by K C Norrie
The bell tolled… two tolls.
They were out of time. His friends tried to get him ready to go to the church. When the women came out of the bedroom, Paul pulled out the gun from his pocket. He threatened everyone and locked himself and Linde in the bedroom. He sat on a chair beside her and cried, despite the pounding on the door. He did not believe in the curse. They would not take her until he was ready. His boys had the right to say a proper goodbye. They could not say goodbye to ashes. He would not let them set their mother on fire. She was dressed in a beautiful gown. Someone had closed her eyes. Paul pretended she slept.
The pounding continued.
"But you are not from here. You do not understand!"
"Your family is already at the church. Your parents. Linde's parents. Your sons need you!"
The bell tolled one toll.
"We are out of time. Paul, please listen to reason."
Father Benji prayed in Latin.
Suddenly Linde's eyes opened, and it seemed a darkness fell over her as Paul watched. The door came down as she sat up. She opened her mouth wide. Fangs turned toward Paul. A gunshot pierced her forehead from somewhere behind Paul. No blood came out. She fell back on the bed. This was no longer Linde. Linde was gone… and Paul finally believed.
****
The church was packed when he arrived. An usher led him to his seat between Phillipe and Paco. They clung to him.
Linde had arrived before him and lay atop the funeral pyre. The church was filled over-capacity. They didn't need the watchers, but they were there anyway. Paul could hear her friends crying in the background, as his boys sobbed against him.
Linde wore a full-face jeweled mask she had brought back from their trip to Rio de Janeiro. The face of the mask wore a serene expression with a slight smile to the lips. There were three hearts under the eyes in place of three tears, one for Paul and one for each child.
"You three men have replaced my tears with hearts," she explained. The artist nodded in understanding. The hearts were etched into the mask with the tiny gems of each of their birthstones. They all watched as the artist expertly embellished the mask just so, while they waited.
"Wherever will you wear that?" Paul remembered asking. He could not recall her answer just her smile. Paul remembered it now as a sad smile. Had she known? She couldn't have. Paul didn't believe in such, or did he?
Before leaving the house for the church, Paul had placed the mask over her face, so her loved ones would not see what had become of her. He was anxious to make up for his mistake, for his non-belief, so she would have the proper funeral she deserved. Those at the household had wanted to burn her immediately in the backyard and bring only the ashes to the church ceremony.
"That is what is done in cases like this," said Father Benji as the others around them nodded.
"My Linde is entitled to a proper ceremony; I intend to make this right."
He placed the mask carefully upon the head of the grotesque creature that had once been Linde. He found white gloves for her hands, which wouldn't fit due to long gnarled nails that had bloomed out like grotesque flowers at the ends of her fingertips. Father Benji himself had hacked them off one by one with Paul's cleavers. Her gown was long enough to cover her legs, and her grotesque feet were encased in soft boots.
Only those who were present at the house would know the truth. The rest would be told the gunshot had ruined her face.
The ceremony began.
"We are here to bless the passage of Linde Eva Mateo into heaven where God has called her home. May eternal light be cast upon her soul that she may rest in peace."
Paul and his family were called to kneel before the pyre. Father Benji blessed and anointed them with holy water.
The chanting began.
"Lord, we pray for the eternal light that is yours to give, that Linde may rest in peace.
The bells began to toll.
Lord, we pray for the eternal light that is yours to give, that Linde may rest in peace."
The flames erupted.
Paul chanted a different phrase.
"Linde my love, I vow to avenge your death and send your killers to hell. And until this is done, I shall never rest in peace. Amen."
Chapter 30
It took a day to restore his home. It seemed the entire village came to help. The house filled with people who brought food, fixed the broken doors, put things away and righted all the wrongs the men had done.
All but one wrong. The one no one could undo. It was a heartbreaking day.
He had Linde's parents stay and sleep in his and Linde's room. He moved the two boys in together while he took the smallest room.
During the cleanup, person after person expressed their condolences and explained about the penalty for murder in Jai` Doro.
"We have had murders before. You must read the histories. They are documented. The penalty for murder in Jai` Doro, is death. Death by hanging."
There was a nine-member council. They met the second day after the funeral in the meeting hall with the entire village in attendance. They asked Paul to describe what he found when he entered his house on that fateful morning. They asked police Chief Jaimez to describe what had occurred at the Prefeito office. They asked if anyone in the village had additional information or if anyone had seen or spoken to these men. No one came forward.
The council left the room to confer, before returning with their verdict.
"We find the three prisoners guilty of murder. We sentence them to hang until they are dead. Until their names are discovered they shall be written into the ledgers in pencil as Prisoner One, Prisoner Two and Prisoner Three. Prefeito Mateo will you sign the verdict and the decree?"
Paul could see the people of Jai` Doro were satisfied with the decision made by the council, by the nods of their heads and the way they looked expectantly up at him waiting for him to sign.
He signed. He could have refused; he held that power. He could have changed the punishment, sent the prisoners back to wherever they came from… any number of more humane decisions he could have imposed just at that moment, but he signed. Manuel Consigo's words came back to him.
