The Prophet

Chapter Twenty-Four

Keep your distance from this woman. She has killed or will kill in the very near future.

All the way home, those two sentences kept running through my brain, but could I trust Fremont’s premonition? After all, if he could see blood on Isabel Perilloux’s hands, why couldn’t he see his own killer?

Then again, maybe he had.

Maybe Isabel was the killer. Maybe it was her cloying perfume that still clung to his clothing.

I’d been gone all day, so Angus was eager to go out. But rather than wait for him in the backyard as I normally did, I left him to wander about on his own while I went to my office and opened my laptop. Ten minutes later, I’d learned little more about white baneberry than Fremont had already told me. The plant was common throughout the eastern part of the country, the berries resembled old porcelain doll’s eyes (hence the nickname doll’s eye plant) and the roots were sometimes ground up to make a tea. It was also used in mojo bags and banishing spells.

More food for thought. Maybe Dr. Shaw’s interest in the extract was strictly from a necromantic perspective. Maybe he hadn’t wanted to poison his wife but to drive off evil spirits.

Strange how I grasped at the flimsiest straw to clear Dr. Shaw even as the evidence against him mounted, but I was more than willing to indict Isabel on a ghost’s premonition. And even worse, on the scent of her perfume.

Checking the time, I reluctantly shut down my computer and went to lure Angus inside with the rattle of his food bowl. While he ate, I showered, dried my hair and then dressed in jeans and a new sweater for my dinner with Ethan and Temple.

A little while later, I parked near the wharf and drew on my jacket as I walked up East Bay to Queen Street. Ethan was already at the restaurant when I arrived. He’d snagged a window table and sat gazing out at the evening traffic, seemingly lost in thought.

“Hello there.”

He looked up with a start. “Amelia! I’m glad you could make it.” He motioned for the waitress as he rose to greet me warmly. I placed an order for a glass of white wine, and we settled in to wait for Temple.

“So, how was your first day back at Oak Grove?” he asked.

“You know about that?”

“Father told me he planned to ask you back, and Temple mentioned earlier that the two of you spent the day there.”

“Well, to answer your question, everything went fine. We had to chase away a gawker first thing, but other than that, the day passed without incident.” Unless one counted my discussion with a ghost about the possibility of Ethan’s mother having been poisoned by his father, but that conversation was best left between Fremont and me.

“I can’t say that I’m sorry to have seen the last of that place,” Ethan said as he picked up his drink.

“Regina Sparks said the same thing.”

“She and I spent a lot of time in that cemetery over the summer. But now that the last of the remains have been identified, we can put that chapter behind us.” His sympathetic gaze fell upon me. “All of us except you, that is. How long do you think the restoration will take?”

“A few months, at least. There’s a lot of work to be done and I’d barely gotten started last spring when the police closed it off.”

“Will you hire help?”

“When I need it, but I like to do most of the work myself. I’m picky about my restorations.”

“Yes, I remember that about you. That’s why Father has always been so impressed with your work. The devil is in the details, as they say. I take it you were able to see him yesterday?”

“We had a nice, long chat. I also met his new assistant.”

“Layla.”

“She seems…” I trailed off, searching for the right description.

He grinned. “Intense?”

“That’s a good word for her. How long has she been at the Institute?”

“A couple of months. I tend to lose track of Father’s assistants. They come and go so quickly.”

I took a sip of my wine, wondering how I could broach the subject of his father’s health. I decided the direct approach was probably the best way. “Ethan…there’s something I’d like to talk to you about. I hope you won’t think I’m overstepping my bounds.”

He set down his drink. “This sounds serious.”

“I hope not. Actually, I’m hoping you can put my mind at ease. While I was at the Institute yesterday, your father had some sort of episode. He spaced out right in the middle of our conversation. And then when he stood to get a book, he had a dizzy spell. He asked me not to say anything, but I’m worried about him. He seemed very fragile. I just thought you should know.”

Ethan frowned. “He was fine when I saw him yesterday. As I said, we had a nice visit. But I’ll give him a call when I get home, make sure he’s okay. I’ll even try to get him in for a checkup, but that won’t be easy. He never likes to admit he has a weakness.”

“None of us do.” I paused. “There is one other thing I feel I should mention. I forgot a book that he’d loaned me, so I went back for it. He was out in the garden with someone. I got the impression they were arguing. When Dr. Shaw came back into the office, he looked pale and shaken. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so distraught.”

“Who was he with? Layla?”

“No. It was the man in the blue Buick. The car was parked in front of the Institute when I first arrived. You saw it, too.”

Something unpleasant darted behind his eyes. “Yes, I saw it.”

“You said you didn’t know the driver.”

“I’m afraid I lied to you. That car belongs to Tom Gerrity. He’s a private detective Father once hired. He comes back now and then when he’s down on his luck.” Ethan leaned in, his expression tense. “Please don’t say anything about this to anyone else. You said yourself Father was very upset by Gerrity’s visit. I would appreciate it if you’d let me handle this.”

“Of course.”

We both fell silent, and I could tell the conversation had distressed him. I wondered if I should have said anything. Despite my worry over Dr. Shaw’s health, maybe it would have been best to observe his wishes.

