“Where did he go?” I asked.
“I dunno,” Ty said. “Maybe he go talk to Lorraine.”
About a half hour later, Mr. Delacroix was back with startling news. Steve and another man were staying at a hotel not far from the apartment. It was a streak of good luck that we had not run into them.
“At least I know where they are before they know where we are,” Mr. Delacroix said as he paced the room. “Nez, how do you wanna proceed? Are you ready to talk to him? I mean, there’s nothing they can do. They can’t force you to go back—not legally, anyway.”
“Sir, I just don’t know. Is my mom with them? I wouldn’t mind seeing my mom, but not them.”
“Sir, if I may?” Sunny interjected. “It seems to me that if this was all about Miss Nez getting back with her mom, her mom would have come.”
He looked at me, realizing only then how painful it was for me to hear his words. “Oh god, I’m sorry, baby girl.”
“No, Sunny, you’re right. She should have come. It’s all right.”
My tears betrayed my words. It was not okay. My mother did not come for me and I knew it. She was too sick to leave her room. How could she come for me?
“As far as Tali and Lorraine know, it’s just the two men,” Mr. Delacroix said, stroking my head.
Sunny’s expression turned grave. “It’s all about the money, then. God, girl, I am so sorry.”
“Sunny, you don’t have to tell me that. I know you are. I don’t want to see them, Mr. Delacroix. If my mom was there, then yeah, I’d probably go, but I have no room for him in my life. I’m through with that life, sir. I can’t protect her anymore. If she chose not to come, there’s not a damned thing I can do about it, but I don’t have to look at him.”
“You’re right, my brave soul. Let me take care of it. I’ve been devising a plan to get them out of town and out of your life.”
I tensed at his words.
“Without anyone getting hurt,” he clarified. “They might get scared, but they won’t get hurt.” He paused. “Unless they put me in a defensive position. You understand that, don’t you? That if I have to defend myself, I will.”
“Yes, sir. I understand.”
Mr. Delacroix was on the phone with his assistant from work. I could hear him, his business voice very similar to the voice he used to give me commands.
“What do you mean, the insurance is holding up the shipment? Tell Williams to go direct to Lloyd’s and not to fool with that agent anymore. I’m sick of this shit, Matthew. Our cargo is perishable. We don’t have time to play this game. If they can’t insure us for a reasonable price within a reasonable timetable, then we’ll take our business elsewhere.”
He sat on the sofa next to me and twirled my hair in his fingers as he spoke. “And, uh, let them know I’ll be taking the week off . . . yeah, family business. Scott will be out as well, but he may be in by Wednesday or so. It depends on how it goes.” He twirled my hair tighter. “You can reach us both at Twisted Oak, and if there’s anything urgent, just send the courier. Williams should be able to handle Lloyd’s and you all have everything well in hand with the Panamanians.” He tugged at my hair. “No, just stay firm on that price and they’ll come around. I’ve been looking at what’s going on in Guatemala. They’re not the only fish in the sea right now.”
I leaned into him, showing my appreciation for his attention. He pet my head. “Right, I’ll be at Twisted Oak tomorrow evening for the week. You can reach me there.”
He hung up and looked down at me. “Don’t worry, cher, you’re coming with me. Best to get you out of the city for a while.” He smiled and kissed my head and made another call. “Ed, it’s Greg Delacroix. Yeah, how are you? Good, good. Hey, listen, I’ll need a car and a driver this evening. A couple of your best men; two, please. Yes, I’ve got some unsavories in the neighborhood that need a persuasive escort out of town.”
I felt giddy at the thought of Steve being “persuaded.”
“Just have the car waiting in the riverfront parking area by JAX around seven forty-five this evening. Yes, a driver and two men. Yeah, armed.” He got up from the sofa and paced as he spoke. “No problem. Just stick it on the company expenses. I appreciate it, last minute and all. You’re a good man, Ed. I owe ya.”
