Rougarou II

by Judith Ann McDowell

  “I thought it would be safer for Christina to come and be with us until all the mess going on in the parish is over. I knew you wouldn’t mind, hon.” He gave her a little boy look before drawing her forward for a quick kiss.

  “Of course I don’t mind. We can put the roll-away bed in Donavan and Barb’s room for Jenny and you will take the other guest room,” she told Christina.

  “I’m so sorry to be such a burden to you, Seelah,” Christina said, her beautiful face flushed with embarrassment as she nodded to Donavan and his family.

  “Don’t worry about it. Besides, I doubt you had anything to say about coming here. Jack thinks you will be safer here and I tend to agree with him.”

  “Alone is not where you need to be right now, Christina. This town is black with evil and the only way to be safe is for everyone to stick together,” Donavan spoke up, trying to put her at ease, then reached to answer his cell phone.

  “Jack, I do need a moment of your time though,” Seelah beamed up at him. “I have some news I think will make you happy.” She took his hand to lead him down the hall.

  Closing the door behind them he followed Seelah over to sit down on the bed. “All I ask, is please don’t tell me we are going to have one more guest in the house.”

  “Seelah became serious as she looked over at him. “We already had a guest today, Jack. Jonathan Hindel decided this was the day he was going to replace our son’s soul with his.”

  Jack jumped to his feet as extreme anger shot through his body. “Did that son of a bitch harm you?”

  “He tried, Jack. But he didn’t factor in the strength of my guides. When I screamed for their help they bound Jonathan in chains and took him to the dark side. We don’t have to worry about Jonathan Hindel doing any harm to our son, Jack,” she laughed as tears of joy streamed down her face.

  Afraid to speak he gathered her into his arms, while thanking her guides over and over in his mind.

  ***

  Christina watched the two women sitting on the couch across the room and tried not to feel like an imposter. She could see the closeness between the two and scolded herself for being envious.

  Seelah looked over in time to catch the look of sadness on Christina’s face. “Christina, why don’t you come over here and sit with us? Or, better yet, why don’t the three of us go in the kitchen and dish up something to ruin our figures?” She stood up, laughing, as she stuck out her swollen stomach. “I think it’s already too late for me.”

  “No need to feel bad, Seelah. We’ve all been where you are now,” Barbara chimed in on the conversation.

  “When I was ready to give birth to Tina, I was so ashamed of my body I couldn’t pass a mirror without cringing.” The admission caught her off guard and she covered her mouth.

  “I know what you mean,” Barbara laughed taking Christina’s hand and pulling her to her feet. “I was so huge at the end, poor Donavan had to tie my shoes in the morning. If he had to go into work early, I just made do with slippers.”

  For the first time in her life, it seemed, Christina felt herself being accepted by other women instead of being the brunt of their petty jealousy and envy and she liked the feeling it gave her.

  Seelah stood with her hand on the freezer door and peered inside.

  “What are you coming up with that can turn us into three blobs with no hope of returning to our beautiful selves?” Barbara pulled a chair out from the table.

  “Vanilla ice cream?” She pulled the door forward to hide her face.

  “That’s it?” Barbara shared a wrinkled-nose-look with Christina. “I have better to offer at my house and I’m not even pregnant.”

  Christina spoke up with a giggle. “I have an entire Chocolate Cream Pie sitting in my refrigerator at home. I can’t stand the thought of it going to waste.”

  Both heads turned in her direction. “Are you serious?” Barbara asked, already licking her lips.

  “Yes, I’m serious. I bought it from that little Greek bakery on the corner.”

  “Makers of Magic and Chocolate Dreams?” Seelah flipped the freezer door closed. “Oh my god! I love their baked goods and cream pies. They are a fat girl’s dream come true!”

  The two women laughed as they watched Seelah waddle over to the table, one hand tapping her big belly. “I vote we all jump in the car and run over to your place, Christina. The guys and Jenny are in the bedroom watching a movie. If we hurry they will never even know we’re gone.”

