by Gerald Lopez
“One last question,” I said. “Brigitte Kennedy, sent for her brother from Germany. But he wasn’t really her brother, he was the king, wasn’t he? He was her children’s father. I picked up on things in Jamison’s diary. His wife’s first son was born early but completely healthy and then there was his general distrust of Brigitte. I didn’t see it right away, but it makes sense now.”
“Yes,” Margo said. “They’d been secretly married in Germany. She was already with child when she married Jamison.”
“Wasn’t there a risk that one of the children would be a true Kennedy?” I said.
“Brigitte had thorough training. Adding a certain substance to Jamison Kennedy’s drink at night made his susceptible to whatever ideas she wanted to place in his mind. He believed they had a very good sex life when in reality they had no sex life at all. And it wouldn’t have mattered if they did have sex. The substance he was ingesting left him irreversibly infertile.”
“Very clever,” I said.
“Did you ever enjoy being my sister or was it all duty?” Alex said. “The times we traveled together you seemed to have so much fun.”
Margo finished a pastry she was eating before responding. “It was my duty to watch over you, Alex. I enjoyed myself and was able to research the energy levels of different types of people groups as we traveled.”
“What about love?” Alex said. “Were you ever in love with someone?”
“Priestesses are not allowed love or carnal pleasures,” Margo said.
“Or booze,” I added.
“Hang on,” Alex said. “I’ve seen them drinking wine and champagne.”
“Non-alcoholic, all of it,” Margo said. “It allowed us to fit in with others without calling attention to ourselves.”
She smiled at me as she stood. “I can see you two are in love and maybe that will count for something.” Walking over to Alex, she hugged him and kissed his cheek. “Whatever happens, try not to hate me.”
“You’re not going to try and kill Layton now and take me back with you?”
“Why?” Margo said. “We run this town, including most of the police, and some of the people here. We’ll just wait for you both to come to us—and you will. See, there are other ways to get what we want, and Jessica isn’t above using them. She knows that you have friends in town and who they are, Layton.”
She turned to me and gave me a hug while whispering in my ear at the same time. “Take good care of my little brother, Layton.” She turned around to face us both.
“Thank you for the tea, I’m afraid next time we meet it won’t be so civil.”
Alex jumped out of his seat and ran to his sister, hugging her. “Don’t do this, Margo, please.”
I got up, pulled him off her and held him. As I watched her leave I thought I saw a tear in her eye. Alex was so drained that I had to help him back to his seat.
“You need to get a hold of yourself, Alex… and quick.”
Alex shook his head and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, rubbing them.
Hilary walked up. “Is everything okay?” She said.
“Yes, and I’m ready for the bill.”
As she left, I pulled out my wallet and pondered one of the last things that Margo said. Jessica knew I had friends in town. We needed to get out of here and check on the bakery boys—they could be in danger.
Chapter 27
Gathering of Allies
I shared my thoughts with Alex and we hurried to the bakery. Hans was at the front counter.
“Hans, where’s Jerhome?”
“He’s in back, why?”
Alex and I ran into the back kitchen and saw Noelle holding a knife toward Jerhome. Before I could stop him, Alex grabbed her hand which was holding the knife and was trying to make her let go of it.
“What’s going on?” Noelle said.
“Let her go, Alex.” I said.
Noelle dropped the knife, but Alex didn’t let her hand go.
“Layton, she could be working with Jessica. Margo mentioned a third priestess who was a disappointment,” Alex said.
“She’s not a priestess,” I said.
“She was handing me the knife,” Jerhome said.
“Alex, she’s on our side. She works with the people who hired me,” I said.
“Sorry,” Alex said to Noelle then let her go. “I thought you were trying to hurt Jerhome.”
“The third priestess was your friendly motel manageress, Charlene. I can certainly see where she’d be a disappointment,” Noelle said. “You mentioned Jessica, Alex. What’s she up to? Why did you two come running in here?”
“We’ve just had an interesting conversation with Margo Kennedy over tea,” I said. “She informed me that they have no intention of allowing Alex and me to leave Shelby. They won’t hurt Alex, but Margo mentioned that Jessica is aware that I have friends in town, and insinuated that she wouldn’t mind hurting them to get to me.”
“Well, you have had an interesting afternoon,” Jerhome said. “That would explain the police barricades I was just telling Noelle about.”
“How much danger are we in?” I asked.
“Mother has already called and told me about your findings regarding the Kennedy family,” Noelle said. “You’ve stirred things up pretty well here with that revelation. And as you said, they’re not letting you take Alex. We’re going to have to fight our way out.”
“How many of your people are here?”
“Just me I’m afraid,” Noelle said.
“What do you mean, just you?” I said. “Didn’t Miss Lucy get Hans, Jerhome, and Mother Watkins to work for your organization. At this point, I’m guessing there’s more than just you and your mother working behind the scenes.”
“I can’t say who’s working behind the scenes. But we’re the only two working for Leticia. The others are friends of Miss Lucy. She recruited people who were already here in case we needed help, starting with her cousin Mother Watkins but they’re really helping her not Leticia’s organization. Jerhome and Hans are exactly what they seem—bakers.”
