Chapter 4

Jared Michaels sat across the interrogation table looking smugly at Horatio. "What's this about, Lieutenant?" he asked smiling.

"This is about you trying to kill Belladonna Llewellyn and her coven," said Horatio, meeting Jared's surprised look with a steady gaze of his own. "Right, Jared?"

Jared ran a hand through his hair and laughed. "Whoa, wait a minute," he said taken aback. "Kill? Why would I want to kill those witches?"

"You consider yourself a good Christian?" asked Horatio.

"Yeah, but what does…"

"Then you know that a good Christian doesn't kill those who practice different religions," said Horatio. "Good people tolerate."

"Where are you going with this, Caine?" asked Jared, blushing.

Horatio placed the photo of the automatic before Jared. "This gun has DNA and prints on it," he said. "And this gun was found at the crime scene."

Jared stared at the photo for two seconds then up at Horatio. "OK," he said. "It's mine. But I wouldn't go near those people. God knows what they do during those rituals of theirs…"

"So you parked across the street to shoot up Pandora Moore's house to prove a point, Jared?" asked Horatio. "Stop the witches from performing a rite and flee the scene, right?" Jared opened his mouth but Horatio continued. "Except you forgot one thing: you dropped your gun in panic after you saw that me and two of my CSIs were in there with the coven."

Jared looked down at the table for a minute, then back up. The innocent façade had fallen. "They're polluting our neighborhood with their satanic rituals," he said coldly. "You damned cops weren't going to do diddley-squat about it…so someone had to."

"Innocent people could have been killed," said Horatio.

"Not my problem. If those witches wanted to save themselves they should have left Miami or killed themselves. I told that Llewellyn chick that kind of thing when I killed her kitty but obviously she didn't listen."

Horatio remembered the deep grief that had been on Belladonna's face early this morning when she sat before Pyewackett's dead body and his blood boiled. "How about the death threats," he asked. "Did you do those to?"

Jared shook his head. "I'm not talking," he said defiantly. "You can't stop me from ridding Miami of these witches, Caine. I'm gonna keep going and am never going stop till every single witch is sent to hell."

Horatio stared at him coldly.

"I beg to differ," he said then looked at an officer. "Get him out of my sight."

The elevator doors opened just as Horatio, the officer, and Jared were leaving the interrogation room and Belladonna walked in. She froze for a moment, and so did Jared. For a second they stared at each other, hatred meeting with pity then Jared broke the silence.

"I hope he gets you, Bella!" he screamed as the officer struggled with him to keep from lunging at her. "I can't wait to see you on the six o'clock news in a body bag! I hope you burn in hell!"

Horatio noticed that she was very calm. The air of the whole building seemed to be very warm and loving. She glanced at him over at him for a second and smiled before she began to walk toward Jared. Horatio followed at a distance.

She stopped before Jared and placed a hand on his cheek, gazing into his eyes calmly. When she spoke, her voice was sympathetic and soft.

"I don't hate you Jared for what you feel," she said. "It's not my place to hate people just because they hate me. But know this…what you did to Pyewackett and to me and my coven will come back to you times three. You might want to think about carrying on this crusade of yours once that happens." She smiled. "Peace be with you."

As Jared was hauled away Horatio chose that moment to go to her side. She smiled at him and kissed him lightly on the corner of his mouth.

"What was that?" he asked her.

Belladonna looked at where Jared had stood. "There's already too much hatred out there, Horatio," she said. "And I don't wish to add to it. We Wiccans have a saying: Do want you will and harm none. I don't wish to harm Jared because he killed Pyewackett and almost killed me and my friends…what he did will come back to him three-fold."

"You didn't ask for an apology."

"I don't have to. I know he's not regretting what he did. That's his choice I suppose…"

She looked at him openly now. "Did Jared say anything about the death threats?" she asked. "Is he the one?"

Horatio shook his head. "We're still looking into it. We've been hitting brick walls lately."

She took his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "You'll find him, Horatio," she said. "I know you will. And…" She smiled wanly. "I know that if you're protecting me nothing will harm me."

Horatio smiled back at her. He was prepared to do whatever he could to keep Belladonna out of harm's way, and he'd move heaven and earth to keep her safe.

"I guess I better be getting back," said Belladonna.

"Yeah, I guess you should."

She hugged him and whispered in his ear, "I love you. Go get him."

He chuckled softly and watched her walk to the elevator.

You take care of my daughter, Horatio Caine, you understand that?

He looked around for the source of that voice but no one was there. He looked at Belladonna, who was smiling. "Hey Belladonna…"

"That was just my mother, Horatio," she said. "She died from cancer two years ago." At his surprised look she added, "It's still Samhain, after all. The spirits still have time. Don't worry, she'll watch over you."

As the elevator door closed, a metal veil separating them from one another, Horatio took one last look around and then went back to work.