Fear traced itself over the priest’s face. “What do you mean? Has O’Neill spoken with you?”
“Timmy?” Jamie asked. “No. Should he?”
O’Connor let out a ragged breath. “No, but Timothy has helped me deal with a burden of my own.” He looked at Jamie, examining his face for any unspoken meaning.
The two men exchanged glances for several seconds. Finally, Jamie spoke, “Okay, I know better than to try to pry information out of you. Seal of the confessional and all that jazz.”
“Something like that,” O’Connor agreed, trying to keep the worry and shame from his face.
“Let me ask you this, father—do you believe in evil?” Jamie gazed intently at O’Connor. “Physical agents of evil, not just the Sunday School devil the penguins always threatened us with.”
“Séamus Griffin,” O’Connor scolded. “Do not refer to the sisters that way in God’s house.” The priest paused. “I do believe in physical agents of Evil. I don’t think they prowl the world seeking souls as they show in the movies. Nor do I believe in vampires, werewolves, or other such Hollywood devils.”
“What about witches?”
“Ah, well, that’s a different story, lad. Even the Bible refers to witches.”
“I know, the Witch of Endor.”
“Among others.”
After another pause, Jamie continued. “Do you think The Witch of Endor actually existed?”
O’Connor shrugged. “Probably, inasmuch as most Biblical figures existed. Whether or not she was an actual witch is debated, but I don’t doubt the existence of those who serve Evil, any more than I doubt the existence of those who serve Good. Why do you ask?”
“Now I have to plead confidentiality, Father,” Jamie replied. “It’s related to the case.”
“Well, looking at you now, I’d say you need to stop working and start getting some rest.”
Jamie nodded and stood. “Good advice, father, as always.”
O’Connor stood and shook Jamie’s hand. “Are you okay to walk? I can drive you home.”
“Now you sound like one of my womenfolk,” Jamie replied tersely. “I can walk home, man.”
As they made their way to the side door of the church, O’Connor said, “Maybe, maybe not. You look like a strong wind would blow you away.”
Opening the door into the cold, Jamie laughed, with bitterness that matched the temperature outside. “It’ll take more than that to drag me down, Father. I’ll see you Sunday.”
“I’ll count on it, Jamie.”
Jamie felt the gaze of the priest following him. Damned man won’t go back inside until I’m around the corner, Jamie thought with irritation. He increased his pace, and then raised a hand without looking back as he walked out of sight. Jamie heard the church door thump shut, and it sent a vibration into his bones, which were already under siege from the cold, the exploding pain in his head, and the flood of fatigue that swept him like an incoming storm tide.
Jaysus, Mary, and Joseph. If the witch can hurt me in my dreams, what will she be able to do to us if we confront her in her stronghold? This thought added more weight to the tons of worry and fatigue that already threatened to send him to his knees. Jamie walked slowly down the street toward home, to face the music he knew would be waiting from his loving wife.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
December 31st usually found the Griffins preparing to either attend or host a New Year’s Eve celebration. Often, it was a dance at Saint Brendan’s, where parishioners gathered in the church hall, to live music or a D.J. Other years, the Griffin family would celebrate in family gatherings, usually in the large, sprawling house of Frank and Nuala Griffin. While these get-togethers often had fewer people than the church dances, they were much louder, with Celtic music washing over the waves of conversation, punctuated frequently by loud laughter or swearing and the ruckus of the children playing their games.
It was early afternoon, but Eileen had already forced her daughters to make their plans to vacate the premises. While the girls had objected, their mother won. The only concession they managed was that Eileen allowed them to remain long enough to meet their parents’ guests.
Eileen put out cups and glasses, plates and silverware. While Jamie’s “team” would be their only guests, Eileen nevertheless prepared food and drink, as any good Irish wife and mother insisted. Eyeing the table critically, Eileen decided that everything was ready. “Now then,” she said, turning to her daughters, “Do we have an understanding, ladies?”
