Big Easy (Cowboy Craze)

by Sable Hunter

  “This is the sheriff’s sister-in-law who Easy spoke of?” Zane asked, writing her name down.

  “Yes, she was concerned her husband might be cheating. When I read one of his undershirts she brought, I didn’t see cheating. I saw a woman being brutalized, I watched them assault her…” Jewel swallowed with distaste. “Assault her with a tree branch.”

  Philip nodded, looking sorrowful. “Yes, this happened to Marion Cole.”

  “Not Marion.” Jewel corrected. “The first woman whose body was found at Belle Chasse. Julie Davis.”

  “Oh, hell.” Zane wrote down her name. “Was Easy around at that time?”

  “I’m not sure when she was killed,” Philip offered. “But he was certainly there when the body was found. It’s a wonder they haven’t charged Easy with her death.”

  “Give them time,” Zane grumbled. “Give them time.”

  Jewel chewed on her bottom lip, knowing how important it was that she think of something to help Easy. “I warned Willie Mae to be careful, but I didn’t tell her about the vision I saw of Julie’s murder. While I was fairly positive her husband was involved, I couldn’t make out his face.”

  “All right. What else?” Zane encouraged her to go on.

  “When she returned for another reading, she didn’t come alone.”

  “Her husband came with her?” This question came from Philip.

  “No.” Jewel shook her head, her face a mask of worry. “The spirits of three women accompanied her.”

  “Ah, hell.” Zane blew out a breath. “You could see them?”

  “As clearly as I can see you. They were attached to Willie because she wore jewelry that had been taken off their bodies when they died.”

  “Trophies.” Philip spat out the word.

  “Three women?” Zane asked. “Who were these women?”

  “One of them was Julie Davis and the other two were…” Jewel stood to move to one of the cabinets. Bending, she opened a lower door and removed a newspaper. Unfolding it, she laid the paper on the table next to Zane. “Joy Beasley and Elsbeth Weiss from Lafayette. Their bodies are still missing.” She pointed to the photos of the two women. “The article says they worked in a massage parlor. It’s suspected they were kidnapped by some sex trafficking ring.”

  “But…Everett Hill’s wife was wearing their jewelry?”

  “Yes.” Jewel tapped the table. “What if Sheriff Hill and his brothers are part of this ring? Or what if Everett is part of the ring and the sheriff is covering for him?”

  “Shit,” Philip hissed as he stared at the newspaper. “This is getting complicated.”

  “And this woman.” Jewel touched Dana Norman’s photo. “I am pretty sure she’s involved. As you can see, she was struck by a vehicle trying to escape someone. We came along right after the accident happened.” Shuddering, she remembered passing by the scene of the accident and seeing the woman’s ghost looking at her own dead body.

  “Can you connect her to the others in any way? Jewelry or what not?” Zane scanned the article, jotting down more notes.

  “No, it’s more of an instinctual feeling. I never got the opportunity to do a reading on Dana or anything that belonged to her. The next time I saw Willie, Everett had taken all of the jewelry away from her.”

  “Look.” Philip pointed at the article about Marion Cole. “This was before Wren found Marion’s body at Belle Chasse.”

  “Yes.” Jewel returned to her seat. “All of this needs to be checked out and I’ll help in any way that I can, but what I really want to emphasize is that Easy couldn’t have killed Marion. First, I saw her necklace in Willie Mae’s possession the day before the cops supposedly found it next door. She brought it to show me, thinking it was further evidence her husband was having an affair.”

  “This also was prior to when Marion’s body was found?” Zane narrowed his eyes as he watched Jewel’s face.

  “Yes, but when I saw the necklace, I knew she was dead.”

  “Did her ghost show up too?” Philip asked.

  Jewel glanced at him, her face reflecting how overwhelming all of this was to her. “No. And I can’t explain why. Dead people, like live ones, don’t always act predictably.”

  “I guess not,” Philip agreed. “After her body was found, they questioned a lot of people. I guess that’s when they cued in on the fact Easy was one of the last people to see her alive.”

