“What golden apple?” Jacques asked from his place by the entry.
“You’ve never heard of the apple of discord either?” Eros noticed Jonathan’s irritation and sighed. “It sparked the Trojan War.”
“I have read the story,” Jessie said from the bottom of the stairs.
“My darling, I did not hear you come down.” Jacques greeted his wife. “We have had the most informative evening, oui?” He looked to the others. “This is Cupid-eh-Eros, Jonathan and Amber’s son.”
Jessie looked shocked.
“From a past life,” he added while Jonathan sighed. He then looked at Eros and asked, “Does this apple have some writing on it by any chance that says, to the most beautiful?”
“Yes!” Eros nodded excitedly. “So you have heard of it!”
“Heard of it?” Jacques chuckled. “I own it . . . or did.” He looked at their surprised faces. “I told you my treasure was not nothing, oui!”
“You have the apple of discord?” Jonathan asked.
“The golden apple of discord,” Jacques corrected. “And, yes. I took it off a Spanish galleon. It was in the Captain’s private collection.”
“So you really are the ghost pirate that Agnes claimed you were,” Amber said.
“She told you?” Jacques sighed. “I am going to have to have a talk with her.”
“You know . . . giving the apple to Hera would go a long way in healing that wound,” Eros said.
“I would love to,” Jacques said. “But alas, I cannot.” He threw up his hand. “Bancroft hid my treasure, and then Agnes’s lost love stole it from there.”
“You know,” Jessie said, “it did occur to me that if Agnes was the children’s nanny and her lover lived in lodgings nearby, perhaps he was the gardener. Is there a record of employees?”
“My mother would probably know,” Jonathan said.
“Hera?” Eros asked. “I doubt it. . . . Oh, you mean the other one.”
“I came down to see what was taking you so long,” Jessie said. “Now I know.” She walked over to Amber who looked like she was in shock. “How are you doing with all this? You look a little stunned.”
Amber nodded. “I am.”
Jonathan stood up, giving Jessie his seat, and went to stand by Amber. “Why don’t you get some sleep?” Just as he said it, Kisses jumped up in Eros’s lap.
Muff, muff.
“Hey, Kiss,” he said.
“You know this demon?” Jacques asked him.
“Of course,” Eros said. “She’s my cat. . . . Hello . . . Kisses?” From his expression it should have been obvious.
Amber sighed, looking at the pair. “I have had her forever. I just don’t recall the beginning.”
Jonathan placed his hand on her shoulder. “It’s a lot to absorb.”
She placed her hand on top of his and tilted her cheek toward it.
“So you finally believe me?” Eros asked excitedly.
“I didn’t say that,” Jonathan said. He watched Jessie yawn and then Amber and then the cat.
“You ladies may want to get some sleep.” He closed his hand around Amber’s as he spoke. “I have a diary to retrieve.”
“I’m not sleepy,” Amber said as Jessie yawned again. “I would very much like to come with you to get it.”
Jonathan looked down into her eyes and realized that if he went anywhere with her that night, he may do something he or she may regret, and he didn’t want that with her. He wanted whatever happened to be because it was right, not be induced by a drug. He looked back at Jacques. “I may need your expertise with this.”
“If Jacques is going, I am going,” Jessie said. “There is no way I could actually sleep with all this going on.”
“Then we shall all go, oui?” Jacques offered up the solution.
“Where are we going?” Eros asked.
“To steal back the diary of a ghost,” Jacques said.
“This ought to be good,” Eros said.
“I don’t think you should go with us,” Jonathan said.
“You’re right. I should get my arrows and go.” Eros stood up.
“I’ve changed my mind,” Jonathan said. “I think I need you where I can keep an eye on you.” He looked around the group. “There is already one little problem.”
“What is that?” Jacques asked.
“My truck is out of commission until I get more lights.” He looked at Amber. “Your car is totaled,” then to Jacques, “and you don’t have a car.”
