Page 103 of The Deadly Candies

“He came to the house with the sheriff, pretending to be law from New Orleans. Said he was looking for Aunt Janey."

"Sweet Jesus," Claudia breathed. "That devil's still breathing?"

Brenda set her cup down with trembling hands. "Don't know how he's alive or why he's still chasing Janey after all these years. If he came looking..." Her voice broke. "Then she's in real trouble." She fixed Kathy with a penetrating stare. "Why'd you say he was pretending?"

Kathy swallowed hard. "He... he told me about him and Janey. Said she was his wife, that she got in trouble in California, and he had to protect her. Take her out of the country again."

Brenda and Claudia exchanged a loaded glance. "Things work differently in New Orleans," Brenda finally said. “In some parishes, Sicilians are both the law and the criminals. Bonanno was pure evil - ruined a family of friends Janey cared about, and made good people lose everything. Your aunt... she didn't take that lying down." Brenda's fingers tightened around her cup. "Janey did what Janey does best. Slipped into his life, sweet-talked him with her candies... tried to kill him."

Kathy held back.

"We thought he'd die," Brenda continued. "Lord knows he should have. When he didn't, Janey called us in a panic. You were just a babe, maybe three or four." Brenda's eyes grew distant. “I took the first train to New Orleans. Did what I could to help, but... it was ugly work. That man had the devil's own strength. The only man I ever saw survive one of Janey's... candies. Left him crippled though. Sick for years, that’s what I thought.”

Kathy watched her mother's face twist with painful memories. "And Janey... she changed overnight. Suddenly, the man she hated was a saint. Said God showed her his goodness through surviving her test." Brenda shook her head. "We fought terribly over it. Accused me of throwing scripture in her face when I was just trying to help her heal, save her soul. That's what broke us apart as sisters. I had to get news of her through Izzie after that."

Kathy's mind reeled. "Poison? You're saying Aunt Janey is a... killer?Like Bonanno said.”

Brenda's gaze turned sorrowful.

“But she hasn't hurt nobody in Butts, Mama," Kathy insisted. "She took me to your mama's old cabin. Just cried over a dress and some shoes, then left."

Brenda's hand shot out, gripping Kathy's wrist. "You were at the Elliot place? And nobody stopped you?"

Kathy shrugged. "No ma'am. They let us walk right in."

"Sweet Jesus protect us!" Claudia clutched her chest.

Brenda turned to her sister-in-law. "See what I been telling you? That Janey no good for my child."

"It wasn't like that!" Kathy jumped up. "Wait—I’ll show you.” She hurried to her purse, returning with a small book and changing her purse. “I found these there. I meant to give them to you."

The color drained from Brenda's face. With trembling hands, she took the items. "You... found these?"

"Yes, ma'am. In the kitchen near the stove, while Janey was in another room."

Claudia crossed herself. "Lord, have mercy..."

"That means," Brenda whispered hoarsely, tears spilling down her cheeks, "Janey's been going back to the Elliot place regularly.”

Kathy shook her head. "No, she acted like she'd never been there before!"

Brenda wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Tell me everything you saw."

As Kathy recounted every detail, the women listened in grave silence. Finally Brenda spoke: "After they lynched my mama, Big Mama took us in. Got the Elliots to let her take Mama's things - clothes, homemade quilts, her little book." Her finger traced the worn leather cover. "Janey and me, we'd play dress-up in Mama's clothes as girls. Pretend, make imaginary meals." A bitter laugh escaped her. "Didn't know it was her poison recipes until Big Mama found us and locked everything away. Haven't seen these since..." Her voice broke. "But Janey has. And she took them back to that cursed cabin. But why?"

Brenda gathered their hands, her grip fierce. "We can't help Janey unless she wants helping. All we can do is pray." As their heads bowed, Kathy struggled to reconcile this dark history with the smiling, generous aunt she knew.

"She'll turn up soon," Claudia murmured when the prayer ended.

Brenda sighed heavily. "That's exactly what worries me."

31

Brooklyn, New York - 1949

Carmelo paced the floor. Across the room, Matteo leaned against the wall, the telephone receiver pressed to his ear, his knuckles whitening around the black Bakelite.

When Matteo finally hung up, the click of the cradle sounded like a gunshot in the heavy silence. Carmelo froze mid-step, his chest tight with anticipation.

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