Murder in the Marsh

by Ramsey Coutta

  Daniel immediately thought about Rachel. When he dropped her off last night, she agreed to meet him at noon today for lunch, if the weather situation didn’t worsen. She had decided to stay home that morning, watch the weather, and make some preparations in case the hurricane threatened. He wanted to take a quick trip out into the marsh for some further observations and then return in time to meet with her for lunch. He decided the observations would have to wait. He wondered if she knew about the evacuation order. He had not gotten her telephone number, so he couldn’t call her. He would need to drive over to her apartment.

  Daniel took a quick shower and grabbed a bowl of cereal for breakfast. It took him about twenty minutes to gather up the few clothes he had. He pitched them in the back seat of his pickup. He tied down everything else in the back of his truck. Before he left, he called his supervisor in Baton Rogue and explained the situation. His supervisor told him to immediately evacuate Port Sulphur and head north. Daniel had every intention of doing so, but not before he checked on Rachel to see that she too safely evacuated.

  Eleven

  Rachel awoke to someone pounding on her apartment door. The intensity of the knocking indicated something urgent. She and several other teachers lived in an older apartment building located on school grounds. She quickly got out of the bed pulling a robe around her. Opening the door she saw a co-worker, Mrs. Williamson, who taught sixth grade, standing on her steps with a worried look on her face.

  “Rachel, have you heard? There’s a mandatory evacuation. You’ve got to pack and leave now!” she said excitedly.

  “An evacuation? Is it the hurricane?” Rachel asked.

  “Yes. It’s heading directly this way. The evacuation is for all of Plaquemines Parish.”

  “How long are they giving us?”

  “Twelve hours. By eight o’clock tonight everyone has to be out.”

  “That’s not long! How are we going to pack everything in that time?”

  “The authorities are saying take only the necessities.”

  “Where are you going to go?”

  “Bob and I are going to go to our home in Shreveport. And you?”

  “I guess to my parent’s house in Mississippi. I talked to my mom last night, and told her I might be coming. I need to call her and let her know.”

  “We’ll be here a couple of hours longer. Let us know if you need any help packing. We also have some extra food and gas, if you need it.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Williamson. You’re so kind.” They gave each other a hug and told one another to be safe before they hurried to get their packing done.

  By the time Rachel closed the door, her mind started spinning with all the things she needed to get done and worries about others. She thought about her students and the children in her youth group. She called the pastor of Bayview, and he told her not to worry. Their parents would take care of their safety. He encouraged her to evacuate as soon as possible. He had already secured the church. He and his wife and two daughters would soon be leaving soon.

  As soon as she hung up, the phone rang. It was her father. They discussed the hurricane, and he offered to come down from Mississippi to help her pack and evacuate. She thanked him but told him not to as the roads would be full, and she didn’t even know if the authorities had closed the inbound lane or not. He told her to hurry and leave soon. Her mother also spoke with her and expressed her worry and concern for her. She assured them she had started packing and would leave very soon. They said somber goodbyes, and she promised to call them from the road on her cell phone.

  After Rachel hung up, she thought about what she should pack. She would not be able to carry much in her compact Sentra. It was a tiny little car she bought for efficiency, not for moving. She would not be able to carry any large items with her. As Mrs. Williamson suggested, she focused only on necessities, along with small memorabilia, such as pictures and letters. She dressed, grabbed a bite to eat, and then started sorting out what she would take with her. She turned on the TV to watch the weather as she packed.

  She didn’t get far in her preparations before she heard a vehicle pull up outside her door. She peeked out the window and saw Daniel getting out of his truck. He had his boat hooked to the truck, and some things tied down in the truck bed. She opened the door and gave him a welcome smile. She was glad he had come by. She had already felt somewhat overwhelmed in making preparations to evacuate.

  “Did you hear?” he asked her.

  “Yes. One of my co-workers came by about twenty minutes ago and gave me the news. Everybody has twelve hours to evacuate.”

  “Yeah. Not long. Probably wouldn’t want to be here any longer after that anyway. How can I help you pack?”