“I have the Fiat,” Jessie said as she took a head count. “I see what you mean.”
“I’m going to borrow my mother’s car,” Jonathan said. “I will meet everyone outside in five minutes.”
The gold Cadillac rolled out of the driveway with its lights off. Jonathan started the engine at the end of the driveway and motioned for everyone to get in. Amber and Jessie had both changed clothes.
Amber, Jonathan noticed, was in the same dark pants and sweater that she’d worn the night before, only this time when she walked, she did so with a feline grace that held him entranced. “No duck walk there.”
Jacques appeared next to him in the passenger side. “There’s a duck?” He looked out with avid curiosity as the girls and Eros climbed in back.
“It was a figure of speech,” Jonathan said, hoping to drop it. “Ready?” he asked.
“Oui,” Jacques said. “Nothing like a nice family outing I always say.”
“To carry out our nefarious plans,” Jessie added.
“Perhaps this is not a good example to be setting for Jr.” Jacques tipped his head toward the back where Eros sat.
“You mean the hoodlum in back that shoots arrows at people in the park?” Jonathan asked in surprise.
“I should stay home and babysit my grandson,” Jacques said. “He needs a good role model.”
Jonathan looked at Amber through the rear view mirror and realized the dangers of being left in this car alone with her. He was afraid he would attempt to kiss her again. “No, wait,” he said looking at Jacques. “I need you here because of the thing,” he said softly, using his eyes to express his quandary.
“Oh, oui,” Jacques said, nodding in understanding.
Jonathan turned around and looked at the young man who was seated in the middle of the car between the girls. “This book was stolen, and we are merely retuning it to its rightful owner. So don’t get any ideas about leading a life of crime.” He looked back at Jacques. “Are we good now?”
Jacques lifted his hands. “That is the extent of your parenting skills?” He sighed. “I should have been a better Grandfather, but I didn’t know.”
“That’s okay. At least you were there sort of,” Jonathan said as he pulled out of the driveway. “Apparently, my real father left me to reside in Mt Olympus.”
“He had to,” Eros said. “Hera would have been very mad if he had stayed.”
“Tell me about this Hera,” Jacques said. “Why do you think she is behind this?”
“It all started when Zeus held a wedding banquet for Peleus and Thetis.”
“Who?” Jacques asked while Jonathan shrugged.
“They are the parents of Achilles,” Eros explained.
“I have heard of him!” Jacques said excitedly.
“Zeus,” Eros said, “however, neglected to invite the goddess Eris to the festivities.”
“Why?” Jonathan asked.
“She is a party pooper, oui?” Jacques asked.
“She is the goddess of strife and discord,” Jessie supplied.
“Ah—the ultimate party pooper!” Jacques nodded in understanding.
“So she is not the life of the party,” Jonathan said as they pulled up to the curb outside the condos where Patricia lived. “So what?”
“Out of spite,” Eros said, “she plucked a golden apple from the Garden of the Hesperides and inscribed on it THI KAΛΛΙΣTHI, which as you know means to the fairest.”
“I had no idea that the golden appl
e I once held in my hands held such a tale,” Jacques said.
“She then threw it into the midst of the dancers,” Eros said, indicating that it was a horrendous offense.
“Not the worst crime I’ve ever heard of,” Jonathan said.
“It fueled dispute which erupted between Hera, Athena and Aphrodite that threatened to disrupt heaven and hell is all.” Everyone looked at Amber.
“I’m beginning to see why I chose to forget,” Amber said. “It doesn’t sound like I was a very nice person.”
“Mom, how can you say that?” Eros asked. “You were the most beloved of all the goddesses. It broke everyone’s heart the day you walked into the ocean and disappeared.”
“And dysfunctional to boot.” Amber cringed in embarrassment.
Jonathan started to chuckle. “I wouldn’t take to heart the story of this one.”
“You still doubt me?” Eros asked. “Even though I changed into a cherub when you two kissed?”
“You kissed?” Jessie asked with a big smile.
