Sookie took a detour that lead her past Lafayette's house, she saw Lettie Mae running frantic from his house with Lafayette not too far behind pointing a shotgun in her direction, Sookie stopped her car in the middle of the road and hopped out her car. Lettie Mae hid behind Sookie, "Lafayette what's going on? Why are you pointing a gun at Lettie?" She asked standing between the two. "Hello Sookie,this boozed out heffa broke into my house!"
Sookie turned to Lettie "Is that true?" she asked.
"I said sorry, then he wanna come after me like I'd murdered somebody!" Lettie shouted.
"You came close to getting murdered yourself, shoulda put one in you when I had the chance!"
"Lafayette!" Sookie yelled over them as they continued to scream at each other.
"Now how would Tara feel knowing you killed her mama? The only person that loves her in this world-" Lettie said.
"Happy! She'd be happy and better off. Now get the fuck away from my property!" Lafayette demanded.
"You ain't right Lafayette, God gon' come down on you!" Lettie said before she scurried off.
"Yeah let him come on down I'm wide open!" Lafayeete shouted.
Sookie sighed, a few cars had gathered behind her's and began to get impatient honked their horns. One man got out of his car, "Hey, you mind get a move on!" He shouted.
Lafayette raised the gun towards him, "Don't make me kill nobody today." Lafayette grunted.
Sookie looked on wide eyed, the man backed away slowly and got back into his car. "I got to get going anyway, Sam called me to cover the new girl's shift. See you later." Sookie said getting into her car.
"See ya Sok." Lafayette said.
Sookie entered Merlotte's when the lunch rush was starting to pick up, she barely had time to tie her apron as she served table after table,the whole afternoon went by like a blur. Things started to slow down after a few hours, Jason came into the bar. Arlene greeted him at the door "Hey, Jason I didn't see you at lunch today?" she said.
"I took the day off...hey shouldn't you be at home? You know because of...um the Renee thing?" He asked.
" I can't just sit at home and waddle in my sorrows I got kids to take care of." Arlene told him.
"You don't know do you?" He asked her.
"Know what?" She asked.
Right then Sam turned on the TV which was set on the news.
"The young woman who was found brutally murdered this morning has been identified as 20 year old Lisa Kuburik. It's estimated she's been dead for more than two days. The coroner reports that Lisa's throat was slit from ear to ear, cause of death massive blood lost. Police will not comment on if this is the work of the Bon Temps killer." The news woman said.
Arlene felt the judging eyes of everyone on her,
"Another name added to the list." Jason thought out loud.
Arlene turned to face him. "He didn't kill that girl, he's been dead for weeks."
She hurried to the back in a huff. Sookie walked from behind the bar towards Jason. "What did you do?" She asked.
"I didn't do anything, it slipped. " he told her.
"Jason, Arlene is sensitive, especially now and she needs our support, not to be reminded of him." Sookie told him.
"Ok, you're right I'll go apologize. " He went to the back where Arlene was. She ran into the bathroom when she saw Jason coming.
"Arlene." He said knocking on the door. "Come on, I'm sorry alright."
"Apology not accepted!" She snapped her voice echoed through the door.
"You don't have to accept it, but I am sorry really." He said. "I know how you feel, you feel betrayed, Renee was my friend. He killed my Grandma.
"I'm sorry about your Gran, but it's not the same." Arlene cried.
I know that feeling of betrayal. Believe it or not Renee isn't the only person whose ever hurt me. A man I trusted and loved dearly turned out to be nothing but a cheater, he wasn't who I thought he was.
Arlene opened the door, "How could you know how I feel?" She asked.
"We are the same, someone close to you hurt you and someone close to me hurt me, he turned out to be nothing but a cheater.
Arlene mouth dropped, "Are you comparing my situation to one of your sick sex escapades? Because that is not the same thing, I loved Renee we were in a real relationship which is nothing like your homosexual experiments. She snapped shutting the door. Jason left standing in shock.
"Homo- what?... I'm not gay!" Jason exclaimed.
As Jason walked backwards back to his booth Lafayette jokingly looked him up and down.
"I'm not!" Jason exclaimed.
Lafayette just laughed "I know." As he took the trash to the dumpster, he felt like he was being watched as he turned around, what he saw just about stopped his heart.