He hung up and called another number. “Joey, hey. How’s it goin’? You on duty tonight? Nice, is Roddy ridin’ with you? Excellent, that’s perfect. Can I ask a favor of you?” He sat again and twirled a lock of my hair. “Appreciate it. I really do. I was wondering if you could do an extra long patrol of the square tonight, from, say, seven forty-five till around eight or so?”
Ty whispered, “Is he talkin’ to Joey Zimmer, the cop?”
Sunny said, “Shhh, yeah. Hush now.”
“Thanks, Joey. I really appreciate it. A friend of mine is in town, a real good girl, and some fellas from KC are after her. Real ugly drug scene that she is trying to get out of. I’d just like you there as a backup. Naw, not unless they decide not to cooperate with me. I can’t guarantee they’d have anything on them, but if they do, they won’t like the idea of you all arresting them.”
I wished I could hear the other end of the conversation. I leaned in to try to hear the other man, but to no avail.
“I didn’t have time and I don’t have time. Look, as much as I’d like to, I just want to get rid of these assholes for good, ya know? Just scare them enough so they won’t ever come back. My private guys will be on Decatur at eight. I’ll also have someone at each gate, so they can’t get out if they decide to be assholes. In that case, they’re all yours. Does the timing work for you? I can’t thank you enough, Joey. You guys are the best.”
He hung up and called Ed back. “Ed, Greg again. Have them pull onto Decatur at eight o’clock. Appreciate it.” He hung up. Ty, Sunny, and I looked at him awaiting instruction.
“Okay, it’s the square plan,” Mr. Delacroix said. I was puzzled, but Sunny and Ty seemed to know what he was talking about. “I’m gonna meet him in the square at seven forty-five to give him back his money. Sunny, I need you to go to the bar and grab two of the biggest, baddest men there. I’ll make it worth their while. While I’m having a little come-to-Jesus meeting with Steve and his sidekick, I need two men at each end of the square, including the two of you, to block their exit. I’ll need you there by seven forty. You get what I mean?”
“Yeah, boss,” Ty said, “like a canned hunt. We need to call this the canned hunt plan. I like your style, bruthah.” He smiled. “Miss Nez, we good at this. You just watch.” He looked at Mr. Delacroix. “What do I do, boss?”
“Find them. Go to their hotel and tell them you know where the money is. Use your street-talk charm and tell them to meet me in the square at seven forty-five and I will see you boys in the square at seven forty.”
“Sounds good, sir,” Sunny said.
“Joey and Roddy will be on horseback patrolling the square. If it all pans out the way I think it will, I’ll escort Steve and what’s-his-name to Decatur Street where Ed’s guys will be waiting to escort them out of town for good.”
“What if they don’t go, sir?” I asked.
“They’ll go, my dear, but if they decide to be dumb, Roddy and Joey will arrest them. They’re cops and on horseback, so nobody can outrun them.”
“Besides that, Miss Nez,” Ty said, “everybody be knowin’ they bad guys. There ain’t no way they get out of the square unless they go with Mr. Delacroix’s men or the cops arrest ’em.”
“What will they be arrested for?”
“Possession with the intent to distribute, and if there’s an unsolved murder, maybe that, too,” Mr. Delacroix said.
“They aren’t murderers, sir, and how do you know they’ll have anything on them?” I asked.
“We don’t, but we can make it so. We can turn them into murderers, too,” he said with a smile.
“You mean set them up? Plant evidence, sir? How is that possible?”
“Anything’s possible in New Orleans, my love, with a little money and the right connections.” He chuckled. “But hopefully they’ll be smart and it won’t come down to that.” He leaned back in the sofa. “Rest assured, though, they’ll have full understanding that they’ll never see the light of day again if they ever set foot in this town for any reason.”
“What should I do, sir?” I asked.
“Sit at the desk in our bedroom and write a nice long letter to your momma. Let her know you’re okay. She’s your mom, Nezzie. She has problems, but she is still your mother. As someone who has lost his parents, all I can do is encourage you not to burn the bridge with her, even if the bridge is about to fall down. She’s your mom and she’s sick. She can’t he held totally responsible for what’s happened. I’ll give the letter to Steve to give to her. If he has any shred of decency, he’ll deliver it.”
