Crossroads

by Alexie Aaron [Aaron, Alexie]

  Mia walked out into the garage area of the building.

  “Why all the extra defense?” Burt asked. “I salted the bag.”

  “Mia and I transported a lot of what was in the house here. This is just a precaution. Jake, bring up the defense grid.”

  Paula got to her feet and said, “I’m ready to empty the briefcase.”

  Enos escorted her to the garage. There, he cautioned her to walk over the salt line that encircled a table. There was a handsome man dressed in work clothes speaking in low tones with Mia. He smiled when he sensed Paula and tipped his hat.

  “That’s Murphy, he’s a ghost.”

  “Brian’s uncle?” Paula asked.

  “We’re all Brian’s uncles,” Enos said. “Mia has a very large family.”

  Paula walked over and saw that someone had slid the case out of the bags. They were standing by a firepit.

  “You’re going to burn it, aren’t you?” she accused.

  “We have to sever the link. It doesn’t stop Macario now that he’s here, but if you were to move on, he couldn’t find you again,” Mia told her.

  “I don’t want to move again,” Paula said.

  “That’s why we’re going to go after Macario once we’re sure we understand the Quimbanda markings,” Mia said. “When you deal with straightforward hauntings, you burn the remains, and the ghost, having no other power system, will eventually dissipate. But this is out of my wheelhouse. I have to consult with an expert before we go after Macario.”

  “I’m sorry. This is all you need when you’re up to your eyes in new babies and well-wishers.”

  “Timing’s not great, but I’m glad you came to us. We are so fond of Noah. If he suddenly disappeared because you were moved again, we all would be heartbroken.”

  Paula reached forward and hugged the little blonde the other mothers at preschool told her initially to give a wide berth to. How could they be so blind? Paula took a deep breath and sorted the papers out. “This pile is what’s left of some project Derek was working on before the Feds knocked on our door.”

  Mia flipped through them.

  “It’s not all there because Noah likes to recycle paper for his art projects. I tried to tell him he has to wait for the papers, not raid my desk or Derek’s briefcase, but sometimes he forgets.”

  Mia ran the papers into the office. “Here’s the rest of it,” she said and kissed Ted on the head and ran back out.

  Burt looked over at Ted and grinned. “The kissing bandit got you again.”

  “I know, what horrors I have to go through,” Ted said, playing the martyr. He looked through the pages as he scanned them. “I think I have enough to see if I can break this code.”

  “Will it set off any alarms?” Burt asked.

  “I’m offline,” Ted said. “Unless Whitney set up a bug, we’re in the clear.”

  “What I don’t understand is, we’re all in the same boat paranormal wise.”

  “Except we’re trying to make a living out of exposing the entities. Whit’s getting paid to hush it all up,” Ted said.

  “True. Can you imagine what they would do if they found out about Mia’s wings?”

  “Dissect her and, if she survived, lock her ass away, probably in Gitmo.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t think beyond my own problems,” Burt said. “How we kept the frost giant battle from exploding on the internet is a miracle.”

  “I’m not saying there aren’t people in the government who aren’t aware of things,” Ted said. “But they aren’t transparent or controlled politically. They are for the greater good and don’t exist by the pleasure of any present administration.”

  “You and Cid’s conspiracy theories?”

  “If it makes you sleep better at night, they’re just theories,” Ted said. “Cid, will you run program ‘Cynosura beta four’ using the data I’ve just put in the Franco file?”

  “On it.”

  Ted tapped his finger on the console top. He heard lighthearted chatter coming from the garage.

  “I’ll have to get a new briefcase now.”

  “What about just putting these in a folding file and have Noah design you one,” Enos said.

  “He’s five,” Paula said, wrinkling her nose.

  “He made me a pencil case. Do you want to see it?” Enos asked.

  “Sure.”

  Enos left and headed up the stairs into the living area of the carriage house. He was down in a jiffy. He set down what looked to be a rolled-up piece of brown leather. He untied the strings and rolled out a divided pocket with various pencils and pens secured inside. “I had to help him with the sewing,” Enos said. “And, Mia, you may need a new set of laces for your church boots.”

