“About two weeks ago another family’s house burned. This time they made it out, barely. Phoenix was off duty, but he was there again. The woman said she’d seen him skulking around before the fire started. He swore up and down it wasn’t him. That he’d arrived just before us. A neighbor confirmed seeing him, but no one actually saw him start the fire. We had to rule it faulty wiring with inconclusive proof.”
“Phoenix was always a bit of an odd duck. He always acted like he was God’s gift to women too,” Wayne interjected.
Becky Sue rolled her eyes. Didn’t she know. She felt stupid for falling for it. Ray squeezed her hand giving her a little reassurance.
“He was always talking about Ancient Egypt voodoo too. When we had slow nights he would bore me to tears with it,” Wayne continued. Ray perked up. “I could probably tell you more than what you wanted to hear about their mythology. I think Phoenix thought he was half way to mythological legend level and claimed he possessed a special stone that made his special gene he had more powerful. I kept telling Lonnie he needed to send him for a psych eval. That dude was off his rocker some days with it. It only seemed to get progressively worse after his sister came back.”
“What do you know about his sister?” Ray asked.
“Not much. She’s as strange as her brother if not more so. She’s hot I’ll give her that, but she also seems to be quite the slut and I’ve heard is into that super kinky stuff.” Wayne volunteered. “Not that I know on a first hand basis mind you.”
“Their folks died in an accident when she was sixteen. I was one of the ones who worked the scene. They’re hit by a logging truck,” Bo said. “Still, she managed to find a way to go to college, or at least that what she told everyone when she graduated high school and left for four years. The only one who might’ve heard from her in that time was Phoenix. Then one day she showed up out of the blue all grown up and filled out. It wasn’t long after her reappearance that rumors started circulating about her. Let me tell you, once the rumors start flying, it don’t take long to get out of control around here. I think the worst I heard about her was that she and Phoenix were lovers. That’s just sick. But like I said you can’t trust the rumor mills so I only gave it a grain of truth.”
Becky Sue knew well what the rumor mills of small towns were capable of, but this time she knew there was truth to what he said about Benu and her brother, sadly.
“Nobody’s seen them in about a week. Some folks in this town are kinda hoping they’ve moved on. Some of the women folk may even throw a party if they have. Benu’s been known to turn more than one husband’s head.”
This time it was Becky Sue’s turn to squeeze Ray’s hand knowing how close he almost came to falling for her pretty face, even though he tried to resist her in the end.
“Well, we appreciate ya’lls time. If you see either of them or hear of their whereabouts I’d appreciate it if you’d give me a call.” Ray scribbled down the phone number to Becky Sue’s house and shop.
“Well this is getting more interesting as it goes,” Becky Sue commented as they drove back to Thunderhead.
“It does. I just hope we can get to their next victims before they do.”
Chapter 20
The next morning Becky Sue went to check on her mom still living the lie that she and Ray were married. It was easier now that he was staying with her while the investigation unfolded. She should’ve felt guilty, but didn’t.
She was still pondering her lack of guilt when she unlocked her shop and let herself in. She should’ve been working on her cat quilt, but Elizabeth Downs’ diary piqued her interest more. Putting her quilting pieces aside she opened the thoughts of a long dead woman and began to read.
April 18, 1863
I have been recognized for my service to my country. Tomorrow I travel to the capital. It is unclear as to the purpose of my visit other than to congratulate me and possibly give me a new mission.
I do not mind serving my country in the capacity I have, although sometimes the men can get rough. I have learned how to deal with them.
I sincerely hope that this war ends soon. I’m tired. The troops are tired. We all just want to go home and rest. I hope I’m given a new mission soon, or at least no longer need rely on my beauty as I fear it has faded in these harsh conditions. Last week I was held as a possible spy. My charm fell on deaf ears. They searched me, stripped me naked, and humiliated me. But I prevailed. Those fools of the South think women have no brains, but again I have outwitted them. Sometimes I almost pity them. Especially those I’ve known all my life.
Last week I had to seduce poor James Brown. He’s had a crush on me since we’re ten years old. The poor sap will go home to Victoria, useless. I almost wish I could see her face when he can no longer conjure fire for her simple entertainment. The twit.
I must be careful what I write now before I travel. If anyone were to get their hands on my books, I would surely hang.
Becky Sue grabbed a piece of scratch paper and wrote down James and Victoria Brown. It sounded like he’d been a Sparker, whether he survived the war or not was yet to be determined. Did he have children that had inherited his trait before he left?
April 29, 1863
The journey to the capital was exhausting. I’m just now recuperating thanks to the dear lady who has offered me lodging.
Tomorrow I’ve been invited to a grand social gathering. I’ve been told the president is expected to attend as well as several foreign dignitaries.
She scanned through the next few pages as Elizabeth Downs described the social season and the political figures she met. Had Becky Sue missed all the important stuff? There’d been reference to more than one book. Had the others been lost or destroyed? She hoped not, but she also didn’t know where to find them without returning to the house of horrors as she now referred to Phoenix’s house after their visit.