“Yes, but we can still be of help,” Jerhome said.
“I know,” I said. “I’ve experienced your help first hand and believe me, I appreciated it. Of course, because of that help you’ve made some powerful enemies, and Jessica or her followers may come after you to get to me. We need to either find a way out of town or hunker down and prepare to fight.”
“How can you fight the whole town?” Alex said.
“We’ll find a way,” I said. “First, we need to all be in the same place. And right now the only possibility is Mother Watkins’s home.”
“That’s hardly high ground, soldier,” Noelle said.
“No, but it’ll have to do for now. Does anyone know of another place that they can assure me isn’t controlled by a cult member?”
“No,” Noelle said, “but how do we fight these people with all their powers.”
“We’ll find a way,” I said. “Alex, do you know any secret ways out of town?”
“None that Margo and Jessica wouldn’t know.”
“What about by water?” I said.
“The cops have that covered already,” Jerhome said.
“What about Miss Lucy and her RPG launcher?” I said.
“I’ve already placed a call to her, and she called mother to send help but they’d have a hard time getting into town,” Noelle said.
“Then it’ll be up to us to make a way for them to get here,” I said.
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that too much,” Noelle said. “Miss Lucy has a way of accomplishing the impossible. If there’s a way to get in here, she’ll find it. I’m just concerned about the timing of that help, whether it’ll get here in time. Layton, if Hans and Jerhome are safe here with us right now, which friends of yours do you think Margo was talking about Jessica being after?”
“Everyone I know is in this room except for Anjelica, and Margo already admitted they sent Sophia after us.”
>
“That’s not everybody you know,” Alex said. “What about Mother Watkins?”
“She seemed positive that they’d never go after her,” I said, “She stressed that they wouldn’t dare.”
We all looked at one another and I could tell we had the same thought in mind.
“Let’s go get your stuff out of your car, Alex,” I said.
“I’ll go on ahead,” Noelle said as she walked out of the room.
“Jerhome, you and Hans better meet us when you get a chance. Do you know where Mother Watkins lives?”
“Yes. She comes here often, we know her and we’ll meet you there as soon as we can.”
“Stay safe,” I said to Hans while pushing Alex out the door.
I kept an eye out for any possible attacks while we walked to Alex’s car.
“Get everything you need out of your car, Alex. You won’t be going back to it ever.”
“Again… I get no input,” Alex said teasingly.
“Ha, ha. They know your car and who knows if they don’t already have some sort of tracking equipment on it.”
“They could’ve put something on your car too, Layton.”
“You’re right… good point. I’ll have to remember that.”
Alex got two big duffel bags and a garment bag out of his car.
“Is this too much?” he said, looking sad.
I didn’t care who saw us, I put his bags in the Jag then hugged him tightly. “I’m so sorry you have to go through this, babe, and no, it’s not too much. Do you have your photography equipment?”
“It’s in a case in the trunk, if you can get it for me.”
“Sure,” I said. “You did arrange for all your stuff in the mansions to be moved, right.”
“It’s arranged and in motion, boss. The photo equipment in the trunk has just what I immediately need. Anything else that I might want can be picked up on the road.”
* * * *
In no time we were at Mother Watkins’s home, where Noelle ran out to greet us as soon as we pulled up. The minute I opened my door she was at my side.
“Bad news, Layton… they’ve got Esther.”
“No!” Alex said. “Oh my God! What do we do now?”
“You go in and keep Mother Watkins calm, okay.” I put my hands on both sides of his face and looked him in the eyes to relax him. “I need you to do this while Noelle and I talk. Mother Watkins needs you right now—can you handle this?”
“Yeah, I’m sorry. I just couldn’t believe it. You can count on me.”
“I know,” I said kissing the top of his head before he left the Jaguar. I then turned my attention to Noelle. “Okay, what do we know?”
“Not much. They sent word with another child that if we want Esther and two friends that are with her back, you need to bring Alex to Kennedy Island by midnight.”
“Not happening,” I said, “but we will get those kids back. I need to check on our resources and put together a plan. Do Jerhome and Hans know?”
“I called them and they have someone on their way to watch the bakery. They’ll be here any minute.”
“Good. How’s Mother Watkins doing?”
“Not well, she’s really shaken up. It took both Anjelica and me to keep her from getting hysterical.”
“We’d better go inside and deal with this new situation,” I said.
* * * *
“Oh Lord! They’ve got my baby—my little baby girl. They’ve got Esther, Layton. Oh sweet Jesus, help my baby girl. After all I’ve done for that family, they took my baby.”
I rubbed Mother Watkins’s shoulders in an effort to comfort her. “We’ll get her back, don’t worry.”
“How can I not worry? She was at a prayer meeting and they just came and got her, Donetta, and Georgie.”
“Are the preacher and his wife okay?”
“Yes, detective,” she said. “They overpowered them and locked them in the closet. They told little Johnny to let ‘em out once they were gone. He’s the one they sent to tell me about my baby girl and the others.”