  Jewel nodded, thinking about everything that had transpired. “He told me he’d had a run-in of sorts with Everett at the Blue Goose. They had words about me. Everett was angry that his wife was still coming to see me. I’m sure he was afraid she’d reveal something about him in one of our sessions. Or…that I would pick up on something psychically. He spouted off to me that I was a fraud, but I think he believes in what I do more than he’d like to admit.”

  “I suspect you’re right, if that snake hanging on your door was any indication. That’s classic hoodoo.” Zane got up and walked to Jewel’s coffeepot. “May I?”

  “Please.” Jewel was just impressed with Zane’s take on hoodoo. “Anyway, when Easy decided he wanted to come home, he offered to take Marion to her apartment, but she declined. She stayed at the club, but Easy came here. To be with me. He spent the night here.”

  Zane locked eyes with Jewel. “We need to get a time of death from the coroner. Easy needs an alibi and we need some way to prove it.”

  “Right, we need to figure out some way to prove he was nowhere near Marion at her time of death.” Philip thought for a moment. “When we talk to Wren, we’ll confirm what time she heard the ruckus at Belle Chase. See if the time frame matches up with the coroner’s findings.”

  “I’ll make a few calls and see what information I can get from the sheriff.” Zane picked up his phone to check his contact list. “I also have a lawyer friend in a neighboring town who owes me a favor. He can give me some guidance on who to trust.”

  “Man, this is crazy.” Philip was thinking out loud. “Surely the whole department isn’t corrupt.”

  “Nah, I doubt it,” Zane mused. “Part of the reason this type of thing goes on is a phenomenon I’ve heard called ‘the magnolia curtain’. The term comes from those remarkable magnolia trees you see growing in these parts. The branches on those big trees sweep all the way to the ground, like they’re trying to cover everything. I’m sure there are people who are turning a blind eye to these crimes, but if we could give them a reason to talk, they might.” Zane placed his notepad back into his briefcase.

  “Truman Lawson,” Jewel said out of the blue, remembering Easy’s advice. “Deputy Truman Lawson. I helped find his mother when she was lost. He might help us.”

  “All right. I’ll arrange for you to talk to him.” Zane noted the name as he stood to his feet. “Well, I think we have plenty to do.”

  Philip didn’t appear to be ready to leave. “I know you said your mother is coming, but I can’t imagine Easy being comfortable with us leaving you alone.” Taking his cell phone, he held up one finger as if he had an idea. “I’m going to call Jed and get him to send out a couple of our best men to post as guard.”

  “Oh, that’s not necessary…”

  “No use arguing with him,” Zane told Jewel. “Besides, it’s a good idea.” The lawyer snapped his fingers. “And we were supposed to tell you that some of Easy’s family are on their way. They’ll most likely come here when they arrive in town.”

  “That’s fine.” Jewel glanced over her shoulder to look up the stairs, thinking of the things she’d need to do to get ready for company. “I’ll prepare a place for them. With the two houses, there’ll be plenty of room.”

  As Philip stepped to one side to place the phone call to Jed, Jewel moved to stand by Zane. “Thank you for this. I know you’ll do your very best to help him.”

  “I will,” Zane assured her, placing a steadying hand to Jewel’s shoulder. “You just keep racking your brain. If you come up with anything else that might help us, give me a call.�
� He pressed one of his cards into her hand. “In the meantime, I’m going to pull some strings and find out everything about the case that I can. I’ll also check with Easy and let him know we’ve talked.”

  “Do you think I could see him?”

  Zane shook his head. “Probably not until the bail hearing, but I’ll check.” He glanced over at Philip who was finishing his call. “Everything set up?”

  “Yes.” Philip turned to Jewel. “In less than an hour, one of my ranch trucks will be parked outside your house. It’ll stay here until the Blackhawk brothers arrive. So, rest easy. You’ll be taken care of.”

  Rest easy.

  “Thanks, Philip.” As she walked them to the door, promising to keep in touch, Jewel knew she wouldn’t rest easy until Easy was here with her – where he belonged.

  * * *

  Easy found it hard to believe only hours had passed since he was arrested. Already, it seemed like forever. He’d been processed and booked, his fingerprints and a mugshot taken. Now, he was awaiting a bail hearing. He couldn’t help but think about the prisoners he’d seen at Angola. Some there for decades, some there for life. Part of him felt nothing like that could ever happen to him. Yet…here he sat in a jail cell accused of someone else’s crime.

