Thursday, October 31, 2013

Samhain

     From sunset tonight until sunset tomorrow we celebrate Samhain. A day of celebration of the harvest, the end of the year, Samhain also a time to honor those who have passed into the next world. Open a west-facing door or window and place a candle there to invite them into your dwelling, if you like. Beware of who might also take you up on your invitation though.
     Paying tribute to the faeries, elves, devas, and angels who have looked out for us during the past year will appreciate any harvest fruits and nuts left out for them. Present the food as you would for a special guest. This way they know the food is meant especially for them.
     Remember, tonight the veil between spiritual dimensions is the thinnest and the easiest to penetrate. Should you decide to go visiting other realms instead of receiving guests in your own, be sure to anchor yourself so you can easily find your way back! 

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Jokers And One-Eyed Jacks Chapter 10

Sebastian and CJ were greeted in turn by nearly every officer they encountered at the Crime Lab and Evidence Division of the NOLA Police Department. “You seem to be quite the celebrity here, Sebastian. I really had no idea!”
“I grew up with a lot of these boys, CJ. Good Irish Catholics mostly. Plus, I have worked a case or two, you know,” Sebastian explained unabashed. “You’re not exactly anonymous yourself. I doubt few if any ex-marines are ever mistaken for wall flowers.”
CJ smirked without saying a word in reply or rebuttal.
They reached the reception desk. CJ identified them both. “Is the examiner available by chance. We’re here to see the remains of Suzette Deauville.”
The officer on duty, a friend of CJ’s named Ed Fowler, checked the computer. “I’m sorry, CJ. Miss Deauville was released to her family for burial a couple hours ago.”
“For burial?” Sebastian exploded. “How can a murder victim be released so quickly?” Not waiting for an answer, he turned to CJ, “I didn’t think this woman had any family. Isn’t that what Ursula told me?”
“That’s right, Sebastian. Who signed for the body, Ed?” CJ asked.
“Jacques St. Germaine. He said he represented the woman’s mother.”
“Who did he say the mother is?” Sebastian asked.
“Let me see. Oh yes, here it is. He gave the mother’s name as Marguerite Deauville.”
“Well, Ed, all I can say is Suzette was close to sixty years old, so her mother would have to be in her eighties and has never seen her daughter in all this time. My aunt is in for a huge surprise.”
“Which funeral parlor was he sending her to, is that on file?” Sebastian pushed.
“She’s not going to one. Since it’s just him and her mother, the body was sent to the crematorium. They’ve probably finished with her by now.”
“Well, shit!” Sebastian huffed in exasperation. “Nothing ever moves this fast in New Orleans unless you don’t want it to.”
“Thanks anyway, Ed. C’mon, Sebastian let’s go.”
Sebastian sighed, forced a smile and shook hands with Ed and then turned to leave with CJ.
As they walked to the car, Sebastian pulled out his wallet. He found the card he was given my his mysterious guardian. “That’s what I thought!” He nearly shouted. “Monsieur Jacque St. Germaine is the man I met yesterday getting off the streetcar. I also spotted him at The Two Sisters as we were leaving. I don’t want to pay a call to him today, but since I have his address would you mind driving over there? I want to see his house.”
“This is the guy you think lives in the deserted house over on Royal?”
“The same.”
“There something about that house —.”
“I know. It gives your Aunt Ursula the willies.”
“Me, too,” CJ sheepishly admitted.
“Which one of us is going to tell her that the man who lives there claimed her friend’s body and had it cremated?”
“I’m going to let you take that honor, Sebastian. She’ll take it better coming from another redhead than from me.”
“You’re her nephew, CJ. She adores you.”
“I know, but —.”
“She scares you.”
“Just a little.”
Jesus! Sebastian’s inner voice chided. I finally meet my fantasy man and he’s a fuckin’ bottom! Then he smiled. “I can deal with that,” he said out loud.
“You can, Buddy? Thanks.”
“Actually I was just thinking out loud, but yes, I’ll break the news to Ursula.”


Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Jokers And One-Eyed Jacks Chapter 9

