“G.”
“What do you mean tried to jump you?” Delia nervously questioned.
“He tried to enter my body and take control.”
“That doesn’t sound good.”
“It isn’t,” Faith snapped. “It’s not only physically draining for Shawn, it’s painful. Okay, enough for today. Let’s roust Kirby and head back to mainland.”
“Faith,” Shawn began to protest.
“No, you’re worn out from the road and now this place. We need somewhere safe. A place where we can talk and compare notes. Maybe then, Delia will tell us why she looks like she’s going to toss her cookies. Come on, it’s time you shared with the rest of the class. You tell us and I’ll tell you who ‘G’ is.”
“You know,” Shawn threw her hands in the air.
“I have a strong idea, which I couldn’t tell you about until you did your own investigation,” she clarified. “Now, hotel, room service, who’s with me?”
CHAPTER 35
The Cape Point Inn
Cape Point, ME
Later that evening
Once they hit dry land the group rushed back to the hotel and up to Delia’s suite. Faith was on her cell with her mother. Ro had chosen to grab a shower informing them to order whatever they wanted for food.
“Mom says hi,” Faith announced peering down at the model. “She’s loving this case.”
“That’s nice,” Shawn absently supplied as Ro emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a white robe.
“She’s been crashing here,” Delia explained after she hung up.
Shawn’s attention turned to the model that had been set up on a long table in the middle of the room.
“So that’s what it is going to look like?” Shawn was in awe of the model of what the island was going to look like once the construction was done. “It looks like the town.”
“That’s the point,” Delia shyly confessed as she picked up the telephone to order room service. “On the outside the buildings are quaint. On the inside they’re durable. I designed them not only to withstand New England weather but a full blown tsunami. In addition to the usual electrical power base, they’re solar. I wanted to add wind as well but it got shot down by the community. I also studied the weather patterns, had the soil tested and used ground penetrating radar to see what was underneath. The material on the inside of the walls had to be strong enough to face anything and light enough so that once people and equipment are in them, they won’t sink. A lesson I learned from my predecessors. More than one college library built in a coastal area has been torn down because the architect never considered the weight of the books. Basically, they started sinking to the point that the only solution was to tear them down and start over.”
“That was a lot of work in such a short time.” Faith noted.
“All of the research was done last year,” Delia explained. “I had to know what I was dealing with before I could begin the designs.”
“Wasn’t there any hints of trouble?” Shawn inquired.
“There was some scuttlebutt. No one said anything that could have prepared me for what is going on here now?”
“Your crews might have kept it quiet, not wanting to scare you off.” Faith suggested.
“A little heads up would have been nice.”
“Who is ‘G’?” Shawn questioned.
“Delia first. What have you been seeing or hearing there’s something you’re not telling us?” Faith demanded.
“Captain Stratton,” she tersely spat out. “Ax and all. He has even taken a swing at me.”
“Well, he did chop up Grandma,” Faith reasoned. “This thing really does know what we’re afraid of.”
“He chopped up your Grandma?” Ro blanched.
“My Great Grandmother, who was his wife.”
“Nice, that must have been some childhood you had.”
“Actually, I had a great childhood,” Delia explained. “Except for the haunted house just down the road which we happened to own, things were pretty nice. What is it you said to me just a few days ago, Faith? Aside from the murder, things were wonderful.”
“Gerhard Neumann, is ‘G’,” Faith finally supplied. “He and Herbert Schmidt also known as the Jordan brothers more than likely murdered Temperance Muraille. I’m guessing that Herbert crossed over and not to a happy place.”
“From what I’ve seen, no it wasn’t.” Shawn supplied.
“You think?” Ro snorted.
“Ro, tell me again. Jägermeister.”
“You need a shot?” Ro jested.
“No, what is the translation?” Faith inquired. “You told me the other day.”
“Hunt master.”
“Master of the hunt,” Faith smirked. “To take a page out of Shawn’s book, I know what we’re looking for. It all has to do with Cernunnos. The master of the hunt and a crazy ass holy man.”
“I think we need to call Milo,” Shawn addressed Faith.
“I think you are right,” she surprisingly agreed. “What? You’re the one who keeps telling me that things happen for a reason. All of this sounds very much like what he was talking about in his book. Doesn’t mean I like the guy.”
“Okay, Faith, I think it’s time you tell us everything,” Ro insisted.
“That’s everything,” Faith announced after going over everything she had learned from hers and her mother’s research. “Based on the German writing and what Leopold Conklin told me I think I know what we are looking for.”
“Sounds like the cauldron Milo described in his book,” Shawn agreed. “Everyone assumed it had been lost when Berlin was bombed. This whole time it has been sitting on an island off the coast of Maine.”
“Conklin found it,” Faith grimly supplied. “According to the Sheriff it disappeared before they could put in storage. Not that anyone was really looking for it. Everyone was a little preoccupied with the murders.” She added cleaning up the remnants of their dinner. She placed the trays out in the hallway before rejoining the others.
“You know it pisses me off,” Ro finally spoke up. “I lived in Germany. I met the nicest sweetest people in the world. Guys like Neumann and Schmidt make everyone think the country is filled with skinheads.”
