by Lynn K. Hollander
"Yes. They called me in again," Frank Paterson said.
"You have news, too? Our news is rather frustrating, I'm afraid."
"Mine is just mysterious," Frank said. "You first."
"We know how and why the people on the ship died, and probably who killed them, and we can never prove any of it," Spike said. Succinctly, he related what had occurred from Barzilai's first visit to them in the shop to the auction the night before. "And everyone left," Spike ended.
"Not the most just ending," Giles said. "But not one we were capable of altering. Why did the Sunnydale police call you back?"
"There's this statue, down by the docks where La Garza had been. It appeared last night, between midnight and one. They're patrolling more frequently down there, and it was noticed at once." Frank took photographs from a brown envelope and spread them on the table.
"Kallis," Spike said.
"Who?" Xander asked.
"Kallis, indeed," Giles said.
"According to Barzilai, who's not the most trustworthy source, Kallis cast the death curse on the ship," Spike said.
"Barzilai also said a lot of powerful people watched Kallis," Giles said.
"You think some one from last night did this?" Spike asked.
"The timing is not impossible," Giles said. "Everyone was gone by midnight."
"Is that writing?" Willow asked, looking at the plinth under the stone feet.
"It's old Chinese," Frank said. "They're trying to get it translated.
"By the will of Heaven," Gang Long read.
"The immortal wasn't just a gardener, then?" Spike asked the long.
"He did say he didn't come to reclaim the peach," Gang Long said. "But he was here, which means he was here for something else."
"And I can't see Kallis amusing anyone," Giles said.
"What are they going to do with the statue?" Willow asked. "Ann always says: someone always know the release word, I mean I let Spike loose."
"So?" Spike asked. "You did that on purpose."
"Someone may want Kallis back. The statue should be dumped in the Monterey trench, at least."
Frank looked at the Witch. "Someone may have thought of that. When they tried to pick the statue up with a fork lift, it turned to sand, and a freak wind blew it all into the sea."
"That would work," Willow said.