The old gypsy woman scurried away into the recesses of the old city, faded into the twilight maze. The brewing electrical storm both motivated her speed and lit her path. Her manner of crossing over and turning down a series of backstreets and alleys gave her the appearance of a large rat. That’s what witnesses would say. “No sir, no old woman gypsy or otherwise passed by here. But when all that popping and banging of that storm started in, I did spot a large rat on the move. Size of a dog it was. Big ol’ river rat.”  She reached her destination and passed through the iron gate as though one of them wasn’t real, or else she was a shadow  cast through its balusters to the other side. As she reached for the large ring on the polished oak door, it opened. “Good evening. Venez dans, Mademoiselle.” The man stepped aside to allow his visitor to enter. “I must say, your disguise this evening has reached a new level of authenticity.” As the gypsy crossed the threshold, there was another clap of thunder. Neither the man or the woman flinched. They were accustomed to such things and relished them.
“Thank you, sir. I need a bath to wash all of this authenticity off me. I reek to the point of making myself sick to my stomach. May I avail myself of your facilities?”
“Please do. However, before you go upstairs, I want you to tell me about your actual performance. Were you believable?”
“The devil’s come for you, sir. Help an old gypsy get something to eat?” The woman laughed a cold and brittle laugh. “What do you think?”
The man also laughed. “Well done! Well done, indeed! With that voice and these deplorable rags —where on earth did you did them up; don’t tell me I don’t really want to know —Maria Ouspenskaya never played a gypsy better! Shook him up a bit, did you then?”
The woman began to peel off her scarves and layers of rags and dropped them to the floor. “Hard to tell with this one. Not the usual mark. He seemed to put some meaning to my madness. He did put the fetish you gave me in his pocket, though. I saw him do it.”
“Good. That was my main concern. The rest doesn’t really matter. As long as he’s a believer we can manipulate him whichever way we want.”
“You should know I followed him from that voodoo queen Beatrice.”
“Oh, that is good news. If he thinks his Beatrice can lead him through the Inferno, all the easier he can be deceived.”
“So may I have that bath now?”
“Yes, by all means. Go. Take as long as you like, my dear, just not too long. I have a surprise waiting for you” 
The man watched as the woman ascended the sweeping stairs. Each step higher changed one layer of her rags into silk taffeta. Her age was also reversing. Facial wrinkles fell away. Coarse dull grey hair became soft wavy blonde. This wasn’t the first time the man had witnessed this, but it remained spectacular to watch. Here was the metamorphosis of a worm emerging from the chrysalis as a butterfly. The worm actually had to die for this to happen, but it’s soul didn’t mind the price to be so beautiful and free. The man smiled to himself as he followed her up the stairs, knowing he too would be reborn.
He penetrated the curtain of atmosphere undetected from the foyer. However, its waves shimmered as they passed through it. And with there passage, there was the popping and crackling sounds of the electrical storm outside and the smell of ozone and something burning. 
The man entered a ballroom with lights aglow. Huge vases of gardenias adorned every table and perfumed the room. There was music playing. A feast was artfully presented on silver trays. A silver Monteith bowl stood  on a separate oval table chilling flutes for champagne with a magnum of Veuve Cliquot 1921 luxuriated on ice in an adjacent silver bucket.
When the butterfly entered the room, she fluttered around looking at it all in amazement. “Well, Monsieur, you certainly kept your word! This is so beautiful. Such extravagant payment for a little favor. You have asked me to do larger tasks and given me less. This is, well, it is perfect! I don’t know what to say.”
“Tonight is a special night for me. You did a very special favor for me so I felt you deserved a special reward.”
“My dear, I have done sundry favors for you before and never enjoyed anything like this. May I have a glass of that champagne over there or are you saving it for someone else?”
“Forgive me. Of course I’ll pour a glass for you. 1921 has been a remarkable year, ne cest pas?” He poured the champagne and handed her the flute. “I invited you here after a party. You became frightened, though I would have never forced myself on you.” He took her arm and walked her over to a pair of french doors. “You jumped off this balcony and ran to the police.”
“I was just a stupid young girl who got in over her head. I have learned better. I told you I was sorry and I thought you forgave me. What is this all about?”
“You were sorry because I caught you coming out of the police station. Fortunately, you had had enough to drink they didn’t believe your story. Except for one young detective. He came around the next morning as I suspected he would.”
“You said the police didn’t find anything incriminating.”
“That is true, no thanks to you. Everything has a price, my dear. Have you not yet learned that? For instance, that champagne. 1921. One thousand dollars a bottle. That dress you’re wearing is an Jean Patou creation. Any idea? Everything comes with a price, even the betrayal of a young woman in 1921. I have preserved your youth and beauty as you are, rather as you were in 1921 in this house. You have rarely had to venture out into the dimension from which I saved you where it is now 1998. Do you realize how old you really are? Time did more for your gypsy disguise than you are willing to credit.”
“Are you throwing me out?”
“No, of course not. I found another way for you to pay your debt to me. Come with me and I will show you.”
The woman hesitantly followed the man up to the floor above. They walked down a hallway until they came to a door at the opposite end. “Open the door and go in, ma cheri. I assure you there is nothing for you to be afraid of.”
The woman’s hand trembled as she reached for the doorknob and turned it. The door opened into a small room, possibly a child’s room. Candles cast their glow on a body laying on a table. A woman. She was older looking and quite pale. Her hands were folded as through they should be holding a rosary. The man’s friend stood looking at her for a while before the moment of recognition came and she screamed, “No! Not my baby! Not my sweet Suzette!” She turned to the man and tried to pound his chest with both fists as she cried inconsolably. “Why? What did she ever do to you?”
“It wasn’t anything against her, I can assure you. ‘Sins of the father’ applies to mothers, too, Marguerite. Once I realized that you watched over her all during her life and did what you could to make things easier for her, I understood the best way for me to have my revenge. You stayed with me for the sake of your vanity. Now you can be forever proud of what you paid for it.”
“I will destroy you!”
“I had a feeling you might say that. Good-bye, my dear. I will always cherish the time we’ve had together.” With that he raised his left hand and some invisible force lifted the woman and pushed her through the french doors onto the brick street below. The force was so strong she landed on the side opposite. A piece of the rags she wore caught in the grill of this other balcony and tore as her weight plummeted her to the street below.
The next morning, police and residents wondered how the old gypsy gotten up there and why. For the second time in her life, Marguerite Deauville was a front page story of the Times-Picayune. And for the second time, she added to the cache of  stories about mysterious goings on in the Quarter.

