Jewel of Inanna (Perils of a Pagan Priestess Book 1)

by Hannah Desmond

  Sabine spoke with a gentle voice, “Jolene spoke to you about having James hypnotize you. Accessing your deep subconscious mind could reveal a hidden clue, something you have forgotten or missed.”

  “Yes, I’m going to take James up on the offer for a hypnosis session. I hope it reveals a clue to where she has gone. I don’t want to get my hopes up and be disappointed.”

  “Hypnotic recall or not,” Claude said, taking her hand, “I promised I would help you find her and I meant it. Hiring a private investigator, would be the quickest way.”

  Lucky nodded his head, “I’m in, I can help with the payment for a private eye.”

  Sabine spoke up, “I’m in too. I’ll be glad to help with the finances and anything else you need.”

  Lilly looked at their serious faces and had to smile, “I can’t believe we’re sitting around talking about hiring a private investigator, it’s so film noir.”

  Madeline giggled, Claude ignored her and said decisively, “Film noir or not, we are going to search for Pearl.” The friends all nodded in agreement.

  ~

  The moon had risen above the rooftops when the phone rang in Lilly’s apartment. “Hello, Lilly, it’s James. Are you up to exploring some things through hypnotic trance this evening?” She agreed, threw a sweater over her shoulders, and made her way down the stairs and across the courtyard.

  The temple was dimly lit with one candle burning on a low table. James instructed her to lie comfortably on the velvet cushions. He put a light blanket over her and casually suggested she relax.

  He sat on a cushion beside her and his gentle, melodic voice guided her attention to the top of her head, “Lilly, you become aware of a wave of relaxation at the top of your head. As the wave of relaxation moves over your head, you feel the muscles in your scalp release and relax. The relaxing wave moves over your forehead and all the muscles relax, all furrows and lines of concern melt away in the wave of relaxation. As the wave moves over your eyes, allow all the tiny muscles in your eyes to relax, feel your eyes sinking into the eye sockets as you relax. Your eyelids are feeling so heavy you cannot keep your eyes open...you may try to open your eyes, you will find they are so relaxed, so heavy you cannot manage to open them.

  Allowing the wave of relaxation to do its work, Lilly’s body lay limp and relaxed within minutes. Her mind was focused on James’s voice as he led her awareness back through the years.

  “Lilly, you are with your Aunt Pearl. It is the last time you see her. Tell me how old you are and where you are.”

  “It is summer, I’m fourteen. I’m with my Aunt Pearl for my summer visit at her house in Abita Springs.”

  “Is your Aunt Pearl in good health?”

  “Yes.”

  “At any time during your summer visit does Aunt Pearl mention leaving her home permanently?”

  James waited patiently as Lilly lay still and quiet for several minutes.

  “No, we are making plans for my visit during Christmas vacation.”

  “When did you leave Aunt Pearl’s house for the last time?

  There was another long pause and James saw tears running from the corner of Lilly’s eyes.

  “My Mama and Rex come to pick me up in the middle of August. I don’t want to leave.”

  “Why Lilly, why don’t you want to leave?”

  “Being with Aunt Pearl is my true home.”

  “What happens when your Mama and Rex arrive?”

  “I am begging Rex and Mama to let me stay, live with Aunt Pearl and go to school in Abita Springs. They are angry. Mama gives me her mean look. Rex grabs my arm and drags me to the car.”

  “What happens when you left Aunt Pearl’s house? Are you on the trip back to your parent’s house?”

  “Yes, I am sitting in the back seat of the car crying. I am angry with Mama and Rex. I hate them. I...I...am afraid. I have felt the sting of Rex’s leather strap and I don’t want any more of it. I am sad. I lay back and watched the stars through the back window of the car.”

  “Do Rex or your mother say anything to you or each other?”

  “Yes, they think I’m asleep. I’m not and I hear them talking.”

  “What are they saying?”

  “Rex is angry and he says, ‘This has got to end, I don’t want her around Pearl again.’ Mama shushes him and whispers, ‘She loves Pearl. She would never agree to not seeing her again. We will have one hell of a rebellious teenager on our hands if you try such tactics.’ Rex makes a nasty snorting sound. His voice is cruel, ‘Not if Pearl were dead.’ Mama gasps. I can hear the fear in her voice as she tells Rex, “That is not going to happen!” Rex nods his head, ‘No, but Lilly will think it did.’“

  “When you get to your home in LaPoint, do your mother or Rex mention Aunt Pearl again?”

