Thanks for your reviews, I'm so glad, that you like the plot and you'd still like to know what happens next.

So here is the next chapter!

44. Chapter

Amy ran along the street without thinking where she wanted to go, nevertheless she didn't stop. There were thousands of thoughts, her head was spinning. This man, she couldn't even stand the sight of him, this man should be her father, she didn't believe it. Vivian and Charlotte, would be her sisters, oh no, this was a nightmare.

She stopped with fright, when a car driver hooted in front of her. She nearly ran into his car. Amy gave him an excusing smile and heard someone behind her, calling her name.

"Amy." Somebody said wheezy. Josh ran along the street looking strained. He stopped in front of her and gasped for breath. "Oh my god." He let out and leaned forward. "You are in a good condition. It's hard to keep up."

"You should stop smoking." Amy suggested him pitiless.

"Maybe you are right." Josh sat up again, while he still held his side. "What's actually happened?"

"I found out by the way, who my biological father is." Amy explained in a low voice and shook her head, totally depressed. "Although they knew it all the time, they didn't tell me about it. Allegedly, because they didn't want to hurt me."

"Oh." Josh looked at her searching. "Is this guy so bad?"

"Yes, I can't stand him." Amy explained desperately. "It makes me sick just to imagine, that I'm related to somebody like him."

Josh nodded knowing. "I know, what you mean, but I can tell you from my own personal experience, genes aren't very important."

"But I always had an idea of my first meeting with my biological father. How it would be to stand face to face to him and how I'd feel." she explained unhappily. "Even if he wasn't the father of my dreams, but just a former student, who ran away out of panic, I would feel the connection between us nevertheless, I'd know, that he's my father. But I already know him and there is nothing."

"Perhaps it'll change now, after you know about it." Josh said with a shrug.

"Mm." Amy looked thoughtfully on the street, perhaps Josh was right, perhaps she had misjudged Edward Wingrove all the time. Finally he had to hide his emotions, his feelings for her. Resolutely she called the next taxi, that passed by.

The taxi driver stopped immediately and Amy turned around to Josh. "I'll go there at once." She told him with a smart smile. "Will you come with me?"

Josh gave her a surprised look. "You want me to come with you?"

Amy nodded and opened the door of the taxi. "Yes, I'd like to have some support." She explained and looked at him begging.

"Oh, if that's how it is. Let's go." Josh said and they got into the taxi to go to Edward Wingrove's home.

Meanwhile Prue walked back into the living room, some minutes ago she could finally stand up to rush to the door and search for Amy. But she couldn't see Amy or Josh on the street anymore. While Prue had walked back to the house, she had noticed that Amy didn't take the car. "I couldn't see her anymore." She explained angrily. "We should have stopped her."

"Nobody could foresee her reaction." Cole said with a shrug and stood up. "But we'll have to find her. We need her when we'll have to fight against Belva."

Zadie shook her head. "No, I'll take care of Amy, she'll come back." She explained with certainty. She awaited her fate calmly at once. She had a blind trust in the Voodoo Gods. Amy would stop Belva, she was convinced about it. "Don't worry, everything will happen as the Loas have foreseen."

"It's great, that you believe in it." Cole said in a sneering voice. "But unfortunately I can't stand by and watch Amy fulfilling her prophecy."

Zadie nodded. "I would never ask you to do it." She looked at Cole and Prue. "You'll go to the plantation and try to rescue the boy." She explained firmly. Because although she trusted the Loas blindly, that didn't mean that Cole's son was safe.

Prue looked at Zadie sceptically. "Are you sure?" She wanted to know once again.

Zadie nodded. "Yes, go and rescue the boy. Amy and me will take care of everything else."

When the taxi stopped in front of Wingrove's estate, Amy paid the driver and got off. It occurred to her, that she would be broke soon, if she went around by taxi all the time. But she shouldn't care about it, finally her father was rich. Thoughtfully she stopped in front of the gate and looked at Josh asking. "What do you think, shall I go there?"

"Only if you really want it." He advised her, he had no idea of Amy's father, but he didn't want to see her hurt. "But if you have any doubt, you shouldn't do it."

Amy shook her head and took a deep breath. No, she knew, she had to do it. Resolutely she rang the bell and could enter the site without any problems.

Josh was rather impressed, when he looked around. "Wow." He let out. "You father is rolling in cash."

