Face Behind the Mask

by Leo King

  Ouellette stood and shouted, his voice reverberating. “Vincent screwed the whole thing up!”

  Tania’s ears rang for a few seconds, making it hard to focus. When she looked back, Douglas was leaning back, his face pale.

  “Sorry,” Ouellette said, sitting back down. “It wasn’t really Vincent’s fault. Someone, years ago, gave him something. That thing destroyed his life.”

  He means the tkeeus.

  “It destroyed his life? What kind of crap is that? It destroyed my life.”

  Tania shifted her perception away from the conversation to focus on Violet. Deep inside, she felt her sister’s soul aching, helplessness pouring out. Compassion overwhelmed Tania as she reached within, visualizing her hand stroking Violet’s hair. She imagined it would be stringy and matted, as it usually was, but underneath was a softness wanting to come out.

  “What are you doing?”

  Loving you, Sister.

  “I… We need to focus on the mission.” Violet pushed her hand away, as she had done every day of her life.

  Despite that, Tania felt like she had just touched a part of her twin. It was almost like they had, for a brief second, connected. And while Tania knew that such behavior during a mission was inappropriate, she didn’t care. She might never get a chance to connect with her sister again.

  But, pushed away for the moment, she focused again on the conversation below. Ouellette was finishing up an explanation that she missed while Douglas sat there in deep thought. Finally, he spoke up. “That makes sense. So because of what this Oracle guy did back in 1962, everything that we’ve suffered through happened. And now you’re working to fix it.”

  “Pretty much,” Ouellette said. “Someone with a clue needs to stop this thing before it spirals out of control. I’m figuring out a way, but for it to work, I need the Knight Priory to trust me. So I kept my older membership and just played along for now. But enough of this crap. Let’s go do that lunch.”

  “All right.”

  The two headed out of the office. For a moment, Ouellette stopped at the door and looked toward the vent. Tania pulled back so that she wasn’t visible.

  “Everything OK?” Douglas asked.

  “Yeah. Just thought I saw a rat.”

  Then the door closed and all was silent. After a few minutes, she slid forward, unfastened the grating, and slipped out. Then she started digging through Ouellette’s desk. There were old notes dating back from the early eighties and take-out menus from every restaurant in the French Quarter. One drawer held a bottle of half-drunk whiskey and two glasses. The only drawer she couldn’t get into was the main one right under the desk. It was locked.

  “We can break it open easily.”

  And then he’ll know someone was here.

  “Who cares? Once this mission is over, we’re heading back to GEIST.”

  She knew Violet was right. They were running out of time. Focusing her sister’s power, she yanked the drawer hard. It popped right open. Inside was a .40 caliber pistol—standard issue for police—and several clips of ammunition. Also, there was a small notebook. Tania flipped through it to the last page, where she found a note that looked several years old: “Knight Priory leader has Russell’s book. Lets Kindley use it.” It was signed, “Landry.”

  She grinned. Something had, indeed, been taken from Jonathan’s mansion.

  So the Knight Priory’s leader has the book and lets Kindley use it. It has to be Connick!

  “Likely, yes. But what is the book?”

  I have no idea. Let’s go find out.

  Putting everything back and closing the drawer, Tania stepped on the desk to get back into the vent. As she grabbed the rim to pull herself up, her foot tapped the folder Ouellette had been reading. She glanced down to make sure it hadn’t moved.

  One of the papers was now sticking out a little. The header bore the name “Castille.”

  What the heck?

  Jumping back down, she opened the folder. Inside was the genealogy of the Castille family for the past several generations. Starting with Louis Castille, it spread down to Vincent, Gladys, and Marguerite.

  Louis was Vincent’s father, right?

  “Yes. He fought in the First World War and then vanished, leaving Vincent in charge of the family at a very young age.”

  How do you know all this, Sister?

  “I paid attention when Mother tutored us. She often believed that life without a father made Vincent into the man he became.”

