Big Easy (Cowboy Craze)

by Sable Hunter

  Hazel’s face clouded. “Because of me? It was, wasn’t it?”

  “The man’s mother, she invested…” Jewel waved her hand dismissively. She didn’t want to go into it. “Anyway, now we can use this camera to save Easy.”

  Knock! Knock!

  Jewel touched the live feed button to see Zane standing at the door with Philip, Wren, and a man who must be the FBI agent. “They’re here!”

  “I’ll get it.” Benjen hurried to the door, opening it. “Just in time, guys. We’ve got good news. Jewel has Easy’s alibi on tape.”

  “Oh, really? Well, excellent!” Zane looked a bit confused, but could sense their hopeful mood and responded accordingly. “Let me get introductions out of the way, then we’ll get down to business.”

  Jewel rose to greet their guests. Wade Prescott reminded her of a very disgruntled Chris Evans. When she shook the FBI agent’s hand, she could sense he was assessing her closely. “Thanks for coming, Mr. Prescott.”

  “Ms. Baptiste. I hear you may have some information for me.”

  “I’m hoping I can steer you in the right direction, yes.”

  She didn’t get to say more before Hazel spoke up about the meal she’d prepared. “Considering the circumstances, we won’t be formal. Just know the food is here, fix yourself a plate when you get ready.”

  As a line formed at the buffet, Zane came to Jewel. “Show me what you have.”

  Pointing to the computer, she smiled tentatively. “I think this will help. Easy installed a camera out front not long after we met. We have the feed from the night of the murder. As I told you, he was here with me.”

  He sat down in front of the monitor and watched the segment. “Okay. This is good. Is this the only camera you have? Anything at the back door?”

  “No.” Dismay hit her hard. “This one angle isn’t good enough, is it.”

  Zane stood. “Oh, believe me, we’ll present it as good enough. You’ll make your statement and I’ll push it hard.” He sighed. “Just don’t be surprised if the prosecutor doesn’t question the possibility that we have no real proof Easy didn’t leave by the back way.”

  “Damn. Sorry.”

  Zane patted her on the shoulder. “Don’t be sorry. This is so much better than a mere statement. When you add what Wren found, we may have a case for his release.”

  May wasn’t exactly what Jewel had been hoping for, but Zane’s comment about Wren gave her hope. “What did she find?”

  “You can ask her yourself, she’s excited to tell you.” Guiding her to the table, Zane pointed to a chair. “Come on, let’s eat. We need our strength.”

  Philip jumped up to pull out Jewel’s chair. “Yes, join us, please.”

  Taking the seat, she gave Easy’s boss a smile. “Thank you, Philip.” Looking to her left, she greeted Wren. “Hey, how are you?”

  “Good.” She leaned over to whisper, “I got into trouble.”

  “Trouble?” Jewel asked as she spread her napkin in her lap. “With who?”

  “With me,” Philip answered, overhearing. “I told you she didn’t answer her phone when I tried to call and check on her. Well, when I got back to Belle Chasse, it was to find her out at the crime scene, pillaging around in the bushes.”

  “And you found something?” Jewel couldn’t keep the hope out of her voice.

  Wren nodded. “I did. A knife.”

  “A knife?” Jewel was amazed, but a little confused.

  Philip nodded. “I’m glad I walked up at the right moment; I was able to stop her from disturbing it.” He picked up his tea glass to take a sip. “I couldn’t exactly call the cops, so I contacted Zane and he drove Wade out so the weapon could be properly placed into evidence.”

  “I thought the victim was strangled,” Sam said as helped himself to the chicken and dressing.

  “She was strangled, so blood on the knife is not necessarily what we’re after here,” Zane explained. “It was found next to a large pecan limb.”

  “Ah, yes,” Jewel was beginning to get the uncomfortable picture.

  “There may be wood fragments on it, of course – but the real kicker is that this pocket knife was engraved with the initials E. H.”

  “Everett Hill,” Jewel’s eyes widened as she breathed the name with shock. “Putting him at the scene of the crime.” She was immensely gratefully there was actually evidence to back up her suspicions about the Hills.

  “I told you! St. Expedite…” Hazel whispered excitedly from her spot across the table from her daughter.

