Authors: C. R. Daems
"Sheila," Black said,
nodding towards me.
"Sorry, I've retired.
Actually, I've been retired for a few days."
"I can find you," Black
said, his eyes blazing with anger.
"You won't have to look far. I
think I'm going to join Mambo Renee's congregation. I've never thought much
about religion, but I kind of like her view.
“How do I know that you have even
recorded what I’ve said?”
I shrugged. “I suppose you don’t.
But I have. The choice is yours.”
Black stood for a long while
staring at me with an occasional glance towards Sheila. “And I have your word
that the tape will go no further?”
"Yes, my oath as a Vodou
priestess," I said, nodding. He nodded and left through the back door.
"What do you think, Mambo
Renee?" Sheila asked. I waved her over to me. She smiled as she sat and
put her hands on the table. I put mine over hers and watched in relief as the
next several months scrolled by.
"We will check this as often
as you like, but you are good for several months," I said to a smiling
Sheila.
"Come on in," Ron said
when he saw it was Jim and me. "How are you feeling, Renee?"
"Great. My GYN doctor says
everything looks normal, and I should expect our daughter in twelve to thirteen
weeks. My live-in doctor agrees with her, but my husband acts like my water is
going to break any minute." I laughed and patted Jim's cheek. He worried
too much.
"Grace's doctor says she's
doing well and is due in six to seven weeks," Ron beamed a huge smile.
Just then Grace came walking out of the bedroom.
"Hi, Renee, Jim. Getting ready
takes longer to do these days. I'll be glad when our little boy shows his face.
Between the weight of the baby, extra water, and milk I'm lugging around, I'm
exhausted by midday," Grace said, dropping onto the couch. "There are
drinks on the kitchen counter, help yourself. Ron, get me something with lots
of sugar. I need a sugar boost."
"I'm beginning to feel the
same. Angela has been a savior. I'm hoping by the time the baby is born, she
can run the shop, until I get back to full time...well, part time," I said,
looking at Jim who was frowning. "I'm hoping Angela is going to be a full
time employee. She seems to enjoy working in the shop, and she's doing well.
Now that Jim and I are married and I'm living here full time, I've converted
the back room into a place where I can do my fortunetelling in the daytime and
be home at night. Besides, I get a lot more walk in business from the tourists.
The extra money allows me to pay Angela a small salary. She doesn't need much.
She got over a quarter million from Mister Black and had savings of over a half
million. So a small salary pays for the basics and her income from her
investments pays for the extras without having to use the principal."
"She’s a very sharp lady and
kind hearted once you get to know her. I think she'd work in the shop for
nothing just to help Renee," Jim said, handing me a glass of apple juice.
"I've gotten to know her from Renee's services and the Vodou class she
started for Angela and Sheila, which has grown over the last six months."
"Sheila's taking up
Vodou?" Grace asked, surprised. "Even Angela surprises me a
little."
"Angela loves it, particularly
the singing and dancing. Sheila's more reserved. She's interested in the
philosophy," I said. I loved the classes as it gave me a way of expressing
my feelings about Vodou and how it honored God. And it provided a way of
bringing new people into the religion who might not otherwise be interested.
"I've had a lot of time to get
to know Sheila," Jim said, smiling. "She is always at Renee's services
although she doesn't participate like Angela. She likes Mambo Renee's brand of
religion. Sheila told me that night with Mister Black was a revelation. She
said she could feel the presence of something...in the room when Renee
confronted him."
"I'm impressed, Renee. I don't
know if I'd let Ron get that close to those two women. They're real
cougars," Grace said and laughed, giving Ron a kiss. "Speaking of
Mister Black, do you realize this is a one year anniversary—to the
day—since your confrontation with him. Our leads all seem to evaporate
after that night. The NSA turned up nothing. So when you dropped the charges
against Sheila, the case sort of died. The district manager was pleased because
I wrapped up the case against the local group. He was never aware of Mister
Black. I'm still not sure how you got him and his group to leave you
alone."
I smiled. Father Benedict was a zealot—evil
from my perspective, but doing God’s work from his. The only thing he could do
after he understood I wouldn't help him, no matter who he killed, was to kill
out of anger and revenge. But he knew that most others in the Catholic Church
would never have condoned his actions if they found out, and I made it clear I
would make sure they knew. The evidence I had might not get him convicted of a
crime but it would destroy him and Cardinal Eligius in the eyes of the church.
It was enough to keep the people I loved safe.
Cardinal Eligius had not been
elected pope at the Papal conclave that occurred several months ago. And I had
kept my word and not given Grace any information that would help her in
continuing the investigation. Chasing him was not worth the lives of good
people like Jim, Ron, Grace, Angela, and even Sheila, who was now retired and
learning to help others.
"Here's to good friends and
the crazy man who married me," I said raising my glass in a toast.
And to the Loa who gave me courage in my
time of need
.
The End.
Thank you
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Books by C .
R. Daems & J. R. Tomlin
HISTORICAL FICTION
The Stewart
Chronicles
— A King Ensnared (Book I)
— A King Uncaged (Book II)
The Black Douglas
Series:
— Kingdom's Cost (Book I)
— Countenance of War (Book II)
— Not for Glory (Book III)
Freedom's Sword
SCIENCE FICTION
The Riss Series:
— The Riss Gamble (Book I)
— The Riss Proposal (Book II)
— The Riss Survival (Book III)
— The Riss Accession (Book IV)
— The Riss Challenge (Book V)
The Black Guard
FANTASY EPIC
The Shadow Series
:
— The Shadow Ryana (Book I)
— The Shadow Gypsy (Book II)
Women of Power
Talon of the Unnamed Goddess
Scales of Justice
Blood Duty
URBAN FANTASY
The Kazak Series:
— The Kazak Guardians: Lynn's Rules (Book I)
— The Kazak Guardians: The Unthinkable (Book II)
The Laughing Hounds
The Seer Renee