16. Ezekiel
16
EZEKIEL
T he gates stand open at the Augustus estate, which is about a half-hour drive out of town. I don t miss the fact that they close once Jericho drives in. My brother and I exchange a glance.
In the distance, beyond the house, I glimpse the building which must house Girard.
You ready? Jericho asks as he parks the car.
Let s get this over with. We climb out and make our way to the front entrance of the Councilor s home. We ring the doorbell and a man in uniform, a butler I suppose, opens the door.
We re here to see Councilor Augustus. Jericho and Ezekiel St. James.
Yes, the Councilor is expecting you. He steps aside for us to enter, and we follow him through the house. I take in the large living spaces, the opulence of them. When we pass the dining room, I notice the table being set for three. I hope he isn t expecting us to stay for dinner.
I arch an eyebrow at Jericho as the butler opens the French doors onto a generous patio. We re invited to sit down. What can I bring you to drink?
Whiskey, I say and Jericho nods for the same.
Water glints aquamarine in the fading sun and a dozen lounge chairs are placed just so around the large pool. Umbrellas are open, one between every two chairs, but it doesn t look like anyone s using any of them.
As the butler returns with our drinks, Jericho and I watch a car drive from the smaller house at the back of the property toward the gates. We exchange a glance and sip our drinks, neither of us speaking. For all we know, this entire evening will be recorded.
Gentlemen, Councilor Augustus says as he steps out onto the patio. He s holding onto an elegant black cane with a gold lion s head but it s just for show. He doesn t need it to walk.
Jericho and I stand to greet him, all of us with practiced smiles on our faces. Councilor, I say, shaking his hand.
Good to see you, Jericho says as they shake.
Sit, sit. Reeves, he says, turning to the butler and Jericho and I exchange a look. Reeves? Really? I ll have a whiskey too.
Yes, sir. Right away.
The Councilor, ever polite, waves us back into our seats and takes one across from ours. He smiles as he openly studies us, his light blue eyes keen. He folds one leg over the other, setting his cane to the side, and I take note of the expensive suit and shoes. His blond hair is streaked with gray, and I wonder if that s natural. I can imagine a man like him sitting for highlights, actually. He seems vain enough. Reeves brings his drink, and when he takes it from the silver tray, I notice the ring with an insignia I can t quite make out from here. It all screams money and privilege. He is Society through and through.
The silence stretches on. I can see Jericho in my periphery, face set in stone, as the Councilor takes him in before moving his gaze to me. I can imagine what it must feel like for any man or woman standing before The Tribunal, facing not only one but all three Councilors.
How is your wife, Jericho? I heard she broke her arm in a car accident following the charity event. How unfortunate for her.
Isabelle is fine. Thanks for asking.
Good. I m glad to hear that. And your children? There are how many now? I can t seem to keep track.
Four.
Yes, that s correct. Including the Bishop boy.
Jericho stretches his lips into what I believe is meant to be a smile.
You were generous to adopt him, considering. But I suppose you had your motivations. Men like us always do, don t we?
Jericho doesn t answer. I m pretty sure he doesn t like being put into the same category of human being as this man.
My wife and I were never blessed with children, sadly, the Councilor continues, sipping from his drink. I note the civility of the act, the refinement of the man. I try to picture him holding a branding iron to his young bride s neck and, as if reading my thoughts, Councilor Augustus turns his icy gaze on me.
And Ezekiel. Younger brother. Twin. Zo? was taken from us too soon.
I grit my teeth, my hand clenching so tight around my glass that ice clinks against crystal.
Your date, he continues. With the… he makes a movement with his hand at his hair. Blue hair. Did she enjoy the event?
Loved it.
I didn t recognize her as Society, but she stood out, stunning woman. You met at The Cat House? Blue Masterson, I believe Craven said her name was.
I nod tightly.
You found love in a brothel? He chuckles, drinks his drink.
She s not a courtesan.
Oh, apologies. Who is she exactly?
No one. I shrug a shoulder, going for casual.
Hm. I d love to meet her sometime.
Over my dead body. I think it but manage not to say it.
Well, anyway, Craven s been dealt with. He was a bit lax in his hiring practices, wasn t he? Does this mean he knows who Blue truly is?
Jericho clears his throat. To what do we owe the pleasure of our invitation, Councilor?
He sets his drink down and checks his watch. It was good to have you both participate in the charity event the other night. It s rare we get to see the St. James brothers at Society events. Why is that?
No particular reason, Jericho says with a shrug of his shoulder.
The Councilor turns to me, that false smile on his face. He is enjoying this. Ezekiel, I know you ve been growing the family business in Europe. Good for you. I am curious, my counterparts in Amsterdam never even knew you were in their beautiful city. Why is that?
I swallow more of my drink. I didn t realize attendance was taken.
Well, you know we re a tight-knit group. Most members, with very few exceptions, you being among those, are born into The Society. Perhaps you should make more effort to integrate.
Perhaps.
Jericho clears his throat.
Don t worry, I didn t invite you to chastise you. I just, well, honestly, he starts, looking around as if checking for spies hiding in the bushes before leaning forward, forearms on his knees. Did you know most comings and goings from the IVI compound are recorded? he asks, then holds his arms up, palms toward us. For our members safety of course. Nothing sinister about it.
Of course, Jericho says.
I swallow the last of my drink and hold my glass up to Reeves who refills it.
As a Councilor of The Tribunal, I am privy to all security recordings. In fact, I have taken it upon myself to view them on a regular basis and my fellow Councilors have come to rely on me to do so.
Must get boring, I say.
