CHAPTER 14 Off To The Bokor’s Temple
Doc and Kara were taken to the hospital. Earl was checked by the doctor and released. The others were all too macho to be checked by the doctor.
“Pretty close call,” Mac said as he slapped Toney on the shoulder. “I want you and Bobby to go home and rest up a bit. I’ll get Wally to help me and Adam.”
“No Sarge. We are okay, really we are.” Bobby pleaded and Toney agreed with him.
“You do as you are told. Take it easy for a few days. You both heard what the doctor said about breathing in and getting all that dust in your lungs. It would be easy to develop pneumonia.” Mac would not listen to their arguments.
Doc was sitting up in the bed when Mac and Adam came in. “Doing better Doc?” Mac asked. “Yeah, a lot better and thanks Mac. I’m sorry I wasn’t real hospitable last time we talked.”
“Well Doc, I have got questions, lots of questions.” Mac stated. You can clear up a whole lot, just be honest with us. Okay Doc, tell us what is going on. We already know about Charity’s murder and Stewart going to prison.
“I’ll start back eight years ago. Stewart was found guilty, and it was pretty obvious, with the evidence pointing to him. But Denise who was 16 at the time and Colton, who was 14, did not believe their father was guilty.
Denise even stated that Inez and I would ’be sorry’ for falsely accusing her father of the rape and murder, but neither Inez or myself accused Stewart. Colton was not as vocal as Denise but he went along with her.
Charity was murdered on June 16, 1881, and Stewart arrested two days later. Inez was murdered on June 16, 1889. I suspected right away that Denise and Colton had something to do with it, but whether they did it themselves or hired someone, I didn’t know. Then I learned of the three men from New Orleans. I never thought of them killing the hobos, or kidnapping Ella. I thought they would come directly after me, but that wasn’t the plan. Then murder of Inez was part of the plan, and setting up the connections to voodoo and black magic, that also was part of the plan.
You guys took the bait, hook, line, and sinker. But you were a little smarter than they thought, and Ella turned out to be a tough little cookie and threw a wrench in the plan.”
“So, Denise and Colton wanted to frame you for the murders and avenge Stewart’s death.” Mac asked.
“Oh Mac, Stewart is not dead. He has been living in New Orleans since his escape, and has not been in St. Louis at all. The two women and the child in the crawlspace at the old mill were Colton’s wife, his wife’s sister and the sister’s daughter. They were all three raped and killed, not by Stewart, but by Colton. Colton also killed Charity and probably more we are not aware of. He paid Jacque and Andre to kill Inez.”
“Now I understand why Inez made so many trips to New Orleans.” Mac said.
“Mac, that’s when she discovered that Calvin was actually Colton. He had been living and working here for two years and we had no idea.”
“What about Denise?” Adam wanted to know. “How is she fitting in to all of this?”
“She was part of the setup and then the cover up. I believe you have met Denise, Adam.”
Adam looked puzzled.
“She goes by the name of Desiree now.” Doc revealed.
Mac and Adam left the hospital room. Mac made arrangement to have officers posted at Doc and Kara’s rooms.
Mac wanted to arrest Denise or Desiree as she called herself now, before she could flee. If she could get away from St. Louis, she would be very hard to find. But Mac’s main concern was to capture Calvin. Not only was he involved in this conspiracy and murder, but he was a serial killer, who would kill again.
Mac took Adam and six other officers and rushed to the Bokor’s Temple in the latin community of East St. Louis, and although Emilio had attempted to confuse the officers the last time, so they could not find their way to the temple, his efforts failed. Mac and Adam knew exactly where to go. Surrounding the temple and securing all doors and escape routes, Mac and Adam entered the temple. The small hallways and rooms seemed to just wind around and around in circles. All windows and openings were covered to prevent light from entering. Mac and Adam would rip off any window coverings as they came upon them, allowing light in. A crowd of people began to gather outside the temple, watching as the officers ripped the cover off of the windows and searched the temple for the Priestess. Desiree was not found.
Outside the temple rumors began to be spread. Some were saying the Priestess had simply escaped, other that she had made herself invisible, or that she had made herself disappear.
Mac remembered searching at Doc’s stable, and the second tunnel and ladder to the blacksmith shop.
“Look for anywhere there may be a trap door and escape route.” Mac ordered the officers helping with the search. A short while later, Pete Green and Mikey Sparrow, referred to as ‘Bird’ by the other officers were looking at the Pentagram on the raised portion of the floor. Bird kicked the side of it and realizing it was hollow grasped the edge of the top and raised it up.
“Well, looky here.” Bird exclaimed. “Hey, Mac. I found your escape tunnel. It wasn’t hidden very well, was it?” Bird pointed out.
Mac looked into the opening and saw a ladder.
“Guess she went out this way. Pete, you and Bird check it out. See where it leads to.”
“Will do Mac. Grab a lantern Bird.” Pete said. The lantern was lit and the two officers started in.
The coverings over the windows were removed and a portion of the windows were painted black. The painted windows were broken out by the officers, providing a view into the Temple many of the locals had never seen. It also provided a view out into the street. Adam stood next to the pentagram and looked out into the crowd in the street. He looked at all the people fascinated by the scene inside the temple. Then he saw eyes staring at him over the edge of a cloak held in front of a face. He stared into those eyes, beautiful eyes. The cloak slowly moved down revealing the beautiful face, he had seen before. His eyes locked on that face. Without looking away, he yelled loudly, “Mac! She’s outside.”
Mac looked quickly, but did not see her. Adam ran toward the window, diving through the window and into the street. He quickly stood and looked to where she was standing, but she was gone. Adam ran the direction he thought she had gone.
Mac and Wally ran into the street also and pushed their way through the crowd. They made their way to the window Adam came through, but he was not there. Neither did they see the Priestess.
Pete and Bird reached the bottom of the ladder and began to follow the tunnel. They had traveled about thirty feet when they saw an old slender sickly looking man and two beautiful women, one on each side of him, kneeling on the floor. He had his backed turned to them, and as he turned around they saw the fuse burning. Mac and Wally, who were still outside heard a loud explosion. The crowd outside the temple started running in panic not knowing what had taken place.