Free The Diablo Horror (The River Book 7) by Michael Richan

wanted
it back now, with this sudden deadline.”
    “But the bastard’s a liar,” Steven said, slurring his words
even more. “When I gave him the fucking thing, all he wanted to know was where
the man was buried.”
    “The man?” Eliza asked.
    “The man who had the Agimat,” Steven said. “The one who
killed his family with the ax. He was trying to be coy, but I knew what he
really wanted. He wanted to know where the man’s body was. I told him it was in
the pit with the others, and he was pissed. Then he blipped out. Gone. I’m done
with him and glad of it.”
    “So what he really wanted was something else?” Roy asked.
“Not the Agimat?”
    “That’s what I think,” Steven said. “He may have had some
interest in the Agimat, but he wouldn’t stop torturing you, Eliza, until I told
him where the man’s body was. It seemed to me that was his real goal.”
    “Bastard,” Roy said. “Instead of telling us what he wants, the
fucker puts us on a goose chase, and we lose Jason because of it. We could have
walked out of there after the first trance and told him the body was buried in
that pit. If we really didn’t need to get that object, Jason would still be
alive.”
    Steven seemed to go catatonic. He felt like he wanted to cry
again, but he’d been crying all day, and the tears wouldn’t come. He was dried
out.
    “Some Easter this was,” Eliza said. “Supposed to be a day
about life.” She stood up. “It’s late. I’m going to bed, and I suggest you do,
too. I brought lots of extra food with me. We don’t have to rush back to town. We’ll
stay here tomorrow. With Jason.”
    Steven stared out over the porch railing into the back yard
as Eliza and Roy left. The little lights near the ground in the yard,
illuminating the path to the tree, cast enough light that the large banyan was
filled with shadows. A slight breeze caused the branches to sway lightly,
waving silently over Jason’s grave, which Steven could see clearly from where
he was sitting. He started crying again, unable to stop himself. Sleep well,
Jason, Steven thought, as he rose to his feet and walked into the house. Sleep
well.

Chapter Six
     
     
     
    Sleeping at Eximere was like sleeping at the most quiet,
relaxing resort in the world. It was so well built you couldn’t hear a sound,
especially the loud snoring of Steven and Roy. When the light returned, it was
a natural alarm clock, rousing Eliza and Roy. The only thing missing was the
sound of birds chirping.
    When Eliza stumbled into the kitchen, she found Roy pouring
himself a cup of coffee from a pot he’d just made.
    “You want some of this?” Roy asked.
    “I do,” Eliza said, sliding onto a stool at the counter. Roy
removed a mug from the cabinets and poured her a cup.
    “Steven?” Eliza asked.
    “Still asleep,” Roy said. “And I hope he sleeps as long as he
can.”
    “Me too. I’m surprised you’re up. It’s been a hard couple of
days for you, too.”
    “Couldn’t sleep. Too many things bothering me.”
    “I know, I can’t imagine losing a son or a grandson.
Especially like this. He blames himself.”
    “I know, but I can’t see where he had much of a choice with
the demon. As for the incident at Diablo, well, I kind of blame myself for
that.”
    “Don’t take this the wrong way Roy, but you realize all this
blame and guilt doesn’t help anything, right? The only way you wouldn’t have
been wrapped up with the demon was to have not returned that book to June in
the first place. And returning these stolen books is a perfectly fine and
admirable thing to do.”
    Roy sipped his coffee while he listened to her. She was
right, but it didn’t ease the pain very much.
    “Well, I appreciate your words Eliza, I do. But I don’t think
they’ll help Steven very much. He believes he killed Jason. That’ll never stop
eating at him until the day he dies. Maybe not even after that.”
    “Are we sure that’s what happened?” Eliza asked, setting her
coffee