CHAPTER THIRTEEN

As the men and their wives began filtering in for the morning meeting, they grabbed their coffee and breakfast, taking a seat at the myriad of tables.

When Belle ?le was built out for them, Matthew ensured that everything felt like a replica of Belle Fleur. Everything except the cafeteria. He wanted it to feel more like a home gourmet kitchen. The food prep area was open for anyone who wanted to walk in and grab a sandwich or a snack. The seating was more comfortable, with large cushiony chairs, and there were windows and skylights everywhere to be able to have a clear view of the trees and bayous.

Usually, they met at the offices at the front of Belle Fleur, but this morning, they wanted to speak with everyone on the senior team in a more private setting.

"Everyone, keep eating. We're just going to run through a few things about Gus. Ghost and I visited with a specialist on the subject of dementia and Alzheimer's. We've spoken to Ashley, Bree, and Calla, as well as Wilson and Riley. They all agree that what we're seeing is where Gus was at the time of his death. He may be stuck where he's at, cognitively, until he finally transitions."

"There's nothing we can do?" asked Erin.

"I don't think so, and unfortunately, the experts don't think so either," said Ian. "The other thing is that we spoke to one of the businesses that employed him frequently. They could not speak of him more highly. He was helpful, kind, went above and beyond in everything they asked of him. The other thing they mentioned was that he was a man very tied to his faith. A devout Catholic who never missed a chance to mentor, mission, or just lend a hand. He was a man filled with peace and tranquility."

"Then how is any of this possible?" asked Gabe. "He's had a few little moments, episodes if you will, but why would he ever kill anyone."

"That's what we have to find out," said Ghost.

"Sorry," interrupted Faith. "You said he was a religious man."

"That's right. Or at least they said he was a devout Catholic. Not sure if that's the same thing."

"When the other women and I were speaking with him, he quoted the Bible a few times. Direct quotes."

"Okay, so he knows his Bible," said Ghost.

"What if he knows it intimately," said Grace, looking at her friend. "What if Gus wasn't just a devout Catholic? He said his parents sent him to a special school that helped him to understand things better or in a better way. What if he was sent to a theology school? What if Gus used to be a priest?"

"Shit," muttered Nine. "Did he forget that he was a priest?"

"He was a priest," said Code, staring at his laptop. "I missed it. I can't believe I missed it. He went to St. John the Apostle College of Theology. He took his vows as a priest when he was twenty-five years old. He left the priesthood at forty-seven."

"That was about the time his sister got married and then died," said Lauren. "Maybe it affected him more deeply than he remembers."

"It would also explain why he never married," said Alexandra. "He's a sweet, kind, caring man but doesn't seem to have any interest in marriage or women. His brother-in-law attempted to insult his intellect, but it could have been that his intellect was developed in a different area."

"Matthew?" asked Lauren, turning to smile at the older man. "Is that it? Is he, was he a priest?" Matthew stared at the group, then down at his coffee.

"Yes. He was a priest," said Matthew. "He left the church when he was falsely accused of touching a woman, a parishioner. It was proven that it wasn't Gus, that he'd done nothing, but he'd had enough and decided to leave."

"When did this happen, Matthew?" asked Nine.

"Eleven years before his death."

"Let's get this straight. Gus was a priest and was falsely accused of touching a woman. An adult woman." Matthew nodded. "He left the priesthood, bought a truck…"

"No. He owned the truck before then," said Code. "He used it to earn additional funds for his church and fought to have a side business to help others."

"Okay. So, he was a priest and a truck driver who quit after being falsely accused. Sometime after all of that, he's called to haul another load from a customer he's worked with before, and then suddenly, there are dead people in his tractor-trailer, and he disappears."

"That's about right," said Erin.

"Confession." All eyes turned to stare at the person who'd spoken. Trak. "Confession. He heard someone's confession, and they tried to end him. Except he wasn't that easy to get rid of. Whatever they confessed, whatever they divulged, someone wasn't happy about it. They might not have known that Gus was experiencing early symptoms at that time."

"But if Gus can't even remember where he lived most days, how are we going to figure out what they said to him in the confessional?" asked Miller. "And aren't priests bound by some code not to say anything?"

"They are," nodded Irene, "but he's not a priest anymore. He might be willing to tell if he can remember."

"Who was the woman?" asked Gaspar. "Who was the woman that accused him of touching her?"

Code tapped a few keys, then sat back, staring at the screen.

"Elizabeth Presley Garcinez."

"His sister?" whispered Erin in disbelief. "That can't be. She was in Mexico and most likely already dead."

"Maybe that's why the charges were thrown out," said Kari, looking over Code's shoulder. "One of the reasons it was thrown out was that there was an ‘unavailable witness.' I'd say she was unavailable; she was dead."

"Kari, babe, we need to know if she was dead before or after the charges," said Miller. "If she was alive, he might have gone down there and killed his sister."

"I didn't kill my sister," said the ghostly spirit standing at the back of the room. All eyes turned to stare at him, Erin and Grace rising to meet him.

"We don't believe you did either," said Grace, "but we want to make sure we have the timing of everything down in order to properly defend you and figure this out."

"It wasn't my sister that accused me. The woman thought she could get me arrested and placed in jail simply based on a letter. She signed it with my sister's name. Unfortunately for her, she didn't know that my sister had been murdered just a few weeks prior."

"That explains why the charges were dismissed," said Kari.

"They were dismissed because they were false," said Gus. "I might not remember certain details, but I would have never touched a woman. Or man. Never. I loved serving my community, serving my parishioners. I loved being a priest. They stole that from me. I knew that no one would ever trust me again, so I simply turned to my truck for full-time employment."

"Gus, we were just discussing the possibility that you heard a confession someone didn't want you to hear. Do you remember anything that stuck out for you?" asked Baptiste.

"I-I'm not sure. I mean, I remember confessions of adultery by both men and women, children stealing things from stores and their parents, drug use, so many horrible things," he said, shaking his head.

"Leave him be for now," said Matthew.

"But, Pops," started Gaspar.

"I said leave him be for now, Gaspar." Matthew shook his head, walking toward the distressed spirit. "One day, and I hope that I'm still here to see it, but one day, you boys will learn patience. It's important to prove Gus's innocence. But nothing is more important than his mental health, even as a ghost. He needs time to think these things through."

The others all nodded as Matthew and Irene left with Gus. When they were outside, walking toward the bayou, Nine looked at the team.

"Find out who wrote that letter and see if the church has any records at all on who came for confession during that time. We need to help him."