If he hadn’t feared discovery, he’d have done it too. He’d feared the public humiliation that would follow when others found out what he’d done, but most of all, he feared prison. He’d had nightmares of that scenario since he was only a teen—nightmares that he was locked away and surrounded by big burly men like his father. He couldn’t bear the thought of being helpless. He couldn’t tolerate the idea that, like the children he abused, he’d be unable to fight off his attackers. If not for that worry and fear, he’d have had her that very day. It was the only thing that had stopped him.
After the murder scene was staged, Alec left the small structure to check on Jenny. She already knew. She’d felt it immediately. The long, cold fingers that had sent icicles through her heart, relaxed their grip the moment Bill stopped breathing. This relief was why she’d waited at the windows each afternoon with her mother. This was what she had hoped and prayed for each day…this was the redemption she’d sought. She suddenly wondered if her mother had prayed for it too.
Alec stood silently beside Jenny for some time. At this point, he was no longer the demon monster that Bill had seen. He was only a man. He watched as the child silently wrestled with the knowledge and emotional relief that her tormentor was dead. Children know so much and this child knew a lot. She was pure, in the truest sense of the word, allowing emotional and spiritual messages to penetrate her psychic easily. Still, she was only a frightened little girl and needed assurances. He walked toward her and leaned in to kiss her forehead, his face now aglow with celestial light.
“Your nightmares are over, little dove. Your prayers have been heard. No need to run away now. He won’t hurt you again. Keep your child-eyes open, ma petite columbe, my little dove. Don’t be afraid to see what others refuse to see. God will provide the help needed when the time is right for that gift to be of service to Him. Live a new life free from fear and know that the things that man did were not your fault. It had nothing to do with you. He’d been doing those same things to other little children since he was only a teenager. You are pure goodness and his evil had nothing to do with you at all,” he whispered softly, offering the comfort she desperately needed.
His presence was so gentle and soft that, at first, she thought she’d imagined it. Jenny felt the brush of wings stir the air, tickling her cheek. The kiss sent pleasant electrical tingles through her body. She was no longer cold and fearful, but relieved. She struggled to see him, but the light, directly over her, was too bright. It was like looking into intense sunlight. She raised a hand to shield her eyes. The only thing she could make out through the brilliance was clear blue eyes shining in a sea of light and love.
“You’re an angel!” she breathlessly exclaimed, but before the reality of that had fully settled in, he was gone. She felt him leave as the light dimmed around her. She no longer needed to shade her eyes, but now, there was nothing to see. She repeated the message aloud so that she wouldn’t forget it, “My prayers were answered. Keep my eyes open. It wasn’t my fault. He was evil. The angel said I am pure goodness.”
The reality was shocking and also extremely comforting to the nine year old child. There really was a God and he’d heard her cries and prayers. He’d sent His angel to save her from the monster step-father who had relentlessly tortured her. In doing so, her mother would also be saved. It was almost too good to be true, but the angel said it so it had to be right. Jenny smiled for the first time in a very long while. As she remained standing against the wall, she silently repeated the message again and again, reveling in the significance of the words.
It wasn’t the first time Alec had been called ‘angel’ and it wouldn’t be the last either. He walked away; satisfied that he’d once again saved a child from a lifetime of sexual abuse and torment—and now, even death. The bright, reddish-orange glows of Bill’s aura was extinguished before he was inflamed and incited to either rape or kill the child in his irrational quest to command her.
Chapter 6
When Katie arrived at the corner of St. Ann and Chartres streets, she turned right and then stopped at Pere Antoine Alley. It was where they had agreed to meet before visiting the 1700s church, but Bill and Jenny were nowhere to be seen. A policeman stood there waiting for her instead.
