Temple: A New Journey Begins
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"Murdered? They reported in the paper that the two monks just died," Clarence stated with shock.
"There were more than two monks or weren't you aware of that," Kermit said quietly. "They were murdered to keep them from going up to the temple I suspect. And also I suspect to simply just get rid of them because they were there."
Clarence cleared his throat, embarrassed that he had such thoughts himself at one time.
"Now comes the hard questions, Dad," Vance confronted his father. "Were you involved in any of those deaths?"
"Are you kidding? I'm not that stupid. So much as I would hate to see that temple rebuilt and those monks doing their thing up there, I would never stoop so low as to commit murder."
"If you wouldn't do it yourself, would you arrange to have it done?" Kermit countered.
"Like I said, I'm not that stupid. Do you take me for a fool?"
"Well someone did. And that same person made the mistake of going after someone else."
"You mean to tell me that woman who tried to kill Sally tried to kill those weirdoes, those monks who don't belong around decent people?"
"Dad, where have you been?" Vance questioned with disbelief in his voice. "It was in all the papers. The same woman who tried to kill Sally killed four monks. And those weirdoes, as you call them, have every right to be here. They are Shaolin. That land was set aside for them. That temple was built for them. Do you really know what happened when that temple was burned down?"
"Your grandfather said that he and a bunch of townspeople drove the Shaolin out and they burned the temple to the ground."
"No, Dad. That's what Grandfather wanted us to believe because he had been humiliated by an old priest that looked like he could have been blown away in the wind."
"What do you know about it, Vance," Clarence snapped at his son. "You weren't even born then."
"Rachel Lowery told me the truth. She told me that there had been a renegade priest who came back with an army and killed many of the priests and children. They were the ones that destroyed the temple. Does that sound like our townspeople to you?"
"No." Clarence conceded. For years he had believed his father, that he and the townspeople were responsible for driving out the priests. Ten years ago another priest had returned and wanted to rebuild. When he visited the temple, he never returned. Secretly, Clarence was pleased, but on the outside, he acted just as disturbed as everyone else. And now it would seem that it was happening all over again, but this time, it wasn't an uprising. It was one lone person killing without mercy, but everyone thought the deaths had been from natural causes.
"Vance is right, Clarence," Kermit said. "The person who killed the monks was a woman, but now she's dead. Someone killed her to keep her from talking. Now, I'm asking you. Would you know someone capable of murder?"
Clarence was silent for a long time. His thoughts drifted back ten years ago when he heard Jake Carson and his son arguing. Bobby had come into the bar. He looked haggard and scared and yet he seemed pleased with himself. They moved to a nearby booth, but had not seen Clarence. He had been sitting in the booth behind them, but it had been in the shadow of a post. He remembers hearing those chilling words.
***
"Dad, I did it. We don't have to worry any more. I did it."
"Bobby, slow down, what did you do?"
"I got rid of the priest. We don't have to worry about losing everything."
"You got him to leave town?" Jake said with surprise.
"Well, not exactly."
"Well how did you get rid of him?" Jake took a swallow of his beer.
"I led him up to the cave and . . . I shot him."
Beer spewed everywhere, and Jake sputtered, "You what? How could you? Does anyone else know about this?"
"No Dad, I haven't told anyone."
"We're going back to that cave and do something before someone else finds it."
"But Dad, I thought you'd be pleased."
"It's not that son, if someone else discovers what's happened, there will be hell to pay."
***
That was the last that Clarence heard and even saw Jake Carson and his son. He had questioned many times as to what cave they referred to, but his mind could not even be certain if what he had heard had been correct. He did know one thing for certain, that Bobby Carson had committed murder. Rather then bring that news to the Sheriff, he tried to wipe it from his mind, afraid that if he had been discovered his whole family would be put in danger. He thought the issue was dead and buried when nothing happened over the disappearance of that Shaolin priest. Now ten years later, those words came back to haunt him.
"You've got to promise me that you will protect me."
"Then you know who might be capable of murder?"
"As you said earlier Mr. Griffin, Oh yeah."
Continues with Part 52
Alisa Joaquin Copyright@2004.
This story cannot be reprinted or sold in any other form without strict permission from
the author. It is being distributed here solely for your enjoyment.
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