7.The Green Knight and the Jungle
The wallet size photo of Gail Weathers, Addy Banks kept on her person served as a reminder of the goal she hoped to achieve. Any time the budding journalist felt discouraged or found herself up against a wall, she looked at the photo and asked herself, “What would Gail Weathers do in this situation?” “How would Gail Weathers approach this problem?” Those questions helped motivate Addy to persevere and continue forward. The world of journalism was cutthroat, tedious, and dangerous. That’s why Addy chose it; she loved the thrill of a challenge. But the young and tenacious woman had a long way to go before she reached even a fraction of Weathers’ success.
Journalism was a craft as much as it was a career, which was what Addy failed to understand. It took time and patience to build and sculpt. A journalist needed to be level-headed, attentive, interpersonal, and a slew of other skills. Addy possessed none of them. She was still immature and impulsive, too driven by the hunger of personal goals.
Addy’s mentors and peers always cautioned her to slow down. She had to allow her career to develop naturally. Certain corners just couldn’t be rushed. “A dead journalist is a bad journalist.” She was often told over and over again. Addy never wanted to listen, however. She always felt like the people around her wanted to keep her grounded. She believed no one wanted to see her shine. Addy would not be grounded. She refused to dim her light so others could shine.
When Addy opened her eyes, she found herself locked in a stare-off with Juniper who hovered over her. She was creeped out by the melancholic faced woman. Addy studied Juniper who wore a tattered smock over her clothes and carried a wicker backpack. The plain woman looked like she came from another time period to Addy. The black abysses that were Juniper’s eyes forced Addy to break off eye contact with her. “Do you need something?” She asked Juniper, groggy and irritated. Poor Addy had spent an uncomfortable night on a park bench and was in no mood to be bothered. The inns and motels refused to rent to an outsider.
Juniper ignored Addy’s question. “The streets of Wych Elm aren’t safe for a beautiful woman such as yourself.” Though annoyed with Juniper’s creepy presence, Addy appreciated her compliment.
“It’s not like I had another alternative.” The moody woman scoffed. She finally moved into an upright position. Her body from the head down ached terribly. Sleeping on a metal bench for seven hours was not the brightest decision. A hot, Epsom salt bath was all Addy desired at the moment. “You never answered my question.” She asked the woman again who she was and if she needed something. If not, Addy wanted the woman out of her face.
Juniper continued watching at the woman with her dark, expressionless eyes. “You’re not a bright journalist. Its dangerous and foolish to wander into a place without doing proper research.” Juniper called Addy a novice which infuriated her. In the nastiest tone she could muster, Addy told Juniper to piss off. The woman didn’t budge.
Addy gathered her jacket and her satchel. “If you’re not going to leave, I’ll go then.” Juniper shoved Addy back down onto the bench. She was bewildered by the action. Juniper wasn’t as harmless as she appeared. The split change in the woman’s demeanor had frightened Addy.
“You’ll go, where? Didn’t you hear what I said moments ago?” Wych Elm wasn’t safe for a woman like Addy Banks. It wasn’t even safe for the residents who lived there either. Juniper described Wych Elm as a monster with an eternal hunger. It would eat Addy alive. “The only place you need to go.” The dark-eyed woman pointed in the direction of the town’s entrance.
Addy swatted Juniper’s hands away. She wasn’t going anywhere. She told the woman she wouldn’t be run out of town by some strange woman with a kink for voyeurism. “I’m exactly where I need to be.” Addy told Juniper with an unwavering resolve. She would not be intimidated. Her response, however, greatly disappointed the woman.
Juniper told Addy the path she was headed down was more dangerous than she could ever fathom. “This is nothing more than a fool’s journey.” A journey that would lead her to damnation. “You need to leave Wych Elm. Immediately.” She stressed with urgency. Addy looked at the woman mystified. Something about Juniper’s words sounded eerily prophetic. Regardless, Addy dismissed the claim as an overreaction. She would be all right. “I see.” Juniper reached into her pocket and removed a rosary. “Keep this on you at all times.” She told Addy it would protect her. “Please. Knowing that you have this will ease my worries.” Addy had the option to keep the rosary or return it to Juniper once her business in Wych Elm was done.
Addy stared down at the rosary. She was mildly apprehensive about accepting the sentimental object. Addy was also weirded out by a stranger randomly offering her a gift. “Um, thanks… I guess?” Addy wrapped the rosary around her wrist like a bracelet. She looked up to see Juniper smiling. Even her smile is creepy. The woman’s smile gave Addy “Uncanny Valley” vibes. “So, what now?”
