The Cathari Treasure (Cameron Kincaid) Read Online Free PDF Page A

in later.”
     
    * * *
* *
     
    Cameron paid for the groceries
and walked out of the market holding a brown paper bag.  He stopped at the
front of the car near Marie and Nicole and smiled.  Cameron offered Nicole
the small grocery bag, “Apple, banana, or orange.  Your choice.” 
Nicole reached into the bag and pulled out an apple.  “Merci,” said
Nicole.  She then closed her eyes and held the apple in clasped hands
above her chest.  Nicole prayed in a low whisper and though Cameron could
barely distinguish the words, he recognized the unmistakable cadence of the
prayer.  By the rhythm of the prayer alone Cameron knew that Nicole was
reciting the Lord’s Prayer.  After reciting her prayer Nicole opened her
eyes and bit into the apple.  Juice ran down her chin and she giggled.
    “So you do smile,” said
Cameron.  Marie stepped close to him, put her hand into the bag, and
pulled out the orange.  “Merci,” said Marie.  As Cameron could have
predicted the corners of Marie’s mouth stayed taught.
    Cameron widened his eyes as he
pulled the last piece of fruit from the bag, “Banana for me.”  He crumpled
the grocery sack then tossed the wad of paper through the back window of the
Mercedes.  Cameron peered into Marie’s eyes.  He chewed the banana
voraciously letting the corners of his mouth form a huge smile.
    “What are you looking at?” asked
Marie.
    Cameron swallowed the banana,
“Nicole was wrong, you don’t look so bad when you wake up.”
    Marie leered at Cameron.
    “Do you know where we are
going?” asked Cameron.
    “I will need to use your phone.”
     
    * * *
* *
     
     

Chapter 7
    Boston
     
     
    Using the Mercedes navigation
system Cameron easily found the food co-op.  Marie opened her door as soon
as Cameron parked in front of the store.
    “Wait for me,” said Cameron.
    Marie said nothing as she helped
Nicole from the back seat.  Cameron rounded the Mercedes, walked directly
to the entrance of the food co-op, and then held the door open for Marie and Nicole.
    The smell of sage engulfed the
three as they stepped inside the shop.  Shelves were stacked to the
ceiling with herbs, beans, and other legumes.  Eastern music filled the
store from a tinny metal speaker mounted up in the corner.  The back wall
of the shop was shelved with brown vitamin jars of all sizes, and fronting the
length of the wall, a long wooden counter.
    The building was old and the
floorboards creaked with each step they took.
    When they got to the back of the
shop, no one was there to greet them.  In the corner, hidden from the
front by the racks of dried goods, was a beaded curtain to a back room. 
While Nicole sauntered back down the aisle browsing the shelves, Cameron and
Marie stood at the empty counter and waited for someone to come out from behind
the curtain.  They did not have to wait long.  From the back room a
skinny man came out wearing a tie-dye and faded jeans, his hair was short and
he was clean-shaven.  The skinny man gave a wide smile to the three and
then shifted his eyes first to Nicole and then to Marie.
    “Can I help you?” asked the
skinny man.
    Cameron disregarded the earthy
man.  He focused instead on the long thick canvas belt that drooped across
the ceiling.  The belt powered two slowly spinning ceiling fans.  The
drive motor and fans was as ancient as the building, their topsides coated with
dust.  Cameron had seen versions of this kind of fan in the cafes of
Morocco and had thought of putting some into his restaurant.
    Marie surprised Cameron when she
abruptly said, “No, you do not seem to have what we need.”  Cameron was
stunned.  This was the safe house.
    Marie placed her index finger on
her chin then tapped.  “Honey, I remember now,” said Marie, “it was the
other store that has the candles.  We need to go there.”  She placed
her hand on Cameron’s arm and squeezed.
    Nicole was already walking to
the door.
    “Thank you,” Marie said to the
skinny