I didn’t respond, unsure what to say. I knew without a doubt that I didn’t believe what she’d said. Ian was my friend. While I didn’t know Noah well, Rett approved of both men. They weren’t any more expendable than Jezebel or I.
While I’d been trying to come to terms with what was happening, the car we were in had left the city streets.
Beyond the windows, we sped through traffic on the large bridge. The body of water was larger than the Mississippi River. “Where are we going?”
Jezebel tilted her head as she took me in. Her gaze went to my left hand. “I never thought you’d marry him.”
I covered my rings with my other hand. “Do you even know him?”
“I don’t. I knew his father and mother.”
Memories of what Miss Guidry had told me came back. “His mother regrets not knowing you better.”
Jezebel shook her head once. “She may now. She didn’t then. That’s all right. Expendable. I gave up the premise of being a part of that society before you were born.”
I looked for my purse, the one I’d carried to the courthouse. It must still be in the SUV. It wasn’t like I had a phone or even knew Rett’s number to call.
“I wanted to meet you, but maybe this can wait. Where are we going? I want to go home.”
“Do you know how long I waited for you to come to New Orleans?”
Jezebel’s accent was thicker than Miss Guidry’s. The two words of the city’s name sounded like one.
“You could have contacted me.”
“Before, I did.”
“Before what?” The fog from the accident was fading as I concentrated on our conversation. “You did?”
“Before you came here, I did. I visited Pittsburgh.”
A cold chill ran over my skin. “I never knew.”
“I left you gifts inside your apartment.”
The chill continued leaving goose bumps on my arms and legs. “You were in my apartment?”
“I was before that man in the SUV started hanging around.”
“Ian was in Pittsburgh?” I recalled something Rett had said about protecting me before I knew it. “What gifts?”
“There was agris-griscontaining a necklace. I put it in your jewelry box.” She reached into her purse and removed a small cloth pouch. She opened the flap and pulled out a silver chain. The pendant was a piece of jade. “I had it retrieved.”
“From my apartment? When?” I reached out and took the necklace. “I don’t remember seeing this.”
“It was hidden beneath the false base in your jewelry box.” She also handed me the cloth pouch. “It’s important for you to have it. The pouch is gris-gris, a talisman. The pouch itself is believed to protect its owner from evil and bring luck.” She nodded toward the necklace. “Jade is the jewel from heaven. It’s a symbol of nobility and wealth. This necklace belonged to your grandmother.”
Placing the pouch on my lap, I held the pendant in my hand. “My grandmother? Your mother?”
Jezebel smiled. “No, Emma, your paternal grandmother.”
“She gave it to you?”
“Not exactly. Nevertheless, it is yours. It was all right to have it hidden. Much like the gris-gris, the person in possession of the necklace receives its powers, even if that person is unaware of it. Now, Emma, it’s past time for you to be aware.”
I wrapped my fingers around the necklace. The surroundings beyond the car’s windows were changing, becoming more rural. Tall trees framed the road with moss draped from branch to branch. The foliage had grown so thick as to mute the sunshine from earlier. “Are you really my mother?”
“You know I am.”