HAUNTED BY THE PAST, PART NINE

"That Margaret Allen is one tough broad." Josie told the family, "She wouldn't say a word until her lawyer got there, and then it was 'I don't know' and 'I don't remember' . She saw nothing, she heard nothing, she knows nothing."

"She's lying!" said Paulina.

"Yes, of course she is." said Josie, "I wanted to keep working on her, but the FBI insisted on letting her go. They're following her, in the hopes she'll lead them to Jordan Stark."

"Oh yeah, sure!" said Matthew."Is that the best they can do?"

"Maybe I can get her to talk." said Cameron.

"You stay away from her!" said Josie, "I mean it, Cameron! You go anywhere near Ms Allen and I'll arrest you for interfering in a federal investigation!"

"We know you're doing everything you can, Josie." said Matthew, "Thank you."

"I'll keep in touch." said Josie, and exited.

"Now what are we going to do?" said Paulina.

"Mebbe Zack knows wheah Jo'dan Stahk is." said Lila.

Everybody looked at her.

"Zack?" said Matthew, "Zack Wilder?"

"He wohks fo' Stahk - or at least, he knows him. He keeps tellin' me that Stahk kin help me."

"We should tell Josie." said Paulina.

"No!" said Cameron, "We let the law handle things so far - and they've done nothin'! If we're gonna find Rachel, we gotta do it ourselves. Matt - call Wilder and get him to come over here. Tell him it's - uh - somethin' to do with C-Squared. Make somethin' up - but get him here!"

"Right away!" Matthew grabbed the telephone.

****

"I'm not going to be able to tackle the rosebushes without shears." Rachel said, "And gloves. We may love roses, but they don't love us!"

"I shall attend to it." said Stark, "In the meantime perhaps you could concentrate on the plants without thorns."

"Oh, it's hot!" said Rachel, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand, "You must be sweltering in that mask. Why don't you take it off?"

"Not yet. Not until it's time."

"Time for what?" He didn't answer. Rachel turned her attention to the garden. There was a tantalisingly familiar fragrance in the air. She sniffed and tracked it to its source: the berries on an nearby bush. She plucked one and crushed it.

"Why, it's - allspice!" she said, "So that's where it comes from!"

Suddenly Rachel's memory dredged up one of those Facts That Might Be Useful If You Are Ever A Contestant On JEOPARDY: 'Despite attempts to cultivate it elsewhere, allspice grows only on the island of Jamaica'.

"Mr Stark - "

"Jordan - please."

"I'll call you Jordan - if you let me write to my family again."

*****

The doorbell rang. Everyone tensed.

"Okay, let me handle this!" said Cameron, crossing to answer the door.

"Hello!"

"Felicia! What are you doing here?" said Matthew.

"I came to tell you how sorry I am about Rachel being kidnapped, and to ask if there's anything I can do to help."

"Oh." said Matthew, trying to steer her to the door, "Thank you. We appreciate it. This really isn't a good time. If you could come back later- "

The doorbell rang again. Matthew groaned, "Too late! Look, Felicia, whatever happens, please just stay out of it, okay?"

"But - what -why?"

"We'll explain later. Cameron - get the door."

This time it was Zack Wilder. Cameron let him get two steps inside the foyer before doubling him over with a punch in the gut, then straightening him up again with an uppercut. Then he slammed him up against the wall.

"Just so we understand each other," he grated, "You're gonna tell us everythin' you know about Jordan Stark. You can do it now or you can do it after I smash that pretty face! It's up to you!"

"Oh my goodness!" said Felicia.

"Please, Felicia!" said Matthew.

Zack spat blood. "You - can't get away with this!"

Instead of replying, Cameron smashed his forehead into Zack's nose, breaking it.

"Where's Rachel? Start talkin', or I'll really get mad!"

"I don't know where she is!" said Zack, "I don't! Jordan didn't tell me!"

"You're lyin'!"

"Wait, Cameron!" said Matthew falling into the Good Cop role," Maybe he doesn't know! Look Zack, you'd better tell us everything you do know!"

"I'll beat it out of him!" said Cameron.

"Back off, Cameron." said Matthew, "Well, Zack?"

"Jordan Stark is - "

"Is what?"

"He's two hundred years old!"

"What? Are you nuts?"

"It's true! He was born in the 18th Century. His parents hated him because he was deformed. Nobody ever loved him, except Amalie, his wife. But she was killed, and he was convicted of her murder. Only he escaped the gallows, and he's waited all this time for her spirit to be reborn in a new body - and it finally was: Rachel is the reincarnation of Amalie!"

"That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard in my life!" said Matthew. (:-D)

"Wait a minute!" said Felicia, "That's the plot of Damned By Desire! It was one of my early novels. Only the hero wasn't named Jordan Stark; he was Julian Storm. And the heroine was Aimee."

"What happens in the book? How does it end?"

"I don't remember."

"Felicia!"

"It's been nearly thirty years! After a while, all the plots sort of run together."

"Aren't all of Felicia's novels in the Cory Publishing database?" said Paulina.

"YES!"