  Rising to his feet, he paced across the tiny cell. He felt like a caged animal. “Hell, that’s what I am.” Shuddering, he tried to shake off the trapped feeling. His skin felt too small for his body. “I didn’t do this! How can they hold an innocent man?” As a sick feeling rose in his gut, Easy acknowledged the fact that many innocent people went to prison for crimes they didn’t commit. Some were even executed. “Oh, God.” He bowed his head, taking a few deep breaths. If he didn’t get himself under control, he’d go mad.

  “Here’s your grub, squaw.” A burly bald-headed guard pushed a tray into the cell.

  Easy didn’t waste his energy by showing offense to the man’s insult. He eyed the food, but left the tray where it sat.

  “Hey, can I ask you something?”

  He cut his eyes up at the guard. “What?”

  “I hear you’ve been getting some witch pussy.” The man sneered. “Is it magically delicious?”

  “Don’t you dare talk about her that way!” Easy charged the cell door like a rampaging bull. As he crashed into the bars, the guard just walked away laughing.

  Miserable, he began pacing again, praying this would all be over soon.

  * * *

  The men Philip sent to guard her house posted themselves outside like sentinels, keeping an eye on the road and the bayou. While Jewel appreciated them very much, she didn’t really expect anything else to happen, not right away. Her reasoning depended on the Hills themselves, they were a family raised in the swamp. While they might openly reject anything to do with the paranormal, they most likely would adhere to tradition. Mainly, the old southern superstition that bad things come in threes.

  “Can I get you anything?” she asked the two men. “Coffee, a soda?”

  “Nothing for me,” a young man called Ace raised a friendly hand.

  “That’s right, ma’am, we brought our own refreshments.” The other guy grinned at her. “Don’t you worry about a thing. We’re all eyes and ears.”

  “Speak for yourself, Don Ray. I’m all muscle and a handsome profile,” Ace quipped, then pointed to a vehicle approaching. “Looks like we’ve got company.”

  From where she stood on the front steps, Jewel went up on her tiptoes to see a car arriving. “I suspect that’s my mother.”

  “Talk got shackled by howls and cackles.” Don Ray sang low enough that he didn’t expect Jewel to hear.

  But hear she did. “At least, Bayou Lafourche isn’t the Black Bayou,” she murmured, knowing he was singing a line from an old song. “I’ll make sure to protect you from Witch Hazel.”

  The man whirled around to stare at Jewel as if her better-than-average hearing was a magic trick. “Oh, I didn’t mean nothing by it, ma’am.” He took off his cowboy hat to hold it over his heart. “Nothing at all.”

  She gave the man a friendly smile, knowing most parents in the area used Witch Hazel’s name to keep their children in line. You’d better act right. Witch Hazel will get you. Or… You’d best be inside before dark; Witch Hazel lurks in the shadows.

  Jewel slowly moved down the stairs. She was almost as nervous about greeting her mother as one of the neighborhood kids might be. After all, she’d hadn’t seen her in months and the last time they’d been together, they’d fought. And the time before that…and the time before that…

  Stopping at the end of the walk, Jewel waited for her prodigal parent to exit the vehicle. As always, she was stunned by the beautiful Hazel Baptiste. The woman didn’t look a day over thirty. Sometimes, Jewel wondered if her mother had stumbled upon the fountain of youth in her mystical research.

  “Remy Jewel! Come give your mother a hug!”

  With arms wide open, Hazel stood next to her car, awaiting her daughter to come give her a proper welcome. Jewel hesitated only a moment before all the feelings she’d tamped down for so long came rushing back. In truth, she’d missed her mother. “Oh, Mama, I’m glad to see you.” In the next heartbeat, she was being held in Hazel’s warm embrace. “I missed you.”

  “I missed you too. So much.” She kissed Jewel’s cheek. “I’m so sorry for everything.”

  “No need to be sorry. I’m just glad you’re here.” She relaxed against her mother for a moment. “I need you.”