  “I’m not sure. I’m just going through some stuff now. I have a box in my closet. If you can use it to pack some food and water from the kitchen, I’ll pull out the clothes I need and a few other odds and ends.”

  Daniel agreed and they both set to work.

  “Do you have a place to go?” Daniel called out as he packed the box in the kitchen.

  “Yes. I’ve talked with my parents this morning, and I’ll be going to their house in Mississippi. How about you?”

  “I’ll head to my home in Lake Charles. That’s where my mother and stepfather live. I want to be able to check on them if the storm strikes near there.”

  The apartment was quiet for a few moments as they continued to work. Rachel broke the silence, “I want to thank you for coming back to check on me. You don’t know how much that means to me. I feel so overwhelmed by all of this.”

  “It’s no problem. I think a lot of people are feeling overwhelmed.”

  “I’m also glad you came back, because I enjoyed spending yesterday with you.”

  “I enjoyed the time with you too. I wish we would have had more time today.”

  “Maybe you’ll be back after the hurricane?”

  “Definitely.”

  “Good. Then maybe we can have that lunch we planned for today?”

  He smiled and nodded, “Yes. That would be nice.”

  After thirty more minutes, they had packed all the necessary items she would need for the trip. Daniel had even loaded a few of her smaller furnishings into the back of his truck, and promised to deliver them to her when he returned. They agreed that Rachel would follow Daniel up to New Orleans to the East-West interstate split by the Superdome.

  Rachel just finished locking the doors to the apartment when two police cruisers pulled up beside their vehicles effectively blocking their exit. The parish Sheriff stepped slowly out of the lead vehicle and a younger deputy out of the trail vehicle. The Sheriff looked up at the sky for a moment as if observing the weather, placed his hat on his head, and sauntered around his cruiser towards Daniel and Rachel. The deputy came up as well, but stood at a little further distance.

  “Mr. Trahan. Ms. Breland. Looks like you’re about ready to evacuate,” Sheriff Holet observed.

  “That’s right, Sheriff. Any problems?” Daniel sensed something amiss in the Sheriff’s demeanor. While he seemed to have a friendly facade, Daniel detected a hint of tension underneath.

  “No, not really, Mr. Trahan. I’m just checking on our teachers to see if everything is going smoothly and they’re evacuating.”

  “I think Rachel is packed and ready to go,” Daniel responded.

  “Good to hear it, Ms. Breland,” he said looking at her. “Please be careful on the highway. A lot of cars are on the road, and some people aren’t driving too safely. We want our teachers to make it back to Plaquemines Parish in one piece.”

  Rachel detected a decided lack of sincerity in his words.

  “Mr. Trahan,” he said turning back to Daniel, “If you don’t mind, I’d like a few moments to talk with you privately.”

  Surprised at the request, Daniel glanced at Rachel, and while she seemed surprised too, she nodded indicating she would be okay.

  “Alright, Sheriff.”

  “Why don’t w
e walk over this way?” Sheriff Holet said, pointing down the gravel drive by the football field.

  They walked thirty feet before the Sheriff finally spoke.

  “Mr. Trahan, what are your plans once the hurricane is past and the residents are allowed back into the parish?”

  Not having any idea that the Sheriff had taken such an interest in him, Daniel was caught off guard with such a probing question. The tone in which he asked the question seemed to Daniel like the Sheriff had an issue with his presence in Plaquemines Parish.

  “I plan on returning to finish my study.”

  “Umm. What kind of study are you’re doing?”

  Again, the tone of voice along with the question asked, raised Daniel’s suspicions of the Sheriff’s motives.

  “I’m studying coastal erosion in the marsh. I’m looking at the effect the canals are having on the interior marshlands.”

  The Sheriff didn’t say anything for a minute. He seemed to be considering Daniel’s response.

  “Mr. Trahan, let me be honest. Sometimes we have questionable people come through this parish. People who are out to take advantage of the simple parishioners who live here. It’s my job to identify these people and ensure they cause no harm. I hope you won’t mind, but I need to see your identification to be certain you are who you say you are.”

