have any children?”
“Two sons, John and Braxton, both of whom followed their father into politics. There was also a daughter. She belonged to his second wife, but James adopted her.”
“What was her name?”
“Ilsa, I believe. She was younger than the boys and quite a hedonist for the time.”
“Really? What did she do?”
He seemed more than happy to oblige her curiosity. “The usual. Scandalous parties, unsavory liaisons… She ran off with a French diplomat, an older gentleman, when she was just seventeen. He whisked her away to some remote chalet in the Alps and she was never heard from again. It created quite a stir in Charleston society.”
“Her family didn’t try to find her?”
“I’m sure there was some form of communication, but with the family’s political aspirations, I imagine her estrangement was a blessing.”
“So the Tisdales just washed their hands of her?”
“It was not an uncommon attitude in those days. Young women of ill repute were often shipped off to boarding school or to live with relatives in some remote outpost.”
“Do you know if there was any kind of scandal involving Oak Grove Cemetery?”
The question seemed to catch him off guard. His eyes widened and he shot a glance over his shoulder.
“Did I say something wrong?”
“No…no. It’s just…one doesn’t hear much about Oak Grove these days.”
Evidently, he didn’t know about the restoration. “Were there ever any secret ceremonies or rituals conducted in the cemetery?”
“You mean…occult rituals?” he asked carefully.
“I’m not really sure. Do you know anything about a secret society called the Order of the Coffin and the Claw?”
“I’m aware of it,” he said with a frown. “Elitism at its finest. Thankfully, the Order was dissolved several years ago. Of course, there are some who think it merely went underground.”
“Was it ever affiliated with Oak Grove Cemetery?”
“Rumor had it, that’s where the initiation rituals were held.” He lowered his voice. “There were whispers of dark ceremonies involving drunken orgies and absinthe trips, all manner of debauchery. From everything I’ve read, something happened in that cemetery. Something dark and unspeakable. That’s why Oak Grove was abandoned.”
“What do you think happened?”
“I’m afraid no one who isn’t a Claw will ever know the answer to that question.”
REE
Ree slept the sleep of the dead that night. No Ilsa dreams. No sleepwalking episodes. When she woke up, she felt rested and refreshed and after a text message from Hayden, she had a little something to look forward to as she headed off to Emerson. Things were looking up. Maybe it was time to put all the intrigue and weirdness behind her and start focusing on the future again. Now might be a good time to revisit her goals.
First order of business was research in the library, and Ree was proud of herself for ignoring the lure of the archives. Whatever was to be gleaned about Oak Grove Cemetery and the Tisdales from those dusty old books would have to wait. Her thesis project came first because she’d put way too much time, effort and money into her education to squander it all away now.
Just when she was starting to think she had a handle on normal again, she ran smack into Detective Devlin on the library steps. He put a hand on her arm to steady her, but Ree shied away.
“Miss Hutchins, isn’t it?”
“How do you know my name?” She hadn’t told anyone at police headquarters who she was.
“I ran your plates yesterday.”
Of course, he had. “How did you know which car was mine?”
“I ran them all until I found you.”
Of course, he had. Ree glanced away, not wanting to look straight into the abyss of his gaze. “How did you know I was here?”
“A wild guess.”
Translation: Either he’d followed her from her apartment or someone had tipped him off. And just like that, Ree found herself back in the morass created by that overheard
“Two sons, John and Braxton, both of whom followed their father into politics. There was also a daughter. She belonged to his second wife, but James adopted her.”
“What was her name?”
“Ilsa, I believe. She was younger than the boys and quite a hedonist for the time.”
“Really? What did she do?”
He seemed more than happy to oblige her curiosity. “The usual. Scandalous parties, unsavory liaisons… She ran off with a French diplomat, an older gentleman, when she was just seventeen. He whisked her away to some remote chalet in the Alps and she was never heard from again. It created quite a stir in Charleston society.”
“Her family didn’t try to find her?”
“I’m sure there was some form of communication, but with the family’s political aspirations, I imagine her estrangement was a blessing.”
“So the Tisdales just washed their hands of her?”
“It was not an uncommon attitude in those days. Young women of ill repute were often shipped off to boarding school or to live with relatives in some remote outpost.”
“Do you know if there was any kind of scandal involving Oak Grove Cemetery?”
The question seemed to catch him off guard. His eyes widened and he shot a glance over his shoulder.
“Did I say something wrong?”
“No…no. It’s just…one doesn’t hear much about Oak Grove these days.”
Evidently, he didn’t know about the restoration. “Were there ever any secret ceremonies or rituals conducted in the cemetery?”
“You mean…occult rituals?” he asked carefully.
“I’m not really sure. Do you know anything about a secret society called the Order of the Coffin and the Claw?”
“I’m aware of it,” he said with a frown. “Elitism at its finest. Thankfully, the Order was dissolved several years ago. Of course, there are some who think it merely went underground.”
“Was it ever affiliated with Oak Grove Cemetery?”
“Rumor had it, that’s where the initiation rituals were held.” He lowered his voice. “There were whispers of dark ceremonies involving drunken orgies and absinthe trips, all manner of debauchery. From everything I’ve read, something happened in that cemetery. Something dark and unspeakable. That’s why Oak Grove was abandoned.”
“What do you think happened?”
“I’m afraid no one who isn’t a Claw will ever know the answer to that question.”
REE
Ree slept the sleep of the dead that night. No Ilsa dreams. No sleepwalking episodes. When she woke up, she felt rested and refreshed and after a text message from Hayden, she had a little something to look forward to as she headed off to Emerson. Things were looking up. Maybe it was time to put all the intrigue and weirdness behind her and start focusing on the future again. Now might be a good time to revisit her goals.
First order of business was research in the library, and Ree was proud of herself for ignoring the lure of the archives. Whatever was to be gleaned about Oak Grove Cemetery and the Tisdales from those dusty old books would have to wait. Her thesis project came first because she’d put way too much time, effort and money into her education to squander it all away now.
Just when she was starting to think she had a handle on normal again, she ran smack into Detective Devlin on the library steps. He put a hand on her arm to steady her, but Ree shied away.
“Miss Hutchins, isn’t it?”
“How do you know my name?” She hadn’t told anyone at police headquarters who she was.
“I ran your plates yesterday.”
Of course, he had. “How did you know which car was mine?”
“I ran them all until I found you.”
Of course, he had. Ree glanced away, not wanting to look straight into the abyss of his gaze. “How did you know I was here?”
“A wild guess.”
Translation: Either he’d followed her from her apartment or someone had tipped him off. And just like that, Ree found herself back in the morass created by that overheard
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