Read Resurrection in Mudbug for Free Online

visit?” Helena protested.
    You’re not , was the first thought that passed through Maryse’s head, but she knew she wouldn’t get away with a “you can never visit” policy. And given that Lila was pregnant with Helena’s grandchild, she knew it would be impossible to make her stay away once the baby was born.
    “You can touch things now, right?” Maryse asked. “I mean, consistently?”
    “Sure,” Helena said. “Well, mostly. I mean, occasionally, I have an issue, but I’m probably 90 percent.”
    Maryse tried not to think about what happened during that 10 percent fail rate. “Then we’ll get you a prepaid cell phone. You can call if you want to visit. But you cannot keep calling. And if we say no, it’s no. We have lives here, Helena.”
    “Fine,” Helena said, “but I just want to say that you people are as uptight as ever. I thought you’d loosen up a bit after I left, but I guess there’s no hope.”
    Maryse looked at Mildred and sighed. 
    “No hope” was far too accurate.
    ###
    Jadyn’s spirits lifted a bit when she saw Maryse’s truck parked in front of the hotel. The two people she wanted to speak to in one convenient place. If anyone could give her some insight to the inner workings of Mudbug and its residents, it would be Mildred and Maryse. And given that they were the only two people in Mudbug she knew well enough to trust, her options were limited.
    Mildred wasn’t at the front counter, but Jadyn could hear angry voices down the hall where Mildred’s office was located. She hesitated for a second before starting down the hall. It probably wasn’t the best time to interrupt, but she wanted to catch Maryse before she hurried into the swamp to work. And if she were being honest, Jadyn couldn’t imagine what would cause Mildred and Maryse—two of the most practical women she’d ever met—to argue that way, and she had to admit to a morbid curiosity.
    The door to Mildred’s office was halfway open, so she had a clear view of the scene inside. The woman Maryse had been arguing with the day before sat in a chair next to Maryse, and it appeared as if Mildred was trying to work out whatever problem the two of them had. Given that the woman was dressed completely inappropriately for her age, size, and the Bible belt, Jadyn had no problem understanding why Maryse was upset when she visited.
    Jadyn rapped on the door and stuck her head in. 
    “I’m sorry to interrupt,” she said. “I needed to talk to Mildred and Maryse about a game warden matter.”
    She approached Maryse’s relative and stuck out her hand. “I’m Jadyn St. James, Maryse’s cousin and the new game warden.”
    The older woman’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. She looked frantically from Mildred to Maryse, but both of them were oddly frozen in place with panicked looks on their faces. 
    Whatever the problem was, good Southern upbringing must have finally won out, and the woman hesitantly stuck her hand out. “I’m Helena. It’s nice to meet you.”
    Jadyn reached for the woman’s hand and then the strangest thing she’d ever seen happened—her hand passed right through the other woman’s, as if it wasn’t even there.
    “What the hell…?” Jadyn reached for her hand again, but only cool air brushed her hand. 
    She looked at Maryse and Mildred. “Is this some kind of joke?”
    “God, I wish,” Maryse said, looking absolutely miserable.
    Helena glared at Maryse. “There’s no cause to get rude.”
    “Really?” Maryse asked. “Because I think there’s plenty of cause.”
    Maryse rose from her chair and took a deep breath, letting it slowly out before looking Jadyn directly in the eyes. “This is going to sound ridiculous, and impossible, but you need to believe what I’m telling you.”
    “Okay,” Jadyn replied, an uneasy feeling sweeping over every inch of her body.
    “This is Helena Henry,” Maryse said. “My former mother-in-law…who was murdered a year ago.”
    Jadyn stared at