  Daniel felt perplexed by the Sheriff’s statement and his request to see his identification. He wondered if he had done anything to warrant the suspicion of law enforcement. Seeing little alternative, he pulled his United States Department of the Interior identification card out of his wallet and handed it to the Sheriff. Sheriff Holet inspected the identification closely, front and back. He seemed surprised as he looked at it. Finally, he handed it back to Daniel.

  “Thank you, Mr. Trahan. May I ask how you were chosen to do this study in Plaquemines Parish?”

  “I volunteered for it.”

  “You volunteered?”

  “That’s right. My supervisor asked for volunteers who would be interested in doing the study, and so I volunteered.”

  “Is there a reason you volunteered, Mr. Trahan?” The tone felt accusatory.

  “Because it sounded interesting and it was in an area I had not worked before,” Daniel replied with growing consternation. “Sheriff, have I done something wrong? I feel like with your line of questioning you suspect me of something?”

  Sheriff Holet didn’t answer immediately. He seemed to be letting the silence of the moment answer in the affirmative. When his reply finally came, the words were soothing, but unconvincing.

  “No, Mr. Trahan. You’re not suspected of anything. I’m just doing my job. I like to get to know all newcomers. That’s all the questions I have. Why don’t we head back to Ms. Breland and let you two get on your way. I don’t want to delay you any longer. You’re going to head directly out of the parish to safety aren’t you?”

  “That’s the plan, Sheriff.”

  “Good. Delay could be dangerous.”

  Daniel felt like the way the Sheriff intoned the words “delay could be dangerous” could have more than one meaning. They walked the short distance back to Rachel in uncomfortable silence. Daniel had enough of talking with the Sheriff.

  When they reached Rachel and the other deputy, Sheriff Holet again admonished Rachel to evacuate as soon as possible and to be careful on the highway. He gave one final glance at Daniel, and then he and the deputy returned to their cruisers and drove away.

  “What was that all about?” Rachel asked Daniel.

  Daniel shook his head back and forth. “I’m not really sure, but I felt very uncomfortable. The Sheriff seems to be suspicious of me, but I don’t know why. He asked me a lot of questions about why I’m here and what I’m doing. I don’t think he believed my answers.”

  “He also acted strangely when we drove up to that checkpoint yesterday. Do you remember?” Rachel reminded Daniel.

  “I remember. Today was even stranger. I’d like to know what’s going on, but I guess I’ll have to worry about it later. We need to get on the road.”

  Rachel gave Daniel a hug and thanked him before they loaded into their vehicles. Just as she opened her car door, she heard the telephone ring inside her apartment. She asked Daniel to wait a minute. She thought it might be her parents. She quickly unlocked the front door and went in, while Daniel got out of his truck and waited by the front door.

  After about ten minutes, Rachel came out of the house. She had a decided look of concern on her face.

  “That was Mrs. LeBlanc. She said she still has not heard from her husband. She also said her son, Andre, is worse than he was yesterday. She didn’t want to move him without Claude’s help, but now she feels like she needs to get him to safety. She called to ask if we could help. She tried calling the Sheriff’s office, but they’ve been tied up with other issues.”

  “Sure, we can help. I’ve got my boat and it’s filled with gas. We can put in at Happy Jack and be at Grand Bayou in minutes. We’ll still have plenty of time to evacuate before the storm hits.”

  “Okay, I’ll call her and tell her we’re coming and to get ready.”

  A few minutes later, Rachel completed her call and affirmed Mrs. LeBlanc would be waiting on them

  Twelve

  Daniel and Rachel got into their vehicles, and drove out to the highway. The highway through Port Sulphur was packed with cars and buses heading north. Trucks were piled high with whatever household furnishings could be tied on. It seemed like every truck and SUV also pulled a boat or camper. Those who had departed from the lowest end of the parish, had already driven close to thirty miles just to Port Sulphur, and they still had another forty miles just to get out of the parish. A lot of larger semi-trucks, dump trucks, and other heavy equipment used in the parish oil industry also clogged the road slowing the evacuation. Overhead, helicopters shuttled oil workers from the offshore oil rigs inland to safety. Over the levee, out in the channel of the Mississippi River, Daniel and Rachel could see the large ocean going vessels heading south toward the mouth of the Mississippi. They would be safer at sea, than facing the prospect of being trapped in the narrow confines of the river. The whole parish seemed to be one great moving mass fleeing the storm.

