We entered the brightly lit parlor with yellow and red floral wallpaper and antique furniture. On each side of the couch were two end tables filled with small porcelain animals, which reminded me of something in an old lady’s house. A tea cart sat next to the delicate couch with a heavy silver teapot gleaming in the light. I noticed a blue flame under the teapot, keeping the water warm. Like the dinner, the pre-arranged nature of the rooms appeared like he wanted to dazzle us with his planning ability.
“Do you mind serving?” Lees asked Adele. “My butler is cleaning up. Unfortunately, I have only one servant to handle such a large house.”
“That’s tough,” I replied with plenty of sarcasm as Adele went to the cart.
Lees took a seat on the couch as I continued to stand.
“Do you mind explaining more about your comment earlier? Adele and I are only interested in finding out more about Cora Elder’s disappearance as part of this script we’re writing.”
“Oh, come now. Let’s drop the pretense. You’re here to help Cora Elder. Do you think an outsider can escape my notice?”
Adele’s eyes caught mine when she handed a teacup to me.
“What is it with this outsider nonsense?” I glared at him. “That’s the second time I’ve heard it today.”
“Oh, you really don’t want to admit it. Is it because of your wife? Are you afraid of admitting the truth to her?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” my voice nearly growled out the words.
He had me by the short hairs, and it made me angry. How in the hell could I explain my arrival in Stull Junction and the things Cora told me? Yet, this man calmly sipping on his tea appeared unfazed by my reaction. Then, I realized Adele was staring at me. Her expression told me she had questions as well.
“Alright, let’s force the issue when you answer my questions.” Lees caught the looks between Adele and me.
“Tell me something, Lane Dagger. How is it you keep coming back to life? By my count, Lane Dagger has died at least four times, only to be resurrected by Cora Elder.”
He turned his gaze to Adele, who nearly choked on her tea at the question.
“Surely, you noticed the changes in your husband, Mrs. Dagger. I’m confident that his clothes probably didn’t fit. No doubt, your husband’s manner changed several times around you over the past year. No person can’t come back from the dead, not even in Stull Junction. How do you explain these inconsistencies? I know you’ve got questions buried you’ve never asked this version of Lane Dagger.”
Adele’s eyes widened, and her face paled in confirmation. I stood there like a dope, unable to reply. Lees’ expression turned stony, yet I noticed the excitement in his piercing eyes. Like we were his students, the man wanted to explain. He turned to me.
“I’ll give Cora credit. At first, I had no idea that she was using the form of a dead familiar to bring in an outsider. The changes were slight at first. When I thought we removed Lane Dagger, he would come back within a day or two to rejoin our community. Of course I blamed my allies for their lack of capability. Important people can’t be bothered by the movement of ants.”
“I’m not following you,” I lied. “I don’t know what you’re going on about, but why would you care about rumors? You’re a recluse sitting in this stupid mansion with no life.”
“Oh, that just shows how naïve you are. I see far more than you can imagine. Do you think the shadows you’ve seen come from only Cora? I can come and go wherever I please within Stull Junction.”
His toothy, condescending grin made me want to smack him.
“I’m taking her dimension from the inside. Didn’t Cora explain that to you?”
“L..Lane, what’s he talking about?”
Adele’s nervous tone interrupted us. I was at a loss for what to say. The reality was coming out, but I had no way of controlling the effects. Still, I’m a stubborn person.
“Adele, remember, he’s a spiritualist. In the end, they’re like all the con men who’ll say anything to make you believe. He’s probably used that to get people to believe in him.”
I wanted to crush the cold teacup in my hand as I still stood in the middle of the room. Our host glared at me for the comment.
“I suggest you refrain from insulting me,” he stated. “While it’s true that such people undermine our profession, I’m far beyond a spiritualist.”
“Oh, you think that you’re a theurgist, or maybe an enchanter?” I said with plenty of sarcasm.
“So, you’ve done your research. That’s good. At first, I considered Cora to be another charlatan like so many others. Of course, my thoughts about how she formidable she was didn’t reach me until I returned from overseas.”
He paused, leaning back in thought.
“Yes, I was in New York when the headlines said she was dying. You can imagine the jolt to me. I needed to talk with her, to understand something in her writings. So, I went to her home. Unfortunately, I was too late when I arrived in Chicago, and I found an old woman in her eighties inside a coffin. That was in 1928.”
Adele nearly dropped her cup.
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