I glanced around uncomfortably, wishing Temple would arrive. It was a weekday, so the restaurant was quiet, which made me even more aware of the awkwardness at our table. A candle flickered between us, and I could see the reflection dancing in Ethan’s brooding eyes. He was an attractive man, and I’d always enjoyed his company. But now all I could think about when I looked at him was Fremont’s assertion that he’d been in love with Mariama.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. “You were staring at me pretty intently just now.”

“Was I? Sorry. I was thinking about another conversation we had once. It was in Oak Grove at the beginning of the investigation. You told me about the circumstances surrounding Mariama and Shani’s accident. Do you remember?”

“Yes, I remember. I knew you and John were getting close and I didn’t want to see you hurt. I thought you had a right to know about his past. About the guilt that he still carries with him.”

“Didn’t you say you’d all been together on the day of the accident? And that John and Mariama had a terrible fight?”

“I’ll never forget the things they said to each other. I’m sure John has relived that argument a million times over.” Ethan stared down for the longest moment into his drink.

“He stormed out of the house,” I prompted. “And he was still angry when you met up with him later.”

“Angry, distraught and at the end of his rope. The marriage was in trouble. They both knew it, but there was Shani to be considered.”

“The marriage was in trouble, yet Mariama still called to say goodbye when she knew she was trapped in a sinking car. That is what you said, isn’t it?”

He looked very sad all of a sudden, and I berated myself for bringing up such a painful topic. But I wanted to hear his account of the events again now that I knew about his feelings for Mariama.

“She must have known help would never arrive in time so she called John to allow him the chance to say goodbye. But he didn’t answer.” Ethan polished off his drink and motioned for the waitress. “Yet another thing he has to live with. I’m sure he still wonders what might have happened if he’d taken that call.”

“Nothing would have changed. What could he have done? There was no way he could have reached them in time.”

“Rationally, I’m sure he knows that, but emotionally…put yourself in his place.”

“I know.” I watched his expression. “When did you find out about the accident?”

“Not until later when Father called in the middle of the night to say that John had left the Institute in a state and we needed to go look for him. I told you about that, too, right?”

“Yes, but you never mentioned whether or not you found him.”

“Eventually.”

“Where was he?”

He paused as the waitress brought over a fresh drink. After she left, he swirled around the ice cubes for a moment before glancing up. “I can’t help wondering why you’re asking me all these questions. Why are you dredging all this up now? Are you and John together again?”

“No. But I guess I’m still trying to understand what makes him tick.”

“John will never get over that night.” Ethan looked very pale in the candlelight. Glum and self-pitying. “Maybe it’s best just to accept it and move on. At any rate, I’ve told you all I know.”

“Not quite all,” I said. “I know about the alibi you gave to the police.”

His hand froze in midair. Then slowly he set the drink on the table and slid it aside. “He told you about that?”

I smoothly evaded his question. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

“There isn’t much left to say. A cop was murdered that night. He and John had exchanged heated words a day or two before, and the police naturally wanted to question him. But he was in no condition to deal with an interrogation, so I covered for him.”

“You lied to the police. Some might say that’s going above and beyond the call of friendship.”

A frown flitted between his brows. “It was a bad time for all of us. We needed to stick together. John wasn’t the only one suffering, you know.”

“I’m sorry. I’d forgotten that Shani was your godchild. You must have been devastated when you heard about the accident.”

“To say the least.”

“And Mariama lived with you and Dr. Shaw when she first came to Charleston. The two of you must have been close, as well.”

He turned to stare out the window. “Mariama was a very special woman.”

“Anyone who crossed her path fell in love with her,” I murmured.

He turned with a jerk. “What?”

“I heard someone say that about her once.”

“John?” His eyes flared. “That doesn’t sound like something he’d say. Toward the end, I think he’d almost grown to hate her.”

“Hate is a very strong word,” I said.

“Mariama elicited strong emotions. The one thing she couldn’t abide was indifference.”

“That day at Oak Grove you told me that John left town after the accident. He took a leave of absence from his job and just disappeared.”

“Rumor had it he checked himself into a private sanitarium somewhere in the country, but who knows if there was any truth to it? I’ve never asked him about it. All I know is that he came back a changed man. I can’t imagine what he must have gone through, but I’ve always believed he was dealing with more than grief. If I didn’t know better…” He trailed away, his gaze still riveted on the traffic outside the window.

“What?”

He seemed to shake himself. “It doesn’t matter. It was a long time ago and digging up all those old memories is painful for everyone involved.”

“As I said, I’m just trying to understand him.”

“There is no understanding John Devlin. I’m surprised you haven’t figured that out by now.” His voice sounded strained as he put his hand on mine, peering intently into my eyes. His skin was very cold and it was all I could do not to draw away with a shudder.

The conversation shifted when Temple arrived, which was a good thing. My questions had put Ethan in a funk. Even Temple’s recounting of Ona Pearl Handy’s attempt to thwart the cemetery relocation brought only a halfhearted smile from him. Finally, she gave up and ordered another glass of wine.

