04.2 Bloodline

Five in the afternoon, Jenel came out of H&Q and took a stroll down Main Street to turn left on Franklin St. She continued on foot. Natalia climbed down from the car and followed her. Jenel walked quarter of a mile up Franklin Street to an affordable house with green painted gables and window frames.

After five minutes, Natalia clambered the steps and knocked the door. “It is me again,” she said.

“It is you!” returned Jenel in shock, “Why do you come here?”

“I think you can tell if Thomas Cyril…”

“Come inside,” Jenel interrupted, “I am afraid, I cannot tell much.”

“I have to find a source to connect to the Cyrils. I do feel Mr Quinn is hiding something. Perhaps, you can help.”

The lady replied, “I can tell you that Mr Thomas Cyril is not our client but I remember a meeting with him and his half-brother, six years ago, over a property and it took place at the office. Please sit down!”

“Thanks,” Natalia sat down on the sofa with her knees together.

“A secret meeting. No idea how it ended. There are no records and nothing typed. In some meetings I do not have to sit and take down notes. I understand their father left a will with a law office.

“And then a month later, I read in a Milwaukee paper that this half-brother, Martin, committed suicide. That’s why I remember so well. And there was something very disturbing,” she searched a rack and picked a tabloid magazine, Natalia scribbled on her notebook, “See! This article in Virago appeared two years later claiming it was murder over a concession that ended in failure.” The lady switched on a floor lamp by the corner.

“I think I have seen that magazine somewhere!” She took a peek at the article under the heading; ‘Nicotine Overdose’. “No, not the same edition. Did the police check on it?” asked Natalia.

“I do not know. He died in in Milwaukee in 1983, shortly after that meeting.”

“Do you have that Milwaukee paper?”

“Yes, it must be here,” she turned to the rack.

“So, there’s someone who knew!”

“That would be my guess.” She picked a paper, “Here it is. Journal Cardinal.”

“Journal Cardinal! I’ve seen that too.” She asked, “May I keep these!”

“Certainly,” returned Miss Jenel, “And keep it for yourself. Remember, they are watching you.”

“Thank you. I see this is a good start.”

“Please don’t bother me again.”

She waved with the magazines in her hand and turned to go.

Natalia backtracked to her car parked on Main Street. She stormed her brain over the camera case where she found copies of Virago, Milwaukee journal and other papers that cited Savon Martin’s death. At that point she had not linked the Martins to the Cyrils. Natalia kept the case in the car. All came back to her mind. She recollected well that it was a different edition of Virago in the camera case.

She felt optimistic to put the pieces together and solve this ‘mystery’ – as she called it now.

Natalia drove to Monona Bay where she was told by the hotel staff that she could find varieties of seafood outlets. Precisely, by the Brittingham Park area, she found several Asian food stalls; Japanese and Chinese cuisine, including Thai food. This place contained a large Asian community. Natalia favoured a corner to sit and read the journals, scribbling as she progressed, with a glass of soy milk originally produced in Wisconsin on the table. Close to eight-thirty in the evening and the sun going down.

According to the story in Virago and all that she gathered from reference work she did at the library in Charleston; Sidney Martin, the mother of Savon Martin-Cyril, was a descendant of the Crape-Myrtle Dynasty. She grew up in a poor neighbourhood in South Carolina.

69 Church Street was built by Jason Crape and Dick Rock while Jason Crape was married to Raquel Bann; the sister of Rachel who purchased 71 Bann House from Brother Richard.

Not to forget, Colonel Myrtle who leased 69 from Jason Crape in 1761 married Rachel Bann.

Meanwhile, Richard Bann erected another house, 73, standing with a three feet alley to the north of 71 as a gift for his daughter, Rose Bann, in 1733.

Colonel Myrtle’s son, Charles who was a Bann, married Rose’s grand-daughter, Everly who was a Crape. Rose’s daughter, Ava, married a nephew of Jason Crape called Daniel Crape. Charles Myrtle and Everly Crape are great-great grandparents of Sidney Martin.

Sidney Martin was born in Dillon, SC, in 1935, to Myles Martin Jones and Sophia Crape; the daughter of Mia Crape; the daughter of Datson Myrtle who was the son of Charles Myrtle.

Mia’s grandfather was Charles Myrtle; the son of Colonel Myrtle. Though she never lived at 69 because the house was sold long before she was born. She obviously saw the house that was restored in 1880s and 1890s. She married Howard Crape from the Charleston neighbourhood. This couple with three kids moved to Louisiana to find job. He was a tower operator. She worked different jobs. They had four more children in Baton Rouge. Then Mia died. Howard abandoned the kids and went to Texas where he married another woman.

Sophia, born in Charleston, was barely thirteen when she began to look after the siblings. She could recall her grandfather very well and there were a couple of trips these siblings made to Charleston.

Datson Myrtle sold everything he got and died like a poor man. He was an alcohol addict. Sophia was left with a black and white photo album to remember everything of the past.

Sophia didn’t get a chance to marry in her young age. She cleaned houses and sacrificed to look after her siblings. In mid 1920s, she moved to South Carolina. Met Myles and got married. She gave birth to Sidney Martin at her age of forty.