Subj: Where Are the Angels? Chapter 24
Date: 11/19/00 6:40:59 PM Central Standard Time
From: Melissa
"I swear to you Mr. Collins," Mordecai Chase said. "I saw Mr. Barnabas walking out of the woods onto the docks."
"My son is dead and buried. It's impossible," Joshua said angrily. "Where were you when you saw this?"
"Comin' out of The Blue Whale."
"How many drinks did you have last night?"
"Not many, Russell don't like me cause I drive away the young kids who wanna do that karaoke."
"Get out, I don't want to hear any of your stories spread all over town," Joshua said getting up from his chair.
"But I'm tellin' the truth," Mordecai said.
"Leave now before I have to send for security."
"Mordecai saw that he was getting no where, he walked out of the room quietly. Joshua sat back into his chair. He couldn't let Naomi hear about this, it would kill her.
"Mr. Collins the sheriff is here to see you," Linda said over the intercom.
"Send him in," Joshua said sitting back.
"Hi Sam," Joshua said shaking the sheriff's hand.
"Hello Joshua. When was the last time you saw you daughter-in-law?"
"Last night, why?" Joshua asked.
"Her body was found on the docks this morning by Marshell Gibson."
"What happened?"
"It looks like she was attacked by the person who attacked your son. The wounds were identical."
"I don't believe it, I didn't even know that she left the house. She was going back to France soon."
"Does she have any family?"
"Her mother I believe," Joshua said, "I'll have to call her."
"I need you to come and identify the body," Sam said.
"Of course," Joshua said, "Linda," he said pushing the intercom button.
"Yes Mr. Collins?"
"I'm going to go with the Sheriff to the police station," he said.
"I was going to ask you if it would be okay if I left early today, my mother's coming for Erin's birthday."
"That's fine, why don't you just lock up then, I don't think I'll be coming back today."
"I'll see you Monday," Linda said.
"Have a good weekend, and tell Erin that I hope she has a very happy birthday," Joshua said.
"Thank you Mr. Collins I will," Linda said.
Sam and Joshua left the offices and went to Joshua's car, "We need to go to the police station George."
"Yes sir."
"Why was Mordecai in your office today?"
"He told me that he saw Barnabas on the docks last night."
"That drunk fool," Sam said.
They sat in silence for the rest of the ride. When they got to the station Sam lead Joshua to the back room.
"Let me see Mrs. Collins," Sam told the orderly.
The small man pulled out the gurney and pulled down the sheet. "Is that her," Sam asked.
"Yes that's her," Joshua said shaking his head. It was a shame how things turned out. "You don't have any leads yet?"
"No, the thing is that we don't have any witnesses and Barnabas couldn't tell us anything that we could use, it was just incoherent ramblings."
"If there is anything that I can do," Joshua said.
"You'll be the first one I call," Sam said.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Josette lay tossing and turning in her bed in Valrosa, her dreams were filled of the past, back to happier days.
A voice was calling her; the voice was so familiar. She sat up and looked around, the room was empty, but the voice was still calling her. She got up slowly from her bed and walked to the door, she walked out into the hall.
"Josette," the voice called.
"Who's there," she called out.
"Josette," the voice said again. She moved toward the stairs and made her way down. The voice was getting louder.
She opened the door to the library, the fire was dying, but the light was still bright enough for her to see a figure in the corner of the room.
"Who are you?" she asked.
The figure moved out of the shadows. "It can't be," Josette gasped.
"I've come to warn you. You're in danger, you must be careful. It's far from over."
To be continued. . . .