by Karine Green
Kathy smiled to herself, Good old fashioned, small town gossip. "She seems so stiff and prudish."
"Not when it comes to Jason. She has eyes only for him. Other men have tried to date her, only to be rebuffed."
Sarah continued filling Kathy in on Jason's past. "Lauren called him, texted him, and even sent him a snail mail letter begging him...for something, but no one knew for sure what it was. Everyone assumed it was romantic."
Kathy couldn't picture the Jason she knew being interested in Lauren.
"There was a point in time when we worried she really was stalking him," Sarah said, concerned. "But, he finally fired her, and she seemed to back off."
"Fired her?" Kathy thought of the photo on Lauren's desk, and the fact that she said my Jason.
Sarah nodded, "She did school and parking meter patrol. He never said why he fired her, just that he did, and that it was a private human resources issue. I would bet it was related to that spread eagle thing." Sarah cringed at the thought.
"Really, she doesn't seem like the type to be in police work, in any capacity." Kathy was stunned. She had met tons of officers in an off-duty capacity, not one had failed to show a kindred spirit. Lauren just buzzed through that closing, an ex-officer, to a retired officer, and never said a word. Was that what Lauren was hiding? That also made the fact the Lauren did not call in the forgotten note card even more suspicious. Even a poor officer, would have thought to call that in, right away. If nothing else, to look like a better officer.
"She wasn't interested in police work. She just wanted more attention from Jason than he was willing to give her. And, training her would force them to be together. In fact, until he met you, we figured he might be a closet gay. You know, hadn't admitted it to himself let alone anyone else."
"Really? Well, for my own selfish sake, I hope he isn't." She thought of how he reacted to the peck on the cheek she gave him. Most of the guys she dated, who she did that to, took advantage of the invitation to give her a deeper kiss, not flee.
"He has had really bad luck with women. The only long term relationship was in college, with a cheerleader. She actually tried to shoot him when he broke up with her. He called the campus police on her, but she accused him of rape, and said she tried to shoot him in self-defense. He had to drop football during the investigation. He ended up changing schools, and switched majors to pre-law. Of course, the football scholarship was gone, so he started part time with the police force here since his new college was closer to home. He eventually finished his Master's in Public Administration."
"She tried to shoot him?" Kathy couldn't believe it. Jason was such a sweetheart.
Stacey nodded, "Yes. It ended up being ruled a false report, but the damage was already done to Jason. He never sought out another long term relationship again. The really sick part was nothing happened to her, even after she admitted lying. She stayed on the cheerleading team, kept membership in her sorority, and doesn't have the criminal record or jail time she deserved. For God's Sake, she tried to shoot him."
"Poor Jason," Kathy said wondering if she should come cleaner than she had about what happened with her partner Randy. She was crazy about Jason, and didn't want him to think she was keeping things from him, on purpose. She just wanted to move on and live the new life she was building. Minus the hideous murder, of course.
Jason came jogging up, "Come on, let's dance!" he said, reaching for her. She smiled and allowed herself to be pulled away from the conversation.
They danced until Kathy was too tired to stand up, but she refused to let go of Jason, and leaned her head on his shoulder.
"Tired?" he asked, caressing her back.
"Yes and no, just a worn out city dweller," she said, leaving her head on his shoulder.
He led her by the waist over to the 'family' blanket. The others were at the bounce house, and Jason's parents were visiting his sister, who had moved to Chicago with her husband and their two children. It was just the two of them for the moment.
"Let's rest a minute," he said, helping her down. He sat down next to her, and leaned over, kissing her. It was just a small peck on the mouth, since they were in public.
She kissed him back. She was mindful of a set of eyes on them. Awkward!
"Don't get too attached," the terse voice of Lauren Grayson stated. "He loves the chase, but nothing beyond that."
"Go away," Jason said, trying to hold his anger, as he pointed in a direction that indicated far away. "When will you back off? I could bury your reputation to the point that you would have to leave town, so why do you constantly provoke me?"
