The Whispering Room

Evangeline pressed the cell phone to her ear, willing her mother to pick up. When she heard Lynette’s voice, a myriad of emotions swirled through her head. Anger. Betrayal. Disbelief. No time for any of that now, though. Later, there would be reckoning, but the only thing that mattered now was her son.

“Mom?” How strange it seemed to call her that now.

“Listen to me. I think J.D. could be in danger—”

Evangeline gripped the phone as a string of questions erupted from Lynette. “No, Mom…just listen. I don’t have time to explain.” She realized she was yelling into the phone, and she drew a quick breath, trying to calm herself. “You need to make sure all the doors are locked, and don’t let anyone inside. I’m calling Mitchell as soon as we hang up. He may get there before I do.”

“Evangeline, honey, what is going on—”

“Mom, please, just do as I say. I’ll explain everything as soon as I can.”

Evangeline’s mind raced as she accelerated through the busy streets. All she could think about at the moment was making sure J.D. was safe.

But a voice kept pounding away inside her. Mary Alice Lemay is your mother. A woman who murdered her own sons gave birth to you. You carry the genes of Earl, Carl and Charles Lemay.

Jesus. Christ.

She came from a long line of cold-blooded murderers.

How the hell was she supposed to wrap her head around that?

Don’t think about that now. Don’t!

J.D. was all that mattered. She couldn’t let herself think of anything but saving her son. Her precious little boy.

“I’m coming,” she whispered.

Lynette didn’t need a premonition to warn her something bad was about to happen. Her daughter’s fear had been palpable. Someone wanted to hurt J.D., but they’d have to get past Lynette first. She might not be the best mother in the world, but she was no coward when it came to her children and their children. She would fight to the death to protect any of them.

She ran down the hallway to the bedroom where she kept J.D.’s crib. Flinging open the door, she froze on the threshold, her heart in her throat.

A woman glanced up as she lifted J.D. into her arms. She was blond and thin and pale, and something that might have been a memory wormed through Lynette’s terror. Did she know this woman?

“What are you doing?” she said on a gasp. “Give me my grandson.”

She started across the room, but the woman moved away from her. “Stop right there. Don’t come any closer.”

Lynette shivered at the woman’s threatening tone. “Dear God, how did you get in here? Who are you?”

“My last name is Lemay,” the woman said. “Now do you know who I am?”

Lynette’s knees almost buckled. “Mary Alice,” she whispered.

“I’m her daughter.”

“What do you want?” Lynette’s heart pounded so hard she couldn’t think. She had to do something… but what? She was terrified the woman would hurt the baby if she tried to take him by force. But there was no way in hell she would let a stranger walk out of this house with her grandson. No way in hell.

A shadow fell across her and she whirled.

A tall, pale man stood behind her. The man with the scarred face and gleaming eyes. As Lynette watched in horrified fascination, he lifted his right hand over his head so that she could see the wriggling water moccasin he clutched behind the thick head.

As he clung to the serpent, his lips moved silently, his eyes beginning to glow with the righteous fire of madness.

Then he began to speak in a strange tongue, his body writhing in imitation of the snake that was trying to get away.

Lynette had never been so frightened in her life, but the only thing that kept her from collapsing in terror was J.D. He had started to cry, and she half turned her head toward the sound while keeping her gaze fixed on the creature before her.

“It’s okay, sweetie. Nana’s here. It’s okay.”

His cries grew louder, tearing at Lynette’s heart. If anything happened to that baby…

“What do you want?” she asked frantically. “I have some money in my purse. Take it. Just don’t hurt that baby. Please.”

The woman behind her said, “We’re not here to steal from you. Although it might be justified. After all, you took something once that didn’t belong to you. Didn’t you, Lynette?”

Stall. That was the only thing Lynette could do. Mitchell should be here soon. Any minute now…

“Please don’t hurt him,” she whispered.

The snake writhed over the man’s head. The mouth opened and the scent of musk filled the room.

Dear God, please help me. Help me protect J.D.

“I’m not here to hurt him,” the woman said. “I’ve come to save him.”

And with that, the man flung the snake at Lynette. It struck her in the chest, then fell to the floor with a loud thump. What happened next was only a blur. The snake struck so quickly Lynette had no time to brace or protect herself.