“I don’t know, but I don’t think he would have deserted us without a good reason. He must be off doing something important.”
A sudden movement in the darkness caught their attention. Jack jumped up, pistol gripped firmly in his right hand. But it was only a cat, probably out roaming the streets in search of food.
“I hope Tolomato comes back soon,” he said, sitting back down on the bench.
Maybe the reason the chief hadn’t been around to help them look for the wells, as promised, was that he was no longer in the land of the living. Maybe he had been summoned back into the spirit world by a higher force, or he had gone back for a visit and was no longer able to return. That would mean she and Jack were now on their own to face the Shiru.
Ssabra had never wanted a wisecracking Indian ghost as a constant companion, but the thought of Tolomato no longer being around to help troubled her deeply. Hopefully his absence was only a temporary thing, and he would soon be making his presence known.
Glancing at her watch, she was shocked to see that it was almost midnight. Midnight. The witching hour. The time when ghosts and goblins were said to walk the night. Was it also a time for dark gods to be out prowling, hunting for their next victim? More than anything, Ssabra wanted to be home at that moment, safe and sound in her little apartment, with the door and windows locked. She did not want to be sitting out in the open, even if the man beside her carried a loaded gun.
Damnit, Tolomato. Where the hell are you? Don’t do this to me.
She didn’t know Jack was looking at her as she wrestled with her thoughts, nor did she realize that she was shivering. It might have been the night chill causing her body to shake, or it might have been due to a growing feeling of hopelessness and doom.
“You’re shivering. Here, take my jacket.” Jack removed his suit jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. She was grateful for the extra warmth, noticing the faint scent of cologne that clung to the material. She leaned her head on the detective’s shoulder, allowing him to put his arm around her.
She had just closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the sensation of sharing a quiet moment, when the sound of laughter startled her. It was the laugh of someone well-pleased with himself, and the sound came from deep inside her head.
“Tolomato!” She sat up straight on the bench. “He’s back. I just heard him.”
Jack looked around at the surrounding darkness. “Where? I don’t see him.”
The young woman spotted a faint shimmering glow just to the right of a nearby palmetto tree. As she watched, the glow grew more solid and took on shape, becoming less transparent and a little less shimmering. Tolomato was standing beside the tree, a big grin on his face.
“He’s there. By the tree.” Ssabra pointed to where Tolomato stood, even though she knew Jack couldn’t see him. “Where in the hell have you been? I’ve been calling you all day.”
The chief laughed. “I was doing as you told me to do.”
“Doing as I told you? What do you mean?”
“You told me never to bother you when you were on a date, and that is exactly what I was doing. I was not bothering you.”
“On a date? I’m not on a date.”
“Oh?” Tolomato made a funny face. “You are with a young man. You have just had dinner, and now you are sitting there with his arm around you. If it is not a date, what would you call it?”
Ssabra started to argue, but stopped. Tolomato had left the two of them alone to share each other’s company. It was not a real date, but it was the closest thing to a date she had had in almost a year.
You’re right, I am on a date. She formed the words carefully in her mind, hoping Tolomato could read her thoughts. Thank you.
“You are most welcome.” The chief nodded.
Turning, she saw that Jack was grinning at her. Her face warmed with embarrassment.
“Not a bad first date, huh?” he said, his grin growing wider.
She tried to act indignant, but failed miserably. “We are not on a date.”
“Tolomato thinks we are.”
“Well, Tolomato is wrong.”
“If you say so,” Jack laughed.
“I do say so....” Ssabra was interrupted by the sight of Tolomato making a hugging motion, as if he was hugging a woman and kissing her. “Stop that!”
“Stop what?” Jack asked. “I’m not doing anything.”
“Not you. Him.” She pointed at the tree, forgetting that the detective could not see the apparition.
“What’s he doing?” Jack asked.
“He’s-- She didn’t want to describe Tolomato’s action, for fear of being laughed at. “Nothing. It’s nothing.”
“Doesn’t sound like nothing to me.”
“Well, it is.” She stood up and stripped off Jack’s jacket, throwing it in his lap. “Oooo...I swear. The two of you are more than I can take.”
The detective laughed. “Why? What did I do?”
“Nothing. Just forget it.” She looked across the street, not wanting to look back to where Tolomato stood. “That restaurant should be empty by now. How about doing what we came here to do?”
“Sounds good to me.” Returning his pistol to its holster, he stood up and slipped his jacket back on. “I think I saw the manager leave a few minutes ago. That should be all of the employees.”
“How are we going to get inside?”
“We’re going to break in.”
“What about the alarm?”
“One of the things about being a cop is that you learn how crooks operate. Before I became a homicide detective, I worked in the burglary division for a couple of years. I learned all the tricks to get past alarm systems.”
“You definitely are a fun date,” she said.
Jack turned and looked at her. “I thought you said we weren’t on a date.”
“We’re not. I’m just taking notes for the future.”