  Tania continued following the family line. From Vincent came two children through two separate wives—Edward through Grenadine and Samantha through Mary.

  Right. Vincent remarried Mary and had Sam.

  The line continued from Edward and Maple, leading into Dallas, and from Dallas and Samantha leading into Alice and Eugene.

  Oh, my goodness!

  “What? What is it?”

  Sister, those are Sam’s children! The ones the Knight Priory took from her!

  “So?”

  We have their names now. We can find them, too!

  “Again, so?”

  Tania scowled.

  Now is not the time to be pissy at Sam. You said yourself that it was never her fault that—

  Footsteps and a voice outside interrupted their conversation.

  “Is the commander in? I have his report ready.”

  Another voice spoke. “No, Gravois. Just leave it on his desk.”

  Tania closed and straightened the folder, then slipped into the vent shaft before the doorknob even started to turn. The grate was back in place by the time an older detective entered the room. He didn’t seem any the wiser.

  We made it, Sister. Now, as I was saying—

  “Just drop it. Let’s go. We can check Connick’s home tonight for that book. If we’re lucky, we can find out where they hold their meetings, too.”

  Even though Tania did drop it, she noted that Violet felt a little less chilly than she used to.

  By the time Tania cleaned up, finished dinner, and got back into her Blind Moses costume, it was already past eight o’clock and dark outside. Running along the rooftops and bridges, she headed toward the one place she was certain the book would be—Harry Connick Sr.’s home. They had to be near the end of this investigation. They just had to be.

  “We’ve been through his mansion once before, remember? Around Christmas. We know it’s not their base.”

  I know. But all the same, we have to get that book back.

  When she reached Connick’s home, she easily scaled the outer wall of the property, thanks to Violet’s power. About ten or so armed guards were patrolling the property—likely an increase in security from what had happened at City Hall the previous night.

  “Watch it! Someone’s coming this way!”

  Hiding among the shrubs and trees, she watched as a red Cadillac convertible drove down the driveway and out to the highway. Caroline Saucier was at the wheel.

  Hmph. Wonder why she was there.

  “Never mind that. Look! There’s only one light on, and it’s from the second floor study.”

  Tania scanned the mansion with her binoculars. Sure enough, it was the only lit room, and Connick was at his desk. Creeping around back and waiting for a break in the guards, she ran up to the mansion and, with several leaping bounds, reached the second floor balcony. It took her only a minute to unlock the door and slip into the study.

  Connick sat behind his desk, but something was wrong. He was completely motionless, his eyes were half-lidded, and he wasn’t moving. If not for the way his nostrils flared with every breath, she would think he was dead.

  Um, this is strange. Normally, people don’t do that.

  “Get closer.”

  Why? I mean—

  “Just do it, please.” Violet sounded hushed, almost frightened. And she never said “please.”

  Swallowing hard, Tania snuck closer, ready to run the moment he reacted. But he never did. It was like he was in some sort of trance. />
  “Touch the sides of his head. Very carefully. And look into his eyes.”

  Her heart raced as she slid forward, feeling every vein in her body pulse. From the way he sat motionless to the increased feeling of dread, she knew something was very, very wrong. When she placed her hands on either side of his head and looked into his eyes, however, she saw that his pupils were heavily dilated.

  Then she felt Violet come forward until she was almost taking control.

  Sister, what the—

  Immediately, her consciousness slid forward, and she felt like she was falling through a black void. All around, she heard children laughing in unison, a musical symphony of happiness that slowly turned to sobs of sorrow. Then she landed in the darkness, a single spotlight shining on them. But she was no longer her adult self. Instead, she was young Tania Patterson, dressed in her servant’s clothes from the Castille household. Next to her, holding her hand, was an equally young Violet, whose eyes were a healthy, soft gray-blue.

  “Sister?” Tania squeezed her hand, fighting back the urge to panic. “What’s going on? Why’re we children again?”