Last night when they’d returned to her house it’d been late. They’d taken the back off the picture to see if held any clues. It turned out to be a picture of Elizabeth Downs herself. Their current pet theory was that she was an ancestor of Phoenix and Benu.
Becky Sue had the notebooks with their genealogy in it to try to make heads and tails of while Ray was supposed to be making some calls to get more hands on deck to start tracing back both his and her genealogy to see who else might be targeted.
A foreign name caught her attention as she flipped pages and saw it for the third time.
May 17, 1863
Tewfik comes regularly to call now. I think the man’s intentions are good, but I do not know if I want to become the wife of an Egyptian prince. I have never left this soil and in the midst of this war have no intention to. He is handsome and dashing and pledges his country’s allegiance to the Union, but still, I ask myself where my duty lies. It lies here on this land.
The bells above the door jangled interrupting her reading. She greeted the tourist.
“Do you know when the shop next door opens?” The woman asked.
“She’s not open?” Becky Sue looked perplexed. That’s what had been missing from her morning, Cindy.
“The door is locked.”
“I don’t know. She’s usually open by now. She could be home sick.”
“Okay. I was really hoping to get some good homemade soap.”
“Here, this is one you can sample. If you like it next time you come I’m sure she’ll be open.” Becky Sue handed the woman the bar Cindy had given her to use to catch Ray. She didn’t think she’d need it.
After the woman left, Becky Sue was concerned. Usually Cindy called her and told her if she was staying home sick. She picked up her work phone and dialed her mom.
“Hi, dear. This is a pleasant surprise,” Kate answered.
“Have you heard from Cindy today?” Becky Sue couldn’t explain the panic that was rising in her.
“No. Is something wrong?”
“She hasn’t come in to open her shop and she usually calls if she’s home sick.
I haven’t heard from her.”
“You’re right. I hope the poor woman hasn’t fallen or had a stroke or something. I’ll call give her a call and if she doesn’t answer I’ll have Cletus check on her.”
“Alright. Let me know when you hear back.”
Becky Sue hung up and paced around her shop. She went out the back and checked the back of Cindy’s shop. Everything was locked up nice and neat. The woman may annoy her but she didn’t wish harm on her.
She sat down and tried to read more of the diary, but not knowing what happened to Cindy kept her distracted. Opting to use her nervous energy, she walked around her store dusting a shelf here and there.
The phone finally rang.
“Hello.”
“I’m so glad you called me. Cletus just called me back. He found Cindy unconscious at her house. She’s still breathing and he has help on the way.”
Becky Sue breathed a small sigh of relief. At least she was still alive. “Does he have any idea what happened? Was she robbed? Was she attacked?”
“Where are all these morbid questions coming from? Have you been reading too many books again? Whatever happened to she’s old with medical conditions?”
“I guess I just don’t think of her as having health problems.” The lies that rolled off her tongue these days were getting easier. Sometime she might have to address that. “At any rate keep me in the loop and let me know how she is later.”
Was it possible Cindy was a Sparker? She had the blue eyes, but that didn’t necessarily mean she carried the gene. Either way she’d put her name on the list for Ray to look into.
She sat back down to the table and picked up the diary again. The next several entries were all about the Egyptian prince name Tewfik and their courtship.
June 8, 1863
I have missed my first cycle. I’m afraid I must be carrying Tewfik’s child. All these times I have always been so careful, but this time I wasn’t and should have been. I have no one to blame but myself. I’m afraid this spells disaster for me.
I’m afraid I am faced with the choice of marrying the prince or be sent back to the front lines, working the small men again if they do not throw me out of society all together. I have maybe three months before I am forced to run. I cannot tell Tewfik. He would order me to become his, or own my child. I cannot do either. He is a passionate lover, but he is not mine to command. I shall have to send him away soon.
August 12, 1863
Yesterday I informed Tewfik that we can longer be together. We were not meant to be. He does not know the babe that grows inside of me. It will come in the dead of winter and I am afraid of where that will find me.
This morning I received a gift from him, two actually. One necklace is a beautiful green malachite stone, carved with a griffin and a snake. The other is brown, sunstone he calls it, carved as a locket of the sun. The sunstone is mine to keep. The green is for me to give to the one who holds my heart. If the receiver returns the malachite stone to me, I am to place it in my sun locket and their heart will be captured as mine.
It sounds like witchcraft so I dare not repeat it. I’m not sure if I believe it or not, but I will cherish it anyway as a reward to loving a prince. I’m sure if I need some monetary help some day it can be used as a trinket of value.
Trinkets of value, something about that phrase made her think of her best friend Maggie Ann. The vision of a house full of antiquity came to mind. A shelf of old books, trinkets and pictures on the wall. Maggie Ann’s grandma’s house. She’d been there only a couple times over the years growing up. She lived in Hurricane Valley. If anyone, she might’ve heard stories, or even know some genealogy to help. Was she even still alive?
She picked up the phone and dialed the number she knew by heart.
“Hello. Tucker, get that out of your mouth,” Maggie Ann answered sounding tired.
Becky Sue smiled trying to imagine what Tucker had gotten into this time. “Hey Maggie Ann. Sounds like you need a break.”
