The Whispering Room

“I remember the oldest girl was all torn up about it. Just kept crying for her mama and her brothers. They finally had to ask the doctor to give her something to settle her down. But the youngest…” His eyes were dark and troubled as he gazed at Evangeline across the desk. “That girl had ice water in her veins. Never showed a lick of emotion. And the way she’d look at you…” He broke off on a shudder. “I don’t mind saying, that one gave me the creeps.”

Evangeline thought about the woman in her house the night before, the way she’d cradled and hummed to J.D. The way she’d kissed his head and hugged him to her breast.

Evangeline felt panicked and sick just thinking about it.

“I’d like to go out to the house and take a look around myself, if that’s okay,” she said.

“Well, technically, you’d be trespassing, but nobody’s lived out there in years. I don’t reckon it’d do any harm. If you can wait a spell, I’ll ride out there with you. Otherwise, all I can do is point you in the right direction.”

“That might be best,” Evangeline said. “I’ll be heading back to New Orleans soon.”

“I better write it down for you, then.” He scribbled the directions on a piece of paper and slid it across the desk. “Keep to the main road as much as you can. You don’t want to get lost out there in the swamp. Might take us days to find you and I don’t want to have to postpone my fishing trip.”

Evangeline couldn’t tell if he was joking or not.

“I’ll remember that.”

“One other thing.” He rose and walked her to the door. “Folks around here are still a mite skittish about that old place. There’s always been a lot of talk about ghosts and such. It’s all just superstitious hogwash, but I don’t know that I’d mention going out there to anyone if I were you. No sense stirring up talk and bad memories if we can help it.”

She held up the paper. “Thanks for the directions.”

“You bet. Y’all take care. If you’re packing a piece, keep it on you.” He pointed to the ankle holster on his desk. “Even off duty, I don’t ever go into the swamp unarmed.”

Evangeline missed the turnoff and had to double back twice before spotting the narrow gravel road that cut through a heavy forest of oak trees and scrub brush. The canopy of tangled limbs across the road was so dense that half a mile in, the light disappeared and the wind blowing in through the open car window felt cool and moist.

As Evangeline cleared the dripping trees, she caught her first glimpse of the house. The two-story clapboard rested on stilts, and on first glance, it seemed to have held up remarkably well over the years. But as she got out of the car, she noticed the sagging porch and peeling paint, the screen door that drooped on one hinge.

Slowly she climbed the steps, testing the planks on the porch before moving to the door. Turning, she surveyed her surroundings before going inside. She was miles from anywhere and the silence was so deep and pervasive, she could feel an uneasy chill beginning a slow crawl up her backbone.

She was starting to wish she’d waited for Thibodaux to come with her, but then she told herself to buck up. She had a .38 in one hand and her flashlight in the other. The sun was shining in the clearing, but without electricity, the interior was bound to be dim and shadowy.

Stuffing the flashlight in the back pocket of her jeans, Evangeline pulled open the screen door and stepped inside.

She’d expected the house to be dank and smelly and layered with years of grime, but instead of cobwebs hanging from the ceiling and creepy-crawlies rustling around in dark corners, the scent of lemon oil clung to the silent rooms. Which was odd. According to Thibodaux, the place had been abandoned for years.

But in the light that filtered in through the broken windowpanes, the house looked freshly scrubbed from top to bottom.

It made Evangeline think of something Rebecca Lemay had told her:

Mama always kept a spotless home, but that day she scrubbed and mopped and dusted until every room sparkled. She worked at it for hours, on into the night.

Mary Alice had been preparing the house for what was about to happen. And now Evangeline couldn’t help wondering if someone had made preparations for the same reason.

As she stood just inside the door, a deep foreboding settled over her. She didn’t want to stay in that house a moment longer. It was as if some invisible force tugged her back outside, into the sunlight and safety of the clearing.

But Evangeline ignored the warning and instead of retreating, she pulled back the receiver on her gun, easing a round from the clip into the chamber. Steadying her nerves, she slowly walked through the house, checking each room and finding the next as spotless as the last.