The detective located an outside control box for the alarm system, cutting through the wires with a pocket knife. He then led Ssabra to a small door on the back side of the building, away from the street and the possibility of prying eyes, and broke out one of the door’s glass panes with a brick. Pausing to make sure no alarm would sound, he reached in and opened the door.
The restaurant remained silent and cloaked in darkness, with only a few lights left on inside the building for security. The lights were not very bright, so the two of them would probably not be seen once inside. Switching on his flashlight, he entered the restaurant with Ssabra close at his heals.
Jack wanted to split up to look for the well, but he only had one flashlight, so they had to stay together. They had already looked through the dining area, and the lounge, so they began their search in the kitchen. If the old Spanish well had been located where the kitchen now sat, then it was completely covered over, for there was no sign of it. There were no breaks in the tile flooring to indicate the presence of a well, nor any odd deformities along the wall.
They searched through the storerooms next, even looked in the cooler, but with no results. If the restaurant had been built over the old well, then the building completely covered it.
“Damn, it’s not here,” Jack said, sweeping his flashlight around the kitchen for a second time. “The map must be wrong.”
Ssabra studied the crude map of Father Sebastian Diaz, straining to see it in the semidarkness. “It has to be here. All the other wells were marked in the right locations.”
“We’ve already been through this place twice. It’s not here. We’re just wasting our time.”
“Let’s look again,” she said. “I don’t want to give up so easily.”
He sighed. “Okay, if it will make you happy, we’ll go back through this place one more time. But that’s it. I want to get out of here before someone sees my flashlight and reports a break-in.”
They went back through the kitchen, but didn’t have any better luck than the first time. They also searched the two back storerooms, but t
heir effort was fruitless. They were just about to leave the storeroom, when Tolomato spoke up.
“Look around, woman.”
Ssabra jumped, startled by the voice. “Wait a minute.” She placed a hand on Jack’s arm.
“What?”
“Tolomato just spoke to me. I think the well is here. He told me to look around.”
The detective swept the flashlight around the contents of the room. The storage room was about fifteen by twenty feet, crowded with beer cases and other boxes. “Where? I don’t see it.”
“It must be hidden. Maybe it’s behind the boxes.”
“Here, hold this. Shine it where I can see.” He gave her the flashlight and started moving the cases and cardboard boxes out of the way. He went through several stacks, and then he noticed that the next stack of empty beer cases was higher than the previous two, even though the stacks contained the same number of cases. “Son of a bitch. I think we’ve found something.”
Jack pulled the empty cases out of the way, and let out a whoop. The stack had been sitting on top of a round well cover. The Spanish emblem carved into the stone identified it as one of the old wells.
“Bingo. We’ve found it.” He pushed the other stacks of empty boxes out of the way and pulled the tire tool from his belt. “Tell Tolomato thank you.”
“He heard you,” Ssabra said, holding the flashlight steady. “He says you’re welcome.”
Knowing the storeroom was not visible to anyone outside the restaurant, Jack found a switch and flipped on the single lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. It took a few minutes of fumbling and prying before he managed to get the lid off the well, and he nearly smashed two of his fingers in the process. Setting the lid to the side, he took the flashlight from Ssabra and shined it down into the opening.
The well was about twenty feet deep and three feet in diameter, and had probably once been used to catch and store rainwater. The water had dried up long ago, but the well was anything but empty. At the bottom of the shaft, standing almost straight up, was a rectangular container that looked to be made of wood and brass. It was nearly black with mildew, but there was still no mistaking that it was a small casket.
The two of them were speechless for a moment, then Jack said, “Done any rope climbing lately?”
“Not since high school gym class, but I probably remember how to do it.”
“Good. Get yourself ready while I find something to tie this rope to.” He walked back into the kitchen and tied off one end of the climbing rope to a sturdy steel counter that was fastened to the floor. The rope was one hundred feet long, so he would have more than enough to reach the bottom of the well and tie up the casket.
He walked back into the storage room, where Ssabra stood waiting for him. “Okay, I’m going to wrap this around your waist and through your legs to make a sling. That way I’ll be able to lower you down slowly, rather than risk having you climb down on your own. Once I get in position, I want you to sit on the edge of the well and then slowly lower yourself into the opening. Keep hold of the rope and use your feet for breaks. I’ll try not to let you drop too quickly. Take the flashlight with you; turn it on and slip it into your belt.”
He finished tying the rope around Ssabra, fashioning it into a crude harness. Once everything was tied in place, he tugged on the rope to make sure the knots would not come undone. “Good thing you’re as skinny as a rail, otherwise this rope might not hold you.”
Ssabra favored him with a smile. “Are you always so flattering to your dates?”
Jack returned the smile, then he leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips.
“What was that for?” She asked, surprised by the gesture.
“In case I accidentally drop you.”
Ssabra leaned forward and kissed him back, her lips lingering on his for a few moments.
“And what was that for?” he asked, genuinely pleased.
“Just because.” She stepped back and sat down on the edge of the well, waiting while Jack got into position. He sat down at the opposite edge of the well, facing the opening, using the raised stone lip to brace his feet against. Ssabra waited for him to give her a nod, then slowly lowered herself into the opening.
