He rang again. Same result.
He tried the door. Locked. He looked around the other houses and all was quiet—everyone was out doing their Saturday morning shopping. He didn’t want to force the door without a good reason, so decided to walk around the side of the house. The swarm of flies sensed his presence and seemed to form into a shape of a head. Jack laughed to himself. An old timber box had been left nearby, so he picked it up and walked towards the swarm. Most flew away but some bolder flies stayed. Jack shooed them away.
The window had no coverings, so he placed the box below the window and stood on it, as a fly buzzed past his head. Sunlight poured into the room. He tried the window, but it was locked. Good, because his intuition told him there would be an odour, although he couldn’t smell anything from out here. So what had attracted the flies?
Maybe Churchie was right. Maybe insects were a Wiccan thing.
He cupped his hand over his eyes to provide a better view through the glare. A sudden coldness swept over him. A woman was seated on a chair in front of a mirror, the skin on her face tight and pale. There was a puddle underneath the chair. She was dead.
Jill Winter.
He got down from the box. Had the flies been here for her? Had they come to help her? He looked around and saw a tarp over an object the shape of a car at the rear of the house. He walked over and lifted the tarp so he could see more of the car, including the number plate. He’d seen this car before. He thought of the lady with a gun leaning on her gate.
It was time to call for reinforcements and the ambulance, then go back to the car and tell Erica. This wasn’t an experience he wanted to share.
Jill Winter was inside, dead. But where was the wizard?
40 – All serve a purpose
TOBY WATTS TURNED OUT OF THE MARINA as the police car entered. They gave him a brief look and then continued. He knew they’d have found the car, that they’d have checked the number plate in their computer system, but he had no concerns. The car they’d found was registered in a friend’s name and had no connection to the one he was driving today. He drove on, watching the rear vision mirror, watching water spilling onto the road from his boat on the trailer. No police car followed.
His gut told him they’d discovered her body, and were looking for someone in a boat. But he was too clever for them. He’d always be one step ahead. They’d caught him once before, but they’d made the mistake of setting him free. And that was what he was going to stay—a free man.
His lady had been making mistakes. It had been so easy to influence her, to direct her to doing the things he wanted done. He was happy to be an accessory to the crime but an uncaught one. It energised him, excited him. But she’d made mistakes and his freedom was more important. The gods brought them together, and he would meet her again in the afterlife.
Her death did nothing for him. It didn’t energise him, didn’t excite him.
But this Ruby girl was a wounded animal, and that made her a dangerous animal. She needed to be dealt with before she became dangerous. That was his motive but really, he just wanted to kill the girl.
It was as simple as that.
And there were gods to please. If the gods weren’t pleased, bad things could happen to him. Pathways had been set. He knew the gods wanted this girl dead, so he would oblige. He knew death had some kind of meaning to the gods. He knew the big God didn’t agree with such things, but that wasn’t relevant.
He didn’t believe in the big God.
Jill Winter had served her purpose. And now he was going to visit another lady who would serve hers.
<°)))><
Shoana opened the door. “You look different. Even younger.”
He gave her a hug and felt the coldness there. She said sweet things but something wasn’t right. She was distant.
“Thank you,” Toby said, rubbing his beardless chin. “Feels a bit raw.”
“You may need some moisturiser.”
She had to be kidding. He hadn’t adopted the trend for men to put creams on their faces. That was for wimps. He knew things were changing, but he was from the old school and that’s where he was staying. Anyway, prison and moisturisers didn’t mix.
“Sorry, not a moisturiser person.” He rubbed his head which also felt prickly. “But I’m a bearer of good news.”
She seemed nervous, hesitant.
“And what would that be?”
“I’m free. We have gone our separate ways.” In more ways than one. “My energies are now assigned to you.” He sensed a darkness entering his mind.
Not now. Go away.
It receded. But something wasn’t right. “You don’t seem pleased.”
“I’m sorry, Toby,” Shoana said, raising her bottom lip. “I’m still upset about what happened.”
“What happened?” He sensed his mind spluttering, like starting an outboard motor that didn’t have enough fuel.
“Putting my friend in a box. You were going to kill her.”
“That wasn’t me. It was the high priestess. I didn’t know she was going to do that.” He moved closer towards her.
You’ll need to deal with this.
“I think you did.”
Shoana was a brave girl to speak to him like this. But he needed to pacify her, because he needed information.
“I was drugged as well. I don’t remember much. I even considered going to the police when I heard about it.”
“I don’t believe that.”