Monday, October 28, 2013

Jokers And One-Eyed Jacks Chapter 8

CJ used his key to let himself and Sebastian into his aunt’s house. They were in the parlor before anyone knew they were their. When Ursula saw Sebastian she rose from her chair as though Jesus himself had called her from the tomb. All of the exuberance and joy that had charmed Sebastian the previous afternoon was gone now. As he might have guessed, Ursula was not one to cry, not even to weep. Her eyes were brighter and shinier, but not from tears. This woman might have been the model for a guided missile launcher, if not the missile itself. She was precision steel with laser sharpness awaiting a target to calibrate into her guidance program. 
“Sebastian, sweetheart, it is so kind of you to come. At times like these I need to surround myself with strong people.” She paused as her eyes swept the room.  was in yesterday’s clothes, except for her diamonds. Presumably they were resting in her handbag. Her make-up was smeared from crying and resting her head on Charles’ chest. As for Charles, true to his pedigree was barely rumpled, except for the patch of dampness created by Gigi’s tears. When he saw the younger men, his shoulders automatically squared. “As you can see, boys, you’re leading a rather rag-tag militia.”
Sebastian stepped forward intending to put his arms around Ursula, but she stepped back in a defensive move. “Sebastian, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your being here, but we can’t all just sit here wallowing in grief. I want to find the person, the fiend who did this to our beloved Suzette. I want him punished and I want it to be swift. Now, why don’t the two of you have a seat. Would you like coffee or anything?”
“No, thank you, Ursula. I’m fine.”
“CJ?”
“Nothing for me Aunt.”
Sebastian had been studying the room and trying not to appear rude. “Ursula, you have a lovely home and lots of interesting things. May I inquire about the photos you have on the mantle? Are they relatives?”
Gigi managed to get up and walked over to the fireplace to get them for Sebastian. She bore an ironic smile as she presented to him to view. “You might say they’re relatives, Sebastian. They’re us. See? That Ursula in the middle. That sweet innocent looking girl on her right is yours truly. That’s Suzette is on the left.”
“How pretty you all are! Were you going to a party?”
“Yes, it was our first time to go out with lipstick on. We thought we were so grown up. We were, well, Ursula was sixteen, Suzette was fifteen, and I was the baby of the group at one month shy of my fifteenth birthday. Since I was so close to being old enough, Momma let me go since I’d be with Ursula.”
“You know, there’s a strong resemblance between you two girls, I should say ladies. Are you related?”
“We’re cousins, Sebastian,” Ursula answered. “Our mothers were sisters.”
“Where does Suzette figure in? She was obviously a pretty girl, too, but she’s not like you two at all. There’s something about her though.” Sebastian paused as he studied the photos. “Do you have other photos, Ursula? Of Suzette, I mean. Perhaps in her later teens or twenties even?”
“I’m sure I must. CJ, be a dear and go upstairs to my room. There are a couple albums in the trunk at the foot of my bed. Would you bring them down so Sebastian can look through them?”
“Of course, Aunt. I’ll be right back.”
“What do you think, Sebastian? Did you see something in the pictures you think might be important?”
“Actually yes, Ursula, I did. Tell me, though, how you and Gigi met Suzette. Were Suzette’s parent form around here? Were your parents all friends?”
Gigi gasped and shot Ursula a look. “No, Sebastian. It wasn’t like that,” Gigi finally replied, looking to Ursula to take over.
“Suzette was adopted, Sebastian. Her mother —” Charles began.
“Died in childbirth and her father couldn’t raise he on his own, so—” Gigi interrupted.
“Gigi! Charles! Stop it! If Sebastian is willing to help us to find Suzette’s killer, we owe him the truth.”
“But Ursula, we swore we’d never talk about —,” Gigi pleaded.
“Sebastian, the truth is, we never knew for sure where Suzette where came from. Suzette’s father, the man she called her father was the late Edward Deauville. He found early one morning when he came home from working at the shipyards. He was the night watchman. She was on his stoop without so much as a blanket or a diaper. The year before, his wife had told him she was pregnant and then mysteriously disappeared.”
“Police couldn’t find any proof of an abduction. No ransom demand or anything like that. Word got around she had run off with another man,” Charles added.
“You can imagine the scandal. Anyway, a year later this baby girl turns up on his doorstep. He figured she belong to Marguerite, that was his wife’s name, but the time was all wrong for him to have been the child’s father. He had some friends down at the courthouse who helped him to legally adopt the baby. He named her Suzette for his mother. Of course, in time the little girl became the very image of Marguerite so that doubt was permanently removed. No one ever did find out who the father might have been. Marguerite hasn’t been seen or heard from to this day,” Ursula explained. “Why do you ask?”
“No reason in particular. It’s just —”
“Are these the photo albums you wanted, Aunt?” CJ presented them for inspection.
“Yes, those are them. Here, Sebastian, take a look through these and see if you find what you’re looking for.”
“Let me ask you this. Was there ever a 1920’s high school dance y’all went to? Something where you might have dressed like flappers?”
“Why, yes! Our senior prom, Suzette’s and mine. Ursula went as our chaperone.”
Charles chuckled at the memory of it. “Talk about putting a kid in charge of a candy shop! You girls had your mothers completely duped about that night!”
“Charles Eponnaire! Who wound you up and told you to speak?” Ursula chided. “I’m sure there are pictures from that night. We had so much fun! I think they’re in this other book, Sebastian,” she continued as she quickly turned the pages. “Yes, here we are!” she announced with a sigh. “I had forgotten just how young we were.”
Sebastian never had what would be called a poker face. When he saw Suzette dressed as a flapper, he had the answers to a couple questions. The most important one being the identity of the mysterious reflection he had seen in the mirror the day before. The photo also hinted to him why he had seen it. Niether of these details he felt ready to share.
“CJ, would you mind taking a walk with me?”
“Great idea!” Ursula agreed. “Let me change me shoes and I’ll go with you.”
“No offense, Ursula, but want to be alone with CJ.”
“Well, how can I mind that! You boys go on and do whatever it is you need to do. Is there anything you need the rest of us to do while you’re gone?”
“If you wouldn’t mind, call Doctor Strauss and give her permission to let me visit Suzette. Since I’m not family or police there could be—”
“Not to worry, Sebastian. Consider it done. Anything else?”
“That’s plenty for now. We won’t be gone too long. I imagine CJ here will be ready for some lunch when we get back. If I’m not being too forward, might I invite myself to a little bit later?”
“You? Forward? Honey-boy, I already have my picture on that page in the dictionary! Gigi and I will lay out a luncheon you won’t soon forget! We’ll look for you back here around one. How’s that?”
“Perfect, sweet lady. Just perfect.” 
Once they two men were in the car, CJ smiled at Sebastian and said, “You’re cool, man.”
“Cool?”
“You know what I’m saying. The innocent act won’t work on me. You’re also quite a therapist, getting the ladies to focus on preparing a meal instead of the circumstances —.” 
“All part of getting to be friends, isn’t it, CJ?”
“Is that what we’re doing? Becoming friends?”
“I thought so.”CJ
“Can I tell you something I think is amazing about you, Sebastian?”
“I love when people think I’m amazing, so go ahead and tell me.”
“Here you are in the midst of your own grief helping my aunt and us with ours. You’re a special guy to be able to do that.” CJ had a look on his face that told Sebastian to get ready to be kissed by an ex-marine firefighter. He wasn’t ready for that, so he made a joke instead.
“For a free lunch! Are you kidding?”
CJ got the message and took it in stride. “Okay, let’s rock. Where to first?”
“I’d like to meet your friend Suzette.”
“South Broad Street it is.”










Friday, October 25, 2013

Jokers And One-Eyed Jacks Chapter 7

As twilight descended the unconscious Sebastian felt as though someone tenderly lifted from the floor. The slight hint of a hug and his mother’s young voice, “My sweet boy! You can’t stay there on the floor all night. You’ll get a crick in your neck,” relaxed him into the deeper comfort of his parents’ care. Once on the bed he felt his mother’s lips brush his cheek lightly as usual whenever she tucked him in at night. Sebastain reacted as ten year old boys did, by turning away to one side and burrowing deeper into his pillow. “Sweet dreams, son,” his father whispered as the door clicked closed. And so they commenced.
Mrs. Beaupain was the neighbor lady across the street. She was also baby-stitter, confidant, and the best baker in the world next to his mother. Her specialty were lemon tarts which just happened to be Sebastian’s favorite dessert in the world. He now enjoyed one of those tarts while he swayed ever so slightly in her poch swing while a time-lapsed view of his parents’ house began to play. A retrospective of his life? Not this time. After all, he wasn’t dying. Instead he watched successive suns rise and set as the house changed colors over the years and various additions were made to the landscaping. Since it was a dream, he was able to see through the walls to the rear garden as well. The brick patio his mother and father laid themselves, the placement of the antique French wrought iron furniture his mother prized. Suddenly, he saw the lawn between the patio and the garden open with the zig-zaggedness of a lightning bolt. He thought he saw someone, a man fall in just before the fissure closed again. He startled awake.
He decided to remain up for a while. It was only a little after nine, too early to retire for the night. There was work to catch up, plus in spite of his late luncheon he could do with something to eat. He made a tunafish sandwich to eat while he sat in front of his computer to go through his emails. He was scanning the inbox for a response from his friend Cliff in New York. Sebastian had sent him a draft of the first article he had written about the pedophile priest case they had worked on. He wanted his friend’s opinion about how he had treated the story. Sebastian had wondered if he sold down-play his lover’s involvement and focus on the main thrust of the murdered Indian boy and how the story had evolved. In the end, Sebastian decided on full disclosure.  He was too much of a professional to let personal feelings get in the way of such an important story. As he scrolled through the postings, he finally found the one from the New York Special Detective:

Hey, Sebastian! Glad to know you’re back at work. The story is perfect. I know it must have been difficult for you to write the things you did about Sean as an abuser as well as a victim. At the same time I’ve never known you to shy away from reporting the entire truth. Congrats on another great job!

