by Alexie Aaron
Roland, who wasn’t pleased by being conned, managed to keep calm. “Mark, there’s no evidence. Dodd must have been playing us all the time. If there were bodies down in the blocked-off cellar of Cabin 4, don’t you think that the sheriff would have already arrested us?”
“Let me get this straight. You think that Dodd’s father cleaned everything up.”
“Wouldn’t you if you were told your son killed two rich kids?”
“I never thought of that. So, we’ve been conned for over fifty years.”
Roland started to laugh. “Come on, Mark. We’ve gotten away with murder. There’s no evidence. Calvin has nothing on us, just a suspicion. We’re not going anywhere but back to my house for a celebration.”
“No, you’re not,” a little boy’s voice announced as the courtyard lights dimmed.
Roland looked around quickly. “Mark, was that you?”
“No. It sounded like a kid. What’s that?” Mark asked, pointing to the north entrance to the courtyard.
There was an unusual glow emanating from outside the building. In the middle of what was once a doorway stood the silhouette of a small boy.
“Get out of here, kid, before I kill you and then kill your family,” Mark threatened.
“Haven’t you two done that already?” the shadowy figure asked, walking closer, and as it did, the men could see that they weren’t speaking to a living boy but a dead one. “I told you to leave my family alone. Why couldn’t you just leave us alone?”
Mark’s stomach heaved as the bullet hole in Miguel’s forehead started pulsing blood out of it.
Roland stared, fascinated at his handiwork. At no time did the man feel fear. This was just a dead kid. How could he hurt anybody? “You should have known your place, little man. You insulted me with your disrespectful words.”
Mark wiped his mouth. “I’m sorry, kid, nothing personal. Roland’s father said for me to help.”
“Couldn’t he have meant for you to stop Roland?” a young woman said, appearing next to Miguel. She was a wearing a hat with a Press tag stuck in the band and holding a notebook. Her pen was poised, ready to take down his answers.
“Who the hell are you?” Mark asked.
“Faye from the Stepner Gazette. I’d like you to answer my question, Mayor Lamb. Isn’t it true that Evert Wilson asked you to stop Roland?”
“Not in so many words. I don’t know. It was so long ago.”
Roland squeezed the trigger of his gun. The bullet went right through Faye before shattering part of a support beam.
“I’d like to repeat my question,” Faye said without emotion.
“What are you!” Roland asked, backing up.
“I already gave you my credentials. I’m doing a piece on racism in America. It looked like it was gone, but it was just simmering under the surface. Did you, or did you not, kill a whole family, not because the son caught your father rigging an election, but because they were Mexican American?” Faye asked.
“Mark, do something,” Roland ordered.
“Honestly, I’d like to know the answer to that question myself. Why did you kill Kenny and Jason if it was just about your xenophobia?”
“It was about respect. Kenny dared to grab my arm.”
“He was trying to stop you! Jason was just reacting to your killing Kenny, and you shot him full of holes. Who was next? Me?” Mark asked, pulling his .38 Special from his pocket and aiming it at Roland.
“I can’t honestly tell you,” Roland said. “Fortunately for you, you proved yourself worthy of my company by helping me kill Miguel, his mom, his sister, and those two brothers. Remember how they danced, Mark? Do you remember that?” Roland asked.
The sculpture that was Luminosa grew slowly to represent a tree. There was one long limb that cast a shadow over the arguing men. Slowly two arms grew out of the branches. Inch by inch, the arms moved downward. Long fingers grew out of hand-like appendages. The fingers hung limply behind the men, waiting for the right moment.
“I was drugged up. Nothing looked real to me. I was off my nut. What was your excuse?” Mark asked.
Roland smiled. “I have none, nor do I owe anyone an explanation, especially not you.”
The fingers wrapped around each man’s throat, just enough to let them know they were there, but not enough to crush their windpipes. Mark dropped the .38 Special.
“Luminosa Bautista! I demand you let go of these men!” Father Santos commanded.
Luminosa’s face pushed out of the tree. Her neck long, her eyes glowing. “They have admitted to killing me and my family. Now I give them justice!”
“Hanging them?” Faye questioned. “Let the courts try them. Let the world know how the election was rigged, how the rich laughed as the poor died. You owe it to womankind. You owe it to your people!”
“Don’t shout at me, little ghost.”
“Mama, if you won’t listen to her, listen to me,” Miguel pleaded. “This is not our way. The truth is out, recorded, and sent to the newspaper for all to see. We can leave and join our family now. They are waiting. We will arrive as heroes. Luminosa and Miguel Bautista finding justice after all these years.”
“They must pay!”
Grady arrived winded and motioned for his frightened deputies to step forward. “Mrs. Bautista, I promise these men will be punished. No lawyer alive can get them off the mountain of charges they have accumulated over the years.”
“Will they be killed?” she asked.
“There is no capital punishment here. They will die in prison, and then God will punish them for their crimes.”
Luminosa looked over at the priest. “Is this so?”
“‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord,”’ Father Santos said. “It is up to him to judge us. If you kill them, he will judge you too. He will empower me to send you to the Dark World, and you will never see your family again. You will never hear a word from another soul. You will walk in permanent darkness with only the thoughts of your crimes to keep you company. You will be banished forever,” he warned. “I have been there. It is worse than death.”
“Mama, listen to him. We have been here too long. Father will be worried,” Miguel said.
“It’s doesn’t matter, Miguel. The light will not send me to the Elysian Fields. I have sinned.”
“I forgive you, Mama,” Miguel said. “Ask God, he’ll forgive you too.”
Luminosa looked down at the priest, and he nodded. Slowly but not without leaving a hangman’s bruise on each man, Luminosa unwound her fingers. She retreated first into her tree manifestation. The tree lost its limbs and became a post, and the post sunk into the earth. Out of the earth rose Luminosa. She took her son’s hand and walked away from the courtyard.
Father Santos followed them.
“Gentlemen, you are under arrest for the murders of Luminosa Bautista, Miguel Bautista, Pedro Bautista, Carlos Bautista, and Leticia Bautista. Roland Wilson, you’re also under arrest for the murder of Ken Smith and Jason Lake. Mark Lamb, I’m also arresting you for the attempted murder of Henry Dodd.”
“Wait? Attempted. You mean he’s still alive?” Mark asked.
“He is and willing to testify against you two. Deputy Leidecker, please read these men their rights,” Grady ordered. He walked over and picked up the .38 Special. “This is the last piece of the puzzle. We will be able to identify the last gunman now. Gentlemen, I have a question. Why .38 Specials?”
Mark hunched his shoulders and said, “They were on sale.”
Cid caught up to the priest on the old road where Luminosa was walking and talking with her son. “Father, I have your bag,” he said quietly.
“Thank you, Cid.”
“Can you open up the pathway to the Elysian Fields?”
“No. But if the light determines that is where the Bautistas belong, it will send them there. It will be out of my hands. The only thing I can do is give a last communion to Luminosa. She has to repent her sins and ask God for forgiveness.”<
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“I didn’t realize there were so many rules,” Cid said.
“Just for them. Not for you, and not for most. But since Luminosa and Miguel were good Catholics and believed this is how it should be, I will not disappoint them. Faith is a strong power. It can make miracles happen, as much as it makes a person feel good inside. Faith should never be used as a spear; it should always be the open arms of acceptance and support.”
“When I first got here, I thought I would be seeing the reapers take Luminosa away. The more I got to know her, the more I understood what fear and grief can do if you let it get away from you. Where is she getting her power from?”
“I think her last manifestation answers that question.”
Cid saw the ebony tree in his mind’s eye and asked, “Mother Nature?”
“Yes. If it were Hell, she would have already been consumed by hellfire. Lucifer doesn’t like to be disturbed.”
“Mother Nature gave her power yet rooted her to High Court.”
“It seems so.”
Miguel appeared in front of them. “Father, my mother is ready. Whatever God decides, I want to be with my mama. Promise me you’ll not split us apart.”
Father Santos looked down at the boy and asked, “Why are you so willing to give up your eternity?”
“I’m the patriarch of the Bautista family ghosts. I shall protect my mama from whatever is thrown at her.”
“Very well,” Father Santos said and followed the boy to where Luminosa knelt in supplication.
Faye appeared at Cid’s side.
“You shouldn’t be here,” he said. “You may get pulled into the light.”
“I’ll leave at the first glimmer.”
“You did an excellent job of interviewing Roland and Mark. I’m starting to think you may be right. You may have been a reporter, Faye.”
“Thank you, Cid. But I could have also read a book about it,” she admitted. “Macy promised to help me. I would like you to ask Jesse for my broach. I want to stay with Macy for a while.”
“Are you sure?” Cid asked. “You can come home with me. Mia has more resources than Macy has.”
“Mia will be busy with her family and PEEPs,” Faye said. “I’ll catch up with you the next time our paths cross,” she promised.
“It’s becoming very apparent that I’m going to lose my best girl ghost and my could-have-been-girlfriend to Stepner. What is it about this place?” he asked, not expecting an answer.
“It’s a place where hard work can still get you places. Where an idea is listened to. More importantly, you know your neighbor, and they know you.”
“You sound like you’ve been listening to Macy.”
“I’ve been following her around. I’ve learned a lot.”
“Good for you. I think you’d better skedaddle. Father Santos is calling for the light.”
“Thanks for the warning,” Faye said and left.
Cid couldn’t see the light, but he watched Father Santos’s face. His expression was so peaceful, and unlike Mia, he didn’t have any ill effects from the light.
“Did the light come for them?” Cid asked as he met the priest halfway.
“Yes. They walked off hand in hand. Miguel lost his bloody appearance, and the stress of the years melted off Luminosa.”
“Do you think they made the Elysian Fields?”
A summer flower entwined around a stalk of rye floated down from the night sky. Father Santos caught it in his hand. “I’d say this is a good sign.”
“You never cease to amaze me.”
“Cid, I didn’t do this. I just opened the door.”