  Hazel let out a long breath, one that sounded very much like relief. “Mama’s here now. There’s nothing to worry about.”

  Jewel believed her. “Good.” Straightening, she wiped her eyes, then noticed the two men were staring at Hazel with mouths agape. “Mother, these nice gentlemen have been watching out for me. They work with my friend, Easy. This is Ace Stanley and Don Ray Rice. Guys this is Hazel Baptiste.” Obviously, this was the first time the two men had ever laid eyes on Witch Hazel. They were probably anticipating warts, a pointed chin, and a broom. Instead, they were met with a very attractive woman who looked more like a model than the wicked crone they were expecting.

  “Hello, boys. Thanks for keeping an eye on my pretty Jewel.”

  As they nodded their acceptance of her gratitude, Jewel blushed. When being compared to her mother, she never came out on top. While Hazel was beauty queen gorgeous, Jewel knew she looked more like her beloved father – unfortunately. “Mother…please.”

  With a wave of her hand, she bid the men adieu. “I’m here now. I’ll set everything aright.”

  With a resigned sigh, Jewel picked up Hazel’s suitcase and started up the stairs. She had no doubt her mother would assume control. Her aunt Mavis always said that if Jewel was Samantha Stevens, then Hazel was Endora. “Wait up, Mother!”

  An hour and a pot of tea later, Jewel felt completely unburdened. She’d told her mother everything. Not only about the crimes that had been committed, but also how she felt about Easy. “So, you see, I have to make this right. I feel like I brought this down on both of us.”

  “Nonsense. You’re involved because you’re meant to right this wrong.” She rose and went to stand by one of the large ornate cabinets. “Okay, here’s what we’re going to do.”

  Just hearing her mother sound positive made all the difference in the world to Jewel. As Hazel began telling her the plan, she stepped up to help her.

  “Okay, first, we’re going to lay out a line of protection all around the property. Stop those idiots in their tracks. They won’t be able to get past the boundary markers.”

  “Witch jars?”

  “Exactly.” Hazel pointed to her bag. “I made a quick stop at the cemetery. We’ll use dirt from your father’s grave. He’ll be honored to get in on the act to protect his baby.” She leaned over to give Jewel a kiss. “So…this man, this Easy, he’s pretty special?”

  “Yes.” She placed the gallon bag of soil next to the quart mason jars that Hazel had placed in a row.
“He is, but don’t get all weird on me. I’m not saying it’s a forever thing.”

  “Huh.” Jewel began filling the jars with shards of a broken mirror, straight pens, and rusty nails. “I can’t wait to meet him.”

  A niggle of doubt crept down Jewel’s spine. “Let’s concentrate on stopping these killers and getting Easy out of jail. You can play Cupid later. Okay?”

  “You know I won’t do anything you don’t want me to. If it’s meant to be with this Easy, it’s meant to be.”

  “I agree.” Jewel ignored the twinge of pain in her chest. “I have enjoyed his company, Mama. I was lonely after you left.”

  Hazel added the dirt to the jars. “The town still treating you like a second-class citizen?”

  Jewel put up the leftover sharp objects. “They haven’t forgotten, nor have they forgiven – if that’s what you mean.”

  “These are ready for us to make a little deposit in them.” Hazel put the jars to one side, intending for them to add a bit of their urine to each.

  “Did you expect our neighbors to let bygones be bygones?” Jewel fought down the urge to get angry all over again.

  “No, but they’ll be all too willing soon enough.” Hazel winked at her daughter. “I have a plan.”

  “What kind of plan?” She wasn’t sure she wanted to know what her mother was talking about. “You aren’t intending to do some kind of mass hypnosis thing, are you?”

  “No. Nothing like that.” She gathered her long lush hair and braided it quickly, tying a piece of leather cord around the end. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

  “We’d better drink some water or we’ll never fill all these jars.” Jewel went to the sink and filled two glasses, bringing one back to her mother. “So, what can we do to help Easy? There has to be something.”

  Hazel thought for a moment as she sipped the drink. “Since he’s not guilty, I think we should throw a spell to bring evidence supporting his innocence to the forefront.”

  “They planted evidence against him, Mother. Remember?” She’d explained all of this to Hazel already.