There was a loud buzz in Jackson Square and the officer escorted her to the middle of the scene. There, she saw Jenny sitting on a bench surrounded by policemen. Her heart beat rapidly as she realized that the spell had worked. “Bill is gone!” She silently and joyfully screamed. Someone must’ve found her daughter abandoned in the park and called the police. Relief washed over her and she wanted to laugh at the solution’s simplicity—a black candle, a little acid, and chanting! Santeria was right; it had worked! Even as she enjoyed the reality of such freedom, she grew apprehensive. Bill was overly protective; he wouldn’t have left Jenny alone. Something else was going on.
Soon, after Katie showed her identification to the homicide detective in charge, Jenny rushed into her arms. They hugged for several minutes. That’s when Katie discovered that her husband hadn’t simply left; he was mugged and died during the struggle…beaten to death by his attackers. Her breath caught in her throat and she was choked by fear, instantly blaming herself. She’d caused this…the spell had caused this and it was fast-acting! She’d had no idea it could happen so quickly or that it would result in her husband’s death. Still, there was a part of her that felt liberation even as she was asked to look at the body for identification purposes.
What was left of her husband was already stretched out on a gurney while the parish medical examiner stood by. It was difficult to identify Bill from his face alone—it was both shredded and rearranged, nothing was where it was supposed to be—but she confided that he had a raspberry birthmark on his shoulder. The coroner looked for it and then nodded at Lieutenant Albright. The man on the gurney was Bill Worth. His zipper was open and his penis was exposed for all to see. Unaware that the coroner left each body in the exact state in which it was found until he could make a complete assessment, Katie took a Kleenex from her purse and used it to cover him. She blushed and nodded at the coroner who silently watched her with both admiration and a small bit of amusement.
The body had been discovered by another man with an urgent need to pee. He’d called 9-1-1. When the police arrived, Jenny was still leaning against the block wall of the public restroom where Bill had left her. Enthralled by memories of the angel that had visited her, she wasn’t even aware of the time, but quickly told the officers that she was supposed to meet her mother in only a few minutes.
Now, Lieutenant Albright, the officer in charge, remained silent until both Katie and Jenny were seated on a nearby bench. Then, the questions began in earnest, but those present were already convinced it was merely a mugging. Evidently, Bill Worth had gone to take a leak, leaving his young daughter outside, and was attacked. He probably fought back and ended up dead. The assailants hadn’t even allowed him to put it back in his pants. Some of the officers chuckled about that and made other crass comments. When they caught Albright’s stern looks, they quieted down and got back to work. Still, innuendo passed among them as they discussed the murder.
“His face was shredded,” a police officer said, causing Katie to once again remember the picture doused in acid and set ablaze.
“Did you see anyone go in the restroom after your father went inside?” Albright asked as he leaned over Jenny with his notepad out and open, pen poised to take down what she said.
“I didn’t see anyone go in. I saw someone come out,” Jenny replied thoughtfully. “At least, I think he came out, but he could have already been outside.”
“Why did you notice him? Did he talk to you?”
“He told me that my prayers had been answered,” Jenny said calmly.
“Great! So, one of the nutcases roaming our streets came up to you with a message. Sounds about right. I’d venture to say that this has nothing to do with your father’s death. We have wackos all over the c
ity giving out prophecies and messages. They approach anyone that’ll lend them an ear or a dollar. Did he ask you for money?”
“Speaking of ears, the victims were nearly ripped off his head,” an officer muttered to those nearby before he chuckled.
“No, the message was for me,” Jenny replied firmly.
“Did you see anyone else?” Albright asked, ignoring both comments.
“No, only him. No one else was around,” Jenny said softly before adding, “Until the other man went in and found him…the one that called you.”
“It’s still early. Most folks are probably still in bed, recovering from their Friday night parties. What did the first man look like? Maybe, he saw something. Give us a description and I’ll send some guys to look for him.”
“You won’t find him,” Jenny said matter-of-factly.
“What makes you say that?”
“Because he left as soon as he gave me the message,” Jenny replied unyieldingly.
“I’d still like to know what he looks like.”
