by Jana DeLeon
“But you did find her?”
“Didn’t mean to,” Haylee said. “I was out barhopping with some of the artists. This was before I got my crap together. One of the artists hauled us to a biker bar and Venus was there, hugged up on some guy who was old enough to be her father, but that was no surprise. She always said the older ones had bigger wallets to clean out.”
“And probably fell for her crap faster,” Ida Belle said.
“She always knew how to pick ’em,” Haylee said. “In high school, she’d set her eye on some guy and I’d think ‘no way is he going to take that risk,’ but she got them every time. Except one.”
“Who was that genius?” I asked.
“Jeff Breaux,” Haylee said.
“Melanie’s husband?” I asked.
“I figured they’d end up married,” Haylee said. “Jeff was as big an outcast as Melanie. Couldn’t even look at a girl when talking, not even to say hello. And when he did talk to one, his entire face turned so red and blotchy it looked like he’d come down with a case of poison ivy.”
“Why in the world would Venus be interested in someone like Jeff?” I asked.
Haylee shrugged. “Because he belonged to Melanie? Venus didn’t place much value in things unless someone else wanted them. Or maybe she didn’t like that Jeff had stolen some of her thunder. When Melanie didn’t have anyone but Venus, then Venus got her to do anything she wanted. Once Jeff came along, Melanie didn’t need Venus as much.”
“Does Melanie know that Venus made a play for Jeff?” Gertie asked.
“No idea,” Haylee said. “She wouldn’t have heard it from Venus, that’s for sure. She wouldn’t dare open her mouth about a guy telling her no. I suppose Jeff might have told her, but I doubt it. He wouldn’t have wanted the problems it would bring on either end of things.”
“Then how did you find out about it?” Ida Belle asked.
“I heard it happen,” Haylee said. “It was raining outside, so I sneaked behind the bleachers in the gym to light up a cigarette. The door opened and I looked through the crack and saw Venus pulling Jeff into the gym. She got all close to him and tried to lay one on him.”
Haylee grinned. “I’ll never forget it. He looked at her like she was radioactive. Shoved her away and told her not to ever touch him. Then he hightailed it out of there like he was on fire. If she’d had a gun, I have no doubt Venus would have shot him.”
“Guess Jeff was the smart one,” I said.
“Smart. Scared,” Haylee said. “Not sure how much of each, but either way, Venus didn’t get her man that time. I always figured him blowing her off like that would just make her work harder, and that might have been the case, but she left for New Orleans shortly after.”
“So what happened when you saw Venus in the biker bar?” I asked.
“She spotted me and ran over, hugging me like I was her long-lost sister,” Haylee said. “Don’t get me wrong, I was happy to see her at the time. I mean, we weren’t exactly close, not in any real way. But at least after all that time, I knew she was all right.”
“And did you hang out after that?” Gertie asked. “Was it totally like Sons of Anarchy?”
“I wouldn’t know,” Haylee said. “She invited me back to the bar and I went once, but I didn’t get a good vibe from it. For starters, it was clear Venus was trying to set me up with one of the guys. When I told her I was gay, she looked so shocked you’d have thought I slapped her.”
“I’m guessing you weren’t ‘out’ in high school,” I said.
“I didn’t know what I was in high school,” Haylee said. “Actually, that’s probably not true. I think I’ve always known, but it wasn’t something workable then, you know? Not in high school. Not with my father. It would have been more conflict to deal with and for what? It wasn’t like I was planning on staying. Besides, I had enough to deal with dodging my father and all the do-gooders who would have stepped in if they’d caught wind of what was going on.”
She looked over at Ida Belle and Gertie. “No offense.”
“So how did Venus handle that news?” I asked.
“She tried to play it off as cool but I could tell she was anxious to get me out of there. I figured she’d made some promises she wasn’t going to be able to keep. Anyway, I only saw her once again after that but she didn’t see me. It was down in the Ninth Ward. Rough area. I had met my friend by then and was helping her haul some canned goods to a food bank. Venus was in a parking lot across the street.”
