Bayou Treasure

by Georgia Tribell

  “From your silence, I don’t suppose you would be willing to tell me if he was as good as one would expect.”

  “No, I wouldn’t.” Somehow she managed to get the words past the knot in her throat.

  Black gave a short bitter laugh. “I didn’t think so. That’s quite all right, because we need to discuss business now. Last night you indicated you’d retrieved the rest of my merchandise.”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m very pleased with your work, my dear. Honestly, if I’d known what an asset you were, I’d have brought you into the organization long ago. One just never knows about a person.”

  “I’m not a part of your organization.” The words were colder and harder than she’d intended, but did the man actually think she’d go to work for him?

  Bitter laughter crossed the airwaves, causing the hairs on her neck to prickle. “Believe what you want. Meet me at Oak Alley Plantation tonight at midnight.”

  “Midnight?”

  “I know it’s cliché, but I have other business that must be attended to first.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  “Good. I’ll be waiting in cabin two.”

  Welcome back to reality, Marie thought as she hung up the phone and looked at the beignets. Her appetite was gone, along with her lighthearted mood. Snatching up the bag, she hurled it across the room toward the wastebasket, cursing Black as she did. The paper bag missed its mark.

  Powdered sugar exploded from the sack when it hit the wall above the trashcan. The white dust slowly settled, coating the antique writing desk, wall and floor. The scattered particles reminded her of her life. It was a mess and there was no easy way to clean it up.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Is something wrong?”

  Rob’s words cut through the worry that had been eating away at him all morning. He’d left Marie sleeping to come back to his parents’ house, determined to find out what Black was up to and how she was involved. It was now after noon and he was no closer to solving this mess now than he’d been at six this morning.

  LD swiveled away from the computer screen he’d been staring at for the last few minutes without really seeing. “I can’t shake the feeling Marie’s up to something.”

  He glanced over at the phone, willing it to ring. When it didn’t, he turned the chair and his attention back to the computer in his father’s home office.

  Rob gave a short cynical laugh. “What? Can’t stand the fact she hasn’t called you?”

  “That isn’t it.”

  The decanter clanked against the glass as Rob poured another scotch and water for himself. LD mentally noted it was his second drink in the last thirty minutes.

  “Hey, I know what it feels like to wait.”

  The words were muttered, but they cut through LD’s concentration faster than if they’d been yelled. Stopping his search of the Internet for additional information on Black, he turned to face his friend. Rob stood looking out over the garden.

  He wanted to ask Rob to repeat himself because there was no way this man ever waited on a woman’s call. Rob was the type who women, both married and single, passed phone numbers, email addresses, and room keys to. Women were drawn to the guy like bees to honey. Rob was more withdrawn than normal since his last assignment, but he’d assumed it was the effects of being deep undercover, but maybe it wasn’t.

  “We really haven’t talked much since you joined the team in Boston. Do we need to kill a bottle or two of tequila?” In the past, when either needed to talk, they simply showed up with some liquor and the other dropped what he was doing. It was a tradition they’d started before either of them could legally buy liquor.

  Rob turned to face him. “I don’t know. Maybe, it’s just—”

  The phone interrupted Rob before he could finish his statement. LD listened for a minute then hung up the phone. “Marie’s on the move.”

  Rob finished his drink, placing the empty glass on the credenza. “I’ll go take over for Piver. If Marie’s up to something, she won’t lose me.”

  LD handed Rob the hastily scribbled address. “Seriously, if you need that drink?”

  “No, thanks,” Rob took the paper and moved toward the door.

  LD turned back to the computer once again in hopes of finding new information on Black.

  “LD.”

  Rotating the chair back toward the doorway, he saw Rob standing just on the other side. “Yeah?”

  Rob took a deep breath and LD could tell he was considering what he wanted to say. “If there’s the slightest chance this thing between you and Marie is the real thing, don’t give up. Follow your heart, not your mind.”

