Chapter Twenty One
“Wow, Brian, look at the time. The day went by so fast.” Andrea climbed the few steps to the deck in front of their hotel. A slight breeze blew inland from the ocean making the hot summer afternoon very pleasant. Many of the hotel’s guests were sitting in large rocking chairs enjoying the shade of the large overhanging roofline of the veranda. “Let’s join the folks out here for a little rest. By the way, I think I’ll get rid of this basket of food. It won’t taste as good later as it did today.”
•
“Sure. We can…” Camilla was whiny all of a sudden. “I think she’s in need of a nap. Camilla, come climb up on my lap, and I’ll tell you a story” Brian sat on a nearby rocker, away from the other folks outside while Andrea went inside to get rid of the basket. He patted his lap. Camilla hesitated and then slowly complied. She sure didn’t seem to be as enthusiastic as she was earlier that afternoon. However, Brian began to quietly tell the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The little girl rested her head on his shoulder. He rocked slowly as he related this story he remembered reading to Jeffrey Michner a time or two.
•
Andrea stood in the doorway and watched them. She couldn’t help but see how comfortable Brian was with the child. He seems so gentle. He’ll make a great father some day. It’s nice to be able to share the responsibility for Camilla, too. She leaned back in the rocker she’d chosen, relaxed after such a strenuous day. She reflected on the diving. A shudder traveled up her spine and back again. I’m not sure I’ll ever find scuba diving comfortable but at least I did do what was required. Now we just have to decide if we’re ready to be certified tomorrow. She closed her eyes. Oh, this feels so-o-o-o good. She sighed. Sleep came quickly.
•
Brian was a little sleepy, but not as much, obviously, as his tiny charge. He had only told his story as far as Goldilocks discovering a bed just right for her when he noticed that Camilla was sound asleep. He smiled and laid his head against the back of the chair, closed his eyes, and let his thoughts travel to the events of the day.
All this cloak and dagger stuff. I think I’m actually enjoying the idea of solving this mystery. I sure enjoyed the diving this morning. Not something I’ll get to do often back home but…hey… it’s another skill well worth exploring. If we could just figure this whole thing out…before anything worse happens to any of us. Camilla, though. That has to be taken care of. She needs to be safe.
He glanced at the woman beside him. She is one spunky gal. Life around her is not nearly as dull as I’d once thought it would be. Maybe…just maybe Andrea is worth getting to know on a more intimate basis. She’s not at all like the other girls I’ve dated. In fact, Andrea is the most adventurous woman I’ve ever met. She’s never really complained about the bad things that have happened to her.
“Brian, what’s the matter? You look a little confused.” Andrea whispered.
Brian relaxed his face and smiled toward the woman he’d been thinking about so intently. She was rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “Oh-h, you’re awake. Nothing really. I was just thinking about the circumstances that brought us here. You and I have never had much of a chance to get to know each other before. I mean…you were always doing something with Diane and I was with Trent but we’ve never done anything together with them. Maybe when all this is over, we can remedy that.”
“I’d like that” Andrea lowered her eyes, warmth creeping up her neck. “I-I-I see that Camilla has dozed off. Do you think you could carry her up to my room? I’d like to take a nap and then get ready for dinner without rushing this time.”
“Sure, but I think you already took that nap. You’ve been sleeping for the last half hour.”
“I know, but I still feel very tired. And as long as Camilla is sleeping, I might as well take advantage of some quiet time.”
“I think I’ll do the same. The scuba lesson and then all the swimming have taken its toll. My body could use a little relaxation.” Brian stifled a yawn as they got up. He carried Camilla through the entrance to the lobby and then into the elevator, oblivious to the stranger standing on the far side of the room.
The trio entered the elevator with another couple who were guests of the hotel. Brian pushed the button for their floor. “Is eight okay for dinner tonight?” Andrea stepped through the elevator door when it opened on their floor. She motioned toward the child sleeping soundly in Brian’s arms. “Bring her to my bedroom. I’ll sleep on the sofa so I won’t disturb her.”
He laid Camilla gently down and then turned toward Andrea. “Eight o’clock will be fine. That’s give me some time to go over the logistics of the trek under that boat.” He closed the door behind him and moved farther down the hall to his own room. I’ll have to take it slow with this woman, I think. But she seems interested.
•
Andrea slipped into a nightgown, pulled a spare blanket over herself and closed her eyes, forgetting to check to see if the door was locked. She drifted from wide awake to semi consciousness and before long, she was dreaming. Brian was kissing her. He was her protector in this nether world. It felt right.
