Eric drove the forty-five miles back to the B&B. They both remained as silent on the way back as they had on the way there. As Audra got out of the car she thanked Eric for riding up there with her. She made the somber walk back to her room and called Ethan again on his cellphone. Again, it went to voice mail.
"Hey Ethan, I was just checking on you and wanted to make sure that you got my message. Please call or text to let me know you're okay."
She hung up, picking up the television remote and turning to the news. The weather report was on indicating that the week was going to end in a torrential down pour. She kicked off her shoes and pulled off her socks as the weather switched to the local news live just outside of the Shelley mansion.
Audra froze as she saw an image of Ethan escorting a very drugged up Margret out of the Shelley mansion.
"In a strange twist of events Margret Shelley has confessed to the murder of Gwyneth Miller," the unseen female reporter spoke as images flashed on the screen.
"Margret Shelley is the youngest child of Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth Shelley, Sr., and their only daughter. The motive in this case is unclear. However, our sources say that Margret Shelley became suicidal over the weekend and was admitted to the hospital after taking a bottle of aspirin."
"This is an outrage!" The image changed to Principal Shelley making her slow progress from the mansion towards her car. "The sheriff's department has been out to harass and vilify my family for the past twenty-five years. This is a witch hunt!"
"Oh, God," Audra breathed and headed straight for the command post.
Cordero was watching the same news report live over the Internet. The agent at the phone was placing new calls on hold every three seconds.
"Have you seen anymore of that strange energy?" Audra asked.
"Yes, there were fluctuations over the Shelley mansion until Sheriff Cole went in to get Margret. We've got the jailhouse, where Margret will be held until her bail hearing in the morning, the Shelley Mansion, and Ethan's home all under surveillance. If the signal comes up again hopefully we can eliminate suspects," Cordero said.
Audra took a look at the computer screen and was surprised at the crystal clear, real-time, onsite images it projected. Even the activity at the Shelley mansion was five seconds ahead of the newscast.
"He won't keep her at the jailhouse," Audra said. "If Ethan has her in custody he'll try to put her back in the psych ward of the hospital as a suicide risk."
Cordero nodded to the agent at the computer and she pulled up a fourth screen with the hospital on it.
"I'm gonna get down there and see what she's saying," Audra told Cordero on her way out of the command post.
As she drove up to the hospital she saw Ethan's truck. She hurried into the lobby flashing her badge even though she was certain the receptionist already knew who she was.
"Margret Shelley?" Audra asked.
"Fourth floor, psych ward," the receptionist pointed her to the elevator just behind the desk, the same elevator she was in when she'd had her fainting spell.
She pressed the fourth floor button and tried to remain calm. Gwyn appeared next to her.
"What's going on?" Audra asked.
"Principal Shelley was keeping her highly medicated. Margret was mumbling for her to stop but she wouldn't. I told Ethan and my dad. Ethan told me to have her call him and confess. He promised to bring her to the hospital on a fifty-one fifty. Later they'd say it was the effect of the drugs. So she confessed."
Audra nodded, applauding Ethan's strategy. She was stuck between whether to proceed to the psych ward and question Margret or to return to the command post and wait for the strange energy blip again. She reasoned it was best to at least do a personal assessment of the situation. She stepped onto the floor and found Ethan sitting guard outside of Margret's room. Principal Shelley and the Councilman were trying to get passed him and into the room.
"You either leave this floor on your own or I'll call for security to escort the both of you out," Ethan said calmly.
Audra went to stand next to him and face off with the two Shelleys.
"The Sheriff has asked you very politely to leave," Audra addressed them. "If you do not vacate the premises I will have the both of you arrested for attempting to obstruct justice in a federal case. That means no county court you can pay off."
"How dare you?" Principal Shelley looked from one to the other. "You will both regret this."
"Are you threatening a federal agent?" Audra asked.
"No," the Councilman stepped in and led the irate old woman away from the door to the elevators.
Audra and Ethan waited for the elevator door to close behind them before looking at each other.
"Good plan," Audra acknowledged.
"It will take eight to twelve hours for the medication to wear off completely."
"Why would they do that to her? Why medicate her at home and not just allow her to stay in the hospital?"
"She's old and rich. I'm sure she thinks she can just do whatever she wants. With the school closing down, maybe she's finally snapped. It was pretty much her kingdom for a very long time."
"Is it official?" Audra asked.
"Pretty much, the only councilman to oppose the shutdown was Brendon. The school will close and the kids will be bussed into the next county."
"Because of the specters?" Audra asked.
"No, because of the land."
"What will they do with the land?"
"Make it profitable," Ethan said. "This is a high class American ghost town. It was bound to happen."
Audra nodded, understanding.
"May I go in and see her?" Audra asked.
"Yeah."
Ethan opened the door and Audra walked in to see Margret resting in bed, the exact image of Kendra in a coma. She found a chair in the corner of the room and brought it to Margret's bedside. She felt an overwhelming sense of sadness for the girl who should have had everything, being treated so callously.
Audra automatically took Margret's hand the way she had taken Kendra's hand the precious few times she'd gone to visit. She was surprised by its fleshy warmth, and even more surprised when this hand, unlike her sister's, squeezed hers in return.
Audra looked up to find Margret smiling with one eye open.
"Agent Wheeler," Margret croaked.
"How do you feel?" Audra asked.
"I have an insane headache," Margret said and closed the one eye. "I feel a bit dizzy."
