They both rushed to David as he exited the car, fawning over him with hugs and kisses. They knew Sean as well, chiding him for not coming by when he was in town. Sean, perhaps feeling a bit of guilt, flushed and told them that he was seldom in town-he and David did similar work.
At last it was Katie’s turn, and she received an abundance of love as well, even if she had never visited the house at all.
“My Lord! Sean’s sister! Oh, my goodness, well, Jamie O’Hara’s niece, of course. What a beauty!” Alice gushed. “Even more so than your mother, and oh, my, Esther, remember how lovely and sweet she was. I understand your parents have moved from the house, but when they’re home, you must beg them to stop by, too. Sadly, we tend to be such hermits these days.”
“We’re just horrible,” Esther said. “And, oh, how I miss your grandfather, David. The world is a far sadder place with Craig gone.”
“He was certainly the best and finest man,” David agreed.
“Well, well, we’re standing around here outside when lunch is waiting!” Alice chastised.
“Come along in,” Esther urged Katie, taking her by the arm.
They were all introduced to a woman named Betsy, an attractive thirtysomething Bahamian who tended to the elderly sisters’ needs. She had already set up lunch on what the sisters referred to as their spring porch, a back porch with a tiled floor and screened windows that caught the sea breezes.
Lunch was a feast. Salad with berries and nuts, blackened grouper, vegetarian pasta-just in case-and all manner of fresh-baked breads.
The conversation was light at first as David and Sean talked about a few of their foreign exploits with photography and film, and Katie explained how she had wanted to come home to live, and thus formed her corporation, Katie-oke.
They were delighted.
“I used to carry quite a melody in my day!” Alice assured her.
“Ever hear a honking swan?” Esther asked.
“Esther!” Alice chastised.
“I’m teasing you, dear, of course!” Esther said. “My sister still has a lovely voice for a torch song.”
“I’ll have to get you in there,” Katie told her.
“Well, certainly, but not until Fantasy Fest is over,” Alice said.
Later, when pecan pie had been served, they moved out to the parlor for “a touch of sherry,” as Alice phrased it.
“Excellent for the constitution,” Esther assured them.
“What is that, Aunt Alice?” David asked, pointing to a large ledgerlike book that sat atop the mantel.
“That?” Alice replied. “That is our family history, young man. It’s always been there. You’ve never asked before.”
“May I?” he asked.
“Certainly. We’ve been here forever-but then your family has, too, Katie, Sean.”
David stood and brought the large, embossed book back to the sofa. “How old is this thing?” he asked.
“Oh, it was started in the eighteen twenties,” Aunt Esther said. “The first fellow to write in it was Craig Beckett-not your grandfather, David, of course.”
“He was quite a man, from all accounts,” Alice said proudly.
“Craig Beckett?” Katie said. She wanted to see the book herself. Actually, she wanted to take it right out of David’s hand. “He was a sea captain, right?”
“Yes, dear, he was. He sailed for Commodore Perry, and then for David Porter. In fact, the name David came into our family because of David Porter. Craig was admired far and wide. He could take down pirates-but he wasn’t a cruel man. I mean, many a pirate was hanged here, of course, but if a man could prove himself a privateer, Craig Beckett always showed mercy. He was strong, and he was fair.”
David was turning pages carefully. The ledger was nearly two hundred years old. It hadn’t been kept under glass-it was part of the family’s heritage, and Katie was certain that both aunts had read it through and through.
“Ah, well, look-he writes it himself. He had a fellow named Smith hanged. Seems like Smith was a bit of a bastard. Attacked a ship and killed all aboard-then saw another man hanged for the deed.” David closed the book, carefully set it back on the mantel, and turned to his aunts. “That was wonderful. I’ll be in town for a while, at least. Next time, I’ll take you out.”
Sean rose and Katie followed suit. The aunts stood as well, ready to walk their guests to the door.
“David, darling, you must come here again, too-anytime. You’re family, and we do love you so!” Esther told him.
“Of course. But I want to take you out.”
“I’m afraid it will have to be somewhere quiet these days,” Esther said. “We’ll talk!”
They both stood on tiptoe to kiss David then Sean goodbye. When they came to hug Katie, she asked, “Would you two trust me to take your ledger for a few days? I would absolutely love to read it. I’ll be very careful with it.”
“Well, of course!” Ester said. “We’ll be delighted for you to read it.”
“And we know you’ll take care with it,” Alice said.
She thanked them. Sean looked at her and rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “I’m going to be careful!” she whispered to him.
“It’s a bit frightening, borrowing a family treasure,” Sean said, aware that the others were looking at the two of them.
“Katie, I know you’ll take it home and take good care of it,” Alice said. “We’re not worried in the least.”
“I’ll defend it with my life,” Katie promised.
“Good Lord, don’t do that, child,” Alice said, smiling. “Your life is worth far more.”
A minute later, they were in the car, heading back. One of the streets was blocked for construction; Katie hadn’t intended on coming down Duval with its throngs of tourists, but she did so.
“Good God, what is that?” Sean demanded from the backseat.
“What?” she asked. Her eyes were on the road. Tourists didn’t have the sense to look before they stepped off the sidewalk.
A red light allowed her the chance to look. One of the shops had a Robert the Doll mannequin out in front, except it was oversize.
“A balloon?” Sean asked, puzzled.
David was looking out the window, as well. “No, I think it might be canvas, but it’s got some kind of an inner structure, wood or metal. Damn, that’s ugly.”
Katie kept driving. She could see that there was a line to get into the museum where Stella Martin had been killed and laid out.
Stella was still at the morgue.
And people would be thronging in to see where she had lain.
“Capitalism at its best,” Sean murmured.
“We do need to survive as a city,” Katie said.
She drove on, turning down her street and bringing the car into the drive. “Sean, should I back out and park in the street so that you can reach your car?”
“No. I’m going to bed. I could sleep for a week. If I go to sleep now, I may feel human again by tomorrow.”
She parked the car and they all got out. Sean headed toward the house and then looked back. He strode over to them with purpose. “All right, someone has been killed, and Fantasy Fest may be starting off with a bang, but there is a killer on the loose. Katie, if you two don’t come here for the night, you make sure that I know you’re staying out.”
He stared at David.
“Of course,” David told him.
“All right, all right, it’s a little bit weird, but I actually prefer it if you stay here at night,” he said.
Neither of them moved.
Sean waved a hand in the air and walked on into the house.
“I’m going to take a run down to the police station. Will you go in for a while and promise me that you’ll stay there?” David asked her.
She lifted the journal. “Sure. But you know, I work tomorrow night again.”
“Hey, I’m getting to just love karaoke,” he assured her.
She kissed his cheek and headed into the house. “Lock it!” he called to her, and then started walking.