Legend of the Sorcerer

by Donna Kauffman

  Cai was close enough now to read the address label plastered on the side of the crate. There was a customs stamp on the side. He looked more closely at it. United Kingdom. The pit in his stomach grew deeper.

  He looked back to the young man, who shifted from one foot to the other under Cai’s silent scrutiny.

  “If you don’t mind, I’m sort of on a tight schedule here.” He lifted the clipboard again.

  There were no other packages in the boat. Cai glanced at the clipboard. There was a manifest on the top, with Union Parcel in bold black print. Maybe the kid was legit, but he still had a bad feeling about this whole setup. He reached for the clipboard. “Your boss works you pretty hard, does she? I wasn’t aware delivery service was such a big business in the Keys.”

  The young man just shrugged, eyeing the clipboard as if willing Cai to sign it and hand it back to him.

  Cai flipped up the sheet of paper. It was the only one on the clipboard.

  Jordy moved beside him. “For someone in a hurry, deliveries are kind of light today.”

  Cai glared at her, but she wasn’t looking at him.

  “I, um, I only do, you know, one at a time.” He laughed, but didn’t pull it off too well. “Things are spread out down here. I have to turn each sheet in.”

  Cai scrawled his name on the line. “What did you say your name was?”

  “Uh, Cliff.”

  “And your boss, what is her name?” Jordy asked.

  His gaze darted between the two of them and he swallowed visibly. “Why do you ask? I mean, you’re not going to complain about anything, are you?”

  Cai studied the young man. He’d watched enough people over the years to understand body language. He’s bet his next advance that this kid wasn’t simply worried about keeping his job. He seemed too nervous, as if his fear went a bit deeper than employment. Was the kid working for Margaron? It made sense for her to have someone down here. It explained how the film was delivered to the ZippySnap. He looked down at the manifest and recognized the neat, block lettering that had also been used on the photo envelope.

  He smiled at the young man, hoping it didn’t look as feral as it felt. “No complaints. But I send a lot of packages out and I’m always on the lookout for new delivery services. Competition is a good thing, right?”

  The kid bobbed his head and reached for the clipboard. “Yeah, sure.”

  “Why don’t I just jot down your number.” Cai looked back down at the manifest. There was an address, a post office box on one of the larger Keys, but that was it. Cai looked up. “Funny, there’s no number on here. Awfully hard to do business when you can’t take calls.”

  The man suddenly lunged up on the edge of his boat and snatched the clipboard right out of Cai’s hand. He stumbled back into the boat and scrambled for the controls.

  “Hold on there!” Cai shouted, but the kid was already gunning the engine.

  The boat ripped away from the dock, whipping the rope he’d loosely tied up with off the piling.

  “Cai, look out!”

  Cai swung around just as Jordy grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him to the dock. The rope whistled by, just over their heads.

  “Dammit to hell!” Jordy climbed off Cai and they both scrambled to stand up. Cai ran for his jet boat.

  “Where are you going?”

  “He works for Margaron, I’d bet my next advance on it.”

  “You’ll never find him in the maze of mangroves.”

  Cai jumped onto the boat. “I know these mangroves better than anyone. I’ll find him. Stay here with the crate. Don’t let Alfred or Dilys near it. And don’t open it!” he yelled over the roar of the engine.

  Jordy looked at the crate and back to the house. She hated being left behind, and eyed the other boat, but there was no way she could maneuver at any speed through the maze of waterways that snaked through the mangroves. It was better if she stayed and guarded the crate. Dammit. “Be careful!” she shouted, already worried for his safety.

  Cai swung away from the dock and spent the next thirty minutes looking for the delivery boat, but with no luck. He scooted over to Dobs’ dock to see if he’d seen anything. But Dobs was out fishing. And there were no water marks from the tires of a trailer or truck at the launching pad.

  Cai smacked the steering wheel. “Damn, damn, damn.” Reluctantly, he gave up and returned.

  Jordy was there, waiting for him.

  “I lost him. No sign where he went.”

  “Damn.” She gave him a hand up to the dock. “Listen, I’ve been thinking. You said there was an address on the manifest. Do you remember it?”