“His face was bright…He was light…I felt his wings touch my face,” Jenny replied hesitantly, halting between each sentence.
“And, this light-man with wings was the only one around? Sounds like a costume or something. No festivals today,” Albright mumbled to himself before turning to one of his men. “Deters, notify the patrolmen in the area to look for anyone wearing a costume with lights or wings,” the detective barked out instructions before returning his attention to Jenny.
Joseph Albright was a hard, seasoned fifteen-year veteran of the New Orleans Police Department. At thirty-seven, he’d seen too much in the course of his career to let much of anything disturb his calm, business-as-usual, demeanor. He’d become a die-hard cynic and sifted through witness statements, looking only for facts. It did occur to him, however, that if only one person was around, he could either be the killer or had seen the killer. “Tell me what he looked like again.”
“His face was bright and he had the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen. A bright light surrounded him. He had wings because I felt the feathers touch my face,” Jenny repeated her description more confidently.
“You’re describing an angel, kid…Are you saying an angel killed your daddy?” the detective asked sarcastically as laughter erupted among the other officers.
“He was my step-father and I hated him!” Jenny screamed out, realizing the gravity of the situation. She wouldn’t place blame on the angel even though he was the only one she’d seen. He’d been the answer to her prayers and pleas and she didn’t want any harm to come to him. “Besides, I didn’t say he killed my step-father, only that he stopped him.”
“Well, honey, we don’t get many angels in Nawlins. We got the Nawlins Saints, but there’s a shortage of angels around. Maybe, this angel was from California,” Albright mocked. Laughter once more rumbled through the troops. Katie glared heatedly at the detective.
“It was an angel, I tell you! He told me my prayers were answered,” Jenny insistently repeated again and again.
“What prayers would that be, boo?” one of the kinder policemen finally asked in a gentle voice.
“I prayed that he’d stop touching me and making me touch him. Now, he won’t ever do it again! The angel stopped him!” Jenny wailed.
Katie stiffened beside her daughter. She’d known there was something wrong with her husband, but her eyes were blind to the fact that he hid something as dark and evil as this. She’d never guessed he was molesting Jenny. “He did this to her right under my nose,” Katie silently acknowledged with shock, anger, and a taste for revenge. She was now glad she’d gone to the voodoo shop to put an end to him. The truth washed over her like an ice bath—accepting that truth was the next step in her awakening. She wrapped her arms around her daughter, holding her close.
“Oh, my sweet girl. My sweet, precious girl! I’m so sorry. I never knew,” she whispered.
“F’sho!” the officer who had asked the question replied loudly and then shook his head back and forth while rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He finally got the gist of what Jenny had said. Her step-father was a pervert. “Yeah you right! He won’t be touching no other lil’ children.”
“Well, dawlin from the looks of it, there was more than one attacker. I don’t see how one guy alone could do the damage done to your father,” Albright said, pushing ahead and ignoring everything else. He used the same tactics with Jenny that he used when interrogating adults and it wasn’t working well for him at the moment.
“He was my step-father!” Jenny shrilly repeated, visibly upset, her face white with determination.
“Sorry, kid. I don’t see how one assailant could do that much damage. Your step-father was badly beaten. Some of his injuries look as if he was thrown from above or picked up and slammed down from above. It would make the assailant eight feet tall and incredibly strong. It just doesn’t make any sense…according to our coroner, he had more than one cause of death.”
“Maybe, someone else was already in there,” Jenny quietly suggested, hoping to turn the investigation away from her angel.
“The restroom was empty when he was found. Where were you this morning, Mrs. Worth?” Lieutenant Albright turned his attention to Katie.
“We had breakfast as a family at Café du Monde. Bill and Jenny came to the park while I walked down St. Ann to Bourbon Street to do a little window shopping. I was only gone an hour. We had plans to meet at St Louis Cathedral afterwards…I had no idea,” Katie explained nervously.
“Can anyone verify your whereabouts?”
