Robert Sullivan nodded. “Okay then. I also know how I’d feel if some crazy bitch was coming after my family—I’d bulldoze over anyone or anything in my way to bring her down.”
Jamie clasped Eileen’s hand and smiled grimly. “Agreed.”
“So here’s how this is going to work,” Sully said, in his best commander’s voice. “Frank, unless you take the case away from me here and now, we’re doing this my way.”
After a slight pause, Frank Griffin replied. “Okay, but you have one week to make something concrete happen, Sullivan. I’m not going to let anyone go after my family any more than Jamie.”
“I understand, sir,” Sully said, then turned to Hamilton. “Len, I’m ordering you to work with Jamie and his team as ‘special consultants.’ They know more about what’s going on than the rest of us, so we’d be stupid to not take advantage of that, don’t you agree?” Hamilton grunted, but nodded.
“Good. Okay, Jamie,” Sully said firmly, “it’s your turn. I’m in charge of this case, which includes Cal’s murder and everything that has been done to you and your family. Since you’re no longer on the force, I’ve got to have one of my guys in charge. That’s going to be Len.” Sully raised his hands to cut off both Len and Jamie. “That doesn’t mean, Leonard,” Sully said, pointing a finger at Hamilton, “that you get to order Jamie or his team around. It doesn’t mean you get to cut out Jamie or anyone on his team because he’s no longer a cop. I’ll deputize him if that’s what it takes.” Sully now looked back at Jamie. “It also means that you don’t keep goin’ cowboy,” he said, now pointing his finger at Jamie. “Len’s got to keep you in the loop, so that means you got to keep Lenny and me in the loop.” Sully looked unblinkingly at Jamie. “Agreed?”
After a brief pause, Jamie nodded his head. “Agreed.” He stood shakily and nearly toppled back down until Eileen and Darcelle steadied him. Jamie walked to Len Hamilton. “We don’t have to like each other, Len,” he said, sticking out his right hand. “We just have to work together. Deal?”
Len Hamilton looked at Jamie’s extended hand for a second before shaking it. “Deal.”
As Jamie slowly walked back to sit once again, Sully continued. “So what’s the next step?” To head off any conflict, Sully pointed at Hamilton. “Len, you first.”
Hamilton sighed. “I’ve got people looking deeper into da Silva’s background. We have to tie him to the cult woman before we can make any kind of move. She’s got a real shark for her lawyer, so we have to do this by the book.” Hamilton looked at Jamie. “Which is why—”
Sully started talking over Hamilton. “Which is why Jamie will keep you apprised of his actions. Jamie, what do you have in mind?”
“Well,” Jamie said exhaling heavily. “First, I’m gonna have to get some rest. Then I’m going to meet with my ‘consultants’ later today. We have to know more about what Sedecla believes she is and what she believes she is doing.”
“You mean that witchcraft mumbo-jumbo?” Hamilton asked with a sneer.
“Yeah, that’s what I mean, Lenny,” Jamie replied sarcastically. “Like I told these guys, I don’t have to believe in this shit, but she does, so we have to understand it in order to take her down.”
“I think that’s a great idea, Jamie,” Sully put in quickly. “Now here’s how we’re going to keep everybody in the loop. We’ll have a meeting every morning at 8 a.m.—mandatory attendance by both of you,” Sully said, pointing at Len and Jamie. “I will be in attendance as well. Frank, you can always attend, either in person or via conference call.” Frank Griffin nodded agreement.
“Well, I reserve the right to conference in,” Jamie added. “If my team needs me to be somewhere else, I’m going to be there, and I’ll call in for the daily update.”
“Fair enough, same thing holds true for Len,” Sullivan said. “Okay, then. We’re all in agreement, correct ladies and gentlemen?” After waiting for and receiving verbal assent from everyone, Sully stood. “Alright, we’ve got one crazy bitch to bring down. Let’s do this right so we don’t have any legal shit hitting the fan when we’re through.” Sully and Hamilton left. Frank Griffin hung back for a moment.
“Jamie,” he said, struggling for words. “I know we’ve been at odds lately. Part of that is probably my fault.”
