In the morning Carine came down for breakfast. “Bernard is still sleeping, he had a restless night with that dream again,” she said to Kat. Then she was silent for a bit. “What is wrong?”, asked Kat. “Those men yesterday,” she began, “you have heard anything about the ones arrested?” “We found out they are from a gang in Paris that call themselves the Black Horsemen,” said Kat, “but why they are here, no one knows.” “I know,” said Carine, and she showed something to Kat. “That is an odd tattoo,” said Kat, “it almost looks like…”

“It is a brand, from a hot iron,” said Carine, “the brand of the Black Horsemen. It means I belong to them, I am their property.” Annelie had come into the kitchen right then and hearing that made her red with anger. “You are no one’s property!”, she said. “They think so,” said Carine, “I have kept moving here and there to stay away from them. That is why I wanted to get away from Paris. But they have found me, so now I must move again.

Rock…Kristina…because of me, I should have told you before but I did not think they would find me here. In Paris I always had to be so careful to stay out of their sight, I was always so afraid.” “You are not moving away from here because of that gang!”, said Kat firmly, “we are together and we help each other, so no more talk about moving away.” “That’s right,” said Annelie, “it is time to get rid of that gang.” “I agree,” said Kat, “we need to stop them completely.”

“But they are many men,” said Carine, “you cannot go against them.” “We can get lots of help Carine,” said Kat, “you just need to tell us how to find them. And I will go in as bait.” “Oh no,” said Jennifer who had joined them now, “I go in, you stay home nice and safe.” “Not this time little sis,” said Kat, “I go, you and Annelie will keep an eye on me though. And you will have Baldwin’s men to help.” “Getting in is easy,” said Carine, “but not getting out again. I should go with you.” “No, you need to stay with Bernard,” said Kat, “and the cats will stay with you as well.”

“The cats will not like being left behind,” said Jennifer. Meow,meow?=Where we go that we not go? Meow?=Why we not go with you where we not go? Kat sighs. “We need you to stay home and look after Carine and Bernard,” said Kat, “that is more important than going with us.” Meow,meow.=Oh, that different, then we stay. Meow?=But where you go? “To stop a gang that is after Carine,” said Kat, “more of the ones that hurt Rock and Kristina.”

Meow.=Oooooh, me want to go now, those bad men. They put burn mark on human Carine. So Carine showed the others now too. Meow,meow!=EEEEEEK! Baldwin came about that time, ready for breakfast, which was going to be a little late now. The girls told Baldwin what they had learned from Carine. “We will not go right now,” said Baldwin, “the police are letting the 5 men go that were arrested and the Paris police will be following them and hope to put a stop to the gang. If they fail, then we will go in.”

The girls were satisfied with that, and it also gave more time for Kristina and Rock to get better. Kristina was not really hurt too badly and she was back home the next day. Rock was in the clinic for a few more days. Chung was there for lunch and to give me another shot. After this I will only get the shots every 2 weeks, then it will be once a month. “Mr. Rock, he needs to learn that sometimes his strength is not enough,” said Chung, “better to use his gun.” “Yes,” said Baldwin, “I will have a talk with him about that.”

“I will talk to him as well,” said Annelie, “I have plans for that big guy!” Everyone laughed. Then Carine called Muffin over to her and Muffin jumped up onto her lap. “I have written down all the details of Bernard’s dreams,” she said, “I am sure it is all the same dream of one place, an old house in the country. There is gold dishes mentioned, a big man, a ghost, a coffin, secret passages and a painting of a beautiful woman hanging over the fireplace, and many other things.”

Meow,meow.=That all from our very first case, we look for inheritance, it belong to ghost who not ghost. That where we first meet John, he want inheritance himself. “That last dream though,” said Bernard, “it was so real, so vivid. Muffin and I looked out the window and watched a car burning.” Meow,meow.=That our car, ghost that not ghost burn it so we not able to get away, except with big long walk which I not like.

“And that painting above the fireplace,” Bernard continued, “there is something so amazing about it, haunting, almost scary, yet a very beautiful woman.” Meow,meow.=That was great grandmother of ghost woman. You look at that painting a lot. You always say clue in painting, but nothing there.

To Be Continued.

©2022 Steve McLeod.