by Rebecca Deel
Remy glanced in the rearview mirror at his friend. “If the treatment is experimental, there’s a good chance the insurance company won’t approve it.”
“Your company is also having a cash flow problem,” Lily said. “Christine mentioned it in her journal several times. She was worried about you and Wilder Industries. I think she didn’t want to add to your problems and decided to take care of the expense herself.”
“Christine didn’t take any of the family heirlooms, James.”
“I would have sold everything we owned to get her the treatment if it would cure her.”
Remy sighed. “That’s another concern. Anything that sounds too good to be true generally is.”
“This doctor could be poisoning her?” His voice rose.
“Can’t run a scam business by killing off your clientele. Word gets out pretty fast if your patients all die.”
James blanched. “We have to find her.”
They finished the rest of the drive to the sheriff’s office in silence. Remy parked in front of the sheriff’s department. He turned, looked over the seat. “You have to be the one to make the request, James. Mouton’s combative with me. I won’t help matters if I go in with you.”
“Still bad blood between you, huh?” A ghost of a smile curled James’ lips.
“Let me know if Mouton refuses to cooperate.”
“He better hand over everything or he’ll be talking to my lawyer within the hour.” He climbed from the SUV and strode into the building.
“What are his chances of succeeding?” Lily asked.
“Decent. The Wilder name carries a lot of weight in this town.” Remy grinned. “Best of all, it’s an election year. Mouton can’t afford to let James back the competition, not if he wants to keep his cushy job.”
“Nice.”
Minutes later, James returned, keys dangling from his hand. After climbing into the back of the SUV, he said, “Do you know where the police impound yard is?”
“Sure.”
“That’s where Mouton stashed the Escalade.” His face hardened. “That idiot made me pay a $200 impound fee.”
“What about Christine’s purse and anything else she left in her vehicle?”
“He left everything untouched.”
“Incompetent,” Lily muttered.
Yep, she was right. Remy hoped no one had noticed the pink handbag in the floorboard. Otherwise, they were out of luck searching through her belongings and they’d have to get the information through Christine’s friends.
He cranked the engine and backed away from the curb. He turned right on Concord Road, drove a couple miles, then turned into a fenced in lot. James leaned forward, spoke to the attendant. When they were cleared, Remy drove into the lot. Christine’s maroon SUV was along the back fence in the corner. He and Lily followed James to the vehicle.
“Check the handbag, sweetness.” After handing her gloves and tugging on a pair himself, Remy went to the back of the Escalade, lifted the tailgate. His eyebrows rose. A case of water, pillows, blanket, flashlight. Huh. Almost as if she were preparing to camp. He had to smile at himself. Christine would never consent to sleeping in a tent, certainly not if she was going for medical treatment.
When he found nothing else of interest, he moved on to the backseat. Nothing in the doors. He searched cracks and crevices. Came up with a couple receipts. One for French Quarter Boutique, one for the Grand Hotel. “Anything, Lily?”
“Wallet’s missing. She loves lipstick and gum.”
“Cell phone?”
“Right here.”
Of course. Couldn’t allow Christine to take her cell. The quack doc probably told her she needed to focus on getting better, not keeping in touch with anyone. Besides, she would be back in Oak Hill before anyone really noticed she was gone. If she didn’t have contact with the outside world, no one could talk her into leaving before the treatment was finished and her money well spent.
“What will you do now?” James asked. “You can’t track her phone.”
“We track her the old fashioned way. Leg work and computer searches. Once we have a name for this doctor, we’ll know where to go.” He climbed from the SUV and squeezed his friend’s shoulder. “Trust me. We’ll find Christine and bring her home. I’d like to keep her phone for now.”
When the search of the SUV yielded nothing else useful, Remy left James to drive the Escalade home. He and Lily returned to the Doucet place.
Inside the house, his mother came from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel. “Remy, Lily, where have you been? I thought you might come home for lunch.”
“We ate at the club, Mom. Where’s Dad?”
“Showering off sweat and dirt from the fields. Is anything wrong?” Concern clouded her face.
“The search for Christine is leading us into New Orleans.”
“Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Eat first, then go on your way. At least you’ll have a full stomach. Besides, by the time you arrive in the city, the shops may be closed. You can start your search fresh in the morning.”
Remy glanced at Lily. She gave a slight nod.
“Sounds like a good plan, Mom.”
He and his partner packed up their gear within a few minutes. Remy grabbed their duffel bags and placed them by the front door. When he walked into the kitchen, he found his father deep in conversation with Lily about engines. His lips curved. Never thought he’d see the day when his father was that enamored with a woman in Remy’s life. Lily answered his father’s questions while setting the table.
During the meal, Aiden asked, “What is your plan, son?”
“Nose around in New Orleans. We have a couple leads on Christine. We need to find her soon.”
“You’re sure she’s not doing as everyone says, shopping?”
“She’s in trouble, Dad. Mouton won’t be any help in finding her. James was right to call in Fortress.”
“He called you, baby,” Marie said. “No matter what happened in the past, he trusts you to do right by Christine. That says a lot about both of you.”