“An understanding of what?” Jamie’s voice came from the top of the stairs, followed by the tapping of Finn MacCool’s claws on the stairs.
“An understanding that Máthair is being unfair for not letting us stay here,” Riona called out. Eileen glared at her youngest daughter, who gave her best pouting face.
Jamie came down the last step and stepped into the dining room. “How exactly is your mother being unfair?”
“She’s packing us off like we’re three years old,” Brigid replied.
“In all the years I’ve known your mother, she’s never been unreasonable, except when it comes to her irrational behavior at Notre Dame-Boston College games.”
The girls snickered, but Eileen gave everyone “the stare.” “Séamus Edward Griffin,” she replied, “you are not worming your way around this decision by impugning my loyalty to the best Catholic institution of higher learning in the country, located here in Boston.”
Jamie sighed and said, “Ladies, you’re on your own. I’ve pissed your dear mother off enough lately as it is. Make sure you mind her now.”
“Dad,” came the chorus from the dining room.
“You heard me,” Jamie replied with finality as he sat on the sectional. Finn pawed at Jamie’s lap. After he plopped down, Jamie asked, “Comfortable, your majesty?” Jamie received a brief tail thump in reply.
“Go out and finish in the kitchen please, girls,” Eileen commanded.
Sitting beside her husband, Eileen said, “I’ve told them they can stay to meet everyone.”
“Sounds good,” Jamie said with a nod. “How much have you told them about what’s going on?”
“Not much,” Eileen replied softly. “They know it’s related to what’s going on, but I’m not about to scare them unnecessarily, and neither will you.”
“Ahh,” Jamie said in an equally soft voice. “So, what should I tell them? Once you’ve finished with them, you know they’ll be out here demanding answers.”
“Sure, and seeing as how they have their Da wrapped around their little fingers, they’ll be getting some answers,” Eileen said sarcastically.
“As it should be.” He hugged Eileen, and she returned his hug.
“Tell them what you will,” she said, disentangling herself and standing. “I’m going to check everything one last time, then turn them loose.” She walked back to take command of the troops.
Jamie barely had time to gather his thoughts before his three daughters strode into the room and sat on the couch across the room from him. They raised their eyebrows and looked pointedly at their father. Jamie gave them a minute, and then laughed. “You’re all getting better, darlin’s, but you’re rank amateurs compared to your mother, so sittin’ there starin’ at me isn’t going to get you anywhere.”
Brigid spoke first. “We’re not little children any more, Da. I’m in college, and the brats are in high school.” Riona poked Caitlin, who passed it along to Brigid. “We have a right to know what’s going on.” Caitlin and Riona nodded but said nothing.
As Eileen stood watching from the doorway into the dining room, Jamie nodded. “That’s all very true, but your mother and I also have a responsibility to protect you.” He held up his hands as all three girls drew breaths to protest. “That said, I will tell you what I can. You’ll have to trust your mother and me on the rest, and you’re still doing as your mother said. Take it or leave it.”
Three sets of eyes narrowed at Jamie, who calmly returned thei
r gazes. Almost in unison, they sighed, and Brigid replied, “Fine, but this had better be good.”
“It is what it is, young lady,” Jamie replied sharply, then briefly recapped the situation for his daughters. “We’re meeting today to finalize our plans for how we’re going to end this once and for all.” Jamie stopped and looked at his daughters as he finished.
“Why can’t Grandpa and Uncle Patrick take care of this?” Riona asked.
“From the mouths of babes—” Eileen murmured.
“Hush,” Jamie scolded. “We’ve been over this. Your mother agrees with you, little one, but there are two reasons why we can’t let the police handle this. First, they are spinning their wheels, partially because of the people assigned to the case and partially because they can’t get past the supernatural aspects of the case. I’m no longer going to let this crazy woman take shots at us. She might get lucky and seriously hurt or kill one of us. Second, Cal’s family has offered a fifty thousand dollar reward for the apprehension of his murderers. We can all use that money.”
