Read Online Blackwater Lights by Michael M. Hughes - Free Book Online Page B

He moved his finger toward the center. “Here is your friend’s house, Ray.” Still farther. “Here is the cemetery in the center of town. Built on top of the Indian mound. Another anomaly—and no one’s sure why it was built or who built it, despite what the history books say.”
    Ellen stubbed out her cigarette. “Okay. I’m sorry, but what does this have to do with anything?”
    Denny’s face reddened. “Maybe it means nothing.”
    “Hold on,” Ray said. “Go ahead, Denny.”
    “It could just be coincidence. I’m the first to admit that. But sometimes …” He laid the edge of the Purple Burro’s menu against the map and drew a line with his pencil. “Look at this. From the Hand … and the Falls … to the center of the cemetery mound in the middle of town. A perfectly straight line.”
    Ellen shook her head. “It’s interesting. Sure. But it’s a line. A
line
.”
    Denny blinked. He turned to face Ray. “And after what you’ve just told me tonight, Ray,let’s say we extend the line even farther to the north.” He moved his finger a few inches. “Almost into the next county. A guy who throws some pretty fabulous parties lives right here—on the same line. Two points means nothing. Three, still nothing but coincidence. But four places of interest? I start paying attention.”
    Ellen pursed her lips. “Okay.
That’s
weird.”
    Denny nodded. “In Europe it would be known as a ley line.”
    Ellen nodded. “Naked Connie would have agreed.”
    Ray snorted. Denny didn’t.
    “L-E-Y, not L-A-Y. And someone else’s property is on this line, too. Remember? Right here, at the end of this long road.”
    “Kevin’s house,” Ray said.
    Ellen stared at the map. “Okay. So, for some reason, Mr. We-Can’t-Mention-His-Name and your rich friend set up their homes on this imaginary voodoo line. I’ll buy that. Maybe they even believe in magical energy lines. But how does this help you, Ray? How does it help you find this camp and figure out what happened to you there?”
    Denny eyed her icily. “Because … let’s assume, for the sake of argument, that Mr. You-Know-Who does, in fact, have something to do with Ray’s camp. You believe he might, don’t you, Ray?”
    Ray nodded. “It’s just my gut. But yes.”
    “Then one might logically expect the location of the camp—”
    Ellen finished. “To also be somewhere on this ley line. Some special spot.”
    Denny nodded. “Yes. Which, if ‘Dottie’s Dotings’ is right and it’s to the north, would leave either the falls you’re familiar with, near the old church, or possibly somewhere on
his
property. There’s a pretty major cave system around there, and a lot of the land is so hilly it has never been logged. It’s old and wild.”
    The three of them sat quietly, looking at Denny’s thin pencil line.
    “So what’s next?” Ellen asked. “I could take you to Naked Connie Falls. When I get off work tomorrow.”
    “No,” Ray said. The forcefulness surprised him. “I’ll go by myself. This is mine to figure out.”
    Ellen seemed hurt. But he didn’t want to put her at risk. The more he uncovered, the morehe worried that he was getting himself into something potentially dangerous.
    “What do you know about this church, Denny? Could I just go and sing hymns with them for an hour? Maybe walk around the property afterward?”
    “I don’t know. They keep to themselves.”
    “I’ll pay a visit.” Ray finished the last of his beer. “And then I think I’m going to see Lily again.”
    Ellen’s eyes widened. “What? Don’t you think that’s a little risky?”
    “If she’s part of it—and he’s part of it—then I might be able to get something out of her. And maybe I’ll find out what happened the other night. After I blank-taped half the evening.”
    “I really don’t think that’s—”
    Denny held up his hand. “No, I think he’s right. But get her to come to you. Someplace public.”
    Ray nodded. “Something tells