before. They were different. Right?