  Lilly was quiet for several minutes as her mind traveled through time.

  “Where are you now, Lilly?”

  “I’m in my bedroom. Mama comes in and tells me Aunt Pearl has died suddenly of a heart attack. I start to cry. Mama says, ‘She didn’t suffer and she died in her garden.’ ‘I don’t believe you!’ I scream. I couldn’t stop screaming. Rex came into my room, removing his belt. He was hitting me and bellowing about respecting my mama.” Lilly was shaking and crying. James gently lead her away from the memories of abuse into a relaxed and peaceful place.

  “In the following years, did you hear your mother or Rex mention Aunt Pearl?”

  “No.”

  “Have you ever returned to her home in Abita Springs, and if so, when?”

  “Yes, the spring after I got my driver’s license I took mama’s car and drove to Aunt Pearl’s house. It was empty and looked as if it had been empty for a long time. The garden was overgrown with weeds. The kumquat tree was heavy with fruit and leaning over the tall fence near the garden.” Her body tensed as she struggled with emotion. James spoke calmly, bringing her gently back.

  “In a few minutes you will come back into your normal waking awareness. You will remember all conversations, insights and scenes you accessed during this session. You will feel calm and grateful. You now have useful information concerning your Aunt Pearl.”

  Lilly opened her eyes, took a deep breath and sat up. She looked at James with tears in her eyes, “I always thought they lied to me. Now I know, with certainty, they did. She didn’t die.”

  James agreed “Yes, it was a ruse to keep you away from her. Your Aunt’s power and her loving heart threatened their need to control.”

  “You’re right, James. I still don’t know why she agreed to disappear but I am going to find her.”

  Chapter 46

  Psychic P.I.

  The next evening Claude knocked on Lilly’s door. He had the thick New Orleans Yellow Pages in his hand. “Let’s find a private eye, ok?” Lilly brought the phone with its long cord from her bedroom and sat next to Claude on the couch. Claude ran his finger down the lists of Private Investigators. He stopped suddenly and exclaimed, “Here he is!”

  “Which one,”

  “This guy here, Vic Benton, Psychic P.I.”

  Lilly sat back on the couch and laughed, “A Psychic P.I.? I didn’t know such a person existed.”

  “One way to find out,” Claude said as he picked up the receiver and dialed Vick Benton’s phone number.

  ~

  Vic Benton Psychic P.I.’s office was located on the wrong end of Magazine Street above a junk shop next to a dive bar. Lilly knocked timidly on the frosted glass door. Claude and Lucky stood on either side of her. A strong voice, invited them in. They introduced themselves and sat on wooden chairs in front of Vic’s battered desk. Immediately Vic’s attention focused on Lilly. “You are the one searching for a relative, correct?”

  Lilly nodded and decided to say nothing more. Let’s see how much he can read without my giving him a verbal clue, she said to herself.

  “It is a female relative, someone who’s been missing for many years
,” Vic said with a note of inquiry at the end of his statement. Lilly nodded. Vic leaned back in his chair, smiled and said, “So, tell me everything you know and I will see how I can help you.”

  Lilly spent the next few minutes telling him the story of her Aunt Pearl. She finished with her visit to the empty house in Abita Springs.

  Vic took notes as she spoke. After she had shared her story, he had a barrage of questions. “Do you know her birthdate? Was she married, was McAllen her married name? Does she have children?”

  Lilly answered the questions easily. “Aunt Pearl was my father’s sister so her birth name was LaCouer, the same as mine. Her married name had been McAllen. Her birth date was June 9. She and Uncle Liam had a son, Evan, who is grown, in his thirties by now. He didn’t live closeby. We saw him on Christmas and other holidays. I have no idea where he lives.

  What type of person was Pearl? Did she have a lot of friends? What were her interests?

  “My Aunt Pearl was a healer, gardener and herbalist. Everyone loved her. She had lots of friends. I have spoken with her neighbors and friends and no one knows where she went.”

