“Kennedy, honey, that’s gonna be hard,” said Hex. “Lots of folks live out there in those remote cabins. We can’t just tell them we suspect something will make them sick.”
“Why not? If we know it makes people sick, we put out the notification and let them make their own decisions. That’s all we can do.”
“I’m afraid it’s not that easy,” said Luke.
“I don’t accept that,” said Kennedy. “I think we can truly force people to stay away from the area if we use the right tactics.”
“Like what? Fear? Force?” said Luke. “We can’t, Kennedy. We have to let them make their own choices.”
“Maybe not,” said Gaspar walking toward them.
“Dad, what do you mean?” asked Luke.
“I mean we have to make some drastic decisions. Animals are dying.”
“What?” came the collective cry.
“None of ours but it doesn’t matter. The wildlife in the area is dying. I think whatever was brought ashore is slowly killing the land around that cabin. We need to get folks away from there, block the entire area, and get this under control.”
“This? We don’t even know what ‘this’ is,” said Kennedy. “If animals are dying, humans will be right behind them. We might have temporarily helped people but if I can’t figure out the problem, if Rachel can’t identify what’s in that soil, we’ll never be able to solve this issue.”
“I have an idea,” said Hezekiah. They all turned to look at him as he paced the floor, rubbing his perfectly formed chin.
“I’m listening,” said Luke.
“Irene? Matthew? Can you call forth Beryl?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
“Have you lost your mind?” asked Hex. “That woman tried to kill you and instead cursed you for all time. Don’t you think she’ll just do it again?”
“I know, I know,” said Hezekiah. “But I’m already dead. She can curse me all she likes but it may not work now. She’s angry with me, or at least that’s how all this started. I just want to talk to her.”
“I think he’s got something,” said Parker walking toward them. “I’ve been digging through all the books in the library, trying to find something that I read a long time ago. The name Beryl isn’t very common. There was an entry from Matthew’s ancestor that they’d gone to the funeral of a woman named Beryl.
“Apparently the daughter attended and then left with a young man. She was going to be married now that her mother could no longer protest.”
“She married the Hymel man,” said Hezekiah. “He was a fisherman and her mother didn’t approve. He was a wonderful person. Quiet, kind, and deeply in love with Cressida.”
“Well, Grandma? Grandpa? You’re the experts in this field. What do you think?” asked Luke.
“It’s worth a try,” said Matthew. “Hezekiah is right. She cannot curse him in death. He’s suffered enough and we’ll be there to ensure that. But you may not like what she has to say. Whatever she’s done may not be reversible.”
“At least we’d know,” said Rachel. “I can’t for the life of me figure out what she’s done or if she did anything at all.”
“What do you mean?” asked Hex.
“I mean, it could have been completely natural. The hurricane, the algae, all of it. It could be one big natural mistake,” said Rachel.
“Parker? Does it say where she was buried?” asked Cam.
“On her property,” said Parker. “Apparently she wanted to die in the only place that ever gave her peace.”
“Then we have to go back out there,” said Rachel. “I know how you all feel about this but I need to know. I’ve never seen anything like this before and neither have the medical teams. That means we have two mysteries on our hands that could kill more people.”
“Alright,” nodded Luke. “Let’s head out there. But everyone stays together. Don’t wander the property. We’ll see if we can find out what our mystery witch has been brewing.”
“Now, Luke. That ain’t funny,” said Irene. “We don’t brew stuff. I mean, the occasional tea and things.”