Amy nodded. "Yes he's rich, he's a lawyer, your favourite profession." She explained calmly, while she walked to the house slowly. "Oh my God, what shall I tell him?" She murmured.

But obviously Josh didn't listen, he was too impressed by the villa and the large garden around. He was wrapped up in thoughts. "I'm sure my whole apartment is smaller than one of these rooms." He said in firm believe. "How much rooms do they have?"

"I've no idea, I have never counted them." Amy said nervously, she really had other problems. They had just arrived in front of the door, where a maid was waiting to lead them into the house.

Josh and Amy entered the hall, when Edward Wingrove opened the door of his study. "Amy my dear, I'm glad to see you." he said with an artificial smile. "But unfortunately Charlie isn't at home. She is shopping with Vivian and her mother." he said disappointed and looked at Josh. "I only say ... women."

"I see." Josh let out, although the women in his family mostly didn't have enough money for shopping.

"Doesn't matter, I'd like a word with... you." Amy had a close look at her father and tried to find any similarities with him. But she knew, that she looked like her mother, her alleged father hadn't had great affect on her. Perhaps the mouth, Amy thought and looked away quickly, actually she didn't want to know it.

"Oh, my dear." Edward Wingrove looked at her in excuse. "Unfortunately I don't have time, I'm busy." He tried to shake her off.

"Even at the weekend?" Josh wondered, he couldn't believe that this dishonest toady was related to Amy. Obviously she didn't get anything from her father.

"Yes, I'm a lawyer and if you are the head of a very renowned office, you won't have leisure time." Wingrove told him in a patronizing voice.

Amy looked at him again. "I'm sure you have five minutes for your daughter, won't you?" She asked in a low voice.

Wingrove was paralyzed with fear and his mouth stood wide open. "They have really told you, haven't they?" He said and looked around in horror. "Let's go into my study." He said quickly and looked at Josh. "The young man can wait here, for a while."

Amy shook her head. "No, I want him to be there, too." She explained resolutely.

Wingrove looked at her in disbelief. "But it's a private matter Amy, do you understand?"

Josh shrugged his shoulders. "I'll wait for you in the hall..."

But Amy cut him short. "No, he's my friend and he'll come with me." She explained and took his hand to pull him with her into the study.

Edward Wingrove followed them with a sigh and closed the door behind himself. Then he walked around his desk to sit down on his chair. "Have you talked about it with you mother?"

Amy shook her head and sat down opposite to him on a chair. The sun was shining through the window and the light was too strong for her eyes, nevertheless she tried to watch him intently.

Edward Wingrove sighed. "But you should do it. You should talk to your mother first." he tried to wriggle out of this unpleasant affair.

"No, I want to talk to you." Amy explained firmly. "You are my father!" She said, although she couldn't believe it, yet. He was sitting there, opposite to her and she couldn't feel anything. There was no familiarity or an instinctive sense of togetherness. No, he didn't mean anything to her, nothing had changed, she found out disappointed. She looked at him again desperately. "I don't understand it."

"Oh Amy, it's long ago." Edward began reluctantly. "Your mother worked in my office for a while and we had a short love affair. It's hardly worth mentioning. Nothing to write home about."

Josh looked at him shocked, how could this guy tell Amy such nonsense. Didn't he notice that he hurt her with his words? "To your information, Amy is world shaking." He informed him furiously.

"I just talked about the affair with her mother." Wingrove informed Josh schoolmasterly. "It has happened and I never raised Shelly's hopes. She knew that I'm married."

Josh gave a sneering laugh. He knew such guys too well. "Oh come on. You were her boss and she was your employee. You took advantage of her lack of experience just to f..." Josh managed to shut his mouth before it was too late.

Nevertheless Amy gave him a shocked look, Wingrove and her mother, it was too hard to imagine and she looked at Edward Wingrove again. She wanted to see something, just any emotion for her. She wanted to feel, that she was important to him and not just a problem. But the only emotion she saw was fear. Fear, that she could blab out his dirty secret.

"What a nerve some people have." Wingrove told Josh furiously. "Who do you think you are? That's a matter between my daughter and me."

"Your daughter?" Amy looked at him. "Am I really your daughter?" Amy couldn't believe it, there was nothing between them.

Wingrove shrugged his shoulders. "Well your mother said it, anyway." He explained, as if he wasn't absolutely convinced about it either.

That finished Amy off. "Don't talk about her this way." she snapped at him furiously. How could he insinuate that her mother had had more than one love affair at the same time. "How dare you." Amy was on the verge of tears.

