Music and Malice in Hurricane Town by Alex Bell

Author:Alex Bell [Alex Bell]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781788951203
Publisher: Stripes Publishing
Published: 2019-05-05T16:00:00+00:00

Sharkey was waiting for her outside the gates when she arrived, dripping with his usual assortment of cajou charms. He beamed at her as she approached.

“Was startin’ to think I might’ve been stood up,” he said.

“Sorry. Pa was in a difficult mood this morning.”

“No matter. Gave me time to read the papers.”

Jude realized he had one in his hand.

“Seen the headlines?” he asked.

“No,” Jude replied. “I haven’t had much time for reading recently.”

“Well, this one might interest you. Here, take a look.”

He handed it to her and Jude saw that the front pages were full of the fact that Ivory Monette’s granddaughter, Charity, didn’t seem to be able to see or communicate with the legba. There had been long meetings between her and the town’s Mayor, a cruel bully of a Subject named Rufus Seething, which all appeared to have ended badly due to Charity’s inability to pass on messages from the cajou spirits.

It’s because my spirit is still here, Ivory said inside Jude’s mind. The legba appear only to me.

Jude repeated what the cajou queen had said and Sharkey nodded. “Thought that might be the case,” he said.

Jude rifled through the pages to get to the rest of the article and saw that some aggressive journalists had managed to follow Charity into her boyfriend’s hospital room. Attached to various machines and drips, he looked even worse than when Jude had seen him in Ivory’s vision back at the Blue Lady – lying grey, wasted and skeletal on the bed.

“Charity Monette’s boyfriend, Wade Andrews, lies seriously ill and is not expected to make it to Cajou Night,” the paper excitedly proclaimed.

The photo next to it showed Charity trying to push the photographer out of the room. Jude would have been furious if someone had shoved their way into her dying loved one’s hospital room like that but Charity didn’t so much look angry as heartbroken, small and hopelessly lost. Jude felt an unexpected pang of pity for her.

Does she have any other family in Baton Noir? she asked the cajou queen.

No, Ivory replied. Her mother abandoned cajou and ran off. She’s alone.

Jude frowned. Ivory did not seem all that worried or concerned for her granddaughter. For a moment, her tone had almost sounded glad…

Of course I’m not glad, Ivory snapped, overhearing Jude’s thoughts. But I can’t pretend I feel any grief for Wade. He’s a waste of space and she’s better off without him.

Jude took one last look at the photo and it seemed to her that there was a bit of a wild look in Charity’s tear-filled eyes as she tried to wrestle the photographer out. It was the sort of raw desperation Jude recognized. There was only so far a person could be pushed before they had to push back. Or break down altogether.

Still frowning, Jude passed the paper back to Sharkey, who tucked it into his pocket and said, “I guess it’s already crossed your mind that if her spirit is still inside you come Cajou Night, then you might be crowned queen rather than Charity?”

Jude stared back at him.

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