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But that question of Connor's had got her mind working, and quickly getting out her phone, Cami went looking. Trying this angle, a search for 'exorcism services' did bring up a different profile. "Defeat the Dark Spiritual Services" seemed to be the most high-profile of the local services she found, and just after she'd seen it online, Derek confirmed.
“DTD Spiritual Services,” he said, using the abbreviation that was in his logo.
“How did you know Debbie?” Connor asked.
He frowned. “That waitress at the diner? That’s my nearest local restaurant, and I’m there all the time. I’m friendly to everyone, they serve the neighborhood, and I get a lot of word of mouth connections and personal referrals – from people who want a cleansing, or even to speak to somebody who has crossed over. I can do that too.”
“Did you interact with her outside of work?”
“I don’t even know where she lives!” he said, now sounding aggrieved. “This is all being overblown! Like I said, all the servers at the diner are my friends and my ambassadors too, if you like to call it that.”
So he’d used the diner to drum up business? Cami didn’t know if she believed his denial about the interaction with Debbie, but Connor was moving on with the questioning.
“And you came and exorcized Lisa Court’s house recently?”
“That’s right,” he said.
“She found you online?”
"Yes. She was not a word-of-mouth referral."
“What did you find?” Connor asked.
“There was some negative energy there. I don’t know if it was causing the problems, but it needed to be gotten rid of. I did that.” He folded his arms and pressed his lips together, clearly resenting the pressure to disclose what he had done.
“But the faults still persisted?” Connor said. “Was she unhappy about that? How did she feel about your services?”
“She was happy that the negative energy was expelled,” Derek explained. “Although she questioned why everything wasn’t perfect the minute I left, we ended our business relationship on good terms. I even gave her a discount as I couldn’t find anything that required a full exorcism. I haven’t been back. Why would I?”
“Your movements yesterday evening?”
"I was at work! I was communicating with a soul who'd crossed over. From five p.m. to about nine p.m. I was in a trance at the client's house. My work in the spiritual realm is very demanding. It's highly skilled, and there's no time limit on what I do. It can take an hour, or it can take a day. And yes, the client was happy."
“I’ll need proof of that appointment,” Connor said.
"And I can provide it!" he flashed back. "Just keep it confidential? I deal with people who are sensitive and emotional and who are looking for answers. You seem to think I'm some kind of charlatan, and I'd like to assure you that I am not."
Cami was curious about something. She cleared her throat, hoping that this question wouldn’t derail the interrogation of the clearly sensitive and defensive Derek, as he looked through his phone to provide the necessary proof of the appointment.
“This negative energy,” she said, and he looked up, his dark gaze meeting hers. “Where did it come from, do you think?”
He raised an eyebrow ever so slightly.
“Finally an intelligent question,” he said, with a disparaging glance at Connor, who was guilty of all the unintelligent ones. “That bad energy came from Victor Tyrone.”
Victor Tyrone? Who was he, Cami wondered, as Connor asked the same question.
“Tell us about Victor Tyrone, and why you sensed his energy in the house?” he asked.
Derek nodded darkly. "Victor is the boyfriend of Lisa's daughter, Harriet. I know Lisa didn't like him much. He was there with Harriet when I arrived, and I could tell instantly. But I sensed a very malevolent aura about him. That's a man, for sure, who's obsessed with death."
CHAPTER TEN
Obsessed with death?
Cami turned to Connor as soon as they were out of the house.
“Who on earth is Victor Tyrone? Harriet didn’t even mention him! Now we find out he was there with her at the house when the exorcist arrived, and full of bad energy?”
