Vodou Child by Wayne Stinnett

Author:Wayne Stinnett
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wayne Stinnett
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

I called Mary Bradley as soon as I was sure Shara had stepped off Wayward. She answered on the third ring, and I tapped the speaker icon, then placed it on the settee table between me and DJ.

“Ms. Bradley,” I said, “It’s Jerry Snyder. I’m relieved to be able to tell you Shara is alive and well.”

“Who?” she asked.

“Jerry Snyder,” I replied. “My partner, DJ Martin, and I talked to you early this afternoon at the Mélasse.”

“Ohhh, yes, you boys.” She yawned.

“If we woke you up, you have my apologies,” I said. “I normally wouldn’t call you this late, but we’ve just made contact with Shara and can confirm she’s safe. Turns out she’s been staying with your oungan, Jacques, since the night of the incident.”

“Jacques who?” Mary asked.

“Rosier,” I said. How could she not know who I was talking about? DJ appeared to be thinking the same thing as I.

“Yes, Jacques Rosier—de oungan. I remember de man now,” she said. “De stress is gettin’ to me, I t’ink—I’m havin’ trouble rememberin’ t’ings, but in trut’ I haven’t gone to him much. Shara was closer to de man. So sorry.”

“Ain’t nothing to apologize for,” DJ said, leaning closer toward my phone. “You been through a lot, Miss Mary, and Dep and I hope knowing that your baby girl is okay is gonna put your mind at ease. The truth of it is, Shara seemed a little frayed herself, and from the way she tells it, seems like she’s been through the wringer too. We fed her, and offered her a place to stay on Wayward, but she says she’s gonna stay with her friend Ines.”

“She just left our boat,” I added. “We told her to call you when she’s settled in.”

“Very kind of you two boys, but seems Shara’s been alive and well and not called once since she disappeared, so I t’ink she ain’t gwon change tonight.”

“Whether she does or not, we’re gonna keep a close eye on her,” DJ said. “We plan on stopping by Ines’s house regularly. Ain’t that right, Dep?”

“Our job demands we make sure she’s safe—we feel she’s a key eye-witness in what happened to Billy Pearce,” I said.

“She may be,” Mary said, “and I t’ank you for watchin’ over Shara, but de way she is, you be lucky if even one in ten of the t’ings she musta tol’ you be true. De girl enjoy keepin’ secrets from people.”

“It appeared that way to us as well,” I said.

“What else she tell you?” Mary asked. “She swear up and down I been screamin’ at her? Tellin’ her she a nothin’ girl with no good in her head?”

“She said something to that effect.”

“Shara up to de same old tricks, playin’ off de kindness of good-natured strangers as it suit her, ’xactly like Billy. I wish I could say he put dat in her, but I know my little girl better dan dat, and she been taking advantage of tender-hearted folk long as I can remember.

“I only blame myself for not raising her better dan all dat.

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