“Dakota, stay away from these two. You have no hold over them. They cannot be influenced by you.”
“Well, isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black? If my ears are not deceiving me, I believe Max has already dismissed you.”
A tense stalemate between the two women took place, like a school-yard stand-off, both waiting for the other to flinch or to back down. Eventually, Renny bowed her head toward Max and me, stood up from the table, and walked out the door.
Dakota didn’t wait to be invited in; she stepped in and took Renny’s place at the dinette.
Once Renny was well past ear shot, Dakota focused her attention on Max and me. “You two have no business being here, but it is not my place to tell you to leave. You are barking up the wrong tree with Maggie; she is but a distraught mother. She never saw the evil that resided in her son, and once the initial shock is over, she’ll turn a blind eye to the evil again. If you want to help, steer the policeman in the right direction.”
“Wait, the policeman? What do we tell him?”
“That is entirely up to you. As I said, you should not be involved. But neither of you are intelligent enough to come to that conclusion on your own. You won’t listen to Renny, so I’m equally certain you won’t listen to me. Do what you will, but you have been warned.”
“We’ve been warned?”
“I agree with Renny: you two have no business here. No one from the Cabinet can get close enough to the investigation to influence it. You seem to have a knack for law enforcement. Share only as much as is necessary with this policeman you met with the boy’s mother.”
“We can’t just tell him there’s a demon inside Jimmy.”
“You forget the true problem. Samael is living in Jimmy because he was not strong enough to continue on in his true form. He has gained strength these last several months. He may soon be able to shift into anything again. It isn’t like Samael to allow destinies to be so far altered from their mapped path. The Cabinet is concerned that Samael may be getting ready to morph into a new being.”
“Like a shape shifter again?”
“No, his true form is that of a shape shifter. Although he tends to resonate to evil, up until now he has maintained that the universe must stay in balance. Something may have changed while in this host. We just don’t know.”
“So he isn’t in favor of balance anymore?”
Dakota didn’t look like she had an answer. Instead she asked, “Max, when he resided in you, did he ever share anything about his intentions?”
“No, not really.” Max looked away from Dakota and looked straight at me when he continued, “He really had a thing for Lauren. Sometimes I couldn’t tell if he didn’t have some sort of a connection to her specifically. He refused to let me distance myself from her.”
“How do you mean?”
“I was still trying to deal with having Samael in there with me: I tried not to see, or to talk to, or even to think about Lauren. I was worried sharing anything about her with Samael could put her at risk. It seemed like my mind was always wandering to her, like my thoughts weren’t all my own. This one time he made me believe that he had taken control of my body while I slept and he hurt her. At the time I thought he was just pushing my buttons, but looking back, he was really obsessed with her.”
I took Max’s hand in mine with a quick squeeze.
Dakota pondered this for a minute and absently stated, “So, Lauren is likely the one best able to communicate with Samael.”
“What? No, that’s not what I meant.”
“Max, you said it yourself. If he feels a connection or a kinship to her, Lauren is our best shot at finding out what is going on with Samael. If he is getting ready to morph into a new entity, we’ll all need to be involved.”
“You just told us we shouldn’t be anywhere near here. Which is it?”
This time Dakota stopped talking to Max and redirected her answer to me. “Lauren, you are able to bend destinies. Up until now, there has been little need for you to use your birthright. The Cabinet and the Council are opposing forces working toward the same goal. You are a wildcard like Samael has always been. In the past, he was neither good nor evil – he just was. These last few months, I fear that with you able to bend destinies and your only interest in doing so is for good purposes, he may evolve into a higher order demon, one that is capable of pure evil. Possibly, the universe’s way of ensuring balance remains. If this is the universe’s will, the Cabinet will not intervene. You two will receive no assistance from us.”
“So, Samael and I will be like you and Renny?”
“Yes, but out of balance. Samael is not mortal. You are.”