  “I thought I recognized those,” Mia said. “The design is a good one. Hey, Murph, maybe he could make you one for your chisels?”

  “Maybe,” Murph said from a distance.

  Mia had forgotten about the salt line. She picked up the case and walked it over the line and showed him.

  Murphy really wasn’t interested, but he saw pride forming in Paula Glynn’s eyes, so he nodded. “Of course, I could take him to the five and dime to get some leather laces.”

  “There aren’t any five and dimes anymore,” Mia sassed. “More like five- and ten-dollar stores.”

  “I could design the briefcase and have Noah decorate it,” Enos offered.

  “I think that would be a great idea,” Paula said, looking over at Mia and Murphy arguing over five and dimes. “Are they always like that?”

  “Pretty much. Unless they are working, then they are pretty serious, but not all the way serious.”

  Burt walked in. “If you’re not busy, Ted has asked you all to come back into the office. That includes you, Murphy. Enos, salt the bag and join us.”

  Ted turned around once everyone had settled. “It took a while to figure out exactly what all these numbers were. Many of the lines were put in to lead to false conclusions. What helped was knowing what Derek was hiding. In this case, routing numbers of financial institutions, account numbers, and the hardest of all was GPS coordinates we have yet to figure out. Jake is running them, and hopefully, we will have an idea soon.”

  “I was under the assumption that my husband turned all these over to the Feds in trade for our safety,” Paula said.

  “I can’t speak for him,” Ted said. “But he may have kept this information from the Feds in order to keep the Francos from coming at him full force.”

  “But they still did,” Paula said.

  “Not the whole family, just a very guilty cousin and his thugs,” Mia said.

  “I used a program Cid, Jake, and I developed to find hidden assets of the Cynosura, another larger crime family,” Ted said, winking at Mia. “I’m not sure all these are active accounts or ill-gotten gains. I think the government’s forensic accountants may know better. There was one account that is smaller and located within the United States. I think that this account was your nest egg.”

  “I don’t want stolen money,” Paula said.

  “It may not be stolen. He may have earned it,” Mia offered. “When he was picked up, what happened to your personal accounts?”

  “They froze them and then took the money. We didn’t dare complain because we were getting a place to live in witness protection.”

  “What happened when Demetrio died?” Burt asked.

  “They told me I had two years and then I was on my own, no more protection.”

  “What did they tell you today?”

  “They were going to arrest me and take my son away unless I allowed them to use us as bait.”

  “They can’t do that,” Cid said.

  “That’s what my lawyer said. After he left to make a phone call, they stopped the recording device, and one of the men said, ‘What’s to stop us from letting the Francos know where you are now?’ I was shocked. I told them I had to think on it.”

&n
bsp; “Who does this?” Mia asked the others in the room. “This is wrong. Paula isn’t a criminal.”

  “I think we need to talk to John Ryan,” Ted said.

  “Who’s John Ryan?” Paula asked.

  “He’s one of the good guys,” Burt said. “All of us would trust him with our lives.”

  “Then it’s good enough for me.”

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Mia walked barefoot on the hillside just outside the protection of Ted’s defenses. She was wearing the skirt Roumain gave her and a top she hoped would remain upon her body. Dieter told her that Roumain would welcome a visit from Mia, but he wasn’t clear when.

  Mia sat down and surveyed the small valley before her. Wildflowers bent in the gentle western breeze. The aroma of honeysuckle mixed with a lemony scent brought a smile to Mia’s face.

  “What are you smiling at?” Roumain asked, standing downwind from Mia.

  Mia, who was visibly startled, put her hand to her chest, and when she had enough air, she spoke. “The scent of the flowers. For a moment, I could imagine I was in a lemon grove or…”

  “The Hanging Gardens of Babylon?” Roumain teased.

  “I’ve never been. I expect you’ve been there.”

