CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“Absolutely not!” yelled Kane. “You are not going to touch that man again. You’re likely to have headaches for days now.”
“Kane, you know that the pond alleviates the headaches. I don’t suffer from them at all since we’ve come here. I need to hold his hand for a longer period of time in order to see those visions more clearly.”
“Aislinn, as much as we appreciate your help,” said Ghost, “we can’t allow you to place yourself in danger.”
“I’m not in danger. I just need to touch him, hold his hand for longer than a few seconds.”
“I’m not sure he’d be willing to do that,” said Jean. “You scared the shit out of him, and us.”
“I didn’t mean to scare anyone,” she said. “There must be some way for me to get near him without anyone really paying attention. I could just grip his forearm and would probably get the visions I need to see things more clearly. Just a few moments is all I need.”
“I don’t mean to piss anyone off,” said Sly, “but there’s a charity masquerade ball this Saturday night. She’d be undercover, or at least under mask. He wouldn’t know who she was.”
“Shut up!” yelled Kane. Sly smirked, raising a brow. “Sorry, Sly. I didn’t mean that.”
“Yes, you did. But I would have said and done the same thing if it were my wife. We can get tickets for as many people as we need to, and you’ll be there for her. I think we need to take the chance.”
“I agree with Sly,” said Aislinn. “If I can see where those visions are coming from, anything, a location, another person, something, I can pinpoint the murders, and if it was him or he’s a witness to them.”
“Saturday gives us four days to prepare, Kane,” said Ghost. “You know we’ll all be there.”
“I know. I know that,” he said, shaking his head. He pulled his wife closer, kissing the top of her head. “I know that.”
“Honey, this is the only way. If we figure everything out before Saturday, then we’ll cancel the ball.”
“Fine. Fine, but I want at least ten men there to protect her,” said Kane. Gaspar smirked at him, nodding.
“We’ll make it an even dozen.”
“Great,” he frowned. “A costume ball? That means we all have to dress up as something stupid, right?” Gaspar laughed at him, shaking his head.
“No, not something stupid. It’s usually just ball gowns and tuxedos with masks that let people know who you are trying to represent. I’m sure Gwen can outfit everyone. Most of us own tuxedos, but we’ll have to find masks.”
“Is there a theme to the ball?” asked Aislinn.
“The ball is to raise money for the children’s hospital, so it’s nursery rhymes,” said Sly.
“Nursery rhymes? So help me God, if you make me dress up like Little Bo-Peep, I’m going to lose my shit,” growled Kane.
“I’m sure your wife would make a cute Little Bo-Peep,” smirked Nine. Kane frowned at the big man, shaking his head. “It doesn’t work that way. Don’t worry.”
Aislinn kissed her husband and left the room to go see Gwen and find something to wear for the ball. They all looked at Kane, waiting for him to speak.
“Kane? What’s your opinion, brother?” asked Ghost.
“It’s not like her usual events. When she touches someone who is about to commit murder or who is going to be murdered, it’s extremely violent. She typically collapses, gets sick, she’s weak, all of that. This was, in comparison, nothing. I don’t get it.”
“I don’t get it either,” said Ghost. “Code? Sly? Any unsolved mysteries following Hampton around? Maybe murders that happened in the cities he was in before coming here.”
“I’m checking on that now, but there were a lot of murders in and around these cities. Hampton is fifty-one, so I’m going back to mid-teens and struggling to find any connections but give me some time.”
“Why that tree? That park?” asked Jean thoughtfully. “We keep saying this, but seriously, none of it makes any sense. There are all those gorgeous trees along Canal or in the Garden District. So many trees that have just as much significance.”
“Maybe the trees or the land is an indication of what the true answer is,” said Ian. Jean nodded at the other men.
“I guess we’re about to find out.”
“Irene, how long do you think this is gonna last?” asked Ruby, seated next to her friend in the tree. The boys had brought a ladder that was easier for her to climb, allowing her to get up on the perch and enjoy her friend’s company.
“I’m not sure. Grover doesn’t seem to be able to give me all the answers I need. It’s bits and pieces at a time. Poor thing has been stuck for so long, he’s strugglin’ to get back all those memories.”
“I suspect they were painful,” said Ruby. “Think about it. The time when he came to New Orleans would not have been welcoming for a young black man. If he was educated, like he said, and was all starry-eyed, he was probably vocal. Again, not a good idea for a young black man in the late 1700s.”
“I’m sorry, Ruby,” said Irene, squeezing her hand. “I didn’t think that this might be painful for you.”
“Now, you know I don’t think about that at all. I’ve had my experiences with hate-filled folks, and I’ve dealt with them. I’ve had a good life in spite of what people might think. You and I are like sisters, and I treasure our friendship. Ain’t nothin’ you could say that would upset me.”
“That’s why I love you, Ruby.”
“You love one another even though one of you is white and the other negro?” asked Grover. The women smiled at the ghostly image and nodded.
“We do,” said Ruby. “The color of my skin has never meant anything to this woman. She’s been my best friend for almost my entire life.”
“I don’t think I had a best friend,” he said quietly. “I always had my nose in a book, hoping to be able to learn enough that I could start my own business when I arrived in England. I was close to my sister, but I don’t even know what happened to her.”
“Would you like the boys to try and find out for you?” asked Irene.
“Can they do that?” he asked.
“My boys can do just about anything,” smiled Irene with pride. “Sly? You hear me, baby?”
“Yes, ma’am, I hear you. I’ll check on his sister. What was her name?”
“What was her name, honey?”
“Grisella St. Jean. Grisella, sweet, sweet, Grisella. She was the most beautiful girl on the island, and every man wanted her. I hope that my parents chose wisely for her.”
“Did you ever marry?” asked Ruby. Grover stared at her, frowning as he looked down. Then, he suddenly looked up with a realization and surprise.
“I did!”
“You did? What was her name?” asked Ruby.
“Tia.”