The Stroke of Winter(87)

In the meantime, Tess and Wyatt went for a long walk with the dogs—they had made the decision to leave Storm at Wyatt’s house until this pendulum business was finished—and Indigo and Jill retreated to their room to rest. Tess could sense the whole ordeal had taken a toll on her father. The coming night would only add to it.

As the four-o’clock hour neared, they gathered in the kitchen. Indigo was dressed in a black turtleneck and tan slacks, and looked much refreshed from his afternoon respite. Jill was wearing a deep-purple dress with silver chains wound around her elegant neck.

“We didn’t know how to dress for a haunting,” she said, shrugging.

“You look great, guys,” Tess said, giving them each a kiss on the cheek.

“I still think this is all rubbish,” Indigo said, in a huff.

“Oh, Indy, have an open mind,” Jill said. “You never know.”

He took her hand and kissed it. “For you, anything.”

As they settled down at the kitchen table, Jill turned to Tess. “Tell us about Wyatt,” she said. “It seems to us that there’s more going on than just friendship between you two.”

Tess smiled. “There is,” she said. “I’m not sure what it is yet, but it’s headed somewhere.”

“You two seem like an old married couple already,” Indigo piped up. Funny, Tess thought. That was just what Jane had said a few days earlier.

“I approve,” Indigo went on. “He’s a solid person. Kind. Caring. Like his parents. And grandparents.”

“We’re glad you’ve found someone, honey,” Jill said, taking her daughter’s hand in her own. “You deserve all the happiness this world has to offer. Of course, nobody is good enough for our daughter, but he’ll do in a pinch.” Her eyes twinkled.

Soon enough, Jane was knocking on the door, followed by Wyatt. It was time.



The group assembled in the studio and stood in a circle. Jane had brought sage packets and candles, and they lit up the room with both the soft glow of their flames and the scent that wafted through the air.

She was holding the pendulum by its chain, which was draped over one outstretched hand.

“We use this to ask yes-or-no questions of the spirits,” Jane explained. “I’ll give instruction, ask some questions, and we’ll see how it goes. No guarantees.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, held it for a moment, and let it out. “Let’s get centered. Breathe in and out, in and out.”

Wyatt squeezed one of Tess’s hands; her mother squeezed the other.

“Let’s begin,” Jane said to the group. And then: “To the spirits who are with us. We are here to talk with you. We come with pure intention and love in our hearts. We know you are restless. We can help you go home, if you’ll let us.”

Tess felt a whoosh of cold waft through the room. She caught Wyatt’s eye. He felt it, too.

“You have gone through an awful lot of trouble and fuss to communicate with us,” Jane went on. “Why not make it easy? We don’t need all of the drama. Neither do you.”

Tess was slightly amused by this. Jane was talking to supposed spirits as though they were just people, standing before them. Maybe, in a way, they were.

“I’m going to ask questions. Others may have questions. I want you to swing the pendulum to the left for yes. To the right for no. In between questions, I’ll ask you to stop the pendulum from swinging. That way there won’t be momentum, and we won’t get your answers wrong.” She dangled the pendulum from her hand. It was still.

“My first question is: Do you understand the rules of this game?”

Tess held her breath and watched the pendulum swing to the left. Her mother squeezed her hand.

“Stop,” Jane said.

The pendulum stopped. To swing it is one thing, Tess thought. Jane could do that almost imperceptibly with her own hand movement. But stopping it midswing like that? Tess didn’t see how that could be done by sleight of hand.

“Holy God,” Indigo whispered.

“Shh,” Jill said.

“Is Daisy here with us tonight?”

It swung left.

“Hello, Daisy,” Jane said. “Please stop the pendulum. Is Grey here tonight?”

It stayed still for a moment, then swung left.

Indigo looked around. “Brother?”

“Hello, Grey,” Jane said. “Please stop the pendulum.”

It stopped.

“Did you paint the paintings Amethyst found?”

Left. Yes.

“Do you want us to know what happened here in the studio?”

The pendulum swung so hard to the left, it flew out of Jane’s hand and hit Indigo in the chest. He caught it and handed it back to her. She took another cleansing breath and let the pendulum dangle once again.

“I’m just going to come out and ask the obvious question,” Jane said. “No beating around the bush. We all have things to do, and so, I imagine, do you. Did Grey and Daisy die in this room?”

The pendulum swung right. No.

“Did Grey die in this room?”

Right. No.

“Did Daisy die in this room?”

Left. Yes.

“Did Grey kill Daisy?”

The pendulum swung right.