Tonton (A Hunter Kincaid Novel)

“I do not. All the stories about vodou, which is what I am assuming you infer, are wives tales. It is simply herbal medicine, nothing more.”

Andre said, “It’s not simple herbal medicine, there’s more to it, and vodou is the national religion of Haiti, or have you forgotten?”

Marc said, “Again, are you accusing me of something? Agent Benton, You’re Haitian. You know that plants and herbs are used in vodou.”

Andre said, “I’m American.” Both men bristled, like two male dogs facing each other.

Hunter thought, What the hell is going on with these two? She attempted to deflate the tension, “Hey, I apologize. I didn’t mean anything by the question. I’m searching for answers anywhere I can.”

Both men seemed to relax a hair. Marc said, “I can inquire about such things, and will call you if something turns up.”

“Thanks.” Hunter rose and said, “We appreciate your help.”

Andre didn’t say anything.

When Hunter turned, Ringo Bazin was five feet behind her. She felt a little jolt jump through her, like an electrical shock. She said, “I need to put a bell on you so I can hear you comin’.”

He didn’t answer, and didn’t move. Hunter and Andre circled around him and walked toward the front door. When they passed the cabinet with the red cloth on top of it, Hunter discretely pushed part of the cloth aside, exposing a gold medallion with words and images on it. The image was of an eerie human skull centered in an upside down arrowhead. In the haft portion, in small letters above the skull’s head it read, Republique du Haiti and below the skull, near the arrowhead’s point was Tonton Macoute. She heard a faint click as Andre shielded his phone from the two Haitians and snapped a photo, then slid the phone into his pocket.

Dessaline said, “That is mine, Agent Kincaid. Don’t touch it. Please leave now. You may return, but not Benton.”

Before Hunter or Andre could respond, Ringo closed Dessaline’s office door in their faces. Hunter said to Andre, “He must be having a bad day, huh?”

“He’s lying about what he knows, and he doesn’t want us digging. That’s what I read.”

Hunter bumped his shoulder with her fist and said, “I’m just glad to know that I’m not the only one who pisses people off without even trying.”

“It’s a talent.” He grinned at her, “Let’s get out of here. I want to ask your friend Young Anson about what this means.” He showed Hunter the photo.

As they walked to the car, Hunter said, “You got what was on the medallion.”

“Yep. My guess is, there’s an inscription on the back of it, and maybe more under the rest of the cloth.”

“Works for me.”

Dessaline watched them through the large window as they walked to their car and drove away. He looked at Ringo, who nodded, turned and left. The door made no noise when he closed it behind him.

~*~

Ariel awoke under the pier to the smell of smoke. When she emerged, she saw her car was on fire. She detoured away from her burning car and walked toward the ocean, angling in a curve across the wide sand to the surf line. Her purse had been in it, under the seat on the driver’s side, so now she had no money, no credit cards, no identification. She walked south, wary of everyone she encountered, and moving away from men who paid her attention. Any of them could be the same one or ones who torched her vehicle. An hour later, Ariel had walked all the way to Hollywood beach, where there were more crowds in which to blend and more places to hide.

When she felt more secure, She slowed, taking her time to eye the patrons at the restaurants and bars and zero in on potential customers. A young man sat drinking coffee at an outside table and she approached him to ask if she could use his phone, saying hers had been lost last night. Ariel smiled and touched his arm as she talked. He was candy.

She called Hunter and told her some of what happened, and that she was scared. Hunter told her what to do, that she was coming.

Ariel felt better after talking to Kincaid, but still had one problem: no money. She looked at the growing crowd of older tourists on Hollywood beach and thought that maybe it was not such a big problem after all. The older ones seemed more open to what a reading might tell them. She knew they thought about death more often than people in their thirties and forties. The ones in their sixties and seventies could feel that life was shortening for them at an accelerating rate, and on the chance that this beautiful, exotic-looking young woman could tell them things that might enhance what was left to them, well, they didn’t mind handing over money for the opportunity. One hour later and eighty dollars to the good, she started into the shops along the boardwalk knowing she would have to buy cheap.

That’s when she saw them. She turned to face the ocean and glanced left and right along the boardwalk. Four men, far down the boardwalk, walked in her direction, checking out every young black woman on the beach and on the boardwalk, and no one else. She glanced the opposite direction and saw three other men doing the exact same thing, and coming at a ste

ady pace. Neither group saw her yet, but they would.

A store selling beachwear was two steps away, and Ariel walked inside as an older couple did the same. Sunglasses were first; the big oversized ones with dark lenses. Ariel put them on immediately. Next was a large canvas tourist’s shopping bag, and hats, two of them, with one of them a soft baseball cap with Hollywood Florida on the front, and the second one, a large straw hat with a big brim. She put on the big straw and shoved the cap in the bag. Then she continued down the beach, constantly checking her stalkers.

She walked into another store and found a Miami Dolphins tee shirt, an oversized swimwear cover shirt that reached to mid-thigh, baggy tan shorts, and cheap sandals. Ariel paid for them and asked if she could use the bathroom. The sales woman pointed to a door in the back, saying, “Make sure you flush.”

Ariel locked the door once she was inside, and changed as fast as she could. Her original clothes went deep into the trash and she covered them with paper towels from the dispenser before leaving the store and continuing down the boardwalk. The men were getting closer from both front and back, but still hadn’t noticed her. She ducked into another store as one of the men in front of her stopped to answer his phone.

She rarely wore lipstick, so she bought two different shades. She applied a soft rose for the first one, and slipped the other into her front pocket so she could change the color fast if she needed to. It wasn’t much, but with the other changes, it might be enough for a short while.