“I have dinner reservations for tonight at the inn,” I said. “I’ll make sure to bump into boss man Jack Baker while I’m there.”

  “Enjoy yourself,” Ronnie said. “My orders from Dimitri are to stick close to Natasha’s house.”

  “Do that,” I said. “I’ll be by after dinner unless I’m delayed.”

  “I understand,” Ronnie said. “Later.”

  He hung up as I parked in front of Natasha’s house. Natasha gave me an apprehensive look. I peered around our surroundings but didn’t see anything to worry about.

  “Wait a minute, I’ll get your door,” I said.

  After unbuckling my seatbelt I reached into my glove compartment and took out my spare gun, then put it in my ankle holster. Once that was situated, I got out of the truck, walked to Natasha’s side, and opened her door.

  WHEN WE SET FOOT inside Natasha’s house, she was greeted by a happy Rocky who went running to her. She hugged him, then picked him up.

  “Have you been a good boy?” Natasha said.

  “Yes, Mommy,” Rocky said, then brushed his hair back.

  “He’ behaved like a little saint,” Vargas, aka Brother Thomas said, before turning to me. “Hello once more, Layton. I didn’t think our paths would cross again so soon.”

  “Neither did I,” I said. ‘What brings you here, Brother Thomas Vargas?”

  “The icons of course,” Vargas said

  “Why ‘of course’?” I said.

  “Well, didn’t Leticia send you?” Vargas said.

  “No, she didn’t,” I said. “My friend Natasha ran into some trouble, so I drove her home. I’m more than a bit concerned that her problems may return.”

  “You’re talking about the bruises on her cheek and her arm,” Vargas said. “I’m spending the night here along with Mrs. Porter and her son Norris. You met Norris earlier.”

  “Not formally,” I said.

  “I’m going to say hello to Mrs. Porter,” Natasha said. “I’ll be right back.” She left the room holding Rocky tightly in her arms… she was still nervous—and that would keep her alert which was how she needed to be in this situation.

  “I’m glad you’re spending the night,” I said to Vargas, then lowered my voice. “But are you prepared to deal with men who have guns.”

  “It might surprise you to know that I am.” He was wearing slacks, sandals and a loose shirt and vest—meaning he was still in costume. After reaching into his vest he pulled out a gun, then quickly hid it again. “I’ve been given special permission to use it, if need be. Not to kill—I’m forbidden to do that. But, I’m a good shot, so I don’t have to kill someone to stop them.”

  “How good are you at stopping several people at one time?” I said.

  “I’m here, I own several guns… and I know how to use them exceedingly well,” Natasha said as she entered the room again, by herself this time.”

  “No heroics from you,” I said. “Use a gun only as a final resort. That means only if Brother Thomas and I are dead and you’re alone. I need to look around and check this place out.”

  “When you’re done with that, there’s something you need to see,” Vargas said.

  Chapter 28

  Icons

  “NO ONE IS TO GO out on the porch,” I said.

  “That much is obvious,” Natasha said. “We’ll stay in the back portion of the house.”

  “Which might be safe unless we’re attacked from the back of the house,” Vargas said.

  We were standing in the living room which opened into the dining and kitchen areas. To the left was a wall with a staircase behind it. There were wood floors throughout, but the place was very modern, clean, and more minimal than I would’ve expected for a house with a small child in residence.

  “Nice clean home you’ve got here, Natasha,” I said.

  “I’ve always preferred the minimalist style,” Natasha said. “My son’s mess is confined to his bedroom. It’s easier to keep the public rooms clean when there aren’t a lot of things scattered about. And less time cleaning leaves me more time for me to spend with Dewey.”

  God I admired the woman. She was a bit rough, but how could you not think highly of a woman who’d made her wounded husband a priority in her life? I teared up again a little. That’s when I realized something else was going on inside me—I made a mental note to talk to Leticia about it at dinner.

  “Vargas, you came here prepared for trouble,” I said. “Why is that?”

