Raif said through gritted teeth, "Chris, I have never been this angry in my life, not even with Latrice. I will kill that woman myself."
She comforted, "It's all right, honey. Go sit with Larkin. I'll be going back in a little bit. I'll find him."
Chris filled another glass with water. "Take this to Larkin," she said gently. "I'll clean up the other one."
Raif brought the water to his sister-in-law and sat down in a chair with his head in his hands. He looked as if he had one of his brother's migraines. Chris came back into the living room after cleaning up the broken glass. She sat on the arm of the chair where Raif sat and gently, lovingly rubbed his back.
She said softly, "I'm leaving now. I'll call as soon as I know anything. Larkin, DO NOT do anything stupid."
"Like what?" asked Larkin. "The stupid thing was to take flight. Ray needs me."
"Like sneak back. I know you. Raif, keep her under control. I love you, but I need to go now."
Chris kissed Raif deeply and then both her children's cheeks and held them close for a moment. Finally, she hugged all the others. "I'll call," she assured as she left.
Chris had done all that Ray had asked of her. She had made sure his angel took flight, but on the drive home, she knew in her heart that by this time tomorrow she would have unwanted help in the search for Raiford and Parker Reynolds. She remembered the first time she, Raif, Ray, and Larkin had joined forces to defeat another evil woman. In some way the combination might actually work again. She exhaled a long, worried sigh.
15 Stubborn Redhead
Larkin could not sleep. She dozed now and then, but started awake so many times she finally got up and went into her inlaws' kitchen. She found Rice Krispies in the cupboard and blueberries in the refrigerator. She made herself a bowl of cereal and fruit, her favorite breakfast, and sat down to eat.
She was suddenly joined by her brother-in-law as he made himself a bowl of cereal. Raif sat down and took a bite. He said, "The first time I ever ate this combination, I was holding you prisoner in the wine cellar of the old monastery in Eau Boueuse. Another crazy woman had turned all our lives topsyturvy. Our unity and the guidance of the Holy Spirit got us through that. So, what do we do now? Your husband, my brother, is the target of this lunatic. There's also an innocent child involved. We can't just sit by and do nothing. I know you. You have a plan. You're too stubborn to sit idly by."
Larkin smiled. "So, you're with me?"
"You bet. I was with you before we ever left to come here, but we did need to get the kids somewhere safer. Chris might strangle me, but she knows I'm as obstinate as Ray." He let out a soft chuckle. "I would put money on her suspecting us to pull a stunt. She might be lying in wait for us."
Larkin's red hair bounced with her nod. "Well, we know where Ray was last seen. I'm sure somebody saw something at that Waffle House. That's where we'll start. Mia has to have been sleeping somewhere. We'll check the shelters before we drive out Route 12. We won't be stupid. If we find anything, we'll call Chris."
"So, when do we leave?"
"As soon as we finish breakfast. Eat up."
After leaving a note for Albert and Dorothy, Raif and Larkin sneaked down the driveway in Raif's Lexus with the lights off. Larkin could make out the deep-etched frown on Raif’s face.
"What’s wrong?" she asked.
"Cops didn’t even notice us leaving."
Larkin chuckled softly. "Maybe Chris told them to expect us to do something and to let us go. Of course, we did close our doors with great care, this car makes almost no sound, and it’s midnight blue against a sky that’s not even streaking light yet."
Raif’s scowl deepened. "You make us sound like real professional snakes."
She pushed against his arm with a gentle shove.
Once on the road, travel was easy with so little traffic before dawn. They arrived back in Eau Boueuse just as the shelters were sending their patrons out for the day.
Larkin suggested, "Let's start at the shelter where we found Parker."
The same elderly man who was working the registry as the night Ray and Larkin had found Parker looked up. "Hello, Chief Reynolds. The kid ain't here. He ain't been here since the night you took him with you."
"Play along," whispered Larkin.
