Subj: Where Are the Angels? Chapter 29
Date: 3/3/01 5:55:42 PM Central Standard Time
From: Melissa
Josette held Naomi's hand as the finale of Lee Holdridge's East of Eden played.
It was one of her favorite songs. Naomi was inconsolable, but she refused to
miss the funeral. Her mother had come to stay at Collinwood for awhile.
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Jacqueline Woodridge walked into the conservatory, and found Josette sitting on one of the benches. She coughed and Josette looked up surprised.
She stood up and smoothed her jeans. Jacqueline thought she looked lovely in the plum colored sweater. "Mrs. Woodridge, I didn't hear you come in."
"I'm sorry if I'm disturbing you, dear."
"Oh not at all, I was just thinking," Josette said sadly.
"I know what you mean. I've been thinking about when Barnabas and Sarah were children. After Barnabas was born Joshua didn't want another child. Naomi had always wanted a large family. Sarah was a happy accident for Naomi, but she was worried about what Joshua would say, so she didn't tell him about the pregnancy for a month. When Sarah was born, I don't think I saw a more devoted father than he was, she was his sunshine."
Jacqueline sat down beside Josette, "Barnabas would always tell me how special she was to him."
"Yes he loved her, more than he even expected to I think."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Barnabas looked down at the body of his old friend. Anger still filled him, he would have never thought that Ben would do anything like this, but he had the evidence in his hand. Ben didn't say anything in his defense, so it was true, Ben Stokes had done despicable things to his sister, and he had avenged her.
For behind him someone laughed, it was a laughter that made his blood run cold. He turned and saw Angèlique smiling at him with a victorious look across her face.
"Why are you so surprise Barnabas?" she asked. She looked down and laughed, "I told you Ben, I bet you wish I put you out of your misery instead, don't you?"
"What are you doing here?" Barnabas demanded.
"Well there's something that you should know. Ben didn't do that to your sister, he could, he loved her almost as much as you did."
"What are you talking about?"
"Ben didn't kill Sarah, I did. I went to her disguised as you. So her dear brother was the last thing she saw. But don't worry she realized that it wasn't you, before she died. I suppose you will be glad to know that Sarah wasn't violated after all," Angèlique sounding like pure evil.
"Do you have any regrets Barnabas?" she asked when he didn't say anything. "Well I'll let you think about it," she said. "I'll come back soon Barnabas."
And she was gone, Barnabas felt tears roll down his cheeks, he hadn't been able to cry, it was a relief to know that Ben hadn't done those awful things to Sarah, he had killed one of his best friends, he had to stop Angèlique.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Three weeks had past since Sarah's death, and Barnabas hadn't gone to see Josette. He thought that if he didn't go to her, then perhaps then she would be safe from Angèlique, at least for a little while.
Josette had returned to Valrosa after spending the past few weeks at Collinwood with the family. She went into the bedroom and took out a change of clothes. She turned on the stereo, and let Debussy fill the room. She pulled on her sweat pants and a tee shirt.
She went down to the kitchen and got a lemon yogurt. She went back to her room and ate her yogurt, what happened to Barnabas? Did he have anything to do with Ben's death?
That had been a shock to everyone, the police suspected that there was a serial killer on the loose, there had been four other deaths not counting the deaths of Barnabas, Angèlique, Sarah. There were no clues. Police suspected that the same individual did not kill Ben, because of the way the body had been mutilated.
She went to the answering machine and listened to her messages. There was one from her father and one from her Aunt Natalie, one from Peter, and one from Peyton. She'd call them back later, she was too tired to talk to anyone today.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Against his better judgement, Barnabas went to Valrosa, he stood in the shadows and watched Josette. He wished to be with her, to hold her in his arms.
How could he save her, he wondered. He turned leaving, he felt the hunger come over him once again.