“Part of that?” Jamie asked. Eileen poked him in the ribs. Jamie grunted, and then nodded. “Yeah, I’ve contributed my share as well, Da.”
“I just want you to know that Paddy and I are sorry for doubting you, son,” Frank said uncomfortably, reaching out and putting a hand on his son’s shoulder. “We should have known better. There’s no way you would ever fake being ill, and if someone doesn’t believe you, then they’ll have me to deal with as well. If you need anything to nail this bitch, anything at all, you let me or Paddy know. I’ll make damned sure to keep the bureaucratic bullshit to a minimum for you. I’ve also ordered extra patrols by the house and the girls’ schools.”
Jamie exhaled a ragged breath. “Thanks, Da. That means a lot.”
The two men stood awkwardly for a moment, and then each stepped forward to hug the other. Frank stepped back and looked at Jamie. “You take care of your women, Jamie.”
“I will, Da. I promise.”
Frank Griffin nodded curtly, said his goodbyes, then left.
Jamie sat back down clumsily, and then rubbed his hands over his face. “Alright then, folks. Let’s us talk about our next steps.”
“Didn’tcha already decide that?” Louie asked. “We’re headin’ back to the loony bin this afternoon, ain’t we?”
“You let them hear you say that, and Lucy will turn you into a toad,” Eileen replied. Louie just chuckled.
“Yeah, but I wanted to get input from the rest of you first. We need to be extremely cautious until this is over. Sedecla has shown that she’s playing for keeps. Now she’s going to be really pissed off.”
“Maybe we can use that against her, Unc,” Daphné pointed out.
Jamie nodded. “I thought the same thing, but let’s not make any plans until we sit down with our supernatural consultants.” He looked at his watch. “Ladies, I know you’re not as far away as Louie, but all of you are welcome to stay here for lunch rather than trek back and forth.”
“Oh and will you be fixin’ lunch for your guests, now?” Eileen asked, her eyes innocently wide.
“No, I’ll be askin’ my beautiful wife to take care of our guests,” Jamie replied. “Can you also call Lucy and ask if they can meet us sometime this afternoon? I’m going to go upstairs and lay down.”
Eileen nodded approval. “Good. Then I’ll take care of everything.”
“Get me up in no more than two hours,” Jamie said. “We’ve got things to do.”
After Jamie faltered his way upstairs, the others went into the dining room. Louie seated himself at the table, as did Darcelle. Daphné joined Eileen in the kitchen to help with lunch.
“So, Aunt Eileen, how is Uncle Jamie doing? Really?” Darcelle asked.
Eileen and Daphné returned to the dining room with sandwich fixings and plates. “He has his good days and his bad days, dear. Not that he’d admit it.”
“The doctors still can’t find anything?” Daphné asked.
Eileen shook her head. “No, which makes it even harder for Jamie. He said that while he wouldn’t want a horrible diagnosis like cancer or heart problems, he’d almost prefer that because then they’d be able to do something for him, and people would stop saying, ‘but you don’t look sick.’”
“Well, since the gals here are too polite to ask, I will,” Louie said. “How are you guys gettin’ along? Financially—Jamie not workin’ musta put a crimp in your style and now widdout your store—”
Eileen stopped on her way back to the kitchen. The twins held their breath—money was something you just didn’t talk about with the Griffin family. Eileen studied the former mobster for several seconds before replying. “I’m surprised by your concern, Louie. Jamie said you
were an informer he worked with, not a friend.”
The big man shrugged, raising his hands into the air. “Yeah, that’s true, but I always liked the Mick. We got along real well, considering we was on opposite sides. He always treated me fair. I guess seeing all the shit you guys have gone through has made me a little soft in the head.” He looked shrewdly at Eileen. “It’s not like I can do anything. I’m barely getting by as it is, but I like you folks.”
Eileen smiled. “I find myself liking you too, Louie, despite your past. I wasn’t sure at first. Jamie says you weren’t the nicest man, but that you seemed alright in your own way.”
“High praise from him,” Louie replied with a gravelly laugh.
