Gorgon

by Mary Ann Poll

  “I’m confused, Winsome. You were supposed to check on them.”

  “Oh, I did. Your house is a mess, KittyKat.”

  “What happened?”

  “Looks like a cat and dog left alone to me.”

  “I never thought they’d get unruly in just a few hours.”

  “On the bright side, looks like BC taught the beasty there how to use the cat door. Good thing she’s small enough to make it through.”

  Kat scooped up BC and looked him in the eye. “Aren’t you an excellent papa? Teaching this little girl such good manners.”

  “You are hopeless, worse than hopeless,” Wendy spat.

  “Anyone home?” Tanya Lucas called from the entry.

  “In the kitchen.” Grandma Bricken answered.

  “Is this a town of insomniacs?” Ken asked.

  “Where’s the party?” Tanya didn’t wait for an answer. She pulled a piece of paper out of her wallet. “Paul says this has something to do with the box and key. He was so obsessed by it he went on the Internet at the library and found the information.” She handed the paper to Kat.

  “Says here the key fits a box said to have been the mate to a certain jar from Russia.” Kat looked at Ken.

  “Go on.”

  “Well, seems the missing box and the key are actually part of a set. Oh, not good.”

  “What’s not good?” Wendy asked.

  “The box and jar are purported to have been created by a stonemason who dabbled in the normal bad stuff—spells, alchemy, animal sacrifices. So, he gets the idea to create this box to represent the Ark of the Covenant and the jar to symbolize the Tower of Babel in hopes he can call down the spirit of God. Seems he wanted to have a face-to-face with the Almighty.”

  “That’s a bit farfetched—even for the Cove,” Bart said.

  “Anyway, these two implements are rumored to have been created at the direction of the evil foe. The stonemason thought it was his own idea. The evil one didn’t tell him different. What was happening, though, was the guy was creating a prison for the spirit Lilith. Seems Lilith is an enemy of Satan and his army.

  “So what happened to the stonemason?”

  Kat scanned the document. “Witnesses said he headed into the deep woods one day. When he didn’t come back, some of the villagers went looking for him. And guess what?” Kat looked up from the story.

  “What?”

  “When they found him, he was drained of blood!”

  “Sounds too familiar,” Bart said.

  “Something doesn’t make sense here. I thought God turned her into a devil. Why would the demons consider her an enemy?” Ken asked.

  “In this same legend, it says the evil ones see her as an abomination and less than they are because she began as a human. To make matters worse, they can’t control her, which makes her a threat.”

  “So how’d they get her in jar?”

  “The article doesn’t say. It just says she was.”

  “Darn. Thought we’d be able to do the same thing—if Lilith is who we’re dealing with.”

  “Here’s an interesting tidbit.”

  “More interesting than the rest?”

  “I’d say. After the stonemason’s death, the box disappeared. The legends says it was been stolen by the devil himself, and buried it in a secret place to keep as a backup prison for Lilith. Then, his underlings took the jar and threw it into an uninhabited land. Seems the two together make for some bad, ummm, juju as they say.”

  Ken looked at Bart. “So, what if the jar Mandy brought in is Lilith’s prison?”

  “And the box is sitting in the antique store,” Josiah said.

  “Thinking back I know the chest is at Annie’s store. Cranberry-colored jewels were melted right into the stone—just like the jar Mandy brought to the station. I saw those gems turn to a deep blue right before my eyes.”

  Ken stood up. “We’d better get those two things under lock and key.” He turned to Bart. “Coming?”

  “You bet.”

  Ken brushed Kat’s forehead with a kiss and disappeared into the night.

  Chapter 15

  Kumrandes and Corpses

  “Pick up the blasted phone!” Carson Watermill yelled into his mobile. Ivy June Coistrell’s recorded voice told him to leave a message. Watermill hit end, threw the cell phone on the bed, and strode to the hotel room’s window. He tapped his forehead with an index finger. “Think, Watermill. Think!”

  The detective stared blankly at the Cook Inlet glittering in the bright sun, snapped his fingers, and tromped back to the bed.

