Mischief in New Orleans

by Lucy Quinn

  “Relax, Dora. If that happened, we’ll only have to come up with a story for why it was in the bank and tell them we need it back.” She glanced over at her friend, hoping to ease her dismay. “We’ve gotten pretty good at that.”

  “True, but Evie, what if the new owner checked out what was on the flash drive? How are we going to explain why it contains information about illegal activity?”

  “Dor—”

  Dora shook her head and reached over to grab the laptop. It scraped across the table as Dora dragged it over and dug deeper into the Ebay sale details. She said, “It was marked shipped the day we got here.” Her fingers flew over the keys for a few moments before she added, “It’s going to someone named Windy Weathers in Clamshell Cove, California.” She clicked frantically before she said, “That’s in Humboldt County, which is north of the bay area by the redwood forest.”

  Evie jumped up to hover over Dora and said, “Check the tracking on it to see if it’s been delivered yet.”

  Dora’s brow knit in concentration as she and Evie both held their breath. Dora blew out a whoosh of air. “It’s in Akron, Ohio at a sorting facility.”

  “Yes! Luck is on our side, Dora. We’ve got a couple days before it’s going to get to the buyer.” Evie grabbed her phone. “Give me the address, and I’ll google how long it’s going to take for us to drive there.”

  Dora read off the street address and said, “We can be out of here by tonight if we call in a tip to the police about Raúl.”

  “Thirty-six hours,” Evie looked at Dora’s hopeful face and said, “If we switch off driving, we can get there in less than two days. We’ll beat the package for sure.”

  Dora’s expression sobered. “The parade is tomorrow.”

  Evie’s heart sank. “We can’t let them down.”

  Dora shook her head sadly. “We really can’t.” She let out a big sigh. “Our new friends need us.”

  “The women’s shelter needs us too, Dora. We’d be letting more than the Krewe de Quills down.”

  Dora stood up and tugged at her shirt as if to pull out the wrinkles. “I need to go pick up my dress and then go to the hairdresser to get my wig.”

  It killed Evie to hear her friend’s defeated voice. “We’ll leave the moment the parade is over. Twenty-four hours shouldn’t make much of a difference.”

  The moment the words came out of Evie’s mouth, she didn’t believe them either, but she could see Dora was trying to be brave. Her friend’s eyes brimmed with tears as Dora lifted her chin and asked. “Coming?”

  “To see your transformation from straitlaced accountant to scandalous, get-the-job-done Scarlett? I wouldn’t miss seeing it for the world.” Then Evie thought about all the dangerous things Dora had done over the past two weeks to stay alive, and it occurred to her she’d already seen her friend transform.

  21

  “What do you miss the most about home? Besides Luke, that is?” Evie asked Dora.

  The two friends weaved in and out of tourists on the busy New Orleans street as they made their way to a hair salon to get Dora’s Scarlett O’Hara wig. They’d already picked up the the dress and dropped it off at Gertie’s apartment. Trying not to melt in the heat, Dora knew Evie’s question was an attempt to distract her from the fear that the flash drive would fall into the wrong hands. Considering the device contained sensitive information that would clear her name and give them both their lives back, Dora was concerned to the point of nausea. But she tried to play along. “My bathroom.”

  “Your bathroom? I don’t remember it being very special. I mean, Luke had that wonderful shower that you could set to rain down gently.”

  Dora smiled, recalling that shower and the fantasies she’d had about the man who owned it standing under a stream of water with nothing on. He had a body worth dreaming about. She shook her head to save those thoughts for later. “True, but what I miss isn’t my actual shower; it’s having my shampoo and conditioner and getting out to dry off with my fluffy towel that smells like the fabric softener I like best. My preferred lotion, deodorant, and hair styling products are on the counter. And—”

  “It’s easy. Predictable. Comforting.”

  Dora glanced at Evie, who clearly got her. “Yes. I suppose you don’t feel the same way though.”

  “You’d be surprised. I know I appear to like chaos, but the truth is I like some predictability in my life too. Like standing in the coffee shop on the corner of my street, trying to concoct some new flavor sensation to try.” She glanced down at the sequined mini skirt she had on. “And my clothes. Sometimes a girl just wants to wear a simple peasant skirt and tank top and call it done.”