That sunk in for a second before I answered, “We’re going to find a way to see Jimmy and Samael. It doesn’t do us any good to speculate or guess. You and Renny have both told us to leave, yet now you tell me I’m the best bet for communication with Samael. Don’t try your ‘Doubt-Jedi-Mind-Trick on me. I’m not scared of him.”
Dakota stood up from the table, opened the door, and walked away without another word.
Max called to her, “Dakota, what if we need your help?”
Twenty feet away, she stopped, turned slightly, and hissed, “I am not your mother, your counselor, your guardian angel, or your friend. As I said, you’ve been warned. Your next encounter with Samael will be up to you. There will be no assistance from the Cabinet or the Council – neither will work against the universe.”
We were both surprised by her demeanor. The only other time we had met her she had been very understanding of our situation and helped Max to rid himself of Samael. She was a nurse who took care of me while I was comatose. She was married to Randy, Max’s boss. Her outburst was nothing short of shocking.
“I guess we know when we aren’t wanted,” I mumbled. I shoved my hands in my pocket and found the business card of Officer Dennis Thornton.
I flipped it from side to side inside my pocket, not knowing how to feel. I knew we needed to help if we could, but both Renny and Dakota wanted us gone. It didn’t make any sense. I was supposed to be the “Odd-One,” at least that’s what I’d been told. I was able to bend destinies; I have to think with this turn of events that I could be of some value.
Max interrupted my thoughts, “Let’s get a bite to eat and figure out our next move.”
*****
We found a little café. The only open table was a corner booth. As we took our seats, I noticed Officer Thornton in the adjoining booth. Max whispered, “This is a coincidence.”
I leaned over the back of the bench, “Dennis, fancy meeting you here.”
He nodded but did not seem to want to engage in conversation. I tried again, “We haven’t found any more information on Samael. You don’t have any idea how we could talk to Jimmy?”
A gruff voice answered back, “Not here.”
“Uh, okay. Where could we talk?”
Dennis took out a piece of paper and wrote an address down. He handed me the piece of paper and said, “Meet me here at 7 o’clock.” Dennis put his back to me, fished in his pocket for his wallet, dropped a twenty on the table, and left without another word.
Chapter 13
The address Dennis had given us was some sort of a party. It looked like nearly a hundred people were there, mingling on an old plantation. As we were making our way to the main house, where the lights and music were, I saw one of the most interesting-looking women ever. She reminded me of the actress Halle Berry; she was quick to smile and very personable. She was beautiful, her face perfectly proportioned with a flawless complexion. As I introduced myself to this lady, her bubbly personality shined through. She held out her hand, saying, “I’m Ebony Ballou; it’s my pleasure to meet you.” Her little rhyme rolled off her tongue, and I guessed it was her standard greeting.
“We’re trying to find someone. Do you know where we could find Dennis Thornton?”
“My goodness, it’s after hours and I must have forgotten to wipe ‘information
desk’ off my forehead.”
I wasn’t as quick-witted, so I stood there like an idiot for a second longer than I should have. “I’m sorry, I was under the impression you were the hostess this evening.”
“I am the hostess this evening. Does that mean I know all these people? I think someone must have put an ad in the paper, because, honey, I know I don’t have this many friends!”
“Uh, okay, sorry to bother you.”
“Not so fast. Which invitation did you get?”
“Umm, I didn’t really get an invitation, not a formal one. Dennis asked me to meet him here.” A little nervous that we were crashing a party we shouldn’t be, I stammered, “We should go.”
“You mean to tell me you show up unannounced, you ask me about my guests, you were not invited, and you have the audacity to stand there and be honest about it? Girlfriend, what is wrong with you? You should come up with some sort of cover story or somethin’.”
“I am so sorry. We’ll leave now.”
Ebony gingerly slapped my shoulder, “Oh shoot, I’m just playing with you! Dennis, he over there.” She pointed over her shoulder at Dennis about twenty feet away. “Dennis told me he had invited a couple over. Can I get you anything to drink?”