A hand. Over her mouth. Again. Her eyes popped open, as large as they’d been inside that scuba mask, she was sure. She looked up to see a tall man with a large, bushy beard. He looked like the man who’d been seen running from their hotel room yesterday. His hair was black and unkempt and the glove on his hand smelled of cigarette smoke and beer.
The hand shook her head hard; she began to see pinpoints of light before her eyes. His grip was so tight she had a hard time breathing. She kicked the blanket off, freeing her legs. The she kicked at the man. He tightened his grip. “Keep quiet or I will kill the little girl.”
Andrea immediately relaxed her body. Nothing could happen to Camilla, She had to protect her. The man removed his hand. “Wha-what do you want?” Her body trembled as she moved to a sitting position. She pulled the blanket over her nightgown.
“I want you and your boyfriend to go home. His voice erupted in a quiet menacing snarl. “If you are not gone by tomorrow, we will have to kill you both and the little girl.”
“We have every right to be on this island.” She glared at the man whose angry countenance glared right back. “We’re enjoying our vacation. We’ll not be rushed home.”
“Well then, you will see your little friend here killed.” He moved toward the bed where Camilla continued to sleep soundly.
“No, leave her alone.” Andrea rushed to stand in front of the child, placing her body between the ruffian and the little girl. The blanket slipped but she reefed it around her more tightly.
“Take my warning seriously, lady, or you’ll be sorry.” He turned, walked purposefully toward the door. He closed it firmly behind him as if accenting that he meant business. Andrea sank to the carpet. She was thankful Camilla never moved. Thank the Lord. Who are these people? Although black, like many of the people hereabouts, he did not have a native accent. Interesting.
She stood, dropping the blanket. She resolutely checked to make sure the door was indeed locked this time. No one is going to scare me into giving up on the Michners, that’s for sure. She placed her hands on her hips as if accenting her decision. These people, whoever they were, seem to be threatened by Brian and I being here. We must be near enough to the truth to make them feel uncomfortable.
Andrea picked up the phone to call Brian and then thought better of it. He was probably sound asleep anyway. She could tell him all about this latest turn of events when they met for dinner. What’s next? She returned to the sofa, lay down, but knew sleep was no longer an option.
She tossed and turned for about half an hour. This isn’t working. It’s time we began asking some questions if we’re ever going to solve this thing. Andrea looked toward Camilla. The child looked angelic as she slept. Andrea changed into a pair of pants and a fresh blouse. Let’s see who’s downstairs who might know something.
She locked the door behind he
r. I won’t be too long. Camilla will sleep for at least another half hour or so…probably. Looking over her shoulder to make sure no one was following, she pressed the down arrow on the elevator.
Andrea slipped into the restaurant and approached a waitress just before claiming her seat. . “Can I have a cup of coffee?” She looked around to see who was seated nearby. A native was clearing the table next to hers. “Excuse me. Can I ask you a few questions?”
“Mais oui.” His English was broken just as most natives of Haiti. “I would be ‘appy to ‘elp you.”
“Can you tell me anything about the Voodoo ceremonies held in the clearing north of town?” Andrea took a sip from the cup the waitress had placed in front of her. It was strong.
“Oh-h-h … oui …but they are not for the tourists, non. Only the island people go to them. They are sacred.” He continued to wipe the table top.
“Oh, I don’t want to go to the actual ceremony. I am writing a book about some of the customs here and would like to add some information about that part of island life.” Andrea hated to lie.
“Well then … they are held several times each year, not as many times as your church services but almost. There will be another in three days because the people believe that is the time when we dance for new babies. Some people are beginning to stay away from these dances now because others, they are disappearing.” He glanced quickly around, looking, Andrea supposed, to see if someone was close enough to hear.
“What do you mean disappearing?”
“Well they go to the dance and do not come home. The word all over the island is that many are lost and the spirits are adding to their numbers. So I am one who has not gone for some time. I do not want the spirits to have my body. Now miss, I must…”
Andrea continued. “Are any of these people ever seen again?”
“Only when they wash up on the shore some weeks later. Now, I ‘ave to…” He wrapped his cloth around his fingers. The questions seemed to make him uncomfortable.
“But, people don’t do anything about this?” Andrea’s voice gave away her astonishment at this situation.
“Mais oui. We bury them but not in a ‘oly place. The priest at the Catholic Church calls them un’oly. They are buried in a plot east of ‘ere. Now I…” The man clearly wanted to escape.
