The Kiss Of Death

Chapter 19

"You think it is peculiar, don't you?"

Lola turned back to the Devil, a soft frown pressed into her brow.

"I don't understand."

"The Devil wants a child. Seemingly preposterous."

"Maybe you yearn for a little goodness in your existence." Lola offered.

"Perhaps," He said softly.

Her fingers twitched as they rested on her lap. Lola watched as Frank enjoyed his afternoon tea, completely unaware of the conversation. She thought it was wonderful to see him so at ease with the world around him. Frank always looked as if he had the world on his shoulders, and now that she knew the truth, Lola understood why.

"I want the best for him and Emma. How can they escape Jacqueline?"

"At this point in time, they can't."

Lola was saddened by the statement. She'd held high hopes for this conversation, as odd as it was.

"However," The Devil continued. "I want Jacqueline to suffer for what she has done to me, and I suppose, to your friends. Their grievances would not ordinarily prompt intervention on my part, but as I said, I want her to suffer."

"If you cursed her to this life, how is it that she was able to make Frank kill with just a kiss, turn Emma into a witch or make their mother appear when they take a life?"

"The girl is no more a witch than you or I. Anything that Emma thinks she did is purely because Jacqueline was close and did it for her. The spectral appearance of their mother is fake, and Frank does not kill, at all. What they have endured is years of her lies. All that Jacqueline has is a fancy light show that tricks those poor kids into doing her bidding. She believes that if she pretends that the murder was done by Frank that the Almighty will grant her a moment of time to plead her case. Here is the soul of the murdered, I have hand delivered it to you rather than letting the poor creature roam this land and never finding peace. Her ability to harvest a soul is purely because I cursed her. A piece of me embedded in her existence, and when that happened, she was able to do a little more than she should. Because of that, she knows how I operate, when I will appear, and how to avoid me. Jacqueline has always been determined to avoid me, but of late, it's become rather obsessive. She taunts me with her offerings to the Almighty; she hides those children from my sight, the one in the past and the two in the present. The free reign that she has is now at an end."

"How are you going to stop her?"

"By offering the deal to you rather than her."

Lola gulped, staring at the Devil.

"Pardon?" She whispered. "I don't think I heard you correctly."

The Devil looked at the shock, not surprised at all. He knew that the view was not matched to his intentions or his desires. A view of yesteryear with an archaic mind. His desires extended beyond the flesh. In Jacqueline, the Devil saw his mistakes and was grateful that she had not fulfilled her side of the deal. The child would not be of his creation, it would be made from an unknown man and a woman that in time, would despise him. It could be said that the woman in front of him would grow the same level of hatred, a thought that the Devil found concerning. He would not have hatred in his personal life and would have to ensure that it never found a path to them. That is if she accepted his offer.

"I no longer want Jacqueline as the mother of my child, nor do I want her to conceive to another man. What I desire has changed. You and I, we have things that we want. My request is simple, a child of our creation. What I offer is open to negotiation, should you accept. I can make all your problems disappear, his too."

"Problems?"

"Yes. At this very moment, a police officer from your town is sniffing around your car."

Bert, her mind hissed angrily. He clearly found a new car for his detective work. She'd watched the road behind her during the entire trip and knew the cars that Bert owned. Lola didn't think that Bert had followed her. The only other option was that maybe he'd put a tracker on her car. Either way, it was not good.

The Devil looked at the scowl, offering a grim smile.

"We could sit here and try to predict what will happen next, but I'm sure that we won't have to think too hard. He already suspects Frank and Emma were involved in the murder, given that they disappeared within hours of the event, and he found a witness that saw Frank and the girl leaving the building together. Your efforts in this are hardly enough to warrant inclusion, but he's put you on the suspect's list after visiting your house. It would seem that you left a few things out for him to find."

Lola frowned for a moment, then remembered the notes and maps she'd made. No wonder Bert had found her so easily. She'd given him a direct path to her and through her, Frank and Emma. This was all her fault.

"With no credible alibi, you won't be able to fight too hard."

"I can't just hand over a child, damn it. Are you seriously asking that of me? No wonder Jacqueline avoided you."

"I have learnt from my mistake, I will grant you that much. You will join me in the Underworld and, therefore, never expected to let go of the child."

"But Frank," She whispered sadly.

"I can flood his life with enough money to never need to work. The issues with the police will disappear. He will, in time, find a wonderful and caring woman and have a family. He will have the happy life that you want for him. Emma too."

"What's the downside to this?"

"He won't remember you."

"But I will remember him."

The Devil nodded regretfully. Lola thought that if he had the ability to alter Frank and Emma's thoughts, then he could do the same for her too. It was the only silver lining in this mess.

"Do you really wish for a lover that has been gained in such a way? The hurt in my heart will only grow, festering into hatred. Is that what you want? The mother of your child to hate you?"

"No, but we both have needs here. I do not give without receiving. As I told you, I have learnt from my mistakes and will not make them again. If you do not wish to accept the deal, then you may take Frank, walk out of this building, and do as you please. I will not intervene nor bother you again. Frank will have those wonderful memories of a great conversation, you will remember our words to help you through the next interaction with Jacqueline. She has no credible hold over him, he does not have the ability to kill someone with a kiss. That is where my help in that situation ends. As I said, I will not intervene, and that includes the police officer and his investigation. Choose wisely, Lola."