Exousia (Karass Chronicles Book 4) Read online

  “I know. Me too. But we all need to know who else Grant had been working with, and what he was doing. Sam says that the FBI has no idea where he initially began. Did Grant train with someone, or did he just become who he was on his own? Grant kept very few written records. He must have stored most of the information in his head.

  “Anyway, as they find a name or a place they start tracking how it is connected to Grant. I’m terrified that they are going to find more people like Grant and Lenny and then we will be afraid all over again,” Ava said.

  “But, dear,” Grace said, as she gently touched Ava’s hand, “Not knowing about evil doesn’t keep us safe.”

  “No, it doesn’t, even though it feels like it,” Sarah added. “It’s essential that we look for and remove evil wherever it is hiding. Whether it is inside ourselves, our communities, or the world. Because when we don’t do this, evil grows bolder. It claims more authority, and when we don’t challenge its authority, it gets more and more sure of itself.

  “We have to remember that it doesn’t have any authority at all. Although it tries to convince us that it does.”

  “I like that word you used the other day, Sarah,” Grace said. “What was it, again?”

  “Exousia. The power to act. Spiritual authority. That’s the only real authority and power.”

  The women all stopped what they were doing, and without planning to, nodded in unison, as one.

  Melvin looked around the room. “Wow. You women are something else!”

  “Tell me about it,” Hannah said, and the room erupted with laughter.

  Sarah smiled to herself. If they were able to keep laughing, they would always be safe. She and Leif had talked long into the night after the council meeting on Friday. They both agreed that whoever buried the bodies on the hill was still around. And now that people were looking for answers, that person was going to do whatever they could to stop them from finding them.

  Sarah doubted it would be visible evil. Otherwise, they would have given themselves away years before. That made them even more dangerous.

  Grace looked over at Sarah, and they smiled at each other, both of them understanding that they could no longer stay in grief. They needed to guard and protect.

  *******

  Hank took in the smell of breakfast at the Diner. He hated to admit it, but being around all those women sometimes was just too much for him. Give him coffee and a plate of eggs at the counter of a good old-fashioned diner anytime. Especially one with friends, he thought as Pete slid onto a stool beside him.

  “Man, it’s good to see you, Pete,” Hank said.

  “You, too! You look a little worn out, old friend. The women keeping you busy?”

  “Been keeping us both busy,” Hank said, gesturing at Evan as he came in the door.

  “Wow. This feels good,” Evan said, as he took the stool on the other side of Pete. “Just guys. Having breakfast. I miss it.”

  “And you wouldn’t trade any of what you have for this,” Pete added.

  “True,” Evan said, “But it’s nice to have a timeout. So now that we have established that it’s good to have a guy’s breakfast together, do you want to sit here and eat, or talk, too?”

  “Eat,” Hank said.

  “Talk,” Pete added.

  “Yeah, both,” Hank said after thinking about it. “The hill thing is getting to me. Not just the discovery, but what it means. And I know this is probably me being paranoid, but I keep thinking that Grant had something to do with this.”

  “How could that be?” Pete asked. “He wasn’t around here in the Seventies, was he? And even if he was, are those the kind of murders that he did?”

  “Well, that’s the thing. We don’t know where Grant was in the Seventies. But, you’re right about the murders. We still don’t know if they were murdered since there is no evidence of how they died. If it was Grant, though, he wouldn’t have been so subtle. There would be some kind of trauma to the bones somewhere. He liked the feeling of violence. That leaves a mark.

  “And that’s what I mean about me being paranoid. There is absolutely nothing that would account for Grant having anything to do with those bodies.”

  Evan looked up from toying with his food. “You know, Hank, I think you might be right. There is evidence that Grant knew this area at least thirty-five years ago.”

  All three men looked at each other as they realized what Evan said was true.

  “The fire,” Hank said.

  “The fire,” Evan nodded.

  “Grant had you set fire to that farmhouse. I know he told you to burn down the wrong farmhouse to make you feel guilty so that he could control you, but doesn’t that mean he had contacts here somehow? Otherwise, why here? Why that farmhouse? Was there another fire or murder here at that same time? Not one he had you do, but perhaps he did, or had someone else do for him?”

  “It makes sense,” Hank said. “Terrible sense.”

  “How will we find out?” Evan asked. “All the town records were destroyed in that flood.”

  Pete chewed his lip as he thought about what he was going to say. “Okay, I don’t think I’m betraying anyone because I know Emily has told the council about her aunt. Did she mention that she thought there were more Doveland town records in the county records housed in Pittsburgh? Perhaps she would know where to look.”

  Hank took out his phone and called Ava and asked for Emily. A few minutes later, he hung up and said, “Emily said she could go with me tomorrow. Either of you want to go, too? Perhaps, we can meet up with Sam and Craig while we’re there.”

  “I’m in,” they both said.

  Hank wasn’t sure if he felt better or worse. But he knew that knowledge was always a good thing, even if it was painful and terrifying at first. Hank hoped they didn’t find anything that tied Grant back to the bodies on the hill, but at the same time, Hank hoped they did.