  “Tired of playing dress up?” Dora asked.

  Evie sighed. “I am.” Then she grinned. “Can you believe I just said that?”

  Considering one of Evie’s favorite pastimes used to be shopping for clothes, Dora almost couldn’t. But she knew life on the run hadn’t been easy for her friend either. “Soon, we’re going to be home complaining about how boring our lives are.”

  “Yeah,” Evie agreed. “But man, we’re going to have some good stories to tell our grandkids one day.”

  “That’s for sure. I—” Dora gasped as a man jumped out in front of them, forcing them to halt in their tracks. He was wearing a tan trench coat, which struck Dora as odd considering the heat, but the moment he opened it up wide to show them his birthday suit, she knew exactly why he had it on and who it was.

  Evie let out a sigh. “Alfred, right?” She tsked. “The ladies were right; you really shouldn’t be so proud.”

  The man’s grin slid from his face, and he yanked the coat shut before slinking off back into the alley. The two women continued walking as if nothing had happened, but once they were around the corner, they broke into laughter. Dora said, “Now my New Orleans experience is complete. Think we should tell the girls who we saw?”

  “You’d better! I was pretty impressive back there, and feel free to embellish. Those women definitely are willing to forgo facts for a good story.”

  Dora winked at her friend as she tugged the door to the salon open. “Aren’t we all?”

  They entered an edgy-looking space with bright white walls and black countertops. Funky glass globes in a variety of shapes and colors encased lightbulbs and hung from the ceiling, while marquis lights were over the mirrors by each salon chair. A reception desk was straight ahead, and a young woman with bombshell-blond hair styled as if she were a starlet from days of old greeted them in a breathy voice. “Welcome to Transformations. Do you have an appointment?”

  “I do,” Dora answered as she wondered if the girl was wearing a wig and trying to transform into Marilyn Monroe. “I’m Dora Winslow, and I’m here for the Scarlett O’Hara wig.”

  “Oh! It’s gorgeous. Let me get Lydia for you. Help yourself to coffee or tea.”

  Evie began the process of making a cup of coffee while Dora sat on a red plastic chair that was surprisingly comfortable. The coffee machine gurgled as she took a moment to notice the photographs on the walls. They were of ordinary people wearing iconic hairstyles that Dora assumed were wigs. “Did you see these?” she asked Evie.

  “You can get any wig you want,” Evie said. “Look at Farrah Fawcett.”

  “Wow. How about this one?” Dora asked as she pointed to Princess Leia braids.

  “Oh! The Ariana Grande ponytail.” Evie swung her head back and forth. “Imagine swishing that around.”

  Dora chuckled. “Why does that make me think it’s an unfortunate horse accident waiting to happen?”

  Evie grinned at her as they heard a woman’s deep, scratchy voice. “Darlings, which one of you is my Scarlett?”

  “That’s me,” Dora answered with a smile as she turned to the woman. She took in the tiny older lady who had a classic pageboy haircut much like the one she was wearing, only it was dark and thick, and familiar. But she couldn’t place who the woman was cosplaying. The thick, oversized, round black glasses…
Edna! The super hero costume designer from the animated movie, The Incredibles.

  “Oh, nice,” Lydia said as she reached a hand up as if she could actually reach Dora’s cheek to cup it. “Pale skin is what I was hoping for. Come.”

  Dora was led to a chair, and Evie followed to sit in the one beside her to watch. Lydia opened a drawer in her salon table and pulled a mesh cap out of a small compartment. She stretched it open and placed it on Dora’s head before tucking all of the hair inside. “There,” the tiny woman said as she inspected her work. She smiled coyly as if she had a big secret. “I’ll be right back.”

  Lydia disappeared into the back, presumably to get the wig. Dora gazed into the mirror. With the cap on, her face looked stark. She had only applied mascara for makeup that morning, and with the salon lighting she could see every wrinkle. Noticing the fine lines around her eyes, Dora wondered if so many had been there two weeks ago or if she had aged prematurely with all that had happened.

  “You’re gonna be gorgeous,” Evie said.