In Tecopa, GA Sadie arrives at her moms house with her best friend Dana in toe, "You're baking..again." Sadie said sitting at the island bar.
"You can never have too much baked goods." a smile came across Claire's square face. "Not sure that's entirely true, mom." Sadie said. Dana helped herself to some pie and milk, as Sadie watched her mom in astonishment pull muffins and brownies from the oven one after the other. "You know you only bake like this when you're anxious about something." Sadie said. "I'm not anxious about anything." Claire said nervously. Dana mouth stuffed with pie said, "No offense Mrs. Matthews but you're a Betty Crocker, Martha Stewart rolled into a can of starch." Sadie looked at Dana then at her mom "Dana, I love you but I never understand your euphemisms." Claire told her. "Anywho, what is it you're anxious about mama?" Sadie asked.
"Well, for one your father will be away longer than expected and well I wanted to tell you in private." Claire started.
"It's ok I can leave." Dana said starting to the door, but Claire stopped her. "It's alright Dana you're practically family, besides you'd find out anyway." Claire took a deep breathe and said, "Auntie Jo ain't doing so well, she hasn't for a while now. But she's getting worse, and out there on that farm all alone, no family near there to help her out. I know that you had this summer all planned out but if you could volunteer to stay with her for awhile?" Claire asked.
"Mom?" Sadie exclaimed
"She'd love to see you, she hasn't seen you since you were a little girl." Claire added.
"Why can't Uncle Joel, or Robbie or anybody?" Sadie asked.
"Joel has his business to keep up, I got babies to deliver and a house to keep up, and everybody else got bills, jobs, responsibilities. You on the other hand are a free agent." Claire told her. Sadie's face dropped, Dana laughed, "Oh my God."
"Dana you're not helping." Claire said.
"I'm sorry Mrs. M." Dana said giggling to herself. "But you know we could turn it into a road trip, it
could be fun." Dana said.
"It's too far for you girls to be ridin' by yourselves, you'll be flying out Monday." Claire said sitting the plane ticket on the island.
Sadie picked up the ticket, "Monday? Oh, I see you're punishing me." Sadie said.
"Don't think of it as a punishment. Take this time to sort out your life, learn some responsibility. It could be good for you." Claire said.
Sadie was quite for a moment, then she spoke, "Alright Mama, I'll do it. Just one question does Auntie Jo got cable?" Sadie asked sarcastically.
Jason came back to his booth, Sookie sat down "So how did it go?" she asked.
"Not well. Everything just keeps fucking up." he said.
"What do you mean by that?" she asked.
"There's something I haven't told you, but I don't think I should tell you here." he said. They went to outside in the back of the bar, Sookie picks up a trash bag in front of the dumpster "Who took out the trash?" she asked tossing it in. "I saw Lafayette come out here with it." he said.
"So what is it you wanted to tell me?" Sookie asked.
"I took some V a few nights ago, for the last time. I'm off of it now for good." he told her. Jason explains that he started having hallucinations of their father, and it lead him to a closet in his room which use to be their parents bedroom. And under the floorboards he found letters from an anonymous woman he believes was their father's secret lover.
"What makes you think that?" she asked.
"Because dad asked about a baby." he tells her.
Sookie shock her head in disbelief but hands her one of the wrinkled up letters, she skims through the letter and there in her father's handwriting "How are you? How's the baby?"
"Daddy had a baby with another woman? Does she live here in this town?" Sookie asked.
"I don't know, I didn't find any envelopes, just loose letters. Did you ever get anything off dad, see what he was thinking?" he asked.
"Never, nothing like that. I don't remember anything, either daddy was really good at hiding it or maybe we're reading too much into it." Sookie said.
"You believe that?" Jason asked her. Sookie didn't answer just looked back down at the letter in her hands. "Sookie! What are you doing back here I need your help getting these tables cleaned, it's almost closing time." Arlene shouted through the back door.
