Murder Under the Covered Bridge by Elizabeth Perona

he’s not available.” She closed her eyes again. She cleared her throat. “Oh spirit of Doc Wheat!! We need your presence! There are people here who seek your knowledge.”
    Again there was anticipation. Merlina huffed a little. “This is unexpected. I almost always have success, especially when we’re so close to where he lived.”
    â€œI agree,” Mary Ruth said. “This close we ought to have a better connection. Are you trying to contact him in 4G? Maybe 3G is too slow.”
    Merlina ignored Mary Ruth. “Are there any other spirits here who could help us? Someone who knows Doc Wheat?”
    For the third time, silence settled into the room.
    Merlina’s shoulders started to sway back and forth. Her head lolled back. She moaned as though she were struggling with something. Then she jerked forward and slumped on the table, the side of her head lightly hitting the wooden top.
    The women stared at her. Francine, who was seated adjacent, prodded her on arm. “Are you all right?”
    Marcy rushed to her side. “Shhhh. She’s in touch with a spirit. Let’s wait to see who it is.”
    Alice sat up. “I just thought of someone I’d like to contact. I’d like to talk to my husband’s mistress, Jake Maehler’s mother. I’d like to know why she thought it was a good idea to seduce my husband, and why she didn’t tell him about his child. And I’d like to know if she thinks I should take him back. Heaven knows, I want to, but I’d just like to hear why this whole thing happened in the first place before I—”
    Alice didn’t get any further. Merlina sat up and stared directly into Francine’s eyes. “It’s burning,” she said. “Burning. Now. And you’re responsible.”
    â€œWhat?” Francine could see that Merlina wasn’t really looking at her. Her dark eyes were vacant. Open, but vacant.
    Merlina turned away momentarily to look at Charlotte. “And you know why.”
    â€œWhy what?” Charlotte asked.
    â€œWhy it’s burning.”
    â€œNo, I don’t.”
    Marcy got up in Merlina’s face. “Who are you?”
    No response. “I said, who are you?” she repeated.
    Mary Ruth put her hands on the table and pushed herself up. “This is nonsense. I’m going to get some water to drink.”
    Merlina swung her head toward Francine again. “In the end, that was what I wanted too, the water. And he gave it to me. But it had more in it than I thought.”
    Francine tilted her head to the side. She thought of the vial William had been carrying when they found him on the creek bank. “William? Are you William?”
    Merlina gave no response.
    â€œYou can’t be William. William’s in a coma.”
    â€œUnless he’s passed away since you saw him last,” Charlotte offered.
    â€œWell, that’s a happy thought,” Mary Ruth snapped.
    â€œAt least I’m trying to be helpful.”
    â€œWhat’s burning?” Francine asked Merlina.
    No response.
    Francine gripped her by the shoulders. She got more emphatic. “What’s burning?”
    Merlina’s eyes rolled back in head. She pitched forward toward the table, but Francine had hold of her and stopped her from crashing onto it. Marcy grabbed Merlina and the woman began to shake uncontrollably. Between Francine and Marcy they lowered Merlina to the floor, where she settled into fetal position. Her shaking faded until it finally stopped.
    Joy’s cell phone went off. Her ringtone was the “March of the Storm Troopers” from Star Wars , so the noise was disconcerting. Joy answered it, running into the front room so as not to disturb the others.
    â€œWhat just happened here?” Francine demanded from Marcy. “Is this a normal occurrence during a séance?”
    â€œI don’t know.” Marcy sounded frightened. “I’ve only