Page 23 of Death in the New Year

“Yep,” he laughed. “Grandma Ruby is something else. I admire that she did what she had to do to keep her family alive. She left quite a legacy to my mother, aunts, and uncles. They were all able to attend college, and so were all the grandchildren. All because of what she did for us, what she sacrificed.”

“I suppose that is one way of looking at it,” he said quietly.

“Reverend, no offense, but it’s the only way of looking at it. A black woman at that time would have been forced to give up her children had she not been able to provide for them. She fought to keep her family together, and she provided for them. Thrived with them.”

“I didn’t mean to offend you, Barry. I just never knew about her background.” Barry frowned at the reverend, nodding. He didn’t like the tone he used, and for some reason, it ate at him. He’d never heard him with a tone of judgment in his voice.

“I’m going to finish up in the back, and then I’ll be headed home,” said Barry. “Let me know if there’s anything else you need before I leave.”

“Barry? I’m sorry. I don’t judge your grandmother at all. It was just a surprise.” Barry nodded, giving a half smile as he left the room.

Reverend Sizemore followed him with his eyes as he left, feeling shameful for having any disparaging thoughts of the woman.

Barry was right. She should be admired for doing all that she could to keep her family together. Most women wouldn’t have been able to lower themselves to that level, to open their bodies and their legs to any man with enough money to pay for it. It must have been horrible for her.

Still, what she did was a sin, and sins were either forgiven or paid for. He would just have to wait and see which category she fell into.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

“We’ve got three days until New Year’s Eve,” said Gaspar.

“I know,” said Nine. “It comes on the same day every year.”

“It’s not that,” said Gaspar, staring at his old friend. “There’s something about all of this that feels as though it might be escalating. I’m not sure what makes me feel that way, but my gut is saying this guy wants to make a statement for the new year.”

“I hope to fuck you’re wrong,” said Ghost, walking into the room. “I was just in the comms room, and the boys were giving me the list of missing persons.”

“Persons? As in multiple people?” asked Ian.

“Yep. It’s a mixed bag. Seniors, men, women, couples, they even just got a report of a school bus filled with high school cheerleaders headed to a cheer competition that never showed up at the location for the event.”

“Fuck me,” growled Gaspar.

“Gaspar! Gaspar!” called Alexandra, running down the hall. He stood from the chair, racing into the hallway as she ran toward him.

“What? What the hell is wrong?” he asked. Alexandra never panicked. She was a cool, calm, collected woman who didn’t show emotion easily. This was not his wife.

“There’s something wrong with the animals on the island.”

“Something wrong? What do you mean?” he asked.

“I don’t know. Lucy and Sniff asked me to come and get all of you. Trak is out there now with the others, trying to calm them.”

The stomping feet of men and one tiny woman took off down the hallway and out the door to the ATVs and headed toward the docks. Once there, they boarded one of the boats and took off toward the island. As they got closer, they could see the animals pacing back and forth, the elephants trumpeting loudly.

“What the hell is going on?” asked Gaspar.

Trak was walking toward them with Wilson, Pork, and Kegger. They were donned in their wet suits, making their way to the west side of the island near the land bridge that brought visitors to the animals.

“What the fuck is happening?” asked Nine.

“Alvin says a bus went into the bayou early this morning,” said Trak. “He didn’t know until he arrived, and the other animals told him.”

“A bus. A bus,” whispered Ian. “Shit, no. Shit, fuck me, damn, no!” Trak stared at his friend.

“We got word that a busload of high school cheerleaders headed to a competition never made it. We didn’t think it would be anything related to what we’re doing.”

“Cameras,” said Trak, grabbing the rest of his gear. “Check the cameras and see what we can find. Someone drove that bus over the land bridge.”

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