CH 2
Kaede left out the back of the Lenui Inn for the day to find her MI-6 contact standing by a tree. He waved and produced an envelope. Kaede strode up to him and took the envelope. "Far or near?" she asked.
"Far. I heard Florida is nice this time of year," he said with a grin.
Kaede let out a snort and said, "Ya shoulda came a few days ago. Is this top priority?"
"Same as always, soon as you can," he said. He tipped his hat to her and walked off.
Kaede bound out to the top of a cliff overlooking a valley. She looked through the envelope contents. "Karlos Kincade," she said to herself. "Already on trial in the US. Least he'll be easy ta find." She repacked the envelope and went home.
With Duncan and Inari already out, Kaede didn't want to leave Kouta, Nana and Mayu. Getting an idea, she called her mother.
"Hello?"
"Mum, it's Kaede. I got a bit of a problem. There's a Karlos Kincade who's been a bad boy. He's in Miami. I'm ta make his blood pressure drop ta zero."
"I see. An since we're already here..." Inari said in a musical tone.
"I wouldn't be askin xcept I doan wanna leave Kouta, Mayu and Nana by themselves," Kaede explained.
"It's fine, it shouldn't take long. We'll see ya in a few days. You take care a Ritchie when he gits in."
"Thanks mum, I will."
.
Duncan and Inari had grabbed a motel room for the night. In the morning, Inari went to the city courthouse and found out where Kincade's trial was being held. She had to go through a metal detector. That was fine but going into the courtroom, the guard wanted her to take her hat off. She faked not knowing English long enough for the guard to call for assistance, and she got a good look at the defense table. Three men. She slipped three long thin mind arms out and into the backs of their heads. They slumped forward, dead.
The guard motioned her back out the doors. Just outside the courtroom, a Japanese man came and spoke to her in Japanese. Inari claimed she had the wrong trial date, this wasn't the right one, and apologized profusely to the man and the guard. She then left.
.
At the prosecutors table, Roberta noted Kincade and his lawyers looked like they had fallen asleep, heads on the table. It was soon discovered all three were dead. In the rush of medical personnel and police, court was adjourned. The bodies were taken away. The water they had was taken to forensics as well as anything they may have shared. Something killed all three men instantly. There were no holes in the bodies, for the moment all three had died under mysterious circumstances at the same time. It looked like murder, but no one had been near them during court proceedings or before.
The autopsy of the men took the rest of the day. Roberta was in the room when the coroner came in to give the cause of death.
Eyeing them, the coroner said, "Those men died from severely disconnected and torn brain tissue. It looks like someone got in their heads, scrambled their brains with an egg beater, then closed their skulls back up. I have no idea what did that. What I saw is impossible. Well, except for the fact they are dead."
"That was done to them while they were sitting at the defense table," Roberta stated, as if to convince herself that was what really happened.
"Yeah, and with no one around them. Like I said, it's impossible."
Roberta knew who to talk to about doing the impossible. Going to the security center, she watched the video recordings of people coming and going in the courtroom. She also noted when all three men had dropped to the table. All at once. Stopping the recording, she backed it up slowly until the three men raised their heads back up.
Studying the still scene, she looked for something, anything out of the ordinary. No one in the audience was paying any attention to them, no one was pointing anything at them. She kept scrutinizing the scene. No one had their brains scrambled in their head by nothing, someone HAD to have done it. There was no one close to them, no devices near or pointed at them. The only person in the whole room even looking at them was a red headed woman in the back, who was next to a guard. A red head, looking at the three men with a stern gaze.
Roberta backed the recording up a little farther to when the woman entered the room. She watched the woman come in. The guard intercepted her. They talked for a short time in obvious misunderstanding. The woman looked at the three men, they fell dead. The woman then left with the guard.
Roberta backed it up and scrutinized it in slow motion. The woman looked at the men, they dropped, she left. Four more times, Roberta looked at it, the last time, viewing it frame by frame. The red head made no motions, her hands were in view. She just looked and the men fell dead.
