Then I found another interesting tidbit. One researcher believed they could definitely attach themselves to people or objects and become obsessed with them. I knew that, but it was nice to have it confirmed.
Erin had gotten off work some time ago, so I hated to do it, but I had to call Billy. He'd given me his number before I left so I could let him know what I'd found out.
"Hey, it's me," I said, whispering. Not sure why.
"Oh, hey, Tommy," he said. Then he yelled, presumably to Erin, "It's Tommy. From work."
"I am well aware of where you know Tommy from, hon." She laughed, but it was the baby sounds in the background that brought on the attack.
The edges of my vision blurred, and a sadness took hold, the force of it seizing my lungs. I had to sit down. To catch my breath. To try to fill the emptiness that was drowning me.
"You there?" he asked.
"Yes. Yes, I'm here." I closed my eyes. Focused.
"So, I got more of the story from Erin. About her great-aunt."
Alarmed, I asked, "You didn't tell her, did you?"
"About us? No, baby, we're good." His voice was full of humor, and the situation struck me as ironical as well. If there were a list of reasons for a guy to sneak around, to exorcise a poltergeist would not have been at the top. "So, what are you wearing?"
His teasing helped. I filled my lungs, confounded by the panic attacks I'd been having. Just another day in the life, I supposed. "What did you find out, Romeo?"
"Prepare to be blown away."
I bounced around and lolled my head from side to side like a prizefighter. "Okay, totally prepared."
"Erin's great-aunt killed her own daughter, then spent the rest of her life in an insane asylum, telling everyone who would listen that the doll was her deceased kid. How's that for creepy?"
"I'd give it a solid 9.8." The thought of a mother killing her own child disturbed me way more than I let on. I knew it happened. I just liked to be kept in the dark about it. "Okay, does Erin have anything of Novalee's? Perhaps a piece of jewelry or a blanket? Anything?"
"Besides those pictures, I'm not sure. Wait. Now that she's told me the story, I wonder if that doll in the attic was hers."
"What doll?"
"There's this really creepy doll in the attic. Come to think of it, it does look like the one from the picture."
"There wasn't one in the picture."
"Not in the drawing, but there is in the picture Erin used to draw it."
I perked up. "And Erin has it? What does it look like?"
"You know, one of those old dolls that looks dead. Its face is cracked, and its eyes are solid white."
"Billy, can you get to it?"
"I guess. I think it's still in the attic. Why?"
"I need you to get it out of your house."
"And do what with it?"
"I'm not sure. For now, just bring it to me. I'm at the café."
"I'll try. I'm not sure how I'll do it without Erin finding out."
"You'll think of something."
"Is it the doll?" he asked, as though it suddenly all made sense. "Janey, Erin's aunt Noreen gave her that doll the very first time she got pregnant. Noreen had tried to have kids for years but miscarried several times. Then when she finally did carry all the way, her baby died two weeks later in its sleep."
"Just like Erin's."
"Exactly."
That fact only reinforced my belief that this was somehow connected to that doll. "Billy, get that doll out of the house. Now. I'll wait for you here."
"I'll be there as soon as I can."
We hung up, and I started a new Google. Good thing they were free. This time I looked up how to destroy a possessed item. From what I could tell, I'd need holy water, the heart of a dragon, and the nail clippings from a canonized saint.
17
Ahhh, Friday …
My second favorite F-word.
-T-SHIRT
A little while later, Billy knocked on the office door.
"Come in," I said as though I had a right to.
He walked in with a brown paper bag. "It's in here. You think this will stop her?"
I took it. Opened it. Shivered. "I hope so. What did Erin say?"
"Nothing. I told her I was meeting my mistress. She told me to make sure I wore clean underwear, 'cause she'd rigged the brakes and it would be awkward if the EMTs had to cut off dirty boxers."
"She plans ahead. I like that."
He nodded, suddenly nervous. "What if this doesn't work?"