Diana Racine 02 - Goddess of the Moon

are working overseas ?”
    “Exactly,” Lucier said. “Cal Easley and Seth Crane are the only ones missing from a first wife, and Cybele Crane is the only first wife still around .”
    “Maybe they’re in charge of wherever they are,” Diana said. “All these sons and daughters working out of the country doing humanitarian work is a little much.”
    “ I f they have kids, the numbers could be more than we first thought.”
    “Have you checked passports?”
    “Stallings did. Their passports confirmed they’re where they said. Destinations all over the place—Africa, Asia, in the most remote places. Crane’s and Compton’s foundations do valuable work overseas―no doubt about that―so the state department doesn’t find any of this strange. T he question is , are these sons and daughters where they’re supposed to be. I don’t think so. These companies have private jets and enough money to bribe officials, especially in third world countries . ”
    “What if those people really are out of the country doing good deeds?” Diana asked.
    “Then I’m wrong, but I don’t think I am, and neither do you. T he fear in Dione Compton’s voice told me s he knows enough to be in serious danger.” He pushed aside his plate. “I hope she cleared her cell phone like I told her to.”
    “Even if you’re right, Ernie, w hy the disappearing acts ? ”
    “I’m not sure, but Crane is behind it. He picked those men. Offered them more riches than they could ever attain and daughters who’d make any man come just by looking at them. In exchange, they had to embrace his philosophy.” Lucier pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “Maybe he never mentioned the word Satan until later, calling it something else.”
    “Slater mentioned animism,” Diana said. “A spiritual philosophy nothing like Satanism, but it might have worked as a stepping - stone to gently release those men from their own beliefs.”
    “I don’t believe a man like Reyes, who must have been brought up Catholic, would chuck his religion and divorce his wife just like that. Not without a major case of guilt. Yet, that’s what he did. Reyes, Haynesworth, and Easley all divorced and remarried a few years after going to wor k for either Crane or Compton.”
    “There has to be more.” Something popped into Diana’s mind. “ This might be crazy, so hear me out. Question: w hat did all the kidnapped babies have in common?”
    “Besides being taken by Deems or someone like him ? They were all from super intelligent parents.”
    “Yes, and what else?”
    “I don’t want to play twenty questions . Just tell me. What?”
    “I’m not sure where I’m going with this, but don’t stop me until I finish.” She got up from the table and paced. “Crane recruits brilliant men, right? All good-looking men too. Harder to notice when you’re around their wives, but I noticed. H e partners them with his beautiful , brilliant daughters.” She reversed her pacing, barely noticing the quizzical expression on Lucier’s face. “They create beautiful, brilliant children who scatter to different places, o stensibly to do good works.”
    The idea formed as she spoke, and the more she thought about it, the less crazy it sounded. She must have gone deep into thinking mode because the next thing she knew, Lucier was calling her name.
    “Ego. It’s all about ego. ” She pounded her fist into her palm as her thoughts gelled. “ Listen. Besides wealth and beautiful women, what if Crane promised the men that their superior genes, joined with those of their brilliant, gorgeous wives ― his daughters ― would be the basis of a new society, first through their progeny , then through subsequent generation s .”
    “You mean he’s creating a master race? Didn’t someone already try that?”
    “Yes, but Hitler weed ed out what he considered the less pure ; Crane is creating the race from scratch. He chose those men for their intellect ual and physical attributes. Compton was a no-brainer. He ’d already proved he’d do anything to get ahead by marrying his first wife. Crane recognized that characteristic. He had his pick of the best and the brightest from both companies , mated them with his own offspring ― daughters raised to please ―e go again , t hen he mixed in the worship of money and uninhibited sex instead of God . W hen things didn’t develop fast enough, he tossed in a few extra genius babies f or good measure , and voil à, h