GHOST 👻 (A Paranormal Romance)

The Order of the Dragon

Dylan, Jerry, Mason and I are seated at the kitchen table brainstorming, while Julia brews some herbal tea. Whatever Mason's cooked that is simmering on the stove smells delicious.

"What do we know about the murderer's motive?" Dylan asks.

Jerry looks up from his phone. "I have a hunch what it might be." Looking down at his screen, he consults his notes. "Apparently, two weeks before Katherine's murder she donated some valuable artifacts to the Dresden Museum. Her husband, Jason, tried to rescind the donation. I didn't make a connection why he did that, or even that the two events were connected until this demonic necklace surfaced."

At the stove, Julia's lifts a wooden spoon to her mouth and sneaks a taste Mason's delicious smelling stew. Replacing the pot's lid, she quickly summarizes the killer's agenda. "So you learned during the seance that Katherine's scummy husband, Jason, hired Danielle and Harlan to murder his wife. Evil scum."

Jerry nods, "After she found out about his involvement in the cult."

I show Jerry and her the hidden picture of the dragon pendant that manifested itself in the grimoire and point to the illustration of the red jewel. "This pendant could be the motive for the murder."

Julia looks at the picture and frowns. "Do you think Katherine knew about the necklace's true purpose?"

Mason nods. "My guess is she knew about the pendant's supernatural power. Somehow she sensed her husband wanted the necklace and hid it from him."

I take a minute to Google the history of Vlad The Impaler and his Dragon Pendant, reading parts of the entry out loud. "The Order of the Dragon was founded in 1408 by Sigmund, the King of Hungary. Dracula derived his name from the Order of the Dragon. Dracula meaning, Son of the Dragon."

Reading on, I find information about the pendant's origin. "Vlad's father, Vlad II, had a ruby pendant fashioned to make his son invincible in battle." The last part of the entry makes me shiver. "The frequency emitted by the gem made whoever wore the necklace unkillable. One of the most powerful of the living dead."

"So that's where Dracula's undead myth originated," Dylan, declares.

"It's not a myth," Mason, warns. The whistle on the kettle sputters and then whistlers, piercing the air. Startled, I rise to shut off the burner, but Mason waves for me to stay seated. He gets up and expertly helps Julia with the tea service. I glance over at Jerry, relieved the tension between Mason and him has subsided. "Come and sit down, luv." Dylan's father pulls out a chair for Julia and then gently takes the tray from her. As he carries it over to the table, he adds his own spin to Jerry's theory. "I'll tell you what else," he adds, grimly, "if the Dragon Pendant is in this town then there's also a flourishing cult. Those Satanic freaks are like an infestation of cockroaches. Where there's one, there's a hundred more. We need to find out who's in this cult and what's happened to that flamin' necklace."

"Who is this Order of the Dragon?" I ask him, curiously.

"A nasty business, luv." Mason shoots a warning look at Jerry. "You need to cut the serpent's head off this cult before it kills again, detective."

Jerry pops more pain pills and rolls his eyes at Mason. "Shouldn't you be down at the pub, Conan?"

"How do we find the necklace if it's hidden somewhere in the museum?" I ask, trying to distract both of them.

"I have an idea." Mason determinedly stands. "Let's break into the museum." Mason's 007 Sean Connery attitude makes me feel excited, but also fearful. I laugh, nervously.

Jerry shoots him a sharp look. "Listen, Mason, you can't just go breaking the law like some medieval barbarian. This is Dresden, not the Wild West."

So much for Jerry and Mason's truce. I guess two bull males are going to inevitably butt heads.

Dylan snaps his fingers, "Wait, I can apply to work there as a security guard." I'm glad he offered this solution before things get too heated.

Jerry looks thoughtful, "That could actually work."

"Jerry, do you really believe Katherine hid this dragon pendant in the museum before she was killed?  I want to be sure the necklace is really there before we head off on a wild goose chase."

Dedicated to LjBunyipdoley for her help with Aussie slang!