  “What did you say? Saint who?” Benjen asked as he passed the macaroni and cheese to Zane.

  “Oh, it’s a spell Jewel and I cast to make any existing evidence show up quickly.”

  “Mom, I don’t think anyone is interested…” She didn’t really relish the FBI agent and Easy’s brothers hearing the details of their spell casting.

  Hazel waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, I think everyone at this table is already aware we’re strange.” She ignored Jewel’s rolled eyes. “Anyway, I’m convinced our spell worked – because now we’ve located not only the surveillance footage, but also a knife!”

  “Wait. Surveillance footage?” Wade paused mid-bite to ask the question, his forkful of fried okra hovering in the air.

  “Yes, from a camera installed outside at the front entryway.” Jewel confirmed with a nod. “Zane thinks it will go a long way in clearing Easy.”

  “I’ll show you everything, Wade, just as soon as we’re through eating,” the lawyer promised. “We’ll want to take a copy of the footage to the DA – pronto.”

  “Okay. I look forward to seeing it,” Wade said as he touched Zane on the arm. “Switch seats with me. I’d like to ask Ms. Baptiste some questions.”

  Jewel shivered a bit at the idea. She wanted to help Easy so much. Yet…she was also afraid of making things worse. Especially if this man was repelled by her methods. “Of course. I’m just glad you’re working on this case. Where did you drive in from?”

  “I work out of Memphis.”

  Jewel found she had no appetite. She pushed her near full plate away from her. “Your jurisdiction must be quite large.”

  “We have some leeway. This investigation covers a pretty big territory.”

  “I see.” She wasn’t surprised. “I was afraid there were more women involved than the ones I knew about.”

  Wade raised his eyebrows. “Right. So, I want to know what you know. Tell me about the woman who came to you for help.”

  “Yes, Willie Mae.” Jewel took a deep breath. “I’m worried about her – by the way. She’s married to Everett, the younger of the Hill brothers. As you know, the eldest is the sheriff of Lafourche Parish, and the middle brother is the mayor. Everett’s only claim to fame is his propensity for getting into trouble. He features himself as a modern-day outlaw. Otis and Porter stay busy pulling Everett out of the fire for everything from poaching to assault.”

  Hazel leaned forward from across the table, joining the conversation. “Don’t be fooled, the problem is not just Everett. All three of those boys are as crooked as they come. Their daddy, Rags Hill, raised them to think the world owed them a living. If you dig deep into the sheriff’s business, I can guarantee you’ll find extortion, bribery, racketeering – you name it. The little mayor keeps busy trafficking cars with altered VIN numbers, running an illegal gambling hall, money laundering, and helping convicted felons get guns.”

  This captured Wade’s full attention. “Do you have proof of any of this?”

  Hazel tapped her fingernail on the edge of her plate. “Talk to Tootsie Dauphine. She worked for Rags for forty years or more. Took care of all his paperwork. The woman knows where all the skeletons are hidden.”

  Wade was making a note on his phone. “What makes you think she’ll talk?”

  Hazel smirked. “Rags had been close to Tootsie and her husband, Arthur. Those two guys served in Korea together. At one time Arthur saved Rags life, pushed him away from a live grenade
, losing his own leg in the process. When they came home from overseas, Rags gave Tootsie a job and set them both up with a house and land on the east side of town. The deal was that they could live there rent-free for the rest of their lives. After both the old men died, the younger Hills moved Tootsie out of her house and put her in a cheap trailer park. Believe me, she’s pissed enough to spill the beans. She didn’t want to give up her vegetable garden and her roses – not to mention her independence. Tootsie might not know a lot about this current operation, but she knows enough to put them all under the jail house for the rest of their natural lives.”

  “Hmmm. Okay.” Wade seemed to be thinking. “How do I get hold of her?”

  “I’m almost sure she is in the care facility on Audubon Avenue,” Jewel chimed in. “I made a delivery to her roommate a few months ago.”

  “What kind of delivery?” Wade asked, curious.

  Jewel pointed to the flowers hanging overhead. “I sell oils and tinctures. Soaps. Lotions. You name it,” she said a bit self-consciously.