  “Do I look that old?”

  “No. You don’t age at all. I’d like to ask you some questions you may know the answers to. If you don’t, if you could please direct me to the right person or entity, I would be grateful.”

  Roumain put his hand out to help Mia to her feet. She grabbed it, and he pulled her to her feet and then to him. When he released her, they were in a beautiful garden. There were tropical flowers, and Mia’s feet rested on the softest of grasses.

  “Are you sure it wasn’t you in charge of temptation?” Mia asked, looking up at him.

  He smiled. “Ah, you do my heart good. Walk with me.”

  Mia did, and the two enjoyed the flowers and the snatches of the ocean views. Roumain drew her into a grotto and stared intently down at her.

  “You’re going to melt my last reserve,” Mia said.

  He laughed, his deep voice echoing off the mossy walls of the ruins. He ran his hand gently over her face and pulled her hair out of its restraints. “I do enjoy your adoration. I will enjoy your time with me. Even more now that I know you chose me over any deal Takemi had to give you.”

  “He acted as if spending eternity with you wasn’t my choice,” Mia said.

  “Eternity? No, I fear you will tire of Roumain and seek out your reward or punishment. It’s still not clear the path you will take. What is it you would like to ask me?”

  “It’s about Quimbanda, in particular, power markings put on a corpse after death.”

  Roumain tapped his chin. “It comes from Macumba which is a respectable religion. I guess we shouldn’t be amazed that there is always a dark side to something good. If a corpse is marked this way, there has been a deal supposedly with the devil, but you and I know that Lucifer makes very few deals. Now an under demon could be called upon to make the deal. Like Takemi, the only one getting what they want is the demon. Tell me why you have these questions.”

  “Macario Franco died in prison. His corpse was tattooed after death, I’m thinking either by his cousin Gaspar or a priest of the religion. He vowed to kill Demetrio Melo, aka Derek Glynn, and his family for ratting him out to the Feds. He has succeeded in killing Demetrio. He has been building up to killing Paula and Noah. I have found the link that binds him to the family and where Gaspar Franco has his body, but something inside me tells me that burning his corpse could be a wrong move.”

  “There is more…” Roumain prodded.

  “We have information that will destroy the Francos financially and, maybe, incarcerate any who are still residing in North America. Gaspar and his thugs have been physically trying to obtain this information. I think that, if they can’t, they will destroy Paula, her son, and their things in order to wipe out the option of the Feds obtaining it and using it.”

  “Politics.”

  “Why kill Demetrio’s family?”

  “Old ways of sending a message.”

  Mia frowned. “What do I do?”

  “Noah is the boy who brings out the best in Brian.”

  “The creative side, yes.”

  “He is important. Leave this to me.”

  “I don’t want to compromise your position,” Mia said.

  “I’ll track down the Quimbanda priest and find out what the deal was. Maybe another deal can be made. Let the Feds have all but the money that Demetrio set aside for his family. Keep Paula and her son in your compound. If I can’t get in, Macario won’t be able to.”

  “It’s not personal,” Mia said. “You can still knock on the door.”

  “I know your husband needs to be able to protect you, but I assure you, you do not need protection from me.”

  Mia knew he was lying. Just as Roumain knew Mia was lying about wanting to come to Purgatory. It was an old game that he rather enjoyed.

  ~

  Paula was waiting for Noah to wake in the kitchen. She had the company of Lazar, who was busy making yet another breakfast buffet.

  “Are you sure I can’t help you? I assure you I’m an adequate cook,” Paula said.

  “I’m under orders to make sure you get pampered. Where did you sleep last night?”

  “Enos gave me his room and returned to Burt’s house. Forgive me for my wrinkled clothes, but there wasn’t any time to pick up fresh clothing last evening.”

  “I didn’t notice,” Lazar said honestly.

  The sound of little feet running had Paula out of her chair and headed for the doorway where she scooped up her son.

  Brian squeezed by the traffic jam and climbed on the stool. “What’s for breakfast?”

