Black Hearts Dance

by Gerald Lopez

  Nellie opened his eyes, noticed that we seemed to be floating over a pit with fire below and screamed. I held him tighter with the one arm I still had around him.

  “Ghosts—more ghosts!” Nellie said, when he looked away from the fire and saw Moses and the twins. “What’s he doing with all the big leaves on the table?”

  Moses laid the babies on top of the table, picked up a handful of banana leaves, turned, and threw the leaves into the pit—on top of the fire.

  “This is all because Mr. Carson was naughty and went to those mens’ dances,” Moses said to the still crying babies. “God is punishing him for going to the Black Hearts Dance. That’s what she told me and I told your mommy.” He threw more leaves into the pit, then turned his attention to the twins and began wrapping leaves around them.

  “We have to do something!” Nellie said. “He’ll kill them.”

  “They died a long, long, time ago,” I said.

  “She said Mr. Carson had to suffer in order for Mrs. Veronica to be safe,” Moses said. He rocked one of the twins in his arms. “You won’t suffer, they all told me you won’t suffer and Mrs. Veronica even promised me something special once I helped her get better.”

  Sweat was dripping down my face but I didn’t know if it was from my nerves or from the ever increasing heat.

  “Layton, it’s the pig roast,” Shannon said. “The one that had disgusted Veronica so much. Moses was there, but this time he’s trying to do it Hawaiian style like Veronica said.”

  “And he’s not using pigs,” I said.

  Moses walked toward us with both babies. He stood at the edge of the pit, looked down for a moment, then laid the babies on top of the hot fire and leaves. Shannon screamed loudly, and I felt Nellie’s body trembling… or was it my own? It was both of us.

  Moses looked at the babies and spoke. “Like little piggies, just like they told me to do… just like little piggies.”

  Shannon leaned back against me like she might faint. Moses walked back and forth to the table getting more leaves and throwing them into the hole.

  “The smell!” Nellie shouted.

  “It’s burning flesh,” I said. “There’s no mistaking that smell. I remember it from my time in the field.”

  Shannon was trembling now and had her hand over her mouth as tears flowed down from her eyes. My skin suddenly felt like it was on fire and I dug my nails into my free hand to keep from yelling out. Nellie, then Shannon screamed out loud.

  Moses had a shovel in his hands and was starting to throw sand into the pit, over the babies. It seemed as if the sand was covering me, and the others as well, and I started to choke. Even though I couldn’t feel the sand hitting me, I was coughing trying to expel it. Nellie and Shannon were doing the same. We were drowning in sand.

  “Layton, it’s too much—we’ve got to get free or we’ll die when the babies do,” Shannon said, then screamed. “It burns!”

  “That’s enough!” I said. “We’ve seen enough!”

  Someone kicked the door open, and instantly the room was like before. Shannon, Nellie, and I fell backwards in the sand.

  “HOW LONG were we out?” I said, as I sat back up and looked into Alex’s worried face.

  He just grabbed my neck, and hugged then kissed me. “I came running when I heard the screams—we all did.”

  “I’m alright,” I said. “We found the journals. I guess someone owes us all wet kisses.”

  Rory looked our way and puckered his lips. “You three look like shit, if you don’t mind me saying so.”

  IT TOOK Nellie, Shannon, and me a few minutes to get our bearings, then with help from the others, we went back inside the main house. Elise, Jimmy, and Frankie brought the journals with them. After we were comfortably situated in the formal living room, I told our story.

  “How are you feeling, Nellie?” Miss Maribelle said. “You were reliving the time your father tried to drown you in the tub as a boy, weren’t you?”

  “Yes, Ma’am,” Nellie said, then wrapped his arms around me and squeezed. We were sitting side by side on the sofa. “Alex, I don’t mean anything by this… it’s just that—”

  “I understand,” Alex said.

  “Nathan… I need to call Nathan,” Nellie said. “I need him.” He took his cell phone out of his pocket and started to stand, but stumbled on his feet. Alex ran to his side to help him.

  “I’ll walk with you to the sunroom and you can call from there,” Alex said.

  The two left the room and we continued our conversation.