Impossible!
She remembered what Ritchie's sister had told her. 'If we want someone dead, they're dead.' A shiver went up Roberta's spine. They were able to kill with just a look? Merely a glace at someone near the other end of the room had scramble their brains in their heads? She'd stopped the recording at the frame where the woman looked at the men. There was nothing between the woman at the entrance and the men sitting at the table. No streak of a shot, nothing.
What she saw wasn't possible, but it happened. She wanted them dead, and they died. She knew the woman's identity, the mother of Kaede. Kaede the Witch, the wind of death. Roberta began to believe in witchcraft. She also felt an overwhelming need to travel to Scotland.
.
At the Lenui Inn, Kaede got Doogal his lunch and another ale. "Here ya go, Doogal," she said, setting his order down.
"Thank'ye lass. Yer belly's gittin big, yer baby's comin soon, eh?" Doogal asked.
"Aye, anoter' four weeks. Won't be able to work much longer," Kaede agreed.
"Ya take care Lass," Doogal said firmly. "The first young'uns kin come early. Ya doan wanna go havin him right here on the floor."
Kaede laughed and said, "Nay, Doogal, this is me last week o'workin. Got two more days left. Heather's gonna cover fer me."
With a waggle of his finger, Doogal said, "Ya best tell Rachel when she comes, We're gonna wanna see baby Kaede," he said firmly.
"We'll keep ya informed," Kaede assured him. She'd no more than returned to the bar when Angus and his son Fred came in.
"Kaede! Ya still workin?" Angus asked with a frown. "Rachel, give the lass some time off, will ya!"
Rachel grinned at him and said, "Hey Angus, Fred. I'm kickin Kaede out at the end'o'the week. What'll ya have?"
"Ale an fish'in chips fer both of us," Angus said and took a seat.
Rachel went in the back to get their food. Kaede went behind the bar and poured two mugs of ale for them. She noted a woman had come in to stand at the bar, she'd get to her once she served Angus and Fred.
"Excuse me," the woman said meekly from the other side of the bar.
"Be with ya in a minute," Kaede replied and took the men their drinks.
"Yer gonna pop soon, Kaede," Angus said, noting the size of her stomach. "I know. Katie's first came narly three weeks early," he said with a firm nod.
"Dad, kin ya be any more rude?" Fred asked.
Kaede chuckled at Fred. "Yer Dads' just bein yer Dad, I know he means well," she assured him. Going back to the bar, she noticed the woman was watching her. Dressed nice and looked impatient like she was too good to wait. Kaede wondered if she was going to have to knock her down a peg. She made a point to go back around the bar before she asked, "Kin I help ya?"
"You are Kaede?" the woman asked.
"Aye, an no interviews, no tricks and no funny stuff," Kaede said firmly. "What kin I get ya?"
Roberta noted an instant shift in the pink haired woman's mood. Serving the men, she was light hearted. as soon as she asked Kaede's name, Kaede's mood flipped like a switch and she became stern. The way she eyed Roberta was not kind. Roberta knew what they could do. She avoided Kaede's gaze and meekly said, "I'm looking for Richard Ryan."
"Sorry, heard he died in down in Florida," Kaede replied in an even tone.
Roberta noted another red haired woman come from the back. It wasn't the one who was in the courtroom. Roberta only glanced at her. "Kaede, I know Richard is alive. I'm Roberta, I talked to him the day after he died," she offered.
Kaede grew a crooked grin. "Why didn ya say so lass?" she asked. "Go have a seat, he should be by soon. I'll tell'em yer here. So, what'll ya have?"
"Do you have wine coolers?" Roberta asked.
"Aye, grape, blackberry, currant or blueberry?"
"Grape, please."
"I'll git it, go take a seat," Kaede told her, then walked over to the cooler.
"Kaede, got two fish'n chips," Rachel announced.
