Crescent City (An Alec Winters Series Book 1)

by Chariss K. Walker

  “Are you referring to the murders or this interview?” she asked in response.

  “Murders?”

  “I think the murders of Bill Worth and Father Maddox are related,” Vivien said a little uneasily.

  “What makes you say that?”

  “Maybe, a hunch,” she was cautious now. “Why did you ask me here?”

  “Like I said on the phone, we might need some new eyes around here.”

  “Then, let my ‘new eyes’ tell you that I think both murders are related. Dig out some new ears and hear what I have to day,” she replied bluntly.

  “Go on.”

  “Someone was protecting two different children from pedophiles. Someone stopped those predators from inflicting further harm to those children,” she replied.

  “That’s a big leap.”

  “Is it?” she asked, looking at the detective closely.

  “Tell me why you took that huge jump.”

  “Father Maddox was a known pedophile shipped to our fair city before a mob could get to him in Ohio. Bill Worth was sexually abusing his step-daughter and the kids in his neighborhood despised him. There has to be a reason for that. You saw it for yourself…the priest was in the process of abusing Tom when he was stopped. Why else would his pants be unzipped with his cock exposed? Come to think of it, Bill Worth was also found in a similar condition. Your officers assumed he was in there taking a leak, but he could’ve just as easily been there to beat-off. They were both sick, twisted men and were stopped before they could do anymore harm.”

  “Tom?”

  “The young boy in the alley with the priest,” Vivien replied.

  “Yes, I know. I’ve already heard from the parents. They’re singing your praises for getting to the bottom of it, but what you’re suggesting is either a vigilante or a serial killer.”

  “Either way, you’d want to know, right?” she asked. He didn’t answer so she continued, “So what would you like for me to do here at the police department, Lieutenant Albright?”

  He’d decided even before the beginning of the interview that he liked her. He liked her outspokenness and spunk. He liked that she didn’t hesitate to call it like she saw it. She called a cock a cock rather than trying to sugar-coat it into a more PC term. He liked that she intuited and used her imagination to play out scenarios and that she didn’t color inside the lines. Most of the officers on the force didn’t use any of those skills and most only saw black and white boxes where they could stuff evidence and witness statements.

  “Please, call me ‘Bright,’ everyone else does. I’d like your new eyes to consult on some of our tougher cases that have hit a dead end as well as new cases. I can arrange a fee for each case you work. It should help pay the rent, depending on how many cases we work together. I can’t put you on salary in the beginning, but that might come later. I’ll provide a cubicle with a desk and computer where you can work and research the things that interest you about the cases we’re working. I can also let you behind the tape and offer you a camera. You don’t strike me as queasy and the assistant we currently have is a puke-face kid who throws up at nearly every crime scene. And finally, I can assign a cell phone that alerts you to the cases I’m working so you don’t have to rely on a police scanner or step on another detective’s toes.”

  “I’d like that,” Vivien replied easily. “I’ll have to check with my editor to make sure I’m not breaking any employment policies, rules, or conflicts of interest, but I’d like that very much. When would you want me to start?”

  “As soon as you can work that out. Just stop by when you’re ready.”

  As it turned out, Vivien never got a chance to ask if consulting for Lieutenant Albright would be a conflict of interest. The owner of the Rag fired her for inciting mass hysteria against the city’s local clergy. Her severance pay was sitting on her desk with an official letter stating the reasons for her dismissal the next morning when she went to the office.

  The news was both terrible and welcome. She’d always heard others talk about feeling ‘mixed-emotions’ and now she knew exactly what that meant. No longer having a job was scary, but she was free to consult for Lieutenant Albright and that eased any qualms. It felt like a new beginning and rather than pout or complain about the change in circumstances, she decided rather quickly that she looked forward to it.