Haylee frowned.
“You think she was up to something?” I asked.
“Venus was always up to something,” Haylee said. “But yeah, at the time, I thought it looked like a drug drop.”
“She was buying drugs?” Ida Belle asked.
Haylee shook her head. “No. She was giving the guy a box of something and collected a duffel bag. She pulled a stack of wrapped cash out of it and flipped through the bills. Then she shoved the whole thing in her car and took off.”
“Sounds like she was playing middleman for a supplier,” I said.
“There were rumors about that gang she ran with,” Haylee said. “I figure most of them were probably true. But I never heard of anything going down with them and the cops. ’Course I didn’t stick around long after that, so who knows what could have happened after I left.”
“Do you remember the name of the bar?” I asked. There was no way I was sticking so much as a foot inside the place, but I wanted to see what I could run down on the bikers who owned it.
“Bad Voodoo,” Haylee said. “Seventh Ward.”
“Did Venus ever mention her mother to you when you ran into her in New Orleans?” I asked.
“She didn’t have to,” Haylee said. “Starlight was in the bar that night. She was the old lady of one of the top guys.”
“I guess that answers the question of whether Venus found her mother in New Orleans,” Gertie said.
“I would say it was a mistake to go looking,” Haylee said. “But then, sounds like Venus didn’t fall too far from that tree, based on the things I’ve heard about her mother. They probably had quite the scam going with the whole mother-daughter thing.”
“Starlight turned up at Percy’s house yesterday,” Gertie said.
Haylee’s eyes widened. “Seriously? How’d that go over?”
“About as good as you’d expect,” Ida Belle said.
Haylee shook her head. “What in the world could she possibly want?”
“Maybe she’s here to pay her respects,” I suggested, to see what Haylee’s reaction would be. It was what I expected.
She snorted. “Yeah, because she’s mother of the year. If Starlight is here, it’s not to shed a tear or commiserate with Percy. He’d probably just as soon shoot her as look at her.”
“There was a threat along those lines,” I said. “Starlight claimed she was here for her half of her daughter’s assets. Do you have any idea what she was talking about?”
Haylee shook her head, looking as confused as we were. “Venus never had anything of value to speak of. If she managed to put something together, she never told me about it, but then I only saw her the once when she came back.”
“Can you think of anyone who would want her dead?” I asked. “Not just want her dead, but able to go through with actually doing it?”
Haylee pursed her lips. “That’s the key, right? I don’t think anyone’s going to be too upset that Venus is gone. And assuming she stayed true to form, there’s probably a handful of married guys who let out a big breath of relief over it. But I can’t imagine anyone who would actually go through with killing her. Unless maybe it was about something that she got up to in New Orleans.”
“Anything is possible,” I said.
“There was this one guy in high school—Bart Lagasse,” Haylee said. “He was really hung up on Venus and she pretty much wiped him out before she jetted. He had a real mean streak. Backhanded Venus a time or two. I never knew why she stuck with him.�
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“He hit her?” Gertie said.
Haylee nodded. “She tried to play it off as she fell or whatever, but I wasn’t buying it. I saw him go all psycho on a guy at a bonfire party one night. It’s like his whole face changed and he wasn’t the same person. Creeped me out. Still does if I think too hard on it.”
“We’ll definitely check him out,” I said.
“Be careful,” she said quietly.
I handed her one of my cards. “If you can think of anything else that might help, or if you hear any gossip that we might be interested in, please give me a call.”
She picked up the card and stared at it, nodding.
“I really appreciate you talking to us,” I said as I rose.
Gertie stood up and surprised Haylee by leaning over and giving her a hug. “I’m proud of you, honey. You’ve really gotten your life together. If you ever need anything, you just give me a call.”
