Crescent City (An Alec Winters Series Book 1)

by Chariss K. Walker

  “And, they told you that the church wanted them to shut you up?”

  “Yes, that’s basically what they said,” Vivien replied, struggling to keep the jacket closed. The cami had slid to her waist and the bra flopped loosely without straps to hold it.

  “Good thing you aren’t working for the Rag anymore. I guess that bit of information hasn’t made it up the chain of command yet. If it had, this threat against your life might’ve been avoided. ‘The holiest father says it has to stop.’ Is that what Jake said? The exact words used?” Bright asked. At her nod, he continued, “Hell, he could’ve been referring to a high ranking priest, the Bishop, or even the Pope. Who could’ve imagined that the results of our little investigation would be felt across the ocean?”

  “Miss Simon,” Davis called out before he left to escort the bodies to the morgue.

  “We see each other all the time, Davis. Please call me Vivien or even Simon if you prefer,” she interrupted.

  “Vivien, I’m glad you’re alright. We’re both glad you’re alright. I don’t want to overstep any boundaries, but if I may offer a suggestion on your wardrobe…Jeans, a thick cotton tee-shirt, and sneakers are more appropriate now for the kind of work you do for the department. They’re harder to remove also…should someone attack you again,” Davis said with a slightly apologetic shrug of his shoulders.

  “Yeah, and sports bras are harder to get off too. Just saying…,” Bright added, mildly embarrassed, before changing the subject. “I’ll send a car to follow you home and post a guard.”

  Vivien nodded at both the men. They’d made astute and valid suggestions. She hadn’t even considered that a different wardrobe was now more appropriate. A creature of habit, she’d continued to dress the way she had for the last seven years wearing heels and professional suits each day. She’d rethink it, but at the moment, she was exhausted from the ordeal and felt a deep need to be alone. She had a lot to sort out.

  Chapter 24

  Cassidy sent a car for Catalina the next day. It was the first monthly pass she’d ever used. Everyone knew how important the trip was to her. When she arrived, Alec was in the sunroom lying on a daybed with his head in Sabrina’s lap while his mother sat nearby. It was the very room his sister had previously used for a bedroom after Buck died. She flew to her brother with arms stretched wide and he wrapped his good arm around her while the other arm throbbed painfully. After a while, Cassidy and Sabrina left them alone and went to make snacks and hot tea.

  “My angel, did you know your wings are bullet proof?” she asked innocently as she gazed into his aquamarine eyes.

  “I’ve never thought about it,” Alec replied honestly.

  “They are. You’ve never noticed in all this time? They’ve shielded you on the battlefield while bombs burst all around you. You thought you used them to protect the injured, but they protected you too. They aren’t only beautiful; these glorious wings are to serve you. Next time you’re faced with weapons, cover yourself with these wings. You won’t be injured again. God has seen to it that each gift you possess is serviceable. Using your angelic form now will also allow you to heal quickly. Try it, please. You have much to do,” Cat encouraged.

  “I wasn’t in angel form when I was shot, Catalina.”

  “I know…You can be killed or injured in the other persona, dear brother,” Cat said with panic in her voice, “but you can never be harmed while an angel. That worries me and it worries me even more that you didn’t know this.”

  “I’ve never been injured before.”

  “Please, try it now,” Cat repeated.

  “No rest for the wicked…is that your game?” he asked with a wide grin.

  She didn’t stop her pleas and, at her continual urgings, Alec allowed himself to feel protective of his sister and put both arms around her. He immediately felt the strength and purity of angel blood coursing through his system. The internal wound, or cavitations, left from the passage of the bullet, closed instantly. The surgical seam Chaz had made to remove the bullet also sealed completely. The only remaining evidence of his injury was the stitches; they began to itch, begging to be removed. When Cassidy returned, she used tweezers and a small pair of cuticle scissors to carefully pick the sutures out. The tiny holes left behind disappeared. Neither she nor Sabrina dared to ask any questions, but they noticed the glow on Cat’s face. She had delivered the message and was satisfied with the results.

