Chapter Ten
“I can’t believe you did all of this in twenty-four hours, you sweet man.” Sophie toured her kitchen. The cabinet doors had been replaced with replicas of the originals. The pantry was still lacking a few of the custom-built shelves, but there was no sign of the destruction she’d seen day before yesterday. The kitchen floor sparkled like liquid gold. Goebel had been able to buff the scratches from the floor, saving them from having to replace it, too. Margaret Dabney had walked across these floors, and Sophie intended to treat them with kid gloves from now to eternity.
“This is perfect, Goebel. I don’t know how you managed to accomplish this in such a short time, but you did, and I’m so glad.”
When she had left Pine Shadows yesterday, Sophie called Goebel to give him the short version of Aunt Maggie’s story. They had discussed what she would have to do to rid their home of Theodore Dabney’s evil spirit.
And now it was time.
She put several bunches of sage in a bag, along with three bottles of holy water that had recently been blessed by Pope Francis. She wore her rosary around her neck for protection. Daniel and Ida were on their way. Sophie felt that Ida needed to be here during this purification.
“Is there anything else you need?” Goebel asked.
Sophie smiled, the first genuine smile she’d actually felt in several days. “I have more than I’ll ever need, but to answer your question, I’ve plenty of cleansing supplies.”
“It’s good to have you back, Soph. I don’t like it when you’re unhappy.” Goebel wrapped his arms around her, kissed the top of her head, then patted her on the ass.
She pulled away from him, laughing, “So that’s why you’re so happy to see me. Always have sex on the brain, huh?”
“That’s one reason, but not the main reason. I’m just happy to be alive and to have you as my woman.”
A loud knock on the front door startled them both. “Ida’s here.”
“I’ll let her in. Tell Daniel hello, and he can come back another time. Why don’t you go with him? I think it’s best if it’s just me and Ida today.”
“Okay, but you keep your cell phone in your pocket and call me if you feel frightened or uncomfortable in any way.”
“I will,” Sophie assured him.
“Promise?”
“Cross my heart promise.” Sophie drew an imaginary X over her heart.
“I feel like I should say ‘break a leg’ or something, but that wouldn’t be good, huh?”
“No. Florence Dabney wouldn’t approve at all,” Sophie said to her husband’s back as he left to answer the front door.
“Sophia, where are you?” Ida called out from the living room a few moments later.
“In the kitchen.”
“Well, it certainly looks better than the last time I was here. Now how long is this going to take? I have several meetings with my chemists. We’re making a new formula for our concealer.”
“That’s wonderful. Maybe Toots can toss her Maybelline.”
Goebel came back to the kitchen. “Daniel and I are going to the Sweetest Things, save you a trip. I know Toots wants to send Margaret a box of Jamie’s pralines. Do you have that address?”
“Call Toots, she has it. Now, go on before Jamie sells out.” Goebel left with Daniel, leaving Sophie and Ida by themselves with whatever spirits still occupied the house in which Theodore Dabney had almost killed his wife and unborn child.
“Are you sure you’re up to this, Ida? It can wait if you’re not ready.” Sophie didn’t want to wait a minute longer than necessary. She wanted the spirit of Theodore Dabney gone from her house for good.
“I’m more than ready. I haven’t whacked out yet, though I have to admit I’ve been fearing I would, and that I’d do it in front of Daniel. I would just die if that happened. Daniel is a young man. He could have a number of women if he chose to, but he chose me. I want to make sure he continues to be pleased with his choice.”
“You’re back to your old slut ways, I see. Daniel isn’t young, Ida. He’s in his late fifties, for heaven’s sake. And for the record, you look much younger than he does. It’s unlike you to sell yourself short. You’re rich, beautiful, and smart. Daniel would be a total idiot to walk away from you.”
Ida smiled at her. “You really do love me, don’t you?”
Sophie looked at Ida, and together they bubbled over with laughter. In the nearly sixty years they had known each other, this was a first for them.
“Are you ready to get this show on the road?”
“More than you’ll ever know.”
“Follow me.”
Sophie scooped up her supplies and headed upstairs.
“I want to start in the séance room first, since that’s where I first felt a presence.” Taking a bundle of sage from her supply bag, she lit the end with a match and aimed the white smoke away from her. She went from corner to corner, top to bottom, spreading the smoke in every nook and cranny. “You will leave my home in peace. There is no need for you to stay behind. Your daughter knows what you did to her mother, your wife, and to her. She says that she forgives you, but only if you cross over to the other side.” Sophie waved the sage around the room a second time.
Next, they went to the attic. Sophie was shocked when she saw that the trunks were gone. The attic had been completely cleaned out. Goebel again. She loved that man. He hadn’t wasted one minute while she was in Charlotte. She lit another bundle of sage, sending the white puffs throughout the attic. “Theodore Dabney, you have to cross over to the light. Your daughter forgives you, so move on.” She fanned the smoke throughout the attic a second time. When she finished, she headed downstairs to the kitchen. This time she lit two bundles of sage, waving them up and down the length of the walls, across the windows, inside the cabinets, any open space that she felt had been touched by the evil soul of Theodore Dabney.
Next was the pantry. With the two remaining bundles, she ran them up and down the walls as she’d done in the kitchen. She opened the doors, allowing the purifying smoke to spread throughout the space. When she was finished with the sage, she started over again, only this time she took the vials of holy water.
First, she sprinkled the water in her séance room. Again, she found herself in the attic, then back to the kitchen. Sophie felt she needed to do something special to let the woman who she now knew was Margaret’s mother know that she had gotten the message intended for her. She said a prayer, then stood at the top of the staircase. One step at a time, she stopped to sprinkle the holy water. When she reached the last step, she looked back up at the staircase. A beautiful bright ball of light danced up and down, and side to side, then it flew down the stairs, swirled in front of her and Ida, then shot back up the stairs like a rocket. The glistening ball stilled, then slowly diminished, right in front of their very eyes.
A lightness that she hadn’t seen or felt before permeated the house. Sophie had Ida follow her to each room. When nothing happened, Sophie knew that Theodore Dabney had crossed over to the bright light. He’d been a miserable, mean man who knew he was responsible for crippling his wife and blinding his daughter. He’d been hanging around in search of a way to ask for forgiveness.
Sophie watched Ida just to make sure this was as real as she believed it was. Gone were the dark half-moons beneath her eyes. Her face sparkled, her eyes glistened like two diamonds.
Yes, Sophie could safely say her work here was complete.