Spellbound: a Tale of Magic, Mystery & Murder

CHAPTER 42 - THE CLEANSING

  By the following morning, everyone in Cristo had heard the news. Those who'd been forced to pay Ramon were especially delighted. Back at the hotel, when word reached the Wiccan tourists, Samantha remarked, "Maria insisted Jose suddenly became a stranger. My guess is, Ramon did something to bring that about."

  "Do you remember that couple back home? The ones doing drugs?" Robin murmured. "Well, separating them was the only way to get them clean, so we made a potion and poured it in front of their doorway. Every time they crossed over the spot, the spell grew stronger. They soon broke up as you may recall."

  "Do you think this has something to do with Maria’s doorway?" Raven asked.

  Boy jumped up. "While Maria and Jose are still in Santiago at the clinic, I'm going to their house. The earth at their front door might need changing."

  Boy borrowed a shovel from the hotel’s groundskeeper and set off. When he arrived at the house, it was empty. He looked at the ground before the door, but it was so tamped down by feet and time, disturbance was indiscernible.

  Boy dug his shovel into the soil. He'd hardly begun, when a shadow fell over the hole.

  "DIOS MIO! What are you doing? "

  "Jose? It's me, Mr. Ladd, from the hotel."

  "Well, Meester Ladd, why would you be digging up my door?"

  Boy sighed. "I think Ramon did something to come between you and Maria. That something may be here in the earth by the front door."

  Jose appeared stunned, then reached for the shovel. "I will dig."

  "No! The spell was meant for you. You shouldn't touch it."

  Boy turned out two more shovelfuls before unearthing the strange-looking, foul-smelling bag. Jose reached out for it. Boy shouted, "No! No! I told you not to touch it!" The tall man scooped up the bag with his shovel. "Do you have a place for trash?" Jose pointed. Boy dumped the bag in the trash and leaned on the shovel.

  "My friends are eager to learn how your children are doing."

  "Rosalinda is awake. She can speak. The last thing she remembers was her uncle walking up to her behind the hotel. Then she woke up in the hospital." Jose lowered his eyes. "Maybe not remembering is best."

  Boy nodded. "And Luis?"

  Jose frowned. "My son doesn't speak. He doesn't move unless instructed to do so. Just lies there, staring."

  "People say Ramon kept a zombie at the hut. Was that so?"

  "My wife was there. All she saw was a Haitian woman with sunglasses. It was a policeman who said the woman was a zombie."

  "Hmmmm," Boy mused. "Ramon must have been trying to come between you and your wife so no one would be watching when he came for your children."

  "It is true that I never before found my woman so irritating. It is all my fault."

  "You mustn’t blame yourself, Jose. Ramon victimized everyone. The police suspect he was responsible for some of those missing women. INTERPOL is going to test a skull taken from the hut. It may prove to be the remains of a tourist."

  "The doctors have spoken well for Rosalinda's recovery, but Luis . . . his mind is gone."

  "Have these doctors been able to identify the drug Ramon used?"

  "No. They are at a loss."

  "The Japanese practice of eating blow fish, puff fish, comes to mind."

  "No Japanese in Cristo," Jose insisted.

  "These poisons can be obtained without going to Japan," Boy said. "In that country, these fish are a delicacy. But if not prepared properly, the diner goes into a coma and is pronounced dead. Sometimes the victim is not really dead and, if not buried, miraculously returns to life."

  "You say my son was given this drug?"

  "I have no way of knowing, but I do think someone should search that hut. Any drugs found there should be tested."

  "The hut was burned," Jose murmured regretfully.

  "Oh!" Boy was clearly disappointed. "They say Ramon kept a suite at the hotel. Perhaps he left something behind."

  "The police searched and found nothing."

  "Well," Boy persisted, "what about his car?"

  "He did have one. He must have taken it with him."

  "We must keep an eye out for that car, Jose. It may be the only chance for your son."

  Boy left to return the shovel and found his four friends lunching in the dining room. He washed up quickly and joined them.

  "I found the charm at Jose's house and disposed of it."

  "Ramon is still on the loose," Raven told him. "He knows we're interfering and is sure to come after us. I think all of us should stick together and stay inside this hotel until he's caught."

  "We're not even going out by the pool alone," stated Samantha. "That's where he caught Rosalinda. And they think he snatched a tourist from the outdoor market."

  Boy explained the need to recover the toxin used to poison Maria's children, adding, "The police have searched every possible hiding place, except his car."

  "How are we supposed to find it?" moaned Robin.

  "I had a feeling this morning that his car was hidden off the road, behind a canopy of leaves," Cat said.

  "Oh, please, Cat!" Robin exclaimed. "A canopy of leaves? This is a tropical country. Can't you be more specific?"

  "Tonight, in my dreams, I could locate Ramon and maybe his car," Cat suggested.

  "Only if we keep watch so you can return safely to your body," Raven insisted.