  Outside, the private detective MeChelle DeLaurent had hired kept watch on the Carrollton Street home. He followed Sabrina Devereux everywhere she went now. His employer wasn’t happy to discover that the young woman spent more and more time with the Winters family, especially the man, Alec Winters.

  In the meantime, Bright had encouraged Vivien to take a few days off and come to terms with her near-death-experience. He knew that, when faced with death, people needed time to do a little soul-searching. He hoped she wouldn’t quit and move back to Birmingham, but it was her choice and he gave her the time and space to make the decision. He also kept her under surveillance in case any other would-be assailants should come after her again.

  Vivien Simon did rest at home the next day, but now, she was even more intrigued than before. She certainly wasn’t the type of gal to tuck-tail and run. On the second day, she took the proffered time off and used it to speak to some of the previous witnesses. She had a desperate need to let them know she now understood. First, she had lunch at Café Amelia’s and requested seating on the terrace to make sure Suzanne was her waitress. She got there just after the lunch rush slowed to a crawl. Suzanne sat down beside her.

  “I had a strange experience recently, Suzanne,” she began. “My life was threatened by some very bad men who wanted to kill me because of the priest articles I wrote. A bright light came to my rescue. The oddest thing about it was that my attackers saw something dark and scary. They were terrified. I heard them say things like ‘devil’ and ‘Satan,’ but what I saw appeared to be a celestial being. What do you make of that?”

  “I can relate, Vivien. I didn’t tell anyone before, but the day the priest died…well, I knew it would sound crazy and I kept quiet about it, but to be honest, I thought I saw a devil rip out his throat. His throat was torn out right?” Suzanne asked. “The papers never tell the exact details.

  “Yes, when I saw it, I thought that his last words had offended his attacker.”

  “I thought that’s what I saw, but I couldn’t reconcile that with what happened next…,” Suzanne said, hesitating.

  “Look, after what I just told you, don’t stop now. Please tell me so I don’t feel completely insane, Suzanne.”

  “After the priest was on the ground, the boy reached up and took this demon’s hand. The weird thing…I couldn’t see the demon any longer. I only saw the bright light from that point on, but I know I saw a devil only a few moments earlier. How crazy is that? At any rate, the child trusted him and walked away from the scene holding his hand like they were pals. I’ve thought about it a lot since that day. I mean, there weren’t two things in the alley, just the one. I don’t think the boy saw a devil at all. I think he saw something else. If it was really a devil, the child wouldn’t have trusted him. Children have a sixth sense about things, especially who can be trusted.”

  “It was the light that took his hand,” Vivien commented. She knew that had the light offered her a hand, she would have gladly taken it too.

  “Yes, I told you about that…most of the time, the bright light shielded the boy. But, for a moment there, when this light stood before Father Maddox…well, it looked like a devil. A big devil! He was tall, very large, and red. He towered over the short, chubby priest. It was surreal. I mean, my grandmother had a bible once that was filled with beautiful and sometimes scary pictures. Pictures of Moses parting the Red Sea…Of Elijah ascending in a fiery chariot, stuff like that…There was a devil in that bible and what I saw looked exactly like that picture, minus the tail and pitchfork. After the priest was dead, it was
light again as it walked the boy down to Bourbon Street and to safety. I’ve had a hard time reconciling what I saw to what I was taught as a child. I thought most of the stories I heard then were just a load of crap to frighten me into being good. Now, I don’t know what I think any more.”

  “Me too, Suzanne. Me too. It seems like there is an entirely different reality out there and only a privileged few ever see it,” Vivien replied.

  “Privileged is one way to describe it, Vivien,” Suzanne commented before adding, “Yeah, I guess I do feel special. Don’t you?”

  “Yes, I do. It makes me want to learn more about such things. You know, metaphysical concepts and ideals—things that can’t be proven by science.”

