How can an old lady just vanish in her own hometown? And why? Police ask a reclusive psychic and her reformed young assistant to unearth clues through visions and investigation. They must ask themselves what in the woman's past needed silencing...
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"I see it," JC shouted into the phone. In the small slits between the towering trees, there appeared an area of chaos. Collapse. Limbs and trunks leaning towards the center of some circle off in the distant, hazy forest. JC thought she imagined it until the dogs went nuts and drew the officers closer. She sighed.
"Hey! Hello?" No one there.
JC charged through the brush, Melissa at her back. It looked like a naked teepee. DeeDee was right again. As the dogs approached him, a thin man wrapped in sheets flapped his arms. They pounced. He shrieked like a girl. Officers pulled the dogs back, dragged the man to his feet and cuffed him. As JC edged closer, she noticed that he looked a lot like Jesus, or remembered from her mom's holy-rollin' days.
"What's with the..." asked JC jabbing her thumb at the Savior as Mac took the phone from her. Mac just shrugged.
"I found her wandering in the woods," yelled the Savior, his long, matted hair flying.
"We found her. Nora. Alive," said Mac into the phone, then thrust it back at JC. Mac moved towards a figure nestled in rags and leaves under the makeshift cathedral of timbers. Officers clustered blocking JC's view. She grabbed Melissa's arm and maneuvered to see.
She looks like a witch. Hair swirled out and back. Eyes wild. Hands clawing at everything, noticed JC. They forced water down her throat at she struggled. Wrapped her in blankets. She called out to the woods. Mum-mum. Must be calling the child.
"Where's that phone?" yelled Mac, waving at JC. "Get her husband on the line to talk her down or we'll just have to shackle her to bring her in."
JC passed the phone.
*
DeeDee watched as Jacob's soothing words drifted along the phone line.
"Dearest, dearest," he murmurred. It seemed to be working. But what of Vincent? Immovable figure in the shadows of waning night. What of Vincent? Could he be wrong. Was he here for another reason? Clarence? Or me, DeeDee wondered. She downed the remaining brandy and took up the tea cup. Odd.
*
The officers managed to hoist Nora to her crippled feet and half dragged, half carried her out of the woods to a waiting ambulance. The old woman babbled the entire way. Nonsense, thought JC as her cell phone sang Some Girls. She tugged at it.
"God, Mom. They just found that woman and...no...no!" JC pinched her sister's elbow. Their eyes met. Melissa's eyes scanned her face. "When? How?" Tears rolled down JC's cheeks. She gulped.
"What?" asked Melissa, all colour draining from her face.
"It's Gramma."
"No! She was doin' so good..." Melissa's face crumpled as she turned away.
