“We’ve kind of met,” Bobby said with a lopsided smile.
“In the alley,” Lauren said. “Hello, again. I’m Lauren Crow.”
“And this is Big Jim Dixon, best jazz sax player in all fifty states,” Stacey interjected.
“That’s an exaggeration,” Jim Dixon said, taking her hand. “And we’ve kind of met, too.”
“At the bar,” she said. “And I think I saw you playing in a funeral procession the other day,” she said.
“That was me,” he agreed, and easily lifted one of the heaviest bags.
Despite the welcoming tone in Stacey’s voice and the ease of her introductions, she looked around uneasily as she grabbed the canvas tote bag that was Deanna’s carry-on.
So much for it being difficult getting everything up to the house; with the four of them, it would only take one trip.
But before heading up the walk, Lauren found herself pausing, looking around as Stacey had done.
The sky seemed to have taken on an ashen color, and clouds suddenly billowed darkly and menacingly overhead.
Birds suddenly took flight over the house.
“Let’s go in,” Stacey urged.
Lauren sensed a sudden urgency in the air, though it was unspoken. Big Jim was already halfway to the house. She followed quickly.
The place was wonderful. She fell in love with it the minute she stepped inside. She thought that it must be very old, which wasn’t unusual for the area, but it had been meticulously maintained and restored. The bannister was polished and gleaming. Woven rugs lay over the hardwood floors. A grandfather clock chimed as they entered, and a crystal chandelier cast a warm glow over the entry.
“My desk is back there in the hall,” Stacey explained. “I’ll have you sign in after you’ve seen your rooms. The owner is out of the country right now, but I think you’ll be happy with your accommodations. We hadn’t actually planned to have guests right now, but when Sean called…well, I could hardly say no. At least you’ll have lots of room.”
Bobby Munro and Big Jim were already heading up the elegant stairway. Stacey locked the front door and followed. Lauren trailed behind her.
The stairs led to a long hallway that stretched in either direction. “Guest rooms to your left,” Stacey advised, looking back. “There’s a balcony that extends across the back, with a wonderful view of the pool. There’s only one rule here. You don’t ask anyone in, anyone at all—ever—unless you check with me first. It’s Jessica’s rule—she’s the owner—and we all abide by it.”
Stacey was looking back at her with a smile, but there was something strange about the way she spoke. As if it the rule, if broken, could cause dire consequences. Like a carriage turning back into a pumpkin. Or worse.
“It’s a beautiful house,” she said politely.
“Yes, it is, isn’t it?”
Big Jim and Bobby were just emerging from one of the guest rooms. “Don’t know where you want what, exactly,” Big Jim said. “We just put it all in the one room.”
“I understand that there are three of you,” Stacey said, “but one friend is in the hospital and the other—Heidi, is it?—will also need a place tonight. Anyway, this is you, Heidi is right there, and if and when you need a room for your other friend, she’ll be right across the hall.”
“I’m not sure we need quite so much room,” Lauren murmured. The door to the bedroom she’d been assigned was still open, and the room was huge. There was a massive bed, a desk, French doors that led to the balcony, a wardrobe twice her size, and lots of space in between.
Stacey shrugged. “It’s a big house. We make use of it when we can.”
“Downstairs,” Bobby offered, “you’ll find the kitchen toward the back.” He smiled, watching her closely. “I’m here most of the time when I’m not working.” He took Stacey’s hand. “We’re engaged.”
“Congratulations,” Lauren said.
“I live in the caretaker’s cottage out back. I don’t really take care of anything, though, I just live there,” Big Jim said.
“And Bobby is a cop, you know,” Stacey said.
“Yes, I do.”
Were the cops here sane? Lauren wondered.
The ones she had met so far had all seemed to study her as if she weren’t quite right in the head. Then again, at least, they took her reasonably seriously, seriously enough to station an officer outside Deanna’s door at the hospital.
“I really think you’ll love the room,” Stacey said, gesturing for Lauren to step inside. Her pride in the house was evident.
Lauren did love it. It was exquisite, from the polished wood of the nineteenth-century dresser and bed posts, to the cherrywood desk and antique floral pattern on the bedspread. She hesitated, wondering if, no matter how highly Lieutenant Canady thought of the safety of the place, she could afford it. But before she could mention her reserves, Stacey mentioned a price per room per night that was absurdly low.
“How on earth can you afford to do business that way?” Lauren couldn’t help asking.
“Oh, Jessica doesn’t actually make her living running Montresse House,” Stacey explained. “She’s a psychologist, plus she has family money. She closes this place whenever she chooses.”
“Are we the only guests right now?”
“We have another gentleman arriving later,” Stacey said. “If you’re ready, I’ll sign you in downstairs.”
“I have to go to work, but I’m usually here at night,” Bobby said. “Nice to meet you for real.”
“And I should get to the club,” Big Jim said.
“Nice to see you both again,” Lauren told them, as they waved and started down the stairs.
She felt a moment of unease as she watched them go. Did they know too much about her, and were they a little too friendly? And what about that rule? Don’t let anyone in.
Was it weird?