  Next, Vivien returned to the Worth’s residence. She hadn’t called for an appointment, but she simply couldn’t stay away. She wanted to tell Jenny what she’d seen as much as anything. A shared experience might build a bond. It might be exactly what the young girl needed to open up about her own encounter that day.

  Katie wasn’t happy to see her, but she did allow the reporter to come inside, especially after Vivien convinced her that she no longer worked for the Rag. Jenny was already home from school and stood hidden behind the doorway as Vivien explained in detail why she had come. She didn’t hold anything back as she told Katie about her experience in the dark alley. After she’d told the full story, Jenny came in and sat beside her on the sofa.

  “I’m glad you saw him,” the child said simply. “At times, I’ve thought I imagined him.”

  “Can you tell me everything you remember seeing that day?” Vivien coaxed.

  “You described it pretty well. The thunder sound as he hurt those men was the sounds I heard from inside the restroom where Bill was killed. When he came out to tell me that it wasn’t my fault, everything was bright light. I didn’t get a good look at him, did you?” Jenny asked.

  “I can tell you that he had wings and blue eyes, just like you said.”

  “I knew it!” Jenny exclaimed joyfully. “I knew it! Did he kiss you?”

  “No, he didn’t kiss me. He didn’t touch me at all, at least, not while I was conscious. I hid behind him while he stopped the men who were trying to kill me. I hid behind his light and the beautiful white wings. I was terribly afraid, Jenny. Not of him, but of the men. I was so afraid that I fainted.”

  “I know,” Jenny said. “I almost missed his glory too. I was standing outside the restroom so miserable and afraid that Bill would return and praying that he wouldn’t. I was thinking about that and I almost missed the angel and how awesome he was. If he hadn’t come over to me, I would’ve never seen him and gotten the message he gave me.”

  “What was that exact message, Jenny?”

  “He called me ‘little dove.’ He said that my nightmares were over. He told me that there wasn’t a need to run away anymore because Bill would never hurt me again…,” Jenny burst into tears and covered her face with her hands.

  “Oh, darling, you didn’t tell me that. You wanted to run away?” Katie asked, startled at her daughter’s confession.

  “I thought it was the only way to stop him. I knew he wanted to hurt me really bad…I could see it. I was so afraid that I thought the only thing I could do was run away. I didn’t want to leave you Mommy. I promise. I just wanted Bill to stop!” Jenny wailed.

  Katie hugged her daughter close as she looked over her head into Vivien’s eyes. Jenny hadn’t told her this the day they returned from Jackson Square. She was grateful that it had come out now, knowing that, like a splinter, it needed to be released before it festered. At that moment, Katie also made a confession. She told about the trip to Marie Laveau’s and the ‘leave me’ spell. After the air was finally clear, Jenny continued.

  “When he kissed my head, I felt little electrical currents pass through me. It felt tingly and wonderful. He also said I should keep my child-eyes open and that I shouldn’t be afraid to see what others refuse to see. He said it was a gift and that God would help me use it when the time was right. I’ve thought about all of these things a lot. I needed to hear his message and I almost missed it. Now, I know that if we don’t want to miss the good stuff that happens, we have to stop thinking about the past stuff.”

  “That’s very good advice, Jenny,” Vivien commented.

  Vivien thanked the Worth family for their time and then went to see Thomas LaCour. It was now near the dinner hour, but she felt an urgency to tell her story to each one and Tom was next-to-last on her list. Mr. and Mrs. LaCour invited the reporter into the living room and then called Tom out. He was hesitant until he heard what she had to say. Like Jenny, he listened quietly while she explained the reason for her visit. Also, like Jenny, he was glad that someone could relate to his experience.

