Envie- part 66

66

“So you don’t know his handwriting?” asked Gabriel.
 
“No.” Envie admitted, but then a thought stuck her “I’m no expert but he did sign a receipt for me.” She got up to go to her file; they followed her into the store. When she finally dug it up she was shocked to see her father and Gérard right behind her.
 
“Here.” she said, handing her father the receipt.
 
They all went back to the table where the letter was lain out.
 
“You were right; this signature is nothing like his.” Gérard said, and her father agreed.
 
“So was this woman who Entessa mentioned trying to help Lukas because he was sick or does she have something to do with his disappearance?” Envie asked.
 
“Entessa didn’t see very much but she confirmed it was Lukas because she saw his face as he turned away.” Gérard said.
 
“Has he mentioned anyone watching him?” Gabriel asked.
 
“No, but I have felt eyes on us several times.” Envie said. “I thought it was my imagination.”
 
“I need to speak to Gaston. He must go into sleep and speak to Alouette at once.” Gabriel said, getting up.
 
They watched him go into the shop to find Gaston.
 
“I hope we can figure this out. I’m worried for his safety.” Envie said.
 
“It’s so strange.” Gérard said, shaking his head.
 
Envie agreed and looked at the letter again. She knew what it said by heart but the thought that he might have touched it made her heart ache.
 
Gabriel came back in. “I have told him what is going on and he will do as I ask.” he said.
 
“If Great Maw can help why doesn’t she come to us?” Envie asked.
 
“There is a veil between our worlds. Have you tried a séance with her?”
 
“No, I never felt the need to.” she said.
 
Gérard asked to look at Envie’s laptop because he wanted to look for clues.
 
“Have at it- but Lukas rarely used it.” she said.
 Gérard went to get the laptop and brought it back to the table. “The storm is coming in; it’s very nasty outside from what I could see. Did you want to tape the windows?”
 
“The bars will have to do. This comes first. We are ready for just about anything hurricane wise.” she said. At this moment she could care less about filling the tub with water.
 
Gerard got to her email and asked her about several things. She answered readily.
“What about this? This Vera you told me about…have you heard from her after this email?”
 
“No…I haven’t…” said Envie….
“Gérard. Vera was blonde.”
 
Gabriel’s head came up. “Do you trust her?”
 
“I barely know her.” Envie replied.
 
He raised his voice “Gaston, are you awake?”
 
Gaston cawed twice and they all got up to go to him. He flexed his wings as he’d just woken up.
 
“Is this about Vera?” Envie asked immediately.
 
“It is. Alouette says Heddy has marked her as a very bad spirit.” he said.
 
“Gaston, do they know where Lukas is??” she asked desperately.
 
“Not yet but they are still investigating.” he cawed. “I will fly out and see what I can find out.”
 
“No Gaston, there is a storm and I forbid you to go out in this.” Envie said.
 
“As you wish.” said Gaston, and fell quiet.
 
“What do you know about this woman?” Gabriel asked.
 
“Honestly, not much,” Envie said “but I have her card.”
She pulled the card from a small portfolio near her front counter.
 
Gabriel examined it. “This feels false, this address and name. Here Envie, close your eyes and take the card…”
 
She did as he asked and tasted ashes in her mouth…”Oh goodness! What is that!?”
 
“That’s your power. You just don’t know all the ways you can use it. What did you feel?” Gabriel asked.
 
“I didn’t feel- I tasted bad… ashes.”
 
“Was she Haitian?” he asked.
 
“What? I don’t know- she was just a person. About ‘this tall’ and maybe green or blue eyes…maybe not, I just remember thinking she may have had a wig on because the blonde looked unnatural.” Envie said, showing the height to being about the same as her own.
 
“If she is Haitian there is a way she could have gotten him to go with her willingly….” Gabriel said. Then as an after though he said, “I’m sure other people know of the formula by now also so she doesn’t have to be Haitian.”
 
“I don’t understand.” said Envie and Gérard at the same time.
 
“If she knows the magic of zombies she could have forced him to come with her.”
 
“Zombies on The Waking Dead are dead people who are infected. That’s science fiction.” said Envie.
 
“This is magic, child, nothing to joke about.” he said.
 
“I don’t think she was joking.” said Gérard.
 
Envie nodded.
 
“Let me say that there are priests of the religion who can make a powder out of the tetrodotoxin of puffer fish or similar animals and other nasty ingredients and it is absorbed through the skin, causing the person who touches it to become pliable…if enough is given or ingested, they can go into a coma. People have been buried alive because others think they are dead; thus, the 'zombie' reference.” Gabriel said gravely.
 
“What the hell?” said Gérard.
Envie had been about to say the same thing.
 
“Gaston says you’ve had bad dreams…”
 
“Yes, lately, headaches and bad dreams.” Envie confirmed.
 
“This can help us…if you are this connected to Lukas.” Gabriel said.
 
```````````````````````````````
Lukas was in a dank and dark place. He felt fuzzy headed and nauseous.
He couldn’t move his arms; something bound them. He could hear a faint ticking sound and everything seemed to echo.