Wingrove lifted his hand in an appeasing gesture. "I've never denied it." he explained magnanimously.

Disappointed Amy watched out of the window. She had always dreamt to have a father, but this was no idyllic family reunion, it was just terrible. "You owe me something." She finally said in a cold voice.

Wingrove cast a benevolent glance at her. "Whatever you want, I'm there for you!"

"Great." Amy said and searched in her trousers pocket for a piece of paper. When she found it, she threw it onto the desk. If he couldn't show a bit of love for her, he could give her something he had at least. Money! "I want you to buy this shop for me." She told him resolutely and stood up. "There is the phone number and the owner. Try to buy it. I want it."

Wingrove took the piece of paper with surprise. "Well if you set your heart on it." He said reluctantly. He had never thought that the little Amy would be so materialistic. But if he could shut her up, he'd buy it.

"Yes, do it!" Amy affirmed and looked at him for a last time. She felt dreadful, it was terrible to find out that she didn't mean anything to her own father. But that it was and she had to admit that she didn't feel anything either. She left the room without a further word.

Josh looked after her, rather surprised. Without further ado he stood up, too.

"Wait!" Edward Wingrove stopped him. "If you think, that you can cash in on this matter, forget it. You'll bitterly regret it."

Josh gave a sneering smile. "I just care about Amy, unlike you." He told him angrily and left the room.

When he entered the hall, he couldn't see Amy anymore. Josh rushed through the door and saw her almost in front of the gate. "Amy!" He shouted and ran to her. "Hey, if someone is together with you, he ought to be very sporty, doesn't he?" he wanted to know, when he reached her breathlessly.

Amy smiled sadly. "It seems so."

Josh nodded, he knew immediately, how she felt. Understanding he laid his arm around her. "He is rich and educated, but nevertheless he's a disgusting bastard, Amy." He said in a low voice, not much better than his own father. "But he isn't a criminal at least."

Amy snorted with mockery. "I'm not so sure about it." She said unhappily.

"Only you are important, he isn't. Trust me, I know it." Josh told her imploring. "He isn't worth to rack your brains over him."

"I know!" Amy said and sighed. Slowly they walked to the gate. "I'm just disappointed, I would have thought, that I mean something to him."

"You do, I'm sure." Josh explained, but he lacked conviction.

They stepped on the street and looked around. "I let him get off too cheaply." Amy thought angrily. "But he hasn't heard the last of it."

"You're right, you could have asked him for a car at least." Josh said grinning. "How will we get home now?"

Amy looked back at the house unhappily. "I can't go back again."

"I'd never ask you to do it." He explained firmly. "But don't you have a phone with you?"

Amy shook her head. "No, unfortunately it's out of order, I stepped on it." She admitted.

Josh shrugged his shoulders. "So what, we'll walk. I'm in no hurry and I don't have any better plans for today."

Amy nodded. "I should go back to Prue and Cole." She thought reluctantly. Although she was still very angry with them, she was worried about Danny. But she wouldn't be a great help to free Danny. She wasn't as nearly as strong as Cole or Prue, she would only be in their way. Therefore a short walk would be a nice excuse to put off their meeting any longer.

She took Josh's hand, satisfied with her decision. "And on our walk we can think what we'll ask Edward Wingrove to buy me, next time." She couldn't bring herself to say father to him. "What do you think about a record contract for your band?"

Josh shook his head. "No thanks, I don't want any expensive presents from you." he explained firmly.

Amy shrugged her shoulders. "It wouldn't be my own money, it's his money and he has oceans of money."

At the same time Cole and Prue arrived on the plantation. The gate stood still open from their last visit and they could enter the estate easily. After they've got off the car, they looked around attentively.

"Nothing!" Prue said and listened intently. "It's quiet, probably it was just a stupid nightmare."

Cole gave her a surprised look. "Normally you don't loose the faith in yourself."

"We talk about feverish dreams of snakes, so I'm not sure." Prue said dissatisfied.

"Zadie didn't see it the same way as you and we don't have another hint." Cole said and looked at her. "So come on, let's walk to the Maison and have a close look around. Since you've seen the ruin the first time, you'd like to visit it."

Prue nodded. "Yes and perhaps that's the reason why I dreamt of it." She said thoughtfully and followed him on the way to the old Maison. She didn't know, what she should think about her dream of the snake statue made of wood, probably it only led her astray. If she just knew, that it could help them to find Danny.