Confused by this woman, I stumbled, “Uh, okay, sure, how about a Coke?”
“Nope, no Cokes.”
“A Sprite?”
“This ain’t a gas station; this a party. What you want with a soda? How about a Rum and Coke?”
I felt my eyebrows wrinkle together, “If you don’t have a Coke, how are you going to get me a Rum and Coke?”
“Oh, pa-lease, no one come to a party that want a soda. You look so white that you’ll need all the liquid rhythm I can dump down your throat. I’ll get you one of my concoctions. Don’t worry. You’ll love it.”
Just like that she put her back to us and was gone. I raised my eyebrows to Max as if to say, “What the heck was that?” but kept my observation to myself.
Dennis started walking toward Max and me with his hand held out in a friendly gesture. “I see you two met Ebony? She didn’t give you a hard time, did she?”
“I’m not sure, a little bit, I guess.”
“She’s someone most people can only take in small doses, but she throws great parties and is my best source for intelligence when it comes to police investigations. You’d never know by looking at her, but she is connected to every sleaze ball and dirt bag in the county.”
“She’s a friend of yours?”
“I keep her in my friend column, but she’s not someone I spend any one-on-one time with.”
“So why did you want us to meet you here?”
“I know you two have been nosing around trying to talk to Jimmy. I still want to know why.”
Before I could answer, Ebony appeared with two very large, very tropical-looking drinks. “Okay, this one is called Sweet, and this one is called Sassy: which one do you think will knock you on your Assy?” She giggled at her own riddle as she wobbled both drinks in front of Max and me.
A quick look Max’s way made me sure he wasn’t up for this make-shift “frat party” any more than I was. Dennis warned, “Her pink drinks are usually fine. It’s the ones she dilutes with pineapple juice that’ll have you waking up in another state without any clothes on.”
“Speaking from experience?”
“Speaking from taking calls from unintended victims the following day.”
Ebony bumped her shoulder into Dennis, “Enough, Dennis, let them loosen up a little. They’re so stiff my other guests are going to call an undertaker.” She looked directly at Max, as if I weren’t there, “Max, a man like you may not want a little fruity drink. If you’d like something a little more fitting, I’ve got some top shelf inside. I’ll be happy to show you where I keep it.”
“No, this is fine. Thanks for offering.”
Ebony looked at me with a wicked smile, then turned her attention to Max, and asked, “So, Max, may I give you a tour of my estate? It looks as though your girlfriend and Dennis are otherwise engaged.”
Max looked at Dennis, and Dennis nodded. “Ebony, I’d love to see your estate, but I’m sure Lauren would like to see it, too.” Max squeezed my hand, as if telling me he didn’t want to be alone with this woman.
Dennis looked apologetically in Max’s direction and said, “Actually, Lauren, if I could talk to you privately for just a minute, that would be great.” He leaned into Max, and I overheard him say, “Don’t worry, she’s not dangerous, but if you don’t get her out of here for a few minutes, I won’t be able to answer anything with her around.”
Max nodded and smiled brightly at Ebony, “I’d love to have a look around.”
Ebony didn’t wait for my protest. She must have known it was only a matter of time, so she’d better get moving before I put a stop to it. She slid her arm through Max’s elbow and said, “I think we should start in the stables.”
Once they were out of ear shot, “Sorry about that, Lauren. I have to be very careful about what I say about the investigation. The last thing I want is for anyone I work with to hear that I’ve got loose lips. I can’t share any details at home, because . . . well, I just can’t. What do you two want from Jimmy? Are you friends of his victims or something?”
“No. We just wanted to talk to him. We thought maybe we could help him.”
“Help him, how?”
“Dennis, it’s a little hard to explain. We. . . Max and I. . .there isn’t anything specifically we wanted to do for him. . . We just wondered if he needed anything.”
“What are you, with a newspaper or something, writing a book, trying to get an inside story?”
