Another Deception (24 page)

     Jacks was looking at her in such a way that she stopped talking for a minute and he leaned his head back and closed his eyes to think about what he was hearing. He remembered when he first met Asa back in Jersey, at the stone house. He remembered the feeling
that finally there was someone who may possibly care about him and the fierce loyalty he felt at the beginning
. He could understand a child growing up knowing nothing else….he opened his eyes and looked to see if Jessie was still awake. She was.

“Tell me more. Please. I want to know everything.”

The woman closed her eyes.

“When I finished college things changed. I was twenty-three and I was home more. There were all these people, strange people, coming in and out. I saw things and started asking questions. That was when he tried to convince me that I could be one of them. I refused and he was furious with me.

I threatened to take Mother and leave. That is when he forced me to take drugs… and then the men started coming to my room. After a while, I took the drugs gladly. I stayed high twenty-four, seven and did not care who came and went from my bed. I was so addicted that I would do anything for more drugs.”

“How long?
How long did he…?”

“I think five to six years. I lost track of time. There were many other young girls at times but they only stayed a few days and then I would be alone again.
Alone to roll in the misery of drug and alcohol abuse.”

“I don’t understand. You seem fine now.”

“Because I am fine now, but that came later, much later. It came with Abby. She is the best thing that ever happened to me.”

     Jessie smiled and looked over at the sleeping girl.

“To make a long story short, I got high with one of the workers who came to do some work on the house and though I really don’t remember much about him, he left me this gift. I discovered I was pregnant and did a one ninety turn around. Just like that, I quit using, cold turkey. I promised Asa I would not try to leave if he would not force the drugs on me and he agreed. I was very lucky that she was born perfect. My life changed and I devoted myself entirely to her care.”

     Jacks glanced over at the sleeping child and could not help but ask,

“Considering what happened to you, were you not afraid he would do the same to her, as he did to you? I guess I am wondering why you did not just leave?”

     Jessie smiled and shook her head.

“How could you understand? My life was all I knew. He was all I knew. Until a short while ago, I still believed him to be my grandfather.”

“How did you learn different?”

“He changed when he changed bodies and I heard him talking to someone. He was furious to have Garrett’s body, but from what I gathered, once a jump
has been made
, there is no going back. I started putting things together and every time he had visitors, I eavesdropped to learn all I could. Once they even talked about our father and that is how I know they killed him.”

    Jacks was silent for a minute, then asked,

“One more thing, does she…Millie, our mother, so hard to think of calling someone mother, but with her like this all the time, how do you know what happened to me? How did I get to that orphanage?”

     Jessie smiled.

“That I know because of a woman called Sang-mi. I think she was a friend of yours?”

     Jacks jerked his head up.

“Sang-mi?
What does she have to do with all this?”

“She came to see me at the stone house. She came as a
cleaning woman
looking for work and when I let her enter, she explained to me about you. She was looking for your mother too.”

“I know and I think it got her killed. That does not explain how you know what happened to me, as you said already you hardly even remembered me.”

“Oh yeah, she said there was someone who told her that a woman came in the middle of the night begging them to take the baby… you… to that particular orphanage. When they asked your name,

they
said the woman said it is Jacks, just Jacks.

It could have been Mother in one of her less medicated states or the nurse who maybe
was too attached
to you, who knows? Does it really matter so much, Jacks? We are all together again and we should be happy!”

    
Jacks was
again silent for a while and with his eyes closed imagined a much different life he would have had if it were not for the evil, who now resided in Garrett’s body. He had never wanted to kill before but he wanted to kill now, the person responsible for making him an orphan.

     With this, his last waking thought, he drifted into a troubled sleep.

29

    
S
omething was bothering Cranford.

     After he got home, he took the paper out and looked at it again. No matter how much he wished the contents had changed since the last time he looked, it did not. The names written and marked through were the same names of every high profile murder victim of the last few weeks. What he was most concerned with was the names not marked off. Anybody could have a list of murder victims and it would not be a big deal, but the other names could only mean one thing and no matter how he wished it would go away, he knew it was not going
to
. He was going to have to confront Frank and made his mind up to do it first thing the next morning.

     His intentions were good but when he turned the news on while getting ready for work the next morning, it was too late for number six on the list. Cranford felt ill.

“Frank, my god.
What have you done?”

     He grabbed his jacket and hurried out the door, all the while trying to convince himself that it was already too late for the dead man when he left the office the evening before. Evidently, Frank went straight from there to where he found victim number six and left him as dead as the other five. Only this time it was someone they both knew. It was Captain Davis.

     Frank got to the office early and had already looked everywhere for his list. He realized he did not have it when he went to mark Davis’ name off. What a fluke! He was sure he had it just before he left the office.

“Where the hell is it?”

“Is this what you are looking for, son?”

