Page 28

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“How’s Lois?” Drayton asked when Theodosia returned to the tea shop.

“She’s good,” Theodosia said. “Actually, she’s pretty darn smart. I told her about that clue, the buzz clue, and she suggested we look at a kind of haunted house—a haunted sawmill—that an organization is putting on over near the Medical University.”

“You’ve got to be kidding. A haunted sawmill? That’s what it’s called?”

“No, it’s actually called the Haunted Mill of Death and it’s being sponsored by a group of dental students. They’re raising money to buy braces for kids in need. I looked it up on my phone as I was walking back here.”

“And you think what? That Jamie somehow offended a dental student, so they kidnapped him and are holding him there?”

“That does sound pretty weird.”

“Still, you think we should drop by and take a look?”

“It’s a long shot, I know. But what else do we have? And maybe it’s worth checking out. Their website says it opens at five.” Theodosia looked at her watch. “If we leave now, we can probably beat the Halloween rush.”

“If you say so,” Drayton said. He spun on his heels and called out, “Haley!”

Seconds later, Haley’s head popped out from behind the swinging door. “You screamed?”

“Can you finish up here? Theo and I are going to check out a haunted sawmill.”

Haley looked puzzled. “A what?” Then comprehension dawned on her face. “Because of the clue?” she said. “ Buzz ? You think that’s what it refers to?”

“I have no idea,” Theodosia said.

“Well, good luck,” Haley said. “Don’t get caught in parade traffic.”

“There’s a parade?” Drayton said. “Tonight?”

“Tonight and tomorrow,” Haley said.

“Why?”

“Duh. Because it’s Halloween.”

Drayton pursed his lips. “Drat.”

* * *

The killer watched Theodosia and Drayton from the back alley. They exited the tea shop and climbed into Theodosia’s Jeep with a minimum of fanfare and drove away. The killer followed, a few car lengths behind them, until it was apparent where they were headed. The haunted sawmill. Well, that wouldn’t score them any answers, but it was good for a chuckle. Maybe it was time to start playing a more serious game of cat and mouse. The killer smiled. Better yet, maybe it was time to draw them into the trap.

* * *

Haley had been right about traffic. Driving was bonkers and the blocks around the Medical University were all parked up. Theodosia figured it had to be people touring the haunted sawmill, some looking for a good spot to view the parade, and other folks heading for the Medical University. Probably in that exact order.

“What if we turned down one of these alleys?” Drayton finally said after they’d circled the block three times. The sun was beginning to set, and twilight was coming on.

“Park behind someone’s garage?” Theodosia said.

“Not behind behind, I don’t want to be rude and block somebody in. But maybe tuck in behind their trash can or something. We’re only going to be ten minutes, right? Fifteen at the most?”

“Worth a try, I guess.”

“There, right there!” Drayton cried as they bumped down a darkened alley past mostly small single-car garages. “On that spot of gravel next to the garage.”

“I guess,” Theodosia said as she eased her Jeep in. “We won’t be parked here very long.”

“Just a quick in and out of that sawmill,” Drayton said.

* * *

Except it wasn’t quite that easy. First they had to stand in line to buy tickets, then they had to stand in another line to enter the Haunted Mill of Death.

“Why are we doing this again?” Drayton asked.

“We’re exploring all options,” Theodosia said as they shuffled along, stuck in a crowd of mostly youthful hoodie wearers. “ Buzz might not refer to this particular place, but you never know.”

Drayton stood on tiptoes and peered at the entrance. It was an ominous-looking black door gouged with deep scratches. Above the doorway, a tilting wooden sign with droopy red letters said Haunted MIll of Death, Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter .

“Dante Alighieri must be spinning in his grave,” Drayton muttered as they handed their tickets to a plaid-shirted ogre with a painted green face, orange wig, and enormous axe held over his shoulder. Then, he added, “Here goes nothing,” as they stepped into darkness.

They found themselves wandering a narrow path of wood chips through a dark room that had been made to look like a haunted forest. Owls hooted, bat wings fluttered, and curious eyes shone from a virtual forest of trees.