“You know you could learn a few things from the god of subtly,” Jonathan said.
“We really don’t have one of those,” Eros said.
“No surprise there,” Jonathan murmured.
“There is Kirke, who wove language itself into her golden hair, but she is more of a sorceress really and likes to turn people into pigs. We don’t really get along,” Eros said. “I much prefer the nine muses, though they are hardly subtle.” He laughed.
“What about a bit of silence and not shooting arrows at women in the park?”
Eros folded his arms and sat sullenly, refusing to say more.
“There is a god,” Jonathan said with just a tad of sarcasm.
“Going back to my golden apple,” Jacques said. “What happened?”
“I remember the tale from my college days,” Jessie said. “Zeus was asked to mediate,” she continued, enjoying the telling of the story. “Placed in such an awkward position of choosing between his wife, his daughter, and Aphrodite, he nominated the mortal, Paris, who was the prince of Troy, to judge. At the time he was considered the most beautiful of mortal men.”
“Beautiful?” Jacques questioned. “Beautiful manly or pretty in a metro sexual way?”
Jonathan looked at him and rolled his eyes. “Does that matter?”
“It may,” Jacques said. “Why are you so grumpy . . . Oh, it is that thing?”
“What thing?” Jessie asked.
“Now I see where the cherub gets it from,” Jonathan said, indicating the kid in back.
Jacques winked at Eros with a grin, “I am your grandpapa, oui?”
“Jacques really is your grandfather?” Amber asked.
“No,” Jonathan said.
“I’m actually his great-great-great-great grandpa, oui?” Jacques asked.
“Zeus is his father,” Eros said.
“We are here . . . finally!” Jonathan sighed while pointing to the corner unit with the lights on in the back. He’d parked a few units down the street, and there was a bush in front of the car that hindered a direct view.
“It looks like she is still up,” Jacques said.
“I’ll go see,” Jonathan said. “You,” he looked at everyone, “stay here.”
They watched as he got out and walked toward the window and peeked inside.
“Again?” Jessie said. “Why don’t we just ask her for it?”
“The book is on her nightstand,” Jonathan said when he came back to the car, “but, ah—she’s still up.”
Jessie pulled out her phone and pushed some buttons.
“Um—” he started, but was cut off.
“Patricia? Hi, it’s me, Jessie. Today when you were at the library you picked up a book by accident, and I was wondering if I could come by and pick it up. . . . Yes, I know it’s late. . . . Oh—!” She hung up the phone.
“Well?” Jonathan asked.
“She says if you want it you should have the, um . . . gumption to call and come and get it,” Jessie said.
“Gumption, huh?” Jonathan sighed.
“More or less,” Jessie said. “It was worth a try.”
“All right.” Jonathan looked at his watch. “I’ll come over and get it, although it might look a little weird if I just show up a second later.” He got back into the car and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel while he waited.
“What about this Paris, metro sexual?” Jacques asked as they waited. “What happened next?”
“I still can’t believe you’ve never heard of the Judgment of Paris,” Eros said. “It started the Trojan War.”
“I have heard of the war. Tell me the story,” Jacques said.
“Well, the goddesses all bribed him to gain his favor,” Eros said.
“Of course,” Jacques said.
Jonathan watched Amber in the rear view mirror as she put her hand over her mouth and looked absolutely mortified.
“Hera offered to make him king of Europe and Asia. Athena offered wisdom and war skills, and Aphrodite offered the most beautiful mortal woman in the world for his wife.” He, of course, gave Aphrodite the golden apple, earning Hera and Athena’s enmity, and selected Helen of Sparta to be his wife, even though she was already married.”
“I must have really been an idiot,” Amber said.
“C’mon,” Jonathan said, getting out of the car. He opened her door and said, “Let’s go for a little walk while we wait.” He held out his hand. “Fresh air is good for us.”
“Is it safe? What about that other man that Eros saw earlier?” Amber asked.
