Trouble in Mudbug (Ghost-in-Law, #1)(3)

Helena began to walk slowly down the aisle, yelling as she went and waving her hands in front of people’s faces. But no one so much as flinched. As she approached the back, Maryse’s heart began to race, and her head pounded with the rush of blood. She knew she should sit down, but she couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe.

All of a sudden, Helena ceased yelling and stopped in her tracks about ten feet from Maryse’s pew. Her expression changed from shocked to worried, then sad. Maryse tried to maintain her composure, but the breath she’d been holding came out with a whoosh. Helena looked toward the source of the noise and locked eyes with Maryse.

Helena stared for a moment, her expression unchanged. As the seconds passed and Maryse didn’t drop her gaze, Helena’s face changed from sad to puzzled, and she started walking toward the pew. Maryse held in a cry as Helena drew closer. A wave of dizziness washed over her. Her head began to swim. One step, two steps, and then the apparition was right in front of her.

That’s when everything went dark.

Maryse came to surrounded by a circle of black. For a moment, she thought she was in a tomb, but then her vision cleared, and she looked upward to the concerned and curious faces of the other funeral-goers. Helena’s funeral, she remembered instantly. She was at Helena’s funeral.

“Maryse, are you all right?” Sabine leaned over her, worried.

Maryse sat up on the floor and felt a rush of blood to her head. “What happened?”

Sabine shook her head. “I don’t know. The pastor was praying, and the next thing I knew, you were on the ground.”

An elderly lady standing next to Sabine handed her a Kleenex and chimed in, “It looks like you fainted. It’s probably the heat.”

Maryse took the tissue, wondering what the hell she was supposed to do with it, and nodded. It was a more diplomatic response than pointing out that the chapel was air-conditioned, so that theory didn’t exactly hold water. Maryse rose from the floor, wobbling a bit on the uncomfortable high heels, and perched at the end of the pew. Deciding there was nothing more to see, the other funeral attendees drifted out the door and away to the cemetery for the interment.

Maryse rubbed her temples and looked over at Sabine. “I swear, I don’t remember a thing. What happened?”

Sabine frowned and gave her a critical look. “I’m not sure what to tell you. You started looking kinda weird in the middle of the service and asked me if I saw something, but I have no idea what. When we rose to pray, you were white as a sheet, and while the pastor was praying, you must have passed out. By the time I opened my eyes, you were already hitting the ground.”

“It must be stress,” Maryse said. “That’s the only explanation.”

“Maybe,” Sabine said thoughtfully, then placed one hand on Maryse’s arm. “Are you going to be okay to drive?”

Maryse nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. I was a little dizzy at first, but now I feel fine.”

Sabine narrowed her eyes. “Are you sure? I have an appointment in twenty minutes or I would do it myself, but I can call Mildred if you’d rather someone give you a ride.”

Maryse waved her hand, rose from the pew, and gave her friend a smile, hoping to alleviate some of her worry. “No use bothering Mildred while she’s working.” Maryse glanced down at her watch. “Speaking of which, did you close the shop for the morning?”

Sabine shook her head. “Raissa agreed to cover for me until noon. Mrs. Breaux’s coming in for her tarot reading right after lunch. That’s the appointment I can’t miss.

Mrs. Breaux absolutely hates getting a reading from Raissa.”

Maryse stared at her. “But Raissa has real psychic ability. You’re just shamming.”

Sabine rolled her eyes. “I know that, but do you really think these people want to know the truth? If they did, they’d drive the hour to New Orleans and see Raissa for a dose of reality. The only reason Mrs. Breaux keeps coming back is because I tell her what she wants to hear.”

“But how long can that possibly last? I mean, sooner or later, she’s going to figure out you’re never right.”

Sabine shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. Raissa says she’ll be dead by year-end anyway, so the charade doesn’t have to last much longer. Her soul’s fine though—very clean, actually—so she should do well in the next round.” Sabine took a step closer and gave her a hug. “Give me a call later. And think about taking the afternoon off, please.”

Maryse nodded, not even wanting to consider how Raissa knew when Mrs. Breaux would expire, then made a mental note to avoid running into that psychic anytime soon. Death was definitely one of those things where ignorance was bliss. “Thanks, Sabine. I really appreciate you coming with me on such short notice. And don’t worry. I’ll be fine from here on out.”

Sabine didn’t look convinced, but there wasn’t much she could do. She gave Maryse an encouraging smile and turned to leave.

Maryse gave her retreating figure one final glance and looked back to the front of the chapel. What in the world had happened? There was something in the back of her mind, but it was fleeting, like a movie on fast forward. Something important that she needed to remember, but it was flashing too fast for her to lock in on it.

What could cause a young, healthy woman who spent most of her time outdoors to faint in an air-conditioned building? The answer hit her all at once and she gasped.