“Please do,” said Wren. “Please? I cannot handle it if I’m trapped in Rosemary’s Baby out there, all right?”
“Satanists aren’t even real,” said Maliah. “I mean, right?”
“Right,” said Wren.
“Satanists are a joke,” said Maliah.
“I know,” said Wren. “Restore my faith in the workings of the universe and prove to me it’s not Satanists, Maliah. You’re my only hope.”
There was a knock on the door to Maliah’s office. The door was open, and she looked up to see that Trevon was there, knocking on the open door.
“All right, Delacroix, I’m on it,” said Maliah. She beckoned for Trevon to enter. “You sit tight, okay? I’ll be in touch as soon as I know something.”
“Thanks,” said Wren.
Trevon sidled into the office, heading over to look at some pictures sitting out of her mother and sisters.
“Talk to you soon,” said Maliah. Wren said goodbye and Maliah hung up. She leaned back in her desk and addressed Trevon. “You’re here late.”
“So are you, especially for someone who was complaining that she didn’t have anything to do when we talked at the bar the other night,” said Trevon, turning away from the pictures.
“That’s my mom,” said Maliah. “She’s in a home now. She’s hanging in there. I worry about her sometimes. That picture is from years ago. The one on the other side is more recent.”
Trevon turned back to look at the pictures. “I had to stay late because of a lot of paperwork that I filed on Kayden Rush. I, uh, have the option of filing a restraining order against him. I’m still thinking about it.”
She got up from her desk. “I actually was, um, looking into him as well. If you ever want to destroy him and cancel all his credit cards, decimate his credit, and get everything he owns repossessed, I can probably make that happen.”
Trevon raised his eyebrows at her.
“Well… not just ‘if you want.’” She chuckled. “It’s extremely illegal. And unethical. And it’s only a last resort, but if we can’t save your friend Mischa any other way, it’s an option.”
“You’re like a technology goddess, huh?” Trevon grinned at her.
She shrugged. “I try. Are you flirting with me? You’re a little young for me, boy.”
“I told you, I’m aromantic.”
She laughed. “So, it’s 7:45 and you thought you’d come by my office on the off chance I was still here?”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “I wanted to see if you wanted to go back to that bar and have another drink.”
“In an aromantic way, I suppose.”
“Absolutely.” He winked at her.
She smirked. “All right, Trevon, you’re on. I could spend the night looking for Satanists, but a drink does sound better, I have to admit.”
“Excellent,” he said, smile widening. He offered her his arm. “Shall we?”
Oh, dear. She looked him over, and her body did a funny thing, a thing that it hadn’t done in a long time. Don’t be attracted to the kid, Maliah, she told herself. Even if she wondered if this aromantic thing meant he’d be less needy than other men.
She took his arm.
CHAPTER NINE
DAYS passed.
Wren had called someone back at the FBI to deal with their W-2s, and no one had said anything about them, so she hoped that was all going well.
Watkins sometimes joined Wren and Reilly for their work and sometimes didn’t. There were different things to wash each day. Towels some days. Tablecloths others. Clothing on others. For the most part, now that they knew what they were doing, he only had to show them where to collect the dirty laundry. After that, they knew what to do.
Watkins didn’t ask them about babies again.
When they tried to engage him on the occult books in Doug’s office, he shrugged that off, saying that he hadn’t read most of the books but that Doug was always trying to get him to read them.
“I guess it’s marginally better than being your typical Christian,” said Watkins. “At least he doesn’t have all that holier-than-thou-repressed shit going on, right? But it still beggars belief to think that magic is real. Come on. I like Doug and all, but…”
“He didn’t tell us he believed it,” said Wren. “He just said it was fascinating.”
“I think he does, though,” said Watkins.
“Has he ever done anything that made you think he was into it?” said Reilly. “Has he ever invited you to do black magic or anything?”
Watkins just laughed. “Oh, come on, look at you guys, trying to dig up dirt on Doug. Let me assure you, he is harmless. He is the most gentlemanly man that I think I’ve ever met. He’s not doing black magic spells or anything, come on.” He waved this away.
Watkins refused to be engaged on the subject again.
Maliah, despite Wren’s nagging texts several times a day, wasn’t making any progress yet in determining where the funding for Love Over Want was coming from.
Gloria spoke to them one day, going on a long diatribe about how she wished that people would not pass judgment on things they did not understand. She said that people heard things from the media or from rumors and then they assumed it was all true, without making any attempt to verify what they’d heard.
“And a lot of times, it’s all lies,” she said.
It was the most animated that Wren had ever seen her, and it was very strange.
For one thing, the monologue had come out of nowhere. For another thing, Wren was pretty sure it was something someone would say if they were involved in a Satanist murder cult.
On the way back from work that afternoon, she sat in the back of the bus and babbled about it to Reilly and Krieger.
“It’s the kind of thing people would say in the FCL,” she said.
“After it turned out that the FCL was a murder cult?” said Reilly.
“Well…” Wren considered. “Okay, after Vivian was arrested, people tended to be more subdued about it, because it turned out that things were out of control. I’m talking about before that.”