“At least the preacher and his wife are fine,” I said. “It shows Jessica and her people are thinking things out and not being reckless or impulsive. That’s also good for Esther and her friends.”
Mother Watkins burst into tears and I held her.
“I’m so sorry,” Alex said. “If I thought they’d let her go, I’d turn myself over to them.”
“No, baby boy,” Mother Watkins said, “you’re like one of my own. You and I have always been close ever since you were a baby. Layton, don’t you let him do it, ya’ hear me. Don’t you let him.”
“Oh, that’s one thing I can promise you. He ain’t leaving my side till we’re out of Shelby, and hopefully not even then.”
“You make sure and keep an eye on my boy,” she said.
“I will, Mother Watkins,” I said.
There was a knock on the door and everyone jumped.
“I’ll get it,” Anjelica said.
“Only if it’s Hans and Jerhome,” I said.
She looked through the peephole, then opened the door. Hans and Jerhome walked inside and straight to Mother Watkins.
“We came as soon as we could,” Hans said, giving Mother Watkins a hug.
Jerhome also gave her a hug.
I walked to the middle of the room and looked around. “This is good, now we have a gathering of allies. There’s only one more thing we need.”
Chapter 28
A Matter of Faith
“And what would that one thing we need be,” Noelle said.
“Faith,” I said.
“All I know is they have my baby girl and we need to get her back,” Mother Watkins said.
“Now, I didn’t expect to hear that from you,” I said, holding my hand out toward her. “Take my hand and let’s talk a minute.”
“We don’t have time for that, we need to come up with a plan to get Esther back!” She said.
“Take my hand,” I repeated, looking her in the eye. She took my hand and Alex’s, who was standing next to her. “Let’s go to the prayer room, c’mon.”
The three of us walked into the prayer room, where Mother Watkins sat in her chair and covered her face.
“Oh Lord, forgive me. I’m losing my mind!” she said.
Alex sat on the floor next to her, still holding her hand. I stood and leaned against the back wall trying to think of what to say, then it came to me and I shared one of my experiences.
“I’m not unsympathetic, Mother Watkins. The first time I saw action it shook me up too… I remember it well. The men and I were in a small dusty town. It was so dusty I could barely see in front of me and there were people running and screaming everywhere. Children, adults, friends, enemies, all mixed together in the dust. Yeah, I had my training, but my faith in God is what saw me through when I’d done all I could as a man. If you lose your faith, then you’ve got nothing in life. It’s what brought me back home in one piece and it’s what’ll bring your granddaughter back to you.”
“Your stronger than me,” Mother Watkins said.
“Your strong too,” I said. “We all are when we need to be. I’d lost some of my faith when things happened back home. I didn’t have faith in my fellow man or myself and everywhere I went others were telling me to have faith. It just made me mad and I’d get pissed off at them, but they were right. It took coming here and meeting all of you to restore my faith in not just mankind but myself.”
“He’s right,” Noelle said from the doorway where she and the others stood. “You are a strong woman, Mother Watkins. And right now we all need to be strong in order to save those kids.”
“Say a prayer for us and Esther while we make plans,” I said.
“I will, detective. It’s what grandmothers and mothers do best.”
I helped Alex up from the floor and waved for the others to follow us out of the room.
We left a praying and calm Mother Watkins to go into the living room or what
was now central command, so to speak.
* * * *
“Okay, who can tell me about the island where the kids are being kept?” I said.
“It’s considered part of the old Kennedy estate,” Alex said. “If you go past the dock we were on and a little way into the bayou, there’s a hidden island. It’s difficult to find, because it’s surrounded by trees poking out of the water. A casual visitor wouldn’t know there was solid land behind them.”
“Is there a way onto the island without anyone seeing us coming?” I said.
“None that I know of,” Alex said.
“You and Jimmy knew some secret ways around the estate, Anjelica, what about the island?” I said.
“For starters, it’s not exactly a true island,” Anjelica said. “It’s connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land. It’s mostly bush and swamp, but it’s dry enough to walk across. Even if the cult members know about the pass, they won’t think that we do.”
“Alex do you know about it?” I said. “Would your sisters have any reason to think you’d lead us to the island that way?”
“No, Layton. This is the first I’ve even heard of the pass. I was always discouraged from going near the island.”
“Perfect then,” I said. “We’ll use the pass. Anjelica, are you up to leading us there?”
“Yeah, sure,” she said. “But we’d better leave before it gets dark. I know a way we won’t be seen, but it’ll be very wet and very muddy.”
“And what’s on the island to make it so special,” Noelle said.
“It’s an old graveyard,” Anjelica said. “There are crypts and graves there, some of them underwater. The island was built up and raised quite a bit in the old days, but some of the crypts have succumbed… it’s a scary place. After I went there the first time, my curiosity was aroused and I did some research on the place. Jamison Kennedy’s wife was responsible for building up the island to use as a cemetery for the grounds workers that came from Germany. Some of them supposedly brought bones from the homeland to place there in family crypts and such.”