  Dora gave her friend a grateful smile and tried to relax as the woman reappeared holding the wig. The long dark hair had been styled in a fancy updo just the way Vivian Leigh had worn her hair in the movie.

  Lydia placed it on a bald mannequin and said, “Who is doing your makeup?”

  Dora glanced at Evie. “I suppose she is.”

  “Are you a professional makeup artist?” Lydia asked Evie.

  “No, but I can YouTube the crap out of anything,” Evie said.

  “Perfect. Just make sure you lay it on thick. You want it to be over-the-top stage makeup, otherwise you’ll lose the effect. We can’t let a wig like this go to waste, now can we?” Lydia was all business as she placed the wig on Dora’s head, checking for the perfect fit.

  “Um, I guess not.” Dora eyed Evie, who was frowning and chewing on her bottom lip. “What is it, Evie?”

  Her friend pursed her lips and tilted her head to the side. “You know, I just realized that I have no idea what I’m going to wear on that float.”

  “Something with a hoop skirt,” Lydia quipped.

  Definitely. She needed to look like she belonged with Scarlett and Rhett if she was going to be tossing beads with them. “Dor, we need to hit some of the secondhand shops on the way home.”

  Dora groaned. She hated shopping, and this venture would likely take hours. “Do we have to?”

  “Yes. You don’t want me up there in ripped jeans and a metal band T-shirt, do you?” Evie placed her hands on her hips, looking impatient.

  “No. I guess not.” Though to be honest, Dora would dress that way if she could get away with it. The idea of standing around in a giant dress in the New Orleans heat was slightly terrifying.

  “Stunning. Just stunning. Your coloring is perfect,” Lydia said, stepping back to get a better view of Dora in the wig. “Once you have a bright red lip to go with this, no one will ever believe you aren’t Vivien Leigh come back to life!”

  Dora beamed at the women, feeling more beautiful than she ever had before. She just felt so glam, so Hollywood.

  “Oh, Dor. You look amazing,” Evie gushed. “We’re gonna need lots of pictures. I want to frame one and put it in my living room.”

  The two women met each other’s gazes, and when Dora saw the sadness reflected back at her, she knew they were both wondering the same thing. Would they actually make it back home? And if so, when?

  22

  “This way,” Evie called back to Dora as she pushed her way through the crowd to the rendezvous point in the Marigny neighborhood that was adjacent to the French Quarter. The parade was to start at the end of Frenchmen Street and then wind its way through the Quarter, across Canal and end at the convention center.

  “I’m coming. Some jackhole just stepped on my dress,” Dora called back.

  Evie paused, glancing back at her friend. She laughed out loud when she saw Dora push a man who was dressed up like Willy Wonka and felt her chest swell with pride. It was good to see Dora not taking any crap from anyone. Not that she was ever really a wilting flower, but ever since they’d fled Pensacola, Dora had seemed to be coming into her own. She cuddled Sunshine closer in her arms and said, “Aren’t you proud of Auntie Dora?”

  Sunshine let out a bark of approval and wagged her tail. The pup was wearing a green tulle dress that Evie had found at a neighborhood pet store. She’d wanted a velvet one, but a girl just had to make do. After searching three different costume stores, Evie had finally found herself a white corset dress that showed off her assets nicely, and with her blond ringlet wig, she thought she was rocking the Suellen O’Hara look quite nicely.

  “I’m here,” Dora said, finally catching up to them. Perspiration clung to her forehead, and Dora waved her hands in front of her face, trying to cool down. “It’s way too hot for this.”

  “There you are!” Flora rushed over and handed both Evie and Dora paper hand fans. “These should help. But hurry. The parade is getting ready to start, and we can’t get rolling without Scarlett!”

  Evie couldn’t wait. Her dreams were about to come true. For as long as she could remember, she’d wanted to ride in a Mardi Gras parade. And while it wasn’t Mardi Gras, the event was close enough. She’d be on a float throwing beads. What more could a girl ask for? Evie, Sunshine, and Dora followed Flora to the gorgeous float that was covered in papier-mâché flowers. Evie first placed Sunshine on the float and then proceeded to climb up. Once they were on board, she reached a hand down to help Dora.

