Page 64 of The House on Prytania
My dad and I responded with blank stares.
I stood and glanced behind Cooper. “Have you seen Jolene and Sarah?”
“Jolene remembered that she has an early morning tomorrow and asked if I would drive you home. Sarah said she was tired and went with her.”
“That’s ridiculous. This is your hotel. Why don’t I just take an Uber?”
“Not a good idea,” they said in unison, which won Cooper an appreciative look from Jack.
“Fine,” I said, gathering my backpack and tossing my phone inside. “Totally unnecessary, but thanks.”
As Cooper and I passed by Jack, he said, “By the way, Nola. That was a great conversation deflection. Don’t make me regret not drilling you a little harder.”
“Drills—right! That’s another sharp tool we use during renovations. I’ll order extra safety glasses so you don’t have to worry.”
“I think I’m beginning to see why Mellie says we’re just alike.”
I gave him another peck on the cheek, then followed Cooper to the parking lot.
“What was that all about?” Cooper asked as he pulled the car out onto the street.
“Dad was saying how glad he is that you’re here now.”
He turned his head, his half grin lit by passing streetlamps. “Yeah? And what about you?”
I faced the road, my lips turning up in a smile. “I’m glad, too.” Leaning forward, I said, “Hey, we’re about to pass my house. Slow down so you can check out what the neighbors across the street have done with their Halloween yard decorations. You know I love Charleston, but no city beats New Orleans in terms of holiday celebrations. I haven’t been here for Mardi Gras, but I can only imagine.”
The vast majority of houses on my street sported some sort of lighting display and impressive pumpkin carvings and nice assortments of skeletons climbing trees and walls, but Ernest and Bob’s house glowed like a lighthouse in the middle of a darkened sea. Fat old-fashioned orange Christmas tree bulbs striped the roof, wrapped around the chimney, and boldly outlined the corners of the house and the roofline. But the pièce de résistance was the pair of waving skeletons dressed in tuxedos along with the short, plump dog skeleton dressed in a silk lounging robe and wearing a tiara. They stood in front of the two coffins containing Christmas trees, their limbs gloriously filled with all things Halloween and a sprinkling of black and orange twinkling lights.
Cooper stopped in the middle of the street, lowered his window to get a better look, and laughed. “Amazing. I lived in California and even I can’t say I’ve ever seen anything like it. Can’t wait to meet them.”
His casual comment filled me with a comfortable warmth at the thought of him becoming familiar enough to meet my neighbors. “Me, too. Ernest and Bob are great, and their dog, Belle, is her own character. Mardi’s in love with her, but she hasn’t yet acknowledged that they’re meant to be together.”
He laughed again, then turned his head to say something, but stopped as his gaze focused on something behind me. “I think there’s something going on at your house, or is that part of your Halloween décor?”
I turned, following his gaze. My house was bathed in the orange glow from across the street, spotlighting the previously locked windows across the front of my house now slamming open and shut in a random rhythm only a demon could recognize. Various tools and paint cans lay strewn across the lawn, and a dark, viscous liquid appeared to be leaking from the sill of the upstairs hall window, dripping slowly down the newly painted siding.
I couldn’t speak, could only sit and watch the spectacle from Cooper’s car.
“Should I call the police?” Cooper asked.
“Do you really think that will help?”
He leaned closer to get a better look. “No. But I’m fresh out of other ideas.”
I glanced down the street, amazed that no one had come out of their houses to look. I had to hope that my neighbors thought the spectacle was my contribution to the street’s holiday décor. My street was hosting a friendly Halloween decorating contest, so it would be logical that they would simply assume I was in it to win it.
“Me, too,” I said.
We sat in stunned silence for a solid minute before Cooper spoke again. “Should we call Melanie?”
“No. I don’t want to worry her.”
“Yeah, but won’t she know what to do?”
“Probably. But so will Beau.” I pulled out my phone to text him, but hesitated. He and Sam had left following dinner, walking hand in hand toward Beau’s truck. I looked at the time on my screen. “It’s almost eleven o’clock.”
“Nola, in case you hadn’t noticed, your house is going berserk and there’s something that looks a lot like blood dripping out of one of the windows. If Beau can help, you need to text him.”