  “A lot of love evidently,” Lazar said, looking over at the Glynns.

  “I’ll have that with a side of bacon,” Mia said, taking the stool next to Brian.

  His mother smelled of flowers. “Why are you dressed up this morning?”

  “I had a meeting. What’s on your agenda today?” Mia asked.

  “Grandpop Cooper is going to teach me how to tie a fly.”

  “Tie a fly to what?” Mia asked.

  “That’s what Varden asked him. I was so embarrassed.”

  “Varden’s very young. I think we all forget that because of his vocabulary, which we have you to thank for teaching him.”

  Brian smiled. “I can’t have him acting like an idiot when he’s not.”

  “Such a responsibility for a four-year-old,” Mia said and sighed. “You have bad parents.”

  “No, I have the best parents,” he said and leaned over and hugged Mia.

  Mia smiled.

  Noah climbed up next to Brian. He wiped his tears on his napkin. Mia’s heart ached for this brave little boy. Brian reached over and patted him on the back. “My mom leaves a lot; you’ll get used to it.”

  Lazar saw Mia’s face fall for a minute. She slid off the barstool and put her back to the others by studying the meal-prep chart.

  “You’ll make up for it by staying with them longer,” Lazar sent telepathically.

  “I should have been here.”

  “You can’t change the past, but you can be mindful of the future.”

  “Thank you,” Mia sent back before she turned back around.

  “Do you think there is any time open on the kitchen chart for me to bake some cookies?” she asked.

  “Cookies!” Noah cheered. “Once, my mom made cookies for breakfast.”

  Paula blushed. “I figured they were oatmeal.”

  “She put in raisins and apricots,” Noah said.

  “You’ll have to share your recipe. They have to have less sugar than the cereal Ted eats.”

  “Who’s besmirching my name?” Ted said, carrying Varden in on his shoulders. “Guess who I found wandering the streets looking for a handout.”


  “Oh, Dad,” Varden growled.

  Ted handed Mia Varden, and she hugged him before giving him her seat at the counter.

  “Are you going to tie flies with your brother and Noah today?” Mia asked.

  “No. I’m going to go and help my uncles with building the house with Adam.”

  “Are you?”

  “Yes.”

  Ted smiled.

  “Do I need to get you a toolbelt?” Mia asked.

  “Not yet,” Varden said.

  “I know you’re going to listen to Uncle Ed and Cid.”

  “Safety first,” Varden said.

  “Ladies, as soon as you’re fed, come into the office. We have a meeting scheduled with Tom and John Ryan in an hour,” Ted said.

  “Have you eaten?” Mia asked.

  “Yes. Now put the feed bag on, Mia, time is fleeting,” Ted said and walked out the door.

  “Well, I guess he told me,” Mia said. She took her plate to the table and sat with Paula who was distracted watching her son. Mia finished and excused herself. “I’m going to put something more PEEPs on. Can I get you something to wear?”

  “Please. Would you mind if I came up with you?”

  “When we say make yourself at home, we mean it, Paula.”

  Paula followed Mia, and the two giggled over Mia’s meager wardrobe.

  “I didn’t think beyond maternity,” Mia said. “Fortunately, my godfather Ralph made me pick up essentials. There are unopened packages of underwear in that drawer.” Mia pointed. “Boxes of PEEPs sweats in that box in the corner. Help yourself.”

  “What must you think of me,” Paula said, sitting down on the bed. “You have a criminal in your home.”

  “You’re not a criminal,” Mia scolded. “I know what they say about me in town, and you don’t treat me any different.”

  “They never let themselves get to know you.”

  “Lisa Lane-Cordoba didn’t help things,” Mia said.

  “You should hear what the hens say about her. Don’t worry about what people think.”

  “But my sons do have ears…”

  “As my son has. He was a lonely boy but refused to tame his artistic tendencies to make friends. When Brian came along, he found a chum. Someone to face the world together with. Like your husband and Mr. Garrett, the two balance the other.”