Hoodoo Woman (Roxie Mathis Book 3) by Sonya Clark Page B

into public service. You got a house boat, Officer Travis?”
    “It’s deputy, and no. Nice little fishing boat but no house boat. I keep mine out in the back shed, not at the marina.” The coffee finished percolating and Ray began to make three cups. “I gotta tell you, that’s about the most interesting thing I’ve heard in a while.”
    “Makes one mighty curious.” The good ol’ boy in Daniel’s voice told me two things. He was relaxed, and he liked Ray. I found that curious.
    I said, “I forget, who is the coroner? Is it a name I’d know?”
    “Fella named Martin Holt,” Ray said. “He’s from somewhere in Arkansas originally.”
    “And he’s friends with the Parkers?” I took my cup and added milk and sugar.
    “He and Terry are part of a group that plays golf every other Saturday at the country club.”
    Terrance Parker was Britney’s father. “How have her parents handled all this? There was nothing in your files about any of the family having any kind of public reaction.”
    “They didn’t have much to say about her death. The haunting stuff, they won’t go near it.”
    “I sure would like to know if Britney’s been haunting any of the Parker homes.”
    Ray carried a cup to Daniel. “Mackie might talk if properly persuaded.”
    Daniel nodded his thanks for the coffee. “I’m guessing with that family you don’t mean money.”
    Ray said, “If he’s in the mood to piss off his father and brother he might talk. I’ve tried a couple times and couldn’t get anything out of him. I aim to keep trying.”
    I joined Daniel at the table. “We need to decide what’s first. Who we talk to, how we go about it. I mean, the whole ghost book thing is a decent enough cover I guess.”
    Ray addressed Daniel, “Do you have an actual blog?”
    “Yeah and I need to update it tonight. It’s called Blood Shots.”
    “That’s you? Well, hell, I read that.” Ray looked at me. “I had no idea you were the witch he’s talking about. Damn, you have done some tricky jobs.”
    All my questions about the case full of metaphysical books in the other room came back. “Since when do you read blogs about ghost hunting? And all those books?” I was really hoping Ray hadn’t been reading the blog back when it was still half full of blood infused drink recipes for vampires. Daniel had gotten away from that over time and the content shifted to supernatural lore.
    Ray shrugged. “I was curious.” He sipped his coffee. “What about trying to draw out Britney? Is there something you can do along those lines, rather than wait around for her to show up somewhere and maybe if we hear about it in time we can get there before she’s gone?”
    Daniel rubbed his hands together in mock glee. “Sounds like séance time.”
    I said, “I can’t do a séance.”
    “What are you talking about? You’ve been doing them since you set up the Madame Roxella thing.”
    “Well, yeah, but.” I stopped. How did I explain Stack to Ray? Or give Daniel a more in depth explanation, for that matter? “I only did a couple and they were. Um.”
    Daniel furrowed his brow in disapproval. “Don’t tell me you’ve been scamming people.”
    “There was a spirit in the room,” I hedged. “Just not necessarily the one the client expected.”
    The vampire tipped his chair back, shaking his head. “God damn insurance company, screwing you over and leading you to moral turpitude like this.”
    “Moral turpitude? Really, Grandpa ?” Being lectured on morals by a drunk vampire. Was this really what my life had come to? I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
    Ray broke in on our argument. “I’m sure Roxanne is doing the best she can with the tools at her disposal. You said there’s a spirit present during these séances you’ve done. Can it help us contact Britney?”
    Daniel made a point of looking from me to Ray and back to me, all expression carefully wiped from his face. I hid behind my coffee for a moment, trying to think.