  Mandy picked up on the first ring. “Where have you been?” She asked. “I thought you were going to call yesterday.”

  “Unexpected business.” Like your murder—why are you still alive?

  “Well, things are heating up here. Seems they found a body.”

  “Who is it?” Watermill clinched his teeth to disguise the concern he felt.

  “How do I know? And I had the little chest you wanted, but it disappeared.”

  “How did that happen! You can’t do anything right!”

  “It’s not my fault it’s gone! And I don’t appreciate your nasty comment, either. I kept my part of the bargain; go find that box yourself!”

  “I’m not finished with you yet. You’ll do what I say, or I’ll make you go to jail for a long, long time.”

  “I’m cleared, remember? You can’t do anything to me.”

  “Oh, but I can. How hard would it be to pin this latest tragedy on you? A few clues in the right place and presto! You’re the main suspect.”

  Mandy lowered herself into the folding chair in her living room. “What do you want me to do?” she whispered

  “I want you to stay put.”

  “Only stay put?”

  “No. Get me the name of the victim. If you do, I’ll consider letting you stay free.”

  Kat ducked when a mud swallow swooped over her head in hot pursuit of its breakfast. “Well, one less mosquito we’ll need to worry about,” she said.

  Wendy smiled. “Every little bit helps.”

  They stopped in front of Jo’s Bakery. “Would you look at this crowd?” Kat glanced at her watch. “Hope we don’t have to wait forever. I’m supposed to be at the station.”

  Josephina Lattrell set two large white cups on the glass counter. “You’re late, Kat.”

  “How’d you know?”

  Jo lifted her chin toward Wendy. “Someone called ahead.”

  Kat smiled and raised her cup. “I owe you one.”

  “Yep, you do. Let’s go.”

  Wendy peeked into the window of the antique store. “Mandy? She never gets moving before noon.” She walked inside.

  “Hey, big sister.” Mandy flashed a sweet smile at Wendy.

  “What brings you in so early?”

  “Have a bunch of inventory to do—per the boss lady. Oh, that reminds me. She sent a fax this morning. It’s for the police chief.”

  “I’ll take it.”

  Mandy’s fine-china features contorted in thought. She shook her head. “No, better not. It’s addressed to him, and I don’t want to get in any trouble.”

  Kat punched some numbers into her phone. “Ken? Mandy needs your permission to let me bring you a fax. Hold on.” She handed the cell to Mandy.

  “Hello?” Mandy said. “Oh, hi, Police Chief Melbourne.”

  The words grated Ken’s nerves like fingernails down the proverbial blackboard. “Give the note to Kat, would you? I am up to my eyeballs and waiting for a phone call.”

  “I don’t know—”

  “The note’s for me, right? Give it to Kat! And when you see the shop owner, have her call me.”

  “Okay.” Mandy frowned and put a beige envelope in Kat’s outstretched hand.

  “Thanks. I’ll get this to the station. Coming?” she said to Wendy.

  “Give me a second. I want to talk to Mandy.”

  Mandy’s eyes narrowed. “Why do you need to talk to
me?”

  “I want to know how you managed to get this job when none of us have seen Annie Scofland for a while.”

  “I told you she’s out of town and asked me to cover for her.”

  “And I want to make sure she really is just out of town.”

  “Are you accusing me of making her disappear?”

  “Did you?”

  “No!”

  Kat pulled Wendy close and whispered, “let Ken take care of this.”

  Wendy looked at her best friend. “Fine.” She turned on her heel and marched out the door.

  Kat caught up with her, ran in front and jogged backwards. “Wendy, don’t do something you’ll regret. Ken will take care of it if he finds out she’s had any part in the murders and thefts.”

  Wendy stopped. Tears coursed down her cheeks. “She’s involved, alright. I can see it in her eyes. How can my own blood be such a liar and cheat—not to mention giving her own body away for money?”

  Kat threw her arms around Wendy. “I don’t know. I promise you we’ll find out what Mandy has to do with all this. I promise.

  The door to the police station stood wide open. A fan sat two feet in, blowing warm air toward the back office.