  “It was a post office box on Key West. But I can’t take the time to head down there right now. I have to get a look in this crate before Dilys and Alfred come snooping around.”

  “They haven’t been out here.” Jordy leveled a look at him. “And you’re not opening this alone. If we’re going to see where this relationship leads, then you best be warned that the investigation is part of the rest of it. Don’t lock me out.”

  “I wasn’t locking you out. I trusted that package to your care. I thought it was more important than tagging along with me on a wild-goose chase.”

  Her defiant posture softened and her chin lowered. “You’re right. It’s just that I let other people make my decisions when I should have made my own. I’m still trying to find my way here. It isn’t as easy as I’d hoped it would be.”

  “Nothing worth having comes easy.”

  She moved closer and looked up into his eyes. His muscles tightened when she said, “No, it doesn’t.”

  They both shifted their attention to the crate. Despite the searing heat of the sun directly overhead, Jordy shivered and rubbed her arms. “How can a harmless box of wood seem so ominous?” She stepped closer to it. “This is her proof, isn’t it?”

  He nodded. “It doesn’t look like photographs this time, either.”

  When she shuddered again, Cai ran his hand over her bare arm.

  She laid her hand over his. “I like it when you touch me. I like the warmth and strength.” She held his gaze again. “Only this time, I want to share it. Not hide behind it.”

  He didn’t miss her meaning. He nodded. “Let’s take this inside and find out what she sent us.”

  Jordy locked the door behind them as Cai set the crate on his desk. They both stared at it in silence for several long moments.

  “It’s from the UK,” she said unnecessarily, wanting to break the silence. “I don’t see a return address on it anywhere.” She tore her gaze away from it and looked at Cai. “I know it’s from her. Should we call the task force guy? What was his name?”

  Cai’s jaw tightened. “Kuhn.”

  “Well?”

  Cai stepped closer to the crate and began prying off the wooden slats with the screwdriver he’d picked up on the way into the house. “I’ll decide after I see what’s inside. She knows where I live, obviously. And just as obviously, she has other people working for her. For all we know that kid, or someone else like him, could be watching the Key, reporting back to her.”

  “Then you think she knows about the police? About Kuhn?”

  Cai shook his head. “I don’t know. I don’t think anyone followed me, or observed me when I went into the station, but I wasn’t really looking for that. There isn’t much traffic on Mangrove, so I think I would have noticed.”

  “She hasn’t said anything about it, or warned you. Maybe you’re right. Maybe we’re getting too paranoid here.”

  Cai leveled a look at her. “She is torturing at least one innocent woman, possibly two. She knows where I live and is targeting me. That’s not paranoia, that’s fact. I’d rather not give her the benefit of the doubt and assume the worst, okay?”

  Jordy nodded, her icy fingertips pressing into her palms as he took the final panel off.

  Inside was an oak box, polished to a high sheen, obviously expensively made. There was a gold clasp on the front, and dangling fr
om it was a tag.

  Cai went to reach for it, but Jordy stopped him. “Maybe we shouldn’t touch it. There might be fingerprints or something.”

  Cai scowled, but picked up the card by holding the edges between two fingertips so none of the surface was touched. “It’s sealed.” He picked up a letter opener and slid it carefully inside, slicing the tape that held the card shut.

  A tiny gold key was taped to one side. On the other side was a handwritten note in elegantly stylized script.

  Here is your proof, Malacai. Another soul to rescue. Torture is such an elemental way to gain attention, but wonderfully effective. Your path is now clear. Your quest has begun. Do not deny the destiny that is ours, for the result will not be to your liking, or to that of the innocents in my care. Bring me the Dark Pearl, and bring it swiftly. The clock of life is ticking away …

  It was signed Margaron.

  He let the card dangle once again as Jordy sucked in a breath. “She has to be stopped, Cai. This is sick. Truly sick.”

  He nodded, then studied the clasp.

  “Maybe we should contact Kuhn.”