Oh, hell. What could be weirder than everything that was already going on? A gorgeous man had all but abducted her so he could tell her there were vampires in New Orleans. Deanna was in a hospital, receiving transfusions after sleepwalking and maybe being attacked. Tall-dark-and-handsome had disappeared, chasing after a shadow in the darkness, and a police lieutenant had ordered that Deanna’s room be protected.
“I can sign in right now, if you like,” she said to Stacey, shrugging off her worriesome thoughts. “In fact, I need to get moving.”
“Of course,” Stacey said.
It had all started with the fortune-teller, Lauren thought. And as soon as she finished signing in, she was going to find the woman and get a few answers.
Heidi had already been through three magazines. She had studied Modern Bride, reading up on the lastminute traumas that could lead to a problematic wedding, and moved on to People. Then she had looked through Time.
Deanna hadn’t moved. She lay in her bed like Sleeping Beauty, stunning and sound asleep, awaiting her true love’s kiss.
Why didn’t she wake up?
Heidi took a moment to feel sorry for herself. She was with her best friends in a place they all loved, where they should have been having the time of their lives. Barry was at home with his crazy brothers and his friends. Nothing like a group of attorneys when they decided to cut loose. She thought about calling him, then decided that he’d be working now, and she never wanted to be one of those women who had to call a man just for reassurance.
No, they were fine. Deanna was getting the best care possible for…
Whatever this was.
Lauren would be back soon. One day, they would all look back on this experience as something that had brought them closer. And she had certainly never wanted her wedding or her bachelorette getaway to be boring.
She set down her magazine, stood, stretched, then smoothed Deanna’s hair off her forehead. The nurse had been in just a few minutes ago, readjusting the IV, taking Deanna’s vital signs. Everything was as good as it was going to get until her friend actually woke up.
Heidi walked to
the door and peeked into the hallway.
A uniformed officer was sitting in a chair, reading the newspaper.
She went back to the chair and sat down. The chair could be converted into a bed. Either she or Lauren would probably stay in it through the night. For now, though, it was just a comfy chair.
“Mind if I turn on the television?” she said aloud. The sound of her own voice spooked her, and it wasn’t as if Deanna cared whether she turned on the television or not.
She found the remote attached to the bed, but she could arrange the cord so she could control the set from her chair. She found a talk show on. She wasn’t particularly fond of talk shows, but she couldn’t find anything she actively wanted to see.
She closed her eyes and leaned back in the chair. As the voices droned on, she realized that she was actually kind of tired.
Fine. It wasn’t as if she had company. She let herself drift off.
A few minutes later, she had the sensation that she was dreaming of being in a strange place. It was as if a man came on the television and began talking directly to her. A very good looking man. She wasn’t usually swayed by looks or charm, though she recognized them, of course. She was madly in love, but it was still possible for her to recognize when another male was handsome and charming.
But she found that this man had her full attention. She was certain that she was dreaming, but in her dream, she smiled. He was teasing her, flirting with her, and she found herself responding. He had very dark hair, and a very…manly face. And a very hypnotic voice. She wasn’t sure what he was saying, exactly, but she felt flushed. Strange. He had a voice that seemed to…touch her. Excite her.
Arouse her.
How very silly…
It seemed that she was growing warmer. As if she could almost feel the brush of fingers against her inner thighs.
It was just a dream, she thought. She was closing in on her wedding day, and somewhere deep inside she was just having just a few minutes of completely understandable panic.
After all, she was giving up other men forever, hence this erotic dream about a man on the television.
But now he was telling her to get up. To go to the window and let him in.
Of course, she wasn’t really doing it. Seriously, what man came to a hospital window? And how could she really be up and opening it, letting him in…?
Letting him do things to her.
Sexual things…
While Deanna lay comatose on the bed.
8
L auren signed the registration cards for the inn and left feeling filled with energy, determined to find the fortune-teller at Jackson Square.
But she realized, after walking around the square several times, that apparently many of the people who worked the area didn’t show up until later, probably not until dusk, at least.
More upsettingly, she had the feeling she was being followed, even though it was broad daylight. The sun was strong, the air warm, and there was a slight breeze off the river. The world seemed calm, normal.
But it wasn’t.
She returned to the hospital, thinking that Heidi was probably ready to wring her neck.
But Heidi wasn’t irate in the least.
She was sleeping in the chair by the bed when Lauren arrived. She didn’t wake up until Lauren touched her, and then she flushed and stretched, and seemed disoriented.
“Hey, how’s she doing? Has anyone said anything?”
Heidi seemed a little flustered when she replied. “Um…yes, actually. The last nurse who came in here said that her vital signs are strong and that she’s doing well. She hasn’t come to yet, but she seems to be resting comfortably and I guess the doctors are pleased with her progress.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be gone so long.”
“Were you gone long?” Heidi asked.
“Yes. But the new place is gorgeous.”
“So was the old place,” Heidi pointed out.
“You’ll love Montresse House. I promise,” Lauren assured her.
Heidi shrugged. “It’s what you wanted.”
“Thanks for humoring me.”
“Some slave you are.”
“Sorry.”