  LD watched in stunned silence as Rob vanished. Turning back, once again, to the computer, LD stared blankly at the screen for several minutes. Then, frustrated, he pushed back from the desk and walked to the sideboard. Rob wasn’t the only one who needed a drink.

  With glass in hand, LD walked out onto the back patio and settled on a bench beneath a weeping willow. This morning while Marie lay sleeping, he’d slipped out like a coward. This, after he’d stayed awake all night watching her sleep, wondering what he was going to do.

  If she were a part of Black’s organization, then he was bound by an oath to see her arrested, convicted, and put away where he wouldn’t see her again. Those thoughts made the muscles in his stomach clench and his heart pound.

  He could resign his position, look the other way, and take Marie far away. LD nearly laughed at that thought. He’d have to drag her screaming and kicking to get her away from her family. Not to mention, he’d have to live with himself and he wasn’t sure he could toss away all he believed in and still look at his reflection in the mirror. So, where did that leave him? Ignoring the evidence and trusting what his instincts told him.

  This morning, at the first glimmer of dawn, he’d left her, determined to convince his ethical side his heart was right. Leaving her house, he’d dropped by the NOPD’s crime lab and called in a favor that was long overdue. Sometime tonight, he’d have a full report from the fingerprints off the glass Marie used last night. Despite the guilt he felt, it was something he needed to do—for himself. If he was going to put his career on the line for a woman, he needed to know she wasn’t a hardened criminal.

  Now, if he could just shake the feeling Marie was up to something, LD thought, as he walked back into the office.

  * * * * *

  The interior of the Aquarium of the Americas was cool and soothing. Usually its atmosphere would have calmed her jittery nerves. Today however, not even the delicate, dancing seahorses were capable of penetrating her anxiety. Shifting the shoulder bag from her left shoulder to right, she moved on to the next display. A group of senior women passed her, one dropping a package as they went by. Marie retrieved the bag and then turned to hand it to the woman.

  “Thank you, dear.”

  “You’re welcome,” Marie answered with a smile.

  “It’s a stuffed alligator for my grandson.”

  “I’m sure he’ll love it.” Marie scanned the crowd as she answered.

  “I hope so.”

  The woman joined her group and Marie followed them into the ladies’ room.

  “Goodness gracious honey, why are you dressed like that?”

  The woman she helped earlier was freshening her lipstick at one of the large mirrors inside the ladies restroom, and staring at her like she’d lost her mind. Maybe she had, Marie thought as she looked at her reflection in the other mirror.

  “Mildred, you ask the stupidest questions,” a woman wearing a purple hat with hot pink, silk Gerber daisies attached to the wide, floppy brim answered. “It’s obvious, she’s on the run.”

  “Is it true?” Mildred asked.

  “Yes.” A trickle of sweat rolled down between Marie’s shoulder blades. Not because the women were questioning her, but because now as she took a good look at her disguise, she knew it’d never work. It was the only plan that occurred to her this morning after Bl
ack’s phone call.

  “He beats you, doesn’t he?” Mildred asked in a soft understanding voice as she took Marie’s hand and patted it.

  Before she could answer, Mildred pushed her down into one of the overstuffed chairs next to the vanity, as hands from all sides reached for her. “Don’t you worry one bit, honey, we’re going to take care of you.”

  Twenty minutes later, Marie stood before the full-length mirror and stared at herself in disbelief. She still wore the ankle-length flowered dress and gray wig she’d put on earlier, but with these women’s added touches, she was transformed into one of them. Her face was heavily powdered, her eyelids were periwinkle blue, her checks were almost orange and her lips were a bright red. “Is that me?”

  “Yes, it is,” Mildred stated, handing back her tote bag, which one woman had smartly turned inside out. The once noticeable paisley print was now hidden on the inside. Her bag now looked like any other non-descript black tote bag.

  “Now, stoop a little,” one of the women said as she demonstrated the move.

  Marie stooped over as shown. “Like this?”