  “Poor, boy,” Mrs. Carson said. “Some wounds never heal. Nellie’s father is a brute of a man, but he went too far when he tried to drown Nellie. The mother saw to it Nellie’s father served jail time for what he did.”

  “Yeah, but not enough,” Miss Maribelle said. “And Nellie’s parents are still together. I don’t understand a woman who’d stay with a man capable of doing what he did to their child. Nellie was almost dead when the police got there. It was only by the grace of God he’s here with us today.”

  “Will Nellie be alright?” Shannon said.

  “Yes,” Miss Maribelle said. “He’s got a lot of folks looking out for him including Maribelle and me.”

  “And us,” Rory said.

  “I hope you’re including Alex and me in that ‘us’,” I said.

  “I am,” Rory said.

  “What kind of person or people could use a poor retarded boy like Moses to do their evil work,” Shannon said, then got up from her chair. “Moses didn’t understand what he was doing. He said ‘they’d’ told him the babies would be fine afterward.”

  “‘They’d’ told him?” Frankie said. “How many people were involved in the killing of these innocent babies?”

  “Only one,” I said. “Moses Morelle… but others pushed him into doing it. People who he trusted and cared for—maybe was even afraid of. What did Veronica promise him, I wonder? We know what he would’ve wanted most. And who was the other woman telling him what to do—his aunt who owned the local whorehouse… or his mother?”

  “He also mentioned the Black Hearts Dances,” Shannon said. “He said Mr. Carson went there and had to pay for what he did—only Veronica was the one paying for her husband’s crimes.”

  “Until their children paid with their lives,” I said.

  “I think we’ve had enough conjecture,” Mrs. Carson said, holding up a journal she’d picked up from the top of the coffee table. “It’s time for answers.”

  Chapter 48

  Answers from a Little Girl Long Gone

  “EVERYONE GRAB a journal and start reading,” Miss Maribelle said, then picked one up. “When you get to something helpful or significant, read it out loud.”

  We’d only been reading a short time when we heard the front door open and someone shouting.

  “Nellie!” Nathan said. “I’m here, Nellie!”

  The noise of someone running down the hall was heard and it didn’t take a detective to figure out who it was.

  Nathan walked into the formal living room with his arm around a clingy Nellie. Alex was right behind them. As I looked at Nellie and Nathan there was no doubt in my mind the two were clearly, and very much in love.

  “Isabel, Maribelle, I hope you ladies don’t mind my being here,” Nathan said.

  “Grab a seat, we’re busy at present,” Miss Maribelle said.

  “Was my brother happy?” Mrs. Carson said.

  “Exceedingly so,” Nathan said, then sat with Nellie on the sofa I’d just vacated.

  “And he told you not to tell me anything until a certain time,” Mrs. Carson said. “In order to ensure my safety as well as Maribelle’s.”

  “Precisely,” Nathan said. “That time arrived last night.”

  “I found something,” Jimmy said.

  “Read it out loud,” I said.

  “OK,” Jimmy said. “Here goes.” He started to read from Javina’s journal.

  Moses came by today aw fully determined l
ookin. I ask him what was goin on and he told me he had a message from Tante Delilah. But, he wouldn’t tell me what it was cause it was a message for Mrs. Veronica.

  “I guess ‘tante’ is French for aunt,” Jimmy said.

  “It is,” I said. “Skip ahead to what the message was.”

  “Alright,” Jimmy said, then continued reading after a second or two.

  Moses told her about the Black Hearts Dances. Where the mens get together with no women folk round. We were told never to speak of those. I new about them, I’d even seen Mr. Carson go there before Mr. Marcus came to the court. I no what goes on there. The men go and bed with other men like they was women. Momma told me it was evil. She also said she woried for Josiah since she new he’d been bedded by Mr. Carson and that he liked it. She prays for him and Tante Delilah to try and save there souls from the fire.

  “Well, now we know who was having an affair,” Mrs. Carson said.

  “Yeah,” I said. “But, no matter how hard two men may try, a woman is still needed to have a child. Their affair doesn’t explain where the child raised by Jardine came from. Keep reading, Jimmy.”

