Pansy’s eyebrows lifted, “You didn’t tell me we were going out.”
He pulled her to him, “I wanted to surprise my lady. Both ladies. Ariel, you’re coming, too.”
“Thank you, but no.” She started walking, and Denson grabbed her arm, not hard, but firmly.
He said, “Come with us.” He smiled, but she knew it was forced. She felt a thread of unease crawl up her spine like a thin-legged spider.
Ariel eased her arm from his grip, “I have things to do; maybe another time.”
Pansy touched Denson’s arm, “Denson, don’t be pushy.”
He smiled, “You’re right. We were having such a good time together this morning, I wanted it to continue for us. But I understand.” He hugged Pansy to him, “Pansy girl, it will be you and me having the whole day, then. Goodbye, Ariel.”
There was something going on there, Ariel thought. Denson hid his intentions behind the smiles and the invitation. She could feel it. Strongly. She said, “Have fun. Pansy, I will call you later.” Ariel left, hurrying a little to her car. When she drove away, she glanced in the rear view mirror and saw Denson and Pansy still standing in the parking lot, talking.
Pansy said to Denson, “I know Ariel is beautiful, and I’m not the thin girl I used to be, but you paying so much attention to her, it makes me sad, Denson.”
“I’m sorry. I will make it up to you, starting today.” A nice white van pulled through the parking lot and slowed to a stop beside them. The side door opened, and Denson said, “I invited some friends to go with us.” He motioned to the darkened interior. “Inside.”
Pansy was nervous, but she was with the man she loved. Pansy stepped up, then into the van. Several men were visible in the dimness. Denson pushed her gently to go further inside, then he entered and closed the sliding van door behind them. Pansy moved to the rear seat and sat facing forward. Denson sat beside her. Her heart fluttered like a rabbit’s.
The three men wore dark sunglasses, and all of them faced her in their swivel captain’s chairs. The tallest man, sitting closest to the front, made Pansy think of a dark statue. He said to Denson, “Where is the other one?”
Denson’s voice had the tiniest bit of nervousness in it, “She wouldn’t come. I tried.”
“You disappoint me.”
Pansy said to Denson, “I want to go, I need to go home. Let’s leave here.”
The van pulled out of the lot and proceeded down the road. The tall man motioned Denson away from Pansy, then he left his captain’s chair and moved so he was on his knees in front of Pansy. She noticed he wore black leather gloves. He smiled at her. Pansy felt so frightened she could hardly breathe.
Pansy said, “I–,” The tall man raised his clenched right fist, opened it and blew across the palm into Pansy’s face. A small puff of white powder hit her, going into her open mouth. She gasped, inhaling more of it. She glanced at Denson as a tear ran down her cheek, then she shuddered and slid out of the chair to the van floor and didn’t move.
Denson said, “Is she dead?”
Ringo Bazin turned to him and said, “No. Strip her. She will be less apt to run when she wakes if she has no clothing. We will take her to her house.”
One of the men said, “Do you want us to get the sòsyè?”
“No, she is mine.” He removed his gloves and put them in a Ziploc bag, then watched Denson remove Pansy’s clothes.
He told Denson, “Take the woman’s phone and keep it until I contact you.
Ringo prodded Pansy with his shoe, but she did not stir. He said to the driver, “Drop me at Churchill’s.” The driver turned toward Little Haiti as Ring
o made his plans for capturing the witch.
~*~
Ariel didn’t go home, but drove aimlessly through the coastal towns, barely recognizing which one she was in at any time. She was distressed about things, and especially about Denson’s actions today. It was as if he was a puppet and someone unseen, in the dark behind him, controlled his words and actions. That’s what she felt. He was a puppet.
But who was behind him? That part she couldn’t make out. The traffic light turned red and Ariel was so preoccupied with her thoughts she almost ran it, stopping at the last second with a screech of tires and cross traffic cars honking at her. She sat at the light, hands on the wheel at ten and two. She said, “So what now?”
As if in response, an airplane flew across her vision trailing a long banner. It read: Free Outdoor Concert – Sawgrass Mills Mall in Sunrise – East Parking Lot.
She said, “Yes.” When the light changed, she turned west and drove to intersect the road leading to Sunrise, Florida and the Sawgrass Mills Mall.
The crowd was large, but not too much for the parking lot. A local band played on the stage, and popcorn and hot dog stands were busy, as were the bands’ tee shirt sellers at their own pop-up tables. Ariel wandered the fringes, enjoying the tunes and the above average abilities of the bands. When she grew tired of the music, she went inside the huge mall and wandered the halls looking at merchandise, and occasionally going inside a store to browse further on something she saw and liked.