  Vic rocked back in his office chair and nodded. He closed his eyes and Lilly saw him sigh deeply. She thought he had drifted off to sleep when he sat up and spoke, “I’m seeing mountains when you speak of her and her son. Her husband has passed away?” Lilly nodded. “Do you know if your Aunt Pearl or her son had any relatives or friends in the mountains?”

  “Oh,” Lilly said sitting up straight, “she did have a friend in the mountains. They spoke on the phone sometime. Aunt Pearl often said she would like to go visit her. I don’t remember her name.”

  Vic took out an empty folder and wrote Pearl McAllen on the tab. He looked at Lilly and quoted his fee. Lucky reached in his pocket, pulled out his checkbook and made a generous deposit to Mr. Benton. Taking the check he responded, “Thank you, I’ll be in touch, I have your number.”

  Lucky, Lilly and Claude were smiling broadly as they came out into the late winter sunshine on Magazine Street. “Let’s celebrate,” Lucky said. Soon they were in the van headed to the West End for lunch at Fitzgerald’s.

  A week passed and Lilly had to restrain from calling Vic Benton again to inquire about the investigation. Sabine, Jolene and James urged her to be patient and visualize a positive outcome. Easier said than done, was her inner response.

  Several weeks passed. Lilly was working in the shop, silently worrying that Lucky had paid Vic Benton for nothing. She was waiting on a customer when the door between the shop and Jolene’s kitchen opened. She heard Lucky talking in excited tones. Her hands shook as she hurriedly wrapped her costumers newly purchased crystal ball, placed in a box and collected payment. “Of all the times to have a chatty customer,” Lilly thought, as the young woman lingered, obviously wanting to talk. Lilly walked to the front door of the shop, opened it and had to refrain from tossing the girl out. “Thanks for coming in,” she said politely signaling the young woman it was time to go. She locked the door as soon as her customer walked through the door. Turning back into the shop, Lilly could hear more voices coming from Jolene’s kitchen. She ran through the store into the kitchen to see what the excitement was all about.

  “Ah, Lilly, I have good news! Our P.I. appears have a lead on your Aunt Pearl. He has located a woman living in North Carolina who may be your Aunt. I don’t want you to get your hopes up too much, but this sounds like a good lead.”

  Lilly returned Lucky’s penetrating gaze, “How did he find her? What did he learn? When will we know if it is her?”

  “The first thing Benton did was check with utility companies in every state with mountains. He used Pearl’s name and her son’s name. The name P.V. McAllen pops up in Western North Carolina for electricity and gas. He checked with the public libraries. In Asheville NC there is a library card issued from the Haw Creek library to P.V. McAllen. According to Vic this confirms his findings. The utility bills give us the exact address.”

  “Vic gave me the phone number he got from the Bell Telephone people in Asheville. He can call her, or you can call her, or we can pay him to go to North Carolina and see if it is her.”

  Lilly grabbed the piece of paper Lucky was holding and ran to the phone next to the cash register in the shop. She quickly dialed the number and held her breath as she heard it ringing. It rang ten times and she was about to hang up when a breathless voice answered, “Oh, hello.”

  Lilly’s hand shook and dropped the receiver. Lucky, standing next to her, caught it and put it to his ear. The breathless voice repeated, “Hello, hello?”

  Lucky took a breath and began, “Mam, I’m sorry to disturb your afternoon, but I have a friend with me who has been looking for her aunt for sometime. Her aunt’s name is Pearl. Do you know her or possibly are you Pearl from Abita Springs, Louisiana.

  Dead air from the other end of the line. Lucky heard the phone hit the floor in North Carolina. After a few moments, the breathless voice spoke. “Yes, it is me. What is the young ladies name?”

  Lucky smiled, “I’ll let you talk to her and she can tell you herself.”

  Lilly spoke through tears, “Aunt Pearl, it’s me, Lilly.”

  The phone at Panthea’s Pantry was tied up for a solid hour as Lilly and Pearl caught up on each other’s lives. Exhausting the basic information Lilly exclaimed, “Aunt Pearl, I need you here.”