There are some things that should not be changed. Some ways that need to be respected for the good of everyone.
Changing laws such as these could wait for the next Prefeito.
****
The personal items found on the prisoners, lay in a box in police Chief Jaimez's office. The men had traveled lightly to Jai` Doro. Each man possessed a single handgun with extra bullets. No identification. There was one set of keys between them with a tag that read "Sao Cachito Hotel." Paul picked up a crudely drawn map of Jai` Doro with a red X on both his house and his office.
Earlier, Chief Jaimez sent someone to retrieve the belongings from the Sao Cachito Hotel and Paul looked over those items as well.
There were a few more guns, extra clothing, and cash enough to get them home.
Someone's jacket pocket held a piece of paper containing an address from Atlanta Georgia and a telephone number with no name, a creased photograph of Jonesy posing with his family, probably taken from his home when his family was killed, and the yellowed newspaper article with Paul's name, folded many times. The bartender must have had more than one copy of the article after all.
Still no identification was found. Who were these men?
Paul went back to his own office to gather his thoughts. Ominous thoughts. His assistant Caro made a fuss and brought him a cup of the red tea. It was lunchtime, but he had no appetite. He went home to spend some time with his boys. Still, he was troubled with thoughts.
****
There were automobiles in Sao Cachito, but not in Jai` Doro. Automobiles were not allowed here yet. Paul wondered how the four men had come to Jai` Doro and how they expected to return. The police chief had asked Paul these questions. No one remembered seeing the men making their way on foot, or riding the day bus, so it was assumed that a horse cart from Sao Cachito had brought
them here.
But how had the men known where to go? Who had drawn the map?
From Paul's house they had gone to the Prefeito's office and tried to break in. But why? What had they been looking for? The police chief had also asked Paul these questions. Paul searched for answers.
It was past the time for dinner, when Paul went to the jail. He asked Chief Jaimez for permission to see the prisoners.
At first, he just looked them over. They looked ordinary. One had freckles. Two had brown hair. Freckles was blond. Average builds. Average heights. They did not look frightened or worried. Not yet.
These were the men who had invaded and ransacked his home. These were the men who killed Linde. Paul and his family did not know these men, nor did these men know Paul or his family. Linde was killed because she accidentally stepped into their path. They had not killed an enemy. They killed an innocent.
"Which one of you shot my wife?" Paul asked casually. He watched the expressions on the faces of the men as they looked at each other. He watched them come up with a lie.
"Jimmy. Jimmy done it. He's already dead. Your man shot him. So, you can let us go. Justice has already been served."
It was the freckled man who spoke. The other two nodded in agreement. The freckled man was the leader.
"What is your name?" Paul asked him.
Freckles didn't answer. He was smug about it. The others followed suit and remaining mute.
Paul turned to leave. It was summer in Jai` Doro and the jail was windowless and hot. The men stank of sweat. The room had the smell of an outhouse. There was no modern plumbing in here.
"How 'bout some water for us in here. We're suffering, can't you see? I hear you're a Texan. We are United States citizens. Don't you know about cruel and unusual punishment? Don't we have rights?"
This mocked up rage brought a chuckle from the other two.
Paul turned back.
"You are no longer in the United States. Does anyone even know you are even here?" He paused to see if anyone would answer. They didn't. They had been given water earlier. Barely enough. They had been fed bowls of unseasoned beans, tasteless food. Barely enough.
"You will receive no cruel or unusual punishment here and you will not be left to suffer too much longer. Your trial is over. There was no jury. There was only me. You have each been found guilty of the crime of murder. The punishment for murder in Jai` Doro is death by hanging. Do you hear the hammers outside?"
He paused as the men listened. The hammers would continue through the night if necessary… because in the morning…
"They build the gallows. They are nearly complete."
He saw fear cross their faces now. It gave him satisfaction. No one wanted to die. Yet Linde had.
"You may feel this punishment is unfair… unjust," Paul continued. "I am willing to listen. Was it your idea to come here and murder my wife? I am trying to understand. Perhaps you are just soldiers following orders. I am willing to listen when you are ready to talk. But I am hungry. It is past the time for my supper. I will check back later. If someone sent you, I would like to know who it was. A name. I would very much like to speak with him. I would ask him why he sent someone to kill my children's mother."
Paul left the jail and went home again to his boys.
****
The next morning both Paul and Chief Jaimez entered the jail. Paul listened, while Chief Jaimez questioned the men again. He questioned them separately. They were willing to talk now. They all told the same story. They were hired to find a man named Frederick Jones. They carried a picture of him. The picture was left at the room in the hotel in Sao Cachito. They were supposed to kill him and send his head back to an address in the United States. The address was on a slip of paper also left back at the hotel.
They listened to Freckles last. His real name was Albert. He went by Al.