“Thanks, Ms. Hebert,” Haylee said and sniffed. “You were always nice to me. I never forgot it.”
“You never really know what’s going on with a person,” Gertie said. “Sometimes it’s best to give them the benefit of the doubt.”
“Not with Venus,” Haylee said. “Give her an inch, she’d take everything.”
Chapter Sixteen
As we headed back to the highway, I made a few notes on my phone. Ida Belle waited until I was done and then looked over at me.
“I think it’s time to have a chat with Bart Lagasse,” I said.
“Before Starlight?” Ida Belle asked.
“No,” I said. “Starlight first since we’re already near the motel. Then Bart. Any idea where to find him?”
“Maybe at the docks,” Ida Belle said. “He picks up some day labor gigs there on the shrimp boats when he’s in between other work. And he stays more in between than actual work.”
“Sounds good,” I said. “So what was your take on Haylee?”
“Shock and awe,” Gertie said. “I mean, I looked at her and thought ‘here we go.’ But she’s really gotten her life together.”
Ida Belle nodded. “She does appear to have a level head on her shoulders. She certainly wasn’t thinking straight when she was younger, but after hearing about her home situation, that all makes sense. I can’t believe we didn’t know.”
“Sounds like she went to a lot of trouble to make sure no one knew,” I said. “Can’t blame her, really, given the horror stories you hear about foster care. The devil you know and all.”
My cell phone rang and I checked it. “It’s Carter.”
Gertie and Ida Belle gave each other nervous glances as I answered.
“I’m sorry,” he started out, and I clenched the phone.
“What happened?” I asked.
“Someone made a complaint about the lag time at the DA’s office. He worked all weekend and called me for updates about an hour ago. I just heard back. I’ve been instructed to arrest Whiskey.”
“Crap!” I yelled.
“I did everything I could do to stall him, but he wasn’t having any of it. He wants someone attached to that body before he sits down for Thanksgiving dinner.”
“Whiskey won’t get into court this week,” I said. “Not with the holiday.”
“I’m afraid he’s going to spend some time behind bars. Look, I’m on my way now to make the arrest. I just wanted to let you know. And I’d appreciate it if you don’t talk to Whiskey until I’ve got him in jail. I wouldn’t put it past him to take a long boat ride if he knew I was coming.”
We disconnected and I blew out a breath. “I don’t suppose I have to fill in the blanks, do I?” I asked.
“No,” Ida Belle said, her expression grim. “It was fairly clear.”
Gertie sighed. “Our ticking time clock just became a ticking time bomb.”
“What are we going to do?” Ida Belle asked.
“Everything we’d planned to do before, except now we’re looking for the murderer, not just a suspect,” I said. “And we need to do it all a lot faster.”
Ida Belle floored her SUV and we leaped forward, throwing Gertie, who had been leaning through the middle of the front seats, tumbling backward on the rear bench.
“She didn’t mean right this very second,” Gertie grumbled as she righted herself.
“Every second counts,” Ida Belle said. “Fasten your seat belts.”
I had already buckled in as soon as I’d taken my seat. I knew better than to go freestyle with Ida Belle driving. Gertie grumbled some more but I heard her belt click into place, just in time for Ida Belle to make a hard right on the service road. We were pulling into the motel parking lot in about half the time it should have taken to get there. A couple of people saw the SUV sliding into the entrance and scrambled for the sidewalk.
Ida Belle wasn’t remotely fazed. She slid to a stop in a slot near the entrance and we headed to the front desk. A sleepy-looking young man stared at us for a couple seconds, then blinked twice and yawned.
Midtwenties. Five foot eleven. One hundred sixty pounds. No threat at all, especially with the hangover he’s sporting.
“Sorry,” he said. “Late night and all. You ladies need a room or something?”
“Something,” Ida Belle said.
He scrunched his brow. “Huh?”
“We need to talk to one of your guests,” I said. “Starlight Thibodeaux.”
He tapped on the keyboard, then shook his head. “No one here by that name.”