Dana gives Sadie the description of her uncles' car that will pick her up once she arrives. Once she says her goodbyes to her mom and Dana, Sadie boards the plane to Louisiana. This was the first time she's flown alone and her first time on a plane, the only other aircraft she'd flown in was in grade school when she got to join her mom who was a helicopter reporter on a ride during bring your kids to work day. That was one of the best memories she had as a child. Looking out the window, they were much higher up than when on the helicopter. It was still dark out Sadie could see tons of tiny lights on the ground, she began to drift off, when she opened her eyes again she could see a glimpse of dawn coming beyond the horizon, she must have been out a couple of hours. Sadie opened her laptop to watch a DVD when in the corner of her eye she saw a figure outside the window she quickly turned her head to see a man with long dark hair in a black vest and pants flying beside the plane, she blinked once and he was gone. Sadie was sure she just saw her first Vampire, 'They can fly?' she asked herself.
A few hours before,Sookie was awaken from a sound coming from the attic, she went up to see what it was and found a freshly dead rat in a mouse trap, Sookie moved her flashlight away from the rat and caught view of something in the corner of the attic , a leather trunk just about extended arms length in width. Sookie knelt down in front of it and put her hand on top of the trunk lid a sudden vision came to her, her father placing something inside and locking it, then he was at Gran's house with it placing the trunk in the attic. As abruptly as it started it was gone. Sookie was in disbelief at what just happened she had never gotten a vision before. She called Bill and asked if it was too early/late for him to come over and help her get the chest open. "Of course not , I'll be right over." Bill said. Bill brought down the trunk from the attic and tried to break it open using all his vampire strength but it wouldn't budge, much to both their surprise. "Perhaps it's sealed with magic?" Bill concluded. "Magic, but daddy didn't know any magic." Sookie said. She continued "He locked it with a key, I saw it in my vision." Sookie told him. "Vision?" Billed asked. "When I touched it, I saw my dad put something in it and lock it shut. Then he brought it here to Grans' house." Sookie explained. Bill sat thinking a moment, "Did you see what that something was?" Bill asked.
"No, but maybe it's something to help me learn what I am, or why I'm able to read people's minds. Or, it could be something to do with a woman daddy was writing to." Sookie said.
"What woman?" Bill asked. "We don't know, Jason found these letters in his closet under the floorboards. But there's no name or address on any of them." Sookie said.
Studying the trunk further, he took notice of the unusual hand carvings on the front of the it, he explained to Sookie that the symbols looked like a mix of Ancient Latin and Egyptian hieroglyphics he was able to make out some of the Latin text which he read aloud; "Locked it shall remain, until the one who holds the key unlocks it again."
"I didn't know you spoke Latin?" Sookie said. "Not fluently, but I know enough." Bill told her. "So, all we need is the key to open it." Sookie said.
"First, you'll need to find it. Do you have any idea where your father may have hidden it?" Bill asked. But as Sookie started to answer Bill could see it was getting light out, Sookie acknowledged this by telling him it was Ok she understood he had to go and thanked him with a kiss before he flitted out the door.
Outside the airport Sadie looks for the car Dana described, but in a sea of Taxi's Sadie didn't see it, after about 20 minutes of standing outside the airport entrance, Sadie dialed Dana's uncle number and after a few rings the phone went to voicemail. Sadie then called Dana now becoming increasingly frustrated, before the third ring Sadie heard her name being called she looked to her left and saw a African- American woman with shoulder length hair standing beside a little red car. "Sadie Matthews?!" She shouted, Sadie weaved through a small crowd til she reached the red car. "Hi, I'm Sadie. Are you Lafayette?" Sadie asked. "No, I'm Tara his cousin. LaLa is M.I.A for the moment." Tara helped Sadie with her luggage . In the car Tara asked Sadie if she's ever been to Bon Temps, "Not since I was real little. My mother's side is originally from Bon Temps though. " Sadie said.
"Oh yea, what's the family name? Might know' em." Tara asked.
"Jolivet, my mom 's name is Claire." She told her. "Jolivet? I know that name. Are you related to Justine Jolivet, wife of Martin De Fleur ?" Tara asked.
"Yea, those my grandparents, grandma refused to give up her last name. She was a proud woman." Sadie said. "I remember them, Martin use to do those comedy sketches with his guitar at the Jester Club on Rey Ave. And Ms. Justine use to come over to Gran's house almost everyday. It was real sad when she passed, Gran was real torn up about it, I'm sorry about your lost. " Tara said.
"Thanks, grandpa retired after grandma passed, he's living on his houseboat in Rena, LA." Sadie told her.