  “I don’t know,” Barbara tapped a long fingernail against her front teeth, something she did when she was nervous, “Donavan said we’re supposed to stay in the house together.”

  “Oh for goodness sake, Barbara.” Seelah pulled her sweater from the peg on the coat-rack. “Just grab your purse. I know you keep a loaded 38 in there!”

  “Well, if we hurry and don’t go anywhere else, I guess it will be all right. What do you think, Christina?”

  “I think we’ll be all right. It shouldn’t take us longer than fifteen minutes there and back. Ten if you keep the motor running while I run in and grab the pie.”

  “Then let’s go. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get back.” Barbara ran into the living room to pick up her purse.

  “I’m right behind you. The sooner we get back the sooner we can dive into that chocolate dream!” Christina chuckled following Barbara out the door as Seelah pulled the door to behind them.

  ***

  Jack leaned into the fridge to pull out a beer for him, a coke for Jenny and lemonade for Donavan. “Hey, while I’m pullin’ out drinks for everyone, is there anything you girls want?” He called out. Hearing no reply, he grabbed the bottles, pushed the door shut with his hip to walk into the living room. Finding the room empty he continued on his way down the hall. As he passed the dark bathroom and guestrooms he walked back up the hall to the master bedroom. “Guess the girls must be outside on the patio,” he said, handing over the bottles. “I’ll go out and see if they need anything while the commercial’s on.”

  “Hold up,” Donavan said, sliding his feet into a pair of slippers, “I might as well go have a cigarette while you’re playing host.” He turned towards Jenny. “Pay attention to what we miss so you can fill us in when we get back.”

  “I’ll think about it,” she gave him a scolding look. “You know the doctor said you need to quit smoking, Dad.”

  “I will, but right now I got too much on my mind to quit.” He ruffled her hair. “We’ll be right back.” He grinned, jabbing a finger in the direction of the TV.

  “Come on, Donavan.” Jack pulled the glass door closed behind him.

  Donavan picked up on the tenseness in Jack’s voice. “What’s goin’ on?”

  “The women are gone. I checked out front and Barb’s car is gone too. Guess they thought they could run out for a minute and not bother telling us since we were engrossed in the movie and wouldn’t know they were gone.”

  “That was a very stupid move on their part. Barb sure as hell should know better than to leave when she knows all that is coming down in this town right now.” Donavan pulled the glass door open and listened. Hearing the TV still going he closed the door. “I waited until I could talk with you alone about something I learned earlier when you went to talk with Seelah.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I got a call from Jerry Stalls. He said Rafael Hindel showed up at the club tonight and sat at a table with none other than our old friend Reverend Statler.”

  “He didn’t harm another girl did he?”

  “Not at the club, but Stalls said, when he left he was with Statler and two women who work the club.”

  “It keeps gettin’ worse.” He punched in some numbers on the cell phone. “Where in the hell are the three of you?”

  “Here, Seelah,” Barbara handed over the phone, “it’s for you.”

  “Hi, Babe, I know we shouldn’t have left but, there was something Christina wanted to pick up at her house. As soon as she comes back o
utside we’ll be on our way home.”

  “You got ten-minutes to get your asses back here!” he told her, before ending their conversation.

  “I think he’s upset,” Barbara grinned at her as Seelah handed her back the phone.

  “Jack is a worrier, especially now with the baby about to be born.”

  “I wonder what in the world is keeping Christina? She should have been back out by now.”

  ***

  Christina jumped as someone called out her name. She had not bothered to turn on a light thinking to grab the pie from the fridge and leave. Slamming the door to the refrigerator, she bolted for the door only to find herself being spun around by unseen hands.

  “Christina, I have been waiting for you,” he told her.

  “Rafael, you scared the life outta me.” Christina fell into his arms.

  “I have been here waiting for your return.” One hand caressed her long hair as she continued to allow him to hold her. “All day I have been waiting.”