At least his best friend backed up his decision. He hoped Sean’s uncle, Monsignor Gallagher, would concur. Privately suspecting a loved one of murdering a young Indian boy was one thing. Reading about the circumstantial evidence in the press was gut-wrencing. Knowing that Sean had been abused by Father Flint for most of his life didn’t make the discovery of the boys Sean had in turn abused any easier to accept. Sebastian’s heart was crushed. Granted he had not lived through what Sean had lived through. Still. Trust was broken. Illusions shattered. Their life together made meaningless.
By the time Sebastian finished responding to emails and also going through his regular mail, he paid a few bills and went to bed. This time in his queen-sized bed in the master bedroom he had shared with Sean; too exhausted to care he was alone. His last conscious thought was about the blonde woman who had appeared in the mirror as he left the house earlier that afternoon. It was through her eyes that he saw his next dream.

♠♥♦♣

A knock at the front door beckoned the teenage blonde out of her bedroom in a hurry. She ran down the stairs calling out, “I’ll answer the door, Papa. It’s jus tthe girls. We’re going to a party tonight.” Breathlessly she pulled open the heavy carved oak door expecting to see her friends. She gasped when she saw she was mistaken.
A man wearing a white three-piece suit and white ankle boots stood on the porch tipping his white fedora with one hand while holding a silver-headed ebony walking stick with the other. “Bonsoir, Madamoiselle. I promised I would find you again.”
The horrified girl quickly slammed the door closed and locked it. Her father came through to greet her friends. When he saw his daughter press her back against the door, he was immediately concerned. “Are you all right, Justine? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”
“No ghost, Papa.” She turned back to the door and checked the lock as she sucked in a deep breath. “There was no one there, Papa. Must have just been pranksters is all.”

♠♥♦♣ 

Sebastian woke instantly. He opened his bedside journal and wrote the name Justine followed by a question mark. He had also had the disturbing feeling of someone watching him sleep. Someone with his connections to the other side couldn’t afford to be cavalier about such impressions. 
He put on a robe, made the bed and went downstairs. He gazed out the window to the zigzag patch of lawn that was always brown. He recalled seeing the San Andreas fault once when he visited the Palm Desert. It laid on the desert sand linke a giant black snake. Some relation to it was his own snake in the garden. The kitchen clock reflected in the window reminding Sebastian of the time. He had promised to meet CJ at the Athletic Club for a swim. He still had time enough for a cup of coffee and to check out his by-line in the Times-Picayune. He placed his mug on the counter and walked through to the front of the house.
The newspaper awaited him on the veranda. His story made the front page above the fold. The report about The Altered Boys Club was too big for a single article. His editor and he had decided to run it as a series. This was going to have people talking, in New York as well as New Orleans. If there were any pedophiles wearing Roman collars here, Sebastian hoped they would heed the warning and leave. There was no place for them in the pulpit or New Orleans. He wished someone had stood up for Sean the way he was standing up for these boys now. Breaking the shackles of secrecy and threats and exposing the truth. Sean might still be alive if they had. 
Still, there was no excuse for Sean becoming one of them. His role as a recruiter was deplorable. There could be no room in Sebastian’s heart for someone who played the Judas Goat to innocent young boys. 
A car drove by with the windows down and stopped at the intersection for a turn at the four-way stop. Meatloaf was singing, “If you touch me like this, and I kiss you like that, it was gone with the wind, but it’s all coming back—.” Sebastian watched as the BMW 323i turned the corner, but he wasn’t able to see who was driving. He wondered if the driver lived nearby and was the source of the music he heard last night. The telephone began ringing, so he gave up on his possible neighbor and went inside.
After settling himself on one of the kitchen bar chairs with his coffee mug, he answered the phone. “Sebastian, it’s CJ.”
“I’m not late for our swim date am I? I thought we said nine.” Sebastian immediately scolded himself for using the word date but appointment wouldn’t have been right.
“No, Sebastian, you’re not late. I have to cancel. I’m sorry, but something’s come up. My aunt wanted me to ask you to come over, but I know you said you just came off a difficult case and want to relax. So maybe we can get together in a few days? I hope you understand.”
“CJ, tell me what’s happened that your Ursula thinks I could help. Of course, I’m happy to do whatever I can, but —.”
“It’s her friend, Suzette. She hasn’t been heard from since early last evening. We had just arrived at my aunt’s house when she called to invite her for a girls’ night. Ursula declined of course, since we were all over there. Suzette declined her counter invitation to join us. Later on we got out the ouija board and it spelled out “Suzette dead.” 
“I imagine that freaked Ursula out. Listen, Cliff. Give me fifteen minutes to shower and get some clothes on and then come pick me up. You can tell me more about this woman on the way over to your aunt’s place.”
“You’re sure about this?”
“Sure, I’m sure. This is the first time I’ve been asked to do anything like this by someone who’s still alive. I’m on the corner of Chestnut and First. I’ll see you in fifteen. I’ll leave the front door open so you can come in in case I’m not downstairs when you arrive. Bye, now.”
“Sebastian?”
“Yeah, CJ?”
“Thanks.”

