“I would think not. I sent out a detailed schedule of events and roles. Provided by the high priestess of course. You will find it with the emails.”
“All well concealed.” Catherine said. “Think that may be enough questions for now. You travelling okay? No after affects from the drug?”
“Think I’m okay, bit tired, but if there’s anything else I remember I’ll let you know.”
Catherine nodded.
Jack finished off his coffee. “Well, I think that should do it. But I hope we have to come back and see you, because your coffee is good.”
Jill gave a soft smile with a short thank you nod.
27 – Jack and Jill
JACK SAT WITH CATHERINE in their car.
“Wonder if the big green frog was in there? I didn’t sense anything bad, but who am I to ask, I’m not really tuned to such things,” Jack said.
“You think our friend Churchie got it wrong? Or maybe we connected the entity to the wrong person.”
Jack popped the car’s trunk. “Just going to grab my backpack.”
He stepped out of the car, and looked up at Jill Spencer’s house as he walked to the rear of the vehicle. She stood at a window staring down at the car but closed the curtains when she saw Jack. What did that mean? There was something sad about that lady, but Jack couldn’t put his finger on it. Loneliness?
He returned to the car with his backpack and took out the laptop.
“Might just drive around the block. Best not to worry Jill.”
They parked in a nearby shopping centre. The CCTV USB files had been copied so it was a simple task to open them and review the content. Catherine had placed name bubbles next to the images.
“I’m so lucky to have you as a partner,” Jack said.
“Let me guess. It’s because I’ve tagged the names?”
“It is, but I called them bubbles.”
“You’re forgiven. Any names bubbling up?”
Jack focused on the CCTV footage. There was another lady close by. Her name happened to be Jill as well—Jill Winter. She was greeted by a man with a Hawaiian designed shirt.
Jack pointed to the screen. “That may well be our high priestess and her darling wizard.” Jack said.
“I think it’s destiny, Jack.”
“What are you getting at?”
“Jack and Jill.”
“Funny, Detective. Think about it. Would you go up a hill to collect water?”
“Once a detective, always a detective.”
“What do you think, Cath?”
“Jill Spencer strikes me as a passive person. I couldn’t imagine her burying someone alive.”
“Yeah. I’m the same. I think she’s lonely. There’s some hurt there. We might find out more by having a chat with Shoana. But first, let’s go find this Jill Winter.”
<°)))><
Jill Winter walked into the little nook where the large black mirror lived. It was covered with a silk cover and was an exact replica of the mirror at her bayside home. Evening was approaching and the moon was full but waning, a good time for deep intuition and divination. She hoped.
She lit the votive candles on each side of the mirror, lit a stick of incense, and removed the silk cover. The blackness of the mirror glistened in the candlelit room. She commenced meditating, relieving the tension in her body. Then she stared, stared hard, into the darkness she called up from the mirror.
The blackness of the mirror took on a tinge of dark green and she sensed a presence. Behind her image something green and reptilian appeared. She turned, but there was nothing there. She returned her gaze to the mirror but only her reflection remained. She sensed an emotion she hadn’t known in a long time: fear.
Pushing fear back to where it belonged, she tried instead to visualise the Egyptian god she wanted to appease. An image formed in the mirror. Or maybe in her head—she wasn’t sure. Her pulse quickened as a surge of images came from the mirror. It was unusual, but what she always hoped for.
Maybe the gods were happy with her.
But the image wasn’t of someone who’d been appeased. It was brief, but she saw downcast eyes. The job had not been done.
A sacrifice was a sacrifice and it had not happened yet.
<°)))><
The half-cabin cruiser was moored in a concealed area a short walk down a track from their island retreat. They travelled light and stored things of value in a hidden part of their cottage. The wizard helped his partner on to the boat and then handed her their backpacks.
His brother stood on the shoreline and waved them off.