“Was there anyone in the FCL after the arrest?” said Krieger, sitting forward to look around Reilly at her. “I would have figured that everyone dropped out after that happened.”
“You would have figured, wouldn’t you?” said Wren. “But… nope.” She shook her head. “It’s been only about a year or so that the compound has been completely abandoned. We just sold the land, in fact. But anyway, I’m talking about before the arrests and everything. We still got a lot of flack from other people, especially in Cardinal Falls. We went to public schools there and the kids didn’t like us and would say awful things about us, and we would say that they just didn’t understand, that they assumed the worst without trying to look into it.”
“So, those people that stayed, did they really think the murders were ordered by God?” said Krieger. “Because that’s the way people were convinced to do it, right? It was a divine edict?”
“The Horned Lord,” said Wren. Suddenly, she felt cold all over. She wasn’t sure why saying the name of that stupid made-up deity was able to have such an effect on her. “He could have ordered it. He wasn’t exactly… a loving god.”
And now, they were all quiet.
Wren’s phone ringing shattered the silence.
She tugged it out of her pocket. “Maliah!” She answered the phone. “Tell me you know that it’s not Satanists.”
“It’s Satanists,” said Maliah.
“What?”
“Well, it’s not actually Satanists, but it’s pretty close,” said Maliah. “They are officially titled the Order of the West Temple, and they don’t worship Satan, not exactly. They don’t really worship anything, but they do believe in sex magic.”
“Sex magic?” said Wren in a tiny voice.
“Orgies every Sunday morning,” said Maliah, snickering. “First they have communion and then they bone.”
“You are making this up,” said Wren.<
br />
“Oh, trust me, Delacroix, you can’t make this up.”
Wren groaned. “Sex magic?”
Maliah laughed on the other end of the phone.
“OKAY,” said Wren, setting her phone down on the bed in her hotel room. “You’re on speaker phone now, Maliah, and we’re out of public, so you can talk freely.”
Krieger and Reilly gathered around the bed, each with their hands in their pockets.
“Hey, Cai,” said Maliah. “This is our best case ever.”
“Go back to the sex magic part,” said Reilly, grinning.
“Well, they do other magic, too,” said Maliah. “They follow the teachings of Aleister Crowley and other occultists from the past. The name Love Over Want, it’s probably a play on that Crowley quote, ‘Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.’”
“I always thought that didn’t make sense,” said Wren.
“Well, there’s more to it. Love trumps will,” said Maliah. “So, first love, then do whatever you want, but only in love. Love over will.”
“Huh,” said Wren. “Well… that’s makes more sense. It tends to rule out murder.”
“True,” said Maliah. “They don’t do sacrifices of any kind. The orgies all have to be consensual. They actually advocate a pretty typical moral worldview. Sex is great, but stealing is bad. Hurting other people is bad. Doing sex to people who don’t want sex is bad. So, I mean, overall, they’re kind of boring, but they have interesting parts.”
“Like the sex magic,” said Reilly.
“I’m getting there, Cai.” Maliah laughed. “That’s probably what the robes are for, the robes you found. For a black mass.”
“Black mass?” said Wren. “I mean, isn’t that Satanic?”
“It’s inverted Catholicism,” said Maliah. “It’s a lot like a regular mass only everyone’s naked under their black robes and they don’t drink wine and think it turns into Jesus’s blood in their mouth. Instead they just pour it over their naked bodies while they get it on.” She giggled, clearly delighted by this.
“And they seriously do this on Sunday mornings instead of regular church?” said Wren.
“I don’t know about that,” said Maliah. “I was joking about that. I think they might do it less regularly than once a week. You know, orgies once a week, it could be draining. I’m joking about the pouring-wine-over-their-naked-bodies thing, too. And the black-mass stuff, it might be a little outdated. Like maybe they were more into sticking it to Catholicism when Crowley was actually alive a hundred years ago? Not really sure.”
A snicker burst out of Krieger, as if he’d been holding it in all this time.
Reilly turned to Krieger. “Have you noticed anything like this?”
“No,” said Krieger, laughing. “Not a damned thing. I’m completely flabbergasted. How do you even know this?”
“Well, it wasn’t easy to dig up,” said Maliah. “But near as I can, if I piece together the story of Love Over Want, it started out as a charity outreach program connected to the Order of the West Temple. Because even sex magic practitioners want to do good works.” She laughed. “I’m being too hard on them. I really think they’re just a little eccentric but harmless on the whole. I don’t think there’s a lot of evidence that they even think the magic they do works. I read this long post by one of the leaders about how the purpose of doing magic is not to change the world around you, but to change you from within, so that you can have a positive effect on the world.”
“Oh, well, that’s actually kind of nice,” said Krieger. “I mean, then it’s just sort of meditation.”
“Naked meditation with a partner,” said Reilly, laughing.
Everyone else laughed too.
“Anyway, their first attempt was not successful, because no one wanted to get charitable help from the Satanists.”
“You mean, they thought they were being recruited to be human sacrifices?” said Wren.
