Sweet Mystery

by Emery, Lynn

  Hand-clapping came from her left. Simon stood there, wearing a light green knit, polo shirt and cotton pants the color of wet sand. His muscular body, outlined against the splash of light took her breath away.

  “This is the first time I’ve heard you play alone. That was beautiful, Rae.” Simon sat down next to her and kissed her forehead. “I’ve missed you.”

  Rae’s skin tingled from the touch of his lips. “We saw each other the night before last.”

  “You didn’t call me at the office yesterday morning. My day got off to a bad start without the sound of your voice. And last night you seemed unwilling to talk.” Simon watched her for several seconds.

  Rae’s heart pounded. “Simon, you think maybe we’re moving too fast after all? The history between our families can’t be just brushed off.”

  “No, but it shouldn’t keep us from being happy.” Simon cupped her chin with one strong hand and turned her face to his. “You make me happier than anyone or anything else. I can’t let you go now, Rae.”

  His words hit her with such force that her resistance sagged. Rae welcomed his arms around her. She held on tight, half afraid it was only a lovely dream that this wonderful man wanted her so much.

  “Simon, there are some things you should know about me.”

  “I don’t want to hear confessions, Rae.”

  She pulled back from him. “Just listen. Please?”

  “Okay,” Simon said softly, wrapping his arms around her again. “If you need to tell me, go on.”

  “When I was just a teenager, Darcy and I dated.”

  Simon did take his arms away, but he tensed. “Any feelings left for him?”

  “No, none at all, but–”

  “Then it doesn’t matter. No more than all those girls I swore to love forever when I was fifteen.”

  Rae felt him relax against her. “I felt you should know. Someone might take great pleasure in telling you about it.” She knew Toya would paint a graphic picture worthy of a tabloid newspaper.

  “Then they’ll be disappointed when I don’t faint from the shock.” Simon chuckled.

  “I’ve also hired a private detective to find out what really happened to Pawpaw Vince.” Rae looked at him. “LaMar Zeno has all ready begun investigating.”

  “Good,” Simon said in a firm voice.

  “What?” Rae had not expected this reaction at all. “Everyone else I’ve told, even Andrew, said maybe I should leave it alone.”

  “Strange how the folks you think would welcome it get cold feet.” Simon held her tighter. “The truth might settle all those bad feelings once and for all.”

  “Or prove Pawpaw Vince was exactly what folks said he was – a thief. Then they could spit on us for good reason.” Rae imagined the self-righteous expressions.

  “How is that different from the way some of them act now?” Simon asked.

  “Good point.”

  “Actually, most of the people who felt the most bitterness have died since then. Old man Pitre and his son, Mr. Wilson and Mr. Leland, all gone home to rest, as my grandmother says,” said Simon, gently rocking Rae back and forth.

  “Except your grandfather and Mr. Henry, who are still here.” Rae did not add that they were the two most aggrieved by Pawpaw Vincent’s alleged betrayal. “Mr. Henry lost more than money.”

  “Rae, do what you have to do, and don’t worry about it. Papa Joe and Mr. Henry survived their loss fifty years ago. I doubt it will devastate them now. Either your grandfather did it or he didn’t.”

  Rae’s anxiety spiked. “But what happened to the money if Pawpaw Vincent didn’t take it?”

  “Then there was another thief. Maybe Miss Estelle left with some other man nobody knew about.” Simon offered the explanation in a casual way, but jumped at Rae’s strong reaction.

  “Cher, you’re brilliant!” Rae kissed him hard on the lips.

  She was relieved beyond belief. Why hadn’t I thought of that? It did not have to be Mr. Henry or, thank goodness, Mr. Joe. Maybe the truth did not have to destroy her new-found happiness.

  Simon grinned at her. “Thanks. Uh, what in particular helped you to see this profound truth? Not that I’m arguing with the results.”

  “You made me see the obvious.” Rae could not tell him she had suspected his grandfather of not only stealing the money, but framing her grandfather. “I was just so worried that since evidence pointed to Pawpaw Vince, it might be true.”