  It would at least answer why he had started to have nightmares again. Maybe one day they would be over. However, he wasn’t counting on it. Hank figured it was something he would have to live with the rest of his life. There are worse things, he thought. Like being alone and afraid. He looked at his friends sitting with him and knew that no matter what, although he might be afraid, he would never be alone again.

  And as Johnny came in the door to help Alex with breakfast, Hank added to himself, and I will do whatever I can to make sure other kids don’t end up afraid and alone, either.

  Thirty

  The next morning, Ava hugged Hannah as she went off to school and kissed Evan as he and Melvin headed out to pick up Hank, Pete, and Emily to go to Pittsburgh. Melvin wanted in on the adventure, and they figured more people to look up information was a good thing. Besides, Melvin had been living in Concourse when the bodies were buried. Perhaps he would remember something by looking through the old newspapers.

  After everyone was gone, Ava stood in the middle of her living room. Bags and boxes were everywhere. Nothing could be done with them until Melvin returned. She sighed and turned away, looking for something to do with herself.

  Yesterday, the house was full. Today it was empty. Well, not empty. Ben was there too, but Ava wished there was someone to talk to about what was going on. Or about anything at all. As if reading her mind, Sarah popped into the kitchen, unannounced.

  “Sarah, you scared me. You haven’t done that astral projection thing in so long I almost forget you could do it.”

  “Well, I almost forgot, too. It was much easier when Leif was around. He basically just dragged me along. I’ve been practicing doing it by myself though. It looks like it finally worked.”

  As Ava picked up the dish towel she had dropped when Sarah arrived, Sarah added, “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to pop in without warning. I’m still not good at being graceful at this.
”

  Ava waved her hand at Sarah’s projection and said, “Maybe it was my fault you ended up here. I think I’m looking for company.”

  “Me too,” Sarah answered. “Let’s meet at the coffee shop. I could use some company, too.”

  “I’ll be there in twenty,” Ava started to say, but Sarah had already vanished. “Yep, you do need a little practice, Sarah,” Ava laughed to herself.

  Ava called Mary, the woman she often used as a babysitter, and asked if she could watch Ben for a few hours. Getting the okay, she grabbed Ben’s baby bag with extra clothes, diapers, and food, and headed into town. Mary lived on the way, so within the twenty minutes she promised herself, she was parked in front of Your Second Home.

  Grace saw Ava first. “Wow. I’m glad you are here. Where’s Ben?” Seeing Ava’s guilty face, she added, “Oh, don’t worry. I can see him another time. It’s good to have you all to ourselves.”

  Grace went off to get Ava’s favorite coffee and croissant as Ava found Sarah and Mandy already sitting at a back table. “Mira’s coming too,” Grace announced as she plopped herself into an empty chair.

  “Already here,” Mira announced, coming through the back door.

  “This feels great. Just coffee and girl talk,” Mira said after getting her own coffee and a cookie.

  The five of them looked at each and burst out laughing. “Seriously, girl talk, Mira?” Ava said. “Do we know what girl talk is?”

  “Hum,” Mandy said, “I think we would talk about boys, I mean men, cooking, and shopping?”

  The five of them were silent waiting for someone to say something about those subjects, and then started laughing again.

  “I don’t think we’re good with girl talk,” Mandy said. “Perhaps we could try something else. Like what’s going on with the investigation?”

  All five leaned forward, ready to talk when Valerie practically stumbled in the door. Grace was at her side within seconds, holding her hand and asking, “What’s wrong, Valerie.”

  “It’s Harold,” she whispered.

  Grace led Valerie to the table. Mandy had already gotten up to get her a glass of water which Valerie tried to pick up, but her hands were shaking too much to hold it.

  Grace and Sarah pulled their chairs close to her while Mandy rubbed her back. Mira went up to Grace’s apartment and got a wool shawl which she draped over Valerie. After a few minutes, Valerie stopped shaking so hard. She took a big gulp of water and looked up with tears running down her face.

  “Okay, Valerie. We are listening. What is going on? What about Harold?” Sarah asked.

  With a lot of prompting and patience, the five women finally got a sense of the story Valerie was trying to tell. Valerie first told them how she had met Harold at work twenty-one years before. Valerie told them how Harold had made her feel that she was the most important person in the world to him. Valerie described the first few years of their marriage as being filled with love. When Harold suggested moving to his hometown of Doveland, she was overjoyed. She had always wanted to raise her children, and teach, in a small town.

  But not long after moving to Doveland, Harold started to change. It felt like a slow leaking away of the man she married. He was replaced by a man with very little patience and a lot of anger.

  At first, Harold directed his anger to the world outside of their family. They didn’t like his complaining about other people and worried about his impatience with them, but the family felt safe from it. He was good with the boys. For a time.

  Then Harold started picking on Valerie about her work. Valerie explained that she loved being the principal of the school, but it took up almost all her time and energy. By the time she came back from working all day and then helping Johnny and Lex with their homework, she was exhausted.

  Harold became increasingly irritated. He complained that he was running their bed and breakfast all by himself. When she reminded him that it was his idea, and they could do something else, it only made him angrier.