  “It’s because of the Russian icons my father gave my son,” Natasha said, before Vargas could answer. “It’s always been said they possess some sort of supernatural powers.”

  “We might as well go look at them,” Vargas said.

  I peered up the staircase, then spoke. “Nobody go up to the loft tonight, unless it has a back entrance and exit.”

  “It has a balcony and an outdoor staircase,” Natasha said.

  “Then, if you need to, use it as a last resort,” I said.

  Natasha walked ahead and we followed her down a hall that went to a back door. Before ending at the back door, the main hall branched into two small hallways.

  “On the left side is the master bedroom and Rocky’s room,”Natasha said. “She then went down the other hallway. “This is the guest bathroom.” She turned on the bathroom light and I peered inside for a moment.

  “If trouble comes, don’t lock yourself in there,” I said.

  “Even I’ve seen enough movies where people trapped themselves in bathrooms, that I know better than to do that,” Vargas said.

  “You’d be surprised at what people do when they’re scared,” I said. “Natasha, does your home have an alarm system?”

  “Yes.”

  “Keep it on,” I said. “Don’t let anyone in the house who you don’t know and I mean know well. That includes police since we know Jack has influence over them.”

  “We were going to order pizza tonight,” Natasha said. “And I know the delivery people.”

  I shook my head. “No delivery tonight. Do you have anything else you can eat?”

  “I’ve got some frozen pizzas I can heat up,” Natasha said, then looked at Vargas.

  “That sounds great to me,” Vargas said.

  “I don’t like the idea of someone making me too afraid to send out for pizza,” Natasha said.

  “You don’t need to be afraid,” I said. “Just careful. The boys and I are pushing Jack Baker so that he’ll make a move. It’s a time to be cautious.”

  “I understand,” Natasha said. “I’ll do as you say, just like my husband told me to do. This is the icon room.” She opened a door at the end of the hall and we walked inside.

  The room was small and empty, but on every wall, and even the closet doors, hung wooden Russian icons. It was incredible. Norris was in the far corner pointing out something to his mother and Rocky.

  “You need to see this icon, Mr. Detective,” Norris said.

  I walked to the icon Norris was pointing to and took a closer look at it. There was a carving of an angel holding a staff and pointing toward the ground which had opened in front of him. Flames were carved coming out of the ground and monstrous beings were walking out of and into the flames. There was some writing along the bottom of the square-shaped icon but I couldn’t read it.

  “Norris,” I said. “Why did you think I needed to see this icon?”

  “It came from the same place in Russia that the treasure everyone’s looking for at Shiloh Key came from originally,” Norris said.

  “Let me take a closer look at it,” Natasha said, then walked up to it. “The location is written on the front and Norris is correct, it’s the same location the treasure came from.”

  “What does the other writing translate to?” I said to Natasha.

  She took a minute to read it, then turned to me. “Loosely translated it talks about a staff of great power which can open a gateway to a place where monsters come from and can be banished to. The staff can only be controlled by a righteous person or an angel.”

  “Why is the church so interested in the icons, Vargas?” I said. “And why is the organization involved? There’s a lot going on here besides this icon thing, I need the facts if I’m going to be of help.”

  “I know that my father was very specific about how the icons were to be placed in the room,” Natasha said, answering before Vargas yet again. “My grandfather taught my father how to place the icons in his room when he was a boy. They are supposed to offer the protection of the angels. Supposedly there are supernatural actions attributed to the icons, that’s why Brother Thomas is here. You would’ve been here all night waiting for the good brother to answer you,”—she gave Vargas a dirty look before continuing—“and you have a dinner to get to, Layton.”

  “That I do,” I said, then looked at Mrs. Porter. “Are you more of a team player than Brother Thomas, Mrs. Porter?”

  “I can be when the situation calls for it,” Mrs. Porter said. “Brother Thomas is just being cautious and dutiful. Icons like these can be very highly sought after.”