Kaede got a tray, then picked up the wind cooler and the two orders for Angus and Fred. Delivering the food first she said, "Here ya go fellas, lemme know if ya want anythin else."
"Yer usin a tray?" Angus asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Aye, tryin ta be professional," Kaede said with a grin.
"Little too late fer that ain't it?" Angus asked with a chuckle.
"Dad!" Fred complained.
"Got foreigners here," Kaede explained, then took Roberta her wine cooler.
Roberta thanked Kaede for the drink and got some money out to pay. Kaede waved her off. "Go it covered," Kaede told her.
Roberta watched Kaede serve, talk with people, laugh and joke with them. It was hard to conceive her as a killer.
"Mom!" an oriental girl yelled as she came in. Kaede turned to her. The girl frowned at her and pointed outside. "Nana an Jeff's gone up in the woods by themselves!"
"Mayu, what did I tell ta bout that?" Kaede asked evenly.
"But ..."
"Nay butts!" Kaede said firmly. "Ya gotta let Nana handle Jeff. Ya cain't interfere lest Nana is in trouble. Now, what ya doin here?"
"We were helpin Dad wit gittin a load'a stone ta help make a driveway. Me, Nana, Jeff and Uncle Ritchie. We came ta git some lunch an Nana and Jeff just wandered off in the woods!" Mayu said, stressing Nana and Jeff's actions.
"Go see what everyone wants, an send in Ritchie," Kaede told her.
"OK," the girl said with a huff and went back out.
Kouta came in followed by Richard. Kouta greeted everyone, hugged Kaede then told Rachel, "Got a lunch order fer ya."
Kaede collared Ritchie and said, "Ya got a visitor," and turned him to face Roberta. Richard's eyes lit up.
Roberta got up and hugged Richard as he came up to her.
"Good to see you, how are you doing?" Richard asked happily.
"I'm good, Richard, just wish I had answers." Roberta said. "Are you doing OK?"
Stretching his arm out, he clasped her hand by habit. "I'm getting settled in. Kouta is showing me around and has some ideas of what business would be profitable to start." Cracking a grin, he added, "I'm thinking about being a professional sheep shearer. Believe it or not, around here, there's a lot of sheep, but not many shearers."
Roberta had to smile at the way he said it. "At least you're doing good. Richard, the man who ordered you shot is dead. I think Kaede's mother did it."
"That doesn't mean I can come back," Ritchie said. "I'm still a dead man in Florida," he explained.
"Richard, I watched those men just drop down dead. All that woman did was look at them from across the room," Roberta said in a stressed tone. "I need to know how she did that."
Ritchie rubbed his chin as he looked at her. He then shook his head. "No, you don't. Hon, please let it go. That whole thing is over."
"Men were murdered where they sat. I can't let that go," Roberta said firmly.
"Roberta," Ritchie said firmly. "You're playing with dynamite here, and it's unstable." Glancing behind him, he saw Kaede coming with an ale for him. "Drop it, please," he hissed.
"Got yer ale," Kaede said and set Ritchie's ale in front of him. Turning her attention to Roberta, Kaede asked, "Kin I git ya anythin else?"
"Just answers," Roberta said, causing Ritchie to face-palm with a groan.
"Bout what?" Kaede asked, eyeing her.
"Do you know of any legal jobs that are open nearby?"
Kaede raised an eyebrow at her. "Ya plannin on stayin?" she asked.
"I might be. I'll have to see," Roberta said with a shrug.
Kaede smiled and clapped Ritchie on the shoulder. "I'm sure Ritchie'll be glad ta have ya here," she said and went back to serving.
"Roberta, what are you doing?" Ritchie asked.
"Just what I said," Roberta stated. "I think I'd like to hang around for a while."
.
Ritchie wasn't sure Roberta understood the danger she was courting by looking for answers about Kaede and Inari. He spent the night with her at her hotel room where they had a nice reunion.