"We should' a stuck to the plan and just kilt him. Sent his head back. That's what we should' a done. It's just the money got in our eyes. All that money sittin in the safe in the mayor's office and not enough police to defend it; that's what he told us. He drawed us up a map and then we just tooked him away with us. We found a place that rented us a horse and buggy. Jimmy sat just behind him and held a gun to his back the entire way in. We looked like regular tourists out on a ride. As soon as we camed close enough to the town, we stepped the cart off the road into deep cover, to where it could not be seen by any passers-by. We decided we'd go on foot from there. Stan told Jimmy to stay behind and keep watch on Frederick. Jimmy was Stan's little brother. This was all Jimmy's fault. If he'd kept his mouth shut and stayed back like he should' a. Instead he didn't think it fair that he had to stay behind while we had all the fun. He jumps out from the cart saying we should use these tall grass things to draw sticks, and just like that, there goes Frederick driving away with the cart. Stan tried to take chase, but it was too late. Frederick was long gone. We should' a turned back then. Walked back to Frederick's place to see if he'd got to there. But instead we decided to keep on. Git the money and git out. When we got to the house on the map, the door was unlocked, just like he said it would be. We walked in making all sorts of noise thinking it was empty. That's what he'd said, but then she comes out holding a gun. I could 'a talked her out of it. I'm good at that, but Jimmy got itchy and his gun just went off.
'Look what you done!' I says. 'Look what you done!'
"Stan says, 'Find the key and let's get out' a here.'
"So, we looked and looked. Finally, Eddie comes up with some keys. They don't look like they go to a safe, but I say nothing. We leave quickly now. We walk like we got nothing to hide. We encounter no one. Good luck for us. We find the meet'n hall and the mayor's office just like the map showed. There's people around, so we're all uncertain how to proceed, but then we see him (he points to Paul) leave the mayor's office. More luck for us. As soon as he's out of sight, Eddie goes up and tries all the keys. None of them work. Suddenly, a police officer comes strollin' out the next-door office. He never told us that. He never told us the police was right next door. Jimmy draws his gun and is shot dead. It's over. I throw up my hands. So does Eddie and Stan. More police come out. They put us in jail. Jimmy is dead and here we are. I'm sorry. I know we can't bring her back, but it wasn't me who shot her. It was Jimmy."
****
After his statement, Chief Jaimez had Al make a phone call to the phone number listed on the piece of paper. Paul himself dialed the long-distance number and accepted the charges for the call. He held the phone up to Al's ear, as the prisoner was handcuffed. He held a knife to Al's throat and listened as Al told the contact, a Mr. Kingsley, that they had found what they came looking for and were sending the package to Atlanta.
The four of them would arrive back into the United States, sometime after. Paul and Chief Jaimez exchanged glances of satisfaction when the call was completed.
The phone call would hopefully ensure that Mr. Kingsley would not send any more men to Jai` Doro.
After Al's confession they led him outside; outside to the gallows where Stan and Eddie already waited. Paul watched the blood drain from Al's face.
Al was gagged before he could protest, as were the others ahead of him. No hoods were placed on their heads. The three condemned men were free to exchange glances of fear and face the crowd that awaited justice. Paul noted Linde's parents out in the crowd. The boys were kept away at his own parents' house.
When the noose was settled around Al's neck, Paul began to speak.
"Edward White, Stanley Johnson, Albert Barnes. By the power entrusted to me by the citizens of Jai` Doro, Brazil, as Prefeito and executor for the peace, safety, and well-being of Jai` Doro, you have hereby been condemned to hang until you are dead for the murder of Linde Eva Mateo. May God place judgment on you as well, and your souls be judged accordingly. Let the sentence commence immediately."
The hangman tripped the traps, and the deed was done.
As a sigh went through the crowd. Paul felt noth
ing. I am heartless now, he thought. My heart died with Linde.
****
It was still morning. After the hanging Paul went home to see his boys. A little later he drove his horse cart to Sao Cachito. He needed to pick up Jonesy. It was time Jonesy was told about Linde, her death and the four men who had come looking for him. He faced the task with dread.
The sun was surrounded by clear blue sky, but Paul did not notice. He was reminiscing. He thought about Linde, and what the road had been like, when they first arrived. Up ahead was the place where Paul, Guthro, and old Jeno had to get out to help push the cart from out of the rut. Paul had worn a new suit to impress Linde's parents and muddied it. Linde barely noticed his anger. She was home. She had missed this place and relished every taste, smell, and sound. She kissed him amorously when he got back into the wagon. She had been so happy to be here. So happy to be alive. But now...
When he arrived at Jonesy's place it was mid-afternoon. He parked in front of the little shop. The closed sign still hung on the door. He went to the back of the building, knocked and opened Jonesy's back door. No one was there. Sitting on top of the radio was an envelope with "Paul" written boldly across the front. Paul picked it up and placed it inside his shirt, and went looking for Jonesy
He found him once again at Ignacio's Pub sitting at the table of card players. Paul tried to read the expressions on Jonesy's face when he looked up and noticed Paul. Was it surprise? Was it fear? Both? Jonesy had every right to be afraid. He waited while Jonesy settled his gambling tab and then was surprised when he bought a round of drinks for the pub including Paul. The patrons cheered! Paul sat down at a table and sipped the beer. They could have their talk here as well as in the cart back to Jai` Doro. The pub was noisy enough. No one would hear what Paul had to say. One last drink with Jonesy. Once they left pub for Jai' Doro, everything would change.