  “She also sells spells. Mojo bags and voodoo dolls,” Hazel added with a laugh.

  “I see.” Wade nodded, but he didn’t appear amused. “Tell me more about Willie.”

  Jewel noticed the conversation at the table had died down. So, she was essentially speaking to everyone. “Well, she came to see me because she thought her husband was cheating on her with another woman. I did a reading of some of his clothing and that was when I saw a vision of what looked like a woman being attacked.” She cleared her throat. “I didn’t see the man’s face, but I did see him use the pecan branch...” Jewel shook her head at the horrible thought.

  “I think that cruel move has become the killer’s signature. No telling what a psychiatrist would make of it,” Wade drawled.

  Jewel continued her explanation. “I told her to be careful, but I didn’t tell her any of what I saw. The next day, Julie Davis’s body was found at Belle Chasse, Philip’s property. Easy was one of the men who found her.” She paused, but Wade didn’t ask a question. This led Jewel to believe he already knew most of what she was telling him. “Willie came back a couple more times for readings. Once, she was accompanied by three ghosts, one of them was Julie. The other two were the women who’d gone missing in Lafayette.” Jewel shook her head. “I don’t remember their names.”

  “You saw these ghosts?”

  “Yes. I can see spirits.”

  “Ahem.” He cleared his throat, but continued, “Why were these ghosts with Ms. Hill?”

  His tone told Jewel that he was finding her tale hard to swallow. “She was wearing jewelry that belonged to the women.”

  “Oh, really? Could you describe this jewelry?”

  “I can try,” Jewel murmured. “I’ll write up a description for you.”

  “Good. What else?” His attitude was one of calm curiosity.

  “Uh…well, she left her phone here one day and when it rang…before I could stop her, another client picked it up, saw who it belonged to and answered it. Unfortunately, Everett was the one calling his wife and Irma – that’s my other client – she let the cat out of the bag that Willie left her phone at the palm reader’s house.”

  “Setting off alarm bells in his head?” Wade asked, almost casually.

  “Right. After that, we had words. He warned me off. And the next time his wife managed to sneak away to visit me, Everett had taken the jewelry away from her. I guess this made her suspicious, so she looked through his things. The last time I saw Willie, she had Marion’s necklace in her possession, the same one that the cops supposedly found next door. Even then, the only thing she was suspecting was infidelity. She thought her husband was fooling around with a woman named Marion. At that time, I told her what I’d seen in the visions – that Everett was hurting these women. I also reiterated my belief that she was in danger.”

  “What did you tell her?” Wade asked as he glanced around to see they were holding everyone’s attention.

  “I begged Willie to leave him, to go someplace safe, and to call the FBI to show them…you…that necklace.” Jewel felt sick at her stomach as she answered, “I don’t think she made it.”

  “Are you saying you think she’s dead?” Wade asked with the faintest hint of alarm in his tone.

  “No. I can’t say that for sure.” Jewel looked at her mother for support, then gestured toward the reading table. “I haven’t seen her spirit, but I did try to connect with her by sitting in the chair that she occupied last while here – before anyone else sat in it. When I did, I only picked up white noise. Static.”

  Wade raised an eyebrow, trying to follow her. “Are you telling me that if I got up, you could sit in this chair and…read me?”

  “Maybe. Do you want me to try?” She wasn’t crazy about being tested, but Jewel really needed for him to believe her.

  “Uh. No.” Wade made his decision quickly.

  This made Jewel smile softly. The man must have something to hide. “There’s also someone I think you need to talk to. I spoke with him today after Easy’s hearing and I took the liberty of asking him to contact you.”

  “Who’s this?” Wade asked, pen in hand ready to write down the name.

  “Deputy Truman Lawson. He works for Sheriff Hill.”

  “And why do you think he should talk to me?”

  “I don’t think all of the men who work with the sheriff are involved in his misdeeds. I think Truman is, for the most part, unaware.”

  “Zane mentioned that you hesitate to involve yourself with the authorities because of some misunderstanding?”

  Hazel scoffed. “I’m the misunderstanding. I got involved with some crooks who took people to the cleaners.” When she saw the FBI agent raise an eyebrow, she wagged a finger at him. “I’ve already faced the consequences and Jewel had nothing to do with it.”