Raif let the man think he was his brother. "We aren't looking for the boy. We're looking for a woman."
"Same last name as the boy?" asked the man.
"Yes. Godchaux."
"Yep. She come in just after y'all left. She was looking for the boy, too. Said she was kin. She took his slot, but run outa here to try and catch him. She got back before we locked the door. Come back three nights, but ain't been back since."
"Thank you, Mister?" Raif extended his hand.
"Lemieux."
"Thank you, Mr. Lemieux. You've been a great help."
The man shook hands with Raif. Thinking he was shaking hands with the chief of police, he felt important.
"You made that man's day," Larkin said in the car. Then she asked, "How did that help though?"
"Well, we know she's been keeping tabs on Parker for a while. Apparently, what set her off was learning he had changed his name to Reynolds. She feels betrayed."
"So, this is revenge?" She fumbled in her purse for a pack of lifesavers. She offered Raif one.
He shook his head. "Maybe."
"Well, she hasn't been here in a while. She must have come up with some money. We need to start checking motels—cheap ones—close to the Waffle House, although I suppose it's possible she crashed in an abandoned building."
"There can't be that many of either," Raif said. "Eau Boueuse isn't that big."
Larkin got out her phone and began a web search. "There are four motels near the Waffle House. Let's see what anybody saw at the restaurant." Raif cranked up and they drove to the twenty-four-hour diner.
They took a booth at the old establishment. A worn woman who looked as if she might have been there since the place opened came to take their order. She gave Raif a contemptuous look, eyes hooded and mouth in a thin line. Larkin noted the woman's expression and her name tag. She asked softly, "Lorna, have you seen this man before?"
The waitress seemed startled by the question. She replied, "I don't wanna get mixed up in a couple's marital affairs." She stressed the last word.
Larkin said, "I really need to know. I promise there will be no trouble."
"You ain't gonna put your steak knife through his heart?"
"Absolutely not."
"Well, yeah." She placed two glasses of water on the table. "I worked the night shift last night. I stepped out for a smoke. He was outside with a sleazy-looking woman. She had him takin' his clothes off right out in the open, and it was freezin' cold before they took off. Real weird like. They got on a motorcycle and rode off together, takin' the cold with 'em."
"Did you tell the police this?"
"No way. I didn't wanna get mixed up in nothin' shady. They said that was the chief of police and he was missin'." She glared at Raif. "He don't look missin' to me."
"Lorna, this isn't Chief Raiford Reynolds." Larkin, her eyes wide with innocence, looked up at the waitress. "This is his twin brother. My husband is missing. That woman kidnapped his son, and, now, she has him, too. Are you sure they left on a motorcycle?"
"Yeah. Headed south."
"Thank you." Larkin stood.
"You ain't gonna eat?" asked the waitress.
"Not right now. I'm looking for my husband."
Raif slipped a twenty-dollar bill into the woman's hand and said, "Thank you." He gave her hand a squeeze.
Outside, Larkin said, "We must still be a pair of lucky thirteen's, Raif. What are the chances the waitress from last night would be working a double and come to our table?"
"Slim. Well, we know to look for a motorcycle somewhere south. It's time to call Chris." He cocked an eyebrow. "Should I mention the coldness—just like Latrice?"
Larkin nodded. Raif called his wife.
♥♥♥ Chris screamed in Raif's ear, "Raiford Lance Gautier!" "Be quiet, Chris," Raif said gently. "You knew damned well we'd pull a stunt like this. It's a good thing we did. We've got something. We're at the Waffle House. A waitress saw Ray head south on a motorcycle with a woman."
"Nobody saw anything last night according to Baker."
"Yeah, well. She didn't want to talk to the cops, but she talked to Larkin."
"Okay. We'll meet you there."
"No, we're going south. We'll call if we spot a motorcycle. We won't try to go in. Not even Larkin is that stubborn." He took a deep breath. "Chris, the waitress also mentioned a drastic temperature change. I thought you should know."