  Chapter 20

  Alec didn’t hunt down predators every day. To do so would mean that too many bodies piled up. It would bring the FBI to investigate an alleged serial killer. He only made himself available and, if the wicked crossed his path, he was more than willing to follow. After doing this for years, he trusted that he was always in the right place at the right time. There were plenty of evil men and women everywhere, plenty of children and innocents to free. He was certain of one thing—he was led to specific situations at the right moment. He took great pleasure in stopping anyone who abused their strength, power, or position to torment those that were weaker and without resources.

  On this night, Alec walked to the corner of Dumaine and Burgundy Streets, turning west on Dumaine. He never had to worry about being attacked on the dimly lit streets and alleys. He could easily wander the Crescent City anytime, even in the darkest hours. Something about him sent would-be attackers looking for someone less intimidating.

  It wasn’t long before he came upon a couple with two toddlers and an infant. The man’s aura drew Alec toward the family. It was bloody-red and flared violently several yards around him, like a volcano ready to erupt. He was in a murderous mood and the woman and children cowered in fear. They were use to his abuse and terrified of him. Now, something or someone had pushed the man beyond reason.

  His name was Jermanuel LaCroixeau, but most people called him Manny. He was a monster of man at 6’ 4” and close to 250 pounds. He towered over the small woman and even smaller toddlers. Manny dabbled in the occult and called himself a master of the dark arts, but something else was stirring up the man at the moment. Alec stroked his chin thoughtfully. He’d seen this before, but only on rare occasions.

  Manny had spent the day at a local dive bar, drinking with his buddies. He thought those friends were his followers and he exuberantly boasted while sharing voodoo methods used to harm others. He knew just enough about the dark magical religion to be dangerous to himself and others, but no self-respecting practitioner would give him the time of day. They could clearly see through his ruse. In his mind, he was a god. In reality, Manny was more of a spiritual vampire. He drained the energy from others and used a few voodoo spells and charms to inflict damage, but that was the extent of his self-perceived powers. He was able to do these things by desire alone. Desire, faith, and belief are the strongest powers in all magic and religions. He greedily wanted to possess what others had and it was that yearning that enabled him to take so easily.

  Petunia and the children, hot, tired, and miserable, waited outside the bar for his return, but he certainly didn’t hurry. He could’ve cared less that they were thirsty or hungry during those long hours. He’d given his wife an order and demanded that she follow it. It was the way he normally treated her and she was too frightened of him to disobey. He was enjoying his position of authority while inside. Manny’s boasting drew the attention of other dark forces looking for someone to use, but he was unaware of the danger.

  At the moment, Alec followed closely, unnoticed. Manny’s rage was all-consuming, unaware that death was on his heels. He slammed into several people on the sidewalk, knocking them out of his way and cursing loudly, as he dragged the woman toward a squalid shotgun home with an overgrown yard and shutters hanging askew. Petunia had inherited the home from her parents. It had once been painted a vibrant pink with turquoise trim, but now the home was as badly discolored and faded as its owner.

  She went along as fast as she could, with the infant in a makeshift sling across her chest, and pulling the other two by their hands. Still, it wasn’t fast enough for her partner. He stopped long enough to
kick her soundly in the butt, trying his best to hurt and humiliate her. She fell forward and rolled to one side to keep from crushing the baby. The toddlers went down with her, crying pitifully. Their little bodies were exhausted from lack of nutrition and sleep. Manny, whose hands were as large as billy clubs, cruelly back-handed the larger of the two children. The violent blow hit him across the face and instantly broke his nose, knocking the poor little boy unconscious.

  “Manny, please don’t do this. Please don’t hurt us anymore,” Petunia cried out and begged, but her words fell on ears ringing with bloodlust and he wouldn’t hear her pleas.

  It was a wretched, disturbing scene that only got worse.

  “You goddamn fucking no-good whore…You sorry cunt…You and those bastards of yours too,” Manny yelled vile, threatening curses. “I’m sick of you…sick of your miserable, fucking whining. If you aren’t crying, those no-good goddamn kids are! You’ll all be sorry when I get you home. I’m going to beat you bloody, Petunia. I’m going to carve you up real good and I might just cut that fucking bitter tongue right out of your mouth. You’ll wish you were dead by the time I’m through with your sorry asses! All of you!”