  “Baby, that old saying about the sins of the father has to be put aside by you and the rest of this town.” Simon brushed her hair with one hand. “Even if you find proof that he did it, it’s his sin. Not yours.”

  “I know. It’s just that it meant so much to Lucien to prove the father he loved wasn’t a bum.” Rae leaned against him. “Maybe it’s just as well Daddy won’t be here. In case we do find Pawpaw Vincent stole the money and left his family behind for Estelle.”

  “From what I hear, Estelle was friendly with more than a couple of men in this parish.”

  “Simon St. Cyr, you’ve been listening to nasty old gossip.” Rae feigned a look of shocked disapproval and then winked at him with a wicked smile. “Tell me more.”

  “Just that she wasn’t exactly Saint Estelle when it came to men. My grandmother, great aunts and aunts used to talk while they were cooking or sitting in the yard after supper. They said Mr. Henry shouldn’t have been surprised she took off.”

  “So Estelle was generous with her affection?”

  “Very generous from what I overheard.”

  Rae shook a finger under his nose. “Shame on you for eavesdropping, you little rascal.”

  “Hey, can I help it if the tree I sat under to rest was near them?” Simon tried to look innocent.

  “Don’t try that boyish charm on me.”

  Simon traced the neckline of her shirt to the top button. “I thought you liked my boyish charm, Ms. Dalcour.”

  “Well, maybe just a little.” Rae watched his finger with fascination as it touched the curve of her breast. She felt icy hot inside. “Okay, a lot,” she said, her breath short.

  “Tell you what, you give me another tune and I’ll treat you to dinner.” Simon spoke with his lips pressed against her cheek.

  “Dinner? Is that all?” Rae murmured.

  “Not even.” Simon grinned. “Come on now, play for me.”

  “You don’t want to hear…” She melted at the sensation of his finger on her lips, cutting her off gently.

  Simon handed her the guitar. “Your music is an important part of you. I want to share everything. Please, just you and me.”

  “You got it, babe,” she replied.

  For two hours all of the music inside her welled up and out through her fingers. The couple sat side by side, making love without touching. Simon joined in on some of the old Creole songs he knew; his voice a deep baritone. Rae watched him laugh at the funny songs and grow quiet at the sad ones. As the sun went down, they became one in spirit. Rae marveled that there could be this kind of heaven on Earth.

  *

  “Now what are you going to do, Mr. Genius?” Marius sneered at Darcy. He spoke up as soon as the door closed behind the Pantheon project director’s representative. “Latham was not happy with the news that you messed up our plans.”

  Darcy stared back at Marius from where he sat in a dark green, leather chair, behind his massive desk. The office was a study in elegance. Prints of New Orleans jazz bands adorned the walls and the polished, oak furniture was impeccable. Darcy’s spacious office was in a modern building that was part of a new development. Mr. Henry rented the spaces at cost from the owner, as he had helped him to make quite a few profitable real-estate deals.

  “I didn’t mess up anything.” Darcy spoke in a deadly calm voice, which should have warned his cousin.

  “Really? You got a little too clever. You did exactly what grandfather predicted: outsmarted yourself.”

  Darcy leaned back in his chair. “No one can ever accuse you
of that, can they?”

  “What, screwing up a major business transaction?” Marius asked. His sneer twisted what should have been attractive features, but were made ugly by his personality.

  “No, of being too clever,” Darcy retorted. “Don’t get any ideas that you can use this against me.”

  “Who, me?” Marius spread his arms wide. “I wouldn’t dream of doing anything like that.”

  “Good. Otherwise I might be forced to tell Grandfather and the U.S. Attorney about that deal you cut.” Darcy’s voice was cold.

  Marius blinked at him. “Wha–”

  “You got a contract with DHH to sell them office supplies. Your buddy made sure you got it, even though you weren’t the lowest bidder and he got a kickback. Using the mail to defraud is a federal offense.” Darcy raised his eyebrows. “And Graydon Bell is a very tenacious U.S. Attorney.”

  “I didn’t! You can’t prove–” Marius swore under his breath and balled up his hands into fists.

  “Don’t mess with me. Do we understand each other?” Darcy’s stare was as hard as steel.