They reached the hill in silence. From this point they had a wonderful view on the ruin of the former Maison.

"Nothing!" Cole found out disappointed. They had a great overall view over the whole terrain, but Cole couldn't make out any conspicuousness. "It seems as if nobody is there."

"Nevertheless let's check it." Prue explained firmly. When she saw the house for the first time she felt a magical attraction to it. And now she was keen to take a close look on it. She stumbled down the small hill and arrived on the street leading to the former main entrance.

It must have been an imposing alley in former times, but today only every second tree was still alive and reached out it's sad branches to the other side, where no tree was standing to catch them. Prue shook her head to get rid of these thoughts, obviously this was Amy's influence, she thought grinning. Prue looked up the hill again, but Cole was already standing on the street. Together they walked slowly to the courtyard of the ruin.

When they came closer, they could see, that there were left just fragments from the former house. A few columns and parts of walls were still standing, but you could already see red bricks, because the plaster had fallen down long ago. These fragments made it possible to make an approximate picture of the former Maison, how the spacious rooms and halls were divided. Leaves and dirt of the last century was lying around, as well as crumbled off plaster and gravel. It didn't look like anyone took care of the ruin lately.

Prue and Cole looked at each other unhappily. "So what!" Prue finally said. The faster they would be ready, the sooner they could go home again and think about another plan. "You'll examine the left part and I'll look around here." She decided and walked round a dilapidated wall.

"But take care that no brick will fall onto your head." Cole shouted after her.

Prue stopped and cast a sceptical look at the dilapidated wall. The walls and columns didn't really look very solid, nevertheless it was unlikely that a single brick would fall down. But it was more likely that a whole wall could collapse. "Don't worry, as long as you won't let you strike down by the wall." She called back.

Cole grinned and walked on to the left part of the former Maison. One room turned into the next, but Cole couldn't make out any suspicious traces. When he finally arrived in the last room in the edge, he noticed, that it was the former kitchen. There were still fragments of a cooker and a chimney.

He looked around curiously and finally he found narrow stairs leading into the cellar, obviously used as a larder in former times. Thoughtfully Cole walked downstairs, but it was getting darker and darker and when he reached the larder it was nearly pitch dark, the only light was coming from the small stairs. Cole looked around in the darkness, but he could only make out a few broken cupboards, otherwise the room was empty, but there was a hallway to the next room.

If there was an underground vault under the whole house, Cole wondered and looked into the corridor. But it was too dark to see something. He sighed and walked to the stairs again and went back to the entrance hall to look for Prue.

When they were standing in front of the cellar stairs soon later, Prue fished out a flashlight. They went downstairs carefully and looked around in the first larder, but Prue's flashlight hardly gave light.

"Once again, what's the use of your flashlight?" Cole asked ironically.

"Emergency lightning, if you don't find the lock in the night, for example." Prue explained and walked along the dark corridor. "It was a promotional gift and it's better than nothing."

"Well I don't know." Cole said less convinced. "I don't see anything, when I'm standing behind you."

Prue shrugged her shoulders. "We don't have anything else. So let's try." She entered the dark hallway and walked on slowly. "Ouch, you tread on my heels." She cursed, after a little while.

"Excuse me, but as I already told you, I don't see anything behind you." Cole explained angrily. "I should better go first, shouldn't I?"

Prue ignored his question and walked on until she reached another room. Just before Cole would tread her heels again, he saw the dim light and stopped. Together they walked along the wall, they only found cobweb, dust and nothing more. But then they saw another hallway at the end of the room. It was even smaller than the one before and Cole had to duck. He tried to follow Prue in the darkness, when he suddenly heard her voice.

"There's a light." She noticed in relief and walked to the source of light.

It was a large hall with a ceiling. The daylight was shining through a lot of holes in the ceiling into the cellar. "I'm sure we are under the entrance hall." Prue said and looked up. "But it's rather dilapidated. Why didn't we notice the many holes when we were standing above?"

Cole shrugged his shoulders. "I've no idea, I only hope, that the ceiling won't fall on our heads."

Prue feared the same, but it wouldn't stop her. She had just seen an entrance to another room. Resolutely she walked to the entrance and Cole followed her. The light, which was falling from the ceiling into the other room helped them to make out the shadowy contours of the next room. There were shelves with numerous bottles at the walls.