Juniper informed the woman she had a vacant room at her home. “That’s unless you prefer the metal bench.” She motioned to the seat under Addy. “You’ll be safer with me than here in the streets.” Addy declined Juniper’s offer. She wasn’t going anywhere with the strange woman. “Understandable.” Juniper wouldn’t force the matter. “Please, take care.” She then walked off leaving a puzzled Addy behind on the bench.
Addy started to have second doubts as Juniper grew further and further away. She looked down at the rosary again. “Maybe she is trying to be a kind Samaritan…” Addy dug into her satchel and removed the small handgun she always kept on her person. It was a gift from her late uncle. The gun had only been fired twice since it came into Addy’s possession. She always hoped she would never have to use the weapon.
The journalist abruptly changed her mind about not going with Juniper. Even though the young woman was quite unsettling, Addy concluded that Juniper really posed no threat to her. She returned the handgun to her satchel, pulled on her jacket, and caught up to Juniper before the woman disappeared from her sight.
The atmosphere of Juniper’s house had a dismal aura about it. Addy started to second guess her decision to stay there. The park bench didn’t seem that bad compared to the energy that haunted the woman’s home. Addy, the nosy person that she was, walked around Juniper’s living room, scanning every object that crossed her vision. “Is this your family?” She picked up a photo and cleaned the dust from it. The photo was of a young couple standing behind an older woman who was seated. The younger woman and the older woman favored each other. Addy never thought to question why Juniper didn’t look like them. “Did you have beef with the camera man?” She playfully teased.
“I’ve never liked having my photo taken.” Juniper somberly replied. Addy jokingly asked if she was afraid the camera would steal her soul. The melancholic woman only shrugged. Embarrassed, Addy returned the photo to its place on the shelf.
“I’ll show you to your room.” Addy followed Juniper upstairs. She also asked her to be mindful of her noise levels. “I’m lodging another guest here as well.” Juniper said the other guest was still asleep. When they made it to the second floor, the door to Hollis’ room flung open. The old detective was wide awake. “Well, never mind what I said.” Juniper corrected herself. She then proceeded to greet Hollis. “Good morning, Detective Alexander.”
A frustrated groan escaped his lips. “You can drop the detective part, Juniper.” Hollis by itself was just fine. He also didn’t want to be reminded of his disgraced past. The man raised his arms above his head and stretched.
Addy stared at the man, wondering where she had heard his name before. “Hollis…as in Hollis Alexander?” Her eyes went big when it struck her. Addy remembered who he was. “I know you.” She told Hollis who looked at her with skepticism. Addy gently moved Juniper to the side as if the woman were a decorative statue. “I know exactly who you are. You… You’re that detective who was involved in the Pembrook Incident.” She wagged her finger.
The words Pembrook Incident elicited a sour response from Hollis. The young woman had ruined Hollis’ day even though it hadn’t yet started. Addy was coldly reprimanded by Hollis; he dismissed her for bringing up the topic. Addy, however, persisted. She asked Hollis about the Incident. She wanted to know what Hollis had been doing since his resignation as a detective. “The moment you start digging up graves, the ghosts wake up to haunt you,” was his response to the nosy journalist.
Addy and Hollis went back, and forth which forced Juniper to intervene in their heated conversation. “The bathroom is at the end of the hallway.” She informed Addy, pointing with a finger. “I’ll be more than happy to wash your clothes, if you would like me too.” Addy graciously accepted the offer. “You better hurry and bathe while the water is still hot.” Juniper’s house was older than the asphalt street it sat upon. The water took forever to heat up, but it was quick to cool down.
Addy wasn’t done with Hollis. She paused their conversation, intending to resume once she had finished bathing. She grabbed her satchel and hurried to the bathroom. “I can already tell she’s going to be quite the headache.” He sighed heavily.
“If you need me, I’ll be in the kitchen.” Juniper told Hollis their breakfast would be ready in about thirty minutes. He watched as she descended quietly back downstairs.
Addy noticed Hollis was nowhere to be seen when she came downstairs. She placed her balled up clothes in the laundry room for Juniper. “Do you know where he went?” She asked, walking into the kitchen. Juniper was breaking eggs into a bowl.
The dark-eyed woman answered without taking her eyes away from her task. “He’s in the garden.” Though Juniper advised Addy not to bother him. “He’s not the sociable type. You shouldn’t force someone to talk about their trauma either.” She began whisking the eggs.
Addy gathered the eggshells into her hand and dumped them in the trash. “My goal as a journalist isn’t to re-traumatize a person.” Her goal was to search and uncover the truth.