“Would you take my friend and I to that place?”
“Non. Non, please do not ask this of me. That is an un’oly place. No one goes there except to bury someone.” He shivered as if a cold breeze had just blown through the room.
“We’ll make it worth your while. You don’t have to actually enter the place, just get us near and we will go the rest of the way.”
“Okay, I begin work here at 4 p.m. demain…ah…tomorrow, so we will have to go before dat. How much you pay, eh?”
“Fifty dollars. Is that enough?”
“Yeah, dat be okay.”
“Thanks, uh … what is your name?” Andrea wanted to make sure that she knew who to look for if he didn’t show up. “Where will we meet? I think we could be ready to go about 1 o’clock just after lunch tomorrow.”
“My name is Bernard. I will meet you ‘ere, in front of de ‘otel about 1 p.m., n’est pas.”
“That’ll be great.” Andrea signed her check as the young man hurried through the kitchen door.
She sauntered casually outside. We only have three days to become adept at scuba diving. Andrea looked around to make sure she was not being followed. She continued toward the harbor. As she crossed the street, a young boy who looked to be in his early teens caught her attention. He was standing beside a small vehicle that could have been a car but not one she had ever seen before. The vehicle was a mix of many colors. It also looked as if it could have been put together from a variety of vehicles. “That’s an interesting vehicle you have.”
“Oh yes, and it gets me to town when I need to be here.” This young man spoke perfect English.
“You speak English very well. Are your parents English?”
“Non, I have no parents, but Father Bertrand teaches an English class. I live at the orphanage just over the border in Santo Domingo, east and a little north of here in the Dominican Republic. I have lived there for a long time.”
“An orphanage. Really? Do they allow children from here to live there?”
The boy hesitated. He looked around. Finally he spoke again. “Why do you want to know that?”
“I’m just curious. I’ve noticed so many children on the street here who seem to have no home. In fact, the hotel concierge calls them street kids.” Andrea spoke quickly hoping not to scare him off.
“Ah, bien. I come to town to seek children who need to have a good place to live. Always there are children. Some have lost their parents. Some are throw away children. Their mama and papa cannot afford to feed them.” The boys face contained the sad reminder of his own journey from days gone by. “I bring them to Santo Domingo when no one notices so much. Besides no one really cares that I take them to another country, since they don’t have to look at them. It reduces the crime rate here. With so many starving children, people lose their wallets, their food, and sometimes even their clothing.”
“Will you bring us, my friend and I, to this orphanage.” Andrea’s heart gave an excited leap. Maybe this is the answer for Camilla. “We’d like to know more.”
“Why do you want to know these things?” The boy looked at her with suspicion. “Father Bertrand is a very busy man and has no time for tourists.”
“My friend and I found a little girl whose parents have disappeared.”.
“Oh, yes … disappeared. That is a common story among the newest arrivals at our home. That story began about six months ago and more children are telling it every day.”
“You sound as if you don’t believe the story. Is there a reason you question its validity?”
“Well, some children will make up stories to come to the home because they are being beaten in their own homes or because they were restavec and are now runaways. The story gives them an excuse for being on the streets, I think.”
“I have seen people being snatched. . . er…I mean…well that is the story Camilla told us anyway. I am Andrea Wilton, and I am visiting Port Au Prince with my friend Brian Strait. One day while we were taking a walk, we met Camilla crying by the roadside. She has been with us ever since.”
“So you want to get rid of her now.” The teenager spoke with derision. “I am Troy Depuiz. I will show you the orphanage.”
“No, you don’t understand. We don’t want to get rid of Camilla. In fact, I think Brian has, and I know I have, fallen in love with that little girl. It’s just that we’re not married, either of us. I don’t even have a house to go back to in the United States since it burned in a fire just before I left to come here … for vacation … that is. We just want a good safe home for her.”
“Well, I will take you day after tomorrow. That is Sunday. It is a long way through the jungle but my “car” has made it many times. I’ll see you here about ten o’clock in the morning, okay.”
“No, that won’t work. We usually go to church on Sunday morning. Can we meet about 1 o’clock, just after lunch?”
“Ah-h-h, church. Tourists do not usually go to church when they come to this country. They just like to play. Yes, 1 p.m. would be fine.”
“Okay then, thanks Troy. We’ll see you day after tomorrow.” Andrea almost skipped on her way back to the hotel. A place for Camilla …the day before we have to go for their midnight dive. What an answer to prayer. Thank you Lord. She took the stairs to the second floor, too excited to wait for the elevator. I’ve been gone longer than I wanted. I hope Camilla is alright. I can’t wait to tell Brian what I found out though.