The next day he asked her to go for a walk. He timed it right so it was low tide, and walked with her out to the tidal bay ruins. As they walked along hand in hand, he asked, "Ever seen the inside of castle ruins?"
"Not in person."
Pointing ahead at the bay he explained, "Mac showed me these years ago. Out there on that small island are the ruins of the Clan McLeod stronghold." Coming to the edge of the woods, he pointed the ruins out. "That's also where the men who kidnapped Mayu took her. As you can see, it has a commanding view of the area. Nothing can get close without someone seeing. Except for Kaede. She dropped inside from above and slaughtered them. They raped her Mayu, she turned them into hamburger. Kaede doesn't play games. In Japan, her and Duncan wiped out everyone, including the armed guard, who were doing illegal experiments on children. In France, Muslims were engaged in acts of terror, even the police didn't dare go into their area without full body armor and in groups. Kaede took a walk through the area alone wearing Christian symbols and a shirt showing Christ stomping on some Arab guy. They hated her and they attacked her. The death toll was 27, with another 34 injuries. Kaede walked away without a scratch. Do you see where I'm going here?" he asked.
"Kaede and her mother are deadly, but how do they do what?" Roberta asked.
"Honestly, I don't know. Roberta, they are very protective of their family. If either of them feels you might be a danger to them, you'll disappear," Ritchie said firmly. "That is what you need to know."
"Kaede didn't threaten me," Roberta replied.
"Kaede doesn't threaten, Kaede acts. In my shop, Inari turned one of those guys into what's called a blood eagle. The other one was so terrified he was next, he told us everything. She killed one and pulled him apart, then told the other guy he was next unless he answered our questions, and he'd still be alive when she did that to him," Ritchie explained.
"She tortured him."
"She did whatever was necessary to find out who ordered the trigger pulled on me, and make sure he'd never bother me again," Ritchie stated. He let out a huff and said, "If you really want to stay and make a life here, that would make me very happy. If you're staying just to dig for secrets about Duncan's family, then please go home. I don't want to see you end up in the bottom of a bog, or something like that."
"What about justice?" Roberta asked him. "Three men were murdered in the courtroom. Don't they deserve any justice?"
"They had their Justice." a voice said from above them.
Looking up, Ritchie saw Inari sitting on a branch high above, watching them. She jumped down to land right in front of Roberta. Roberta backed up wide eyed, tripped and fell. Before she hit the ground, she stopped then floated back up to a standing position.
"Yer nay concerned bout Justice. Yer concerned bout yer laws." Inari stated as she looked at Roberta intently. "Yer laws let killers roam free, or spend a bit o-time in jail. They git out to keep livin their lives. The one's they kill doant. Yer laws'r weak. We're nay weak. Those men I Kilt? the'd kilt others. They deserved ta die, an they did. True justice is eye fer an eye, not coddlin the guilty ones. If'n yer inclined, ya can run back an scream out an blame me for killin the ones who needed it. Just know, if they come lookin fer me, or any of me family, they best bring lots of body bags. An ya'd best go find a deep dark hole ta hide in an pray we doan find ya."
Roberta swallowed and backed up from this scary woman. "I don't have any jurisdiction here. I only wanted to know how."
"Ye doan deserve an answer," Iniari stated. "Say good'bye ta Ritchie, yer leavin. One way or t'other."
"Inari..." Ritchie began. She silenced him by holding a hand up.
"Doan wanna hear it, Rich. Yer friend's got stuff cookin in her mind that'll cause trouble. Leaving now will save a whole lotta trouble an maybe some lives." Inari said and walked away. She stopped to turn and ask, "Ya comin ta dinner tonight?"
"Thanks, but I think we'll pass," Ritchie replied. He watched Inari go, then asked Roberta, "So, do you have a favorite airline?"
.