“You should try being a human first and a journalist third.” Juniper counterargued. She told Addy that part of being a journalist was also respecting boundaries. Hollis had made his boundary clear; Addy shouldn’t step over it.
She leaned against the counter. “Maybe I can step around it?” She fired off an innocent joke. Juniper found no humor in her words. The smile slowly vanished from Addy’s face. “Do you need help with anything?”
Juniper, smiling, looked over at Addy. “No thank you.” Addy offered to help with other household chores. Juniper declined her offer. It wasn’t personal. The melancholic woman found peace in chores and housework. She didn’t like people in her space.
“Well…just call if you need me.”
“I shouldn’t need to.” Juniper replied. The words came off rudely than intended. Addy left the kitchen and went in search of Hollis despite being told not to bother him.
Addy came upon Hollis reclining in an Adirondack chair out in Juniper’s garden. His eyes were closed, as if he were sunbathing. “Not the best day to work on your tan.” It was a cloudy day. The region was expecting another storm to roll in. Hollis told the young woman not to bother him with unnecessary small talk. He politely requested her to go away. Addy’s cheerful smile morphed into a hard scowl. No one wanted her around. “There’s nothing to do around here.” She argued back. “I offered my help to Juniper, but she turned me down.”
“There’s always something to do.” The annoyed man fired off a list of activities Addy could immerse herself in. She could read, draw, or nap all of which didn’t have to involve bothering him. The woman pouted like a small child would, irritating an already aggravated Hollis. “I’m going back to my room.” A locked door was the only obstacle that could keep them separated.
As Hollis dismissively brushed past her, Addy asked him, “Why are you here in Wych Elm, Det. Hollis Alexander?” He proceeded to ignore her question and continued walking away. Addy twirled around. “What’s your end goal here, detective?” She stared at his back with intensity.
Fed up with Addy’s annoying, incessant questions, Hollis snapped at her. “I’m not a detective.” He left that job and that part of his life behind in the past. The man was simply Hollis and nothing more. “And business in this town or my end goal is none of yours.” He berated her. The irate Hollis told Addy to find her own business so she could stay out of his. The nosy woman had fried his last nerve.
Addy crossed her arms, unfazed by Hollis’ justified outburst. She had experienced much worse, comparing his anger to that of a kitten. Instead of leaving Hollis alone like he demanded, Addy stormed up to him. She cut him off from the back door. “Did you come here, hoping to redeem yourself?” The question made Hollis step backwards. His irritation and anger subsided, though they quickly returned. Who was she to question his motives? “You didn’t make the wrong decision.” Addy told the old detective, staring hard into his weathered eyes. “No matter what choice you made, people were going to die regardless. It was a ruse from the start.” Hollis realized Addy had deceived him earlier.
She had already done extensive research about the Pembrooke Incident yet, still asked him about what went wrong. He wondered what she had attempted to gain from the deceit. Who exactly is this woman? He found himself asking. Is she another form of punishment?
“There was never a solution from the start. Someone was going to die.” Addy told Hollis what he already knew. He had spent years in denial about the Incident. No matter what the outcome was, Hollis would have still felt guilty about it. He would have still felt like a failure.
Hollis loomed over Addy like a tower. He asked her, “Has anyone ever told you, you’re a nosy little weasel.” She smiled proudly. “That wasn’t a compliment.” He mumbled. Hollis bumped her aside as he continued his trek to the kitchen door.
“Richard Penn killed himself.” Addy blurted out, knowing it would stop Hollis in his tracks. Her plan worked too.
Richard Penn was the grief-stricken grandfather of Sadie Penn, the young girl killed alongside Nicolai during the Pembrooke Incident. A prominent politician, Richard had raised Sadie from birth after her mother died in childbirth and his son in a freak accident. Sadie was all Richard had left of his late son. On the seventh anniversary of the girl’s death, Richard took his life, unable to continue living without his beloved son and granddaughter. He spent every moment of his remaining years cursing Hollis’ name. Richard was partly responsible for Hollis’ forced resignation. The man had relentlessly hounded the Police Captain to fire Hollis.
Hollis made the Sign of the Cross. “I pray he’s at peace with his son and his granddaughter.” He continued towards the door.
Once again, Addy darted in front of Hollis. She used her body to block the door. “We came here for the same reason, you and I.” She suggested they worked together to solve the mystery of the body in the tree. He was an ex-detective; she was a journalist. From Addy’s perspective, they were an ideal team.