“No, you counsel, heal, and stay true to your faith even though the paranormal world may pull you in every which way.”
“Not always. I used to be so rigid. But I have learned to go with the flow when it’s best for the lost soul.”
“Let’s go and spread the good news that High Court is haunted no more,” Cid said, picking up Father Santos’s black bag.
“Oh, it’s still haunted.”
“What?”
“Your little lady ghost for one.”
“I can explain her.”
“Don’t,” Father Santos told him. “She won’t stay here long. She has a transitory nature to her.”
“You said ‘for one;’ are there other ghosts that we haven’t seen yet?”
“This place is haunted no longer by tragedy, but I can still hear the shrill screams of joy from the children who played on that old swing set and the giggles of young brides who were carried over the thresholds. Lovers, too, have left their mark. I think the artists that come here to create will find that there is no shortage of muse here.”
“I hope so. I’d like to see Calvin’s vision succeed. Kiki’s designs have made this a comfortable place that fits in beautifully with what Mother Nature has already put here. The view is marvelous from every angle.”
“Kiki?”
“Oh, that’s right, you haven’t met her yet. She’s my boss.”
“Evidently, my boss too. Mr. Franks told me to invoice Kiki with my travel costs and add a nice donation to the church on top of it.”
“So that’s where your money goes,” Cid said. “All this time, I thought you lost money betting on the horses,” Cid teased.
“I’ve been to the horse races before.”
“Really?”
“And not just to see the beauty of the animals giving it their all. Hypothetically, maybe a few jockeys came to confession beforehand, and…”
Cid put his hands over his ears and walked off.
Chapter Thirty-four
Cid popped the last bit of trim board into place and got up to look at the finished job. He was very pleased with his workmanship. He and his assistants managed to keep up the same level of quality throughout the whole renovation. The small studios had the same attention to detail as the big expensive cabins.
Kiki had arrived the day after Luminosa left. She sat in conference with Calvin and came out with a new accelerated schedule. All the contractors were asked to hire on more help and to coordinate with each other for the quick completion of High Court.
Cid walked to the construction office. He knocked before he entered the trailer. Kiki was busy talking with an insurance company on the phone. Cid logged into the completed project file that the last studio had been trimmed out. He sat down and waited for Kiki to finish her conversation.
“I’m telling you, next time, I’m not going with this insurance company,” Kiki told him as she hung up.
“Why?”
“Too slow. I’ve got invoices to pay, and I need that money to do it.”
“It sucks being you,” Cid teased. He knew Kiki loved all aspects of the managing contractor position. “Unless I’ve missed something, I think I’m officially out of work.”
Kiki looked over at the job board and then pulled out a few files. “You’re right. I need a few pavers if you need the money.”
“Nah, I’ve earned enough to get me through the winter. I’ll ask my guys if they’re interested in the jobs though.”
“I’d appreciate it,” Kiki said. “Calvin wants a ribbon cutting next month, and I’m just going to make it in time.”
“Knowing you, you’ll make it with a few weeks to spare.”
“Not this time,” Kiki said. “It’s not that you guys didn’t do a great job staying on schedule…”
“For us having to do your job, plus ours, I think we did just fine. Not to mention, a ghost to rest, villains to trap, and a half-century-old cold case to solve.”
“Sorry about my defection, but it was time to deal with my sister. Not something I could hire someone else to do, although my cousin Imelda is being paid to look after her until I finish this project.”
“How are things?”
“Improving. I’ve convinced my parents to go into family counseling with Mimi and me. I will be traveling back and forth for a weekly appointment until this job is complete. Then I’m taking
a few months off.”
“To let your hair grow back?” Cid asked.
“It is rather dramatic, isn’t it?” Kiki said. “I don’t mind it being short, but it’s not me. I don’t know what me is really. I think it’s something between my old Rapunzel ponytail and this pixie cut.”
“What possessed you to cut it in such a dramatic way?”
“I was proving a point by symbolically cutting through the cord of competition that Mimi and I had tied ourselves to. I’m not her, and she’s not me. We may be identical, but we aren’t the same. Does that make any sense?”
“Some. I wish you luck, boss.”
“Oh, before I forget, Calvin wants you to stop by before you leave. Call and give Barry a heads-up as to when that will be.”
“Will do,” Cid said and got up to leave. “By the way, your ponytail is still in a Ziploc in my trailer.”
“I guess I should collect it. I wouldn’t want whoever uses the trailer next to think we were in the habit of taking scalps.”
“Once again, you have left me without words,” Cid said aghast.
“Clark, you without a comment is horrifying. Speaking of horror, I haven’t seen Faye around the site. Did she finally seek out the light?”
“No, she’s staying in Stepner. Macy promised to help her find out who she was.”
“But not how she died?” Kiki asked.
“Faye feels that will all come back to her when she knows her identity.”
“I do hope so. Hey, I hear Macy got interviewed by Charlie Rose.”
“I must have missed that,” Cid said.
“I though you two were an item.”
“We had dinner once,” Cid said. “If you measure relationships by meals, then Wayne and I would be going steady.”
Kiki giggled.