Nana had a good day with Jeff. They'd gone to a caber tossing match, Nana showed Jeff the deep valley up behind the Lenui Inn, had lunch at the outside tables at the inn, then Nana got permission to go to Jeff's house, and Jeff got permission to bring her to dinner. Jeff was excited to have Nana visit his house.
Clara had a couple friends over as well, they were on their phones in the living room when Jeff ushered Nana into their house. Seeing the girls all looking down at their phones, Nana put a finger to her lip and asked, "Jeff, what'r they doin?"
"Clara and her friends love their phones," Jeff explained.
"They're just lookin at'em," Nana said. "They ain't talkin."
"They're texting," Jeff said with a huff.
Nana went over to look over Clara's shoulder. "Who ya typin to?" she asked.
Just realizing someone was behind her, Clara jumped. "Nana!" she cried "When did ya git here?"
"Nana came in with Jeff."
Clara quickly typed : Nana - Jeff sw/hrt / O.O
Another girl on the couch chuckled. Clara got a reply of : BB, MayB?
Clara grinned and said, "Nana, Betty's askin if yer plannin on makin babies wit Jeff."
"Who's Betty?" Nana asked.
Clara pointed to the short haired brunette sitting on the couch. "That's Betty."
Betty looked up briefly. "Hi," she said and returned her attention to her phone.
Confused, Nana asked, "If Betty's right there, why doan ya just talk ta her?"
"They're glued ta their phones," Jeff said with a huff. "Nana, wanna see my room?"
"Sure," Nana said, and followed Jeff.
Not long after Jeff and Nana went into Jeff's room, all the girls got up and stealthily followed.
.
Looking at the superhero posters on the wall, and the action figures lined up on a shelf, Nana said, "Ya got some nice stuff, Jeff."
"Thanks. My room's small but do got some room for collectin," Jeff replied. He showed her his Power Rangers collection, then a tiny tank that had girls' heads poking out of the hatches. Showing Nana the tank, he said, "This is a Girls-Und-Panzer figure. The tank's a Panzerkamphwagen four, This is Miho. She's the commander. I have the anime and the movie."
"What's an anime?"
"I can show you, wanna see it?"
"Sure!"
Jeff got the disk out and put it in his movie player. "It's subtitled so we can read it, the Anime is from Japan," Jeff explained.
"That's Ok. Nana can speak Japanese," Nana replied.
"Really?" Jeff asked with a grin.
Nana bowed and said in Japanese, "Nana is so happy to be with Jeff-Kun."
Jeff smiled and said, "That is so cool!"
.
Clara stood with her ear to the door of Jeff's room. Betty was beside her, Dana and Katy squatted down to get their ears against the door to listen also. Whispers sounded between them.
"What did she say?"
"How do I know. She sounded an anime voice."
"Shhh! They're playing a video."
"Think it's one of those Hentai video's? You know, the amine porn things?"
"Listen for kissing sounds."
"Or the bed squeaking."
"You're gross!"
"Shhh!"
.
Sitting by Nana as the video started, Jeff said, "Nana, you can take your hat off if you want."
Nana nodded and did so. Jeff noticed her horns were painted up like fingernails, a base white with purple flowers.
"Nana, that looks pretty, who painted them for you?" Jeff asked
"Nana can only see one side, even in the mirror. Kaede did what Nana can't see. Kaede put the flowers on them all the way around, See?" Nana said happily.
"Those look really nice. It's a shame you have to keep them covered up."
"Nana doesn't in Jeff's room," Nana beamed.
.
Clara blushed red, as did the other girls. They all envisioned Nana as topless and Jeff was eyeing her boobs that had flowers painted on them. They pressed into the door to hear more.
.
"Nana can I get you anything?" Jeff asked as they watched the video.
"If Jeff is going, please don't go just for Nana."
"Root beer OK?"
Nana nodded. In a hurry to go and get back, Jeff went to the door and flung it open. All four girls pressed to the door fell in the room with a yelp.
Jeff cried out in surprise as he jumped back from the tumble of girls into his room. "What are you doing?" he cried.
