Free Voodoo Moon by Ed Gorman Page B

uncomfortable. So we ended up with this 'healer' who used to be a stage magician. It was total bullshit and the people who claimed he'd healed them were all lying. I suppose he paid them. But our ratings quadrupled. Then Laura suggested alien abductions. And then Noah said how about past lives. And then the show started getting into spirit possession and ghosts—none of it legitimate study, which would have been fine, but just showbiz crap."
    "Well, your show certainly got popular."
    "Right. So popular that by our third season, there were ten other cable shows just like it. And they all took away bits and pieces of our audience. So here we are in our fifth season and our ratings have fallen again. They're talking about canceling us."
    "I guess I still don't quite see where I fit into this."
    Moonlight made a silver mask of her gentle, freckled face. She looked up at the moon for solace, the same way our genetic ancestors had millions of years ago.
    "We need you to find the real murderer," she said. "I don't have my powers left. I sold them out and abused them and God took them away from me."
    "You really believe that?"
    "I really believe that. I'm being punished for ruining a gift that very few people have."
    "And my part in all this?"
    "We need you to check out Rick Hennessy's background. Show how he changed over the past couple of years."
    "In other words, how he became 'possessed.'"
    She paused. "Yeah, I guess that's it."
    "You really think he's possessed?"
    "I think it's a possibility."
    "That doesn't answer my question."
    She sighed. Stared up at the moon again. "I don't have to sleep in your bed tonight. I mean, if you don't want me to."
    "Knock off the bullshit and answer my question. You really think this kid is possessed?"
    "Probably not."
    "But you need me and my background report on him to lend your story credibility."
    "That's the plan, I guess."
    "It kind of pisses me off, Tandy."
    "I told Laura it would."
    "My word is all I've got. If I get involved in some stunt like this, who'll want to hire me?"
    "So you're saying no?"
    "I'm saying no."
    "Fuck," she said.
    I didn't say anything.
    "You're really pissed, huh?"
    "Yeah."
    "I don't blame you."
    I didn't say anything.
    She walked up toward the burned ruins. Then turned back to me. "I can't believe what I've become. I blame Laura and Noah all the time. But I'm just as guilty as they are. I don't want to give up the life, either. I'm just as bad as they are."
    "Maybe not as bad as Noah."
    "I know you don't like him. I admit he's kind of a peacock, but he's not such a bad guy."
    "Why'd you bring me out here, Tandy?"
    She came back and sat next to me on the toppled tree. "I thought you might bring me luck."
    "What kind of luck?"
    "I thought with you here, I could walk around the grounds and maybe something would happen. Rick used to come out here all the time. I thought maybe I could make some kind of telepathic contact. See if there really were malevolent spirits out here."
    "Then you've really contacted spirits before?"
    "Oh, sure. That part I believe in completely. I've contacted spirits several times over the years, in fact. I mean, back when I was holy."
    "Holy?"
    "I know that's kind of a funny word. But that's how I felt. When I was young and was aware of my power. I was in touch with God and with myself and I felt a great peace, and a kind of wisdom. Like when my dad got cancer that time. I was really able to comfort him. And I think that helped him recover completely. I really believe I played a part in that, a part I don't even understand myself. I would go into church and make the stations of the cross and then kneel in front of the votive candles and look up at Blessed Mother and I felt—holy. That's the only way I can explain it, Robert. Holy."
    "And you don't feel holy anymore?"
    She shook her head. "Not at all."
    "And when you were walking around up here tonight—"
    "Nothing. No kind of spiritual contact at all."
    The owl got busy again. This time he