  “Screw Kuhn. So far he’s done nothing to solve this case but follow a cold paper trail. He will demand we turn it over and then we’ll never know what’s going on. I’m opening it. Once I see for myself what she’s sent, then I’ll decide what to do next.”

  “You’re probably right.”

  He studied the clasp. “There’s no keyhole.”

  Jordy picked up a pen and flicked the clasp open. “It isn’t locked.” She looked at Cai. “Maybe what’s inside the box is.”

  Cai laid the box on its side, careful to touch only the edges. He blew out a deep breath, then glanced up at Jordy. “You want me to look first?”

  She smiled, though the fear was still plain in her eyes. “Yes. But I’m not going to let you.”

  Cai admired her courage, but wished she’d let him handle this.

  “Share the burden,” she said quietly.

  “Yeah,” he said, just as quietly. He slid the letter opener into the open seam beneath the clasp. “Here goes.” He had no idea what he expected, but it wasn’t what he found.

  “It’s a wizard.” Jordy was obviously just as surprised.

  It was a foot-tall statue of a wizard, made of some sort of heavy-looking gray stone, with an intricately carved face, long, flowing beard, and voluminous robes. He held a tall staff in one hand, the head of which was carved to look like an uncut precious gemstone, all jagged, spear-like crystals.

  “The craftsmanship is stunning.” Jordy stepped closer. “It’s probably pretty old. That particular type of marble is rare and hasn’t been commercially available in ages. You see it used in some work from several centuries ago.” She looked at Cai. “Usually in museums.”

  “You think it’s stolen?”

  “I hadn’t thought about that. Just that whoever had this kept it for a very long time.” She studied it more closely. “It hasn’t been handled much. The detail is impeccable. Perhaps the stone is old, but the carving newer. I can’t be certain.”

  Cai picked up the card by the edges again and looked at the key. “I wonder what this is for, then?”

  “Look!” She pointed. “Here. And here.”

  Cai had to lean in close to see them. Two tiny hinges were tucked into the rippling folds of the wizard’s robes. “It opens.”

  “Yes, but where is the lock?”

  They both leaned in close. Cai found it. “There.” He pointed to the carved pendant that hung from the wizard’s neck. It was shaped like the sliver of a waning moon. The keyhole was there.

  Cai stared at it, cold dread sitting heavy in his stomach. Just what in the hell had she tucked inside this thing?

  He slit the tape holding the key to the card, then picked it up. His heartbeat was a thundering sound in his ears. His stomach felt like he was on a tiny boat in the middle of a severe storm. How in the hell were they going to find her and make this nightmare end?

  Somehow he knew, as he slid the key in the lock, that in the end, it would be up to him. And only him.

  He turned the tiny key and opened the statue.

  EIGHTEEN

  Jordy leaned over him as Cai lifted a clear glass frame, about four inches square, from the statue. There was something pressed between the two sheets of glass. It looked like a ragged piece of fabric.

  “What is it?” Jordy whispered.

  He turned it over. Jordy stifled a scream at the same time Cai swore. It wasn’t fabric. It was a piece of human flesh. It had been tattooed with some sort of symbol.

  “Dear God, Cai. I can’t believe she’d …” She had to turn away as bile rose in her throat.

  Cai placed his hand on the back of her neck. “Why don’t you go on outside and get some air.”

  She lifted her head, but could not bring herself to look at what he held again. “I’ll stay here.” She took a deep breath, then several more. “So, this is the proof?”

  “Looks that way.” Cai laid the frame back inside the open statue. His face was a little pale as well.

  “We have to give this to Kuhn,” Jordy said.

  Cai’s jaw flexed. “For all the good it will do.” He pushed off the desk and walked to the window. “What in the hell is happening, Jordy? Things have gone crazy, too crazy. Kuhn isn’t doing shit and I can’t sit here while—” He raised his hand in the direction of his desk, then let it drop.

  “The symbol.” She latched onto the one thing she could to keep her stomach from heaving. “Did you recognize it? Is it from one of your books?”

  “No, it’s not. I don’t recognize it, but it looks Celtic.”

