Now we're back to Stan and Ollie. As you'll recall from two weeks ago, they found the country road and the creek, where they found Egbert and Pastor Will Robinson - and Consuelo. See what happens in today's episode! Don't forget to see what the other Briefers are up to! Enjoy!
While Ollie and I can see and hear Consuelo quite clearly—well,
relatively speaking, as she’s a rapidly diminishing wisp of her former self—we’re
the only ones.
But to hear her cry of “I remember” is heartening, to say
the least. Now we can solve the mystery, go find her body, let her fiancé have closure,
and return home.
That means going back to the diner. To cooking and cleaning
and putting up with Xylina. To long days and long nights. And doesn’t that sound like a little bit of
heaven, ‘cause it means keeping Ollie safe with me and getting away from here.
And that’s so worth it.
But first things first. We need to get Egbert out of the
water. His baptism can wait, surely. We’re about to hand him the answer to what
ails him on a silver platter. The sinister minister can just excuse him for a
few moments. Maybe more.
I can lend Egbert my glasses so he can see and hear her. I
just need to hang on to Ollie. No problem there.
Pastor Robinson doesn’t seem particularly pleased to see us,
I can’t help but notice. No time to worry about that now.
“Go on to her and I’ll get Egbert.” After what happened last
time Ollie was close to the man in black, I’m taking no chances on a repeat
performance.
I motion toward the ghost, who flickers at the edge of the
water, like a dying red light bulb. Ollie nods, and glances toward the pair in
the water. His brow furrows unsurely, but he does as I request, and I step into
the shallow water. It’s colder than I expected, but I don’t let that deter me.
I can get warm later.
“Come on.” I beckon to Egbert. “There’s something we have to
show you. Something important.”
“But I’m being baptized,” he protests. The minister presses
down on Egbert’s shoulders and he kneels in the flowing creek.
“You’re interrupting,” Robinson chides me. “This is a
private moment, if you don’t mind.”
Not exactly what you call cooperative. I glance toward
Ollie, who’s reached Consuelo. Looks like he’s managed to calm her; her wail
has diminished, luckily.
“It’s very important, Egbert,” I repeat. “It’s about
Consuelo.” He starts to rise, but the minister holds him in place.
“Consuelo is not your concern,” Robinson insists.
“Well, maybe she wasn’t before, but she is now.” I barely manage to check my temper. We’re
wasting time. Whoever said a spoonful of sugar paves the way didn’t know what
they were talking about.
“Stan!” Ollie’s voice is sharp. My hackles rise as I turn
toward him, instantly on my guard.
“Don’t move!” He splashes into the creek. My sense of danger
grows greater with every step he takes.
Disregarding his instructions, I wade
in his direction, intercepting his path. I reach Egbert and the pastor. The
latter has his arm about Egbert’s neck. Funny position for a baptism.
“Pastor Robinson, I know what you did.” Ollie’s voice rises
in anger. The pastor seems unconcerned, while Egbert looks more than a little
confused.
“Did he...?” Damn, I
didn’t see that coming.
“He killed Consuelo. He drowned her.”
“Me? Kill someone?” Robinson scoffs. “I’m a man of God. I
would never—”
“What’s going on?” Egbert demands to know. I watch him
attempt to rise, his efforts hamstrung by the arm about his neck.
“Stay where you are,” the pastor warns him in a steely
voice. “We have unfinished business here.”
“Let him go,” Ollie demands. “Consuelo told me what you did.”
“Consuelo?” he sneers. “That’s not possible. Consuelo is—”
He breaks off sharply, as if he’s said too much.
“Is what?” Egbert’s pain-filled voice cracks.
“Stan, the glasses,” Ollie urges. I pull them off and hand
them to Egbert. The pastor makes a grab for me, but I reach for my weapon and
point it at him.
“Let go of him,” I instruct him. Looking less than pleased,
he eases his grip on Egbert, and Ollie pulls him out of harm’s way. I keep one
eye on Robinson, one on Ollie. I don’t like how close he is, but at the moment
it can’t be helped.
Ollie points toward the shore. “Put the glasses on, Egbert,”
he pleads and the distraught man obeys.
I move toward Ollie, careful to keep the gun trained on the pastor.
“Consuelo is dead,” Ollie says softly. “She told me you’re
the one who did it. Lured her here on a pretext of baptizing her, and then you
drowned her.”
“Big words,” Robinson sneers. “But where is your proof? You
claim she’s dead, and that you’ve talked to her? That will hardly hold up in a
court of law—”
“Consuelo,” Egbert moans and all turn toward him. His gaze
is directed toward the grass. I touch Ollie’s arm with my free hand so I can
see. Consuelo is indeed there, holding her arms toward Egbert plaintively.
A wave of pity washes over me. If that was Ollie... Damn.
“She’s really... really... dead?” A sob is wrenched from his
throat, and he falls to his knees in the water again with a splash. Robinson is
quick to seize the opportunity. He puts Egbert in a chokehold, using him as a
shield between himself and my weapon. I take a chance on hitting Egbert if I
fire and I know it.
“Why?” Egbert wails. “Why? I love Consuelo, she loves me...
we’re getting married.”
“Why do you want to come between them?” Ollie asks, anger in
his voice. “Why would you do such a terrible thing? She trusted you!”
“The Lord works in mysterious ways,” the pastor retorts. “And
sometimes his methods aren’t pretty. I have my own interests to look out for,
and my daughter’s.”
His daughter? What?
“Who’s that?” I ask confused.
It’s Egbert that supplies the answer.
“Emmy,” he replies, his gaze fixed on the fading spirit.
Emmy? You mean... “Bodean
Fairchild’s girlfriend?”
He nods.
to be continued
Now see what the other Wednesday Briefers are up to!
Ooh, obscure motives inside twisty plots inside fascinating mystery!! You do draw out the suspense so well. I feel so bad for poor Egbert. I really do hope that Ollie and Stan can save him.
ReplyDeletePoor Egbert, but now this is just getting better and better- the Pastor's daughter? What motives did he have?
ReplyDelete