“I know exactly where he is,” Jonathan said, rubbing his ear. “Patricia is not exactly alone.”
“Oh,” Amber said.
“We’ll just take a stroll around the block—”
“Ahem,” Jacques cleared his throat, pointing toward the condo, “too late.”
“Hide,” Jonathan said to everyone. Amber slipped back into the back seat and ducked down with the others while Jacques disappeared altogether.
“You can’t come in,” Patricia said as she approached the car. “And stop trying to get Jessie to sweeten me up so I’ll take you back. That’s too low, even for you.”
Jonathan rubbed his neck and sighed.
“How long have you been here?” Patricia asked suspiciously when she noticed the gold Cadillac’s fogged windows.
As she walked toward the car, he stepped in front of her. “You should know that the diary you took today is one of the library’s most valuable books, and if you don’t return it, there could be a large fine.”
Patricia rolled her eyes. Watching her as she stood outside in her light robe with the light showing right through it, he was relieved that he felt nothing. In fact, he found her repulsive . . . revolting even. She, however, noticed how his gaze swept over her form.
“If you’d like, we could have breakfast and talk about it.” She stepped at little closer.
Jonathan couldn’t believe how even though she had company, she was still coming on to him. How could I have ever been duped by her? He wondered. “I just came by for the diary,” he said as a car door slammed behind them.
“What was that?” she asked. “Do you have someone with you?”
Jonathan rubbed his ear, noticing how her screen door opened by itself and then her door. He stepped away from her. Great! Now I’m going to have to stall her for time! “Nope. . . . Do you?”
“No,” she said, almost offended.
“Maybe I could just look around really quickly then?” Jonathan asked, knowing that she’d refuse. “It could have dropped into your purse without you even knowing.”
Chapter 13
Jacques crept into the bedroom where Joe the fish was lying back in the bed and smoking a cigarette.
“Is that you, hot cakes?” he called out and then watched as the door slightly swung open on its own. He reached over, placed his smoke on the nightstand, and picked up his 9mm.
Jacques waited next
to the burning cigarette holding his nose while Joe the fish got his shorts on and walked out into the living room area. Jacques grabbed the book and was about to put it into his jacket when Joe ran back into the room and saw the book floating in midair.
Bang!
“What was that?” Jonathan asked as the gun shot rang out.
Jacques didn’t feel like seeing if he had nine lives, so he held the book far away from himself while Joe used it for target practice. Jacques danced around with it while making his way out of the condo.
“I thought you said you didn’t have company,” Jonathan said as the door to her place opened and a few other shots were fired.
Patricia stared open mouthed as a man in his shorts came out onto her porch and waved his gun. “What are you doing?”
Jonathan could see the diary running towards them. “Well, if you discover it later make sure you drop it by,” he said as he ran back to his mother’s car, started the engine, and pressed the automatic button to lower the window on the passenger side.
Patricia watched as the diary floated by then narrowed her eyes on Jonathan as he started to drive away.
“We can’t leave Grandpapa behind,” Eros said, peeking out the window.
The book hit the seat with a thud as Jacques jumped through the window. “Go-go-go-go!” he said.
“Everyone keep your heads down,” Jonathan yelled as the tires screeched and they sped past Joe the fish standing in his boxers.
Joe pointed the gun and fired.
The back window of the golden Cadillac shattered, spraying glass all over the seat. Amber covered Eros with her body. She didn’t know what to make of his story, but when he’d changed into the little cherub, she’d had a difficult time not plucking him to her bosom and holding him tightly.
Whoever this child was, he brought out every motherly instinct she had. She also knew now what she’d been feeling the first time she saw him at the station in the line-up. He could make up any story he wanted, but how could she account for the maternal feelings he evoked within her, or how his father stirred such strong feelings of love?
“Is everyone all right? Jonathan asked as he drove around the corner.
Jacques looked over the backseat to make sure. “Are you okay?”
Cupid's Treasure - Mystery of the Golden Arrow (Paranormally Yours) Page 14