  Violet squeezed her hand back. “I think I know what’s going on. Just trust me.” She ran forward, tugging Tania with her. Her hand felt warmer than ever before. For whatever reason, in this black void, Tania’s sister was more alive than she had ever been in life.

  Tania squeezed her sister’s hand, afraid to let go, afraid of losing her again.

  They ran in darkness for what felt like a long time, the sounds of laughter and sorrowful sobs growing. And then, a light began expanding before them, more and more, until it engulfed them. In contrast to the darkness, it was warm and comforting. Tania felt like she could bathe in it forever.

  Then, suddenly, they were standing in field with a magnificent cypress tree. In its shade were hundreds of children of all ethnicities, merrily playing and singing with a kind of innocent joy that Tania had rarely known. Chained to the tree, however, was someone sobbing uncontrollably. He was a short, dark-skinned man wearing a comically tall top hat and a tuxedo with tails. A cigar was hanging out of his mouth, and an apple rested at his feet.

  Instantly, Tania knew who that was: the chief of the loa, who aided the king and queen in all their affairs, and the protector of children. Next to Baron Samedi and Madame Bridgette, he was the most important high loa in the voodoo pantheon.

  “Papa Ghede?”

  Violet nodded. “As I feared. Someone possessed this man with Papa Ghede.”

  That went against everything Tania knew. “But, you can’t do that, can you? Didn’t you say that just the other day?”

  Gnawing anxiously on her bottom lip, Violet said, “Someone forced it inside. That would require a powerful magic, stronger than any I’ve ever seen. But that’s why Connick is acting different. Taking a god like Papa Ghede and cramming him into a mortal body…”

  “…would drive both of them insane.” Tania now understood why Connick, a man who had once been a proponent of justice, suddenly became a conniving politician over a year ago. “Poor Papa Ghede’s been trapped in here all this time. We need to free him.”

  Violet’s gaze narrowed. “That has to be what the book stolen from Russell’s house is. A ritual book. A grimoire. Someone used it to forcibly place Papa Ghede inside Harry Connick. That means he isn’t calling the shots. Whoever did this to him has to be the one in charge.”

  Before Tania could respond, Violet abruptly snapped her head toward the sky. “We have to go. Now.” Her voice cracked with an unexpected fear.

  “But, Sister, I—”

  Violet grabbed her and yanked hard. “I said we have to go now!”

  Tania’s head whipped back so hard, she saw stars. When she recovered, she was back in her body, stumbling away from Connick.

  “Run.”

  Blinking, Tania steadied herself. She wasn’t sure what was going on.

  “Run now!” Violet sounded utterly terrified.

  But—

  Suddenly, Tania felt her consciousness get pulled until she was seated in the back of her mind, forced to watch through her eyes as if she were a third party. She felt Violet up in front. Her sister had taken full control of her body.

  Sister, what are you doing?

  Violet didn’t respond. Tania watched, as if on a movie screen, as she rushed toward the window and crashed through, shards of glass spilling out in slow motion. Then she watched as she sped along the mansion’s lawn, hearing the shouts of guards and the firing of guns. She felt a few bullets buzz past her head, but the sensation was numb and distant. A moment later, she jumped over the wall. Only once she was a nearly a mile away did Violet look back at the mansion.

  What Tania saw made her mind shriek with fear.

  The ghostly shape of a skeletal face and large, bony hands reached out, fingers curling around the mansion. It wore a top hat on its head and was sneering at them, its eyes like balls of fire.

  Baron Samedi!

  It opened its mouth and whispered in her mind, “Come here, dog,” before shifting back into the clouds in the sky and the mist on the ground.

  Tania watched herself run until she was on the West Bank.

  In a park, Violet dropped control, and Tania fell down and skidded until she came to a stop by a pair of swings. She laid there for a long time, out of breath, the effects of full possession utterly exhausting.

  “You dummy! You stupid girl! Why didn’t you run? Why didn’t you listen?”

  I’m sorry! I just, I didn’t—

  “You didn’t think. You never have. That was Vincent, and he could have killed us both.”