“Pretty much,” said Maliah. “So, they rebranded and they scrubbed all association from the entire organization. And, I will say this for them, they were never really proselytizing. Like, if you go to a typical religious outreach program, the ‘catch’ is that you have to hear some spiel about how you’re a sinner bound for hell who needs to be saved or whatever? But the Order never seemed to try to recruit, and this whole thing doesn’t even seem to be about that. They don’t necessarily go after new members. It’s fine if you want to join, and all are welcome, and I’m sure they’d be happy to share their beliefs if you were interested, but they aren’t trying to get you to sign your soul to Satan or anything.”
“That’s why Sanders was so eager to let me borrow the books,” said Wren.
“Yeah,” said Maliah. “And I should stop joking about Satan, because they don’t believe in Satan. It’s just… it’s too much fun. Satanists are funny.”
“So, they hide their association with the Order of the West Temple so that people won’t be scared away and so they can actually help people?” said Wren.
“Yeah,” said Maliah.
“Bullshit,” said Wren.
“No, I’m serious,” said Maliah. “I tracked down emails written to listservs of congregations across the country, and they just ask for funding to help people. And people give it.”
“Why?” said Wren.
“To help people. To be nice,” said Maliah.
Wren was quiet.
“People sometimes do that,” said Reilly.
“Whatever,” said Wren. “This is a front for something, because people are going missing.”
“Okay, sure,” said Maliah. “But that only started a few years ago, and Love Over Want has been running since 1993.”
“Do we know when Watkins started working there?”
“About the same time the disappearances started,” said Krieger. “Maybe this is a serial killer thing. When you guys tried to get him to talk about the occult, he dodged, right?”
“Yeah, he acted like he didn’t believe in magic,” said Reilly. “But he might have been saying that to keep us from freaking out. If they keep their affiliation under wraps so as not to scare people, maybe he was trying to minimize whatever damage he perceived Sanders as having done already.”
“Yeah, could be,” said Wren.
“Or, he really thinks it’s all bullshit and he’s just using them to further his own agenda,” said Krieger. “Like, I’m not a serial killer expert, so I’ll bow to your expertise on this, Delacroix, but wouldn’t this be a sweet deal for a killer? Access to people with no ties to society, who could disappear.” He snapped his fingers. “Just like that. No questions asked.”
“It is advantageous if you wanted to kill people,” said Wren. “If he does have some kind of gross fetish, it might be tied to the idea of burgeoning family or a fertile young woman. He captures the couple and he has to do away with the male so that he can win the female for himself. Maybe killing the woman’s protector makes him feel more virile or something?”
“Is it always about sex?” said Krieger.
“Pretty much,” said Reilly. “It wears on you after a while.” He grimaced.
“Gross,” decided Krieger. “Listen, if you two don’t want to continue with this, I would get it. It sounds like you might be in danger.”
“No, we’re going in, all right,” said Wren.
“Hell yeah,” said Reilly. “The minute that Watkins takes us to that next level, we are there.”
“Wearing wires,” said Wren.
“With GPS tracking devices,” said Reilly.
“And the minute anything goes wrong—”
“I’m there,” said Krieger, “backing you up, along with guys from the Sacramento field office.”
“So, it’ll be fine,” said Wren.
“You know, the last guy we took down locked us up in a dog crate,” said Reilly.
“That’s true?” said Krieger. “I thought that was a weird rumor.”
“Nope, true,” said Wren. “So, anyway
, we can handle anything.”
CHAPTER TEN
THE very next day, Watkins poked his head into the laundry room while Wren and Reilly were folding sheets.
“Hey, I wonder if I could run something by you,” said Watkins, coming into the room.
“Sure,” said Reilly, looking up.
“Absolutely,” said Wren, smiling at him.
He hoisted himself up to sit on one of the washing machines. “Well, it’s a little soon. It’s only been a week or so with you guys, but I just… I gotta say, I get a good feeling from the two of you, and I can’t shake it. So, I don’t see any reason to wait.”
Wren had to fight from getting a triumphant smile on her face. They were amazing. Hadn’t she said they’d have this tied-up in a month? It was looking more like two weeks.
Of course, now they’d have to go home and go back to house hunting. Maybe it would be better if they stretched it out a little bit.
“There’s an opportunity for a couple like you,” said Watkins. “I don’t know if you’re aware, but the organization that runs Love Over Want has some other facilities nearby. One of them, I am personally involved with. And if you came there, you would receive room and board for the duration of your stay, and then you’d leave with a hefty stipend, enough to start your life over. And judging from what I know of you both, I think it’s exactly what you want from your future. What do you say?”
Yes, of course, yes, thought Wren. But it was better not to seem too eager. What would a regular person say in response to this? “It sounds great,” she said. “Um, but also a little vague?”
Watkins laughed. “Yeah, sorry about that. I will fill in the details, I really will. But, as strange as this might sound, I really need you to make a commitment up front. And not just with words but with actions, too. You come with me to the place where you’ll be living and affirm that you’re going to be part of it, and all will be revealed.”
“You can’t tell us anything?” said Wren, who was eager for some bit of information here.
Sky Like Bone: a serial killer thriller Page 8