“No, nothing like that. We just met Jimmy a few months ago and have a little more insight on his . . . behavior. Max thought that maybe if he talked to Jimmy, he might be able to help him. That’s all.”
“What makes you think you have any special insight?”
“There isn’t anything I can say that you would believe. I just think we can help him.”
“If you are some sort of counselors or something, you can hang it up. He isn’t remorseful at all. Two of those kids were his friends, and he doesn’t seem to be the slightest bit upset about it.”
“So, there’s no way to see him?”
“Not any way that I can think of. Like I said, I’ll pass him a message if you want. I have to be careful that the guys don’t see me hanging around him too much, but I check on him a couple times a day for Maggie.”
I looked around for Max, not comfortable with how much to share with Dennis. Max was nowhere to be seen. “You sure Max is okay with Ebony?”
“We can go look for them if you want. She’s a hopeless flirt, but harmless.”
“Where are the stables?”
“Over there,” pointing off to our left. We began walking. “So, any idea why he did it?”
“He says he was going to set a bomb, his friends knew about it, and he didn’t want one of them going to the police.”
“That’s awful. Do you think he would have?”
“There would have been some sort of an explosion, but our counter-explosive team says he was working on his own recipe and really didn’t know what he was doing. He’s been troubled for a while, but no one ever expected this.”
The two of us walked to the back of the estate, past the guest house and behind a grove of trees. We could see lights from the stables pouring through the open doors. As we approached, I was pleased to overhear their conversation.
“. . .Someday I’ll find me a man that I can lead around like a puppy-dog, too. If you eat white bread every day for the rest of your life, eventually you’re going to wonder about that honey wheat on the shelf.”
“Lauren is more appealing to me than a flavor of bread; I doubt I’ll ever feel cheated. Thanks for your offer, but I think you’d better get back to your guests.”
Dennis cleared his throat. Max and Ebony looked at us, and she didn’t even have th
e courtesy to look embarrassed at trying to put the moves on Max. My blood was boiling, “You’ve got some nerve. We just met, and you’re trying to sneak him off to a stable, for what?”
“I was just letting my friend know that he has some options. He don’t need to feel tied up like a tether ball. He his own man and can make his own decisions.”
I spoke slowly, “That’s where you are sorely mistaken. He is my man.”
“He’ll be back. One day he’ll wake up and realize that he made a mistake. When that day come, I’ll be right here.” She turned to Max, “I’ll be very happy to make your acquaintance then, Sexy Man.”
Dennis interjected, “Okay, Ebony, that’s enough. Lauren and Max are friends of mine. If you’re going to treat them like this, I think we’ll all call it a night.”
Max took my hand and led me away. I don’t know if he was worried the incident might ignite after my spark of jealousy, or what? It didn’t. I was pleased as punch that he had no desire to take Ebony up on her offer. She threw out one final bit of advice as we made our way toward the guest house, “Don’t you forget about what I told you. It only a matter of time. He’ll be back.”
I looked at Max, questioning without words. He shook his head at me in response, “I sure hope you two had a good conversation because that was painful. Good timing by the way.”
“So, what was that all about?”
“Nothing, she just felt pretty strongly that we needed to meet with Jimmy.”
Dennis looked odd when he answered, “She doesn’t even know Jimmy.”
Max gave Dennis a harsh look, “Yes, she does, better than you might expect. She’s one of your confidential informants right?” Dennis nodded that she was, and Max continued, “Then you better stop screwing around with her behind Maggie’s back.”
Horror shot on Dennis’ face. “I never touched Ebony. Did she tell you that?”
“Hey, it’s none of our business. Ebony is a live wire, but if you care at all for Maggie, you need to end it with Ebony before she exposes you.” I could feel the confusion on my expression without having to utter a word. Max looked at me and said, “Remember Jimmy’s mom, Maggie? I think our new friend Dennis is a little too close to the situation to be involved in the investigation.”
Destiny's Wrath (Destiny Series - Book 3) Page 8