  “You wouldn’t dare risk dragging the family name through the mud.”

  “Wanna bet? No one will head this corporation but me. No one,” Darcy said.

  “Grandfather would stand by me.” Marius tried to recover some advantage. “It wouldn’t even get to trial. Grandfather knows how smart business is done.”

  “No doubt you’d have the best attorney possible. But do you think Grandfather would let you near a responsible position of any of the family businesses after that?” Darcy shook his head slowly.

  Both men knew the answer.

  Marius pounded the arm of his chair in frustration. “You bastard!”

  “I’m sure you’d do the same for me, cousin,” Darcy shot back.

  Marius sat fuming for several minutes before his sneer returned. “What about your secret meetings with the police jury president? Grandfather would not be happy.”

  “How did you find out–” Darcy dipped his head in a slight bow. “Seems we have a stand-off.”

  “Let’s be honest, Grandfather is not going to cut you out and promote me. But he will make sure we’re rewarded equally. So let’s protect each other, since we both could lose big time.” Marius adopted a practical tone.

  “Agreed. Now do you have any suggestions regarding Pantheon?” Darcy waited patiently.

  After a few moments, Marius brightened. “We could get the Feds to declare part of the Dalcour property as wetlands. Then they would lose it.”

  Darcy gave him a look of contempt. “So would we, Marius. That would take the land off the market for any kind of development. What a stupid idea.”

  Marius glared at him. “Well, what do you suggest?”

  “Pantheon wants, no needs, this plant. The state and the Feds are on their backs about the waste they produce at other sites. Part of an agreement they made to avoid hefty fines was to safely dispose of hazardous by-products.” Darcy was back in control. He leaned back into the rich leather of his chair.

  “Really? Hmm, I didn’t know that.” Marius rubbed his chin.

  “Of course you didn’t. But I do. They won’t squawk if we use a different tract, adjacent to our land.” Darcy brushed the sleeve of his cotton shirt.

  “But what will Grandfather say? He really wants to get his hands on Dalcour property.” Marius seemed to hesitate at the thought of Henry’s displeasure.

  “He’ll get over it. It’s time he let us handle the day-to-day affairs anyway.” Darcy looked at his cousin. “He deserves a rest after all these years.”

  “Wait a minute, this means you’ll have to have Bayou Latte dredged and a road built. You know how he’ll react.” Marius went from hesitation to obvious fear. Henry Jove was a force of destruction when angry.

  “You want a multi-million-dollar deal to take wings and fly away? We either decide to ride out Grandfather’s displeasure or kiss that plant goodbye.” Darcy did not seem the least bit concerned about Henry’s reaction. “Besides, when I show him all those lovely zeros in the profit column, he’ll be quite happy.”

  Marius brightened again at the mention of money. “You’re right. So, when do we start?”

  “I’m meeting with Latham and his bosses in New Orleans in a week. You get started with the process to have dredging done.”

  “Right. What about Rae Dalcour? Are we just going to let her stay? Toya won’t be happy.” Marius stood.

  “I don’t care if she throws one of her temper tantrums. Ignore her.”

  Marius scrutinized Darcy. “Of course, your weak spot for Rae Dalcour doesn’t have anything to do with it. Right?”

  “I don’t have a weak spot for anyone,” Darcy snapped. He caught himself when he saw Marius smile with satisfaction.

  “I would have thought exactly that, until now.” Marius leaned on the desk. “Keep your priorities straight.”

  “All she wants is to open some juke joint on the bayou. So what if Dalcours still own property?”

  “I don’t care about some old family feud.” Marius dismissed fifty years of animosity with a wave of his hand. “We can make big money developing that land – millions.”

  Darcy gazed at him. “What are you thinking, Marius?”

  “That Toya is right about one thing – we need to take care of Rae Dalcour.”

  “Leave Rae alone,” Darcy said. “I’ll see she comes around in my own way.”

  “You got two weeks, cousin. Then I’ll take over.”

  *

  Rae made a full turn to look around the living room. “Darn, Andy. Looks like a tornado touched down in here.”