"The bottles from Belva's cellar." Prue noticed happily and rushed to the wall. She took the first bottle and opened the cork. Immediately a dazzling light was coming out of the bottle. It illuminated the whole room and found it's way to his freedom. Luckily Prue looked after the freed soul, before she took the next bottle. "Come on and help me." She asked Cole.

Cole stepped beside her and pulled a face. "Prue we don't have time to rescue all the souls." he explained firmly. Although it was obvious, that Belva had been here, he was sure that they wouldn't find Danny or Belva at this place. Prue's dream had only led them to the souls. "We can do it later, but now we have to go back home. We won't find anything here."

Prue gave him a surprised look and didn't stop rescuing the souls. "I've promised them and five minutes won't make a big difference." She said firmly.

"Five minutes?" Cole asked sceptically and watched along the wall unit.

"Yes, we'd be ready soon, if you took the trouble to help me." She snapped at him angrily, but Cole didn't budge. "I can't believe that you are so heartless."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, but the life of my son is more important to me than the souls of dead people, whom I didn't even know." he explained furiously and turned to the exit, when one brick after another bared the exit in terrific speed.

"What's that?" He asked in confusion and even Prue stopped opening the bottles and looked at the closed exit in disbelief.

But before they could rack their brains about it, something happened, that Prue already knew from her dream. The wall of bricks turned transparent and they could see the next room illuminated with two lamps.

Belva was standing in front of the transparent wall and shook her head reluctantly. "So you've managed to escape from my villa." She said and gave a pointed sigh. "I thought as much, when I didn't hear anything of Zadie. But don't worry, I've already waited for you." She explained with a sneer grin.

Angrily Cole walked at the wall made of glass, but without batting an eyelid. "I want my son." He ordered her in a piercing voice.

"I want my son, too." Belva answered coldly. "I play fair, your son for mine."

Cole ignored it completely."Where is he?" He hissed at her.

"He's safe. I've just prepared him for his great day, when you disturbed my preparations." She said dissatisfied and gave Prue a sneering look. "I knew, that you'd try to free the Zombie's souls and I made provisions. The bottles were prepared, so that I was informed about intruders."

"Don't be too hopeful Belva, we'll get away from your little prison." Prue told her coldly, although she could have kicked herself, that she had walked right into Belva's trap.

"I hardly believe you. You won't disturb my ritual once again. Now I know that I have to be careful." She said calmly. "The walls are immune to your magical powers. Come on, try it yourself." She urged them with a gesture, but Prue and Cole didn't do her the favour.

Belva shrugged her shoulders. "Well, I'm glad you believe me." She said satisfied. "And if the demon would like to shimmer you away, you'll end up here." Belva explained and reached into the pocket of her large vesture. She pulled out two thunder stones and placed one of them on the right side of the entrance. She murmured a few words and sprinkled a powder on the stone. Then she walked to the other side and repeated the ritual with the other stone.

Cole and Prue stood riveted and watched her. "It won't stop us." Cole finally informed her firmly.

Belva gave a laugh. "Oh but you know that it works very well. And I made sure, that you won't escape me again." she explained and looked at Prue. "If you try to leave the room together with him, then you'll be separated and you'll end up in this thunder stone." She pointed on the left stone. "And even if you're able to teleport yourself, it won't change anything, you'll always end up here." She added with a shrug. "And the demon will land here." She pointed at the right thunder stone.

"We'll find a way to escape, I promise you." Cole explained rather convinced of himself. He had to believe it, he should never doubt it. His face was blank, he wouldn't give Belva the satisfaction to see his feelings. "And it won't be pleasant for you, believe me." he informed her coldly.

"Well, have a try, I wish you a lot of fun." Belva explained unimpressed. "I'm confident, that we'll meet again while my ceremony. After I free you from the thunder stone, I'll have a nice job for you."

"But we'll never do it, we are stronger than your magic." Prue told her with deep conviction.

"I'm dying to find out, so come on, try it." Belva said with a sneer laugh. "I'm head and shoulders above you. It'll be great fun." she explained.

"I see, but Ayida won't accept your sacrifice." Cole tried it again and searched for the phial with Danny's hair in his pockets. But before he could show it to Belva, the wall turned into a usual wall made of brick again.

"Damn it!" Cole said and looked at the phial in his hand. It was getting dark again and he could hardly make it out anymore. But perhaps it was better, that he hadn't informed Belva about Danny's curl, because so he'd be safe, at least until midnight.