"Tease," Lauren said, glaring at Kathy.
Kathy took out her phone and switched it to camera mode. "Can you take a photo of us? I need an updated one for my desk."
She gave Kathy the finger, and then spun on her heel as she stalked off.
"Why is she looking at me? I am not teasing you." She almost made an offer she couldn't take back. Since he seemed to be somewhat of a gentleman, and had been victimized by women in the past. He probably wouldn't appreciate a blatant 'take me now' offer.
He smiled, showing nearly all of his teeth. "I really love the way you take on the role of Queen Bitch."
"Oh honey, she isn't even qualified to be a jester in the Court of this Queen Bitch. I told you what she said about the Post Office La Famille Lawrence."
He was about to kiss her again, when a very old African American woman rode up to them on her scooter. "Ignore her, young lady. She has always been after our star quarterback here."
Jason smiled, "Kathy, this is Louise Caine-Mathews, a descendant of one of the Caine slaves; and she was the Principal of my high school. She got me started in football." He turned back to Louise. "Kathy bought the old Caine Plantation."
Kathy smiled, "I am pleased to meet you." Cool this lady was about a hundred! Perhaps she had even spoken with some of her older relatives when she was young about the Caine plantation. She could be a living link to the long deceased witness, Hattie. It would be as close to first hand as she could get with Dark Lady's case.
She smiled, "I heard from my great grandson that you bought that old spook house."
"Yes, by accident, but I am glad I am here now," she said, patting Jason's knee. He smiled, looking very shy.
"They say Dark Lady and her grandson haunt the place," she said, looking nervous.
"I have heard that. Dark Lady's real name is Mary, correct?"
She nodded and pulled out an old hand sketched portrait, and handed it to Kathy. It appeared to have been professionally preserved. "I am 102. This is my great aunt, Mary. However the field hands called her Dark Lady. At first it was a code name for her, but then it became common, and she adopted it as her name. Her niece, my grandmother, used to tell me stories about how Dark Lady was murdered by her master, but that he got away with it. I have read William Caine's journal, and I know what he wrote. Percy thought she killed his mother, but I say hogwash. I am sorry, I must sound like a crazy old woman, just riding up here and babbling on."
"No, please continue," Both Jason and Kathy said in unison. The second kiss long forgotten.
Kathy looked at the roughly sketched photo. Dark Lady was a thin woman with long braided hair. She was very roughly sketched wearing the white rosebud dress Phil, Jack and Ramón had described. She looked...like she was in charge. Her posture, as drawn, was very authoritative. The only thing missing was the silver slave collar. Why hadn't Lauren included this drawing in her puff-piece? This would have been an excellent photographic display for her book, or even a cover for it. Although, it is possible Louise didn't like Lauren and wouldn't have trusted her with such a family treasure.
"She was so proud of that dress. It was new, Marissa bought it for her as a gift. I had heard the two of them were very close," she sighed, "I also heard you were helping Jason with the Lawrence murder investigation. They said poor Mil had suffered the same as my sweet Dark Lady. You know, Mil was in my last graduating class, the year
I retired from the school system. He was such a dear boy, and a great student."
Jason stiffened. "How did you hear that Kathy was helping? Just who is they?"
"It's a small town, sweetheart. We all know everything, and you know good and well who 'they' are, everyone. You should know that by now," Louise said. She was probably the only person in town who could call the Chief of Police 'sweetheart' like she was talking to a child, and not get a good cussing in return, and that would include his own mother.
Jason huffed, but remained silent. Mrs. Mathews was just as principal-like as she was when he was in school. With her age, he just assumed the behavior was built in, but now with what he knew about Dark Lady, it seemed to be in her DNA.
Kathy grinned at him, and then turned back to Louise. "Were you told other stories about Dark Lady as you grew up? Did you know Hattie, from the Blanc plantation?"