  Entering traffic and heading north toward Happy Jack Marina, they could see that most of the homeowners had boarded their windows. The homes in Port Sulphur were not generally made of the sturdiest construction. Most were made entirely of wood and set on blocks a couple feet off the ground. It had been a long time since the parish last flooded, and few people remembered the devastation from earlier hurricanes. Less and less consideration was given when building homes over the years as to the potential effects of a direct hit by a hurricane, and the parish had grown lax in enforcing the regulations that did exist.

  It took Daniel and Rachel double the time to reach the Happy Jack turnoff than it normally would due to the slow moving traffic. Happy Jack Lane appeared deserted. The street was one of the poorest in Port Sulphur, and known for a high rate of illegal activity. The houses and trailers were ramshackle, and the residents seemed to resent the constant marina traffic that rumbled up and down the street. All the cars were gone and windows boarded up. A barking bulldog tied to a stake outside a trailer was left behind with a bowl of food and water and appeared to be the only sign of life.

  Daniel and Rachel pulled up and over the levee and down to the marina. Normally, scores of trucks with boat trailers would be parked near the boat ramp, but none were evident today. Only a single small truck was visible.

  It seemed like a perfectly normal day. A light breeze blew and a few scattered clouds dotted the sky. Nothing to indicate an approaching hurricane. Daniel parked his truck by the ramp to prepare the boat for launch. Rachel pulled her red Sentra off to the side. As Daniel stepped out of his truck, a man came out of the marina office. He locked the door, and hurried over to Daniel.

  “I’m sorry sir, the marina is closed. Haven’t you heard? A hurrica
ne is headed this way.”

  “Yes, sir,” Daniel responded. “I’ve heard, but we received a distress call from a resident out in Grand Bayou village. We need to go and retrieve her and her two children.”

  “I’m sorry to hear about that, but the owner of the marina has told me not to allow anyone else to put in today. Even those who own camps further down have been told to depart. The owner doesn’t want to be legally responsible should something happen.”

  “You’re the manager here?” Daniel asked as he continued preparing his boat.

  “That’s right.”

  “What’s your name, sir?”

  “Hank.”

  “Hank, I want you to imagine that the woman who is stranded with her two children, one of them very sick, is your own wife and children. You can’t save them but you knew someone else could. Would you want that person to rescue your wife and children since you couldn’t?”

  The manager didn’t have words to respond. Daniel sensed he had made his point. He pulled out his government identification. “Look, I know the owner is concerned about being held legally responsible. This is my identification. I work for the US Department of the Interior. You don’t have to worry about me or the government taking any action against the owner. This is considered official business, which will absolve your owner of any liability. Okay?”

  “Yes, sir. That’s fine. I’m sorry. You can go ahead and launch your boat, but I have to leave. I’ve still got my family to evacuate. I‘m going to pull the wire across the entrance when I leave. I’ll place the key beside the pole it’s attached to. Just lock it and return the key when you leave.”

  “Agreed,” Daniel said with a nod.

  Daniel got the boat ready to launch. He backed the boat off the ramp, and it slid smoothly into the calm water. Rachel held the boat in place with a long rope connected to its bow. After Daniel parked the truck, he held the boat while Rachel climbed in. After climbing in himself, he started the powerful engines and slowly idled down the canal past the camps. Whereas normally on a Saturday, a lot of owners would be preparing to go fishing or just relaxing around their camp, today there were none. Smaller boats had been taken from their berths and hauled away. Larger shrimp boats had been securely tied off to the docks or pulled from the water. The more experienced owners left enough slack in the ropes so that the boat could rise as the water level did. Many owners had also boarded up their windows and cleared away any loose items from around the camps. Some camps, built ten feet high on pilings, were less susceptible to rising waters. However, many of the older camps built at ground level sat vulnerable to a storm surge.