On the contrary. Incredible the things people get up to when they don t know they re being observed. His eyes narrow, and he momentarily drops the fake smile. The night of the charity, there was an, he pauses as if searching for the right word. Unfortunate incident. He turns his gaze to me. I believe you may know something about that, Ezekiel?
I raise my eyebrows in confusion. Do enlighten me.
He draws a deep breath in, picks up his whiskey and sips, then sets it down. He faces us squarely. One of my men was found dead in a staff room.
I pause for a beat, trying to muster up an expression of surprise. Oh?
Bleeding out, to be more direct. Quite the mess.
We hadn t heard anything, I say. Isn t proper procedure to put the compound on lockdown in such a case? For everyone s safety, of course.
Irritation flares in his eyes. I mentioned I m the first to study footage.
You did, Jericho says.
Let me cut to the chase, gentlemen. He studies both Jericho and I before turning his gaze squarely on me. I know what you did, Ezekiel.
I don t say a word. Instead, I wait. I meant what I said to Blue. I m not afraid of this monster because I, too, can be monstrous.
After a long beat, he relaxes back in his seat and smiles. I owe you a debt of gratitude. That man was an imposter. A spy. You saved me the trouble.
I m sorry, I m not sure I m following. If you think I m somehow responsible for this man s murder, I emphasize the word. Shouldn t I be standing before The Tribunal.
Jericho clears his throat, shifting in his seat.
Councilor Augustus s eyes are locked on mine. That wouldn t serve either of us, Ezekiel, and I think you know that. You have something I want. He turns his gaze from me to Jericho and back.
I m not sure I know what you re talking about. Jericho, do you know what the good Councilor is talking about?
Jericho raises his eyebrows, shakes his head. Not a clue.
Augustus exhales, eyes hard. The French doors open, and a woman steps out onto the porch. I see her in my periphery. She stops, takes in the scene. Councilor Augustus s eyes narrow before his mouth moves into that smile again. He stands, looks at the woman.
Gentlemen, my wife, Ines.
Jericho and I set our drinks down and stand to greet her. She s still beautiful, something of the young woman from the photo still in her, but, apart from the years which Botox can only do so much to mask, there is a flatness in her red-rimmed eyes. A brokenness.
Councilor Augustus kisses her cheek and brushes a hand down her back. She visibly stiffens, lips tightening, and doesn t quite meet our gazes.
Ines. Don t be rude.
She swallows. Her smile comes a moment later as she steps forward and extends her hand.
Jericho and Ezekiel St. James, dear. She shakes each of our hands and I m not sure what to make of her. What were the last twenty-five years of her life like? I have a feeling a man like Lucius Augustus does not so easily forgive. And when she turns to face her husband, I know I m right.
Augustus watches us as we take in the open-back dress his wife is wearing. It cuts to the curve of her lower back. Her hair is swept high off her neck, and I get the feeling this is on purpose. His mark is burned into her skin, a black scar on alabaster skin. But that s not all. She s recently been lashed. No broken skin but a dozen or so thin red lines overlap older, white scars. By the looks of it, she s been lashed regularly over many years.
I see Jericho s hands fist.
Augustus smiles. Shifts his eyes to his wife. Yes, Ines, you interrupted for a reason?
Our dinner guest is here.
Oh, wonderful. Go and greet him, darling.
Yes, sir, she answers her husband like the butler, Reeves, did. I m glad to see her hold her head high as she walks back into the house.
Women need constant correction, don t they? But, well, I love her enough to teach her the error of her ways. He turns to face us. Come. Meet an old friend before you go.
He turns and, using his cane with flair, heads toward the French doors and Jericho and I share a glance before following. Inside the foyer, we find Ines standing with a man in a dark suit. The two are looking at each other but standing apart and when Augustus clears his throat, Ines drops her gaze to the floor.
The man turns to face us, and I know I m looking at Antoine Girard. He s no longer that smiling youth in the photos Robbie had found. He and Augustus are the same age, but he looks older, and no less brutal. There s a hardness in the line of his mouth that turns downright ugly as he takes in his one-time friend, the man he betrayed with the woman standing between them now, the man who ordered his hand be cut off, destroying a promising career. Changing the trajectory of his entire life. Did he and Ines have feelings for each other, I wonder? Or was it just sex? I glance at her and notice how her gaze has moved to the place his hand should be.
Gentlemen, this is Antoine Girard. Shake han— oh, I forget myself. My apologies, Antoine.
There is an infinitesimal tightening at the corner of Girard s lip, but apart from that, he betrays nothing. He takes us in, then turns his gaze to Augustus. No harm intended, I m sure, Lucius. Which of you is Ezekiel? he asks, stepping toward us.
I am.
He openly looks me over. Nods. He then turns to his host. I was just telling your wife how lovely she looks. Stunning, our Ines, all these years later. He smiles at the woman who won t lift her gaze from the floor.
Augustus bristles. I get the feeling it s Antoine s choice of the word our.
Anyway, Antoine continues. I m starving. You two staying for dinner?
Still no manners, I see, Augustus says, clearly not happy with the fact that Girard is not intimidated by him. They were just leaving. Ines, lead the way into the dining room. I ll be right in.
She nods and walks ahead of Antoine. I see the moment he sees what Augustus has done to her. Not just the brand, that he knew, but the rest. I wonder what else there is. What that dress hides. Not to mention the damage within.
Antoine s eyes narrow. His jaw tightens as he wordlessly follows her.
When I turn back, I find Augustus watching him. The satisfied smile on his face sickens me.
He turns to us. Gentlemen. Return what is mine and we ll be finished with this. He opens the door and raises his eyebrows.
Enjoy your dinner, I say and walk out. Jericho follows.