  “There you are,” an annoyed, deep, gravelly voice called.

  Sunshine spun around, and her hackles raised as she let out a long string of incessant barking.

  “Whoa. Sunshine, calm down girl.” Evie let go of Dora’s hand and went after her pup, who’d shot forward, going after the man who was dressed in a dark suit and top hat.

  “Get that beast away from me!” Charles cried as he stepped up onto the makeshift platform that he and Dora were supposed to dance on when they weren’t throwing beads.

  I’ll sue! If she takes another chunk of my flesh, it will be the last thing she does.”

  Pure rage rolled through Evie. What was that guy’s problem? What kind of barbarian threatened a little dog wearing a sweet little tulle dress? He was obviously a monster. Sunshine wouldn’t be so protective if he wasn’t. Suddenly Evie wasn’t so sure about her friend spending the afternoon in his arms. Maybe Dora could just skip the dancing and spend all her time tossing beads.

  “Sunshine!” Dora called from her spot down on the street. She still hadn’t climbed up onto the float, and she had her hand pressed to her throat as she watched the scene unfold.

  Evie turned her attention back to Charles just in time to see Sunshine launch herself at him. Her teeth were bared, and she was snarling as she opened her maw and went straight for his groin area. A sense of pride rolled through Evie. That was her girl. Her pup didn’t mess around when she was pissed off.

  But Charles was too quick for the little bichon. He grabbed one of the metal chairs and swung, intending to fend off the little dog.

  A scream got caught in Evie’s throat as she watched the chair barely miss her baby. “You monster!” she screamed and ran forward, scooping Sunshine up into her arms. “You could’ve killed her.”

  “She was going for my manbits!” he growled. “That dog is a menace to society.” He pulled out his phone and dialed. A second later, he said, “Is this the New Orleans animal control? Good. There is a rabid—”

  The moment Evie heard animal control, she clutched Sunshine with one arm and rushed Charles, knocking the phone right out of his hand. “How dare you? She’s just a little dog who isn’t fond of you. She hasn’t done more than bark and growl at you. I could understand if she’d taken a finger off or something, but all she’s done is let you know she doesn’t like you. That’s a girl’s prerogative, you know. I’m not going to let you mess with my pup. One more call to animal control and you’re gonna wish all that hap
pened to you was a little dog going for your nuts!”

  “Evie,” Dora said gently from right behind her.

  When had she gotten there? Evie turned to her friend, tears in her eyes. “He tried to put my doggy in jail.”

  “I know, sweetie. But we’re not going to let him do that,” Dora said. She waved a hand at Flora and the other members of the Krewe de Quills. They were all lined up with their arms crossed over their chests, glaring at Charles.

  “Charles,” Flora said sharply. “What is wrong with you?”

  He glared over the side of the float. “This is not on me. You saw what demon hound did.”

  “She weighs like ten pounds,” Flora shot back.

  “She barely even has teeth!” Evie cried, clutching Sunshine closer to her body. Her pup was everything to her. Besides Dora and Trace, Sunshine was the most important being in Evie’s life. She would not let that nasty Charles hurt her in any way. So what if Sunshine didn’t like him? She had a point. Evie didn’t like him either. Of course, Evie wasn’t going to bite the man, but she understood Sunshine’s unease.

  Charles scowled at everyone. “Either the dog goes, or I do.”

  No one said a word. Their faces were blank as the women stared at the surly man with their arms crossed over their chests. This was a group of women who stood for what they believed in.

  Evie felt a surge of gratitude for the krewe. It felt good to have them stand up for her and Sunshine.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me. I’ve been working on being Rhett for six months, and you’re going to take her side? That dog is a menace!” Charles spat out.

  Flora narrowed her eyes at the man. “That dog probably knows something the rest of us have been trying to ignore. Evie and Sunshine are staying. Either suck it up and deal with it or show yourself out.”

  “Whoa,” Dora said under her breath.

  Evie’s lips curved into a tiny smile, but she refrained from throwing her fist in the air and letting out a triumphant shout. Gloating wasn’t exactly called for at the moment.