  “It must be ninety degrees in here,” Kat said.

  “Maybe hotter.” Wendy fanned her face with one hand. “Good thing you have at least one short-sleeved shirt.”

  “And I wore it today.”

  “I’ll be back in a jiff with another drink—iced this time.”

  “Sounds heavenly. Get one for Ken, too?”

  Kat made her way to the back office. Ken took in the khaki-colored capris and a cap-sleeved T-shirt the same color as Kat’s eyes.

  Kat looked down at herself then back at Ken. “What?”

  “You look amazing.” Ken opened the envelope and read aloud:

  Dear Police Chief,

  I wanted to set a couple of things straight. I was called out of town by a family emergency. I did hire Mandy to watch the store. She had been in a day before and left me a note with her number because she was looking for work. The family emergency wasn’t such an emergency after all. Since I am already in Idaho, I’m extending my leave for a short buying trip. By the way, not only are the bowl and cane missing, so is a valuable casket. I had put the key to it around the stray dog’s neck. Seemed the safest place for it. What good is a box if you can’t open it, right? Can you see what you can do to find it? Thank you so much. Warmly, Annie Scofland.

  “So, do you believe this is her handwriting?” Kat asked.

  “Don’t have any reason to believe it’s not, and I don’t have anything to compare it to.”

  Kat walked out to her desk and came back with a small piece of note paper. “Will this do?”

  Ken looked at the paper. “How fortunate.”

  “She liked my engagement ring so much, she wrote out the description and the price she’d pay for it. She even signed it.”

  Ken examined the note, then the facsimile. “Well, I’m no handwriting expert, but these signatures look identical to me.”

  “Glad something’s resolved.”

  “I didn’t say this is settled. Since I have no facts to the contrary, I have to believe this is from her.”

  “Somebody save me from the enemy and its name is bureaucracy.” Bart’s voice drowned out the loud hum of the fan.

  “Can’t help you there, buddy. It’s an octopus and you are smackdab in the middle of its tentacles,” Ken yelled back.

  Bart appeared at the door. His dress shirt was soaked, and his face was flushed from the heat. “This one’s gonna break a record.”

  “Maybe you could requisition an air conditioner. The town council would feel terrible if its mayor died from heat exhaustion.”

  “Love you, too, first cousin of mine.” Bart yanked on his shirt collar. “Got anything we can do so I have an excuse to get out of these clothes? I feel like I’m living in a sauna.”

  “As a matter of fact. I thought I’d be heading back over to Old Town.”

  Kat slammed her hands on the honey-oak desk. “No you’re not!”

  Ken held Kat’s eyes, then turned to Bart. “As I was saying, I want to head back to Old Town—and I probably shouldn’t do it alone.”

  Kat plopped into the guest chair and crossed her arms. “Why do you need to go there? The place is nothing but trouble.”

  “Because Old Town is the best lead we have right now. Maybe we missed a crucial piece of evidence. If we find some, it could lead us to the killer—or Lilith. How about you go check on Dayton?” Ken asked.

  “Why me?”

  “He likes you.”

  “You’re trying to keep me out of your hair.”

  “Do you blame me?”

  Kat sighed. “I guess not. But I want you to call me in thirty minutes. And every half-hour until you’re out of that place.”

  “Not necessary.”

  “It is. If I don’t hear from you, I’ll be there, and you don’t want that.”

  “And you know she will,” Bart said.

  I’ll call in thirty minutes. Happy?”

  “Not yet. One more thing…”

  “Hello? Anyone here?”

  “Back here,” Ken shouted.

  Wendy handed a frosty cup to Kat, then Ken. “Well, guess I’m going back to Jo’s.” She handed the last one to Bart. “What’d I miss?”

  “Nothing. Just these knuckleheads are taking risks I don’t like—again.”Wendy pointed to the drink in Kat’s hand. “Take a sip and cool down. It’s their job, whether you like it or not.”

  “Whatcha got?” Kat nodded to a brown grocery sack in Wendy’s hand.