♠ ♥ ♦ ♣

As Sebastian pulled on a pair of khakis and stepped into a pair of calfskin driving shoes, he heard the doorbell. He ran a brush through his hair, blew into his hand to check his breath and rushed downstairs. When he opened the door, the seriousness of this situation was apparent on CJ’s face.
“Hey, CJ! Right on time. I guess you didn’t have any trouble finding the place. Would you like too come in or should we get right over to Ursula’s place?”
“No trouble at all. I’m familiar with the District. Fire department and all. I’d love to see your home, but maybe another time, Sebastian. If you don’t mind, let’s go to my aunt’s. Are you ready?”
“Yep. Let’s go. Is that your car?”
“Just got it a few weeks ago. Like it?”
“What’s not to like about a Beemer 323i convertible?”
“You know cars, Sebastian?”
“Not really, just a few that I like. Bet this baby has a sweet sound system, right?”
“Yeah. One of the selling features. Check it out. I’ve got Meatloaf’s new CD in.”
And there it was. The same song Sebastian kept running into, coming from the same car he had seen turning the corner. He wondered why CJ didn’t just come out and tell him he had driven by, especially when he hinted he had seen him. Sebastian didn’t want to make it a big deal so he let it drop for the time being. 
So tell me about Suzette and why ya’ll are so concerned about her. Y’know it hasn’t been twenty-four hours yet. I assume she’s over the age of consent.”
“Uh, Sebastian, I haven’t been completely honest with you. She’s in the morgue, Sebastian. Her body was discovered around four this morning.”
“God, CJ! I am very sorry! I thought you wanted me to help find her.”
“We need your special talents, my friend. We want you to see if you can get her to tell us what happened to her.”
“Oh. I didn’t realize you know about my gift. I have to tell you, CJ, usually the souls who want my help come to me. I don’t go looking for them. Of course, I will see what I can find out for you, Ursula, and the others. Have you seen the body? Do you know a cause of death?”
“I have. I took Ursula to the morgue soon after we got the call. The police needed someone to identify the body. My aunt was Suzette’s ‘in case of emergency’ contact, so of course they called her.”
“How is she holding up?”
“Ursula? She’s grieving, of course, but she’s determined to find Suzette’s killer and serve him justice, and not through the court system if you get my meaning.”
“I would expect no less from her. So about the cause of death —.”
“Right. You asked that before. Sorry, Sebastian. You’re going to think this weird near the end of the twentieth century, but the medical examiner says Suzette died from exsanguination.”
“Are you saying Doctor Strauss said she was killed by a vampire?”
“She can’t really say a vampire did it, but someone indeed drained every drop of blood out of Suzette’s body.”
“Was there any blood where she was discovered?”
“Not a drop.”
“That doesn’t necessarily point to a vampire, CJ. She could have been killed somewhere else and the body dumped at the site. The M.E. listed no other probable cause? She hadn’t been stabbed or beaten or anything like that? No drug overdose?”
“Sebastian, the only cause of death listed on Suzette’s certificate is exsanguination. Suzette didn’t use drugs.”
“Of course, not. That’s not what I meant. Someone could have slipped something into her drink. You said on the phone she told Ursula she was going out last night. Someone could have given her something that she had a bad reaction to, or he gave her too much, something along those lines. As far as you know did the Strauss run a drug test?”
“I think it stop when he saw her body had been drained. Besides don’t they need blood for those tests? Suzette didn’t have any left.”
“Drugs could show in stomach contents and in tissue samples. Let’s not mention any of this to your aunt. She’s already been hit with enough. After I’ve spoken with Ursula, II would very much like to have a chat with the Examiner and see the body, if you don’t mind.”
“Whatever you need to do. You’re the boss.” CJ paused and smiled slightly. “Let me rephrase that. Ursula is the boss. I suppose you would be the vice boss.”


Thursday, October 24, 2013

Jokers And One-Eyed Jacks Chapter 6

Nothing makes a person feel her age like viewing the body of a deceased lifelong friend. CJ watched his aunt age before his eyes as he escorted her into the morgue to view Suzette and officially identify her body. Without her red lipstick and her jewelry, Ursula looked like a lost little girl. When her husband passed, CJ was barely out of diapers so he couldn’t recall if his death cast a similar spell on his aunt or not. She even walked slower now.
“You don’t have to do this, you know, Aunt.:
“I want to, CJ. I’m dreading it with every step, but I swear I want to. Suzette was one of my oldest and dearest friends. I owe this to her.”
The walk through the building to where the bodies were kept was a blur. All that mattered was that Suzette was lying on a roll-out tray looking like a butterfly pinned to a mat. Even in death, she was a specimen of beauty.
Ursula stiffened her back and strode confidently to her friend’s side and took her hand. “Honey, you feel so cold. I wish I could take you home with me so I could warm you up and make your cheeks rosy again.” Ursula’s eyes glistened but she was not going to let Suzette see her cry. ‘Why, Little Sister, didn’t you come over to my house last night? We would have had a grand ol’ time and you would have been safe. Don’t you worry. I will find out who did this to you because I know you didn’t fall down any cathedral steps. I know you didn’t bring this on yourself.”
Ursula pulled the sheet up to expose Suzette’s feet. “Just look at those feet, Doctor, and convince me this woman managed to stuff them into a pair of high heels and go out walking!” Ursula demanded.
“I agree with you, Mrs. Beaumont. However as unlikely you and I think it was, it is the evidence we’re presented.”
“Do you have the shoes, Doctor? I want to see the shoes the police say she wore.”
“They’re right over here, but —.”
Ursula grabbed one of the shoes and looked inside at the label. “Just as I thought. These are not her shoes!” she blared. 
“They were found with her, Mrs. Beaumont.”
“I don’t care, Doctor.  With her is not the same as on her. Look at them. They’re far too small. Try to slip one of them on her foot. I dare ya. Nine into six don’t go!”
The doctor took the shoe from Ursula and attempted to place it on Suzette’s foot. “Rigor mortis aside, you are correct. These cannot be her shoes. I will notify the detectives.”
“Damn straight, Doctor! Besides, these shoes came from a discount store. We don’t do discount stores, especially not for shoes. This woman might have hit her head, but she was murdered, Doctor. Put that in your report to the detectives. I’m going to pay a little visit to my brother. C’mon, CJ, we’re finished here. I want you to take me over to Robbie’s. We’re going to have a little chat.”
“I’m happy to take you anywhere your heart desires, Aunt, but I need to make a phone call first.”
“Phone call?”
“I was supposed to meet Sebastian this morning for a swim, remember?”
“Oh, my God, CJ! Of course! It slipped my mind. Take me home. Charles can drive me. You go on over to the club. Tell Sebastian it’s all my fault. I’ll make it up to him somehow.”
CJ looked at his watch. “It’s only half passed eight. I’ll take you home and call him from there.”
“Good. He said something about working with that detective friend of his in New York on murder cases.  Invite him over for dinner. I want to talk to that young man about Suzette.”

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Jokes and One-Eyed Jacks Chapter 5

(Gentle Readers, keep in mind this is a raw, unedited first draft. Please comment on the storyline. Thank you!)


