“Why?” Jack asked.

“Can’t fully explain that. I’d just watched the weirdos walk off—if you can call it that. More like a bunch of zombies. It looked like they were drunk, stoned, or high on something. Maybe I’ve watched too many horror movies.” The man paused to scratch something off one of his fingernails. A fish scale floated down to the decking and disappeared through a crack between the timber. “The full moon seems to bring out the crazies and the fish.” 

Jack laughed.

“Could you describe the boat?” Catherine asked.

“It was a half-cabin cruiser. An older type, a runabout.” He bent down and sorted through some magazines that lay cluttered on the deck, then held out a sales catalogue. “Always keep my eyes on boats for sale. Not that I could afford one, but still good to look.” 

He flipped through the pages and then leaned towards the detectives and pointed to a picture. “It’s like this one.”

Catherine used her phone to take a picture of the advertised boat.

“Can you tell us anything else?”

“Just two of them on board. I’d say one was the person from the centre of the crazy circle. As the boat drifted out from the shoreline I saw the person sitting at the back of the boat, with the hood still on. Then something really weird happened.”

A chill ran up Jack’s back. “Something weird . . . what was that?”

“The hooded person looked spooky, because they were shrouded by a light at the back of the boat. The light also attracted a swarm of insects, zipping in and out of the light. The swarm got bigger and bigger, then vanished. A few seconds later, I saw the black cloud coming straight for me. I grabbed my insect spray and sprayed at the incoming swarm and sprayed it all over me.”

Louis rolled up his sleeves and rubbed over some red bumps and rashes. 

“They only got in a few bites but enough to bring my fishing to an end. When I was under attack, I looked in the direction of the boat. The hooded person was looking in my direction. I’m sure I was concealed. But it was if she knew I was there, and had sent the insects after me.” He rolled his sleeves down. “I left not long after they departed. I did see two men walking into the park but I had too many painful bites to hang around. All sounds a bit silly, hey?”

“Not really,” Catherine said. “Your warm blood probably attracted the insects.”

“Yes, I’m a warm-blooded creature. You’re probably right.”

Mild flirtation Jack thought but he also remembered Churchie saying something about insects and witches. The chill returned. He shrugged it off, but a feeling of uneasiness remained. 

Did this woman have some kind of power or was it who accompanied her?

Part Three – The Redhead

24 – A visitor

RUBY HAD MADE A TUNA SALAD SANDWICH and seated herself on her front balcony, overlooking the large trees lining the road. She’d forgotten the name of the trees but a neighbour had told her they were considered weeds, as their root system sought out and damaged underground sewage pipes. Ruby loved the quaint trees, and was sorry to hear they were weeds. Another example of what you see on the surface wasn’t always good. She thought of Shoana. What lay beneath her surface?

What lay beneath her . . . underground root system . . . she sensed a darkness coming and fought off the negative assault triggered by her thoughts. She saw them coming in her mind. Dark, muddy soil rising, something black coming to the surface, about to burst through. She shook her head. Things underground didn’t sit well with her, and she knew that this was going to be an ongoing battle.

She caught the mint scent from Zoe’s potted herbs on the breeze, and took a deep breath. Maybe the fragrance would clear her head. Underground thoughts added to her recent bad dream.

She’d dozed off and had found herself in a deep darkness, lying on her back, looking up to nothingness. The faces of her mum and dad had appeared. They looked down at her, smiled, and left. The dark nothingness returned, this time with a tinge of dark blue. 

A small dim light appeared to the left. A star. She watched the star move across the blue-black sky. Bare black trees with pendants hanging on them surrounded her. She reached for one of the pendants and saw it was a crucifix. Something wriggled under her body and she squeezed the crucifix. She started sinking into the darkness. Screaming, she was jolted out of her dream, gasping for breath.

Ruby’s fists were clenched. She thought about her nightmare and opened up her right hand. 

There was no pendant. 

A car drove past and pulled over a short distance from her unit. She heard a door open and close then watched the car drive off, happy for the distraction. A woman was walking along the footpath towards her. Shoana. She saw Ruby and waved.

Ruby had a visitor. She stood up, walked into the living area, and waited for the buzzer so she could press the button to release the door. Was she up to this? She wasn’t sure.

Shoana looked like she’d been crying. She gave Ruby a hug and then took off her brown hooded jacket and placed it on the oversized couch. 

“It’s not really cold. But it’s my favourite jacket. They say we women attach emotions to our clothes and I’m sure men do but they’d never admit it.”

“I’m with you on that one, Shoana. Would you like a cup of tea or something?”

“Tea would be nice, Ruby.”

They walked over to the kitchen and Shoana sat down on the bench stool.

“You doing okay, Ruby?”

Ruby turned from switching the kettle on. “Doing okay.” She gave a soft nod.

“I imagine it wouldn’t be easy.” Shoana let out a small cough. “I’m sorry for what I got you into, Ruby.” Shoana teared up. “I’m really sorry.” She started crying.

Ruby came around and placed her arm on Shoana’s shoulders. This wasn’t like Shoana. Ruby found a box of tissues and deposited them on the bench.

“It’s not your fault, Shoana. You didn’t drag me there.”

Shoana composed herself. “I did. I convinced you to go.”

“Did you? Did you receive compensation for me being there? Was there some kind of payment?” Ruby smiled to reinforce the jest. She wasn’t sure if Shoana was on the same wavelength.

“That’s why I’m here, Ruby. I did convince you to go. It’s your hair.”

“What about my hair?”

“The colour. Having someone with a natural red hair in the circle would enhance the magick of the ceremony,” Shoana said, squirming in her seat. “The high priestess wanted someone with red hair to attend the Circle because of the significance of the blue moon ritual. I wanted to please the high priestess, so I coaxed you into coming.”

Ruby wasn’t sure any more. “I wanted to come . . . it’s all okay.”

“Witches have red hair. There must be some power in the hair. But you were offered up as a sacrifice.”

Shoana was being insensitive here. This wasn’t helping. “Shoana, please. I’m trying not to think of what happened.”

“I’m sorry, Ruby. I wanted so much to say things over the past few days. But I’ve felt so guilty, so burdened about you and about other things.” Shoana looked at Ruby with heavy eyes.

The kettle whistled in the background. Ruby turned to see steam pouring out and knew it would click off but Shoana needed her attention. She sat down next to Shoana. 

“Other things . . . what other things, Shoana?”

“Private things.”