  “Maybe Alfred could—”

  Cai spun around and pinned her with a dark glare. “Absolutely not. He is to know nothing of this.”

  Jordy didn’t argue with him, because she understood his need to protect Alfred. To a point. “Maybe we could do some digging ourselves.”

  He relaxed slightly. “Yeah. I want to do some checking on that Union Parcel.”

  There was a sudden knock on the door. “Malacai, I believe you’ve captured our fair Jordalyn and don’t plan to share her. Dilys has tea on.”

  Cai shot Jordy a look, then took a deep breath. “We were just talking about her staying here.”

  “Splendid. Glad you’ve both come to your senses.”

  “I’ve agreed to no such thing,” she said in a heated whisper.

  Cai stood and directed Jordy to the door. “I don’t want him in here,” he said under his breath. “Please go have tea while I contact Kuhn, okay? We’ll work it out later.”

  She was out the door before she could respond. Cai leaned out behind her. “You’ll have to forgive me, Alfred, but I have some work that must get done right away. I’ll join you both later.”

  “I suppose I can’t be cross with you if you’ve convinced Jordalyn to accept our hospitality,” Alfred said.

  Jordy slipped her arm through Alfred’s. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was. Tea sounds like just the thing.”

  If she spoke a little too brightly, Alfred didn’t notice. The very idea of tea made her stomach churn, but she accepted Cai’s need to keep this latest twist of events private. The least she could do was help him out.

  “Well, then, let us not waste another moment. We have much to discuss.”

  Jordy sent a narrow look to the closed door at her back. “Yes, it appears we do.”

  It was noon the following day when Jordy carefully placed the Tupperware bowl on a small maple table near the big picture window in her new room. “We’re in Wonderland, Fred.”

  The view was almost too beautiful. To her left she could see a portion of the gardens, below the lushly bordered walkway that led to the front of the house and the dock. Straight ahead was a dense row of mangroves, and beyond that the sparkling blue water, which spanned out toward Mangrove Key.

  She walked back to the bed and flipped open her suitcase. She’d spent last night tossi
ng and turning over her decision to come here. Alfred had made it no secret that he was delighted. But she hadn’t seen Cai again since she’d abruptly left his office yesterday. When tea was finished, Dilys informed them he’d taken one of the boats over to Mangrove. Jordy managed to slip away long enough to search his office. The wooden box and statue were nowhere to be found. She could only hope he’d gone to Mangrove to deliver the statue.

  They needed to find some trace of evidence that would provide a lead to the identity of the abused woman, although she wasn’t optimistic. Margaron seemed far too crafty to make such an easy mistake.

  Crafty. She shuddered. Twisted, was more like it. She’d had nightmares about the woman in the pictures, which had only been compounded by this new evidence. In contrast, her worries about moving temporarily to Crystal Key had seemed trivial.

  But she couldn’t leave now. She had to see this through. Both the investigation, and this new turn in her relationship with Cai.

  She wished she’d had the chance to see Cai one more time before leaving the island. That kiss in the garden seemed like a million years ago. She shuddered in remembered pleasure. The way he’d felt beneath her hands, all hard, sinewy muscle. And when he’d pulled her against him … She swallowed hard and wet her suddenly dry lips.

  She’d hoped to spend time alone with Cai on the trip back to Mangrove, but Dilys had been the one to take her back last night. She’d arranged for Dobs to ferry her and her belongings over to Crystal Key this morning.

  Jordy had liked Dobs the first time she’d met him. If for no other reason than he was the only human being with balls big enough to hassle Dilys. Jordy hadn’t thought the woman could turn so many shades of red. She also hadn’t missed the twinkle in the old man’s eyes. Dilys had harrumphed all the way back to the docks. Despite the day’s events, Jordy had enjoyed their interplay.

  Investigation or not, there was no denying the fact that she was growing attached to this eccentric family. And now that she was here, it was impossible to regret her decision. Her call to Mrs. Isaak this morning had cemented it. Her landlady was going to arrange to sublet the apartment to an elderly friend of hers who was in town helping out a niece with a new baby. Mrs. Isaak said she figured six weeks would be what she’d want.