  She cried and whimpered like the whipped dog she had become…the majestic blue aura of mystical powers that normally surrounded her, faded into barely visible silver. Petunia, named by a discerning relative for the distinctive color that emanated at her birth, was at one time a gifted psychic. It was the very thing that had attracted Jermanuel to her in the first place—he coveted that same power and felt that he was more deserving of it. He’d set out to take it from her and make it his own. But, his greedy darkness desired to swallow her light, to steal it, leaving her with nothing.

  It was the eternal battle between good and evil, light and dark. The man had all but stripped away her gifts, discrediting and belittling her daily as if whittling at a block of wood to change its shape, to transform what it had been into something altogether different. He’d successfully changed her course and path. She’d never seen this coming; she’d never seen this miserable future with the man she’d once loved.

  Alec was close enough to see Manny’s face now, but still not close enough to stop his brutality. His cheeks flushed with heat, his eyes were black as coal, and the tissue beneath were encircled in shadows. Whiskey wasn’t the only thing he’d imbibed during that long day of drinking. Something else roiled inside him. Something even more evil than Manny had been attracted to his lust that day. The physical characteristics of his face couldn’t contain it. His cheeks puffed and his temples flared, distorting and twisting his features wildly. His eyes grew darker, with a glint of red around the edges, and protruded as the force within him wrestled with his flesh, commanding it and the man.

  Like the true coward he was, Manny kicked his wife violently while she was down, taking great pleasure in diminishing her further. He knew who she was…even the blindest fool can see greatness when it stands before him. Knowing how capable and gifted Petunia was, he’d taken away her status, leeching her talent like a big fat slug. Little-by-little and day-by-day, he’d eroded everything she trusted and believed. It had been his goal over the course of their marriage, but now, the evil inside him wanted Petunia dead.

  Dark craves light, but it also hates it. Light shines into every corner, revealing darkness to itself. Most can’t face what they are shown so they must extinguish the light. The bastard went to kick her again and that’s when Alec, close enough now, moved in to protect the small family and end the threat.

  With one hand at Manny’s throat, the demon lifted the large man off his feet and flung him across the yard onto the broken down stoop. He landed with a thud and looked around, dazed, wondering where the attack originated. He’d never seen anyone close enough to touch him or interfere. No one in his neighborhood dared to meddle in his affairs or the handling of his family. In fact, the neighbors ran inside as soon as they first heard Manny’s ranting at Petunia and the kids. No one could bear to see them treated in such a despicable way, but so far, no one had the power to stop him either. Now, they avoided the scenes altogether, hiding inside and praying for the family behind closed doors, calling the police when things got completely out of control.

  Petunia watched as her husband flew through the air and landed soundly on the porch, breaking an already weakened step. She saw shimmering in the darkness, something that glistened, but her child-eyes were currently blind. She couldn’t see the angel or the demon, but her babies could see and pointed with their index fingers, awed by the sight, and cooing softly.

  “Ook, mama,” the eldest son, now conscious, whispered in awe as he pointed to the angel. The injury and bloody nose was forgotten as he stared, mesmerized by the sight.

  Petunia did look, but she couldn’t see the majestic form. She did, however, see glimmering light. It would take some time for her complete sight to return, but it would return once she was redeemed from Jermanuel. Still, she gasped out a prayer of gratitude when she realized that a being of light was after her husband, her tormentor. She’d half expected that, if anything could take him down, it would be something that was of greater darkness than her husband.

  Manny rolled to his feet, looking for a weapon to use. The only thing at hand was a stand ashtray. He grabbed it and then turned toward his assailant. Immediately, he screamed out incoherent words at the sight that stood before him. A demon! It was eight feet tall, red skin, fangs, claws, horns, and red-eyed—everything he’d always feared—and it blew the hot breath of the underworld into his face. Manny smelled the stench of sulfur from the fiery pits of hell and he was scared out of his mind.