Heidi frowned for a moment. “There’s still a cop in the hall, right?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Think we could go to lunch together? We missed breakfast, and I’m starving.”
Lauren hesitated. It was broad daylight, she reminded herself. Deanna was in a hospital, with a cop right outside her door. “Want to grab something in the hospital cafeteria?”
“Not really, but okay.”
In the hallway, Lauren saw that the officer on duty was about fifty and appeared to be of French or Hispanic descent. He had a trustworthy face, a little haggard, but gentle and reassuring. When she told him they were going to grab a bite to eat together, he said, “Good idea. I’ll sit inside with your friend. You take your time.”
Lauren thanked him, noticing a heavy gold chain around his neck. “Crucifix?” she asked.
“Uh—yeah, actually.” He drew it out from beneath his collar. “A gift from my missus. I always wear it. I like yours, too.”
“So you are wearing Mark’s cross,” Heidi teased.
Lauren offered her a vague smile and thanked the officer.
In the cafeteria, they discovered that the hospital offered a pretty decent salad bar. They filled their plates, then sat down at a table.
“I really am sorry that your party has gone south. Mostly, I’m worried about Deanna, though,” Lauren said.
“Oh, don’t worry. I think that not being able to party hearty has been a good thing. I’ve had time to think about what I’m doing,” Heidi said lightly.
“What do you mean?” Lauren asked.
Heidi shrugged. “I’ve been rethinking the entire marriage thing,” she said.
Lauren, with a small wedge of lettuce halfway to her lips, froze. “What?” she said in astonishment.
“Marriage. I don’t know if I’m ready.”
“Heidi, your wedding is two weeks away.”
“I know.” Heidi, unconcerned, adjusted her napkin on her lap.
“Heidi, you love Barry.”
“Well, of course, I love him.”
“Then…?”
“I’ve just been thinking. I’m not sure I’m ready.”
“But you were so certain.”
“There you go. Things change.”
“Have you talked to him? Did you two get into an argument or something?” Lauren asked, perplexed.
“No, I wouldn’t dream of fighting with him over the phone, and anyway, we don’t have fights. Disagreements now and then, but no big fights.”
“Have you talked to him at all?”
“Not since yesterday.”
“Then what…?”
”I’m just not sure I’m really ready for marriage.” She flushed, staring at Lauren. “If you must know, it’s occurred to me that I’m not entirely positive I’m ready for a sexually monogamous life.”
Lauren just stared at her blankly. “Uh…well….”
“We don’t need to discuss it,” Heidi snapped.
“Okay.”
Heidi set her fork down. “I’m not really hungry after all. Since you’re here now, I think I’ll head out. I’ll go and make sure that we didn’t leave anything at the old place and check out the new one. Okay?”
Heidi wasn’t really asking; she was leaving. That was that.
“Okay.”
Lauren wasn’t sure that Heidi even heard her. She was already walking out.
Lauren discovered that she wasn’t hungry herself and felt a sudden urge to get back to Deanna as quickly as possible.
She rushed back upstairs.
The friendly officer was still in the room. He blushed when she caught him reading Heidi’s bridal magazine.
“Some really pretty pictures in there,” he said. “My wife and I eloped to Vegas. Sometimes I think I cheated he
r out of a real wedding.”
“How long have you been married?”
“Twenty-six years.”
“I guess she was happy with what she got, then,” Lauren assured him.
He smiled. A happy man. Feeling that maybe the world would be all right, Lauren took a seat at the foot of Deanna’s bed.
The officer remained with her, and she never even noticed herself dozing off, but. the next she knew, he was nudging her and telling her that the shift was changing.
She woke, blinked and realized it was twilight.
Lauren wasn’t sure if she would really have left Heidi alone at the hospital all night in her determination to find the fortune teller, but luckily she didn’t have to worry about it, because Heidi reappeared in time
Lauren‘s head was still reeling.
Deanna was holding her own, but Heidi’s behavior was beyond peculiar. She had returned to the hospital in a very pleasant if somewhat…fey mood. Not a word Lauren usually used, but it was one that seemed to describe the way Heidi was acting. She had mentioned avoiding several calls from Barry, and said blithely that Deanna was going to be just fine and she would be happy as a little lark to stay with her and watch television or read for the evening. When Lauren promised that she would return as soon as she could, Heidi told her not to worry.
Lauren couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy about leaving Heidi in charge, so to speak, then told herself that she was being ridiculous. There was a cop on constant duty at the door, and he was certainly capable of protecting both women if there should be any need.
After leaving the hospital, Lauren found the nicest taxi driver in the world and asked him to take her to Montresse House, because she’d decided to pick up a light jacket before hitting Jackson Square. The driver was a native of the area and sympathized with her for having a friend being in the hospital. Healso believed in the occult and told her that she should buy herself some serious mojo to protest against evil.
She thanked him while privately thinking there was no need to get carried away.
Unfortunately, as nice as he was, he wasn’t able to get her all the way to Montresse House or even to Bourbon Street. There had been an accident, and the streets were blocked off. He apologized profusely but suggested she get out a few blocks away and walk.
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