Remy didn’t know about that, just knew he wouldn’t let either one of them down. After dinner, he and Lily helped clean the kitchen, then loaded their gear into the SUV.
Marie tugged Lily into a hug. “You be careful, little one. Come back to me unharmed.”
Lily’s astonished expression made Remy smile. His elf didn’t know what to do with his mother. She might as well get used to it. Marie Doucet had decided Lily was one of her own brood now.
Aiden squeezed her shoulder. “Watch your back, Lily.”
“I will, I promise.” She glanced at Remy. “And I’ll watch your son’s back as well.”
“I never doubted that, my dear. Anyone can see you care for him as much as he cares for you. See that you take care of each other.” His father dragged Remy into a back-slapping hug. “Come back soon, son. When Christine is safe, stop by if you can. We’d love to spend more time with you and Lily.”
“We’ll try, Dad. No guarantees.” Another visit depended on whether or not Fortress gave them another mission after they brought Christine home.
Minutes later, Remy climbed behind the wheel and pulled away from the house with a wave. Once they were back on asphalt, he chanced a glance at his companion. “What did you think of them?”
“You are very lucky to have Aiden and Marie as parents. They’re wonderful people.”
“I really hope you mean that, sweetness, because I think my parents will be after you to visit frequently.”
“Why?” She sounded puzzled.
“They think of you as mine.”
“I don’t want to deceive them, Remy. I like them too much to do that.”
As far as he was concerned, there was no deception. He was beginning to feel like they might have something good going between them. It would be fun to find out if he was right.
He pulled out his cell, hit his speed dial for Maddox and switched it to speaker.
&nb
sp; “Where are you and what do you need?”
Remy grinned. Nothing like getting down to business immediately. “We’re leaving Oak Hill, heading to New Orleans. I need a suite at the Grand Hotel in the French Quarter.”
“Done. I’ll put Zane on it. What have you learned so far?”
He gave a quick update, ending with, “I’m pretty sure Christine’s been sucked into a scam, Brent.”
“Sounds like it. Lot of them out there. Lily, opinion?”
“Christine’s a woman desperate for a cure that doesn’t include losing her ability to have children. That would make her reckless enough to try an experimental treatment by this unknown doctor.”
“Agreed. The jet is fueled and ready. The pilot’s on standby. Keep me in the loop when you have a direction to head. We have five teams deployed around the globe. Hopefully, one of them will be close enough to your next destination to provide backup if you need it.”
“Appreciate it. Have Z put the suite in my name. I don’t want anyone to know Lily’s full name.”
Silence greeted his statement. “Explain.” A one-word demand.
He reached over, curled his hand over Lily’s. “She has some stuff going on in her family, a relative that’s critically ill. If our investigation stirs up the trouble I suspect it will, I don’t want any of that to spill over onto them. They have enough to deal with right now.” Wasn’t the only reason for the precaution, but it was the single one Remy was willing to share with his boss.
“What about the Doucets?”
He snorted. “My family has weapons and they know how to use them, including the women. Anyone coming after them will be sorry they tried.”
“Understood.” Maddox ended the call.
“Why did you do that?” Lily asked. “And don’t give me the party line you gave our boss. I’m not buying it.”
“I am concerned for your family, honey. No way I can keep my name out of the search for Christine. People around here know we had a history. If your name gets out, the repercussions could be dangerous for your mother and her family. I don’t want to give anyone information on you. I’m watching your back, Elf.”
“Fortress’ tech geeks have buried our information, Remy, and I’m just as capable as you are of protecting myself.”
“I don’t doubt that. I’ve seen you work in the field.” His hands clenched around the steering wheel. “Let me do this, Lily. I couldn’t protect you when you were a kid in the system. At least let me protect you this much. Before this assignment is finished, I have a feeling we’ll be protecting ourselves and each other.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Lily yawned as Remy pulled into a slot in the parking garage at the Grand Hotel. Even at nearly midnight, nightlife was bustling in the French Quarter. For the first time since they’d arrived in Louisiana, she felt like she could breathe again. Concrete and asphalt streets, people, neon lights, party goers, emergency sirens. She smiled. Life in the city with scarce green stuff. Just like home.
She climbed from the SUV, met Remy at the back to retrieve her gear. She followed him to the elevator and exited in the lobby of the hotel. And stopped. Good grief. Marble and gold gleamed everywhere. Soft classical music played in the background. A huge fountain burbled nearby. Elegant and classy were the words that came to mind immediately.
Talk about feeling out of place. She was very aware of her wrinkled clothes, her drooping ponytail, and she was sure whatever makeup she’d slapped on her face early this morning was long gone in the heat and humidity of the day. She couldn’t wait to climb into a hot shower and scrub off the day’s sweat.
At the front desk, Remy handed over his ID and his company credit card. Within a couple minutes, they both had a key card to their suite on the third floor. Once they boarded the elevator, Lily glanced at Remy. “Wonder what a suite goes for here?”
“Don’t ask.”
She winced. “Hope Maddox doesn’t take it out of our pay.”
“We’ll both be eating mac and cheese for a month if he does.”
