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The old man maintained his silence for a few more moments. Finally, his raspy voice cut through the quiet, “Quoi tu veux avec elle? Elle est pas d’ici,no.” (What do you want with her? She is not from around here.)
Zaiden swallowed hard, feeling a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead. He knew he had to choose his words carefully if he wanted to get what he came for.
“She has something I need,” Zaiden told the old man.
“Hmm...” Zaiden waited as the old man remained silent. He knew better than to speak out of turn. Anything he said could get him in deep trouble, so silence was his safest option. He continued to wait, hoping Papa would give him the information he sought. Eventually, Papa spoke: “Et t’as quelque chose que j’ai besoin,me.” (And you have something I need.)
“I don’t understand,” Zaiden said, puzzled.What could I possibly have? He didn’t even know I was coming here.
“Passe-moi la patte de poulet,” Papa said, extending his gnarled hand. (Hand me the chicken foot.)
“What’s that?” Zaiden asked, momentarily confused.
“La patte,” the old man reiterated, a hint of amusement in his eyes as he leaned forward in his chair, and a ray of light from outside the window illuminated his face. Zaiden gasped. It was like gazing upon the living dead. “De la sacoche de la vieille femme.” (From the old woman’s purse.)
The chicken foot, a potent symbol of protection in Voodoo, had been unable to shield the old woman from Zaiden’s actions. However, its presence served as a reminder of its intended purpose: warding off malevolent spirits and negative energies. Yet, in the case of the old woman, it seemed futile. She herself was the embodiment of the curse, the unwelcome influence that had permeated the community. Sometimes, there are individuals who willingly embrace evil as their guiding force, and no amulet or talisman can alter their path.
Zaiden rummaged in his jacket pocket, retrieved the purse, and removed the chicken foot before handing it to Papa Samedi. He had considered discarding it when he first saw it but feared that doing so might bring a curse upon him.
The old man scrutinized it carefully, murmuring under his breath.
“How did you know I had this?” Zaiden asked, his anxiety getting the better of him.
Papa Samedi simply offered an enigmatic smile. In Cajun, he declared, “I know everything.”
Zaiden shivered at the notion, wondering what other secrets the old man might be privy to regarding him.
Papa Samedi explained the meaning of the chicken foot and how it was used in voodoo magic, but his words did little to calm Zaiden’s nerves. He was about to ask how the old man knew about the old woman, when Papa spoke up once again.
“She was pure evil,” he said. “It was best that you killed her.”
Zaiden’s heart skipped a beat at those words. How did Papa Samedi know Zaiden had killed her? Was he in danger now? Would he need to kill Papa once he had the information he wanted?
As if sensing Zaiden’s thoughts, Papa Samedi spoke up once again. “You can’t kill me, Zaiden,” he said calmly. “Only I can do that.”
Zaiden’s blood ran cold upon hearing those words. What had he gotten himself into? He needed to find out where Juliette Martin was and get the hell out of there before it was too late.
“Tell me what you want with Juliette Martin,” Papa said.
Zaiden thought…If you know everything…
He was taken aback when Papa said, “I want to hearyousay it.”
Damn, he can read my mind.Zaiden decided his only option was to come clean, with…everything. And then he hesitated.
“I just want to talk to her,” Zaiden said, trying to keep his voice steady. “I’ve heard that you might know something about her whereabouts.”
The old man regarded Zaiden with a piercing stare before speaking again. “I know of Juliette Martin,” he said. “But she is not someone to be taken lightly. She is dangerous.”
“Dangerous? How so?”
“She is not dangerous in and of herself, but if any harm should come to her, the perpetrator will suffer the most painful consequences before their demise.”
Zaiden had never felt so threatened in his life. He didn’t want to harm this person he had never met. He just wanted what he wanted, and then he would all but disappear from the lives of anyone who had ever met him, safe in the knowledge that his crime couldn’t be pinned upon him.
Zaiden nodded, acknowledging the warning.
“I cannot help you,” Papa stated firmly.