  Silently, I stared at Mrs. Porter. She was of medium height and weight, with short brown hair and hazel eyes. An all-around middle-of-the-road person, but also a strong one. The woman didn’t flinch one bit when I gave her my hard stare. “OK, folks, I’m going to dinner. Don’t open the door for anyone unless it’s me, Ronnie, or Dimitri.”

  “My uncle called me when I was with Dewey and he said to give you an envelope Mandy asked me to hold for her,” Natasha said. “I’ve never looked inside it, but Uncle Dimitri said it holds photos you need.”

  IN MY TRUCK ON the way back to the inn, I thought about the icons. Vargas wasn’t very forthcoming so I hoped Leticia would be. The staff pictured in the one icon had to be the same one Sassy’s dad was after, but could it really have supernatural powers? Of course it could, that’s why he and Sassy were after it. There were so many questions that needed answers. Before I knew it, I was parked in my space at the inn. Time to focus and be alert in case I ran into Jack Baker. I’d barely entered the building to go to my room when someone called my name.

  “Detective Shayne, I’d like a moment of your time please,” Melinda said.

  She stood by the entrance on the other side of the building, looking my way. And she was not a happy woman. Attractively dressed in a slim skirt, heels, and a short sleeved, knit top with her dark hair worn loose, Melinda had her arms crossed against her chest and was tapping her foot. I was about to be scolded.

  “Yes, Ma’am,” I said. “How can I help you?”

  “You can begin by telling me what sort of trouble you’re trying to stir up in my inn.”

  “I thought this inn belonged to your husband’s family,” I said. It was close to dinner time and I was hungry, so I decided to stop playing games with the woman in front of me. “I visited Natasha and her husband today. You could take some lessons from Natasha on how to be a supportive wife.”

  “And you can mind your own business,” Melinda said.

  “This is my business. And believe me, I’m minding it, lady.” The anger rising up inside me took me by surprise.

  “What do you mean this is your business?”

  It took me a minute to get my anger under control and I hadn’t heard what Melinda said.

  “I asked you a question, Detective. How is any of this your business?”

  The room spun for a second and I gripped the wall.

  “Are you alright, Detective Shayne?”

  “Yes, I just need to eat is all,” I said. “My apologies for everything.”

  “Not good enough,” Melinda said. “I want my question answered…now.”

  “OK, what the fuck, lady. Your kid hired me for a fucking quarter.” The anger again. “I’m sorry. I don’t think I’m feeling very well. Brandon is concerned about his father.”

  Melinda reached into her purse, took out a piece of gum and handed it to me. I unwrapped it and popped it into my mouth. The sugar seemed to calm me.

  “Continue, Mr. Shayne.”

  “I have proof that the photos of your husband with another woman are Photoshopped fakes. The original photos are here in this manila envelope.” I handed her the envelope and she put it in her purse without even looking at it.

  “Of course the photos were fake. The picture they used of my husband was one I took when he and I were at the beach. Jack must’ve stolen it from my office. And a blind man could see where the photo of the naked woman was pasted on top.”

  Suddenly everything made sense.

  “I also know about the presents my husband sent for Brandon,” Melinda said. “But, I didn’t know about those until the incident with the remote control truck.”

  “You’re protecting him—protecting Callum,” I said.

  “Jack’s got friends on the force that would haul my husband off to jail in a heartbeat. I’ll do anything to prevent that.”

  “Callum could handle himself there,” I said.

  “They’d put a man in the cell with him to kill him. My husband would probably kill the man instead and end up being charged with manslaughter.”

  “But your husband isn’t involved right now… I am,” I said. “And I’m pushing Jack Baker to make his move so I can end his reign at the Mt. Ore Inn.”

  “I admire how you soldiers watch out for one another, but we women keep the home front going when you men aren’t around.”

  “And you women, have a different way of dealing with things. What have you done, Melinda?”

