Mischief in Mudbug (Ghost-in-Law, #2)(60)

“I don’t know what to think yet. Beau’s at the garage talking to the mechanic. But Maryse said when they brought her in that Mildred was saying something was wrong with the car.”

“Shit.” Helena looked back at Mildred, who was awake again and squinting at them.

“Sabine,” Mildred said, “who’s your friend?”

“That’s Maryse, Mildred.” Sabine whispered to Helena, “She’s on drugs.”

“Well, heck,” Mildred said, “I know who Maryse is. I mean the one next to you.”

Sabine felt her blood run cold. She heard a sharp intake of breath but couldn’t be sure whether it had been Maryse or Helena. She’s hallucinating. That’s got to be it. Please God, let her be hallucinating. “I don’t have another friend here, Mildred.” It wasn’t exactly a lie. Sabine hadn’t yet gotten to the point of considering Helena a friend, and the jury was still out on if she ever would.

Mildred gave her an exasperated look and pointed directly at Helena. “Then who is the fat woman with the pompadour hairdo?”

Helena straightened up and glared at Mildred. “Who the hell is she calling fat? And that do of hers has looked like a hat helmet since the 1960s.”

Sabine looked over at Maryse, but it was clear her friend was going to be no help. Her expression wavered between needing to pray and wanting to cry. Sabine took a deep breath. Calm down. Obviously she can’t hear Helena or she would have made a comment back to her. That just means she can see her. Which meant…what? Sabine rubbed her fingers on her temples, certain that at any minute, her head was going to explode.

Before she could form a plan of action, or arrange for a mass burial, the nurse walked back in. “I’m sorry,” the nurse said, “but I’m going to have to ask you to leave for the time being. We’ll transfer Ms. Mildred to a room in a couple of hours. Dr. Breaux wants to keep her overnight for observation, but assuming everything goes well, she should be able to go home in a couple of days.”

Sabine nodded at Maryse, then narrowed her eyes at Helena. Helena glared back but stomped out of the room after them. “Well, that was rude,” Helena bitched as soon as they stepped into the hall and closed the door behind them.

“What was that?” Maryse asked, her eyes wide. “We’ve already had this discussion about what happens when someone sees Helena.”

Helena looked at Maryse. “What happens? You never told me anything.”

“Death, Helena,” Sabine said. “Maryse has this theory that you’re only visible to people who are close to death.”

Helena shot Maryse a dirty look. “That’s just as rude as Mildred calling me fat.”

“And just as accurate,” Sabine shot back. “Name me one person who’s seen you whose life hasn’t been in danger.”

“Well, that’s hardly fair since I’m mostly trapped in Mudbug. Maybe if I ventured out some, more people might see me and prove your theory wrong. Besides, Luc can see me.”

“Could see you,” Maryse corrected. “And you’re not the first ghost he’s seen.”

Helena spun around to look at Maryse. “Luc can’t see me anymore?”

“You didn’t notice that when you sat down at breakfast and he never said a word?”

Helena shrugged. “I just thought he was ignoring me. So what does it mean that Mildred can see me? I mean I know she was in danger from the car wreck, but it was Sabine’s car, so that doesn’t add up at all.”

Sabine shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe it has something to do with the drugs, and being in an altered state of consciousness. Maybe it allows people to see things they couldn’t otherwise. Remember, the first time I saw you was when I’d given myself a concussion in the attic.”

Maryse nodded, obviously happy to grasp any explanation that didn’t involve death. “That makes sense. I mean, as much as any of this does.”

“Maybe,” Sabine said, but she still wasn’t convinced. “Let’s get out of here. I feel like locking myself in my hotel room and not coming out again for a week.”

“I know the feeling,” Maryse said and gave her a sympathetic look. “Do you want to grab something to eat before we head out?”

Sabine shook her head. “I really don’t have much of an appetite. If I’m hungry later, I’ll ask Beau to get me something. Unless you’re hungry.”

Maryse shook her head. “Not a chance. I can’t eat when I’m stressed. I’ve lost twelve pounds over the last five weeks. And I didn’t really have them to lose.”

“I could eat something,” Helena interjected.

“No,” Sabine said. “I’m positive you won’t starve.”

“Fine,” Helena pouted. “Will you at least give me a ride to Mudbug? I stashed some books in the hedges outside of my house. I thought you might want to see them, Sabine. We can pick them up on the way to the hotel.”

Sabine narrowed her eyes at Helena. “Please tell me you did not steal anything else.”

“How the hell can I steal my own things? The books have pictures and newspaper clippings from years ago. They belong to me. I cut out the clippings. I pasted them in the books.”

“You donated your house and everything in it to the Mudbug Historical Society,” Sabine reminded her.