For several seconds, no one spoke. Then Caitlin asked, “So, what do you plan to do, Da?”
Jamie sighed. “I really don’t know, sweetheart, except in the vaguest sense. We’re going to confront this woman and stop her somehow. We’re meeting here today to discuss the exact plan.”
“So you’re doing something tonight?” Brigid asked.
Jamie looked at Eileen, who just looked back. “Yeah, that’s the plan. Look, girls, I understand you’re scared. I’m scared too, so’s your mother. I can only promise you what I’ve promised her. I’ll be as careful as I can, and I’m going to keep your grandfather and uncle as involved as they can be.”
“Wait,” Brigid said. “You’re not letting Mom be part of this either?” She looked at Eileen. “You’re going to let him get away with this?”
Eileen groaned in frustration. “Ohh, trust me, dear heart, I’m not happy with that, but your father has convinced me that it would not be fair to the three of you for both of us to be in harm’s way.”
“So the ‘little woman’ stays at home and waits patiently for her man to come back? Or not?”
“Don’t push it, Brigid Enid Griffin,” Eileen said sternly. “This is not about men and women. It’s about being smart and letting your father do his job.”
“Plus, Mom is going to be our backup, “Jamie added quickly. “A cop never goes into a dangerous situation without backup. We haven’t worked out the details yet, but your mother is going to be nearby, out of the line of fire, but in communication with us and ready to call in the police.”
“I still don’t understand why you can’t just let them handle it,” Riona insisted.
“Because legally, they can’t do what we’re going to do,” Jamie replied.
“So you’re going to break the law?” Brigid observed.
Jamie paused. “Technically, yes, but morally, no. ‘All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.’ Edmund Burke said that, and I believe it with all my heart. There were times, even as a cop, that I had to make judgment calls, times I had to skirt around the edge of legalities in order to save someone’s life or bring a bad person to justice. I avoided doing so unless absolutely necessary. I bent the rules when I had to, but never broke them. Ultimately, I had to be guided by my conscience and my faith, and pray I was doing the right thing. That’s exactly what I’m doing now. It’s all any person can do, girls. If I’ve taught you anything, I hope I’ve taught you that.”
“Da, you’re scaring us when you talk like that,” Caitlin said. “Like you’re not coming back.”
“I won’t lie to you darlin.’ There’s a chance I won’t come back. There was always that chance, every time I walked out the door in the morning. Your mother has had that fear in the innermost recesses of her heart for years. The family of every cop bears that burden. As you’ve grown up, you three have developed a better understanding of the actual risks I took every day.
“It’s not fair. I know that, but it is what it is. When the time comes, someone has to step up and do the right thing. Right here, right now, that someone is me. I can promise you this. I am going to be as careful as possible and use every scrap of my experience to stay out of harm’s way. That’s why I’m not doing this alone, and it’s also why I need to go into this knowing that the four people I love most in this world are safe, at least, as safe as I can make them. Enough now—the others will be here soon and then the three of you will be leaving.” Jamie stood and folded himself into his daughters’ embrace, with Eileen hugging all of four of them, as if she could spread her arms around them and shelter them all from harm.
* * * *
“I still say there must be a better way to do this,” Ríordán said vehemently. The group had been meeting for just over two hours now.
“I hate to cast doubts,” Hanrahan rumbled, “but I find myself agreeing with the fili. We are woefully unprepared to challenge the witch in her stronghold.”
“So, what would ye counsel?” Lucy demanded. “Wait, wait, and wait some more, wait until she achieves her blasphemous goal and perhaps become unstoppable?”
“Not to mention that Jamie and I are not going to sit around and wait for her to take yet another shot at us,” Eileen added. “This has got to stop.”
“We do not have sufficient strength to successfully attempt this,” Hanrahan replied grimly.
“Will we ever be completely assured of success?” Jamie asked.
“I’m with the Mick and his missus,” Louie put in. “We can sit around here jabberin’ until next New Year’s, but the only thing that does is let the witch bitch get even stronger.”