“If they couldn’t claim the cauldron while they were alive they were truly evil men,” Shawn pointed out. “A little salt and a couple of talisman shouldn’t have been able to stop them, unless their hearts were dark.”
“Which begs the question, how do we get rid of this thing?” Delia begged. “We can’t risk it being found again.”
“Providing we can find it in the first place,” Shawn pointed out. “Temperance is convinced that it is her responsibility to keep it hidden. Whether or not you finish this project at some point someone is going to dig up the island. I can’t imagine the energy it took for her to hide it after Conklin murdered his family.”
“We’ll find it,” Faith pledged. “Then we’ll destroy it.”
“How?” Ro almost shrieked.
“With a lot of help,” Shawn offered sounding unsure of what she was saying. “First, I am going to track down anyone who has blessed the island. Once we find it, we’ll need to bind the energy. It is going take a lot of salt, holy water and fire. I’m also going to need back up.”
“Fire?” Delia squeaked.
“Things like this need to be burned or in this case melted.”
“First things, first. Tomorrow we start looking for it.”
CHAPTER 36
Muraille Island
December 31, 1952
The surf crashed against her body, yet she failed to feel the cold. Pulling herself to her feet she allowed the waves to keep coming. “Ella!” She screamed as loud as she could; surprised when her call failed to frighten the gulls away. “Ella! Where are you? Ella! I need you!”
No one answered her pleas. She pushed towards the shore. Standing on the sand clad in her cargo pants rolled up to just below the knees and the white men’s dress shirt she
loved. She could feel the muddy sand between her toes. A feeling that usually brought her comfort. She knew where she was, it was the beach just below the island cliffs.
“Snow?” She looked down at her feet. “There shouldn’t be snow. Ella! Please, where are you?” She called out her anxiety rising with each passing moment.
“You’re safe now,” his low voice filled her with peace.
She turned and smiled. “Preston? What are you doing here?”
“I’ve come to get you.”
“I can’t leave,” she failed to understand why he would ask such a thing. There he stood in a shimmering light with his hand out, waiting for her.
“It’s time. Come with me?”
“No, I can’t. I brought it here. I can’t let that thing loose on the world. This is my fault. Where is Ella?”
“Ella is safe. You can go to her.”
“I can’t I need to keep it hidden. I’m to blame for it coming here.”
“You can let go now.”
“Preston? Why are you here? You can’t be here, you died near Belgium. We couldn’t get your body home.”
“That must have upset, Mother.”
“You know it did,” she laughed turning her face towards to warmth of the sun. “Where is Ella? I’ve been an absolute fright. I need to talk to her.”
“You can go to her,” he suggested hopefully. “Or come with me? We can run around barefoot and play all day just like when we were children.”
He came closer still offering his hand. She reached out to him when she spied the iron fence looming above them. “I can’t.” She snatched back her hand. “I’m to blame. I must keep it hidden.”
“I love you Tempe,” he whispered. She turned in hopes of telling him that she missed and loved him. He was gone, only the bright green ocean surrounding her. Turning back she was filled with dread.
Before she could think about it she was in the main house. Stunned by the sight of emptiness and divots in the walls she called out for Ella. Her voice echoed in the emptiness. She rushed to the basement, instantly filled with relief knowing that the seal hadn’t been broken.
“They didn’t get it.”
A low growl emerged from the corner, and terrified yet determined she turned to find a hideous sight. It was Gerhard his face distorted covered in blood and horns sprouted from the top of his head.
“You did all of this,” she spat out. “You and that other one. Where is the other weasel?”
“Hell.” He hissed and snarled revealing sharp fangs. “Care to join him?”
“You can’t get it.” She taunted him. She laughed at his attempt to frighten her. The laughter died as she flew across the room her body writhing in pain. The pain ebbed yet she still felt weak as she climbed to her feet. Looking around she was shocked to find herself inside her grandfather’s cottage.
“You’ll be safe here,” she heard her brother whisper. Still unsteady on her feet she sat down on the bed and waited. Unaware of how long she had waited she finally stood, fully prepared to go out and find Ella.
The moment she reached the end of the path she could feel it. The heavy darkness in the air. It wasn’t Gerhard. It was something darker and far more dangerous. It was then she realized that although she may have kept the boys from getting their greedy hands on the cauldron, that didn’t mean its power had diminished.
“I brought it here.” She wailed mournfully. “I can’t let it fall into the wrong hands.” She vowed as she recalled falling down the stairs. It was around that time she understood that she had died that night, the night Ella left. The realization filled her with sadness and made her determined to keep the darkness buried.
“I will find it!” She heard Gerhard howling in the wind.
“Piss off you ugly bastard,” she screamed. “I just realized I have all the time in the world.”
CHAPTER 37
Cape Point Inn, ME.
September 23, 2017
“What’s all this?” Faith asked after taking notice of a strange array of items resting on the counter in the kitchenette.
“That’s just some stuff we found when we were digging.” Delia responded. “It’s an odd assortment. Most of the items are the usual, horseshoes, doorknobs and nails.”
