Page 7 of Dead Evil (Cold Case Psychic #37)

Ten sat at the kitchen table slicing a large red tomato from their garden, while Ronan finished frying bacon for BLTs.

Everly was tearing apart a head of iceberg lettuce.

Ezra was at Cope’s with Lizbet. Jude would be here at any second with Kaye.

“I would feel so much better if you’d tell me what’s going on.

” Ten had tried reading Ronan several times since he’d gotten home from work, with no luck.

Everly couldn’t read him either, which worried Ten even more.

“We want to talk to Kaye about King of Deliverance. Also, Jude and I found out more information about KOD and the D-E-M-O-N hunters.”

“I can spell demon, Daddy.” Everly rolled her eyes.

“Of course you can,” Ronan said. “I’m just worried about the convention and want you as far away from it as possible.”

“No! No way! You promised I could go.” Everly crossed her arms over her chest. “I want to meet other gifted kids like me. I need my own psychic girl squad.”

“Ronan, why don’t we hear what you and Jude have to say and then the three of us can decide about Everly’s involvement in the convention?” Ten felt a headache coming on. He got up from the table and washed his hands in the sink before grabbing two Advil from the bottle and dry-swallowing them.

“No promises,” Ronan said, as the doorbell rang. He left the room to answer it.

“He’s really worried about something. Not just his usual kind of worry,” Everly said. “Actually, I think Daddy’s afraid of something.”

“I think so too,” Ten agreed. “Some of what Ronan and Jude want to talk about might not be appropriate for you to hear.”

“I understand,” Everly said, bowing her head.

“You do?” Ten asked, sounding stunned. “I was expecting a little pushback.”

Everly grinned. “Oh, I’ve got a lot of pushback, Dad, but we all know the more information I have the better.”

Ten sighed. He knew his daughter was right. “Let’s see what happens.”

“Hello, my lovely,” Kaye said, when she walked into the kitchen. She gave Everly a hug and sat across from her at the table.

“Where’s Daddy and Uncle Jude?” Everly asked.

“They looked like they had something important to talk about. I left them in the living room.” Kaye reached for a plate and started making Everly a BLT. She added chips and passed it to her granddaughter.

“Man, that bacon smells good!” Jude said. “Cope’s making mac and cheese if you want me to walk you over there, Everly?”

“No, thanks, Uncle Jude. I need to be here .” Everly offered him a smile and took a bite from her sandwich.

“Does one of you want to explain what’s going on? Why Jude hustled me out of the house and why Everly looks like she knows something no one else does?” Kaye’s gaze landed on Ronan, who was building a double-decker sandwich.

“You know Paranormal Phantasmagoria is coming to Salem on Friday,” Ronan began.

“Yes, and before you ask, I’m not stepping one foot in that place. If you need me to watch the kids, I will do that, but I’m not going into that building with all of those occultists.” Kaye’s word was final.

“We appreciate that Kaye, but we got some news that we need to talk to you about. It’s not an easy topic, so I wanted to be here for support,” Jude said.

“Okay, now you’re scaring me.” Kaye looked between Jude and Ronan.

“Apparently there are a lot of people who feel the same way about the convention that you do,” Ronan began. “A midwestern megachurch got wind of the event and they’re coming here to protest.”

“All Americans have the First Amendment right to free speech and peaceable assembly,” Kaye said.

“Mom, its King of Deliverance,” Ten half-whispered.

“King of Deliverance is coming here ? To Salem?” Kaye asked, looking excited. “That’s wonderful! I’d love to hear another sermon from Pastor Shackleton. Remember we took you when you were a teenager? Maybe Everly would like to come too?”

“I remember, Mom. Everly isn’t going anywhere near them.” Ten sighed. He knew Kaye wasn’t going to simply agree with him. A fight was brewing. One he hoped he could still prevent.

“What do you mean Everly isn’t going near them? She could use a little Jesus in her life.”

“I know Jesus, Nana Kaye,” Everly said. “He’s full of kindness and love. The Deliverance people are filled with hate.”

Ten had never told Everly about Jesus. He was pretty sure Ronan hadn’t either.

