“Do you hear singing?” I asked Ashland as we climbed the steps, still holding hands. He nodded but didn’t say a word. I could see he was angry. I wondered if he knew who the other cars belonged to. What could they be doing here at one in the morning? Yes, someone was singing softly, a chant or something. A soft female voice whimpered and cried. It was coming from upstairs.

We stood at the bottom of the stairs, and I had a mental flash of Muncie peering up the spiral staircase and Calpurnia waving him away. “Go back,” she had mouthed to him. Is that what we should do? With a wave, Ashland told me to follow him. We walked upstairs, unable to avoid the squeaking and complaining wood that echoed after every few steps. But nobody came out to see what the noise was.

The light at the end of the hallway was on, but the singing—no, the chanting—was coming from the first room on the right, Calpurnia’s room! The wooden door hung open, and from the slit of light we could see three figures sitting on the floor of the mostly empty room. There were candles burning, and I could smell incense.

Ashland was ready to storm into the room, but I held him back for a moment. I heard a girl’s voice whimper and cry, “Mon dieu, aidez moi.” She repeated the phrase over and over again.

Then I heard Mia’s voice. “What do you need help with? Who are you?”

“Mon dieu, aidez moi!” The girl’s voice was more intense, getting louder.

Ashland looked at me, his blue eyes dark and furious. “There’s a child in there!” My eyes widened with surprise. I followed him as he pushed the door open. “What the hell is going on in here?”

A breeze blew past me, sending chills down my spine, and the candles flickered and shook. Mia sprung to her feet angrily. “Wait!” she cried out. She was with a large black man in a gray suit. I didn’t know him. Unfortunately, I knew the other man with them.

“William?” I nearly shrieked. He looked away, ashamed, and I saw a tiny smile on Mia’s lips.

The man in the gray suit said, “I am Henri Devecheaux. I am here at the request of Mia. I do hope that is all right. It was not my intention to break any law.” His voice was deep and rich.

“Where’s the child?” Ashland demanded.

Mia laughed at him. “What child? There is no child here—well, not anymore.”

I stepped forward. “Who was just here? We heard a child crying.” She didn’t say a word and just stared at me. “Is this some sort of game, Mia?”

“This was never a game to me, Carrie Jo. Never, not for one minute. You know why I’m here. Don’t pretend you don’t.” Her voice was calm.

“I have no idea why you’re here, Mia. I never gave you permission to be here. I don’t even know how you got in.” Ashland watched us carefully; I supposed he was trying to figure out what was going on. So was I.