     Playing a friendly game of Bourre can be fun and relaxing, or it can push an anxious person right over the edge. Such was the case for Ursula as she waited with her friends in her Madison Street home for word for her nephew about Suzette. She couldn’t concentrate on her cards. However, when Gigi took yet another trick making two over her bid, Ursula snapped.
“Goddamit, Gigi! That’s your fourth trick!”
“Yes, so? I’m winning aren’t I, Ursula?”
“It means you underbid your game,” Ursula nearly shouted at her and slammed her folded hand down on the table. “I swear I’m going to jump right out of my skin if CJ doesn’t show up or call soon! I’m sorry, Gigi. I don’t mean to take it out on you. I know all this is just as hard on you.”
“It’s all right, sister Woman. My mind isn’t on the game, either. I can’t imagine what is taking him so long.”
“I can imagine!” Ursula declared. “It’s what I can imagine that has me so upset.”
“I feel all sixes and sevens, Ursula. I can’t get the message of the Ouija board out of my head,” Charles joined in. 
“Thank you for bringing up that damn board game, Charles. Do you always bring kerosene to a fire?” Ursula sniped.
Charles and Gigi didn’t utter another word. They didn’t even blink for fear of upsetting Ursula anymore than the two of them had already.
After a painfully long lapse in the conversation, Ursula forced a smile. “I’m sorry, Charles. I must apologize to both of you. We were all friends with Suzette. I know you’re every bit as worried as I am. I shouldn’t speak to you that way.”
“It’s perfectly understandable, my dear,” Charles consoled. “Like you said, we all love Suzette. We’re letting our imaginations get the better of us. We don’t even know anything bad has happened.”
Suzette rose and put an arm around Ursula. “I tell you what, why don’t I go into the kitchen and brew us a nice pot of chamomile tea?”
“I think that would be perfect,” Charles responded. “See if there’s some of those  lemon snaps I’m so fond of while you’re there.”
“Good idea. Gigi, you’ll find a tin of them in the same cupboard as the tea. Put the cookies out on a plate and we’ll all have some, if you don’t mind, Gigi.”
“Not at all, Ursula. I’ll go put the kettle on.”
As she joined Charles on the sofa, Ursula pulled his arm around her tight. “I’m so glad I have you and Gigi here with me. I’d be a real mess if —” The sound of her front gate opening and closing followed by the opening of the front door. “CJ? Is that you? She called out.
“It is, Aunt,” CJ answered as he appeared in the doorway. “I’m afraid I couldn’t find Suzette, Aunt. She wasn’t at the hotel lounge. No one we know had seen her. I drove over to her apartment, but she wasn’t home either. I’ve been driving around all this time, up and down streets and alleys looking for any sign of her.”
Gigi return, not having heard CJ come in. One look at Ursula’s face told her whatever the news was, it wasn’t what they had hoped. “CJ, I am so glad you’re back. I need something in the kitchen that I can’t reach. Would you be a doll and reach it down for me?”
“Are you all right, Aunt?” he asked before leaving the room.
“Of course. Go see what Gigi needs. She either wants to tell you about what blasted Ouija board said after you left, or else she can’t reach the cookie tin. Either way Charles and I aren’t going anywhere.”
Once they were in the kitchen, Gigi grabbed CJ’s arm. “I swear to God that woman’s a psychic! After you left to look for Suzette the Ouija board spelled out a second word.” Suzette's lower lip trembled causing her to pause a moment for composure’s sake. CJ, the reason Ursula is so upset, the reason we are all of us so distraught is that the second word was got was d-e-a-d. The Ouija board said Suzette is dead.” 
Gigi lost her struggle against her tears. CJ took her in his arms. “I wish I had known. I would have gone straight to the police.”
“And told them what exactly, CJ? That you were playing with a Ouija board with your aunt and her friends and we were told a friends of ours is dead? They would have most likely shown you to one of their guest accommodations to sober up.”
“I suppose you’re right, of course, but still —”
“There’s nothing you could have done. There’s nothing any of us can do except to have some tea and a cookie and hope she turns up,” gigi said as she poured hot water into the pot with the herbs. “I’m going to let you carry in this tray with the tea things. I’ll be right there as soon as I find your aunt’s strainer.”
“I think she keeps it in that small drawer there to the right, Gigi. You mentioned cookies but there are none on this tray.”
“I’ll get them and follow you in. Go on now. Since you’re the calmest of us all, it might be a good idea for you to be mother, CJ. We don’t need for anyone to get scalded from a shaking teapot.”
CJ had just handed Charles his teacup and saucer when there came a knock at the front door. Before anyone else could respond Charles moved to block Ursula’s path. “Sit, sit, sit, my dear. I’ll see who’s come calling at this hour and send whoever it is away.”
“But it’s probably —”
The appearance of her brother standing with Charles at the entrance to the parlor surprised Ursula into silence. 
“Good evening, Sister Woman,” the uniformed officer said as he took both of her hands in his and kissed her on the cheek. 
“Always a treat to see my baby brother, though the uniform seems ominous tonight. Please come in and rest yourself, Robbie. You know everyone here. Tea?
“No thanks, Sister. Ev’nin’  everyone. I can’t stay long.”
“Just as well, Dad,” CJ offered. “We’re all at loose ends over Suzette. No one has seen or heard from her since she called Aunt earlier this evening inviting her to go out with her.”
“Actually, that’s why I stopped by. I heard something about Suzette over the radio —well, I thought it would be better if you heard it from me.”
“She’s been found, Robbie? Is she all right? Did someone drive her home?” Ursula fired off questions to postpone the truth that she knew in her heart would be told.
“Ursula, Sister, let’s sit down.” He realized at that moment she had not let go of his hands she he entered the room. “I’m afraid I have some bad news.”
“Oh, no!” Gigi waled. “What’s happened to her?”
“Suzette’s body was found. About an hour ago.”
“Where? Where was she found?” Gigi cried.
“On the steps of St, Louis Cathedral. She was wearing high heels; one was broken. It appears the broken heel caused her to loose her balance. She fell and hit her head is what I heard on the radio. I’m so sorry. I know you all were great friends.”
“Robbie, none of that makes a bit of sense. When Suzette phoned this evening, she was intent on going to the Monteleone  for cocktails. She mentioned nothing about going to church. Besides that the cathedral isn’t even on the way to the Monteleone.”
“Maybe she changed her mind,” Robbie suggested.
“Are we talking about Suzette here> We all know that in a toss up between church and cocktails which she’d choose. So, no I don’t believe she changed her mind. Another thing, Robbie, her bunions had forced her to give up high heels long ago. There’s no way she put on a pair of high heels to climb those cathedral steps . Something’s wrong with this picture. Something is very wrong. I want to see her, Robbie. Can I see her, Robbie?”
“Let’s let the medical examiner finish his job tonight. I’ll arrange for you to see her in the morning. In the meantime, why don’t all try to get some rest. There’s nothing more to be done for her tonight.”
Robbie and Ursula kissed and hugged good-bye. CJ walked his father to the door. 
“Why don’t you stay here tonight, Son. Make sure she’s okay. I’ll call in the morning and then you can drive her to the morgue.”
“Sure, Dad. I’m glad it was you who delivered the news. I think it helped some.”
“CJ, there something you should know about Suzette that I couldn’t bring myself to tell Ursula.”
“What could possibly be worse than reporting Suzette’s death, Dad?”
“The way she was found.”
“You said she fell on the cathedral steps.”
“She was placed there to make it look like a fall, Son. Suzette’s blood had been drained out of her. Every drop. There was none on the steps.”
“Oh my, God! Dad?”
“Get some sleep, CJ. We’ll know more in the morning.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Jokers And One-Eyed Jacks Chapter 4