"Man, he was funny, and a hell of a good jazz player too. You should tell him to come back and do one more show." Tara said.
"I think he would if he knew how much people missed his acts. So have you ever been to Tecopa? Since you have family there?" Sadie asked.
"Never been to Tecopa, but we went down to Georgia for Dana's parents wedding, they got married in Atlanta. " Tara told her.
Sadie tells Tara that the only places she been besides Bon Temps was Disney World and she explains that it wasn't all that she thought it would. Tara asked what she was expecting, Sadie says she was expecting there to be actual magic. "I was only 7, and I remember being so crushed I cried nearly the entire time we were there." Sadie told her. They laughed, Tara joked, "I guess the happiest place on Earth isn't so happy after all."
"So, did Lafayette over sleep or something came up?" Sadie asked.
"Well, I'm sure he isn't at home sleep. But I don't know where he ran off to, lucky for you Dana had sense enough to have me as your back up ride." Tara said.
"Good ol' Dana always got my back." Sadie said to herself. "You two are good friends, ya'll remind me of how me and Sookie are." Tara said.
"Who's Sookie?" Sadie asked. "You don't remember her?" Tara asked.
"I met her before?" Sadie asked.
"Yeah, but you were real little. Probably don't remember her that well." Tara said.
Tara continued, "That's my best friend since we were kids. Her Gran use to take care of me when I was little. I miss her." Tara said getting tearful.
"Sookie?" Sadie asked.
"No, uh Adele, Sookie's Gran. She passed away not too long ago." Tara told her.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Sadie said. Tara gave a small smile as a tear started down her cheek but she caught it and turned to Sadie and asked,"Want to listen to the radio?" Sadie gave a wry smile and nodded. Tara turned the dial and the rest of the way to Bon Temps the only sound came from the radio.
Arriving at the Jolivet Family Farm a while later, Sadie felt the car stop as she had her eyes closed resting. She stretches and rubs her eyes "We're here." Tara said turning off the car. Sadie went around to the trunk to get her bags, Tara grabbed the one from the backseat. Sadie looked up at the blue Victorian farmhouse, it was still as she remembered it warm and inviting yet breathtaking at first glance. Sadie walked up the stairs of the white porch that went around the whole house.
Auntie Jo always left the door unlocked, Sadie opened the door and was welcomed with the sweet smell of Alyssum flowers. They were her Aunt's favorite flowers she had them scattered about the house, the smell brought back memories of when her whole family would gather in this house for holidays and a few family reunions. Sadie sat down her bags by the door, Tara came up from behind and closed the door. Sadie called out "Auntie Jo! It's Sadie! Your great niece." A woman came from the back of the house "Keep your voice down." she said. Sadie almost didn't recognize the woman, "Well, whats the matter girl ain't you gon' give your Auntie a hug." She said, embracing Sadie. "Auntie." Sadie greeted. Sadie studied her, her hair was dyed black and she was walking on her own without her cane, her clothing wasn't that of an aging woman but of a middle-aged one,she seemed to have a glow about her. Sadie smiled wry at her Aunt she didn't want to ruin this reunion so she kept her thoughts to herself..for now. "Let me look at ya. You've grown into a lovely looking young woman haven't you." Aunt Jo smiled brightly. "You look good too Auntie, it's good to see you again. Mama said you weren't feeling well, but you look fine." Sadie said.
"Yes, darling I'm more than fine. I feel alive! Oh, lets your bags to your room. Come on I'll show where it's at." Aunt Jo lead Sadie and Tara to a upstairs guest room the second door near the top of the stairs. Aunt Jo asked if Tara was staying for lunch Tara answers no she should get going. "Thanks Tara, I owe ya." Sadie said. "No, Dana owes me." Tara smiled they shared a laughed and hugged. "I'll see you around. It was nice to meet you Mrs. Jo." Tara said before leaving.
Sookie tells Jason about the trunk she found in the attic and what was written on it. Jason sits on the couch staring at the trunk, "Whatever's in there daddy didn't want nobody to find it. But what is it?" Jason asked.
"Honestly it could be anything. I've scrambled my mind since last night trying to figure it out." Sookie said. "You said even Bill couldn't get it open?" Jason asked.
