TRIAL OF THE CENTURIES ~ CHAPTER 9
One word Vicki Nelson never called herself was coward, but that was what she was. She never ran from anything, yet that was just what she did. After sunrise had Henry out cold she had pulled on her clothes and bolted out the door. She told herself she had alot of work to do, so many things she had to get to. Now she not only was a coward who was running away she was lying to to herself. Good thing that pretending nothing was wrong was second nature to her.
After a few hours of tossing and turning she gave up on sleep. She called everyone to come to the office to regroup. If Ricky was right about Sinead it changed everything. They had to start over looking in new directions and getting new evidence. As Vicki sipped her coffee she began to think Henry was right about the women in his life. They were all nuts. So what did that make her? Again she shoved the thought aside and refused to think about it.
She was looking over the huge file Augustus had given Henry when the man himself entered the office. He held himself very straight, the briefcase he was never without held tight in one large hand. His head dipped down to her. "Good morning Miss Nelson."
Vicki stood to shake his hand and take his coat. "Please call me Vicki. Thank you for coming Augustus." She hung up his coat and walked to the coffee pot. "Coffee?"
"Yes, please." He folded his large body into one of the chairs facing the desk. "I had to hear what this new evidence is that you found."
As she placed his coffee on the edge of the desk the rest of the gang showed up. Coreen and Mike followed by Jordan and Ricky. The poor kid looked pale and still scared out of his mind but he was trying to hide it. He wasn't successful.
After more coffee was passed out Vicki stood and grabbed the two portraits that Jordan had brought with him, setting them side by side on the light table. Sinead and Christina. The similarities were startling. Both beautiful, both with the same dark hair and eyes. They could be sisters.
Vicki explained to Augustus that Ricky was sure that it had been Sinead and not Christina who had him summon the demon. Augustus remained silent, taking small sips of his coffee. He kept looking back and forth between the pictures. "Do you have anything that points to this Sinead in the murders?"
Vicki looked over to Mike with one brow raised over her glasses. "I didn't find anything new. All the victims had some link to Christina although not a strong link. I couldn't find anything that showed Sinead knew any of them."
Augustus carefully put the mug back on the desk and sat back with sigh. He turned to Ricky. "You're sure it was Sinead? Those two look so much alike you could be mistaken." When Ricky just nodded Augustus let out another sigh. "Well this doesn't really change much."
Coreen frowned at the older man. "Why doesn't it change anything?"
"Because all the evidence still points to Christina." When Coreeen's mouth opened Augustus held up one hand to silence her. "I know what Ricky said but unless you get something besides just his word then Christina will still be found guilty."
Jordan got a big smile on his face. "Hot damn! The wicked witch will still get what she deserves. I need to find my video camera so I can watch her last moments over and over."
Vicki sent the werewolf her shut up look. "Alight if we can find something that points to Sinead then what will you do about Christina?"
Augustus stood and reached for his coat, putting it over his arm. "You find something and all charges against Christina will be dropped and she'll be released." He walked to the door and stopped to look over his shoulder. "I know Christina isn't popular with any of you but you need to think about something else. If Christina isn't found innocent then Henry will have to order her death." He gave them each a hard look. "I think you all know what that will do to him." With those words he turned and left the offfice.
With the weight of those words Vicki began to rethink what they knew. She sat back and propped her feet on the desk. "OK so Sinead goes to Ricky saying she's Christina. She has Ricky summon the demon and kill off people conected to Christina." She looked over at Sineads picture then back at Ricky and Jordan. "You said Ricky could summon thoughts, did you get anything off that picture?"
Ricky blushed in embarassement. Jordan tapped the boy on his shoulder. "No luck. All Ricky got was a headache."
Coreen refilled the coffee cups. "So if there is another person on the hitlist we still don't know who it is."
"Shit." Mike suddenly said. When all eyes turned to him he started talking. "Why would Sinead go to all this trouble? Why would she be so careful to make it look like Christina?" Before anyone could answer he continued. "She wants Henry right? And she knows Henry will always be tied to Christina his first love. She wants Henry to get Christina out of his life forever by making sure he hates her. Henry would never forgive Christina for killing innocent women." He put his empty mug on the filing cabinet and turned to look at Vicki. "We know the demon will kill one more person. Who else besides Christina would Sinead want out of the way?" He looked hard at Vicki with one brow raised.