"Were they holding you against your will?" Audra questioned.
"Yes, but I won't be pressing charges."
Audra nodded. "Is there anything I can do for you?"
"I want to visit my sister," Margret said. "I had a dream about her the day after you told me about her."
"Of course."
"I think I should quit my job."
"What? Why?"
"Because I kind of hate it."
"What do you want to do?"
"I don't know yet. Just sit with me for a little while, okay?"
"Sure."
Audra returned to the B&B exhausted. Her thoughts turned to Margret's request to visit Kendra. She hadn't wanted to burden her mother with this case but she knew she would have to prepare her for the inevitable.
Her mother answered on the first ring.
"Hello, Audra. How are you?" she asked as if she already knew.
"I've been better, Ma," Audra said. "I have to tell you something. It's about this case."
"Yeah, I saw you on the news and on the Internet. You know they made you and that ghostly girl into a music video that has apparently gone viral, according to your niece."
Audra smiled. "How is Jasmine?"
"So proud of her aunt, the world famous FBI special agent. She played that video for me at least ten times when she came to visit me over the weekend. Growing like a weed. She looks just like her mother."
Audra's smile faded with those words.
"That's what I'm calling about. Kendra has a twin, Ma."
"I know," her mother said.
"Of course, Cordero told you," Audra reasoned. "How long have you known?"
"A long time."
"Did you ever tell Kendra?"
"No, I didn't. But, Kendra wanted to know more about her birth family when she became pregnant."
"She did?" Audra had not known that.
"Yes, but by that time Cordero and I had lost touch. The only clue I could give her was the town of Specter, Georgia. It's a name you don't soon forget."
Audra felt her blood chill in her veins.
"I see. Well, I met her twin and she would like to come up for a visit, to see Kendra."
"Of course," Audra's mother sounded pleased by the thought.
"Great. Well, I have to run, I just wanted to give you a heads up."
"Thank you, Dear. I love you."
"I love you too, Ma."
Audra hung up and headed to the command post.
"What happened?" Cordero asked as he took in the expression on Audra's face.
"Kendra was looking for her birth family."
Cordero's look narrowed. "How do you know that?"
"My mother just told me," Audra announced. "She never mentioned that to you?"
"No, Audra, she didn't," Cordero said. "I didn't think to ask and she probably didn't think it was important."
"Well, mom told Kendra the only clue she had was Specter, Georgia."
"Damn. Did Kendra ever say anything to you about this?"
"No, I was fourteen. I'm sure she didn't think I needed to know she was looking for her real family."
"She must have tried to call around," Cordero reasoned. "Thomas, get the phone records for Kendra Wheeler-Dalton from thirteen years ago. Any number with the Specter area code."
"Got it." Thomas turned to his computer.
Audra and Cordero went to hover over Thomas, whose smooth face was pensive as he worked his magic to get into the phone record database.
"Okay, it looks like she made one call to the hospital that lasted thirty-five minutes. However, she called the church four times. Each conversation lasted about an hour. And she made one call to the high school that lasted fifteen minutes just before her second call to the church. She also made a call to Renee Stevens but it doesn't look like she made a connection. And it doesn't look like she got a call back."
"She was getting really close," Audra said, amazed. "What is the number to the church?"
Thomas found the number and called it out as Audra dialed.
"Hello," Reverend Stockard answered the phone himself.
"Reverend Stockard, this is Special Agent Audra Wheeler."
"Yes, ma'am." He sounded pleasantly surprised. "How may I help you?"
"How long have you been pastor of that church?"
"Oh, twenty years or so."
"Do you remember getting a call about thirteen years ago that concerned information on Abigail Stevens?"
"Abigail Stevens?" He seemed to take a moment to think about it.
"There would have been four calls actually. Each call would have lasted for about an hour."
"Thirteen years ago," the Reverend repeated. "Can you tell me a little about the caller, a name?"
"The name of the caller would have been Kendra Wheeler -Dalton. She was perhaps eight months pregnant, from Boston. She was looking for her birth mother and all she had was the town name of Specter, Georgia."
"That sounds very familiar. Was this your sister?"
"Yes."
"I think I remember some of that conversation. Is it possible for you to come by the church and speak face-to-face?"
"I'm on my way."
Audra arrived at the church to find Reverend Stockard standing by the door. He greeted her with a handshake and once again she felt a strange but soothing vibration pass from his hands to hers.
He led her through the church, which seemed more ominous and foreboding. Now that it was empty, it seemed as if every move they made echoed against the walls. He led her through the middle of the church aisle and up past the altar. Audra paused for a moment as stepping over the altar seemed somehow wrong.
"Come on," Reverend Stockard urged her.
She took the step across the altar, and he led her to a back door that opened into a small hallway and took her through the hallway to his office.
"Mind you, thirteen years ago is a very long time." The Reverend pointed Audra to a chair across from his desk as he took his seat. "But, some of your details about the caller; she did call a couple of times and I think she had found out that her birth mother had passed away. I don't think she ever used the name Abigail Stevens, but she might have. I didn't come here until several years after Abigail's death and as I understand it now, the sensation of it was kept fairly quiet. So she may have used that name because I do remember her saying that she wanted to come and visit the graveyard."
"Do you know who told her that Abigail was dead?"
"I remember telling her that if there were a pregnant teenager in a small town like Specter, the best person to ask would be Principal Shelley. She would know."