It took a lot of courage for her to let go of the lip and trust the rope, but Jack had her and she did not fall. Instead, she was slowly lowered down into the ancient stone shaft. When she neared the bottom, she let go of the rope and pulled the flashlight from her pants. She wanted to see where she was going, and didn’t want to land on the casket. Once she was safely down, she untied the end of the rope from around her and fastened it around the casket. The casket was weathered and looked in danger of falling apart, but it might hold together long enough to lift it out of the well.
“Okay, I’ve got it.” She looked up at the opening and waved the flashlight. Jack was peering over the edge, watching her. “The casket’s secure; pull it up.”
“What about you?”
“Get the box first, then drop the rope back down to me. I’ll help get it started.”
“Good idea.” His face disappeared from view. A few seconds later the small casket started to rise toward the opening. Ssabra helped it along until she could no longer reach it, making sure that it didn’t bang against the stone walls. Once out of reach, she kept the light shining on the tiny coffin as she watched its progress to the surface.
The casket paused for a moment at the opening, as Jack struggled to get it over the lip. Then it disappeared from view. A few moments later the rope fell into the well like an uncoiling snake.
“Remember how I tied the rope around you?” Jack called from above.
“I think so.” Ssabra tied the rope around her waist and legs, trying to remember how he had done it. Her harness may not have been perfect, but it was secure and the knots were tight, so she probably wouldn’t slip out. “Okay, all set. Go ahead.”
“Here we go.”
Ssabra felt a tug on the rope and then she began to slowly rise off the floor of the well. She slipped the flashlight back into her belt so she could use her hands to grab the rope, and keep her body from banging against the stone walls. She was almost to the top when she heard a loud crash, followed by a shout.
“Hold it right there!”
A scant second later the rope went slack in her hands and she found herself plummeting to the bottom of the well.
Ssabra screamed and tried to catch hold of something to stop her fall, but there was nothing to grab. The stones that made up the walls of the ancient well were tightly fitted together, and there were no handholds. She tried to grab the wall, but all she accomplished was breaking off two of her fingernails. She hit the floor hard, her ankle twisting painfully beneath her, falling backward to crash into the opposite wall.
The world flashed white hot, and a searing pain ripped through her body. Ssabra thought she was going to pass out, but remained conscious and painfully aware of the damage she had done to her ankle, back, shoulders, neck and head. She lay on her side, having bounced off the wall, staring at the stones in front of her. The flashlight was still tucked into the front of her pants, and, luckily, had not been damaged in the fall.
She had the wind knocked out of her, so several minutes elapsed before she could even think about moving. She was also fearful that she had broken her leg in the fall, but was able to straighten out both of her legs without too much pain or difficulty. Her legs weren’t broken, but she wasn’t so sure about her right ankle. If it wasn’t broken, then it was badly sprained.
As she lay there, she slowly began to check her other body parts, inspecting what kind of damage had been done in the fall. Her legs appeared to be working, and so were her arms. At least she could move them. She gingerly touched the back of her head with her fingertips, feeling wetness beneath her hair. Removing her fingers, she studied them under the beam of the flashlight. They were red with blood.
Her head was bleeding, but she couldn’t be sure how badly she was hurt. It might only b
e a small scalp laceration, or it might be a cut deep enough to require stitches. For all she knew, she might even have a concussion, or a skull fracture. One thing for sure, she needed to get out of the well and to a hospital.
Ssabra looked up at the opening. What the hell happened? Why had Jack let go of the rope? Had someone seen their flashlight and called the cops? Maybe the owner had showed up, or perhaps the manager or one of the employees had returned. They might have surprised Jack, causing him to let go of the rope. Maybe they even hit him over the head with something. He had been facing the well, his back to the doorway.
She also remembered hearing someone shout. It might have been Jack who yelled, or it might have been a police officer or security guard. Maybe someone pulled a gun on the detective, and he had to let go of the rope to keep from getting shot.
“Jack?” Ssabra cleared her throat and called up to the opening. Her voice wasn’t loud, and she had probably not been heard. She coughed and tried again. “Jack, are you there? What happened?”
Detective Colvin did not answer, and the silence seemed to close in around her. She tried again. “Jack, can you hear me?”
A few more seconds passed, but there was no answer from above. Something had happened to Jack, but she wasn’t sure what. He might have been arrested and taken out of the building. Maybe he felt it was better to drop her than run the risk of having her also getting arrested.
“Nice guy. Remind me to send him a thank you card from the hospital.”
One thing for sure, she was getting nowhere fast just sitting there. Whatever had happened, Jack was not answering her calls. Nor was he pulling on the other end of the rope. That meant it was up to her to get herself out of the well. Of course, she could stay where she was until help came along. At the very worse she would only have to stay the night, but she didn’t like the idea of remaining in the well for a minute longer than she had to. It was creepy and dark, and it was the place where a casket had rested for many years. Also, her flashlight might not last until morning, and there was no way in hell she was going to spend the night in the dark.
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