  Jimmy did so.

  Moses told Mrs. Veronica all bout Mr. Carson and the Black Hearts Dance. But istead of telling her about Josiah and Mr. Carson he told her sometin else. He told her that Mr. Carson caried on in all sort of ways at Tante’s home. With men, women, even a bunch of folks at one time. And that he took Mr. Marcus there and taught him to do the same things.

  “Women,” Alex said. “There’s where the child came from.”

  “Not necessarily,” Jimmy said. “Listen to this.”

  When Moses left, Mrs. Carson sat on her bed cryin and up set. I went to her and told her what Moses said just wan’t true. I only ever saw Mr. Carson with Mr. Jardine once or twice at most, then with Josiah until Mr. Marcus arrived. Mr. Marcus went to Tante’s house just the one time. When he was lookin for Mr. Carson. And Mr. Marcus draged him out of there. I seen it myself. Mr. Carson’s love was for Mr. Marcus and him alone. He never bed with Josiah or anyone at Tante’s place after Mr. Marcus came to the court. And he never bed with women cept for you I told Mrs. Veronica. She was the only woman Mr. Carson loved. It seemed to make her happy and she huged me but she was scared. She told me there were evil people in the world and I needed to be carful.

  “Well, that last comment was the understatement of the year,” Nellie said. “Hell, I saw that poor retarded boy throw two babies into a fire!”

  Nathan rubbed Nellie’s back and kissed his forehead. “Calm yourself. Maybe we should go home.”

  “Are you shitting me?” Nellie said. “I gotta find out what happened. Now we finally know the beef between people. Hell, that Josiah must’ve been mightily pissed when Mr. Carson threw him over for Veronica’s brother.”

  “That’s for damn sure,” Rory said. “But it still doesn’t explain where the kid came from that Hubert Jardine took under his care.”

  “I think this entry might,” Elise, who sat in a chair next to her grandmother said.

  Tante Delilah was madder than ever too nite—“ I think she means ‘tonight’” Sorry, I know Grandma Veronica was teaching Javina how to write and that Javina’s spelling was supposed to be good, but it really isn’t that great and some of it’s throwing me off.”

  “Just do your best,” I said. “Her spelling probably gets sloppier when she’s in a rush or scared.” Elise continued reading.

  Every one was scared, even Josiah. Tante said her plans were ruined by a dammed white boy brought to the court by his white horr—“She must mean ‘whore’ there, Elise said.

  Horr mother. She was yellin some bad words too nite and Momma told me a good Christian girl would forget them. But I rote them in here. I asked Momma why tante was so upset and what she told me scared me. She said tante was an evil woman and if we’d had anyware else to go we would of never come here. She said tante had set her sits—“Sorry again, ‘sights’.”

  On becoming mistress of Carson Court through Josiah. She thought she could use Josiah to get Mr. Carson to do her bid ding like a pupet. She even put Mr. Carson and Josiah together like she wanted them to love.

  I think Josiah reely did love Mr. Carson, but I don’t think Mr. Carson loved Josiah. Momma called Tante Delilah’s plan foolish but she never told tante that to her face. She was scared of Tante Delilah cause she was her older sister and only livin relative. And she said more than once that tante would kill any of us if it ment gettin sometin she wanted.

  “Does she say what her aunt’s plan was?” I said. “Obviously she felt she could manipulate Mr. Carson through Josiah, but there had to be more to it.”

  “Let me skip ahead a bit,” Elise said, then carefully went through the pages of the journal she held. “OK, here’s something.”

  Today was the angriest I ever seen Josiah. I was bringin tante the brekfast Momma had made for her outside in the kitchen when Josiah came rushin into the room angry and yellin. He told tante Delilah that she was vill. He din’t say evil I don’t know what that word means or how to spell it. The I is high not low, but it couldn’t have been a good word. “I get it,” Elise said. “Josiah said Delilah was vile. Let me continue”

