The Guests on South Battery by Karen White Read Free Book Online

promptly discarded and forgotten. “She left a message for me, but I didn’t call her back. It was a Monday and my first day back at work, and having to talk with Rebecca would have probably sent me over the edge.” I leaned forward. “Why?”
    â€œWell, she called me when she couldn’t get ahold of you.” The fire crackled, and she turned her gaze toward the flames. “She’s been having dreams.”
    I briefly closed my eyes, seeing the orange and yellow flames imprinted on the insides of my eyelids. “Dreams?”
    Rebecca, a
very
distant cousin, had also apparently inherited her sixth sense, except her psychic ability exhibited itself in her dreams. She wasn’t always accurate with her interpretations, but usually accurate enough to be alarming.
    My mother nodded without looking at me. “She sees a young girl in a white nightgown, and she’s banging on a wall.” She faced me again and I saw the reflection of the fire in her green eyes. “Except she’s banging on the inside of the wall.”
    I sat back and glanced over at Nola, who’d stopped typing on her laptop and wasn’t even pretending not to be listening. “Why does Rebecca think it has anything to do with me? If there was something inside one of these walls, I would know about it.”
    Ginette rubbed her leather-gloved hands together, the soundunnerving. “Because the girl was calling your name. And it doesn’t necessarily mean this house, either.”
    I looked grimly back at my mother. “I haven’t had any experiences in almost a year—so I don’t know who that could be. Except . . .” I stopped, remembering the newly exposed cistern and the footsteps following me across the garden.
    â€œExcept?” Ginette raised an elegant eyebrow.
    â€œWe’ve discovered a cistern in the backyard. But it’s all bricks—no walls. I don’t think they’re connected. Maybe there’s another Melanie.”
    My mother stared back at me unblinkingly. “Regardless, you should call Rebecca and thank her. I know you don’t get along, but she’s still family.”
    Nola made a gagging noise, then pretended to cough.
    â€œI will. And since you’re here, I’ve got some good news to share. I think I’ve found a nanny. She has to pass inspection with everybody here first, of course, and I’m going to ask Detective Riley for a background check, but I have a good feeling about her. We share the same views on child-rearing at least.”
    â€œThat’s wonderful news! Not that I don’t mind babysitting, but it will be nice for you all to have a regular routine and for the children to have consistent caregiving. I’m afraid Amelia and I are too much the doting grandmothers and err on the side of spoiling them.”
    I didn’t protest or attempt to correct her, because she was absolutely right. And that was one of the reasons I needed a nanny. “Yes, well, her name’s Jayne Smith and she walked into my office today to ask for my help in selling a house she’s inherited and buying a new one, and it just so happens that she’s a professional nanny.”
    â€œHow lucky—for both of you.”
    â€œActually, I was going to call you about her. She’s inherited Button Pinckney’s house.”
    Ginette stilled, an odd expression on her face. “Button was a friend of mine. Amelia and I went to her funeral just last month.”
    â€œI know. That’s what I wanted to ask you about—if she’d ever mentioned Jayne or if you knew if Button had any family. Jayne’s fromBirmingham and never even heard of Button until the lawyers found her to tell her she’d inherited the entire estate.”
    She looked down at her gloves for a long moment. “There was no one. She never married. She did have an older brother—Sumter. He married Anna Chisolm Hasell,