"Shit! You think demonic activity here?"
"I don't know, but maybe some form of spiritual warfare. Keep it in mind."
♥♥♥ Raif and Larkin pulled off at every building they thought looked promising, to no avail. Larkin asked, "Is it possible she actually went to a motel? There are four out this way, all really cheap."
They checked three motels before stopping at the last one barely within the city limits. Pulling into the parking lot, it was apparent the business hardly kept afloat. There were only three cars. Even so, Raif and Larkin went inside. They asked the desk clerk if there was a woman riding a motorcycle staying there.
The man replied, "Yeah. She took a room around back. Said she needed total quiet, like we have enough guests to make noise. She paid cash for a week. I haven't heard a peep from her, no complaints, you know, and keeps the 'Do not Disturb' sign hanging on the doorknob. She looked like she needed a good long rest."
Raif asked, "Which room?"
"One-twenty-one. All the odds are on that side." "Thanks"
Walking back to the Lexus, Raif called Chris. "Honey, the
last motel in town, less than a quarter mile before city limits, room one-twenty-one."
"We'll be there in fifteen minutes. Don't do anything."
"I promise."
16 Reality Check
Ray gently laid his son on the bed and slipped off his jeans. He examined the wound to Parker's knee. "The wound is clean, but he needs a doctor, Mia," Ray said with the slim hope of appealing to Mia's sense of motherhood.
"Too bad."
"What did you do?"
"He said I'd have to shoot him before he'd call you, so I
did."
"You're a lunatic!"
"Maybe."
Parker clutched Ray's arm. "Ray, don't make her any
angrier. She'll kill you."
"Mia, why are you doing this?" Ray asked, trying to reason
with the woman.
"The little shit betrayed me."
"All he did was come looking for his father. Why didn't
you tell me you were pregnant?"
"You didn't care." She brandished the firearm. "I tried to
tell you, but you just sent me away. Both you and Robert were
heartless bastards. Do you know what he told me? He never
wanted me. He wanted you." Mia laughed and pointed the gun
toward Ray. "Robert was a faggot. He was in love with you.
Oh, he never admitted it to anybody that could've made a
difference. After all, I'm a lunatic. Who would believe me?" "When did he tell you this, Mia?"
"After he threw Parker out. What did he tell you, Parker,
when you asked him to take a paternity test?"
Parker asked, "How did you know I saw him?"
"I was watching. After you left, I talked to him. So, what
did he tell you?"
"He threatened to have me arrested. I left because I don't
ever want to go back to jail. What did he tell you?"
"The same thing, except that he had always wanted Ray.
Ray, how does it feel to be the object of someone's obsession?
Did you know?"
"No," said Ray softly. No way will she ever know about
that letter. "Mia, you know the feelings were not mutual. I'm
not gay."
"Yeah, I know. I recall your being very straight. Then,
again, I didn't suspect Robert either. He was good in bed, but
Robert hurt Parker. He was cruel and heartless. He had to pay
for that just like all the others."
"Mom, what are you saying?" asked Parker.
"Don't you understand, Parker? All the people who made
our lives so miserable, all the people who would've taken you
from me, who hurt you, they've paid for their sins. Well, almost
all of them."
"Mom, did you kill Robert?"
"I showed him for the heartless bastard he was. Look what
he was doing to his family. The woman"—She gave a oneshoulder shrug—"well, she was just as heartless. She was a
willing participant."
"What did you do with their hearts?" asked Ray. Mia laughed. "I fed them to the first alligator I saw. It's not
hard to find alligators in Louisiana."
Ray asked, "What did you do with the others?"
"What others?" asked Parker.
"All the ones who hurt you and tried to take you from me,"
answered Mia.
Parker clutched Ray's arm more tightly. Ray laid his son's
head on his shoulder. "Do you remember the case I've been
working on with the FBI?"
Parker nodded.
