Read Online 2 A Reason for Murder by Morgana Best - Free Book Online
Authors: Morgana Best
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attractive.
"The treasure that Scotty, the tour guide, speaks about." His energy definitely shifted then. I noted it and continued. "My editor thinks that our readers would be interested in the treasure."
"What is the connection?"
"With your house?"
"Yes."
"Scotty says that Baxter Morgan was executed as one of the Jewboy Gang back in the 1840s, and I found out that this property used to belong to Baxter Morgan, so I came to have a look. The realtor told me that Baxter Morgan left your ancestor, Joe Crawley, the property in the will. Scotty says the ghost of Baxter Morgan will tell people where the treasure is once he finds out who the accuser was."
David laughed. "Clearly your magazine isn't interested in facts."
How did he know? After a moment, I came to my senses and realized that he was expecting me to disagree. I tried to muster disagreement, but failed. "What do you mean?" was all I could manage.
"Village gossip, pure and simple. I'm sure it'll make a good story, but there is no treasure. If you look into the records, you won't find any evidence that anyone falsely accused Baxter Morgan."
That was true enough. My research had turned up nothing so far.
"Have you heard of Ogun?"
David's rapid subject changes were throwing me off-guard. I nodded.
David looked surprised. "So you're familiar with African spirits?"
I shook my head. "Not overly. I interviewed a lady from the USA about New Orleans Hoodoo Voodoo for an article only recently, and she lists the orisha and the lwa in her newest book, only I've already forgotten the difference between the orisha and the lwa."
"You're not a practitioner?"
"Of Voodoo?"
David nodded.
"No." I laughed. "I don't know anything much about it, although I'd like to learn more. I do know that it's nothing like what Hollywood portrays, all that black magick nonsense."
David nodded again. "In the Yoruba tradition, Ogun is the god of iron."
As David drifted off into propounding the minute details of Yoruba art, I wondered if he was into Voodoo or even Wicca or anything at all, but he only had art and books in the study. There was not an altar in sight, not even a candle.
I furtively looked around at the book titles. If only I had worn my glasses. The books were all a blur. I could however make out all five volumes of Harry Middleton Hyatt's Hoodoo, Conjuration, Witchcraft, Rootwork books as I'd seen the books before and recognized the plain gray covers. I didn't have a hope of reading any other book titles at this distance.
I picked up the book opened on the table in front of me. Africans in Colonial Louisiana: The Development of Afro-Creole Culture in the Eighteenth Century ; Author: G.M. Hall; Date: 1991, Publisher: Louisiana State University Press.
Innocent enough.
David finally drew breath after a lengthy and detailed lecture on Gabon vipers. I was beginning to have an inkling of the effect my speeches must have on people.
My iPhone vibrated. I had switched off the sound for the viewing. The Blocked Sender again, with the one word, " Govi ." I wished I could text them back to tell them they had the wrong number and to stop bothering me, but of course that was impossible with a Blocked Sender. I held up the screen to David, who mercifully had stopped talking for the moment. "Do you know if Blocked Senders can send texts? I thought they could only make calls."
David peered at the screen, perplexed. "That is strange." His voice was cold. He looked thoughtful, then added, "Dinner?"
Again, I had no idea how to respond, and not just because of the subject change. If I pretended I had a boyfriend, he could say, "What? I'm not interested in you in that way!" and if I said, "In what capacity?" that too would be rude, not to mention embarrassing. I did want to ask him more questions, but was wary in case he wanted to make a move on me.
Fortunately he added, "I haven't lived here since my brother insisted on putting the place on the market, but I'm staying here for a few days to
"The treasure that Scotty, the tour guide, speaks about." His energy definitely shifted then. I noted it and continued. "My editor thinks that our readers would be interested in the treasure."
"What is the connection?"
"With your house?"
"Yes."
"Scotty says that Baxter Morgan was executed as one of the Jewboy Gang back in the 1840s, and I found out that this property used to belong to Baxter Morgan, so I came to have a look. The realtor told me that Baxter Morgan left your ancestor, Joe Crawley, the property in the will. Scotty says the ghost of Baxter Morgan will tell people where the treasure is once he finds out who the accuser was."
David laughed. "Clearly your magazine isn't interested in facts."
How did he know? After a moment, I came to my senses and realized that he was expecting me to disagree. I tried to muster disagreement, but failed. "What do you mean?" was all I could manage.
"Village gossip, pure and simple. I'm sure it'll make a good story, but there is no treasure. If you look into the records, you won't find any evidence that anyone falsely accused Baxter Morgan."
That was true enough. My research had turned up nothing so far.
"Have you heard of Ogun?"
David's rapid subject changes were throwing me off-guard. I nodded.
David looked surprised. "So you're familiar with African spirits?"
I shook my head. "Not overly. I interviewed a lady from the USA about New Orleans Hoodoo Voodoo for an article only recently, and she lists the orisha and the lwa in her newest book, only I've already forgotten the difference between the orisha and the lwa."
"You're not a practitioner?"
"Of Voodoo?"
David nodded.
"No." I laughed. "I don't know anything much about it, although I'd like to learn more. I do know that it's nothing like what Hollywood portrays, all that black magick nonsense."
David nodded again. "In the Yoruba tradition, Ogun is the god of iron."
As David drifted off into propounding the minute details of Yoruba art, I wondered if he was into Voodoo or even Wicca or anything at all, but he only had art and books in the study. There was not an altar in sight, not even a candle.
I furtively looked around at the book titles. If only I had worn my glasses. The books were all a blur. I could however make out all five volumes of Harry Middleton Hyatt's Hoodoo, Conjuration, Witchcraft, Rootwork books as I'd seen the books before and recognized the plain gray covers. I didn't have a hope of reading any other book titles at this distance.
I picked up the book opened on the table in front of me. Africans in Colonial Louisiana: The Development of Afro-Creole Culture in the Eighteenth Century ; Author: G.M. Hall; Date: 1991, Publisher: Louisiana State University Press.
Innocent enough.
David finally drew breath after a lengthy and detailed lecture on Gabon vipers. I was beginning to have an inkling of the effect my speeches must have on people.
My iPhone vibrated. I had switched off the sound for the viewing. The Blocked Sender again, with the one word, " Govi ." I wished I could text them back to tell them they had the wrong number and to stop bothering me, but of course that was impossible with a Blocked Sender. I held up the screen to David, who mercifully had stopped talking for the moment. "Do you know if Blocked Senders can send texts? I thought they could only make calls."
David peered at the screen, perplexed. "That is strange." His voice was cold. He looked thoughtful, then added, "Dinner?"
Again, I had no idea how to respond, and not just because of the subject change. If I pretended I had a boyfriend, he could say, "What? I'm not interested in you in that way!" and if I said, "In what capacity?" that too would be rude, not to mention embarrassing. I did want to ask him more questions, but was wary in case he wanted to make a move on me.
Fortunately he added, "I haven't lived here since my brother insisted on putting the place on the market, but I'm staying here for a few days to
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