  I didn’t know! How could I have known?

  “Vincent is the king of the loa now. Being that close to Papa Ghede must have tipped him off. Oh, God have mercy, I felt his evil all over me again!”

  As Violet wailed on, Tania suddenly realized that her sister wasn’t yelling at her. Violet wasn’t even mad. She was scared. And she was crying.

  “You could’ve died. You hear me, dummy, you could have died!”

  And as Violet called her “dummy” once more, Tania suddenly remembered every time her sister ever called her either that or “stupid.” Each time, it was because she had done something to put her in danger. And as she recalled that, she also realized that every time Violet said it, it wasn’t being mean, it was showing concern. Finally, the meaning of her sister’s abusive words made sense.

  Sister… you really love me.

  Violet was still sobbing. “What? What are you babbling about?”

  You really love me. All these years, I thought you hated me. But now I realize you’ve been protecting me. Even from myself.

  And once more, Violet was silent.

  Sister? Tania was almost desperate. She had to know.

  “Of course I love you. You’re my sister. My stupid, clumsy, obnoxious twin sister. And…” A moment passed. Finally, she said, “I’d never forgive myself if someone hurt you.”

  There in the playground, Tania hugged herself. Thank you.

  By the time Tania got home, she was so tired that she could barely move. The Blind Moses costume was wrapped around her rifle and mask. To anyone watching, it would seem like she was just carrying some indigo cloth. When she got to her front door, she heard a man’s voice behind her. “There you are. I’ve been waiting half the night for you to return.”

  She turned around. It was Douglas Dugas.

  “You’re out late,” she said, exhaustion making her voice frail.

  “I have something important to tell you. Something Ouellette told me at lunch today that should solve your little investigation.”

  She looked him over and then said, “Go on.”

  He folded his arms. “He went to Jonathon Russell’s home soon after he died and took out a bunch of books. He intended to give them to Dr. Lazarus. Well, one of those books was a grimoire, a spell book that the Knight Priory owned. Supposedly, it’s the one that Vincent used for his rituals.” />
  “Ah-ha! I was right!” Violet said.

  “So, what happened to it?”

  He scratched the back of his head. “Well, most of the stuff got to Dr. Lazarus just fine, but one of the Knight Priory members stole the grimoire. Now they lent it to a Dr. Kindley over the years, which is why Ouellette had such trouble tracking down who actually took it. But he finally figured it out, thanks to one of his detectives.”

  Tania’s pulse raced. That had to be the person who was pulling the strings, the leader of the Knight Priory. “So who was it?”

  “The editor in chief of the Times-Picayune, Caroline Saucier!”

  Chapter 41

  Not What You Think

  Date: Thursday, June 12, 1997

  Time: 8:00 p.m.

  Location: Caroline Saucier’s Mansion

  Garden District, Uptown New Orleans

  Tania called in sick once more and spent the entire day preparing to infiltrate Caroline’s mansion that night. She did yoga for four hours, meditated for three, performed preparatory rituals for two, and prayed for one. When she was finally ready to don the costume and bring Violet forward, she was as ready as could be.

  Throughout the day, Violet had been very quiet, a peaceful vibe coming from her that filled Tania with harmony. Whether last night’s brush with Vincent had changed her, or whether the icy covering had finally cracked, she finally felt like the sibling Tania had always wanted—strong but loving.

  As they prepared to leave, Violet said, “When this is over, Sister, we’ll have a lot to talk about.”

  She had never called Tania “Sister.” That was enough.

  Night had fallen by the time Tania arrived at Caroline’s uptown mansion. A secluded estate, it was surrounded by high, vine-covered walls with a double wrought-iron gate. Trees dotted both sides of the wall, offering perfect cover. A single unarmed guard stood in the gatehouse, reading a magazine and looking both bored and inattentive. The apparent laxness in security was a welcome break from the security at City Hall and Connick’s mansion.