Crescent Moon - By Lori Handeland Page 0,48

to mean?" I demanded.

"I don't know. You still have the gris-gris?"

I tapped my pocket. "Yep."

"I doubt that'll work against a vampire." She turned away. "But this should."

Cassandra reached into the display case near the register and withdrew a long gold chain. "Can't hurt, right?"

"How will that help, hurt, or anything else?"

"A crucifix a day keeps the vampires away."

I stared at the fancy chain. "What crucifix?"

"Well, not a crucifix, exactly. A cross. Times a hundred."

She held the necklace in front of my nose. The links themselves were in the shape of tiny fleurs-de-lis.

"This should work even better in theory," she continued. "The fleur-de-lis is the symbol of the 'Virgin Mary and, in some cases, the Trinity. Every little bit helps."

I hesitated, but in the end, I took the gift and put it on.

"That doesn't go around your neck," Cassandra murmured.

"Where else would it go?"

Cassandra reached out and lifted the thing over my head. "Pull up your shirt."

"What?"

"Relax. I'm not hitting on you. Though if I were gay, you'd definitely be my type."

I frowned, uncertain if I should be flattered or insulted. I decided on flattered.

"Haven't you ever seen a belly chain?" she asked.

"With a belly like mine? You've got to be kidding."

"There's nothing wrong with your belly. Pull up that shirt."

The idea of draping jewelry across my gut, of accenting a part of me that did not need any accenting, went against everything I'd learned as a big girl.

"Can't I just wear it as a necklace?"

"Too easy to yank off. A protective amulet is supposed to be hidden."

She seemed so certain - and really, what did I know about protective amulets? - I gave in and tugged up my shirt.

Cassandra quickly secured the chain. The cool links slid across my skin. Looking down, I was surprised the jewelry wasn't tight, had in fact disappeared below the waistband of my jeans. Knowing it was there, I felt kind of sexy.

"Thanks," I said, and really meant it. "What does fleur-de-lis mean?"

"Rower of the lily. Represents perfection, light, and life. Christian symbolism again - always in threes."

"Understandable. Do you have a computer?"

She blinked at my speedy change of subject. "In back. Why?"

"I want to know if Mrs. Beasly was ever found. I also want to research the name on that tomb."

Cassandra smiled. "You are good at this."

I wasn't so sure. I'd never found anything I was searching for. But as dream Simon had told me, I needed to believe. After tonight, I believed, all right. I just wasn't sure in what

However, this time I wouldn't let anything escape my attention. I was going to find a paranormal entity - be it a loup-garou, a vampire, a zombie, or something I'd never heard of - and expose it to the world. Maybe then Simon could rest Maybe then I could.

I followed Cassandra to her office. Huge, old, and slow, at least the computer worked. Arianna Beasly's name popped up in today's obituaries.

" 'Heart attack after being bitten by a vicious dog,'" I read.

"Sure she was."

"Her maiden name was Favreau, which explains where she was buried."

"Although it doesn't explain how she got dumped in the tomb so fast."

I glanced up. "What?"

"I don't know how they do things in your neck of the woods, but down here a funeral takes a few days. And that's if there are no suspicious circumstances to warrant the police or an autopsy."

"True." I frowned. "Did you see any bite marks on her?"

"As many as I saw on Charlie."

"Weird, but I guess that answers my question."

"Which was?"

"They were bom killed in basically the same way."

"Wound inflicted by a mystery canine," Cassandra murmured "With said wound miraculously disappearing before the body rises and takes a little walk. So what does that mean?"

"As soon as I know, you will." I picked up the books and headed for the mansion.

I didn't realize how much I wanted Adam to be waiting for me until I came through the door and discovered the place empty.

Do not get used to him, Diana. You have to leave, and he doesn't want you to stay.

I made a peanut butter sandwich and coffee - you'd think the way I ate, I'd waste away to nothing, but no such luck - then I settled onto my sleeping bag and began to read.

Unfortunately, the events of the evening had worn me out, and I didn't get much done before I succumbed to sleep. As soon as I awoke, I spent the next day and well into the night researching.

The books were antiques, worth