  Andrew lived four miles down the road from their family home in a double-wide trailer he’d bought at a government auction. Despite the clutter inside, the three-bedroom home did not look too bad. Andrew took her comment with his usual easygoing outlook.

  “Serena helps me out once a week, cleaning up.” Andrew shoved a stack of magazines on fishing and cars out of the way, so his sister could sit on the sofa.

  “You’ve got some charm. Your ex-wife helps you clean up and your girlfriend comes over to cook. Don’t you get a little confused sometimes?”

  Andrew grunted. “Serena comes by for her child-support check and to beg for money as much as anything. And Marilyn is a nag.”

  Rae smiled. “Those kids of yours are cute as can be. Little Aletha Ann has the prettiest fat, brown cheeks.”

  “Yeah, they’re good-lookin’ little rascals. Hey, Robert is on the honor roll at school, too.” Andrew went to the refrigerator and came back with two bottles of Barq’s crème soda.

  “That’s wonderful. See what good genes us Dalcours have to pass on?” Rae took a long drink. “Um, I sure missed this stuff. It’s good to be home.”

  Andrew plopped down in the chair next to the sofa. “No place like home.” He put his feet on the coffee table with a satisfied sigh. “How is work at the dance hall comin’?”

  “Almost through. I’m having flyers for the grand opening printed up. Gonna have ads in the Baton Rouge newspaper. Got a listing in four small papers that are mostly about local interests – those are free.”

  “You’ve really got this all planned out. Sounds good.”

  “We’re going to have our grand opening on Memorial Day weekend.” Rae was pleased with the progress she’d made.

  “Three weeks away. You’ll be ready by then? I know how much needed to be done on that place.” Andrew shook his head. “It was in a mess.”

  “I lit a fire under those guys. We’ll be ready in another week or so. Jamal and Wes are bringing the band, and guess who’s coming in to sing on Monday at the big outdoor barbecue?”

  “Who?”

  “Kenny Neal.” Rae beamed at him.

  “Get outta here, girl! You gonna make Neville’s investment back in three days.” Andrew looked impressed.

  “I’ll settle for a modest profit to start. But I think this thing is going to take off.” Rae he
aved a sigh. “I’ve kept one of my promises to Daddy. By the way, LaMar called the other day. He thinks he’s got a lead.”

  Andrew’s good humor evaporated. “Oh?”

  “I tell you, Savannah was right about him. He’s good. He found out the sheriff in Orleans Parish had witnesses that saw a couple leave the car. One lady is still living in Kenner. Anyway, LaMar thinks he can trace the couple at least to where they stayed after leaving the car.”

  Andrew twisted his hands together. “I’ve been thinking it might be best to just forget about it. What difference could it make after all these years?”

  “It will make a difference to our family,” Rae said.

  “I don’t think anybody cares about it these days. Nobody treats my kids bad cause their name is Dalcour,” Andrew said. “Tell that detective to quit lookin’.”

  “Since I hired LaMar, you’ve been acting real funny. What’s up?” Rae leaned forward to stare at him hard.

  “It’s just we don’t want no more trouble.” Andrew did not look at her. “Once the dance hall starts goin’, you’ll get respect from everybody for bringin’ business to town.”

  “I’m not buying that line, Andy. You never cared what folks in Belle Rose thought. What’s the real reason?” Rae persisted.

  Andrew sat back against the cushion and looked at her. “Remember I told you I went up in Daddy’s attic?”

  “Yeah, to look for his burial policy and stuff…”

  “I found some papers.” Andrew got up and walked to the open screen door of the trailer.

  “What kind of papers?” Rae got up to stand behind him. She tugged on his arm. “Andrew, tell me what this is about.”

  Andrew turned around. His eyes were sad. “I found some old letters that Pawpaw Vincent wrote. Love letters to Estelle Jove.”

  Rae sighed with relief. “I knew he’d been having an affair with her. But that doesn’t make him a–”

  “And there were some papers where he wrote off for information on living in South America. He said in one letter that money wouldn’t be a problem.” Andrew shook his head and then walked back to drop into the chair again.