House of the Angels

Anne strolled down the cobbled sidewalks and around the streetcorners, through the seedy alleys that were marked with obscene graffiti. The night was pleasantly humid and the click of her heels kept her going towards her destination. If all went well with this visit she would have nothing to worry about.

She held on tight to the contents of a paper bag as she made her way to the house with the brick red door and the black shutters. People were crowded inside and outside of one of the local dives either waiting for food and drinks or chatting about the day’s events. Anne knocked on the door three times before someone inside ordered her to enter.

When she stepped inside, Anne was suddenly overwhelmed by the smell of burning incense and freshly opened alcohol. The place looked a lot like Sybilla’s room, full of all sorts of strange things including animal bones that hung all over the walls. On an altar in the furthest corner of the room stood several African statues draped with ropes of orange and black beads made from clay. Feathers from various birds stood fanned out behind them while bottles of alcohol and small plates of food surrounded the statues.

“Come in Miss Anne.” A man’s voice said invitingly. “I won’t bite.”

Anne parted the curtains to a cornered off area where a dark skinned man lounged on one of the pile of old cushions. Strange white markings had been chalked on his skin while around his neck hung a leather cord strung with sharp animal teeth.

“You look good ma cherie.” He said as a broad smile revealed his bright white teeth. “What brings you here to Doctor Jacques?”

“I find myself in need of some help.” Anne explained. “Regarding a….sort of troublesome matter.”

Doctor Jacques scratched his chin and arched his eyebrows. “Then you must know I require payment for my services.” He said.

“That’s why I brought this.”

Anne pulled a bottle from the paper bag and set it at the feet of Doctor Jacques. He picked it up in his hands and eyeing it with great interest. The blood red liquid inside and the bright silver cross etched on the front made his dark brown eyes glimmer with satisfaction.

“Ah,” he sighed when he opened the cork and sniffed the contents. “Finest rum this side of the bayou. You have good taste ma cherie.”

“Thank you Jacques.” Anne said with nervous politeness.

“So,” said Doctor Jacques as he shoved the cork back into the bottle. “Why are you here?”

“Well,” Anne began, her fingers twitching nervously as she folded them in her lap. “I’m afraid it has to do with something that’s been troubling me for a while.”

“Go on.” Doctor Jacques said intently.

“I’m sure you’ve heard about those children,” Anne explained. “The ones that were killed two days ago at Belle’s Grove?”

“Ah yes.” Answered Doctor Jacques as he crossed himself. “Their funerals will be at St. Charles church. Such a loss.”

“Anyway,” Anne continued. “I fear that the murderers may not be who ordinary people think they are.”

“What are you saying Anne?”

“What I mean is, I have a sneaky suspicion that whoever murdered these children weren’t just your back of the woods killer.” Anne explained. “I think we’re dealing with something much worse.”

Doctor Jacques contemplated the thought, turning it over in the back of his mind like a loose stone. “There is nothing worse than someone who commits such a heinous crime. Who would you suspect has the gall to do it?”

“Sally Caulfield.” Anne answered.

“Witch!” Doctor Jacques spat. “Her and her sinful little pack. And that daughter…..worse than her own mother.”

“You’ve dealt with them before?” Anne asked curiously.

“Dealt with them?” Doctor Jacques exclaimed. “Ma cherie, you have no idea. Sally and those devil children of hers are the bane of my existence.”

“What happened?” Anne pressed, thirsting to know more.

Doctor Jacques smirked. “When I came here,” he began. “Many years ago from Haiti, I thought Bayou St. Therese was a piece of home. I built my life from the ground up, working like a slave in the markets. I had a great reputation as a healer among many people ma cherie.”

“But how did you come to know Sally?” Anne asked.

“She would come by every now and again.” Doctor Jacques said coolly. “Asking for favors and such. Many times she had asked me to curse the souls of her enemies.”

“Let me guess,” Anne said. “You refused?”

“Naturally.” Jacques smirked. “Her true intent was to kill people.”

Anne shivered at Doctor Jacques’s claims. “Do you remember who it was she wanted dead?”

“Wealthy people mostly.” Doctor Jacques added. “That was how she was able to get Mason Noir in the first place. I didn’t think she would go through with it.”

“With what?”

“You haven’t heard?” Jacques asked her. “She drove the whole family mad until they killed each other. The police couldn’t pin anything on Miss Sally.”

Anne was chilled to the bone when she learned of the house’s dark history, but even more so when she learned that Sally had all but gotten away with a crime no one could pin on her.

“That family is the bane of everyone’s existence here on the bayou.” Jacques said bitterly. “Killing the innocent, taking what isn’t theirs, and digging up enemies I put in the ground years ago…..that woman is a monster I tell you.”

“So what do you suggest we do?” Anne enquired.

“I suggest you do what you can to protect yourself and those who live within your house.” Doctor Jacques explained. “Should you need help, you come back to me.”

“Yes Jacques.” Anne agreed. “Thank you for your advice.”

“And tell Sybilla I said hello.” He said with a sly grin. “I miss the company of my beautiful mambo.”

“I will let her know.” Anne said as she turned to leave.

The meeting with Doctor Jacques had gone better than expected. As Anne walked home that night she wondered if she would ever have a need to even go back to Doctor Jacques. Surely if the need ever arose she could go and seek his advice again. If she did, she would be ready, just in case.