I shook my head. True to form, Mr. Delacroix read my mind. “It’s worth a try, Nezzie. Even if he doesn’t give it to her, you’ll know you tried.”
Sunny and Ty were dressing to leave the apartment. “Sunny, hurry back now,” Mr. Delacroix said. “I’ll stay here until you get back. I don’t want Nezzie to be alone. I gotta run to the office and get some cash.”
“How much do you need, sir? I might have enough at the bar.”
“Ten grand, Sunny. Please don’t tell me you have ten grand lying around over there.”
“It’s Sunday, sir. I haven’t made last night’s or Friday’s deposit yet and there’s no band playing tonight, so I bet I can cover you.”
“Ten grand, sir? I only owe him five!” I said.
“Insurance, Nezzie. A little payoff is all. It’s always good to have extra and I need to pay my help as well. And Jesus, Sunny, that’s no way to run a business, son!”
“All the better to give it to you then, sir,” Sunny said with a hint of sarcasm.
“Thanks, kid. I’ll make your deposit tomorrow morning before we leave for the farm.”
“Yes, sir,” Sunny said. He and Ty walked out the door. I stood inside the French doors and watched them leave the square. Sunny went left toward his bar and Ty loped across the square in his familiar way in the same direction Mr. Delacroix had gone earlier.
When I turned to Mr. Delacroix, he was standing next to an open drawer in the bureau. He held a small gun in his hand, inspecting the revolving chamber. I was startled by the sight.
“Mr. Delacroix, this is all too much. I don’t want anyone to get hurt, especially you or Sunny or Ty. I don’t know what I would do if you did. I can talk to Steve.”
“Too late for that now, cher. The plan’s in motion. Just go write that letter. It’ll be okay. It’s not the first time we’ve run somebody out of town. It’s okay. I promise. Nobody will get hurt.”
He slid bullets into the weapon and clipped the chamber closed.
“In fact, I should think you’d get a thrill out of Steve having the shit scared out of him. Ever since you told me about the money and what he did to you and your mom, I’ve been devising this plan. I got this. Don’t worry. Keep your wits together and go write that letter now.”
The desk sat underneath the window in our bedroom. The sash was open so the street noises danced around my mind as I sat to write. I was careful not to give anything away as to my exact location. It was difficult to find the right words.
Dear Mom,
Please forgive me for leaving. I had to go. I know deep inside you understand why I had to leave. I was getting too involved in it. I’m not sure how much you know, but I was getting to the point where I was almost always high on something. I was getting sick like you are, and Steve was pressuring me to sell more. I was afraid. It was time for me to go. Please understand that I love you, but I had to make a fast, quick break.
I’ve been fortunate to find myself in the loving care of a supportive family. They took me in without questions or judgment. I’ve been sober now for almost two months. I feel good, healthy, and strong. They’ve been kind to me and they continue to show me new ways to live with dignity and respect. My mind is clear and I don’t have too many worries anymore, except for you. I think of you every day. I fear for you and what Steve is doing to you. I always have, but I can’t change that. You have to.
In so many ways, I wish you were here to see the person I have become. You’d be proud of me, Mom. I’m doing well and I wish the best for you. I hope my words encourage you to get some help. I know it isn’t easy, but if I can do it, so can you.
I can’t tell you where I am yet, but just know that I am doing well and I will contact you soon.
I love you, Mom.
Susan
* * *
The clock read 7:30. Mr. Delacroix sat on the sofa in silence. His eyes were closed as if in meditation. I thought he was asleep and wondered how someone could sleep at a time like this, until he stood abruptly. “I guess it’s time to go,” he said and stretched his arms. So relaxed and nonchalant. I was a basket of live wires.
He went to the bedroom and came out with a big hat and a dress I had never seen before.
“Make sure you put the hat on so you won’t be recognized. I want you to sit on the balcony and watch everything.” He placed the hat on my head. “If you see me or Sunny or Ty jump up and down three times, come in and call the police. The jumping means we’re in trouble and you have to act immediately. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.” I was shaking.