"She's the one. Shh. Let me handle this. It'll be all right." Ray turned to Mia. I have to keep her talking. "Mia, tell me
about it."
"What do you care?"
"I care very much. Talk to me."
"I guess I owe you that since you'll be joining them." "What?" Parker moaned.
"Shh," commanded Ray. "Let me handle this. Talk to me,
Mia. What did you do to Judge Salus?"
"That pompous windbag? Every time we went before him,
he took Parker. He sent Parker to juvey. He never showed any
compassion. He had no heart at all. I watched the alligator
devour that old goat's heart. As bad a shape as it was in as a
two-pack-a-day smoker, he would've been dead in a year
anyway."
"So, it was a mercy killing, huh?" questioned Ray, sarcasm
oozing from his tone.
"You could say that. It was merciful to society to get rid of
him. How many families did he tear apart?" She shook her
head and rolled her eyes. "The bastard laughed at me and
started coughing so hard I almost missed his fat head." Mia laughed. "Taking out that fat DHS bitch was definitely
euthanasia. She dragged Parker from the house twice. Then,
she placed him with those slugs, the Byrds. That was definitely
for the birds. I'm surprised she had not already dropped dead
from a heart attack. I threw her heart, along with about ten
pounds of blubber, in Lake Pontchartrain. Oh, she squealed like
a stuck pig when she saw the gun."
"I'm sure it was a tasty snack for the fish," said Ray as if in
agreement with Mia's actions.
Mia shook her head. "It probably made the poor fish sick.
Alas, that couldn't be helped. Then, there were the Byrds—the
vultures—the buzzards." Mia snorted.
Ray confessed, "Those two I can understand. I saw the
scars on Parker. They did the same thing to other children." "Thanks for your approval, Ray." She lifted her top lip in a
half-snarl. "Do you know everything that old letch did to him?
I'm surprised it didn't turn him into a little faggot. It's good to
see he actually likes girls. That might be because Robert wasn't
his father. I would hate for his genes to get passed on—oh,
poor little Kyle."
Parker scooted closer to Ray. His
head pounding, Ray
closed his eyes and whispered, "Did he molest you, Parker?" With a weak whimper, Parker barely whispered, "He tried.
That's when I fought back. I don't want anyone to know." "And that idiot judge sent Parker to juvey!" screamed Mia. "God! Mia, if you had told me about Parker, none of this
would ever have happened."
"Like you would have married me."
"Maybe not, but I would've taken care of my son." "By taking him away from me? God! He even changed his
name. Parker should've learned not to leave me after Fritz. He
tried to take Parker, too. Not smart."
"Mom, what did you do to Fritz?" Parker asked, nearly
hysterical.
"I made sure he didn't take you away. Fritz was nothing
more than a common thief."
"Not so common," said Ray. "Not if he was 'Fritz the Cat
Burglar.' He was very skilled at what he did. There was never
enough evidence to pin him down. Fritz was a very wealthy
man."
"I still did society a favor. I got rid of a criminal." "Where's Fritz?" screamed Parker, trying to rise, but he was
too weak.
"Somewhere in the belly of a shark in the Gulf of Mexico!"
answered Mia.
"You bitch!" bellowed Parker. "He loved me! He's the only
person who ever loved me before I met Ray!"
"No, he didn't. He was just someone who made our lives
miserable. He's the one who gave me my first heroin fix, until
he realized I was pregnant—then he cut me off from
everything. He even took my cigarettes. I thought I would die." "Good for him," muttered Ray.
She pointed the gun toward Parker and waved it. "You tried
to call him. He tried to call back, and I made sure I got him to
meet me. I couldn't let him hurt you, too."
Parker was as livid as his weakened condition would allow
as he screamed, "He cleaned himself up, and he was willing to
help both of us. How could you, Mom? How could you kill
Fritz? Do you want to get rid of the people who made our lives
Heartless (The Raiford Chronicles) Page 14