“And these very large and very old items?”
“Don’t know. I haven’t had a chance to clean them up,” Delia explained while Faith waved for Shawn to join her. Once Shawn began taking a glance at the objects, Faith wetted a paper towel and tried to clean the two objects that had caught her eye.
“Hold on, Honey.” Shawn cautioned taking a closer glance at the first object which was about two feet by two feet. “This is interesting. The Eye of Horus also known as the All-Seeing Eye. In this case the iris is a sapphire. A very old and expensive sapphire. This is the type of artifact that would have hung on the tomb of someone very important. This other one,” she began as she brushed away decades of dirt and soot. “This is a scorpion made out of pure onyx. You’ll never guess what these little darlings do.”
“Keep the bad away,” Faith supplied.
“Among other things, keeping evil at bay is one of the main purposes of these seals. I’m just guessing that they were used as seals. Where did you find them?”
“Buried in the remains of the main house. They were in what would have been the basement.”
“Put them on top of the coalbin cover with salt, pine water and holy water and you have a mystical no trespassing sign.”
“Which is why Gerhard needed Conklin to dig it up.” Faith surmised. “Sheriff Chuck said it disappeared. Which means she moved it again. If he hasn’t found it maybe because she had more of these little trinkets lying around.”
“Probably,” Shawn shook her head marveling at the craftsmanship of the scorpion. “Ella has a necklace and a bracelet that would have given her a certain amount of protection. She said, Temperance took them from a dig, something she never did. But she was preparing for a battle. A good versus evil kind of thing. She went to great lengths to protect Ella and the cottage.”
“But not the house?” Delia seemed skeptical.
“I don’t know about that,” Shawn hesitated. “I saw her laying salt and pine water. I also saw an older woman cleaning up after her. A housekeeper I think.”
“And I thought my gift sucked,” Ro snorted with disdain. “Can you imagine seeing trouble coming but not understanding anything about it until after it wreaks havoc? Although, I admire her intentions. Her first priority was to protect the woman she loved. She reminds me of Cassandra from Agamemnon.”
“Agamemnon?”
“Greek mythology,” Ro sounded exasperated. “Anyone? Fine, Cassandra was cursed with uttering prophecies. Although she was speaking the truth no one believed her. All of this happened because she dumped Apollo. What? I read. In fact I’m big on audio books. It’s nice when the voices in my head tell me a story.”
“Okay, then,” Faith sputtered. “We need to find the cauldron. How far could she have taken it before the cops came back?”
“Also, could she have moved it again? It’s been decades.” Shawn offered. “Can I borrow these?”
“Whatever you need.”
CHAPTER 38
Central Park West, NYC
October 1, 1952
Ella was exhausted by the time she reached New York. She thought about turning back at least a thousand times. Holding firm she made it back to the penthouse, crying the entire time. She and Tempe had disagreements over the years, nothing that could compare to the anguish she had endured over the past four weeks.
She let herself in the apartment feeling empty. She threw her bags in the sitting room and headed straight to the bar. She grabbed a glass and picked up the glass decanter that held Tempe’s favorite bourbon. Suddenly, filled with rage she hurled it across the room. Feeling somewhat remorseful, she fetched a broom and swept it up. Just as she finished dumping the remains in the bin she heard the bell ring.
“Too
embarrassed to use your key?” She merrily called out filled with a sense of relief thinking that Tempe had followed her home. “Daniel, Nora? Whatever brings the two of you by?”
“I’m so glad you are here,” he sounded exhausted. “I’ve been calling the island. Those men kept answering and hanging up. Ella, it is terrible.”
“I know they are truly awful.”
“Ella, I have bad news,” he choked out.
“Look, I’m sorry if Tempe dragged you into this. I’m just so angry with her. I couldn’t stay. I don’t know where I’ll be going but I’ll let the two of you know.”
“Ella it might be best if you sat down,” Nora whimpered taking her by the hand.
“Nora, there’s no need to fret. You know the two of us. We have a row and then everything is set right. I just know if I can get her to come home and send those people packing we can get through this.” She prattled on feeling better than she had in days, yet, there was a lingering feeling that something was wrong. Something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. She allowed Nora to guide her to a chair.
“I don’t know how to say this,” Daniel seemed a million miles away as he took a seat next to hers. He clasped her hand and looked into her eyes. It was then she realized he had been crying.
“Daniel?”
“She’s gone.” He finally managed to say.
“Gone? Who is gone?”
“Tempe, she’s gone.” It took all the energy he possessed to get the words out.
“Gone where?” She demanded jumping to her feet. It was the only response she could muster, because he couldn’t mean what she thought he meant. “Daniel?”
“They said it was an accident,” he began to sob.
“We don’t have the details,” Nora supplied with a sniff. “You should come with us.”
“No.”
“Ella, it’s true,” Daniel grimly confirmed. “Nora and I want you to be with us. It’s only right. The two of you meant so much to one another.”
“No.” She repeated pushing the anger down. “She’s fine. I saw her just last evening.”
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