  “Yes, perfect. Now bend your knees, make yourself a little shorter.” Purple hat lady showed her how and Marie followed her directions. “Good.”

  “Now, walk for us,” Mildred commanded.

  Marie stooped over, bent her knees and proceeded to walk. She felt like a chicken.

  “No, not like that. Shuffle your feet, like this.” A woman in a dark brown dress shuffled across the room.

  “Okay.” Marie once again stooped, bent and now shuffled her way across the small room.

  “That’s it, dear, you’ve got the walk down.” Brown suit cheered with a clap of her hands.

  Marie straightened. “None of you are stooped and shuffling. So why me?”

  “It’s simple,” Mildred stated as she shoved the large purple hat on Marie’s head then handed over a pair of thick glasses. “We aren’t trying to be old. Now, put those on and let’s go.”

  Marie slipped the glasses on. “These make me dizzy.”

  “Good. It’ll make your walk unsteady. Now, take my arm and we’re out of here.”

  Stooped and shuffling, Marie took Mildred’s arm and exited the bathroom. The glasses gave her vertigo when she tried to look around. After stumbling once, she kept her focus on the floor a few feet in front of her. With each step they took, her heart rate increased and the risk of being caught was greater than before.

  Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the small group with Marie securely ensconced in the middle exited the building. Marie took a deep breath and reached for the glasses.

  “Not yet,” Mildred whispered as they continued to walk down the sidewalk and stopped. “There’s a man out here looking a little frantic. Now, up on the bus you go.”

  Marie boarded the bus with the other women and took a seat next to a window. Slipping the glasses down her nose, Marie scanned the crowd milling on the sidewalk. Outside the aquarium’s entrance, she spotted a tall man, with blond hair and a diamond stud in his ear, searching the horde of people. The bus doors swished closed after the last woman boarded. As the bus pulled away, Marie rested her head back against the seat. “Where are we headed?”

  “Mardi Gras World.”

  Good, Marie thought, as she closed her eyes for the ride. From there, she would call a cab, head to the airport and rent a car.

  All was going better than planned.

  * * * * *

  Diamond Retrieval: Day 4

  Marie turned the car off Great River Road onto the dirt path that led to the cottages located behind the old plantation. Only a few feet off the thoroughfare, she realized there were no lights. The only working light she could see was the one reflecting in her review mirror.

  Centuries old oak trees lined either side of the drive. As the car passed under the oak canopy, the light of the moon, passing through the limbs above, caused shadows to dance across the windshield. The road curved to the left, circling behind the large plantation house. The first cabin loomed out of the darkness, like a murky blob to her left. Stopping in front, she located the number, which was illuminated by a single bare yellow bug light. It wasn’t the one she wanted. She continued on, slowing in front of each cabin until she found number two, then she parked and got out.

  The closing car door sounded like an explosion in the midnight quiet that surrounded her. She stood at the back of the property, in front of a cottage secluded from the others. There was no sign of people at the other houses; no cars, no voices—only silence. Other than the creepy yellow light shining by the cabin door and the odor from a wood-burning fire drifting on the air, she could have believed she was totally alone.

  “Do come in.”

  Marie jumped at Black’s voice, which seemingly floated through the air without a point of origin. The door stood open, like a tomb beckoning her to enter.

  Tentatively, she made her way across the lawn and up the steps, pausing outside the entrance to peer inside. Firelight illuminated the area directly in front of the stone hearth. Within the circle of light, two rocking chairs sat on a throw rug that covered a small section of the rough wood floor, facing the flames.

  The scene would have been inviting had Black not occupied one of the chairs. Instead, the scene was surreal, like Norman Rockwell meets Ted Bundy. Marie shivered as Black turned to look at her with eyes that, for a moment, held the look of one who is mentally unstable.

  “Please, join me in a glass of wine.” The request sounded pleasant enough, but she knew it was an order. “I hope you enjoy a good cabernet.”