  Melinda looked around to make sure we were alone, then spoke in a low voice. “When we were married, Callum gave me this inn. Legally it was all mine and Jack knew all about it.”

  “What’s changed, Melinda?”

  “I didn’t think it was right for me to own something that had been passed down in the Baker family so I went back to the lawyer when Brandon was born and had the inn put in his name with myself looking after it until he’s twenty-one and can take over things.”

  “Callum didn’t tell me any of this.”

  “So you have spoken with him,” Melinda said.

  “He spoke to me briefly in town,” I said. “He was seeing what I was up to.”

  “My husband’s always thinking of my son and me… and trying to protect us, isn’t he?”

  “Yes, Ma’am,” I said. “It’s a husband and father’s duty to do that. If you’re so aware of things why did you say all those things when I was on the porch—the day I arrived.”

  “That damn Jack was pushing me again, talking about Callum and the so-called affair. It’s hard to hold all that in and not lash out at the man, so I took it out on Chef who I could trust and Marines who I didn’t know. Now, it’s my turn to say sorry.”

  “Why didn’t Callum tell me the inn was put in Brandon’s name?” I said.

  “He didn’t know about the changes I made in regard to the inn. I tricked him into signing the new papers and a mutual friend into notarizing them. Honestly, I thought I was doing the right thing. But now I’m terrified Jack will do something to Brandon if he finds out the truth.”

  “I respect what you’re trying to do, Melinda, but things can’t keep on like this.”

  “What do you want me to do, Detective?”

  “Nothing for now.” I took my business card out of my wallet and handed it to her. “I’m gonna push Jack’s buttons till he makes a stupid move, then we’ll have him. In the meantime, you need to keep doing what you’re doing and stay safe. If you’re ever scared you or Brandon might be in danger, don’t hesitate to call me.”

  “I’ll do that, Detective Shayne. Thank you for all you’re trying to do for us.”

  “Hey, I’ve gotta earn that quarter your kid gave me,” I said.

  When Melinda left, I called Alex and asked him to get Leticia and meet me in the dining room. Hopefully, I’d make the short walk from our building to the main building and the dining room without falling on my face.

  Chapter 29

  Sweet Stuff

  I MADE IT TO the dining room, and a short time later, Alex, Leticia, and I were seated at a table waiting for our food order. The room was large with expensive-looking formal curtains with swags, shiny wood floors, and several crystal chandeliers. The tables all had white tablecloths that were immaculately clean and the silverware was top-notch. All my attention was focused on trying to suck every bit of sweetness out of the piece of pineapple that had been on top of my piña colada. Alex and Leticia were staring at me and smiling. They were both nicely dressed. Leticia in a short-sleeved, pale peach dress, and heels. Alex wore a green Polo shirt, khakis, and deck shoes. I’d finished with the pineapple and was busily sucking the juices out of a cherry.

  “You were right, Leticia,” I said. “This sweet stuff is helping to get me calm.”

  “I thought it might,” Leticia said. “When this case and the one with Sassy are over, you and Alex need to take a couple of weeks off. Consider it a paid holiday from the organization.”

  “Then my emotional state has gone haywire because of something supernatural,” I said.

  “Tell me exactly what you’ve been experiencing, Layton,” Leticia said.

  I told her about getting teary-eyed when I visited Dewey, how I felt at Natasha’s house, and the anger I felt when I spoke with Melinda. There were no details I left out.

  “But that sounds like how the ghosts heightened our emotions,” Alex said. “All those situations were ones which Layton would have strong feelings about.”

  “Emotions and feelings,” I said. “That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it, Leticia?”

  “Why don’t you tell me your theory, Layton, and I’ll tell you how warm or cold you are to the truth?” Leticia said.

  “Alright,” I said. “The Diony effect is emotional too. Love is an emotion. Lust is more hormonal I guess, but love isn’t. Since all emotions are interconnected, in a way, then the Diony stuff must have a heightening influence on anything and everything we’re feeling.”

 

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