Chapter 12 #2
I didn’t tell him about the envelope because I needed a break from it all. I didn’t want to think about what was inside of it. I didn’t feel like opening it and I knew if I would’ve told Julian about it, he would’ve wanted me to see what was inside of it.
“I’ma order room service. I already know you’re going to say you’re not hungry but I’m getting you something to eat anyway,” Julian said just as someone knocked on our door.
While he went to see who it was, I took out a fresh pair of pj’s. When he came back to the area where the bed was, he was holding a big basket filled with different kinds of teas, a couple of lush bath bombs, different kinds of chocolates and two small bottles of champagne.
Julian placed an order for food, then went into the bathroom to run my bathwater while I stood at the large window in the room and looked out at the small town. In the far distance I could see the river, I could see the church, and part of the cemetery.
Julian knew me better than I knew myself.
By the time I got out of the tub, there was a spread of all my favorite foods.
Even though I didn’t think I had an appetite, I ate until I couldn’t eat anymore.
Being that it was his last night here, and I didn’t know how long it would be until I’d see him again, I took the time in the tub, to try to clear my mind so that it wouldn’t ruin our last night together.
Since I wasn’t much of a drinker, the champagne helped me focus on my man.
We made love until he fell asleep, but afterward I couldn’t quite go to sleep.
It seemed like as soon as he closed his eyes, all the things I tried to put to the back of my mind came flooding back to the forefront.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop thinking about the stories Dessa Mae told, all the things surrounding my dad, including what I still needed to find out about his murder, feeling like Seraphine betrayed me and I couldn’t get Ezekiel outta my head.
I felt like the Dubois family knew exactly what happened to my dad, and even though Seraphine and Ezekiel were young, that didn’t excuse them from not knowing.
Even Solomon, now I understood why he’d look at me the way he did whenever he saw me.
Last time I saw him, he mentioned we should meet up, and now I was thinking that was something I really should do.
I had some questions for him, and I hoped that maybe he could help me figure some things out.
I didn’t expect him to tell me anything that would compromise his family.
I remember Dessa Mae saying something about Vivienne and my dad having information that led to his death basically, and then her signing out the same files as my dad had me wanting to find out as much as I could about her.
Her name was signed, Vivienne Baptiste, which meant that she wasn’t a Dubois.
According to the picture at the coffee shop, Solomon was the oldest so that meant it was possible he knew more than Ezekiel and Seraphine.
Maybe I could find him and see if he could tell me anything about Vivienne that could help me put some things together.
The Next Morning….
When I felt Julian rubbing the side of my face, it legit felt like I’d just fallen to sleep.
“I’m bout to head out baby…”
“I really wish you could stay longer.”
“I do too. You gon’ be okay?”
“Yeah, of course. Yesterday was a whole lot but you made it all better last night.” I lied but at the same time I wasn’t going to beg him to stay.
We kissed a few times, then he scurried out so he could head to the airport since it was a few hours away.
He didn’t want to risk missing his flight because he had some important meetings later today and court first thing tomorrow morning that he had to get ready for.
I was thankful for the time we spent together; I would probably surprise him with our next visit.
I stayed in the bed for a little while longer and in true Julian fashion, once I got up, I wasn’t surprised to see that he had ordered food service earlier.
Thankfully there was a microwave in the room because it was cold and I hated cold food.
I needed my meals to be pipping hot. Once I ate, I got dressed then headed out with one destination in mind.
As I waited for the elevator to come, I reached into my purse and pulled out the envelope the receptionist gave me yesterday. When I opened it, there was a note that said…
Ms. Sinclair…
Some exist for the obvious and some for a reason. Stop disturbing what God has chosen to bury. If I were you, I’d let dead dogs lie and leave Magnolia before Magnolia Graves keeps you buried next to a bleeding tree… This is your first and last warning.
There was no signature and it was typed and not handwritten.
Someone wasn’t happy about me being here and it was going to take more than a typed letter to get me to leave before I figured out why my dad was killed and who was responsible for it.
Stepping onto the elevator I couldn’t wait to get to the lobby.
I kept pressing the #1 button in hopes that it would make the car go faster.
Soon as the bell rung and door opened, I nearly tripped on my own feet as I scurried over to the reception desk.
“Hey sweetie, how was the rest of your night?”
“It was great. Thanks so much for the basket…but that envelope you gave me-”
“Oh honey, I meant to tell you yesterday when I gave it to you that it was sitting here waiting when I came back from lunch yesterday.” She interrupted.
I wanted to ask her to check the cameras, but I didn’t want to do too much. Instead, I went to the garage, jumped in my SUV then headed to the one place I hadn’t planned on visiting again quite so soon.
Once I parked at Magnolia cemetery, I went into the office and got the directions for the grave I wanted to visit then headed straight there.
The further I walked it seemed like I had taken a step back in time.
The back of the cemetery was nothing like the front.
You could tell these graves were older because the headstones were large, weathered and ancient looking.
When the map showed that I had reached my destination I wasn’t surprised when I saw the tall magnolia tree with crimson red blooms. As I looked at the headstone an eerie vibe wrapped itself around me and for the first time since I’d been in Magnolia, I felt intense fear.
This was a very chilling and haunting sight.
Vivienne Elise Baptiste
May 18, 1978 – September 14, 2003
As I stared at her death date it hit me that she died a month before my dad died. The fact that they were somehow connected and that they both was searching through the same files and now only died a month apart was some creepy shit. Who the hell was Vivienne Baptiste and why and how did she die?
What was even creepier were the two words under her birth and death dates… She Remembered.
Right under those words was a magnolia emblem engraved on the headstone. What the hell did she remember and was it why she died? My heart started to beat faster as I tried to figure out why an emblem would be engraved on her headstone. Was she also connected to the Dubois?
As I stared at the emblem, I saw a small hairline fracture running across it.
The headstone was made from granite, and the fracture ran from one side of the headstone to the other.
I took my camera out and took a few pictures of her headstone then I heard footsteps coming up from behind me.
When I turned around it was Ezekiel, his presence was cold, yet I wasn’t afraid of him.