  He said she was dis custin and that Momma was right about her burnin in eternal flames one day. I thought he was going to slap tante. But he just got close to her, pointed his finger at her, and talked real strong. He said that she’d gone too far this time and Mr. Carson woodn’t let things stand. That nothin would protect her or the house from Mr. Carson’s anger. But tante didn’t take it. She jumped out of bed in her nitty and everythin. She stood tall like a dragon, Josiah used to call her a dragon lady. She told Josiah that she ran the town because she held all its secrets. She said Mr. Carson wasn’t the only man who attended the Black Hearts Dances and if she thretened to tell who else used to come then lives would be ruined beyond repair. Josiah said she’d never do it, but I knew she would. And some big people or sons of big people come to the Black Hearts Dances. It would be truble. But tante wasn’t threw. She told Josiah that he was her creture and he’d do as she wanted. What she wanted was Carson Court and she woodn’t stop til she got it. Josiah didn’t back down for once. He told her it woodn’t work. Not this way and not ever then he left and slammed the door behind him. Tante looked at me and told me Josiah was week like all men and that women are the only true strong cretures in this world. Then she went back to bed. She said one more thing before I left. Tante told me that her house wood always be passed to women in the family, never men cause men couldn’t be counted on.

  “I think the journal I have must continue from there,” Shannon said, then read from it.

  Momma hasnt been home since levin for tante’s house last night and I’s scared. Sometin happen. Sometin bad but I don’t know what. When they came to get Momma they said Tante Delilah’s screems could be herd in the hol naborhood. I never heard the screems, but tante never screemed or cried not ever. The person that came for Momma said Josiah was there and Mr. Carson. Even Mr. Marcus and some police were at tante’s house. And the police never went there.

  “Shit,” Rory said. “What the hell happened?”

  “There had to be a reason they sent for a woman to come to the bordello,” I said. “Delilah was screaming… maybe she was giving birth.”

  “The police aren’t usually called in for that sort of thing,” Mrs. Carson said. “Javina was right, it had to be something bad.”

  “Something very bad,” Miss Maribelle said.

  Chapter 49

  The Dark Truth

  WE STOPPED to take a break and order Chinese food. Frankie and Jimmy were finding out what everyone wanted, while Alex and I went with Mrs. Carson to the guesthouse. Lucky needed to be walked, so the three of us talked on the way to get him. Mrs. Carson had left her cane behind and had one arm around Alex’s, and her other arm around mine for support.

  “Those journals are going to reveal some ugly, dark truth,” Mrs. Cars
on said. “I can feel it in my bones.”

  “I’m afraid things certainly seems to be headed that way,” I said.

  “What happened in the past is sad and tragic, but like I’ve said before—I won’t be scared of it,” Mrs. Carson said. “Layton, that Delilah must’ve had some other ideas about how to become mistress here. Manipulating Grandfather through Josiah doesn’t sound like a very strong plan.”

  “No, it doesn’t,” I said. “Poisoning Veronica would get her out of the way, but why would she assume she’d be mistress after her?”

  “That’s where your theory that Delilah was pregnant would come in,” Alex said. “Remember that someone sent Moses to kill the heirs to Carson Court… and I think Delilah and Josiah are the likely suspects.”

  “That does sound reasonable,” Mrs. Carson said.

  “Maybe so, but that’s only part of the story,” I said. “We’re only missing a couple of pieces. For now, let’s keep it out of our minds until after lunch. That way we can go back to things fresh.

  Lucky was happy to see us and he ran straight to Alex. We walked Lucky so he could do his business, then Mrs. Carson took a minute to show us around the guesthouse and tell us her plans.

  “All I’m taking with me are my clothes and cosmetics,” Mrs. Carson said. “Everything else can stay where it is. The two of you, Charity, and Linus can deal with the furniture and things at Carson Court now.”

  “Don’t you need towels and stuff like that?” Alex said.

  “The guesthouse is well-equipped with that stuff,” Mrs. Carson said. “Besides, it gives me the chance to go shopping for new items. By the way, Charity phoned me last night. She and Linus are excited about moving to the court.”

  “Good,” I said.

  “She was hoping to get my room since it has a claw-foot tub that she thinks will come in handy for bathing children,” Mrs. Carson said.

  “I’ve got no problem with that,” I said. “I prefer a nice, small bedroom where Alex and I can get cosy.”