“I’ll be fine, honey. Don’t worry about me. Irene got the worst of it. I got a lot of flesh to help me,” she smirked.
“Grandma, this isn’t funny,” said Carsen.
“I know,” she nodded, gripping Irene’s hand. “Believe me, I know.”
“I don’t agree with him tearing down the Square, Mama, but what is so important that you risked your life?” asked Marie.
“We met a new spirit,” she said softly. “He’s different. I don’t know how just yet, but he needs us to make sure that tree isn’t taken down or damaged. He needs us, and I think we need him.”
“Mama, he’s a ghost. Why would he need us?” asked Miller.
“I think Mama is right,” said Gabe. His father looked at him with a small smile, the strong, silent Matthew just listening until more was needed.
Gabe’s siblings looked at him, waiting for more.
“Gabe, I need a little more than ‘Mama is right,’” said Gaspar.
“That’s all I can give you right now, Gaspar, but I think Grover needs us, and we need to find out what this man, Snow, is doing.”
“Grover?” frowned Rafe.
“The ghost,” said Gabe.
“Mama didn’t give us a name. How did you know his name?”
“Didn’t you say his name, Mama?” he asked innocently of his mother.
“You know, son. I’m hurtin’ so bad I can’t remember,” she smiled.
“Y’all are up to something,” said Gaspar. “Look, we’ll have a conversation with this man, Snow, but you are to stay here and not go back to the Square unless we are with you.”
“I understand,” said Irene. “I believe I’d like to have some lunch now if that’s alright.”
“I’ll get it for you, Mama,” said Camille.
“I’ll help,” said Claudette. “We’ll all have lunch together here in the house, just like old times.”
Matthew helped Irene to stand, and they walked toward the steps together. Gaspar, standing with folded arms, watched her carefully.
“What do you think, Gaspar?” asked Luc.
“I think we’re about to experience the height of what Mama and Miss Ruby are capable of. Hold on. It’s going to get bumpy.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Jean, Gaspar, Miller, Antoine, Alec, Tailor, Nine, Doc, Ghost, and Ian walked the area around Jackson Square waiting for the candidate to show up. After doing some background work on Alan Snow, the team wasn’t happy about what they found. Or more importantly, what they didn’t find.
The documents filed for his candidacy said that he was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas. He wasn’t a native Louisianian. He’d made money in property development, which only sent red flags up for everyone. Several times over the years, someone had suggested he used force to get what he wanted, but nothing ever made it to a courtroom.
While attempting to build a group of condos on protected land in the Everglades, he decided to run for office. He technically lived in the district and had been a resident for the required period of time.
What no one could understand was why he would run against the incumbent who had held the office for more than twenty years. Suddenly, the incumbent decides to retire, taps a replacement to run in his spot with no experience, no desire for public office, and no education.
Snow won the election, built the condos by pushing through the required permits to build on protected lands, then left as soon as the condos were filled with residents. A year later, Hurricane Sam hit the condos.
Had they been built to code, the condos should have easily survived a category two hurricane. Instead, buildings crumbled into the swamplands, killing dozens of people, contaminating the swamps, creating an environmental disaster, destroying wildlife, and destroying lives.
That didn’t stop Snow, who then decided to build near a protected forest in Arkansas. Again, he built the condos using shoddy work methods, with little to no inspections done, and the first good storm, the condos were gone.