“We’re muddling along,” Eileen answered, much to the twins’ surprise. “We’ve applied for Jamie’s disability, but the attorney we hired said there’s no telling how long it might take before we receive any money. In the meantime, we’ve declared medical bankruptcy.” Eileen sat at the dining room table with a sigh. “It’s been a struggle. Jamie hates himself for not being able to work.”
“It’s not like he intended to get sick,” Daphné observed.
“No, but he feels tremendous guilt all the same,” Eileen replied. “For Jamie, a man’s role is to be the provider, and he was always an excellent provider. Now, if he even tries to help around the house, he gets exhausted and his headaches get worse.” She sat back down at the table.
“Is there anything we can do?” Darcelle asked.
Eileen shook her head. “We just received my insurance check for the store. I’m still looking for a new location. In the meantime, I’ve been slowly siphoning off the insurance money for our living expenses. It will last a while, but if we don’t get Jamie’s disability soon, or not at all, I’m not going to be able to reopen my shop.” Tears brimmed in Eileen’s eyes, but she refused to cry. She stood abruptly. “Feeling sorry for myself accomplishes nothing. We’re going to get through this somehow.” She marched back into the kitchen with Daphné in tow.
“Man that just sucks,” Darcelle said softly.
“You got that right kiddo,” Louie agreed.
Around one o’clock, Jamie came heavily down the stairs, his walking stick thumping on each tread. Eileen fixed him some lunch. When he was finished, Eileen told him that Lucy had agreed to get Ríordán & Hanrahan to her place by two o’clock. “I could have one of the twins drive us,” Jamie offered.
“No,” came her firm reply. “I’m in this too, love.” Eileen’s face took on a grim demeanor. “No one messes with my family and gets away with it.”
As they were leaving the house, Darcelle asked, “What are we hoping to accomplish this afternoon, Unc? I mean, I’m all interested in whatever voodoo these guys do, but what’s our goal?”
“Our goal is to learn how we can combat Sedecla’s alleged supernatural powers.”
“If they’re alleged, why do we need to worry?” Louie asked.
Jamie hesitated. “I guess I’m hedging my bets. I’ve seen the condition of the corpses that she leaves behind. It’s like all the life has been sucked right out of them, leaving them shriveled husks.”
“Weird,” Daphné said. “Has the blood been drained from them?”
“Not exactly,” Jamie replied.
“Whaddya mean by ‘not exactly’?”
“Just what I said, Louie—there’s still blood in the corpses, although less than the usual amount, and it’s almost powdery. The M.E. also said that the muscle mass and body density was diminished to a fraction of normal.”
“Like something vital has been sucked out of them?” Darcelle asked.
“Yeah,” Jamie replied, “and I guess that results in the withered corpses. If an experienced M.E. like Marie Hanover can’t come up with a logical explanation, then I’m forced to at least consider other explanations, even those that don’t seem possible.”
“‘When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth’, is that it?” Eileen asked.
“One of Sherlock Holmes’ most famous axioms. Yes, my love, that’s where I am— while I find the supernatural explanations highly improbable, if we eliminate all other possible explanations, then we have no choice but to accept a supernatural explanation.”
Before long, they arrived at Lucy’s modest North Dorchester house. As they parked, they checked the surroundings for any signs of danger. They knocked, and Lucy answered the door. “Gods and goddesses,” she exclaimed as she saw how many were there. “If ye keep bring more people, Jamie Griffin, we’re going to have to start meeting at your house.”
“Sorry, Lucy,” Jamie apologized. “If we decide we need to meet again, we will meet at our house.” He made the additional introductions as Ríordán helped Lucy cram more chairs into her living room. As usual, Hanrahan did not offer to help and barely acknowledged the introductions.
“Real friendly guy, that one,” Darcelle whispered to Daphné, who poked her sister in the ribs.
Lucy bustled back into the living room with more cups and additional coffee and tea. While everyone was settling in, Jamie related the events surrounding da Silva’s attempted murder.
“I told you that you did not fully appreciate the danger you we’re getting into,” Ríordán noted when Jamie had finished.
“Aw, pipe down,” Louie growled. “Dontcha ever have nothin’ good to say? The girls here had our backs, and we’re going to be extra careful from here on out.”