  He’d planned to rule, not be ruled. He’d used his great physical strength and stature against many a smaller victim and that power had gone to his head. He had begun to believe that he couldn’t be defeated, that he was invincible. Now, he saw a demon towering over him. The monster devil wielded such power that, for the first time, Manny understood he was nothing more than a bully and would remain nothing. The ashtray crashed to the porch, clattering loudly and spilling the contents of ashes and cheap cigarette butts across the cracked, split floor. Terrorized by what he saw, he turned to run and, in his haste, tripped and fell over the guardrail. His neck was broken in the process as soon as his head hit the dirt. Alec, now quite familiar with the sound the soul makes leaving the physical body, heard the death rattle as Jermanuel’s life ended.

  But, there was more. Two glowing angels swiftly appeared, standing on the ready with white nets cast wide. Manny’s soul was gone, but the thing that had possessed him wasn’t. The pair of angels waited patiently. The dead body twitched and trembled as it struggled to stand again. The unfocused eyes looked around curiously. Limbs attempted to move, to walk away, and stiffly labored with the effort, taking cautious mechanical steps toward Petunia and the children.

  The angels looked to Alec. He knew what he had to do. The body must be made useless. It was the only way to flush out the ugly red spirits. Alec swung easily over what remained of the porch rail. He administered a powerful kick that broke the physical body’s right leg, it went down again. In only a few moments, however, it began to crawl, slowly inching across the lawn toward Petunia. It wouldn’t be satisfied until she was dead. Alec had rarely seen such determination by possession.

  He looked closely at the dead body. The heart was still beating and thudded loudly. It was where Manny had stored the great power stolen from Petunia and it was where the spirits drew their energy. Alec turned the dead body over and using a piece of the broken slats, he drove a stake through the heart. Piercing it allowed the stored force to drain away. That action finally ended the eerie struggle.

  Angry at the loss of the vessel they’d planned to use and deprived of their power, the evil red spirits swirled and twisted around the body, hissing loudly and spitting out contempt. The net was cast and the wickedness was contained. The angels flew away taking the nasty spirits with them. Alec calmly watched until it was done. It
wasn’t the first time he’d received help to stop such an evil force.

  With that part of his job done, he looked around the scene wondering how the police would interpret it. From the looks of things, it appeared that Manny had fallen through the porch railing and a broken slat had pierced his heart; he’d broken his neck in the fall. He could’ve easily broken his leg in the fall as well. Nothing needed staging.

  He returned to Petunia to help her up, gently patting the toddlers who were crying at her side. Blood and mucus streamed down the face of the one Manny had struck. They stopped crying to look at him in all his brilliance even though their mother’s eyes were still partially closed. Petunia could only see a shimmering light even though she felt the hands that lifted her, assisting her to stand.

  “You have a great gift from God, Petunia. Use it for good. Don’t let anyone steal your power again. Your husband was possessed by evil spirits. He was even more dangerous than before and would have killed you and your children this very night. Your gifts will return now that he isn’t leeching your power any longer. Seek divine guidance on this. God has a plan for you. You don’t need a husband for respect. You only need to respect yourself. Return to your former glory. And, get some medical help for your son. He’s bleeding badly.”

  “Who are you?” she called out into the darkness, but the shiny light was now gone. She whispered prayers of gratitude that the endless misery and the love she’d felt for Manny was over. It was snuffed out the instant he died and she felt the liberation from that dark bond ease her soul as her eyes opened a little wider.

  Like Katie Worth, the more truth Petunia accepted, the more clearly she would see.

  Chapter 21

  Now, that Vivien had access to the police department and their records room, she searched for any instances where eyewitnesses claimed that ‘something’ saved them from harm. The statements took on many guises as the witnesses attempted to express how an unknown presence had mysteriously rescued them from a terrible fate. There were more than a few. When she wasn’t involved in a new case with Bright, she ran down those involved to listen to their testimonies. Most had been willing to talk to her.