Page 160 of Yearn

The flashlight beam cut erratic patterns across her lawn, jerking left, then right, searching.

"Where are you unclean demons?!" Her voice carried across the night air, high and strained. "I heard you! I know you're out here!"

What the hell?

My heart hammered against my ribs.

Scott swayed beside me, but I held him upright, one hand clamped over his mouth now because I could feel him about to speak.

Mrs. Patterson's flashlight swung wildly toward a bush. She rushed forward and shoved the Bible at the shadows. "Shoo! Get away from me!"

Nothing moved.

There was nothing there at all.

I knew her ass was crazy but this is next level.

"Devil, you can't trick me." Her voice cracked. "God forgave me for what I did. You hear me? He forgave me!"

Oh my God.

I needed to get Scott out of here.

Now.

I tugged him forward, moving as quietly as possible, but Mrs. Patterson's voice grew louder, more desperate.

She'd stopped in front of the large oak tree at the back of her yard—the one she'd been digging near days ago. Thank God her back was to us now, shoulders shaking.

The flashlight beam dropped to her feet, illuminating her slippers.

"God washed my sins in the blood of Jesus." Her voice broke completely, dissolving into something raw and terrible. "Now that's our heavenly secret. Don't nobody know what I did but me, God, and Billy Jo."

Billy Jo.

The name sliced through my panic like a scalpel.

Oh shit. Billy Jo Johnson is her first cousin. The city coroner who'd signed off on Pastor Patterson's death certificate years ago.

I almost had a damn heart attack right there.

Oh God.

The woman had truly murdered her husband.

My hand flew to my mouth, muffling the gasp that tried to escape.

The flashlight fell from Mrs. Patterson's hand, hitting the ground with a dull thud. She didn't seem to notice. Instead, she lurched forward and wrapped her arms around the oak tree, pressing her face against the bark like it was a confessional.

"That man was an unclean demon." Her words came out muffled and choked. "And that demon of mine stood in the pulpit pretending to be holy, sleeping with anything that had panties on. God came to me and said. . .kill him with kindness, Jolene."

She sobbed—a horrible, wrenching sound. "And now that was just what I did. . .because when the Lord commands, you must do." Her voice rose to a wail. "I'm a good Christian. I'm agood Christian!"

Scott's knees buckled.

I caught him, terror giving me strength I didn't know I had.

We couldn't stay here. If she turned around, if she saw us. . .we’d definitely be getting baskets and baskets of poisoned cookies every day.