“Don’t worry, kid. It won’t happen. Like I say, we’ve done this before and it always works. I see no reason for it to be different this time. I usually have a man up here looking out as a backup, but we never need it. Nezzie, I trust you to do the right thing if we get in trouble. Do you understand? Can I trust you?”
“Oh yes, sir.”
“We’re in this for you, ya know. You’re the main part of it.”
“I’m in, sir. I just don’t want anything to go wrong.”
He tucked his gun in the waistband of his jeans and slipped his jacket over his shoulders. He checked to make sure my letter was in the inside pocket. “Nothing will go wrong, love. Just sit and watch.” He kissed my forehead and grabbed a walking cane from the umbrella stand as he left.
I went to the bedroom and put the dress on. I situated the hat on my head so it shaded my face and went out on the balcony to watch. The sun was low on the horizon, and golden light stretched across Andrew Jackson’s horse. I saw Ty and a very large black man standing at the gate in front of the cathedral. Sunny and another white man stood sentry at the gate along Decatur Street. George was there with his mule and carriage; it looked like he was ready to stay until the mission was complete. Tali was sitting in his wheelchair talking to some artists that were packing up their work for the day. Ty was right when he said everyone in the square would be on call to help us.
Iron fencing eight feet tall surrounded the rest of the inner square. If Steve was dumb enough to enter, he deserved what he got. The atmosphere was ripe with excitement, at least for the locals. The tourists carried on in ignorant bliss.
Mr. Delacroix entered the square through the Decatur gate. None of the men acknowledged one another. Mr. Delacroix leaned against the iron fencing surrounding the statue. A couple minutes passed and I saw Steve and his friend enter through the same gate. Ty let out a yelp as if he were cheering for the buskers playing in front of the cathedral, but this was his signal to Mr. Delacroix that Steve was in the square.
Mr. Delacroix swung the cane in front of him, apparently a signal to Steve that he was the connection. I watched in fascination. It was all so well rehearsed. Ty and his partner blocked their gateway and Sunny and his partner did the same. Steve was trapped and did not even know it.
George took his hat off and pretended to be looking at the cathedral
. He noticed me and quickly turned his head. Mr. Delacroix shook Steve’s hand and they seemed to be carrying on a cordial conversation. Steve nodded and Mr. Delacroix smiled and directed the two men to sit on the bench, but Mr. Delacroix remained standing, swinging his cane. It reminded me of the way he swung the riding crop. He exuded dominance as he listened to Steve speak and he nodded once or twice before handing Steve what looked like an old-fashioned metal lunchbox. When he unzipped the front of his jacket to retrieve my letter, his gun was in plain sight.
Steve’s friend fidgeted, and I followed his gaze toward the church. Two policemen were in front of the cathedral doors, watching the exchange from atop their horses. When I looked back to where Mr. Delacroix was standing, the cane had somehow turned into a blade. The steel reflected the late-day golden light as he pointed it toward the Decatur gate.
Steve stood, his head darting from one direction to the other, and the men standing at the gates made their presence known. A long, sleek black limousine pulled up next to George’s carriage and Mr. Delacroix followed Steve and his friend out of the square; Sunny and his partner fell in line to escort Steve and his friend into the car.
I could not see very well because George was in the way, but Sunny and the other man stood on either side of Mr. Delacroix while he leaned over the open car door and spoke to the men inside. A half a minute later, the car pulled out onto the busy street and out of sight.
I leaned back in relief and watched Sunny, his partner, and Mr. Delacroix walk around the square to meet the mounted police officers directly under the apartment balcony. Mr. Delacroix gave me a thumbs-up and smiled. He handed each of the cops and Sunny and his partner an envelope. Ty and his partner walked up and got theirs as well. It was as if a heavy blanket lifted from the square. The hawkers started their shows again and the artists packed up and gave way to the palm readers and beggars. The tourists were none the wiser.
Twisted Oak: A Sexual Odyssey Page 22
