Free Red Tide: The Flavel House Horror / Vampires of the Morgue (The Ian McDermott, Ph.D., Paranormal Investigator Series Book 2) by David Reuben Aslin Page A

works. Now he dun got killed. What am I ta do? God’n heaven, what I ta do now?” Sally paused and took three more deep breaths. Her lips were quivering as she began to speak once again. “We been vacationin’ here at da ocean. My man took me out fo’ a fine dinner.”
    Selma glanced for a second over at Ned and gave him a subtle nod. She knew from experience that Sally was about to open up and tell her tale as best she could. Ned understood Selma’s signal. He grabbed a notepad and pen and was all ears.
    Selma then directed her attention back on Sally, then spoke directly, “Sally, who killed your husband? Sally, who killed Loren?”
    Sally’s eyes got wide as she blurted out, “Da Devil got ‘em. I know it sound crazy, Mister … Ma’am … But believe me, be’n country don’t mean be’n dumb! I know what I seen! Da Devil, he was like a man, but he ain’t no human man. Da Devil, he a monster. Maybe some kind a ALIEN! All I know fo’ sure is he done snatched up my big man and took ‘em up in the sky. Da Devil, him first try ta get me ‘cept my man, Loren, he a BIG powerful man! Him’s was a pofesh-nel football player way back-n da day. Owe he beat dat devil-monster back and good fo’ a bit. Not good’nuff fo’ long, ‘cause come find out he come back! No man can beat da Devil back too long ‘cause dat devil-monster he done got up from a terrible beat’n by my man … an he done snatched my Loren up. He done snatched my beautiful man up and tooks ‘em away!”
    Ned couldn’t help himself but fire off a question of his own. “Sally. What – what do you mean by some devil, or monster snatched up Loren?”
    Sally looked all around the room as if it were spinning, then she glanced over at Ned before looking down at the ground as she spoke.
    “We orig’nally fum Acadiana, outside New Iberia … Loosiana. Tell, affa Katrina done wiped us out! Den me and my man, we move ta Portland, far from da hur-canes! We juz come here to da beach fo few days. We was down at da docks laz-night look’n fo good place ta eat real late. We was walk’n in da moonlight once stopped rain’n. Den … from nowhere dahre he be. Da Devil himself. Da Devil, he got eyes dat’s on fy-ehr. And him has da foulest breath! His teeth juz like da Bible say. Day were like dat of a dragon. Him had dragon’s teeth!”
    Ned replied, “Dragon’s teeth? You mean like fangs?”
    Sally replied, “Yes-suhr.”
    Ned fired off another couple of questions. “Sally, have you been just walking around since last night? I mean, where’ve you been since then? It’s midmorning.”
    Sally rolled her eyes around as she spoke. “Been sleep’n da car … Don’t know fo’ how long. Woke’d up juz fo’ sunrise cuz some damn bird I neva seen, but felt, had been peck’n at my neck mayhaps most all night! When I woke’d, I’z too sick ta drive. So’s I’z walked … I’z walked he-ahr. Wazza-convertible car. Dat devil-monster done tore dat rag-top clean off and done took my man! Done tore’d dat roof clean off! My man ne-ahr five hunded pounds! Devil Monster flew way with my man ... up in da air ... Devil flew way with my man like him weigh no mo din a baby. Da Devil, him looks like a giant man-bat ... and him can FLY! Him can fly. Him can ...”
    Sally’s face went blank and she bowed her head down. It was then that both Ned and Selma both spotted for the first time the two puncture-like wounds on the side of her neck. Dried blood stained her neck all around the wounds that looked already significantly infected. Ned spoke as he looked over at Selma, “You see those nasty marks? Did she say something about being pecked at?” Selma raised her eyebrows as she nodded.
    Selma spoke up, “Ned. I appreciate you needing answers. Way more answers than you’ve got here. But Sally … she needs to be seen by a medical doctor and possibly a psychiatrist for a full screening. Those wounds on her neck look bad, and well, you know, for other