All the girls looked at Nana staring at them from her seat on the bed. Clara saw Nana wasn't half naked. She also saw the flowers on Nana's horns. She pointed an started laughing.
"What's so funny?" Jeff asked indignantly.
"Not her boobs, her horns were painted!" Clara announced.
Nana blushed and asked, "Why would Nana paint her boobs?"
"Horns?" the other three girls asked as they stared at Nana.
Embarrassed, Jeff yelled, "Why are you in my room?"
Clara and her friends got up. Dana said, "I heard rumors bout that, Didn't think it was true."
"Well yeah, her Mom has horns too," Clara said.
"Hey!" Jeff yelled to get their attention "Why are you in my room?"
"We thought you and Nana were makin out," Katy said, then added, "But ya disappointed us."
"What? no!" Jeff said with a squeak.
"So, you doan wanna make out with Nana?" Clara asked with a silly grin.
Jeff stood speechless. He didn't want to say yes or no. At least it wasn't Mayu holding a stick and glaring at him.
Nana stood up and pointed at the girls and said in an angry voice, "If Jeff and Nana wanna hug and kiss, that is up to Jeff and Nana! If you wanna hug and kiss, then go find your own boys!"
"So you DO make out!" Katy said triumphantly.
Not sure exactly what that meant, Nana figured 'making out' was being successful in a close relationship. "Aye, Nana does make out with Jeff. It makes Nana and Jeff happy, but you are interruptin Nana and Jeff so please go!"
"She's a bold one," Katy said with a blush.
"Aye. Bet she knocks his socks off too," Dana agreed.
"Hey! It's my room here! Do you mind?" Jeff cried, desperately wanting to stop this conversation.
"Does Jeff want Nana to move them?" Nana asked.
"We're going!" Clara announced. She grabbed Katy by the shirt and pushed Dana ahead of her. "Let's go."
The girl pack went to Clara's room. Clara got them inside and said, "Careful wit Nana, she's a witch!"
"How do ya know?"
"Her mum's the Witch of the Clan McLeod, the one that kilt all those in the tidal bay ruins," Clara stated.
"Wow! I remember that, we went up to there ta see. There was blood all over the place!" Katy said, wide eyed.
"Yeah, so be careful round Nana," Clara said.
.
Watching Girls Und Panzer, it came to the part where the girls had to do the first 'Angler Fish' dance. Seeing this, Nana laughed so hard she fell off the bed. Lost in mirth, Nana curled up on the floor, cackling away. Seeing her, Jeff laughed heartily too.
Nana had never seen an anime before, she found them funny and fun to watch.
.
Mayu wasn't nearly as happy that Nana had gone to Jeff's house. She knew Mum was OK with Jeff, but Mayu herself felt that with Nana at Jeff's house, maybe in his room, he could do anything with her! Nana was sweet and innocent, Jeff could take advantage of her badly. She went out onto the front steps and called Nana.
It took four rings before Nana picked up.
"hehe hehe , Yes?" Nana giggled.
It was obvious Nana was having a good time. "Nana, it's Mayu, You're having fun at Jeff's house?"
"Nana is! … Yes, Erwin, shoot her!"
"What?" Mayu asked in a gasp.
Nana quickly explained, "Erwin's hiddin in the bushes … YES she got the Sherman. Oh, she missed the other one!"
"What are you talking about?" Mayu asked, confused.
"It's Girls Und Panzer, Girls shootin each other wit tanks. It's really funny," Nana explained. 'Miho's running, there's a whole pack after her!"
Mayu sat slack jawed. How could girls shooting each other with tanks be funny? What was Jeff teachin Nana?
"Mayu, I gotta go, I'll be home after dinner." Nana said and hung up.
Mayu raced inside and found Inari in the kitchen. "Gramma Inari, Jeff's teaching Nana to be mean!" she cried.
Inari stooped cutting vegetables and frowned at Mayu. "What'ya talkin bout?"