  Without hesitation, Pearl declared, “I’m coming. I will catch the first flight I can. Give me your number so I can let you know my arrival time.”

  Lilly hung up the phone shaking her head. “I can’t believe it! After all these years, she is on the phone. She will be here soon, maybe tomorrow or the next day.”

  Throwing her arms around Lucky, she thanked him, took his hand and ran up to Claude’s apartment to give him the good news.

  Once they had toasted their success with cold bottles of Dixie 45, Lilly called Vic Benton to tell him the good news and thank him. “If it weren’t for your psychic abilities, we would never have found her. The simple fact you saw mountains made all the difference. I am going to spread the word about your talent Mr. Benton. You deserve a much nicer office and I hope to see you get it.”

  ~

  When the shop closed, Lilly joined Lucky, Claude and Madeline for dinner in Lucky’s apartment. After dinner Lucky brought out a bottle of champagne, filled glasses for everyone and raised his glass, “A toast to Vic Benton, Psychic P.I.”

  When the champagne glasses were filled for the second time, Lilly raised her glass, “A toast to my friends, I am grateful for your assistance.”

  The group clinked their glasses together. Claude spoke up, “We love you Lilly and we were happy to help.” Everyone clinked glasses again.

  When the second bottle of champagne was opened, Lilly thanked Lucky for the dinner, hugged her friends and returned to her apartment. She wanted some quiet time to process the wonderful turn her life had taken.

  She sat before the altar beside her bed. Lighting a new white candle, she thanked her guardians, guides and ancestors. She knew their assistance had played a part in leading her to Vic Benton and locating Aunt Pearl quickly.

  The only heaviness in her heart, as she sat in gratitude, was the missing piece traveling with Roland. She wished he was here to celebrate with her and meet Aunt Pearl when she got off the plane.

  Extinguishing the candles on her altar, Lilly climbed into bed, turned off the bedside lamp, curled around her pillow and closed her eyes. The sound of Roland’s mandolin and his loving voice filled her mind as she remembered his song to her, “Moonlight falls on a red heart candle...” She drifted to sleep with his song in her heart.

  Chapter 47

  A Pearl Beyond Price

  The sun was rising, as Lilly awoke to a persistent tapping on her front door. “What the dickens?” she thought, as she tied her pink fuzzy robe around her. Peaking through the fish eye on the front door, she squealed, threw open the door
and flew into Roland’s arms. “Now, everything is perfect!” she said.

  The phone next to Lilly’s bed rang at 8:30AM. Roland was closest to the phone and grabbed blindly for it. “Hello,” he said sleepily.

  “Uh, hello. A reticent voice spoke from the other end of the line, I am calling for my niece, Lilly. Is this her number?”

  Roland sat up perfectly straight, shaking Lilly gently, he responded, “Yes, yes it is. Here she is.”

  Lilly shook her curls out of her eyes and took the phone. “Hi, this is Lilly,” she said in the most alert voice she could muster.

  “Lilly, this is Aunt Pearl. My flight is arriving at 3:17 this afternoon. Shall I take a cab to your apartment?”

  “No, no! No way you are going to take a cab. I’m going to be there to pick you up. “Lilly hung up the phone and bounded out of bed. “She will be here this afternoon! I have to talk with Lucky. I want to borrow his van to go pick her up at the airport.”

  Roland sat up, “Why borrow it? Why not get him to drive us out there?”

  Lilly shook her head, “I don’t want to arrive with a posse. It has been more than ten years since I have seen her. I want her to myself for a while.”

  “So, are you going to drive the van or do you want me to come along?”

  Tilting her head and grinning she jumped back onto the bed and into his arms, “Hell yea! You are coming. I’m not letting you or Aunt Pearl out of my sight!”

  Roland laughed, tumbled Lilly over onto the other side of the bed and rolled with her, landing on top. “She’s not getting here until this afternoon. For now, you are mine alone.” He kissed her and Lilly threw her arms around him. A few moments later her legs circled his body.

  Their love making was swift and passionate. They fell asleep curled together and awoke again for lingering kisses and more slow, deliberate love making. It was noon when they climbed into the shower together.

  Lilly called Lucky on the phone and arranged to use his van, while Roland made coffee and heated up two croissants.