  “I’ve been visiting with friends.” She kept her face hidden against his neck.

  “Would it be encroaching on your privacy for me to inquire as to who these friends are?”

  Christina pushed herself out of his arms. “Let’s go into the living room, Rafael. I have people waiting for me and if I turn on a light they will see I’m not alone.”

  Christina seated herself on the couch and switched on a small lamp.

  “I am waiting for you to tell me who you have chosen over me to spend the day with, Christina. You and I had made plans to be together today.” His deep voice remained calm.

  “Detective Olivier’ came to see me this morning. He seems to think I am in danger being here by myself.”

  “Do you feel you are in danger?”

  “I don’t know. He had some pretty frightening things to tell me. Things about you.” She forced herself to look at him.

  Rafael sat forward in the chair. “Please, enlighten me on what he had to say.” He could feel his anger fighting to be released, but he held it at bay.

  “Both Detectives feel you were the one responsible for the deaths of Tina and Paul Statler.”

  “And you, Christina? Do you feel I could have done such a terrible thing to your own daughter?”

  Suddenly all the love she felt for this man came rushing forward and she left the couch to go to him. “No, Rafael, I don’t.”

  Holding her close against him he whispered, “Who are the people waiting for you outside?”

  “Seelah Olivier’ and Barbara Hays.”

  “Wives of the detectives.”

  “Yes. The Olivier’s want me to stay with them in their home. They feel I am not safe here alone. They didn’t want you to know where I was,” she cried softly as he pulled her tighter against his shoulder.

  “Would you rather return with them or would you rather come stay with me at the Hindel Mansion?” He steeled himself to hear her answer.

  All the stories she had grown up hearing about the old house shot into her mind, but she pushed them away. “Oh, Rafael, of course I would rather be with you. But what am I going to tell them?”

  “You won’t need to tell them anything, my sweet Christina. We will go out the back door and leave in my car parked a ways up the street.”

  “Yes, Rafael, whatever you say,” she murmured, as he pulled her to her feet. But…what about clothes? I took most of my clothes with me when I left here.”

  “Let me worry about that. Right now we need to go.”

  She placed her hand in his and felt a warm calmness envelope her.

  “I promised no one would ever hurt you as long as you are with me. I mean to keep my promise. Soon you will know the very depths of my love for you, Christina. And those who tried to steal you away from me will know the very depths of my wrath.”

  ***

  Barbara ducked down behind the thick hedge bordering Christina’s yard, as she saw two figures going out the back gate. As they walked beneath the street light she could see them both clearly. Wasting no time she ran back to the car. “We got problems, Seelah. I just saw Christina leaving through the back gate with a man I would bet my life is Rafael Hindel.”

  “Is she out of her mind? He’s a cold-blooded killer!” Seelah turned in her seat.

  “Jack and Donavan tried to warn her about him. If she chooses to ignore the truth then all we can do is get back to the house and tell them what has happened.”

  “We can bet they aren’t going to be happy. And the ironic thing about all this?”

  Barbara sat still hoping she wasn’t going to give her any more bad news. “What?”

  “We never even got the damn pie!”

  Chapter Thirty Seven

  Christina was lost as soon as they walked through the front door. It had always been her dream to live in a beautiful house like this. When she had married Tina’s father he promised to fulfill that dream, but the closest they ever came was at one of the luxury hotels in Vegas where he got her a weeklong stint, stripping at the hotel’s showroom.

  “I hope the mansion is to your liking, Christina.”

  “Are you kidding?” She spun around trying to look everywhere at once. “It’s absolutely beautiful. I have always wanted to live in a house like this.”

  Rafael turned her to look at him. “It has always been my dream to find a beautiful woman to love and cherish. If you will consent to remain here we will both have fulfilled our dream.”

  Christina’s eyes widened in complete amazement. “Oh my god! Are you serious? I mean…are you actually asking me to marry you, Rafael?”