“Midfifties,” Gertie said. “Big hair, too much makeup. Looks like a hooker for a biker gang. If you checked her in, she hit on you.”
“Oh, her.” He nodded. “Yeah, she’s staying here. Told me her name was Jane Smith.”
“And you believed her?” I asked.
He shrugged. “She paid cash so it doesn’t really matter to me. Got four Jane Smiths staying here at the moment.”
“I don’t suppose you can recall which room belongs to the Jane Smith we’d like to talk to?” I asked.
“Probably, but I’m not supposed to give out room numbers,” he said.
“Do we look dangerous?” I asked.
He stared at us for a couple seconds, as if it were a trick question. “I guess not, but that’s not in the handbook.”
“Is this in the handbook?” I asked and handed him a twenty.
He grabbed the cash and stuffed it in his pocket. “Room 118. Ground floor around back.”
We headed out and Ida Belle opened the SUV. “I figure we should probably drive around,” she said. “It will save time walking.”
Gertie hopped in and buckled her seat belt. “And we might have to make a getaway.”
“Why in the world would we have to make a getaway?” I asked.
“Because we often do,” Gertie said. “And lots of times, it wasn’t something we saw coming.”
I couldn’t really argue with that statement, so I clicked my seat belt on and Ida Belle launched around the hotel in a blur of metal and rubber. It was like riding a roller coaster on a flat surface. There was a space in front of Starlight’s room so Ida Belle backed in and declared that she’d leave the doors unlocked. I appreciated the caution but really hoped none of it would be necessary.
“I don’t see Starlight’s car,” I said as Ida Belle knocked on the door.
“She’s probably out scamming someone,” Ida Belle said.
Gertie shook her head. “Women like Starlight work after dark when they get to a certain age. Dim light hides a lot of years. I’m thinking of switching all the light bulbs in my house to that sundown look.”
“Do you also plan on never stepping outside in the sunlight again?” Ida Belle asked. “There’s no hiding from sunlight.”
“Nonsense,” Gertie said. “There’s giant sunglasses and floppy hats.”
“You mean Celia’s look?” I asked, unable to help myself.
Gertie grimaced. “Never mind.”
Ida Belle knocked again, but we didn’t hear any movement insi
de that indicated Starlight was in residence, and with her car missing as well, it wasn’t likely she was there. We were about to leave when the door to the room next to Starlight’s popped open and a middle-aged man stepped out. He paused as he saw us standing there.
“You looking for the woman staying in that room?” he asked.
We nodded.
“She left a couple hours ago,” he said. “I went up front to fetch a cup of coffee and a paper and saw her talking to some guy over by her car. Looked intense.”
“How so?” Ida Belle asked.
He shrugged. “They looked angry and stiff. He was pointing a finger at her and she kept shaking her head. Then he left and she jumped in her car and took off herself.”
“What did he look like?” I asked.
“Big dude. Over six feet tall and stout. Long gray hair and beard. The hair was in a braid. Lots of tattoos. Black leather jacket. Took off on a Harley.”
“And you haven’t seen her since?” I asked.
He shook his head. “She hasn’t been back. I’ve been working in my room and had the curtains open. Even if I didn’t, this place is constructed like crap. I can hear every time she opens and closes the door.”
“She have any other visitors?” I asked.
“Not that I’ve seen,” the man said. “Sorry, but I’ve got a meeting to run to. I hope you find your friend. When you do, you might want to chat with her about the company she’s keeping. Looks like she’s playing with fire.”
I thanked him and he headed off toward a truck, giving us a backward wave as he went.
“What do you make of that?” I asked.
“Sounds like Starlight might be in a pinch with her biker friends,” Ida Belle said.
“You think it has something to do with Venus?” Gertie asked.
I shrugged. “No way to know yet. But Starlight is definitely up to something.” I checked the room door. “This lock would take me about five seconds to pick.”