Free Between Dusk and Dawn by Lynn Emery Page B

general if you do say goodbye.”
    Chase stood holding the bag and gazing
at her. “I need to change clothes, get a few hours of sleep and go
back on duty. I’m too tired and on edge, not good for us to talk
right now. I’ll call you later.”
    “ Okay.” LaShaun took pride
in the fact that her voice didn’t crack, even though her heart
did.
    He approached and kissed her lightly
on the forehead. For a few moments he seemed about to say more, but
went through her back door instead. LaShaun didn’t follow him as
usual. She heard the engine of his truck start and the sound of
gravel crunching beneath the tires as he drove away. Only then did
something force her to move to the back door and lock
it.
    To dodge the empty sensation those
thoughts brought on, LaShaun went over plans to work on the house
that wouldn’t violate the historical features. Her great-great
grandfather, Lawrence LeGrange, had built the original house in
1878 as a gift for his daughter Marianne. LaShaun gathered research
to submit her application to the Louisiana State Historical
Society. The local museum curator had agreed to help her, so
LaShaun had two good reasons to go see him. The other being she
needed to get out of the house and away from bad vibes left after
her fight with Chase. LaShaun finished a few housekeeping chores,
put the box of her family’s documents in her CRV and headed for the
museum. A few hours thinking about history was more appealing than
brooding about a possible future without Chase
    Hours later LaShaun felt better, but
not much. Thank God Pete Kluger, the curator, had given her
homework. LaShaun climbed to the finished attic and happily sorted
dusty boxes and old trunks. Decades of Rousselle family clutter
helped keep her busy.
    “ Thank you, Monmon, for
being a confirmed collector. Pete will be thrilled, and I’ll get to
clean out this place,” LaShaun muttered looking around with
satisfaction.
    She’d even managed to find a wooden
box of more family papers that dated from the late nineteenth
century. At first glance, the letters seemed fairly dull. But Pete
would delight at tidbits from everyday life in nineteenth century
Vermillion Parish. The chiming of the front doorbell interrupted
her reading a riveting account of taking hogs to market. LaShaun
put down the journal, slapped dust from her clothes and went down
the narrow stairs. She was surprised to find Savannah on the
porch.
    “ Good morning and what are
you doing out here?”LaShaun asked as she brushed a cobweb from her
shoulder.
    “ It’s after twelve, and
have you listened to the radio?” Savannah gazed at LaShaun from
head to toe. “Girl, you really do some heavy duty
housecleaning.”
    “ Historical research,”
LaShaun replied and sneezed from the dust.
    “ Well you better jump back
to the present and pay attention.” Savannah marched past LaShaun
down the hallway to the kitchen. She threw her leather purse down
and glanced around for the radio.
    “ You’ve either had too much
coffee today or not enough.” LaShaun went to the sink and washed
her hands.
    “ Listen to this.” Savannah
pressed the button on the radio until she found a station, then
turned up the volume. A male voice rang through the
speakers.
    “ The good people of Beau
Chene, and all of Vermillion Parish, need to unite against darkness
that is spreading around us as I speak these words. Evil, dear
Christian friends, is seeping into the very soil beneath our
feet.”
    “ Give me a break,” LaShaun
muttered with a snort.
    “ I know what some of you
are thinking. Reverend Fletcher, you’re saying, don’t be so
melodramatic.” He paused for effect. “But if you good people
believe in angels and in the Holy Spirit, then you can’t deny that
the Bible speaks of demons and evil. Turn to Genesis, and remember
how the serpent told the first lie. And neighbors, he’s been lying
and deceiving us ever since then. Why he even tried to tempt Jesus
himself!”
    “ The man has