“The devil’s come for ya, Sir!” There’s something Sebastian didn’t hear every day. A crazy old woman had lunged at him from an alley as he passed. The poor thing, bent with arthritis and grimy, was draped in filthy rags that were cinched at her waist by a piece of clothesline. Her hair was tucked up under a faded and soiled bandanna. The sight of her browned and missing teeth seemed to enhance the foulest breath Sebastian had ever encountered from a human being. This oracle of the streets grabbed his arm and held it tightly in her grip as she looked up into his face and said, “The devil’s come for ya, Sir!”
Thinking the woman was not quite right, Sebastian shook loose from her and continued walking up the avenue. Somehow the old crone was in front of him again with her open palm extended to receive some money. “Help a gypsy with food and shelter for the night, Sir?” 
Sebastian reached into his pocket and gave the woman whatever coins he had. He smiled, wished her good luck and continued on his way. Once again, the old woman caught up to him. He noticed that her bony crooked fingers clutched him like a bird on a wire. “The devil’s come for ya, Sir. You’ve been kind to an old gypsy, so let me give you this.” She pressed a fetish into his right palm and closed his fist around it.
“What is this?” he asked as he opened his hand to see what she had given to him. 
“It’s an amulet of protection against the devil, Sir. Keep it close to you at all times,” she whispered.
“But what is it?” Sebastian insisted.
“It’s a hamsa tied with a feather from a phoenix. It will warn you when the devil’s close by and it’ll give you strength.”
“Oh, a protection charm,” Sebastian said to show he understood such things.
“A fire alarm can only warn you about the fire, you must still fight the fire and escape on your own. Be vigilant, Sir.” The old woman disappeared into the twilight as quickly as she had come. 
Sebastian held the gypsy’s gift in his hand and continued his walk to the streetcar. The devil has come for you, Sir. She had said that to him three times. He knew three to be the number of the Divine so he determined to take her message seriously. He also couldn’t stop thinking about his two encounters with Jacques St. Germain., three if the sighting at Two Sisters counted which it did. He didn’t even have to guess why Ursula couldn’t see him. St. Germain had said there must be something they need to discuss. On a side note there was the re-entry into his life CJ James who had saved him once already when he had nearly drowned in the pool at the New Orleans Athletic Club. Tomorrow would be their third meeting. This pattern of three plagued his imagination and plunged Sebastian into deep contemplation. In fact, he had been so lost in thought that he walked past the streetcar stop. He didn’t realize how far he had walked until he stood in front of the gates of Tulane University! From here he called a taxi to take him the rest of the way home. 
His curiosity brought the gypsy’s fetish out of his pocket for a more careful examination. There was some sort of folded up piece of paper tucked inside the packet. This he carefully extracted and opened. It was a miniature playing card, like from a child’s deck of cards. Ace of Spades. If the devil was indeed coming for him, Sebastian was in for a fight. He refolded the card and slid it back into place by the time the driver parked in front of his house.
The first thing Sebastian noticed on exiting the taxi was the light in the entry hall. He had not turned on a light since it was full daylight when he left. He cautiously approached the house. He tried the door before inserting his key. Finding it locked, he used the key to let himself in. The receipt he had placed on the hall table for the donation was torn into confetti and scattered on the floor. He turned on lights as he explored the house from room to room. Nothing else seemed to be out of place or missing. When he ventured upstairs, his bedroom the lamp on his nightstand was lit, but the other lights were off. Suddenly Meatloaf was singing from somewhere: “If I kiss you like this, and you whisper like that, it was lost long ago, but it’s all coming back to me. If you want me like this, and if you need me like that, it was lost long ago, but it’s all coming back to me”—Sebastian  collapsed to the floor unconscious. 







Thursday, October 17, 2013

Time Bends When You Will It

     When the subway trains run perfectly and connections happen smoothly and my trek through Central Park goes unobstructed, my commute to work takes 45 minutes. One day last week, I left home at 8:20. There was a problem with the trains that forced me off after riding to just one stop. I exited the station and walked several blocks to a different line. In my rush I got on an express train by mistake which took me to a changing station in time to make the local connection. I still had  my fifteen minute walk through Central Park ahead of me and the clock was ticking away. It is not enough for me to be consistently on time; I always arrive at work at least thirty minutes early. This day I was going to be late by half an hour. 
     I called out to my Angel guides for help. One of them named Little John is a specialist in helping with situations like this one. I was introduced to him by a friend in Dallas over twenty years ago. He has saved by bacon on several occasions by bending time for me. Following my usual practise during this walk, I relaxed my mind by pulling out my Buddha beads and chanting my mantra to Ganesha, the remover of obstacles. (I need the beads because the mantra requires 108 repetitions and I lose track without them.)The end result on this particular day? I arrived at work at 8:45. I was grateful to Little John and Ganesha for the favor.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Jokers And One-eyed Jacks Chapter 3