"I called Nana to see how she was, an she said she's watchin girls shoot each other wit tanks, an she was laughin!" Mayu cried.
"Mayu, I think there's somethin yer nay understandin," Inari told her. "How bout we let Nana tell us bout it after she gits home."
"I'm worried fer Nana," Mayu said firmly.
"Mayu," Inari said firmly. "Nana's nay mean. There ain't a mean bone in Nana's body. Ya had ta have misunderstood."
"Ohh!" Mayu whined and sat down.
"Mayu, maybe ya should think bout getting yerself a friend?" Inari asked.
"Nana is Mayu's friend," Mauy stated.
Inari eyed the girl then asked, "Mayu, are ya jealous of Jeff?"
"What!" Mayu asked, wide eyed. "No way I'm jealous'o'Jeff!"
"I'm just sayin, yer really down on Jeff, even though he treats Nana good, yer always lookin ta see something bad in 'im." Inari said.
"That's cause Jeff's a boy," Mayu grumbled and planted her head on her hands.
"That ain't Jeff's fault. Ya are what yer born," Inari said with a shrug. "Seems ta me it's how ya act is more important that what ya are."
"I know, but still," Mayu pouted.
"Ya wish Nana'd spend more time with ya," Inari offered.
"Aye," Mayu said in a sigh.
.
"Canada," Ritchie said as he walked along, hand in hand with Roberta. "Or I can change my name and we can move to Seattle, Duncan has a place there and I know he wouldn't mind us using it," he offered.
Roberta dropped her head on his shoulder. "This is so hard. And you have to do this time and time again. Just walk away from everything you know and start all over again someplace else," she said vacantly.
"Pretty much. I used to be a motorcycle racer in France. Pretty popular until I crashed and died," he agreed. "It's never easy, I can tell you that."
"Inari's not going to let me stay, is she?"
"No. Duncan found her chained to a wall," Ritchie explained. "The people who had her never let her out of her concrete cell. She had been there for most of her life, being experimented on. They even got her pregnant just to watch the birth, then took the baby away. I don't know everything they did, but I do know Inari is very nervous about people asking questions. For all the power Inari and Kaede have, they are frightened someone will do that to them again."
"That's horrible," Roberta said. "No wonder they are like they are. What happened to the ones who held them?"
Ritchie let out a sigh and said, "Since Inari and Kaede got loose, take a guess what happened. It wasn't pretty. That place is ruins now."
"I can imagine," Roberta said with a shudder. Looking at the scenery, she said, "It is nice here and peaceful. It's a shame we can't stay."
"Want to try to go explain it to Kaede?" he asked. "Maybe if we can convince her you don't mean any harm, she'll talk to Inari for us?"
Roberta grew a tiny smile and said, "You know, when I was a little girl, I loved fairy tales. Magical things hiding in the woods, monsters, dragons, Fairy Godmothers watching over us, people living in castles on top of hills, it was my wish that one day, I would actually get to see something like that. Of course schools and College beat that out of me. I grew up and became practical and pragmatic. Deal with truth and facts, there were no fairies in the woods. No old wise wizard in his robe and magical staff." Looking at Ritchie, she added, "But there is magic in the world, isn't there? It is not as innocent as the stories claim, but it is here. Right here in this land. You, you can't die. Kaede, Inari, for them, magic is real."
Ritchie shrugged and said, "Yeah, I've seen plenty of strange things. I know they aren't the only ones around. One of Duncan's friends is a witch that no one knows how old she is. Hundreds of years old." Cracking a grin, he said, "She looks very good for her age too."
Roberta let out a snort. She was quiet for a moment, then said, "Maybe Inari is right. There are many times I was frustrated because I knew someone should be put away, but legal maneuvering got them off. The man who shot you was suspected of killing two others. He will never hurt anyone, ever again. Kincade will never ruin any more lives. I told myself that justice had to be done. But what is true justice? Laws that let criminals get off, or plea bargain to reduce the sentence of someone who caused the deaths of many. That's not justice. Not really. I don't agree that eye for an eye is justice either, unless a jury agrees. It just seems barbaric to rip people apart."