“What is going on with you two?” she demanded as our salads arrived. “Seriously, I’ve had more fun at a funeral.”

“I’m just tired,” I said. “It was harder going back to Oak Grove than I thought it would be.”

“I knew it. You’ve been sitting there brooding this whole time, haven’t you?”

“I’ll get used to it.”

“I hope you didn’t let Father coerce you into going back,” Ethan said. “He can be as stubborn as a mule when he gets something in his head.”

“All he did was ask. The decision was mine.”

“Speaking of Rupert,” Temple said.

I shot her a warning look, but she ignored me. “How is he these days?”

“Amelia and I were just talking about him earlier,” Ethan said. “Apparently, he had some sort of episode during her visit yesterday.”

“You don’t say? Any idea what it could be?”

“None,” Ethan said. “But he is getting on in years. I suppose I should make more of an effort to check up on him these days.”

Thankfully, the discussion moved on to other topics, and I found myself tuning in and out all through the meal. I was still preoccupied with everything Fremont and I had talked about. His revelation about Dr. Shaw, not to mention his premonition about Isabel, had thrown me for a loop. I was anxious for the evening to end so that I could go home and mull over these new developments.

Everyone must have felt the same way because we didn’t linger over coffee. Temple and I said goodbye to Ethan at the restaurant and then walked back to our cars together. The night had grown chilly, and I was glad for my jacket. I pulled it around me as the breeze off the river swept back my hair.

“Brrr,” Temple said. “Winter’s just around the corner.”

“I don’t want to think about that. Cold weather depresses me.”

“Speaking of depressing, what was up with Ethan? He seemed positively morose and he’s usually so upbeat.”

“I’m afraid that’s my fault. We were talking about Mariama and Shani before you arrived.”

“That is a depressing subject,” she said. “Ethan was very close to them.”

I nodded. “I’m glad you didn’t mention your theory about Dr. Shaw’s dizzy spells.”

“I’m not quite that callous,” she said. “But I stand by what I said. I’ve known Rupert for a long time, and from the way you described his behavior, I’m willing to bet he thinks he’s been hexed.”

“Did you know his wife?”

“Sylvia? I never met her, but it was common knowledge around school that she was terribly ill and had been for years.”

“Her death wasn’t unexpected, then.”

“Not unexpected, but it was still devastating. Especially for poor Ethan. He took it very hard.”

“This was before Mariama came to live with them, right?”

“I would think so.”

“Do you remember that dinner last spring when Ethan first told us about Mariama? He had this faraway look in his eyes and his voice softened every time he mentioned her name. I’ve always wondered if he had feelings for her. Other than friendship, I mean.”

“They lived under the same roof for a time, so I wouldn’t be surprised,” Temple said. “How could he not?”

“Even after she and Devlin married?”

Temple shrugged. “You can’t turn your emotions on and off like a faucet. I know Ethan pretty well, though. He would never have acted on his feelings. Of course, he wasn’t Mariama’s type, anyway. I don’t think he could have handled a woman like her.”

“I seem to recall you saying almost the same thing about me. You thought Devlin was out of my league.”

She gave me a sidelong scrutiny. “Maybe I was wrong. I don’t know what it is exactly, but you seem different. Like you’ve been through something and it’s changed you. If Mariama was still alive, I think you just might be able to give her a run for her money. But I guess that’s something we’ll never know, will we?”

The notion of tangling with Mariama, dead or alive, made me shiver.

We parted at the corner of East Bay and Queen, and alone, I picked up the pace. I walked with my head bowed, hands in my pockets, and maybe I was just a little too preoccupied because the man was almost upon me before I noticed him. There were other people about, so I wasn’t overly concerned even when I saw that he was staring at me. It was only when I recognized him as the lurker from the cemetery that my internal alarm went off. I was certain he and the man I’d spotted on King Street were one and the same. He was obviously following me.

My hand closed around the mace in my pocket as he approached. He was smiling, but I didn’t get the sleazy vibe I’d picked up on that morning. Now there was something very cold and calculating about that smile. About his eyes.

“Good evening,” he said.

I nodded, still hoping he’d pass on by. Out of the corner of my eye, I searched for other pedestrians. It seemed as though the streets had cleared all of a sudden. Where was the couple that had been strolling along in front of me? The family that had been behind me since Queen Street?

By this time, I had the top off the mace and my finger positioned on the nozzle. The man was still a few feet away, but as I surreptitiously scouted my surroundings, I spotted another silhouette lounging in the shadowy doorway of a building. He was tall and thin and I could feel the power of his gaze in the darkness.

He lifted his hand to his mouth and blew something into the night. Mesmerized, I watched the shimmering particles hang in the air for a moment until the breeze swept them toward me.

From high in the treetop, a nightingale started to sing. Strangely, it was that lyrical trill that frightened me more than anything. Because it couldn’t be real. Was I dreaming?

I tried to remove the mace from my pocket, but my arms and legs felt boneless. I couldn’t move, couldn’t cry out for help. I could do nothing but stand there helplessly as the nightingale serenaded me and those tiny blue stars rained down upon me.