"Nope, it won't open without a key. It's magic or something." Sookie replied.
"Daddy knew magic?" Jason asked.
"He knew something or someone you knew how to magically lock something and make it stay that way." Sookie said.
They sat for a moment silent looking at the trunk, then Jason jumped up from the couch, he had an idea. "Dynamite!" he exclaimed. "What? Dynamite?" Sookie repeated.
"Yeah, explosives can open anything. Surround this sucka with some dynamite and BOOM! It opens." Jason said.
"Bill couldn't even open it." Sookie said.
"Bill is not dynamite." Jason said.
"That makes no sense Jason. Look we just need to find the key, now you put that dynamite idea out of your head." Sookie demanded.
"Fine, while you're looking for some tiny little key that could be anywhere. Imma go get me some explosives and I know exactly where that's at." Jason said as he left the house, Sookie called after him, "Jason!" but he had rushed off in his car. Sookie called Tara who was just arrived home to ask for her help and finding the key to the trunk, before Jason blew something up. "Blow what up? What Trunk?" Tara asked. I'll explain later, can you please just come over." Sookie pleaded. "Ok, Ok, I'll see you in a few minutes." Tara said.
Using her telekinesis made unpacking quite easy and she was finished quickly, Sadie sat on the bed and admired the room, it use to be her mom's room when she was little. Grandpa Martin sold the house to Aunt Jo and Uncle Kel when he boat his houseboat east of Bon Temps. It was a sunny room with a window seat was under a cluster of windows by the twin bed with brass frame. From the window seat you could view the whole backyard and beyond the wooded area to the little river just in the back of the house. The walls were covered with white pink and yellow flower print wallpaper. There was a mirror above a non working fireplace, which matched the white furniture in the room. "Your mom loved this room. I remember your pawpaw and my husband Kel putting up this wallpaper for her, she picked it out herself. " Aunt Jo told Sadie standing in the doorway.
"She has good taste, that much is the same." Sadie joked. Aunt Jo smiled, "You ready to eat lunch?"
"Yeah I could eat." Sadie answered. As they ate their lunch Sadie couldn't help but stare at Aunt Jo, and she wondered why her mom said she wasn't doing well and she clearly is doing fine. 'Maybe she taught the only way to get me here was through guilt." Sadie thought to herself. "It's the hair isn't it?" Aunt Jo asked. "What? No, your hair is fine." Sadie snapped out of her thoughts. "It's too dark, I knew I should've gone with brown. But I wanted a dramatic change, and I don't think with my complexion I could pull off blonde." Aunt Jo told her. "Auntie there's nothing wrong with your hair honest it's just..well mama told me you weren't doing too well. That you needed looking after. I mean that's not the only reason why I'm here I wanted to see you I-" Sadie explained, but Jo cut her off. "I understand, you're young this is your first summer as a legal adult you want to have fun. Don't worry about me, I'm fine. I've gotten use to being by myself, but I am happy you're here with me." Jo gave her usual warm smile and placed her hand on Sadie's arm, almost instantly a vision came to Sadie. A Vampire with long dark hair like the one she seen out the plane window, was digging it's fangs into Jo's neck. Sadie jerked her arm back, Jo looked at her strangely "Are you Ok Honey?" Jo asked. Sadie stared blankly for a second, then muttered "Yes, I'm fine. Just I'm full, can I save this for later."
"Of course." Jo said, getting some saran wrap from the drawer. Sadie placed the plate in the fridge and walked towards the foyer "Oh, if you're going out, could you stop by the Stackhouse place they're less than a mile that way I need my Tupperware dish back, you can take my Herbie." Jo told her.
"Yeah I can get your dish back Auntie. What's a Herbie?" Sadie asked.
Sadie opened the shed doors and inside was a little white car, 'So that's Herbie, It looks like a beetle, but it isn't I don't think. Maybe some mutant beetle car or something that's long since been out of circulation.' Sadie thought to herself as she started the car, which stuttered once then she turned the key and it stuttered twice. She waited a few seconds and tried it again and it started finally.
"I turned that attic upside down, no key. But plenty of dust mites." Tara said brushing herself off. "Thanks Tara. We've looked everywhere it's not here." Sookie said.