  Anxious to get off that uncomfortable topic, Jewel continued, “Anyway, at his father’s insistence, Truman Lawson asked for my help last week. His mother was missing, and I helped locate her.” She exhaled a soft breath. “Yes, by using my psychic abilities. So, Truman is aware of what I can do. When I told him of my suspicions about the Hills, he reluctantly agreed to check them out. He also promised to dig around to see if anyone would admit to knowing how the necklace came to be stashed at Easy’s.”

  “Man, if we could get anyone to confirm that evidence was planted, we could get the charges dropped pronto.” Zane inserted his thought, holding his plate out for Hazel to give him a piece of the chocolate cake. “Wade, what do you think our next step should be?”

  As the conversation continued, Jewel pulled back a bit – watching everyone. After what could only be construed as breakthroughs, the mood in the room was undoubtedly upbeat. She took the time to search each face – seeing hope and satisfaction on most. The only exception was FBI agent, Wade Prescott. Within him she sensed a tiredness and a resignation. Perhaps, he’d seen too much crime, too much tragedy. Impulsively, she reached out and took his hand. When she did, Jewel was met by a rush of images. One after another they flew through her mind’s eye, not all from the present, or even the recent past. Some of the glimpses she received seemed to be plucked from history, some from the future. Yet, they all contained a man with his face – and the same woman. “Nola. Her name will be Nola.”

  “What?” Wade jerked his hand back as if he’d been burned. “Nola? New Orleans? What are you talking about?”

  Jewel gave him an encouraging smile. “A woman. She’ll be important to you. Her first name is Nola. An unusual name, I think.”

  “Okay.” He held his hand away, not wanting to be touched again. After pushing his plate aside, he rose. “Ms. Baptiste,” he addressed Hazel, “I thank you for a wonderful meal.”

  “Oh. Are you ready to go?” Zane asked, standing alongside him. “Yea. Yea. We’ve got a lot to do. Philip, how about you and Wren?”

  “Sure.” Philip rose to his feet, as did the Blackhawk brothers.

  The part
y seemed to be breaking up.

  Jewel didn’t want them to leave without clarification. “Wait. Where are we? What’s our next step?”

  Easy’s brothers gathered around the lawyer and the FBI agent to hear what they had to say.

  Wade spoke first, “As I promised these ladies, I will speak to Ms. Dauphine and attempt to contact Deputy Lawson. In addition, we’ll get the knife to forensics first thing in the morning.”

  “Good.” Zane pushed his chair under the table. “I’m calling the DA tonight and leaving a message on his voicemail for first thing in the morning. If he sees we have some substantial leads, I can petition for an evidentiary hearing.”

  “How long do you think this will take?” Benjen asked.

  “Impossible to know. All depends if forensics finds anything on the knife we can use.” Zane gestured toward the FBI agent. “And what Wade might learn from his side of the investigation.”

  “When can I come down and make my statement about Easy’s alibi?” Jewel was anxious to do this, especially now that she had the streaming video from the surveillance camera.

  “First thing in the morning,” Zane told her. “I’ll call you and meet you there.”

  “Shall I send Ace and Don Ray over to guard you ladies during the night?” Philip offered.

  Sam quickly spoke up, “No, I’m familiar with the threats. I’ll be glad to sleep on the couch…if that’s all right?” He looked at Jewel.

  “Thank you. I accept,” she told Easy’s brother. Hearing Hazel make a scoffing noise, she acknowledged her mother’s attitude. “Even though I’m sure we’ll be fine, Sam’s presence will make me sleep easier.”

  “Good. It’s settled then.”

  Sam moved away to speak to his brothers while Jewel walked the remainder of their guests to the door. “I might not be the perfect one to speak for Easy, but I know he appreciates you all so much. Zane, he spoke so highly of you, even before this happened. I know he has the utmost faith in your abilities. Philip, as his boss, what you’re doing is above and beyond.”

  “Well, I’ve been in his shoes. Being framed for a murder you didn’t commit makes one sensitive to others who are accused of someone else’s wrongdoing.” He chuckled. “Besides, I like Easy. He’s one of a kind.”