“These are real trees,” Theodosia said as she reached a hand out and touched rough bark.

“Don’t touch my tree!” a man screeched as he popped out from behind the tree. He wore a white hockey mask, blood-soaked (hopefully, fake-blood-soaked) denim jacket, and saggy jeans.

“Holy Hannah!” Drayton exclaimed as he and Theodosia jumped back instantly.

Then they were shuffling ahead into a narrow chute where people dressed as zombie lumberjacks threatened them with saws, awls, and long pikes.

“Should I begin to faint, kindly make an attempt to catch me,” Drayton said, as behind them a gaggle of teenage girls screamed with happiness.

“Take it easy,” Theodosia said. “It’s all playacting.”

“These characters might be, but I’m dead serious,” Drayton said.

The next room they entered was even worse. Chicken wire on each side of the pathway kept a bunch of lumberjack lunatics from assaulting them. Still, the crazed lumberjacks, dressed in plaid shirts, straitjackets, torn overalls, and heavy boots, clawed at the chicken wire, screamed at them, and shook the wire with all their might.

Theodosia studied the setup directly behind the chicken wire fence. There was a large circular saw and a wooden table with a man lashed to it, the implication being that the man was about to be run through the buzz saw and cut in half.

“Jamie?” she called out. Then a little louder, “Jamie?”

“You think that’s him?” Drayton asked.

“I don’t know, it’s so dark in here it’s hard to tell.”

Suddenly, one of the lumberjacks stuck his face right up to the chicken wire and said, “You looking for somebody? Maybe a hot date?” He stuck his tongue out and waggled it at Theodosia, causing her to step back.

Rude , Theodosia thought. So rude .

On the other hand, she’d come all this way, so she wasn’t about to run away with her tail between her legs. She moved closer to the chicken wire and, in a no-nonsense tone of voice, said, “Jamie?”

Mr. Rude was back again. “Whatcha want, lady?”

“I’m looking for Jamie Wilkes,” Theodosia said. “I heard he might be here and there’s kind of a family emergency.”

“Seriously?” Now Mr. Rude sounded almost human.

“Is Jamie here?” she asked. “I mean, he’s not the guy lying on the table back there, is he?”

Mr. Rude shook his head. “That’s a dummy.” He rolled his eyes and turned to one of his fellow lumberjacks. “But they shoulda tied up Bucky here. He’s the real dummy of the group.” At which point all the men behind the chicken wire started cracking up and slapping one another on the backs.

“This is awful. What could be in store for us next?” Drayton asked as a stooped man carrying an old-fashioned lantern met them on the path and led them into the sawmill proper. Here, giant saws whirred and screamed, a rumbling wall of logs threatened to topple down upon them, and crazed lumberjacks moaned and leered at them. The floor was covered with sawdust, and bits of sawdust flew about in the air as well.

“I’m getting bubkes from this,” Drayton shouted over the whine of the saws and screeching music. “No link to Jamie. Nothing.” He brushed sawdust off his jacket lapels. “What about you?”

“Nothing,” Theodosia said. “Let’s get out of here.” They hurried toward the exit, pushed through a heavy door, and emerged into cool night air and blessed silence.

“That was both tasteless and terrifying,” Drayton said as they walked the length of the building. Then, turning the corner, he was astonished at the number of people who were milling around, waiting in line. “Look at this mob. You wouldn’t think a haunted sawmill would be that big a draw.”

“The university’s only a couple blocks away,” Theodosia said. “And this area’s jammed with apartments, dorms, coffee shops, and bars, so it’s already a big draw.”

They cut through the line of ticket buyers, then tried to ease their way through another throng of teens and twenty-somethings. Most were on their phones, hanging out, texting, and checking in with friends.

“Excuse me,” Theodosia said as she shouldered past a gaggle of girls who were arguing about where the best party was. And that’s when she spotted a familiar face. Or, rather, a familiar cap of hair.

“Drayton,” Theodosia said, stopping so fast he literally bumped into her. “I think that’s Jimmy Simonton over there.”