"Yes, and yes, Both Hattie, and my grandmother, but neither believed Dark Lady was a murderer. According to my grandmother Dark Lady loved her mistress like a sister, and would never do such a thing. Hattie thinks that evil Percy killed his mother, and later his father to steal his own inheritance. He must have shifted the blame to Dark Lady for his mother's death, in order to get away with it. She also thought Percy killed Stable Boy for trying to beg on Dark Lady's behalf. He was only six, there was no way he was attempting to free her from two, armed, grown men. He couldn't possibly have been a threat. I'll bet they killed him too, however being stable trained, even at six he would have been a terrible financial loss for the Caine's."
"Evil?" Kathy had a good idea why Louise would think Percy was evil, but she didn't want to assume. She wanted to know for sure what Louise thought about Percy. She also found it interesting that Hattie's conclusions were left out of the testimony in the book of slave tales. Was it an editing decision, or did Hattie keep a secret about how she felt, not wanting to talk to a white reporter?
"Dirty bastard, pardon my language, kidnapped runaways and sold them south! To the islands! If slavery was bad in the U.S, it was ten times worse in the islands. I have also heard from my grandmother that he also trafficked poor whites into island slavery too. It didn't matter to him, he was an equal opportunity hater. If they could turn a profit on a person, he put them on the slave ships south. Hattie said Blanc had taken part in that criminal venture, but didn't know Percy had been kidnapping his own slaves. The old fool. Upstanding citizens, those two. Percy literally fooled Dark Lady into luring Blanc slaves deeper into slavery by promising a trip north on the Underground Railroad. He used her, and that was how he avoided Blanc finding out. Someone should have stuck a pitchfork in both their chests while they slept. It was said that when he told Dark Lady what she had been 'accidentally' doing for him she died from heartbreak long before the whip took her.
She paused to finally take a breath. "It is also said that Percy even prostituted his own daughter, by force, to Blanc. She became pregnant and moved north, claiming that her 'husband' had been killed by the flu while on route north. She spent her days in a clothing sweatshop trying to raise Blanc's illegitimate child, who eventually moved back here and married, but that side of the family trail is cold."
"Gee-Gee," A teenage boy came running up.
Louise ignored him for the moment. "I know Percy arranged to have Dark Lady killed to keep her quiet, because at that point she knew everything he was up to. She had to have known. If you can find anything in the storage space in the library bookcases, I would like to see the record set straight. Even if justice can't be done, it can at least be known. She doesn't deserve to be 'officially' remembered that way." She turned to the boy. "I am coming. Let me get the brake off this thing."
Kathy nodded, "I will check."
"Thank you, Ms. Marconi," she said, speeding off on her scooter. "Come on Lyle, let's try the sweet tea booth. I heard they had raspberry tea. I do so love raspberries."
Ms. Marconi! Jason had just used Kathy's first name when they were introduced, not her whole name. Welcome to small town life, Kathy!
“Shall I take you home to comb the library?" Jason asked, there was a hopeful sound in his voice.
"Yes, as long as you help me check it out."
A half an hour later they ran up Kathy's stairs two at a time to get to the library.
She scolded herself, Stupid! Kathy! You had this library the whole time and have devoted no time to it! There were old outdated legal books from the 1970's and 80's on every shelf, except the back center one. It had old books there, really old ones.
She pulled a 'William Shakespeare, Primary Reader' out, the copyright was 1798. The intro stated it was for 'young scholars learning the principles of fine literature.' Then it occurred to her, the Caine's weren't just wealthy, they were members of the super wealthy class. They had a media presence who carefully danced around controversial stories. They had a library of printed books. These shelves had been stuffed with them! There were no free book downloads from the Internet! This must have been the equivalent of tens of thousands of dollars' worth of books.
She carefully replaced the book and pulled out another, 'Handwriting for Young Hands'. Copyright 1817. A folded up piece of paper fell out on the floor. Percy Gerrell Caine age 6 was inscribed on the inside cover of the book. Each of Percy's children had their own set of school books. It was an extraordinary indication of wealth for the time period.
Kathy picked up the paper, and held it so Jason could see it too.
