CHAPTER SIX

There was an extra person at dinner that night, someone that everyone was cheering for. Sterling sat quietly, listening to the others speak, and then saw his legal team walk in.

"Charges are dropped, Sterling," smiled Kari.

"Dr-dropped?"

"Yep. The evidence the boys found today was overwhelming. The judge agreed there was no evidence to hold you or charge you with that girl's murder. You're a free man."

"Am I?" he asked quietly. The others knew what he was asking and stared at him. "No man, especially a black man, that's been accused of raping, beating, and killing a white girl will ever be free. No one will trust me with their kids again."

"We would," said Gaspar. "I would trust you with all my kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids."

"We all would," said Ian.

"Then you're different folks than the ones I know. Did you know that when I started the sports league, I was questioned by psychologists, lawyers, and police to determine my ‘motive.' I was trying to do something good for the community, and they all thought I had evil in me. I didn't argue about it. I wanted them to know that my intentions were good."

"And they were," said Kari, gripping his hand. "They still are. You've done great work with these kids, and the community knows it."

"Yet somehow they still thought I killed that poor child," he said, shaking his head, tears coming down his cheeks. "She looked so awful. Who would do that to an innocent girl?"

"We're going to find out, Sterling. We're going to do everything in our power to stop these people from doing it again. If you want to help us, we could use the help," said Gaspar.

"Might do you some good to help the boys," said Matthew. "Sometimes, a man needs to prove his own innocence."

Sterling nodded at the men, wiping his face.

"That might do me some good," he said, nodding.

"Sterling, had you ever seen that woman before?" asked Nine.

"Never. I thought maybe she was the sister or mama of one of the kids, but I didn't recognize her at all."

"Boys," said Irene softly, "we have a visitor."

All eyes turned to see the face of a young blonde woman walking with Charity and Genevieve. She was wearing a simple white gown, her hair clean and flowing down her back. Her features were pretty, with soft brown eyes and pink skin. She had a tiny beauty mark at the corner of her mouth and a beautiful smile on her face.

"N-no. H-how? H-how is that possible?" asked Sterling. "Y'all are witches! You're fooling me."

"I need you to just breathe," said Irene. "This is a special place, and somehow, our ghosts have been able to connect with the girl."

"Hello," she said softly. She walked toward Sterling and reached out to touch his cheek. He only felt a cold wind pass over his face. Then he wept at the sensations flooding his body. "Don't cry, Sterling. You tried to help me. You comforted me, and the face I saw before me was kind. Thank you for that."

"I couldn't save you," he said.

"No one could have saved me. My injuries were too severe. It was all my fault."

"Little one," said Trak, staring at the young woman. She turned and smiled at him. "Do you know who did this to you?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "They covered their faces and said nothing. I was walking back to my dorm from class and was grabbed from behind. I didn't see the car or the men that took me. I was blindfolded with duct tape, and my hands were tied. Everything went terribly wrong after that. When I knew they'd left for a while, I used my teeth to untie my wrists. Then I took off the tape and realized how bad it was.

"I don't know why I went in the direction that I did, but I'm glad it led me to the ballfield. I couldn't think clearly any longer. I only came to tell Sterling that all would be okay and to thank him."

"Thank me? I couldn't save you. I wanted to save you," he said with evident pain.

"There was no saving me, Sterling," said Tracy. "Thank you."

She turned and walked toward the bayou as the others watched. It was a normal night for them, but for Sterling, he was completely overwhelmed but it all.

"Sterling? Walk with me," said Matthew. The man stood, and Matthew took his hand. Sterling gasped at the feelings flooding his body. Irene followed the two men as they disappeared on the trails behind the homes.

"He needed to hear that she was alright," said Charity. "We did question her as you asked, but she remembered nothing other than the pain. She didn't see any faces or hear any voices. Something was very off about it all, but we couldn't identify what it was. She's at peace now and will move on."

"What about her parents?" asked Miller.

"Her parents were divorced when she was three. She's not sure where her mother is, and her father was notified of her death and handled the funeral. He's already returned to his home in Tacoma."

"Strange folks," said Miller. "You lose your child, bury her, and then just leave."

"Not everyone has family like us, mon frére," said Gaspar, kissing his brother's temple. "Thank you, Charity and Genevieve. We're lucky in many ways."

Matthew and Irene walked back toward the fire with Sterling. He looked as though he felt much better, a smile finally on his face.

"You okay, Sterling?" asked Ian.

"Much better, now. Thank you. I don't think I've said that to any of you, but thank you for what you did, what you're trying to do for me."

"This is what we do," said Gaspar.

"So your father says," he smiled. "I do want to help you find this young woman's killer or killers. She didn't deserve any of what happened to her."

"You'll be involved," said Nine. "What I want to know is what it was like playing semi-pro baseball. Always wanted to play pro ball."

"Well, you're all big enough to play pro football or hockey. You'd be giants on the baseball diamond, but I'd sure love to see you all slide into home and take down a base-hogging catcher," he laughed. "It was all I ever wanted to do. I played college baseball at Grambling and then bounced around between teams for a few years. Lost a lot of girlfriends over baseball."

The men chuckled, nodding.

"We've lost a lot of girlfriends over our time in the military," said Rafe. "Just so you know, Sterling. We talked to Harry, Warren, and Edith's parents, and they all believed you were innocent. They apologized to their children for not believing them sooner. They thought they were making things up to protect you."

"That's good to hear. Those three kids were something else. Never saw three more interested in learning everything about the game."

"Kids can be curious," smirked Gaspar. "I've got eight brothers and six sisters, all younger. They were about the most curious group you've ever seen. Gabe probably more than anyone."

"I was not!" he said defensively. "I just wanted to know the truth."

The grove laughed, shaking their heads at him. He smirked at his siblings, pointing to Jean and Adele.

"Those two were more curious than I was," he said, smiling.

"Y'all were all curious," said Irene. "All of my boys, girls, and babies are curious. It's what makes you good at what you do."

"All of ‘em?" asked Sterling with a puzzled expression.

"Every man, woman, and child you see here belongs to me in one way or another," said Irene. "I don't care who they were born to. They're mine."

"That's how I feel about the kids at the park. Soccer, football, baseball, it don't matter. I knew them all, watched them all, and worked with them all. Sometimes, you're giving them a hug when they miss a hit, and sometimes, you're high-fiving when they get the tackle.

"Hell, sometimes, I'm talking to them about their parents, schoolwork, girlfriends, and boyfriends. Sometimes, it's other things. Bullies. Alcohol. Drugs. I swear, kids got a lot more to worry about than when I was young. Maybe that just makes me old. Or maybe it makes me na?ve.

"All I know is that I'm proud of them all. They're good young men and women. None of them have given me a lick of trouble other than the occasional sass or show of poor sportsmanship. I pull ‘em aside, have a little talk with them, and we're all back on track again. No problems to speak of."

"If it helps at all, Sterling, I don't think this had anything to do with you or the park," said Ghost. He nodded at the man, then shook his head.

"I'd love to tell you that it makes me feel better. But it doesn't. That child is still dead, and the killers are still out there."