The suite door opened into a large living area, complete with a large screen television and a marble fireplace. A white sofa along with a large coffee table and two upholstered chairs completed the elegant space.
“Pick the room you want, Elf. Need anything from room service?”
“Not if they have bottled water in that refrigerator.”
He nodded toward the utilitarian kitchen. “Check it out. If it doesn’t, I’ll call down and ask them to deliver a few bottles.”
She stored her gear in the room on the right side of the suite, then checked the refrigerator. Empty. She blew out a breath, thought about waiting until morning to scrounge up water for herself and Remy. Sighed. Not smart. Who knew what they would face overnight, much less during the day tomorrow? They couldn’t afford to be dehydrated.
“Anything?” Remy asked as he strode into the living area from the left bedroom.
“Nope.”
“Want something else to go along with the water?”
Lily thought about it a moment. “A couple of bananas sound really good right now.”
“Coming right up.”
While Remy called in their order, Lily checked the entire suite for entry points, locks, windows, and ended her search on the balcony. She frowned. Too close to the ground level for her taste. Wouldn’t take much for someone to scale the balconies and railings to reach their suite. Crowd noise reached her ears. Great view of the French Quarter and the milling people below. With the street so alive with folks even this late at night, Lily suspected it would be hard for a person to climb to their balcony without anyone noticing. Didn’t alleviate her concern over security, but it helped. Music and laughter carried on the balmy night breeze. The hotel was two blocks from Bourbon Street. She could see where Christine would enjoy the fine hotel nestled in the heart of the French Quarter. The whole area was full of life.
“What do you think?” Remy stepped out onto the balcony and stood beside her at the railing.
“Beautiful and busy.”
He chuckled. “This is pretty mild compared to what happens during festivals. You can hardly walk for all the people on the streets.”
“Did you and your family come for the festivities?”
“Too chaotic for us country folks. We leave that to the tourists.” He turned to face her. “You thought further about contacting your mother?”
Lily’s stomach knotted. “Not really. Haven’t had much time.” Hadn’t wanted to take the time either, if she was being honest with herself.
Remy didn’t say a word, but he still made her drop her gaze, which ticked her off. But there it was. She had a feeling she’d disappointed him. Well, he could get over it. This was her life, her decision. He couldn’t protect her from everything. Why would he even want to try? She was capable of making this decision on her own. A knock on the door gave her a reprieve from her own thoughts.
Remy drew his weapon, checked the peephole. He slid the gun back into his holster and unlocked the suite door. A hotel employee handed over four large bottles of water and a cluster of bananas.
“Anything else, sir?”
“Not right now. Thanks.”
“Have a good night.”
Remy relocked the door and brought a couple bottles of water along with two bananas to the balcony. “Let’s sit and enjoy the evening for a few minutes. We had a long day. I don’t know about you, but I need a few minutes to just breathe and let all we’ve learned in the last two days settle.” He slid her snack and drink across the small table.
Lily ate the fruit before she gathered enough courage to look at Remy. “Did I disappoint you with my answer?”
“No, honey, you didn’t. I meant what I said last night. I’ll support whatever decision you make.”
She heard the unspoken in his voice. “But?”
“This may be your one chance to find out anything about your mother, including her health history and the history of your family. It
might be important one day. The choice is yours, though. I won’t try to persuade you one way or another.”
“Maybe when we find Christine and bring her home.”
“If that’s what you decide, I’ll arrange with Maddox to be off at the same time. Where does your mother live?”
“Texas.”
“How many siblings do you have? Did the email tell you that?”
“Three sisters, one brother.” She had a hard time wrapping her mind around the idea of siblings. Would they be anything like her? She wanted to laugh at herself. How could they be? They’d grown up several hundred miles apart. She was a child of the streets. From what she gathered, the Higgins family was middle class and normal, unlike her. The chance her brother and sisters were security experts was slim to none.
“You’re afraid to meet them.”
A statement. She wanted to squirm, forced herself to remain still. He saw too much. Remy made her feel vulnerable and she didn’t know how to deal with that except to go on the attack. Partners and friends had each other’s backs, so defense wasn’t an option. “Maybe,” she admitted.
“Definitely. Can’t say that I blame you for that.”
“Why? You aren’t afraid of your own clan.”
He snorted. “You haven’t seen us in a full-scale blowout. The Doucets were on their best behavior last night. Families are nosy, opinionated, and get in your face when they think you’re off your rocker and about to make a boneheaded decision.”
“I don’t know how family dynamics work, Remy. I’ve never been part of one.”
He reached over, clasped her hand in his. “I know, honey. That’s part of the reason why this is a difficult decision for you to make. What’s your mother’s name?”
“Elaine Higgins.”
“Where did Stanton come from?”
She shrugged. “It was the name on my birth certificate.”
“The Higgins family has their own set of rules. Everyone knows the hierarchy and dynamics. Your mother’s illness changes things a great deal for them. She’s been an anchor for her children, her husband. Her family is grieving, dreading her loss in the days ahead, and they’ll be that much more protective of her with a stranger in their midst.”
