Waiting and Watching by Darcy Darvill Page A

couldn’t decide whether or not to answer. She really wanted the time to think about the séance, but what if it was Connie or Julio? Reluctantly, Lily answered.
    â€œHello. What? I can’t hear you. Oh, Sammy, it’s you. You certainly know how to pick the worst possible times to call. The Harrimans, Connie and Julio, are coming over shortly. You remember them, Dr. Harriman’s kids. Their parents were the ones murdered when we were in High School. She’s the girl whose life I used to wish I had.” She got no response. “Sammy, are you there?” she asked. “Shit, Sammy, you know better than to call me when you’re high. Besides, I can’t talk now. They will be here soon and I still have some planning to do.”
    Sammy mumbled something which was mostly incoherent. It was his usual complaint about his mother being an effing bitch.
    â€œYes Sammy, there is no doubt your mother is a bitch. I’ll call you tomorrow. Lay off the drugs at least until we talk. Goodbye Sammy.”
    The doorbell rang, and it was Connie, Andrew and Julio. Lily could tell the guys weren’t happy to be here, at least for this purpose. Without saying a word, she seated them around the card table where she had set up her Ouija Board. Lily explained that she would use the Ouija Board later on in the séance. First she wanted to try and reach Julio and Connie’s parents by the traditional method of the crystal ball. Julio rolled his eyes at Andrew and Andrew smiled knowingly.
    Lily rose from her chair and turned off all the lights. It was a new moon that evening, completely shadowed by the earth and giving off no light. Only the street lights cast shadows around the small, one-bedroom apartment. Connie handed Lily her father’s watch.
    Lily closed her eyes for a few moments and then began to describe her vision of a woman kissing a tall, distinguished man with reddish-brown hair. “They are in an office with medical certificates mounted on the wall. The woman calls him John, so I don’t think she’s a patient and I don’t think it’s your mother, Connie. Her face is a blur, but she has platinum blonde hair. Her dress is dark blue, very tight fitting and extremely low cut in the front. Now she is bending over the man as he signs a small stack of papers. This watch is laying on the desk next to the papers. I believe we can assume the man is your father. The woman runs her fingers through his hair and he seems quite pleased, with a smile appearing on his face. He turns his head toward her and she kisses him on the lips and he calls her Bess or Beth. That’s all I’m getting right now, but this woman is somehow connected to the murders.”
    No one said a word, creating an uncomfortable silence as Connie, Julio and Andrew waited for Lily to come out of her apparent trance. They looked at each other, wondering what to do. Andrew could see Connie was visibly shaken. Her face was pale and she appeared to be holding back a barrage of tears. Eventually, she broke the silence.
    â€œI remember Mr. Lookey telling us that our mother had an altercation with a realtor and I am sure that he called her Beth Vreeland.” Julio nodded in agreement. “Julio, it will be interesting to know the details of Beth Vreeland’s alibi.”
    A loud rapping on the front door made everyone jump. Lily got up from her chair and went to the door, curious to see who it was. She opened the door to find Sgt. Reynolds standing there, accompanied by an older woman. He apologized for intruding and asked if he could come in as he had someone he wanted them all to meet.
    â€œWhen I heard from Connie that Lily was conducting a séance tonight, I contacted Agnes Sayre, a psychic the police have used in the past. Agnes has had years of experience and has written several books on the subject. She just recently helped the Cincinnati police find a missing child.”
    Reynolds apologized to