Ursula and her entourage had just arrived on her veranda when the telephone began to ring. “Isn’t that the way? How do people know when someone’s just getting home?” she scoffed as she inserted the key into the lock and opened the door. “C’mon in, everybody and make yourselves comfortable in the parlor while I see who this is. Charles, honey, why don’t you make everyone a drink. I’d like a vodka tonic while you’re at it.”
Ursula went into the small room she used as an office to answer the phone, “Beaumont’s.” Charles started making everyone’s usual cocktail, but conversation had stopped, as company often does to overhear any clues to the identity of the caller.
“I’m sorry, Suzette, but I can’t make it tonight. I have guests ―the usual suspects, you know: Charles and Gigi. You’re welcome to come over and join us. CJ’s here, too. ― Suzette, you know I hate for you to go out by yourself. Don’t you have another girlfriend who might join you? ―That’s kind of you to say, dear. Yes, we do have the best time when we team up, but I simply can’t join you tonight. Why don’t you come on over here? The company is pleasant and the alcohol is free. ―Well, all right, but if you change your mind you know where to find us. Have a good time, but be careful, Suzette. By the way, where are you planning to go? ―Suzette, you know how I feel about women alone going to hotel bars. ―At least, promise me you will not sit on a stool at the bar; that is so common. ―Well, I should get back to my guests. Come by if there’s nothing happening over there. ―All right. Call me tomorrow and tell me how things went. ―Okay, Suzette. Bye-bye.” 
Ursula replaced the receiver in the cradle and was putting her earring back on as she entered the parlor. “I guess y’all know that was Suzette.”
“Suzette? What did she want?” Gigi asked trying to create the impression they hadn’t been eavesdropping.
“Oh, please, Gigi!” Ursula protested. “It was so quiet in here I could hear you all breathing from out there. Suzette is going out tonight and wanted me to go with her. As you heard I declined and invited her to join us instead.”
“Is she coming?” asked Charles.
“No,” Ursula sighed. “She has her heart set on the lounge at the Monteleone. She wants to see if the guy I told you about is back. You know, she’s become quite aggressive since she had her surgery. That boob lift has given her a new lease on life, God bless her.”
“She got a boob-job?” CJ asked. “She was already a gifted woman.”
“Not bigger CJ; lifted. Her nipples won’t get caught inside her belt now,” Gigi teased.
“Gigi, we mustn’t be disparaging about absent friends,” Ursula scolded. “If a woman wants tits like a Barbie doll and has the money, more power to her, I say!”
“Are you telling us something, Aunt?” CJ prodded.
“Don’t be impertinent. These girls and I are quite happy with each other, thank you!”
“As well you should be,” affirmed Charles with a raised glass to toast.
“That’s enough out of you, too, Charles. Now let’s talk about something else.”
“Let’s play a game,” Gigi suggested.
“Okay. What game should we play? BourrĂ©, Scrabble, Charades maybe?” Ursula suggested.
“I know! Strip poker!” Gigi enthusiastically announced.
At that precise moment, a loud noise came from Ursula’s office. “What was that?” Charles blurted out in surprise.
“It sounded like something fell,” CJ answered as he rose to investigate.
“Whatever it was came from my little office. Something must have fallen from a shelf,” Ursula explained.
When she and CJ stood in the doorway and turned on the light they could see something had indeed crashed to the floor and spilled out of its box. It was Ursula’s Scrabble game. “I’d like to buy a vowel, Alex,” CJ quipped.
“Funny, CJ. My whole life comes crashing down and all you can do is make a joke. Help me pick these pieces up along with the other games.”
“Aunt Ursula, this is not your whole life; just a few of the games you play. Guilt is not one of your better games, either. Let me gather these up and take them out so we can vote on which one we’ll play tonight. Go on back to the others. I’ll be there in two shakes.”
“Thank you, CJ. I’m just rattled by the crash is all. I’ll get someone in here tomorrow to repair that shelf.”
“Aunt, there is no need to call a handyman. I’ll take care of it for you. It’s an easy fix. I promise you. Now go on. We’ve left Charles alone out there with Gigi.”
Ursula stooped down and kissed CJ on the forehead. “Thank you, dear. Don’t be long now.” 
CJ continued gathering consonants and vowels as she rose and left. Once he had all the pieces back in the box, he piled the other boxes on top to take to the parlor. As he turned to switch off the light, he noticed one errant box partially concealed by the flounce of the loveseat. He bent down to retrieve it and saw that it was his aunt’s Ouija board. “Will you look at this?” he said to no one. “You might be interesting. We’ll save you for later,” he said to the game. He put the Ouija board box on the bottom of the stack, and then stood with the stack in his hands. He managed to turn out the light and closed the door as he left the room.
“Here’s our playboy,” Gigi cheered. “Let’s see what you’ve got CJ! Show us your biggest box first?” she teased.
CJ shot Gigi a wicked smile. “Gigi, I could show you my big box, but then you’d faint and we’d never get to play!”
“CJ James, what an absolutely treacherous thing to say in front of a blood relative!” Ursula scolded. “Do me a favor and give that line to Sebastian to use when he comes over. We’ll see then who faints!” Everyone laughed as they looked at the available games.
“Anyone ready for another?” Charles asked as he headed to the bar. 
“Make it a soft one, Charles. Whoever has to partner with you will still want to try to win!” Ursula warned. “I’ll take a club soda and lime since you asked.”
“That sounds good to me, Charles. Thank you,” CJ added.
“Oh, I guess I’ll join all of you. Make it three, Charles,” Gigi chimed in. Turning to Ursula, “What games do you have here, Sister? Clue! Could we play Clue tonight, everybody? I feel like solving a murder tonight! How about y’all?” 
Charles returned with the drinks for the group. “Gigi, darling, you’re not foolin’ me in the least with that nonsense about wanting to solve a murder,” he said.
“Why, Charles, whatever do you mean?” Gigi asked sounding rather hurt.
“Murder is the last thing on your mind,” Charles answered. “You just want to be in the library with Colonel Mustard and his candlestick!” he laughed.
“Charles Eponnaire! How can you accuse me of such a thing? You know Colonel Mustard is much too old for a flower such as me.”
Ursula howled. “Flower? Well, honey, I guess a faded rose is still a rose to a bee!”
“Sister Woman, you know the older the rose the sweeter the fragrance,” Gigi pouted.
“I think you just made that one up,” Ursula challenged. “However, I do think Clue is a good idea. I vote with Gigi for Clue. Do you boys have any objections?”
Once again, with impeccable timing the telephone rang. “Hells bells,” Ursula sighed. “Who the hell can that be? Excuse me folks. While I take this call, why don’t y’all set up the game.” The phone seemed insistent in its ringing. “Okay! I’m comin’,” Ursula shouted.
CJ opened the box on the bottom and set up the board to everyone’s delighted surprise. No one said a word, however, as they once again strained to hear Sister’s end of the call. “Beaumont’s,” they heard her say. “Hello. This is the Beaumont residence. Who’s callin’ please? ―Hello? ―Is someone there?” the next sound they heard was the receiver being slammed down to disconnect the call. “Perverts!” she huffed, clearly disgusted. “Nothing but the sound of breathing. What’s the pay-off for doing that?” Ursula fumed as she rejoined the group. She took her place at the game table. “This isn’t Clue. I thought we voted on Clue. This is the Ouija board. Why did you dig this out, CJ?”
“It was one of the boxes in the stack, Aunt. Gigi said she’d like to solve a murder. It might be fun to see what we get tonight.”
“Y’all know this is most definitely not a game. The spirits are not to be made fun of.”
Suddenly the small wooden heart-shaped planchette moved without anyone touching it. Everyone watched in amazement as it went first to the letter O and proceeded to the letter K. “It would appear, Aunt that the spirits wish to speak to us. Let’s all pay attention now.” 
All hands were joined in lightly touching the planchette. S-U-Z-E-T-T-E. 
“Oh my God!” Ursula cried. “Suzette is in trouble. I feel it. We have to help her. CJ, would you mind driving over to the Monteleone to look for her? Bring her here whether she wants to come or not. I don’t want anything bad to happen to her!”
“I’m on my way, Aunt. I’ll find her, but I can’t make her go anywhere against her will.”
“Just find her, please! CJ, you be careful, too!”
CJ’s car was heard driving away when the planchette again moved on its own power. D-E-A-D. Gigi screamed and removed herself to the loveseat where Charles joined her. He put his arm around her to comfort her. “There, there now, Gigi. We don’t know that anything has happened. Everything will be all right.”
Ursula stood at the fireplace. She was looking at the photos of her, Gigi, and Suzette on display there. Her arms were folded in front of her and squeezing her waist. “I hope to God, Charles, everything is all right. I sure do wish we had opened a different box,” she said wistfully as she sat down in a club chair adjacent to the loveseat. Everyone was silent as church.