“Tell me about it. But that’s not why you called is it? So are you finally going to tell me that you and Ray eloped?”
“Oh no, not you too! I swear. Was it my mother?”
Maggie Ann giggled. “Yes. She called looking for you when you didn’t show to check on her at your normal time.”
“We didn’t elope. That’s Mom’s version of the story. I tried to tell her we didn’t, but then it got too complicated so I just let her believe it. Now I may be rethinking my alibi.”
“Well, if you didn’t elope what happened?” If nothing else Maggie Ann was perceptive. She knew there was more than what was being said.
“Like I said it’s complicated. I actually called to ask you if your Grandma Virden was still alive?”
“Your life got awfully complicated awfully quick when Ray came back to town. And yes, Grammy is still alive and full of spit and fire. Tucker! Give me that. ”
“Tell me about it. Does she still have all that history stuff about the area around here?”
“Yeah…” Maggie Ann’s interest was clearly piqued.
“Do you think maybe we could go visit her? Soon.”
“Let go of the dog’s tail. Now,” she scolded Tucker. “What’s with the sudden interest in the history stuff… soon?”
“It’s too long to explain over the phone and besides that you probably won’t believe me either unless I show you. So would you call Grandma Virden and see if we can drop by tonight after I get off work?”
“Sure. I’d be happy to get out of here and take the kids for a ride. I’ll give her a call and let you know. Are you at the shop?”
“Yep.”
Maggie Ann promised to call her back as soon as she was able to set things up. Becky Sue was no closer to figuring anything out than she’d been before. Instead of pacing like she wanted, she put her hands to work ironing fabric and cutting out cat silhouettes for her quilt. Somewhere along the way Maggie Ann called her back letting her know tonight was set.
The afternoon passed with tourists flitting in and out. The phone rang late in the day. As Becky Sue reached for it, she hoped it was news from Ray.
“Hi honey, how’s work?” It was her mom.
“It’s ok.”
“I just called to give you an update on Cindy. They’re not sure what exactly happened to her. The working diagnosis is heart attack, but when she finally came too she was talking some gibberish about a necklace and some salesman who’d stopped by. The other possibility is she hit her head somehow and has a concussion.”
“Okay. Thanks, Mom.” Just as she was hanging up, Ray came through from the back door.
“What’s going on?” Ray walked up and gave her a peck on the lips.
This was comfortable in a strange way Ray coming in and giving her a welcoming kiss. She kissed him back.
“Well, quite a lot actually. How about you? Did you get any leads?”
“Got both of our family trees ran back to the mid 1800’s. Aside from the obvious cousins we know, there weren’t any surprises. As far as we can tell none of them have been targeted, yet. So I’m not sure how they’re determining who’s Spark and who’s not. I feel like we’re missing something.”
“Yeah, well Phoenix and Benu, or should I call them the Dark Duo? They’ve already struck again.”
Ray’s eyes darkened. “Not here, right?”
“No. They haven’t been back. I’m not even sure if they knew if we survived or not. They got to Cindy though. Mom just called, long story short, Cindy was found unconscious earlier. She was taken in. When she came too apparently she was trying to tell them about the necklace so now they think she might’ve gotten a bump on the head, otherwise the diagnosis is heart attack. I think Phoenix must’ve gotten to her through the guise of a salesman.”
“Oh shit. Is she alright?”
“Overall, I think she’ll come out okay. Might be a little rough for her for a little while though.”
“But how did they take her power? Do you thin
k she knows about it? Wouldn’t she have to have her spark ignited first before they could take it?”
“Don’t look at me. I don’t know any more than you do there.”
“Well now we know they’re moving faster that’s for sure. Let me call the chief and tell him to check the hospital for heart attacks and head concussions coming from this area, maybe we can spring a lead there.”
“One more thing, I’m going to go visit Maggie Ann’s Grandma Virden tonight because she’s as good as a walking history book. You got things to do or you wanna tag along?”
Ray smiled, his eyes glittered. “Tag along of course. How could I miss such an exciting adventure with my new wife?”
Becky Sue rolled her eyes and handed him the phone. “Here, go make your calls.”
They killed the last hour discussing genealogy and who the most likely candidates were that they could think of to be targeted. The list was sketchy at best. She filled him in on the parts of the diary she’d read, but the relevance was undetermined.
An hour and half after close they pulled in behind Maggie Ann and parked in Grandma Virden’s driveway. Levi and Violet bailed out of the car and ran in before Maggie Ann got the back door open to let Tucker out.
A minute later Grandma Virden came to the door awaiting her visitors. Becky Sue didn’t think she’d aged a day since the last time she saw her several years prior. She still reminded her of the National Geographic pictures of the little old ladies who’re the back bone of the society, even if they barely cross five feet tall. Steel grey hair, wrinkles, hunched shoulders, but more speed to her gait than looks indicated.
Grandma Virden greeted Maggie Ann and Tucker with hugs. “Becky Sue it’s been too long. I was so pleased to hear you wanted to come see me.”
Legend Of The Sparks Page 21