Demonic possession worked differently from possession by a human spirit. A demon could directly invade and corrupt its victim. An ordinary ghost usually needed the host to become mentally weak or lose awareness before it could take control.
That was why most hauntings followed three stages. The entity first established a connection. It then harassed the victim until their mental defenses weakened before attempting possession.
Those rules mainly applied to ordinary people.
Someone with psychic abilities could communicate with the dead and open a path through the barrier between the living and the spirit world. If that person willingly allowed the entity closer, even without understanding the danger, a ghost could skip the usual stages and possess them much faster.
Father Anderson watched Janet Hodgson twist on the sofa in the recording. Her ability might even be stronger than Lorraine's natural gift. Janet was young and untrained, which made her an ideal target for any spirit that wanted easy access to the living world.
Maurice Grosse remained cautious in the video.
"Isn't Janet your name?"
Anderson glanced toward Ed as he drove. The question reminded him of the Warrens' habit of confirming every detail before reaching a conclusion.
He returned his attention to the tablet.
Janet sat with her head lowered. Her body still looked like that of an ordinary eleven-year-old girl, but the voice coming from her mouth belonged to an old man.
"Janet is asleep. I'm speaking now. You wanted to talk to me and here I am."
The reporter and television crew stared at her in shock. Maurice remained silent for several seconds before continuing the interview.
"What is your name?"
"Bill. Bill. Bill."
"Bill what?"
"Bill Wilkins."
Maurice leaned slightly closer.
"Hello, Bill Wilkins. Where do you come from?"
"The grave."
"Then why are you here?"
A rough laugh came from Janet's throat.
"I like hearing them scream."
"Why are you targeting this family?"
"This is my house. They stole my house. They don't belong here. Make them leave!"
Anderson stopped the recording.
The interview contained no visible evidence of the demonic nun. It only confirmed that a supernatural entity had entered Janet and could speak through her.
Bill Wilkins did not behave like a demon that wanted to slaughter everyone inside the house. Spirits capable of holding a coherent conversation often preferred frightening and tormenting the living. However, something hostile had deliberately guided this case toward the Warrens.
That suggested a deeper threat.
Bill's claim that he had come from the grave also deserved attention. The dead existed in a different spiritual space. Returning to a specific home and finding a psychic child inside it should not have been easy without some form of guidance.
The nun might have brought him there.
Anderson leaned back in his seat. He could only confront each problem as it appeared. Even if the entity hiding behind the nun's form had prepared a trap, he had no reason to fear it.
The consecrated explosive beneath his feet carried the equivalent of twenty-four kilograms of TNT. It had also received 160 points of Magic to strengthen its destructive force. If it detonated, the blast would spread sacred energy through everything it destroyed.
That preparation gave Anderson considerable confidence.
He closed the file and placed both it and the tablet on the center armrest between the front seats.
Ed noticed the movement.
"Have you finished reviewing everything, Father?"
"Yes."
Anderson looked through the window at the passing landscape.
"Bill Wilkins may be a lingering human spirit. However, there is something wrong with this case that the video doesn't reveal."
He rested one hand near the backpack at his feet.
"We'll learn what it is when we arrive."
Ed and Drew exchanged a glance. Ed then pressed the accelerator and continued toward Jersey City.
A little more than ten minutes later, the SUV entered the neighborhood where the Hodgson family lived.
It appeared to be a comfortable middle-class area with rows of detached homes and small yards. Despite the pleasant surroundings, the streets were unusually quiet. The few pedestrians outside walked quickly and avoided looking toward one particular house.
Anderson sensed the tension immediately.
The entire neighborhood felt uneasy.
"We're here, Father," Ed said. "That's the house ahead."
Anderson followed his gesture.
A two-story American home stood around thirty feet away. Several people waited outside the fence. Peggy Hodgson stood with Margaret, Billy, and Johnny, but Janet was nowhere in sight.
Maurice Grosse waited beside them.
Anderson recognized him from the recording. The older investigator had dark hair and a thick mustache that gave him a slight resemblance to a silent-film actor.
"Do you know Maurice personally?" Anderson asked.
"We've worked with him before," Ed replied as he slowed the SUV.
Anderson remembered seeing Maurice's name in several Church records. He was an experienced paranormal investigator but had never registered as an official Church exorcist.
His abilities were likely limited. That explained why he had contacted the Warrens after the activity became more dangerous.
Not everyone had a partner like Lorraine who could see spirits and communicate with the dead.
Ed parked beside the yard.
"Ed!"
Maurice walked toward the vehicle with a relieved smile while Peggy and her children followed behind him.
"You finally made it."
His excitement disappeared when Father Anderson stepped out wearing his black clerical clothes. Maurice froze and stared at the towering priest. Peggy and her children stopped as well with surprise written across their faces.
Anderson understood their reaction and showed no concern.
Ed quickly approached to make the introduction.
"Maurice, this is Father Alexander Anderson from the Church."
Maurice hesitated before recovering. He stepped forward and offered his hand.
"It's an honor to meet you, Father Anderson. I'm Maurice Grosse with the New Jersey Society for Paranormal Research."
Anderson shook his hand. His mind briefly returned to the footage Maurice had recorded inside the Hodgson home.
"Hello, Mr. Grosse. I watched the interview you sent to Ed."
Maurice waited for his judgment with clear anticipation.
Anderson gave a small nod.
"You did good work."
A bright smile immediately spread across Maurice's face.