  “I didn’t get to see him right away because he told me to close my eyes. His voice was kind and beautiful; I trusted him and did what he told me to do. Father Maddox had me cornered and I couldn’t get away or see around him. When the priest screamed out in fear, I still kept my eyes closed. I was afraid to see what happened to make him act that way. I could hear everything the priest said though. He begged and cried. I heard him say that he couldn’t help himself. He promised that he’d stop if he was allowed to live. He asked if he could have last rites. After the nasty priest was dead, his body fell to the ground and the man told me to come with him. I took his hand and he walked me out of there. I was glad to get away from the priest and the things he tried to make me do. The man who held my hand was so bright and beautiful. I kept staring at him. When I finally got the nerve to ask if he was an angel, he was gone. I was safe from the priest though. As I stepped out on the sidewalk, a cab stopped right beside me. It was like a miracle or the man had ordered it ahead of time. I got in and went home,” Thomas admitted while his parents listening quietly at the doorway.

  “Did you see the side of him that scared Father Maddox?”

  “No. I guess that’s why he told me to keep my eyes closed. He didn’t want me to be scared of him. Did you?” Tomas asked, genuinely curious.

  “No, I only saw light and beauty, while my attackers saw something that scared them very much. I guess you and I were very lucky to have seen him the way we did, Thomas.”

  Finally, on her way home, she made the last stop. It was unnerving to be back in that neighborhood, but she was lucky enough to find a parking space directly in front of Latisha Miller’s home. After she was invited inside, Vivien shared the terrifying experience she’d had after the interview a few nights earlier. She described how one of her assailants was thrown through the air, hitting a brick building that crushed the life from him. It was an impossible feat and yet Vivien knew that it would help Latisha to hear about it. No one likes to believe that they’ve imagined something or that their statement is unbelievable. Latisha cried softly as she thanked Vivien for sharing her own harrowing encounter. There was a strong, common bond building between Vivien and the witnesses now through shared experiences.

  Vivien was satisfied after the conversations were done with Suzanne, Jenny, Thomas, and Latisha. She drove home to a small cottage she rented on Conti Street. It sat directly behind a large, stone home with a well-manicured lawn and offered a wonderful patio that overlooked the lovely gardens of the estate. Not that she was there enough to enjoy it—she spent many hours now in the dimly lit records room, pouring over old files, and using a flashlight when necessary. The other officers had begun to call her a mole.

  While driving, she kept a watchful eye in her rearview mirror, looking for any signs that she was followed. She was more than a little nervous and frightened after the discovery that someone at the Catholic Church wanted her dead. It felt as if the CIA or some other large organization with huge reach and resources was after her…and, it was exactly like that. It was rumored that the arm of the church could reach anywhere and make anyone disappear. In a way, they resembled the mob families with a huge network of loyalists and fanatics. They certainly protected their own.
They could attack again at anytime, catching her completely off guard and it’s what they did the night that Jake and Randy assaulted her. They’d known exactly where she was and sneaked up on her in the dark, like the boogeyman. The very thought of it kept her on edge. She didn’t sleep well and she was constantly looking over her shoulder now.

  She pulled into the driveway and was relieved to see that an unmarked police car kept watch while another one blinked their headlight to signal they were breaking off surveillance. She knew that was Bright’s idea and, although it felt good to have the watchful eyes of the department looking out for her, she hadn’t even known they were following her. That sent a chill down her spine. If she couldn’t spot the friendlies, how on earth would she spot the bad guys? Could the police officers assigned to her really stop someone intent on harming her? She didn’t know. She only knew that the angel, or rather his alter-ego, could.

  Chapter 25

  Later in the week, Vivien returned to work. She was refreshed in one sense and a bundle of nerves in another. It wasn’t easy living with the reality that someone was after you. She had wondered if Bright was right—if the church had known she was no longer a reporter for the Rag, would they have sent someone to silence her. She didn’t know. Maybe she had pissed someone off and the threats would continue regardless. When she arrived at police headquarters, Bright immediately called her into his office.

  “What have you been up to, Vivien? My men said you went back to speak with the Worth and LaCour families and that you also had lunch with the waitress at Café Amelia’s…I wanted you to take some time off, to get your bearings again. You were almost killed and that requires a little time to adjust…Want to tell me what’s going on?” the lieutenant asked, fully within his rights as her boss.