Wuthering

By Kenneth Hoover

A Haxan story! A brand new Haxan story! Cathy Bell is a vengeful ghost seeking retribution. As Cathy night-walks the New Mexican desert in a jealous rage and prepares to strike an innocent family, Marshal John Marwood decides to confront the revenant — by risking his own life, and forever losing the only woman he will ever love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kenneth Hoover
• Release date: Jan 16, 2012
• ISBN: 9781466042445

Book preview

WUTHERING

by Kenneth Mark Hoover

Copyright 2011 by Kenneth Mark Hoover

Published by Argo Navis Publishing at Smashwords

The wind moaned out of the desert and banged wooden shutters, swept puffs of dust down the center of Front Street, and tore gaping holes in men’s souls.

I need your help, Marshal, Ellis Bell said. He had come into the office with a gust of wind swirling around his slumped shoulders. His brown eyes held the echo of empty rooms. Cathy came back last night and I don’t know what to do.

I put down the Winchester rifle I was cleaning. How’s that, Ellis?

Cathy, my wife, he said. She came back last night. She tapped at the bedroom window but went away before I could get it open.

I didn’t know what to say to that. He was upset, that was clear. I couldn’t blame him. I don’t know what I would do if Magra left me forever.

I would probably leave Haxan forever, too.

But I wasn’t doing him a favor pretending what he had seen was real. Ellis, Cathy is gone. She died last week when her wagon turned over on her. I was there when you buried her.

He looked like I had slapped him. He brought his hands up to his face. I helped him stagger to a chair.

But I saw her, Marshal Marwood. His lips barely moved. I saw her slipping like a pale flame between the barn and the corral. She wanted to come out of the cold night and sit by the kitchen fire. By the time I got the window unlocked to let her inside the house she was gone. It’s happened three nights in a row. You must believe me.

Ellis, you stay here. There’s coffee on the sideboard if you want it.

Where are you going? His face closed down. "To get Doc Toland so he can tell me my mind is broken?