Ritchie looked at his watch and said, "Well if we want to talk to Kaede while she's still at the Inn, we have a half hour to get there. Otherwise, we'll have to go up to the castle and Inari will be there."
Roberta eyed him. "Castle?" she asked. "A real castle? With towers and a big wall around it?"
"That's where they live," he said with a smirk.
.
The dinner rush was over. Angus had roped another lad into a dart match, looser buys the drinks. Kaede swore he did it just so he could get his fill and not have to pay. Being aged and having thin, scraggly hair and a slight hunch back, younger lads seemed to think they were better at darts that he could be. Angus was the only person she had seen who could throw three double bulls' eyes and do it time after time. The regional dart champion for many years running, Angus placed his darts on the board exactly where he wanted them. Most of the time he let his opponent get ahead to give him confidence, then closed out the game and got his reward.
Kaede wiped down the tables as she smirked at the latest sap who kept Angus in ale. Feeling a baby kick she looked down at her stomach. "I'm thinking he wants ta come out soon, just kicked me again."
"Aye lass! I'm telling ya, he'll come early!" Angus insisted.
"I'm believing ya," Kaede agreed.
Rachel called over and said, "Kaede, Tamarra's yer last day. It's fine if ya wanna skip it."
"Nay, I kin be here. Ain't fair ta leave ya hanging," Kaede replied.
"Suit yerself, got the Doc's number here by the phone, just incase," Rachel assured her.
The front door opened and Richard and Roberta came in. Holding hands, Ritchie asked, "Kaede can we talk to you a minute?"
Kaede nodded, "Gimme five, Rich, got a couple things ta finish up. Have a seat."
"Ughh!" the lad playing Angus groaned as Angus threw his darts and won the game.
"Kaede! Ale fer me an the lad," Angus called.
Kaede chuckled. "Sure thing, comin right up." Not thinking about Roberta being here, Kaede drew two mugs of ale out of the tap and floated them over to the dart players. "Here ya go lads. Ritchie, I'll be back out in a few."
Roberta's eyes widened as she watched Kaede go in the back room. "Did you see that?" she asked quietly.
Ritchie grinned and said, "That's nothing special. She does that all the time. For kids birthdays, she'll fly them around the room."
"She really is a witch," Roberta said, the realization hitting her.
A few moments later, Kaede came out of the back room, now wearing sweats and her Seahawks wool cap instead of the tartan cap and classic highland tartan uniform. Taking a seat at the table with them, she asked, "What's up?"
"We kinda want to talk to you alone," Ritchie said.
"Let's talk a walk then."
Outside, Kaede strolled along with Ritchie and Roberta as he explained what the problem was. Roberta made sure Kaede understood that she meant no harm and wanted to apologize to Inari for making her think so. Kaede nodded and called Inari.
"Yes?"
"Mum, it's Kaede. Ritchie and Roberta had a long talk. They wanna talk ta ya bout earlier taday. Kin ya give'em a chance?"
"Aye. Stead of Duncan going all the way ta town, kin Ritchie go pick Nana up? She's at Jeff's house."
"Hang on." "Ritchie, kin ya go pick Nana up and bring'er home on yer way. I got the addy."
"Sure," Ritchie said.
"Done mum. I'll be home soon." She gave Ritchie the address and how to get there, then said, "See ya there, thanks Rich."
Seeing Kaede walk for the woods, Roberta asked, "Would you like a ride?"
"Nay, goin through the woods is bet'er," Kaede replied.
"You're very pregnant, and you're going to walk though the woods alone?" Roberta asked.
Kaede turned and cast her a smirk. "Who said anythin bout walkin?" She then shot up off the ground and through the trees.
Right, Kaede was a witch.