"Maybe it's at Jason's house, if your dad wanted to hide something for good, maybe he kept the two separate." Tara suggested. "Good thinking Tara. I'll call him, I just hope he hasn't bought any dynamite." Sookie said.
"That boy is straight crazy, bet he don't even know how to use no dynamite, probably blow off his arm." Tara ranted.
Sookie snickered, "Jason, please tell me you haven't bought any explosives." Sookie asked.
"I'm about to I'm at the store now. Why?" Jason asked.
"Because the key isn't here, it's at your house." Sookie told him.
"What?" Jason asked.
"Me and Tara have searched this place top to bottom, the only other place it could rationally be is your house. Our parents house, it makes sense." Sookie told him.
"Oh yeah, well what if he got rid of it for good." Jason said.
"What do you mean?" Sookie asked.
"I'm in town, I ran into Lou the guy who runs the bingo place. He told me that daddy asked him how to get rid of something permanently." Jason said.
"Yeah, but we don't know what he was talking about. It could have been anything. And besides Lou's brain isn't all there, that was nearly 20 years ago." Sookie said.
She added, "Please just look around your place , before you do something stupid like buying explosives." Sookie plead.
Jason thought about It and sighed, "Alright Sok, but if I don't find it, you're not talking me out of doing it my way." Jason said.
"I can't promise that, but just call me when you find it Ok." Sookie told him then hung up.
There was a knock at the door, Sookie went to answer it. She opened the door, "Hi, I'm Sadie."
"Sadie? Aren't you Justine's granddaughter?" Sookie asked.
"Is it that obvious? ." Sadie asked.
"I haven't met another Sadie yet. That and, it's very hard not to recognize a Jolivet." Sookie said, letting Sadie in.
"So, is your family back in Bon Temps?" Sookie asked.
No, I'm staying with my Auntie Jo. She sent me over to get some Tupperware she lent to you?"
"Oh. Yeah, I forgot it's in the kitchen." Sookie said.
"Aren't you Tara's friend?" Sadie asked.
Just then Tara walked into where they were, "Hey, Sadie." Tara greeted.
"Hey. Speaking of which." Sadie said.
"Wow what a small world, I remember your Grandpa Martin, you remember him Tara?"
Um-hm we talked about her Grandpa this morning when I picked her up at the airport." Tara said.
"So you just got here today?" Sookie asked.
"Yeah, I'll be here awhile. I guess my mom felt Auntie was lonely out here." Sadie said.
"Sookie dug the Tupperware bowl from the cabinet, and handed it to Sadie, "Tell Ms. Jo I'm sorry for holding on to it so long." Sookie said.
"Oh, it's Ok. As long as she gets it back in one piece that all she'll care about. Thanks, it was nice meet you again Sookie, even if I don't remember meeting you the first time." Sadie laughed. "It was good to see you again too. And you are welcome to come by any time, you and your Aunt." Sookie told her.
"Thanks Sookie, bye Tara." Sadie waved as she left, Tara waved back.
After searching his house for hours Jason was ready to give up looking for the key, he flopped on the couch, where he found under the cushions a vile of V. He hesitates, then closes his eyes and downs the vile of blood, "Come on dad. Show me the key." he said. The room seemed to go back in time, suddenly it was like he was back as a kid, his father stood outside looking in the window Jason goes out and walks where he saw his father. Then he hears the garage door open, he walks towards it and sees his father inside, Jason calls to him "Dad?" But he doesn't answer, Jason walks into the garage and follows his father's glare. On top of the shelf was a old cardboard box, Jason turned to Corbett but was meet with a horrific sight his father's eyes were hallowed out Jason screamed. He came to on the garage floor in a cold sweat, breathing heavy he stood up and turned to the shelf in place of the cardboard box was Jason's tool box he picked it up to find a single brick in the wall. He punched it out and in the opening he could see a tree, he look around the tree until he found a hole just above his head it was cover with a piece of false bark. He couldn't see what was inside, he felt around through the bugs crawling up his arm and forgotten squirrel nest within it until he touched something solid, he grabbed hold of it and pulled it out. A tin box, brushing it of he brought in inside and sat on his couch with the box on the table. 'No key required. Good.' Jason thought to himself, as he opened the lid carefully. Inside was a already opened envelope written on the front, 'To My Children.' Jason read letter and called Sookie.