“1846
William is so angry with me, but I could not let that horrible Blanc beat that young man for loving his girl. William has cut me off from the money, all of it. He claims he will control every dime from here on out. Despite my fine things, I am as poor as a church mouse. It is no matter. I don't need anything.
Percy is also angry that I cannot give him his allowance. He blames poor Dark Lady for influencing me, but the truth is that I convinced her to help me. I refuse to call her Mary, as Percy has renamed her, again. He even beat two of the field hands for calling her Dark Lady where he could hear it. He claims there is power in allowing a slave to choose their name, so a new name should be beaten into them. William must have taught him that.
I do not know who I am writing this to, but everything is not as it seems here at the Caine Plantation, and I have no more endurance to fight against it.
May the Lord have mercy on me for my impulsiveness with Blanc! I should have stood strong. Now more will suffer because of me! Even Ridely's poor innocent baby! Everything thing that has happened is entirely my fault, because I was impatient. I just could not let Blanc do it. I don't' know what came over me! My actions have exposed everything!
I have failed. I am married to a monster, and gave birth to his fork-tongued, demon spawn. William is raising Percy to continue in their family's sadistic ways! I wish I could act as a proper Christian, and not hate them both, but I cannot help myself. If anyone deserves hating it is me, for ruining everything! How could I have been a party in raising my beautiful baby boy to be such a monster!
I am guilty of murder, no differently than if I killed them myself!
Lord Jesus, please forgive me for this, for I cannot take it anymore.
Marissa Henning-Caine”
"Is it just me, or does this read like a suicide note?" Jason asked.
"It does, but it wasn't left anywhere where anyone could find it. There is a dark spot on the corner. We should have it tested, to see what it is. Perhaps she poisoned herself to death? I am suspecting cyanide."
Jason nodded. "Maybe Louise is on to something? Perhaps Percy hid it, and let William think Dark Lady was guilty of accidentally killing Marissa? That would have taken care of Dark Lady for him. After all, he wasn't the master, William was. She must have known enough about him to make his life very hard if the Sheriff discovered his trafficking, or Blanc found out about his double cross, or, any number of things, including Blanc's own child, by Percy's daughter. If Dark Lady and Marissa were as close as everyone sa
ys, then what one knew, so did the other. Marissa would have learned that she wasn't helping the slaves, but leading them further into slavery. It must have pushed her over the edge."
"Perhaps. It does sound like something Percy would do, especially given Marissa's assessment of him in her note. However, she didn't really speak lovingly of either of them. Sounds like she regretted having ever met William. I wonder if it was love, or if it was an arranged marriage?"
She pulled a few more books off the shelf and set them on the floor. "Seriously! The lawyers didn't move these books around! Surely someone has moved them in over 100 years! Dust much! All these books are stacked on the shelf, like Dark Lady set them here yesterday afternoon." What she didn't know was the lawyers were afraid to touch the books, ever again.
"Wait," Jason said leaning over into the shelf, "Look." He pulled off a piece of the wide wooden trim to reveal a dainty little door knob like one would expect to find on an old medicine chest.
"What is it?"
"Secret comp..." He almost said compartment, but the entire bookcase released, "Room...No, staircase" He corrected as he opened the door/shelf to reveal a landing for a narrow staircase very much like the one in the kitchen. He stepped inside, "Goes up to the third floor, and it looks like down to the parlor off the living room?"
They went upstairs, and came out close to the little window where both Mike and Jack said they had seen Ethan. The book/linen shelf closed and latched behind them. Kathy leaned in and looked out what she had come to think of as Ethan's window. Jason leaned in behind her.
"We always end up, right here," he said, leaning in close enough behind her to smell her hair. It smelled clean and fruity.
"Well, we know, Ethan didn't stay here. He was a boy and lived in the quarters of the stable. Do you suppose this was where Dark Lady lived? Her space? And that is why Ethan comes here, to see his Granny?" She turned to face him and was surprised to find him directly behind her, and not at conversation distance. It startled her.