  “Almost forgot.” Wendy shoved the bag at Ken. “Jo told me she found this in the bathroom trash. Thought you should see it.”

  “What is it?”

  “I’m not opening it! Could be a head or something worse.”

  “Doubtful.” Ken opened the bag, reached in, and yanked out a gray wig and a broom skirt. He held them up to Bart. “Either we have a naked tourist running around town or someone made sure they couldn’t be identified once they got here.”

  “Where is my head today?” Wendy said. “Jo said an old lady from the tour bus came in yesterday and asked to use the restroom.”

  “And this is relevant how?”

  “Jo’s sure she was wearing this skirt.”

  “I’ll make some calls before I head to Gram’s. See if we can find a tour driver who remembers her.”

  “Thanks, Kat.”

  “As I said, there’s one more thing. Take Carnelian with you.”

  “I don’t need an animal along.”

  “I think you do. She knew that nasty spirit was in Gram’s kitchen before we did. Besides, she’ll let you know if there’s something there you bullheaded guys are too stupid to notice.”

  “Bullheaded? Stupid?” Bart clenched his jaw. “Take a look in mirror.”

  “I’m not the one risking my life at Old Town.”

  “It has to be done. End of conversation.”

  “Then you’re taking Carnelian with you. I’m sure it sounds irrational, but I can’t shake the feeling you need her there. So, if you don’t, I’m coming instead.”

  “I still think it’s a bad idea, but if it will keep you out of Old Town, I’ll go get her.”

  Kat stuck her hands in her pockets. “Okay, then.”

  “Now please go check on Dayton.”

  “On my way.”

  Pet glided through the underground tunnel toward the Kumrande’s lair. A glint of fiery red brought him to a stop. He dipped low and took hold of a cream-colored box sitting at the rough-cut archway. “Well, well. Who do we have here?” Pet turned the box over several times. “You are not the one I seek. Still, I have a plan for you!”

  Voices echoed off the deep cavern walls. Pet moved to the side of the doorway, just out of sight.

  “We will take the town ourselves,” Nihilist said. “We do not need to share our
treasures with anyone—the demons called us to life as slaves, but we can make sure they do not keep us as such!”

  A cheer rose from the small crowd. “Long live Nihilist,” a lone voice yelled out.

  “What about the she-devil?” another screamed.

  “We imprison her just as we did her servant. Then, we truly will be free!” Nihilist answered.

  “Long live Nihilist, long live Nihilist,” the crowd chanted.

  “You are mistaken. Nihilist dies now.” Pet dropped the small box to the ground. He transformed into a purple and black saw. The demon blade shrieked and raced forward. The purple and black cutter slowed when it hit Nihilist’s neck and passed through muscle and bone.

  Nihilist’s head teetered from side to side, then tumbled to the ground. His eyes blinked twice, and the wide mouth froze in a ghoulish O.

  “Run to the caves,” Homunculus screeched. The band of dwarfs split into small groups and fled through a trio of archways to dark-walled tunnels.

  “Come out, you cowards. Come out now unless you all want to end up like your leader.”

  Homunculus stepped in the room and fell prostrate before Pet. “We are at your command.”

  A satisfied smile lit Pet’s gargoyle-like face. “Who commands you was never a question. If you’d like to keep your head, tell me who found the box?”

  “He did.” Homunculus pointed at Nihilist.

  “Where is the key?”

  “Nihilist hid it in his cave.”

  “If you are telling the truth, you will live—for now. If not, you’ll join him in the void of nonexistence. Adumbration! Estafette! Come.”

  A shadow appeared on the wall, and a mist rose from the dirt floor of the cavern.

  “This Kumrande says their former leader,” Pet pointed to Nihilist’s head, “stole this box. Is it true?”

  “It is. The spirit who has been spying on them confirms it.”

  “Where is the key?”

  Adumbration held up a bronze object. “It was where this slave said it would be.”

  “Lucky for you, stupid, soulless being. You can live—for now. Know I will send you and all of your kind back into nothingness if you betray me again.”

  “I told Nihilist it was a mistake,” the small being whined.