“Who?”

“You know, Slide.”

“Who? Oh! You mean…”

“The drug guy, yes.” Theodosia was already on her phone and calling Riley.

“You think Slide is here for the haunted sawmill?” Drayton asked.

“No, I think Slide’s here to do business.”

“Were we supposed to go to dinner tonight?” Riley asked when he answered the phone. “Did I forget to pick you up?”

“No, but I’ve got someone you can pick up—if you move fast.”

“Huh?”

“Your buddy Slide is over by the university selling drugs.”

“What!”

“Excuse me, do we have a bad connection or something?” Theodosia said. “I said Slide is over here…” She watched as Slide passed a small twist of foil to a guy wearing a starter jacket.

“Yeah, yeah, I got all that. But you say he’s there now ?”

“From the looks of things he’s doing a booming business. Maybe even has a BOGO sale going on.”

“Quick, give me the details…the exact place and I’ll send one of my undercover guys over there.”

Theodosia gave Riley as much information as she could, then wished him good luck.

“Too bad we couldn’t kill two birds with one stone,” Drayton said. “Sic the police on Slide and find Jamie.”

“I just hope they catch Slide in the middle of a deal,” Theodosia said as they walked down the dark alley to her Jeep. Overhead, bare branches rubbed together like clacking bones, and a silver moon emerged from behind a scud of gray clouds.

“Fingers crossed,” Drayton said. “And, I’ll say it again, that sawmill was beyond disappointing.”

Theodosia walked along, nodding, half listening, as Drayton continued to complain about their sawmill experience, but was soon lost in her own thoughts. Of course she hadn’t expected to find Jamie at the haunted sawmill. On the other hand, he could have been there. Anything was possible, right? Especially since he’d been kidnapped in plain sight and whisked away with no trace. As disparate thoughts rumbled through Theodosia’s brain, she was aware of something else. A flapping sound. Footsteps behind her?

Theodosia felt a tickle at the back of her neck, then the tiny hairs seemed to stand on end. She whirled around, certain they were being followed, but there was no one there.

“You okay?” Drayton asked.

“Just feeling jumpy,” Theodosia said as they approached her Jeep. “I thought I heard something.”

Drayton turned to look. “I don’t see anything.”

“Good. Let’s keep it that way.”

They climbed into the Jeep and sat there for a while, both of them lost in thought.

“I didn’t think Jamie would be there,” Drayton said again.

“No, I guess not.”

Drayton slapped his hands against his knees. “Now what?”

“I’m not sure. I have to think about this.”

Theodosia drove down the alley, pulled onto Rutledge Avenue, and cruised for several blocks. She drove past the historic Glover-Sottile House and then Colonial Lake Park, its small pond glittering darkly. Just as she turned onto Tradd Street, she realized she’d made a colossal mistake. Because thirty yards ahead of her, two cars had come to a complete stop where a pair of black-and-white sawhorse barriers blocked the street.

“Police barriers up ahead,” Theodosia said.

“It’s that doggone Halloween parade,” Drayton said. “The one Haley warned us about. Is there any way to get through?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

“You mean we have to sit tight until the parade ends?”

“Or I could back up,” Theodosia said. But one glance in her rearview mirror told her that was next to impossible. In the short time they’d been there, four cars had jammed up behind them. So they sat and watched as contingents of ghosts and witches marched past, followed by a couple of floats, then a few marching bands.

“How long does this go on?” Drayton asked. He was antsy, tapping his fingers against the dashboard. “How big a deal is this parade?”

“Don’t know,” Theodosia said. She was still feeling down and a little manipulated. As if the buzz clue had been intended to send her scurrying off on a thankless errand.

“Wait, there’s a police officer heading this way,” Drayton said. “Let’s ask him if we can get through.”

Theodosia rolled down her window. “Officer?” she called out as he approached their vehicle. “Is there any way to get through this?”

The officer shone his flashlight directly at her, making her blink, then said, “There’s a scheduled break in the parade coming up in a few minutes. We’ll be letting cars through then.”

“Thank you.”