  “But no one knew about his anger, though,” Valerie said, “Because when Harold is in public, he is so charming. He knows all the ways to make people think he is a wonderful man.”

  When Valerie saw the women look at each other, she added, “Oh, I thought you might have noticed something. But, really it wasn’t too bad, and I thought I could live with it. Now, I don’t think I can. Now, I am afraid of him. Even the kids are scared of him.”

  Valerie looked at her hands clutched together so hard that her knuckles were white. “Maybe they have always been afraid of him, and I just didn’t notice. Maybe that’s why Johnny was acting out last year.”

  “Did something happen that made it worse?” Sarah asked.

  “Yes. It got worse the day we heard Emily was building the art center. Then, when they found the bodies on the hill, he never stopped being angry. He shakes when he is talking. Like holding in rage, or fear. I don’t even see the man I married anymore. I think the Harold I knew might be gone. Lately, the kids and I have felt as if we are living with a powder keg. All of us have constantly been afraid that Harold could blow up any time.

  “Today was the last straw. He got a phone call. He listened. He didn’t say anything at all. Then he hung up and started throwing things and screaming. That’s when I ran over here. I was hoping someone would be here and could tell me what to do. I am so glad the boys are in school!”

  Finally, after telling the whole story, Valerie started sobbing.

  “Would you like to go upstairs to my apartment and rest for a bit? You are safe there, and we will be here when you are ready,” Grace asked. When Valerie nodded her consent, both Mandy and Grace were needed to help Valerie up the stairs because Valerie was shaking so hard.

  “I can’t believe she kept that all to herself,” Mira said to Sarah after they were gone.

  “It’s the way of the world. We think no one will understand. Or if we tell someone else it makes it more real,” Sarah answered.

  “Perhaps we should have stepped in earlier. We were lucky. It sounds as if Harold didn’t do any harm to Valerie and the boys. We need to tell Sam about this. And perhaps the local police.”

  “The police? Once we do that her family will be split apart. Perhaps this is something we should find out more about first?” Mandy said. “Although I agree. We need to tell Sam.”

  “And find out where Harold is now,” Sarah added.

  Thirty-One

  Harold knew he was in trouble. Something was terribly wrong. I need to control myself, he thought. After Valerie had run out of the house, Harold had panicked. What if she was going to the police? What would he tell them? He waited an hour, ready to explain that his wife had anxiety attacks. He knew they would believe him. As a teenager, he had learned the skill of saying what people wanted to hear. It had helped him in his business dealings, but it was useful everywhere. He knew how to direct people’s attention and have them see what he wanted them to see. It was surprisingly easy when he was calm and in control. Which he hadn’t been lately.

  He was lucky Valerie loved him. But he had grown sloppy around her, letting her see the rage that often threatened to escape from his body. He had let down his guard, and his charm around his own family. It was a huge mistake. And one he better fix immediately.

  When he and Valerie were first married, he thought he loved her for real. Yes, he had charmed her at first, having chosen her as the one to have his children. But it wasn’t fake love. It was the best love he had, and he gave it all to her. Harold actually thought that he might have found the woman who would satisfy all his needs, and for the first time in his life, he relaxed his guard over himself.

  After the first few years of a happy marriage, he decided he wanted to go home. As a boy, he loved living in Doveland. Then right before he went away to college, things happened. Bad things. S
o bad, he thought he could never return. In fact, until he met Valerie, he was always in a preparation mode for running. After waiting all those years for someone to come after him, and no one did, he decided to take a wife and settle down. He felt safe.

  However, he didn’t escape his need for manipulating people. He got a thrill making people think and do things entirely different than they usually would. He enjoyed how many things he could get away with because of his ability to misdirect and manipulate their beliefs. He did it just for fun.

  He never thought of himself as an evil person. A slightly bad one, but only by mistake. A mistake he didn’t make. Mistakes other people made. Thinking about it now started heating him up again, so he stopped. He needed a diversion to calm himself down.

  That woman, Tina, might be someone he could have fun manipulating and charming. He could confuse her so that she thought that she wanted him. Harold knew she didn’t. He saw how nervous she was around him. Probably ruined by that bastard husband of hers, Frank Jacks.

  What a dumb jerk Frank was, getting caught like that. Harold thought. He would never be that stupid. Inside, a little voice niggled at Harold telling him that he had been that stupid. He had let his anger out. It was dangerous. He needed to contain and control his temper.

  Harold stood in front of the hall mirror and zipped up his jacket, studying his reflection. He also needed to be more careful with himself. Not just with his mood swings, but other things too. When had he gotten that belly? Yes, he was still ramrod straight. He was still tall and handsome, as Valerie used to say. Even though his hair had turned gray and wispy, she continued to love him. Surprising, considering how sloppy he had been with her lately.

  Harold studied himself in the mirror. Something was off. His brown eyes were too intense. If he was going to visit Tina, he needed to soften them. And his face. Too severe. Relaxing the muscles around his eyes, Harold practiced smiling. Better. Breathe in. Breathe out. That was better. Harold could almost see the visible changes take place as he watched himself in the mirror.