Did that mean someone else had filled her in on the Good News or did she actually know Him?

Ten shook his head. There wasn’t time to wonder about that now.

“The last I’d heard, they’d turned into something of a right wing hate group. ”

“That’s why we’re worried,” Jude said. “Their target for the convention are all of the witches, psychics, and mediums, but they’ve been vocal and violent toward gay and trans people recently and also with the libs.”

Kaye’s mouth hung open. “That’s not right. They’re a kind and loving fellowship.”

“Who made a fortune with their conversion camps where demons were allegedly cast out of gay teens and tweens,” Ten said. He couldn’t help wondering if Kaye had wanted to sign him up for one of the camp sessions after he’d come out to her and David when he was seventeen.

“Ten, I,-” Kaye began, but faltered. She took a deep breath. “You’re telling me all of this so I’ll stay away from them.” It wasn’t a question.

“Partly,” Ronan agreed. “The other part is that Levi Shackleton has been sued for fraud on several occasions. All of which have been settled out of court. He’s a conman.”

Kaye looked shell-shocked.

“King of Deliverance is still teamed up with the Dallas Demonologists and Duke Barrymore, who is the big ticket draw at the convention,” Jude added. “He’s going to cast demons out of people, live on stage.”

“We’re afraid the KOD protesters are going to incite a riot. Cisco is going to set up a perimeter around the convention center. He’s bringing in officers from other local departments and the Massachusetts State Police, just in case. There will be undercover officers on the convention floor.”

“You really think these people are going to bring violence to Salem?” Kaye asked.

“We hope not, but we need to be prepared if the worst happens.” Ronan paused. “Kaye, you’ve come a long way in the nearly eight years I’ve known you. I really hope you’ll consider the danger these people are to me, Tennyson, and all our friends, before you decide to join the protest.”

“Ronan, I can’t believe you’re saying this to me.” Anger flashed in Kaye’s eyes. “I love you like a son. Your friends too. I’ve admitted my thinking was wrong about people with psychic gifts and gay people. I’m feeling very attacked right now.”

“Nana,” Everly reached out a hand across the table. “Daddy just wants to keep us all safe. You, especially. They’re bad people and he doesn’t want them to hurt you like they want to hurt us.”

“Can you see what they have planned?” Ronan asked.

Everly nodded. “Sort of, but it doesn’t make any sense. There’s something going on with a doll.”

Ronan and Jude’s eyes widened.

Ten’s full attention was on Ronan. He had no idea what doll Everly was talking about and why Ronan and Jude looked absolutely terrified.

“Do you know her name?” Jude asked.

“Yeah, but I’m not going to say it. I don’t know why, but I’m scared to tell you. All I can say is that her initials are A.L.”

“Agatha Louise,” Ronan said.

Everly nodded. “I can see her. One green eye, singed orange hair, dirty dress.”

“Don’t say another word,” Jude cautioned.

“Boys, what the heck is going on? Why do you all look scared and how can a doll possibly terrify two grown men?”

“The doll is haunted, Kaye,” Jude began. “Possibly by a ghost, but more than likely, by a demon. She’s killed seven people.”

“What a bunch of baloney!” Kaye laughed and got up from the table. She grabbed a ginger ale from the fridge and poured some into a cup for herself, before setting the rest of the can in front of Ronan.

“Nine, Uncle Jude,” Everly’s voice was soft.

“Nine? Who are the other two?” Ronan turned to Jude.

“In all of the research I’ve done about the doll, I’ve only ever come across seven victims. Poppy’s parents, brother, grandfather, the grandmother’s neighbor and two people who visited the doll at the museum in Florida. Who are the other two?” Jude’s full attention was on his niece.

“Bob Taylor worked at the museum as a janitor. He had cancer in his lungs and was in a lot of pain. He begged the doll to take away his pain. Bob died in his sleep that night.”

“Everyone believed he’d died from the cancer?” Ronan asked.

“Right. Bob was buried and didn’t have topsy, whatever that is.” Everly shrugged her shoulders.

