Only By Moonlight Read Free

superstitions.
     
     
     
     

Chapter 2
     
     
    That evening, LaShaun didn’t need paranormal
powers to know Chase would be working late. The body of a local
drug dealer had been found in a local farmer’s crawfish pond.
LaShaun watched the six o’clock evening news on the kitchen
television as she picked over her supper. The perky young brunette
seemed excited. She had the air of suppressed glee as she reported
one more crime in the Beau Chene area.
    “Javon Collins had been in the parish prison
on a drug charge and being a convicted felon in possession of a
firearm,” the reporter said. “He was out on bond. Authorities found
two bags of marijuana in a car parked along the road nearby. The
car was stolen last week.”
    “I’ll bet the locals will have a party
criticizing M.J. now,” LaShaun muttered.
    As if she’d heard LaShaun’s words, the
reporter put on an affected solemn expression. “Tune in to our ten
o’clock broadcast. Channel Six News will have a special report.
Three teenagers are victims of a bizarre attack, only two of them
survive. Is our Sheriff’s Department prepared to deal with
twenty-first century crime? We’ll examine the issue of rural
settings with big city crime. Next, we’ll have our forecast.” She
smiled into the camera.
    “Damn, don’t sound so happy about it,”
LaShaun complained.
    She got up from the counter, covered the
small bowl of gumbo, and put it in the fridge. Just as she started
to wash her few dishes, the front door chimes trilled. LaShaun
glanced at the clock, wondering who had driven out so far at night.
She went to a window in the formal parlor and peeked out. Her
friend, attorney Savannah Honoré, stood on the porch in the soft
yellow porch light. Her husband Paul was with her, which shocked
LaShaun. Paul was polite whenever they happened to meet, but
LaShaun knew he had qualms about the wisdom of Savannah being
friends with the infamous voodoo woman of Beau Chene. The fact that
LaShaun kept getting pulled into gruesome and weird crimes didn’t
ease his mind. LaShaun unlocked the front door.
    “Good evening. Come in and satisfy my
curiosity,” LaShaun said with a grin at Savannah and a nod to
Paul.
    “Hello. I tried to talk Savannah out of
dropping in without calling. Cell phones make it easy,” Paul said
and gave an exasperated grunt.
    Savannah locked the front door like she was
at home. Then she gave LaShaun a quick hug. “Oh will you stop. I
had a weak signal on my wonderfully advanced smart phone, so I
couldn’t call. Hey girl. How y’all doin’?” Savannah asked.
    “Come on back to the kitchen. I was just in
there watching television. I made gumbo today. Y’all welcome to
have some,” LaShaun said and led the way down the hallway.
    “Nah, we can’t stay long. We gotta go pick up
the kids. You remember Charice, don’t you?” Savannah hopped on a
stool and patted the one next to her. Her husband sat down
obediently.
    “Yes,” LaShaun replied.
    Savannah and Charice had been best buds since
the third grade. Now they both had a set of twin girls, and even
more in common. Charice’s girls were older than the Honoré
eleven-year-olds, and more like older sisters the girls idolized.
LaShaun smiled as she imagined the combined energy and noise four
girls would make. A wave of longing swept over her as she thought
about having a family. Paul’s deep voice broke into her
thoughts.
    “Nice kitchen. I like the red and brown color
scheme, makes this large space look homey.” Paul rubbed a palm over
the granite countertop in appreciation.
    “Why thank you,” LaShaun said. She watched in
amusement as he studied the rest of room. “No eye of newt and
tongue of dog. Just chicken and sausage gumbo in the pot,” she
joked, making a reference to the witches brew from Shakespeare’s
play Macbeth.
    Paul blinked for a second, then burst out
laughing. “Okay, okay. I deserved that. I was thinking how... um,
normal the placed looked.”
    “I hid the