The discussion threatened to break down completely. Jamie’s head felt like a road crew was taking a platoon of jackhammers to it. After several seconds of babble, he whistled sharply, silencing everyone. Whistling loudly also hurt his head, but it was more than a fair exchange. “Okay, here’s how it’s going to be,” Jamie said. “We agreed before that I’m in charge of this operation.”
“From the aspect of the physical assault,” Hanrahan interjected.
“Exactly, and I’m telling you that we’re going in early tomorrow morning as planned. My wife is brilliant as well as beautiful. We aren’t going to wait around until we think we have some kind of overwhelming advantage. First of all, there’s no such thing—there’s always something we don’t know that will bite us in the ass. Second, it only gives Sedecla time to strike against us again, and finally, you three convinced me that we can’t give her time to finish this Black Diamond crap.”
“Eloquently stated,” Ríordán said sarcastically.
“Bite me,” Jamie replied. “It’s my call. What I need from the three of you is the lowdown on how we tackle Sedecla’s power source. How do we identify it? And how do we take it out?”
“While I am fairly confident that I can identify the power source if I get close enough, the analogy of a battery is only accurate to a point,” Hanrahan replied. “It is an oversimplification.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Jamie replied, twirling a finger in a circle. “I don’t need to know the science behind electricity to use a light switch. I just need to know it’s going to work when I turn it on. From what you’ve told me, it seems like our only hope is to find this power source and destroy it.”
The druid sighed heavily and did not respond for several seconds. “We also agreed that I would be in charge of the mystical aspects of this ‘operation’ as you call it. What if I say we’re not ready?”
“Pffhhtt,” Lucy said in disgust. “As Louie said, we can perform our rituals and accumulate power for another year and ye still won’t think we’re ready. I thought I was the only old woman here.”
“Ouch,” Darcelle said sotto voce, earning a poke in the ribs. “You wanna lose that arm?” she growled to her twin.
“Take care, cailleach,” Hanrahan replied. “You do not know the extent of what we face.”
“
Mayhaps not,” Lucy replied, “but I know that these folks are going to proceed regardless of what ye say, so we’d best be prepared to help them.”
Jamie traded stares with Hanrahan. “She’s right, big man. We go ahead, one way or the other.”
“Are you so eager to commit suicide?” Hanrahan asked, in a sad, soft voice.
“I’m not the least bit eager to commit suicide,” Jamie retorted, “but enough is enough. The only question is, will you help us or not?”
At last, the druid nodded, slowly and painfully. “Aye. I cannot let you face the witch alone.”
“This is madness,” Ríordán said.
“Then ye can sit at home and cast runes,” Lucy replied primly. The fili glared at her for a moment, then looked away in disgust.
“Alright, we’ve settled that,” Jamie continued, “I have one last order of business.”
“May the gods help us,” Ríordán muttered.
“Quiet, boyo, or I’ll exclude you from what I’m about to say,” Jamie warned. “I know the twins can help me pound Louie into submission. Assuming we are successful, I propose that we split the reward money five ways, with the fifth share going to the three mystics, to divide amongst themselves.”
“Now wait justa minute—” Louie began.
“We are not doing this for money—” Hanrahan said.
Jamie whistled sharply again, holding a hand to his head. “Ow. Don’t make me do that again. You,” he said, pointing at Louie, “are outvoted, three to one in the matter, so put a sock in it. And you,” pointing at Hanrahan, “can do this for nothing if you’d like. I said we’ll split the money into five shares and the three of you can argue what you’re going to do with your share.”
“Hell, why not seven ways?” Louie demanded angrily. “Those two each get their own share, why not these three?”
“Because they weren’t part of the original agreement,” Jamie replied calmly, “but it’s not fair to exclude them completely. If they have skin in the game, they need to be compensated.”
The room was again silent for several seconds. Finally, Louie muttered, “Cornuto.” Then he shrugged. “Aw shit, we prolly ain’t gonna make it through this anyways. What the hell? Fine by me.”
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