Hollis responded to her suggestion by crudely laughing in her face. Addy grimaced. “I don’t need your help and I damn sure don’t want it.” Hollis called her a liability. “You should go home, like Juniper advised you to.” The young journalist severely underestimated the dangers that lurked around Wych Elm.
Addy argued back, which Hollis expected would become a reoccurring theme with her. “I can be a little impulsive, I won’t deny that.” She tried to convince the old detective she was a valuable ally. Addy understood there were risks. She wouldn’t be deterred, however.
Hollis disrespectfully cut his eyes at the woman. “This place-this town is a jungle.” And the High Families lurked in the shadows waiting to devour. Addy was way in over her head in Hollis’ eyes. She would get herself hurt or killed.
Juniper poked her head out of the kitchen window. “Breakfast is ready.” She announced in her signature monotone voice. Hollis moved Addy out of his way and entered in the house.
The trio gathered at the dining table. Juniper, however, was the only person without a plate which baffled Addy. “Soooo…you’re not going to eat anything?” The dark-eyed woman told Addy she was fasting (supposedly). Addy was concerned about Juniper; the woman was already concerningly thin. She feared Juniper would disappear from existence if she fasted any longer. “May I ask you reason? For fasting that is.” Addy took a bite of smoked country ham.
“I haven’t had much of an appetite in years.” Juniper told Addy not to worry about her; the latter found it difficult not to. She looked over at Hollis who was engrossed in his meal. Addy feared Juniper wasn’t well, physically or mentally. “You’re more than welcome to a second helping.” Juniper said to Hollis. The man was pretty full for the moment.
Hollis thanked Juniper for the meal before he excused himself upstairs. It was time to start the day. Juniper quietly got up from the table and followed Hollis to his room. “Do you need something, Juniper?” He asked as he donned his navy, blue jacket.
“Would you like your clothes washed?” Hollis replied that he didn’t care. The choice was hers. Juniper already did enough for him. He didn’t want to feel like he was taking advantage of her hospitality. Juniper nodded. She gathered up the pile of dirty clothes in the corner. “She’ll never take ‘no’ for an answer.” Juniper told Hollis unprovoked. “You won’t be able to get rid of Addy so easily.” The woman had already tried.
“I’ll just ignore her like I do the ghosts.” He replied, lacing up his boots.
Juniper looked around the room as if she were searching for something or someone. Her attention eventually returned to Hollis the second he raised his head and met her eyes. “Please be safe out there, Hollis.” Juniper worried for his safety as much as she did Addy’s. Hollis appreciated that trait of hers.
The old detective chuckled. “No honorific this time?” It’s about damn time. He thought.
Juniper headed for the door. “Will you be back by lunchtime?” She asked, standing in the doorway. Hollis was uncertain. He doubted he would and told Juniper not to wait up for him. He anticipated his task would take up his entire day. “Understood.” She nodded with a smile. Juniper would keep a meal warm for Hollis regardless.
No matter how long or hard Hollis pounded on the door, no one came to answer. He peered through the dirty window but only saw a house shrouded in darkness. Hollis wondered if the family was hiding until he left or if the house was abandoned. “Lorenzo Wilson (45), married to Rowena Wilson (40). They have two children: Isabel Wilson (12), and Joshua Wilson (10).” He read the words scrawled in the pocket notepad. The old detective had a dreadful feeling boiling in the pit of his stomach. He looked towards the darkening sky.
Something malicious happened to the Wilson Family. Hollis was undoubtedly certain that was the case. He quickly scanned the area to make sure it was clear before he hopped the fence and went around back. Hollis discovered the house had a cellar. He shattered the rickety lock with a big rock.
The cellar was nothing remarkable to Hollis. The space was sparsely littered with boxes and crates filled with an assortment of miscellaneous items. Hollis picked up a vintage, wind up medieval knight which looked exactly like the one he had as a child except in blue. The toy knight Hollis was gifted was a sea-green color. It was a present from his older sister, Holly, on his eleventh birthday. Unfortunately, the green toy knight was long gone; it was destroyed in a house fire six years later. Hollis respectfully placed the knight back in its box before he headed upstairs to the first level.
When Hollis opened the door, he was almost knocked back by the pungent odor of cleaning solution. Specifically, industrial grade cleaning solution. The entire main level reeked of the smell. Hollis released an emotionally exhausted sigh. He loathed when he was right. The Wilson Family was dead. And he didn’t need their bodies as proof. Hollis’ search of the Wilson home yielded poor results. He moved his investigation to the next house, though Hollis expected the same outcome.
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