“Good,” Hanrahan replied, matching Louie growl for growl. The druid was both taller and heavier than the former mobster, and they once again were sizing each other up. “Since our last meeting, we have learned additional information, and the situation appears even darker than we suspected.”
“How so?” Jamie asked.
“We have found a source close to the witch who was willing to speak with us,” Hanrahan said, “even though it put her in considerable danger.”
“What did this squealer have to say?” Louie asked.
“This ‘squealer,’ as you put it, is one of the witch’s servants. She told us that Sedecla has been increasing the frequency of her sacrifices and performing her Qliphotic rituals more often. It appears the witch is moving up her timetable to achieve Abaddon.” For the benefit of the twins, Hanrahan briefly recapped their previous discussion about the Qliphoth and the Tree of Death. “We may be running out of time to stop her.”
“That’s funny,” Louie commented. “We was just talkin’ on our way here that it’s time we stop lettin’ her come after us. It’s time we start takin’ the fight to her.”
“How do we do that?” Jamie asked as the others added their agreement.
“Twill not be easy,” Ríordán replied.
“The fili speaks true,” Hanrahan rumbled. “The witch is powerful and it will take a great effort to defeat her.”
“Fine,” Darcelle said. “So what does that mean? So far, all I’ve heard here is doom and gloom. How do we go take this bitch down?”
“Ye cannot do it alone,” Lucy said. “None of ye possess the knowledge required to cause her harm, let alone bring her low.”
“Maybe,” Jamie replied, “but it’s going to take firepower to get close enough to her for anything to be done.” He laid his hand on his Sig Sauer Scorpion, which rested in his shoulder holster.
No one spoke for several seconds, and then Hanrahan grumbled his assent. “You are most likely correct, Jamie,” he said. “Our informant says the witch surrounds herself with a well-armed retinue.”
“Well, she’s down one well-armed retainer thanks to the girls here,” Louie noted.
“Indeed,” Ríordán replied, “but she does not lack for someone to step up and take his place.”
“So, let’s suppose we manage to fight our way into Sedecla’s inner sanctum,” Jamie said thoughtfully. “What next? I know Cal made his way in, but it cost him his life. How do we keep that from happening to us? How, exactly, do you propose that we negate wha
tever power Sedecla possesses long enough to let us capture her?”
Hanrahan chuckled darkly. “Do not delude yourself, detective. We will not capture the witch. We will have to destroy her.”
“You mean kill her?” Jamie asked. “I can’t go into this planning to murder her.”
“Why not?” Hanrahan replied. “She will not hesitate to murder any of us.”
Jamie paused before answering. “I can’t just plan to murder her. It goes against everything I’ve ever stood for. I believe you when you say that she won’t hesitate to kill any of us, and I can assure you that I won’t hesitate to kill her if it’s necessary. I just don’t want to go in guns blazing. That would be revenge, not justice. Not to mention that some of her servants may be innocent bystanders.”
“No one who serves the witch is innocent,” Hanrahan rumbled.
“We’re still missing the answer to the main question that Jamie asked earlier,” Eileen said. “If we do have to destroy her, how do we do it? Shoot her? Stone her? Throw a bucket of water on her? Tie her up and drown her like they did the Salem witches?”
“Not exactly,” Hanrahan responded. “If the witch is indeed pursuing Abaddon, and, as we believe, she is nearly complete in this task, we may not be able to kill her. She would deflect bullets and any other such mundane attacks, then eliminate us one by one.”
“So how the hell do we take her down?” Louie asked.
“We will have to destroy the source of her power,” the druid replied.
“What’s the source of her power?” Daphné asked.
Hanrahan spread his hands. “I do not know, exactly.”
“Oh, great,” Darcelle muttered loudly, earning her another dirty look from the druid and another poke in the ribs from her twin.
“It is not physically possible for a human being to store the type of power she is creating,” Hanrahan continued. “At least, not until the final step.”
“So she’s got some kind of storage battery?” Jamie asked.
The druid nodded. “For want of a better word. Sedecla will have some object, a statue, or other representation of her familiar.”
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