Ten knew exactly what Everly meant. Bob hadn’t been given an autopsy. He was chilled to his bones listening to his daughter talk about a killer doll.

Ronan wrapped an arm around Everly. “Who’s the ninth person?”

“The other person hasn’t happened yet. It’s a man, but I can’t see anything else. Not how or when.” Everly climbed into Ronan’s lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. Ronan held on tight.

“Let’s go put on a princess movie.” Ronan stood up and brought Everly into the living room. He came back into the kitchen for her half eaten dinner and brought it to her.

“God, almighty,” Ronan said when he took his seat at the table. “Did you see any of this?”

Ten shook his head. “To be honest, I don’t know what the hell she’s talking about. Who is this killer doll?”

Ronan went over the story Jude had told him earlier in the day. “Do you remember Devin Forrest?”

“The guy who owns that oddity museum in Florida?” Ten remembered meeting him when he helped ghost hunters Trip and Marlowe with a cursed doll, who, if memory served, Devin purchased for his museum. Ten couldn’t help but wonder if the two dolls knew each other.

“Yeah, that’s him. After the doll killed the grandmother’s neighbor, Devin bought and installed her in his museum, where she killed two more people and nearly a third.

According to Jude, Devin takes the doll to the Paranormal Phantasmagoria convention every summer in New Orleans.

He wasn’t going to bring her to Salem, because the ride is so long, but there had been so much public interest, that he relented and agreed to bring her to the con.

He’s driving up from Tampa.” Ronan turned to Jude.

“Find out what you can about Bob Taylor. The facts and any urban legends, if there are any.”

“You know how much I love you boys,” Kaye said. “So please understand I’m coming from a place of love when I ask if the two of you need a mental health evaluation. A killer doll? A toy that has taken eight, soon to be nine lives? You seriously believe this?”

Ronan smiled at his mother-in-law. “You believe that God sent a son to walk among us, who he later had horrifically crucified, just so that he could be miraculously resurrected three days later. Now, you tell me which one is harder to believe in, a possessed killer doll or a zombie lord and savior?”

“Ronan, please don’t talk that way about Jesus. He is not a zombie.” Kaye rolled her eyes.

“I don’t think we can bring Everly to the convention,” Ten said. “I know Wolf is excited to see the demon hunters, but, Jude, you might want to reconsider bringing him. Better to be safe than sorry.”

“She knew about Agatha Louise. The doll’s past and future.” Ronan took a deep breath.

Ten held up a hand to interrupt. “Oh, no, Ronan. Let me stop you right there. You’re going to tell me that Everly should be there so she can save the alleged ninth victim. Just so you know, I mean this in all sincerity, and pardon my French, but are you fucking crazy?”

“Swear jar!” Everly sang out from the living room.

Jude snorted. “Ten’s finally one of us!”

“Babe, why don’t we take a little time to make our final decision? The con is a few days away. Let’s see what happens between now and then.”

“You make no sense. Before, you were against her going because you thought people might try to take advantage of her gifts, now you’re saying she should go so she can save a stranger from dying at the hands of a killer doll?”

“I wonder if they’re gonna bring that clown doll from Poltergeist ?” Jude asked. “I want my picture taken with it.”

“Not helping, asshole,” Ronan muttered.

“Well,” Kaye said, getting to her feet. “As crazy and informational as this dinner was, I’m going home.

I don’t want anything to do with King of Deliverance, but if you need me to be at the con with Everly, I’ll be her shield against evil, no matter what form it takes.

” She kissed the tops of Jude, Ronan, and Ten’s heads and walked out of the kitchen.

“It’s a world gone mad,” Ronan said, making himself another sandwich. “Kaye’s willing to go to the convention to save Everly.”

Tennyson couldn’t have said it better himself.

When he first heard of Paranormal Phantasmagoria coming to Salem, he’d been thrilled to his toes.

He was hoping that if it was a huge success, maybe a similar convention could be held in Salem annually.

He’d been excited for Everly to meet young people with gifts like her own.

Everything was coming up roses, but now, Ten couldn’t help but wonder if they’d be dead and black.