  Instantly, he dropped to one knee and taking her hand in his, whispered, “Will you consent to be my wife, my beautiful Christina?”

  “Yes! Oh my god! Yes!”

  Getting to his feet he picked her up in his arms. “Then tomorrow, we must go into town and find you the biggest diamond engagement ring this town has to offer.”

  Lawrence cleared his throat as he walked into the room.

  “Lawrence, come and join us.” Rafael waved him forward. “We have wonderful news. Christina has agreed to become Mrs. Rafael Hindel.”

  Lawrence tried to hide his shock as the beautiful woman with the bright green eyes reached out to embrace him.

  “I will go to the wine cellar and bring up a bottle of our best wine. This is a night to celebrate.”

  “I have heard some very nice things about you, Christina. My grandfather speaks quite highly of you.” Lawrence hoped his voice did not betray his utter disbelief at what was happening. The entire parish was in utter chaos and Rafael was behaving like it was just another normal day.

  “Rafael is an exceptional man. He makes me very happy.” Her eyes shone with excitement. “I have never met a man who can satisfy my every need like Rafael,” she exclaimed, then blushed as she realized what she had just admitted to a complete stranger.

  Lawrence turned away, glad to see Rafael coming towards them, a bottle of wine in each hand.

  “I hope Lawrence has kept you entertained in my absence.” He bent forward to drop a light kiss on her brow.

  “Lawrence is a complete gentleman. I love him. In fact, tonight, I love the entire world!” She twirled around happier than she had been in months.

  “Let’s get this wine open and toast our coming life together and you can tell me how big of a wedding you want to have.” Rafael laughed as she put her arm around his waist to follow him out of the room.

  Lawrence hung back, hoping they would not notice.

  “Lawrence,” Rafael called back over his shoulder, “I expect you to join us in a toast.”

  Seated in the living room Lawrence watched the couple from across the room. He had never seen his grandfather behave in such a carefree way before. It was almost laughable. However, now was not the time for laughter. He had to think of a way to stop these ridiculous plans. If this marriage took place it could well be the ruination of the entire Hindel family. Somehow he had to reach the spirit of
his father, the only one who could stop Rafael’s madness before it was too late.

  Lawrence got to his feet. “I am going to leave the two of you alone. I have some things I need to finish.”

  “I will bid you a good evening then. We will see you in the morning.”

  “Good night, Lawrence. I am so glad we have finally had the chance to meet.”

  Lawrence nodded not trusting himself to say anything more. As soon as he was out of the room he quickly descended the stairs to the basement. Moving through the cave he called out into the quiet then waited.

  Rolan Lybbert walked towards him. “I see we have company this evening.” He took a seat on the couch, stretched out his legs.

  “Yes.” Lawrence joined him rubbing an agitated hand across his brow. “I have just received some very disturbing news.”

  Rolan looked at him. “Then this is a day for unsettling news. I too have learned of something I am, as yet, unable to fathom.”

  Only half listening to the man, Lawrence spoke aloud his fears. “My grandfather has chosen to put all our lives in danger with his immature desires. He has advised me of his impending marriage to Christina Crawford.”

  “Rafael is leaving the estate? This cannot be.” Lawrence had his complete attention now.

  “No,” Lawrence turned to gaze at him, “from the way my grandfather is showing off my home, I would say he plans on making it their home.”

  “But…this would put all of us in danger of being found out. We have to be able to move about the estate freely. Allowing an outsider to live on the property, right now, is out of the question.”

  Lawrence held up a hand. “I am trying to stay calm. I am sure when my father learns of these ridiculous plans he will put a stop to them.”

  “That cannot happen now, Lawrence.”

  At the stark resignation on Rolan’s face, Lawrence leaned forward. “Why do you say this?”

  “This day was to be the onset of your father’s rebirth. However, as Jonathan made ready to replace the soul of the fetus with that of his own, the mother’s guides answered her pleas for help. They bound Jonathan and took him to the dark side where he will remain until he chooses to turn his life back to God.