Andrea pushed the stairwell door open. A small head peeked around the corner in the doorway to her room. “Where you go?” The tiny voice sounded scared.
“Just for a short walk. Are you okay?”
“Oui, just
a little scare dat’s all. I tot maybe you ‘ave disappeared too!”
“No, nothing like that. Let’s get ready for dinner. Are you hungry? You slept for almost three hours, you know.” Andrea led the way back inside her room. She shut and locked the door.
“Oh oui, I am empty inside, I think. Can I wear another of my new dresses, can I?” Camilla had obviously forgotten how scared she was.
“A new dress it is. I want to phone Brian. You go ahead and get in the tub. I’ll be right there.” Andrea sat on the bed and picked up the phone. She watched Camilla slowly head toward the bathroom.
The child shook her head. “Another bath…so sooon? I am already clean, non?”
Andrea chuckled. “Another bath…yes. You will feel better and it will make you extra specially clean for tonight. Now scoot.”
“Why … What is happening tonight?”
“Well, we are going to the dining room, and I think this time we will try a little dancing like your people do, maybe.”
Camilla grinned at the prospect. “Okay, I take de bath.”
“Good, I’ll make my phone call and see you in a minute. Do you remember how to turn on the water and add the soap bubbles?”
“Yes I can … err … I mean . . I do,” she said as she ran into the other room.
Andrea quickly dialed Brian’s room. After the third ring, huffing and puffing, Brian answered. “Hello.”
“Hello yourself. Where did I bring you from?”
“I was just in the shower. What can I do for you?”
“Well, I have a lot to tell you, so I thought you should come over here now while Camilla is in the tub. I don’t want her to hear what I have to say.”
“I’ll be right there. It sounds serious.”
“It is.”
In less time than it took to hang up the phone Brian was at Andrea’s door. “What’s going on.” Andrea let him in, checked to make sure Camilla was okay, and then began to fill him in.
Brian’s face clouded when she told him about her latest visitor. “Are you alright?”
“Yes, but I couldn’t go back to sleep, so I took a walk” Andrea’s smile lit her face as she told him about the information she’d uncovered. “I’ve arranged for us to go to the burial plot tomorrow at one o’clock. I want to see those grave markers in case there are clues to the identity of some of the people buried there. Maybe we’ll find Camilla’s parents.”
She continued. “I also ran into a young man who collects orphans to take to an orphanage in Santo Domingo, just over the border in the Dominican Republic, northeast of here. Camilla could find a home there, I think.”
“When can we see it?”
“I’ve arranged the day after tomorrow to visit. I want to see it for myself before we consider taking Camilla there. Apparently, the boy comes to town a couple of times a week in search of children with no home. He spoke very good English and said that Father Bertrand, the priest who runs the orphanage, is his English teacher.”
“It sounds like you have been busy. Although, I think we need to take Camilla with us to the orphanage. That’s the day before the next ceremony. We don’t know what will happen after that. She needs to be safe and in light of the latest threat…”
“Of course, you’re right. We knew when we flew down here that our lives were at risk but now with Camilla…we need to get her safely away from us. The sooner the better I guess. It’s just that I know I am going to miss that little girl. I’ve come to love her, Brian”
“Yeah I know. Me too.” Brian changed the subject. “We have scuba lessons scheduled for the next three days at 9 a.m., so we should be ready for the next voodoo ceremony. In the meantime, once we feel comfortable enough, why don’t we think about going to the place that lets you dive with the dolphins? They have people who watch the divers closely, and it will give us more practice to build our confidence.”
“That sounds like a plan.” Just as she spoke, Camilla appeared in the bathroom doorway. “What’s a plan?” she asked.
“We were just saying that we’re hungry, and it’s time we get ready to eat. How about you?” Andrea rushed to the little girl’s side to help with the towel that was slipping from her soapy body. “Let’s rinse these bubbles off and get you dry.”
“I’ll go and finish getting dressed and meet you both in the lobby in…say… a half hour.” Brian glanced at his watch.
“Make it 45 minutes and you have yourself a deal.” Andrea smiled toward him. Brian walked through the door but not before reminding her with a gesture to lock it after him.
Forty-five minutes was hardly long enough for her to wash her hair and shower before getting dressed, but Andrea knew she would feel a little more rested if she did. She quickly settled Camilla in front of the television with a cartoon and hopped into the shower.
* * * * *