The woman turned to look at her; her expression caught between surprise and a smile. When she looked at Sue’s face, her smile dropped some into concern. Sue could well imagine what impression her wild red hair and sunken, tired eyes would give.
“I know this is going to sound strange, but…” Sue edged closer. She forgot to plan out what she was going to say. How did you explain supernatural signs leading you to a person’s front lawn? “I think I’m supposed to be here. I think I’m meant to talk to you. I keep receiving signs that all point to this house.”
Well, crap. Honesty was one way to go about it. Probably not the best way, though.
“I’m sorry?” Heather asked, confused. Why wouldn’t she be? Sue sounded like a lunatic.
“Heather?” Another woman asked from the doorway, her voice concerned. The woman looked as if she was helping Heather move but still somehow managed to look like she was a midlife model at a magazine shoot and not doing manual labor. Her wavy brown hair looked just messy enough to be staged. The color matched her eyes. “What is it?”
Sue’s hands shook as she fumbled open the jewelry box and took out the ring. The box fell to the ground, and she held the ring between her shaking fingers to show Heather the engravings. Her hand vibrated when she touched the metal. At first, she thought the sensation was from the ring being too tight and pressing on a nerve, but now as it vibrated down her fingers, she knew that wasn’t the case. “Does this mean anything to you? Because when I touch it, I feel like I have to be here.”
Heather twisted a ring on her forefinger as she narrowed her eyes, looking at the jewelry Sue held.
A third woman appeared in the doorway. Unlike the well-put-together brunette, this woman tied her reddish-blonde hair into a messy bun with thin strands of hair escaping in frizzy protest around her head. She tucked her long bangs behind her ear as they moved from the doorway to join Heather on the lawn.
Sue picked up the box from the ground. “You think I’m nuts, don’t you?” She placed the ring in the box and closed the lid, needing the vibrations emanating from the jewelry to stop. “I’m sorry for bothering you.”
“No, wait.” The model shared a look with the other two.
“Are you hungry?” the blonde offered, coming toward her.
Sue was too tired to step away as she swayed on her feet.
“We’re just about to have dinner,” the blonde continued.
“Yes, please come in and sit down,” Heather added. “I think maybe this is where you’re supposed to be.”
Sue stiffened as the blonde hooked an arm around her shoulders.
“It’s okay,” the blonde whispered as she guided Sue inside. “We’re here to help you.”
The blonde stopped in the front room. Boxes created neat stacks against the wall, and a couch had been placed in the center of the room. Though of an old design, the home had been restored. Art canvases leaned against the light brown painted walls as if someone contemplated decorating choices.
Even with unpacked boxes and strewn furniture, the house felt like a home. An impression hummed in the air, the kind of gentle electricity that emitted a welcome to all that entered. The smell of roasting meat only added to the effect.
Sue’s stomach growled in response.
“What’s Julia up to now?” she heard the midlife model whisper.
“I don’t know,” Heather answered, “but it can’t be a coincidence that she shows up today of all days when we are moving into our new home. Plus, she has one of Julia’s rings.”
Sue frowned. Julia Warrick? The woman who built the theater? She couldn’t still be alive, could she? That Julia would be over a hundred years old by now.
“I guess there is only one way to find out,” Heather took several steps into the room and stopped to study Sue.
The model shut the front door and stated, more to herself than anyone else, “Here we go again.”
“I didn’t steal it.” Sue held out the ring box to Heather. “I want to return it.”
“Oh, no.” Heather held up her hands and stepped back, refusing to take it. She turned her hand to show the ring on her forefinger. “I already got my Julia ring. I don’t need a second.”
The blonde dropped her arm from around her shoulders.
Sue tried to give it to the blonde, who shook her head in return.
“Don’t look at me, either,” the model said. “We all have our Julia adventures well in hand. That one belongs to you.”
“I don’t…” Sue touched her head. She wanted to collapse from exhaustion. She placed the jewelry box on top of the moving boxes. “I think I need to sit down for a second.”
“Of course.” The blonde led her through an archway into a dining room. She pulled out a chair.
“Where is everyone?” Heather asked the blonde.
“When I saw we had a visitor, I sent them out back with Jan,” the blonde answered. “It felt like the thing to do.”
Heather nodded. “Good call. No need to overwhelm.”
Suddenly, a strong wind blew the front door open, slamming it hard. The ring box flew through the living room, slid over the floor, and tapped against Sue’s foot.
“Maybe you should put it on,” Heather said. “Trust me. There’s no fighting it.”
The model went to close the door. “Yeah, before Julia’s magic wrecks our new house.”
“Things might seem difficult now, but they always work out.” The blonde lifted the box off the floor and pressed it into Sue’s hand. “What’s your name?”
“Susan, but they call me Sue,” she said. “Sue Jewel.”
“Nice to meet you, Sue. I’m Lorna Addams,” the blonde said. “This is Heather Harrison, and that is Vivien Stone.”
“Hi.” Sue set the ring box on the table. “Please, I just want to return your property. It was sent home with me by accident.”
“Sent home from where?” Lorna sat on the seat next to her, leaning a little too close.
Sue inched back in her chair to put distance between them. “I was in the hospital. It came home in my belongings. The hospital staff probably dropped it in my bag on accident.”
“Where was that?”
“St. Louis,” Sue answered.
“And you came all this way just to return it?” Lorna asked.
“It’s not mine,” Sue insisted. “I don’t want it.”
“Yeah,” Vivien said with a small laugh. She walked around to the other side of the table to sit across from her. “It is now.”
“I don’t want it.” Sue tried to stand, but her legs felt weak, and she fell back into her seat.
“Hospital,” Lorna reached for Sue’s hand, but Sue pulled away from her touch. “What happened?”
“Nothing,” Sue dismissed. Why were they talking about this? Why was she even here? Now that she was sitting in Heather’s dining room, she felt like an idiot. Who just jumps on a bus not knowing where they are going? Who thinks they see signs in television commercials and cell phones?
“People don’t usually go to the hospital for nothing,” Heather said.
“Just a car wreck.” Sue rubbed her temples.