“Surely, you don’t think I had anything to do with this!” she replied in amazement. She was also frightened and her heart raced wildly from all she’d just learned about her husband.
“We have to rule out all possibilities, Mrs. Worth. It’s better to get it out of the way. There’s been many a woman who wanted her husband dead after she discovered him either cheating or doing something this despicable. Where were you?”
“As I said, I walked down St. Ann to Bourbon. I bought this candle while at Marie Laveau’s,” Katie said as she pulled the small shopping bag from her purse.
“Looks like you paid for a candle and a session. Since that’s the case, you’re in the clear. I understand those can take a while,” Albright said as he looked at the receipt’s time stamp.
He dismissed Katie as a suspect or having anything worthwhile to add to the investigation. He was frustrated that a man, even one as sick as Bill Worth, had been beaten so severely while no one saw or heard a thing. “Just another fucking day in Nawlins,” he silently cursed. No one ever wanted to get involved. The man had a broken neck, and a myriad of other causes that could have killed him. That had to make some noise.
“Well, if you didn’t see anyone else, did you hear anything?” Albright asked the young witness, hoping to get some kind of lead or clue to follow.
“I only heard loud thunder and music,” Jenny replied.
“Deters, Bright here,” he called through a radio. “Pull in anyone with a large jam box, too.”
“It wasn’t that kind of music,” Jenny said.
“Then, what kind of music was it?”
“Nothing like I’ve ever heard before…beautiful…I don’t know how to describe it,” Jenny said. She began to cry as she recalled the sounds that had touched her soul earlier.
Once the officers turned away to speak to the coroner again and repeat a canvass for witnesses, Jenny continued to cry softly into her hands. She felt deeply remorseful that she’d caused someone’s death, even someone as wicked and evil as Bill, but she was also glad that he would never touch her again. She was happy the angel had stopped him. She reminded herself that the angel said it wasn’t her fault, but still, she wrestled with the enormity of her feelings…both the relief and guilt. She blamed herself.
“I prayed for this. I prayed he’d stop and God answered my prayers. He sent the angel to stop him. The angel saved me! The angel said it wasn’t my f
ault…that he’d been hurting children for a long time, but I can’t help feeling that it’s my fault, Mommy,” she whispered fervently, hoping none of the officers would overhear.
“No-no, shush-shush, my sweet girl. It’s not your fault. I prayed too. I didn’t even know what I was praying for, but I prayed that he would leave because I was too weak and afraid to leave him. And now, he has. He’s gone. When we get home, we’ll have a nice cup of hot cocoa and talk about all of it once we’re alone,” Katie murmured softly in response.
The last step to recovery fell into place as she too accepted that they were both innocent. Bill had made choices and paid the consequences. In reality, Jenny’s prayers and her trip to Marie Laveau’s had nothing to do with his sentence. Someone much bigger than either one of them had meted out that punishment. He was a loathsome, appalling man and had gotten exactly what he deserved.
Jenny looked up at her mother to find that her eyes were clear green. The beautiful orbs were no longer clouded by the ugly, brown splotches of mucus that had once obscured her vision. Accepting the reality of Bill Worth had removed the last strands of the slimy secretion from her sight. They hugged each other tightly, knowing that the misery both had suffered for the last several years was over. Katie was actually already looking forward to starting a new life with her daughter. She felt as if heavy chains had fallen away and the freedom was delicious. It was all she could do to keep from smiling.
After the initial interrogation and Jenny’s statement was redacted, Lieutenant Albright gave Katie his card. He suggested that she go home and call if anything else came to mind. Katie studied the card for some time, feeling helpless and frozen in place.
“What do I do next?” she finally asked, looking at the dead body that was still lying on the gurney. A slight breeze had blown away the Kleenex, but now it didn’t bother her. It was an outward symbol of his abhorrent deeds. He’d been exposed for what he truly was.
Crescent City (An Alec Winters Series Book 1) Page 3