  Black retrieved a glass and wine bottle from a tray that lay neatly arranged on the floor next to his chair. Marie sat, taking the glass when he offered it to her. “Thank you.”

  Black smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “You’re welcome. Did you bring the rest of my diamonds?”

  “Yes.” Marie fumbled in her jacket pocket for the bag. “Here. It’s all of them, I’m sure.”

  She clutched the wine goblet with two hands as Black opened the bag and poured the contents into his palm. He returned them to the bag before looking back at her. “You’ve done a wonderful job. The next shipment should go much smoother now that you understand the business.”

  The air caught in Marie’s throat. She took a couple of deep breaths before she found enough composure to speak. “We had a deal and I did what you asked, I returned your diamonds. We’re done.”

  Black laughed as he twirled the wine around the glass. “Naiveté becomes you, so I do hate spoiling it. Did you really think I would let you walk away?”

  Marie paled and felt sick.

  “You did, I can tell by that look. How refreshing. Well, I suppose I could kill you and dump your body in one of the bayous. The alligators would quickly take care of the evidence. I don’t think that will be necessary, do you? I mean, after all, we’re business associates.”

  Her hands started to shake and she gripped the glass harder. The nightmare wasn’t ending. “Business associates?” were the only words she could get out.

  “Yes, you see we’ve been using your business for years to smuggle small, easily concealed items. Haven’t you ever wondered why there’s always a truck with space for your furniture, no matter the destination?”

  Marie shook her head in violent denial.

  “Haven’t you ever wondered how your shipments get through customs so quickly? We pay the customs officer nicely to guarantee invoices with your store’s name get moved to the top of the queue. Then we get a call, so we can retrieve what is ours before you collect your merchandise.”

  She stood and the glass slipped from her hands to land with a muffled thud, spilling wine across the rug. “No! I won’t be a part of your organization. I might have unknowingly helped you in the past, but no more. I’m not a criminal. I won’t voluntarily do it.”

  A sound at the door caused Marie to turn. Two very large men entered the cabin and with them came an air of person
al danger for her. These two wanted nothing more than to hurt her. She hadn’t known anyone else was here because she’d been totally focused on Black.

  Black called it naiveté, she thought it was arrogance that got her into this mess. LD asked, no begged, for her to let him help. If she’d accepted his pleas, she wouldn’t be in this situation. She wouldn’t be standing here scared, alone and wondering if she was going to see the sunrise.

  “I was afraid you’d say that.”

  At Black’s words, the men started toward her. Marie moved back a step and when she did, her foot landed on the forgotten glass. The goblet cracked and then crushed as her foot slipped out from under her. With a curse she fell, landing hard on her bottom. On hands and feet, she scooted backward, away from the two goons. Her right hand landed on something solid and sharp as goon number one yanked her up by the front of her blouse.

  When her feet were solid underneath her, she thrust her right hand forward, sinking the glass stem into his stomach. The man screamed and let her go. When he did, she ran for her life.

  She made it out the door in four steps, bounded across the porch in two strides and took the steps in one jump. She landed roughly, but kept her balance and didn’t slow down.

  Sweat rolled down her back as she ran, pulling car keys from her jacket pocket. She was almost there and the drivers’ door wasn’t locked—she’d intentionally left it that way. All she needed to do was round the hood, open the door and…

  The force of the blow lifted her off her feet. She landed hard on the hood, sliding across it, and stopping when she hit the ground on the other side. She tried to get up, to keep moving, but her arms and legs wouldn’t work and she couldn’t catch her breath.

  One hand grabbed her arm and jerked her up.

  “I should kill you. You outmaneuvered my best man with nothing more than the stem from a broken wineglass. Now, I’m going to have to put him down. I can’t afford such incompetence.”

  Black’s face was right in hers. Anger and rage turned his normally handsome face into that of a madman. “You should be thankful there’s a part of me that admires your courage and ingenuity. Because of that, I’m going to keep you alive. And you are going to work for me. If you don’t, your sister and brother will pay the price.