Not to mention the fact that he was fond of hallucinogenic drugs.
Liam noted a link on the page to a book—possibly the book that Bartholomew had learned about from Pete Edwards. Liam hit the key to the link and found that a book had been published titled Key West, Satanism, Peter Edwards, and the Abel and Aleister Crowley Connection.
Liam hit the connection and began scanning the publisher’s and reviewers’ information on the book.
“An intriguing look into little-known historical figures who brought the dark arts to the bright sunshine of Key West!” read one review.
Another touted the book as “A little-known treatise on some most unusual men.”
It went on:
Aleister Crowley is a well-known figure in the chronology of the supposed “Anti-Christ” movement. He began to live with a tenet of “Do What Thou Wilt,” believing his wife was a mystic and that an Egyptian exhibit—numbered 666—specified the year of the beast. Whether his claims to possession of power and magic were in any way real has never been proven or disproven. His exploits in Great Britain and elsewhere were legendary. History cannot even prove or disprove whether Abel Crowley was or wasn’t a bastard cousin of Aleister. Some people believed Abel Crowley was an eccentric, an accepted personality in Key West, a man like Aleister also rebelling against the Victorian principles of his day, and others suggest that he, too, was a human-sacrificing devil worshiper.
Bartholomew poked Liam and whispered, “I think you need to check this book out of the library. I’m thinking Key West may be one of the only places to have this book now.” He sighed. “Maybe I can get you to see the fellow I met. Pete Edwards. Pete Edwards believes that he remains walking the streets of Key West because he tried to practice some of Aleister Crowley’s rites—taught to him by Abel Crowley—in his house on Margaret Street that was bulldozed years ago—at the end of his life. He tried to use the book, In Defense from Dark Magic—which had been salvaged off the Queen Caroline—in order to atone for his actions during the war, and for the evil he had done during his time with Abel Crowley. Pete Edwards believes he began his way back to goodness and grace through the use of In Defense from Dark Magick—but he died before he could fulfill his task of freeing others.”
Liam looked at Bartholomew, grateful and yet not sure of what the information might give them that they didn’t already have. He knew, whether Kelsey ever wanted to admit it or not, that Cutter Merlin had suffered his fatal heart failure because he had been afraid.
Liam had returned the book and the reliquary to Kelsey, but Ted and Jaden now had the reliquary and would hopefully find out what they could about it. He needed to get In Defense from Dark Magick back from Kelsey, read it and hope that the library had the other book, about Pete Edwards and his friend Abel Crowley, as well.
The librarian was a friend—Key West was a small community. Jeanie Fry was tall and slim and tanned and loved books. She was surprised when he asked about the book and told him that they didn’t usually lend it out. “It’s in the room with our special editions. It’s very old, and we only have one copy.”
“Oh,” he said, looking at her with disappointment.
She smiled and shrugged. “But you are an upstanding citizen, and I suppose we could trust you with it. After all, we trust you with our lives, right?”
He smiled appropriately in return. “Thank you. I really appreciate it, Jeanie.”
“Follow me,” she said, heading for the reserved and special-editions section of the library. “This isn’t your usual reading, Liam,” she said as they walked. “In fact, it’s not the usual reading for anyone I know. Is this all about Cutter Merlin?”
“Yes, he was a strange old fellow, and once, he was my friend.”
“I heard his granddaughter has come back. And I saw the announcement that there’s a viewing tonight, and he’s going to be buried tomorrow.”
“True.”
“So—was he practicing some kind of dark magic?”
“I don’t believe so.”
“Then why the interest?”
“I’m not sure.”
“He died of a heart attack, right?”
“Yes. There were a couple of break-ins over there, though. I’m just trying to hunt down what someone might have been looking for,” Liam said.
Jeanie rolled her eyes. “That house must be like a mystery treasure trove, delving into an attic of lore!”
She used her passkey to allow them entrance, and then signed in at the stand that held a ledger keeping track of all who entered the section holding the library’s rare editions.
“Hmm. Looks like we’ve been busy in here lately.”
“Oh?”
“Cutter himself was here about a month ago,” she said. “There—see where he signed in?”