Sanctuary

Sanctuary 

What happens when your whole world is upheavals and you have no place to go? Young girls who are homeless and need a place of safety and refuge. A protection from danger and would provide living space , food and more in return for working and doing your part. A religious temple that is called Japaprajnas and run by James Crosby the charismatic leader. Walking into his office he notices sone anomalies but continues there anyway. The window is opened and he hears footsteps but is blindsided when struck with a dangerous syringe filled with a drug and pushed out of the window winding up draped over an iron fence in the courtyard of the 19 th century house where he and members of the cult that he created work and live. A cult as we will understand even more that James and his wife plus one other created, is a group or movement held together by a shared commitment to a charismatic leader and bot ideology. James instilled on his followers and young homeless girls that fell prey to his ways and often had to submit to more, that their problems, life’s questions and their answers offers a special solution by adhering to the rules of the leader. 

Someone wanted him gone and someone else set up one of the young and naive girls that worked for the temple in place of salary getting room, board and food but doing whatever was asked .

Naive and not always thinking things through before acting, Stacy Roberts finds her arrested for the murder of James Crosby. Her downfall answering police questions, not realizing they were out to trick her and drugs and evidence planted in her room and sometimes honesty does not pay.

Emma Thornton defended her when she was 16 but this was more serious. A charge of second degree murder, illegal possession of drugs and much more. As Emma tries to unravel why and how Stacy wound up living in this temple she learns more than she ever imagined. Drugs taken by the young girls whose job was to give massages to followers and possibly more in sone cases. Celia Crosby his wife seems concerned about the murder yet business as usual. Mira had a child with James and handles one part of the operation while the temple, meditation sessions and basically running the sessions and spa plus more are handled by Celia. 

As you meet Celia and Mira red flags come up when hearing their take on the murder, the temple and their roles. According to Celia James , Mira and herself were the three officers of the Japaprajnas. Called the Principals, commanders right under James who labeled himself Pujari which in Hindu means priest. Commanders were followers who made large financial contributions. That was Celia now Mira who was hostile and her take was different. Describing the murder scene and talking about Raphael the driver, she learns not enough but knows Mira is lying. She lives there rent free and works in the Quarter in the Etc shop. But drugs were part of their business as someone saw pizza boxes in the back room and a delivery truck guy who picked them up filled with white powder, syringes and more. Plus James was into drugs and often used Ketamine to drug young girls into submission none remembering anything. But they were not his only marks as he forced members into cleansing sessions about deeds they should not have done and blackmailed them into giving large contributions or pay the price if he reported it. 

The business at the French Quarter was EtcShop and Smoking Supplies Inc. purpose Mira claims selling souvenir items , mugs and t- shirts . It was a no go d

As Emma delves into who made the deliveries it become apparent that an innocent business owner was pulled into the sales of the drugs I. The etcshop in the French Quarter. Added in there were 2 delivery guys from two of his pizza shops and Emma was allowed to hear and witness their interviews. Buy that was just the beginning because someone set fire to the ETC SHOP with her in it along with Raphael before this revelation but Emma was saved by him but he perished in the fire.

More gets revealed when Stacy’s mental status is assessed but some of her answered consistent with her statements about James , the temple and her work but when it came to her mother red flags again. Holding back truths, leaving out people she saw related to the drug deliveries and more Emma was worried about how she would do at trial and then a two revelations that would change it all. 

When all of the suspects are in one place Emma follows her instinct to check out one more location and one thing but lies were told, just how was Stacy set up and what about on piece of evidence might set her free. Actions dangerous and Emma attacked just who came to her aid you won’t believe and with Ren her fiancé as part of the homicide team working Angelina’s murder and another James the pieces fall into place and the deceptions , drug deals and more open up truths , lies and deceptions. A temple that’s supposed to be your sanctuary and a man who was corrupt and created his own rules and mantras. The ending might be several beginnings as Ren and Emma might learn the true meaning of their own of the word: Sanctuary.

Fran Lewis just reviews