Vicki dropped her feet from the desk, she returned Mikes look. "Me." Her eyes turned to the group in the room. "I'm the demons next victim."
tbc
After a few hours of tossing and turning she gave up on sleep. She called everyone to come to the office to regroup. If Ricky was right about Sinead it changed everything. They had to start over looking in new directions and getting new evidence. As Vicki sipped her coffee she began to think Henry was right about the women in his life. They were all nuts. So what did that make her? Again she shoved the thought aside and refused to think about it.
She was looking over the huge file Augustus had given Henry when the man himself entered the office. He held himself very straight, the briefcase he was never without held tight in one large hand. His head dipped down to her. "Good morning Miss Nelson."
Vicki stood to shake his hand and take his coat. "Please call me Vicki. Thank you for coming Augustus." She hung up his coat and walked to the coffee pot. "Coffee?"
"Yes, please." He folded his large body into one of the chairs facing the desk. "I had to hear what this new evidence is that you found."
As she placed his coffee on the edge of the desk the rest of the gang showed up. Coreen and Mike followed by Jordan and Ricky. The poor kid looked pale and still scared out of his mind but he was trying to hide it. He wasn't successful.
After more coffee was passed out Vicki stood and grabbed the two portraits that Jordan had brought with him, setting them side by side on the light table. Sinead and Christina. The similarities were startling. Both beautiful, both with the same dark hair and eyes. They could be sisters.
Vicki explained to Augustus that Ricky was sure that it had been Sinead and not Christina who had him summon the demon. Augustus remained silent, taking small sips of his coffee. He kept looking back and forth between the pictures. "Do you have anything that points to this Sinead in the murders?"
Vicki looked over to Mike with one brow raised over her glasses. "I didn't find anything new. All the victims had some link to Christina although not a strong link. I couldn't find anything that showed Sinead knew any of them."
Augustus carefully put the mug back on the desk and sat back with sigh. He turned to Ricky. "You're sure it was Sinead? Those two look so much alike you could be mistaken." When Ricky just nodded Augustus let out another sigh. "Well this doesn't really change much."
Coreen frowned at the older man. "Why doesn't it change anything?"
"Because all the evidence still points to Christina." When Coreeen's mouth opened Augustus held up one hand to silence her. "I know what Ricky said but unless you get something besides just his word then Christina will still be found guilty."
Jordan got a big smile on his face. "Hot damn! The wicked witch will still get what she deserves. I need to find my video camera so I can watch her last moments over and over."
Vicki sent the werewolf her shut up look. "Alight if we can find something that points to Sinead then what will you do about Christina?"
Augustus stood and reached for his coat, putting it over his arm. "You find something and all charges against Christina will be dropped and she'll be released." He walked to the door and stopped to look over his shoulder. "I know Christina isn't popular with any of you but you need to think about something else. If Christina isn't found innocent then Henry will have to order her death." He gave them each a hard look. "I think you all know what that will do to him." With those words he turned and left the offfice.
With the weight of those words Vicki began to rethink what they knew. She sat back and propped her feet on the desk. "OK so Sinead goes to Ricky saying she's Christina. She has Ricky summon the demon and kill off people conected to Christina." She looked over at Sineads picture then back at Ricky and Jordan. "You said Ricky could summon thoughts, did you get anything off that picture?"
Ricky blushed in embarassement. Jordan tapped the boy on his shoulder. "No luck. All Ricky got was a headache."
Coreen refilled the coffee cups. "So if there is another person on the hitlist we still don't know who it is."
"Shit." Mike suddenly said. When all eyes turned to him he started talking. "Why would Sinead go to all this trouble? Why would she be so careful to make it look like Christina?" Before anyone could answer he continued. "She wants Henry right? And she knows Henry will always be tied to Christina his first love. She wants Henry to get Christina out of his life forever by making sure he hates her. Henry would never forgive Christina for killing innocent women." He put his empty mug on the filing cabinet and turned to look at Vicki. "We know the demon will kill one more person. Who else besides Christina would Sinead want out of the way?" He looked hard at Vicki with one brow raised.
Vicki dropped her feet from the desk, she returned Mikes look. "Me." Her eyes turned to the group in the room. "I'm the demons next victim."
tbc