     Frank whirled around coming face to face with Cranford, who was holding the paper in his hand. Warily, Frank nodded and reached for it but Cranford pulled it back.

“You have seen the names.”

     It was a statement, not a question and Cranford nodded.

“You know the
sonsofbitches
eat little kids! You watched it for yourself! You know how the system works for people like this! Most of them would walk on a technicality and you know it!”

“I want you to tell me the truth about this and how you happen to know for a fact that these men are…were what you say.”

“Yes sir.
The truth.”

      Frank sat on the edge of his desk and rubbed his face.

“Truth is
,
I have watched each of them enough not to have made any mistakes. Knowing this made it easy, no not
easy,
it made it a joy to kill every one of the bastards!”

“Captain Davis. How long did you know about him?”

“Since before I came over here. I knew about most of them when I came. The rest I got from the film we got that night you were with me. I know you thought it was no good but it was. I made it no good after I got what I wanted. That is why I was so excited to get into this position. My
life’s
work, all right here, in that little piece of paper you got there. Man, I have worked all my life to see these men…and woman, die for what they have done and what they are.”

     Cranford had sat down in his chair listening to Frank. He believed him. Oh, maybe he would not have if it were not for that one night he saw with his own eyes what some people were capable
of
. He still had nightmares about the scene he watched that night.

     Frank watched him worriedly.

“Cranford, what are you going to do?”

     Cranford got up, threw the paper down on the desk near Frank and said,

“Do? Why, I have
not
the
slightest
idea what you are talking about…and if you are caught, I do not know anything.
Understood?
Now don’t you have some work you need to be doing?”

“Yes sir…
Cranford?”

“What?”

“Thanks.”

     Cranford walked away and out the door. He needed to take a walk to clear his head. He just let a serial killer go. However, somehow he really did not feel bad for doing it. In fact, he remembered every name on that list and he hoped every one of them died a horrible death.

    He was just about to go back to the office when his cell phone rang. It was Anna and she was so excited that she could hardly talk but something about the calendar she was babbling about and he told her he would come over so as soon as she hung up, he called Frank and told him to meet him at the car.

“I am so glad you came right away!”

     Anna said, as soon as she opened the door for them.

     Cranford stepped in behind Frank and they followed her to the kitchen, where she had the calendar spread out on the table.

“You sounded like you had something for us and we could sure use a break in this case.

“Well, I am not sure if it will or not help but it is very interesting what I found out about this picture here on the top. See?”

“It sure is a nice one but I don’t get it.”

     Leaning over to see it better, still Cranford shook his head and stood back while Frank studied it.

“Neither did I, but the little Korean woman who helps out here sometimes noticed it laying here and was excited about it and when I asked her why, this is what she told me. It tells a story about a man who comes when the moon is blue which only happens once in a hundred years. When this happens, whoever eats the flesh of his first-born will have the ultimate power for the next one hundred years. There are only a few people who know the secret of this, for it is handed down only through the shaman linage only.”

     Frank looked up and asked,

“Then how is it that she knew this?”

“Oh, I asked her that too and she says her grandfather was a shaman.”

“So when is this ‘blue’ moon supposed to happen? Did she tell you that?”

“Oh my, I still cannot get past what they do to a child, but she did say that it was getting close to the time. Is this going to help you in any way with your case?”

      Cranford gave
her a
pat to the back.

“I am sure it fits in somewhere, but time will tell if it will matter or not. Thank you for sharing.”

       Frank was silent, not offering any input and Cranford was interested to hear his thoughts. He declined the offer of refreshments and told Anna that they would keep in touch. As soon as they were back in the car, he asked Frank what he was thinking.

“I am thinking that we now know why this sect is interested in Jacks. He will produce this century’s blue baby and that Cranford, is a real prize to these freaks. I was not sure before but now I am. You see, if what
is generally called
a ‘jumper’ had possession of Jacks’ body then that entity would control any offspring. Therefore, the blue moon baby would belong to him. Whoever it is, missed the opportunity to jump into Jacks and now is desperate to control him until he produces his first-born child. This child
would be used
in a highly coveted ceremony where the infant would be prepared for satanic rites and devoured only by the person in control. All the rest would then have to kneel before this one and proclaim him their lord and master.”

     Cranford was trying to wrap his head around what Frank was saying, but the thought of what these people did made him physically ill just talking about it. If he had been wrestling with guilt feelings of what Frank was doing, this quelled them and he hoped he got
every last
one of them. He knew that if Captain Davis was one of them, there were likely many more within New York’s law enforcement personal, as well as in the political realm. No way,
would any of these people be brought
to justice. As far as he was concerned, Frank was dishing out the only justice any one of them deserved. He was so glad he would soon be leaving his job and just as soon as his time was up, he would have definite plans for retiring somewhere besides this city.