by Gerald Lopez
“Three or four plus Hugo,” Queenie said. “All are tough guys who carry blades on them.”
“Should we be armed?” Robertito said.
“No, we don’t want things escalating,” the detective said. “We take quick action, and get the suitcase to Marianne.” He looked at Pierre for his opinion.
“That’s the way to do it, otherwise there really will be a bloodbath,” Pierre said. “We all need to try and sleep for at least a couple of hours.”
WALTER AND HIS detective went in the guestroom and got into bed. Robertito had gone with his parents back to their house, and Queenie slept on the sofa.
“Sleep in,” the detective said to Walter.
“Be careful, Detective,” Walter said. “I don’t want to lose you when we’re finally back together.”
Two hours later there was knock on the guest room door, and Adele entered. It’s time, Detective.”
The detective got out of bed, and followed Adele to the kitchen, where his clothes and shoes were clean, dry, and waiting.
“Pierre and Robertito are out back with Mercedes,” Adele said. “I’ll leave you alone and go join them.”
When the detective was dressed, he went outside where breakfast—consisting of eggs, bacon and croissants was waiting.
“Good morning, Detective,” Mercedes said.
“There’s orange juice in the pitcher, and I can make you a cup of coffee,” Adele said.
“Juice is fine, thank you,” the detective said. “Have your people heard anything, Pierre?”
“No,” Pierre said, “Jean and Hugo are lying low somewhere. I don’t think we’ll see them until they get to the train station.”
“Some of my boys checked out the roads and docks,” Robertito said. “Augustine’s men had those covered like we thought he would. The station is where things will go down.”
“How messy will it get?” the detective said, then sat down and fixed himself a plate of food.
“We’re going to be given space to handle things,” Pierre said. “It’s the simplest and neatest way.”
“Agreed,” the detective said.
“Detective, Robertito, take care of Pierre,” Mercedes said. “He’s not as young as he thinks he is anymore.”
“How’s Louise?” the detective said.
“Still sleeping, which is good,” Adele said. “The poor child’s life may actually take a turn for the better now that her mother’s dead. That may sound horrible but that’s how it is.”
“It’s the simple truth of the situation,” the detective said.
“The mother was the breadwinner in that house, though,” Mercedes said. “She wouldn’t let her husband work where there might be other women around. Nina was intensely jealous.”
“What did François do before he married Nina?” Robertito said.
“I don’t remember,” Mercedes said.
“The man was one of the best pastry chefs in the area, if not the best,” Adele said. “He’s the one that gave me the recipe for the almond cake our detective loves so much. By the way, I saved you a piece for later, Mr. Detective.”
“Very much appreciated, Ma’am,” the detective said.
“If François is that good, you should get your man to find him a job at La Mer,” Robertito said.
“I will,” the detective said, noting the surprise on Robertito’s face.
“You’re going to be good for this town, I can tell,” Adele said.
When they had finished eating, Pierre’s phone rang and he spoke in French for a few minutes.
“It’s the Episcopal priest, Father Albion,” Robertito said to the detective. “Something strange just happened.”
Pierre got off the phone and turned to the detective then spoke in English.
“Father Albion said his chapel was broken into. Nothing was taken but he found Hugo sleeping inside with some young men he didn’t recognize. But when he described them to me, one was definitely Jean.”
“And the suitcase?” Robertito said.
“I didn’t mention that,” Pierre said. “From the chapel they’ll have a direct route to the train station.”
“Can we pick them up on the road?” the detective said, then drank some juice.
“No, there are too many ways they can scatter and run,” Pierre said. “The station is in a more enclosed area. And if we miss them there, Augustine’s men won’t.”
Mercedes rubbed her arms nervously.
“It’ll be OK, baby,” Pierre said. “Don’t worry.”
“If Walter really can find a place in the kitchen for Francoise, he won’t be sorry.” Adele said. “The man is not the monster his wife was—she trapped him. He thought she was a good and sweet girl. It took several years of marriage for him to discover the truth and by then it was too late. He’ll be grateful for the opportunity and work hard, I’m sure of it.”
“He is a good man and a hard worker,” Mercedes said. “His daughter was afraid he was dead.”
“Did you tell her the truth?” Robertito said.
“Not yet, because then we’d also have to tell her about Nina,” Mercedes said.
“I doubt the girl will shed any tears for her dead mother,” Adele said. “Unless they’re tears of relief that she won’t ever be beaten again.”
“Who’d blame her?” the detective said.
“No one that had seen her,” Pierre said.
“We’ll have to fatten that child up, Adele,” Mercedes said.
“We will, she’s so stick thin and small,” Adele said. “But we’ll see to getting her well.”
“If anyone can do it, you ladies can,” Robertito said.
“My son has learned a valuable lesson early in life,” Pierre said. “Never doubt women when they set their minds to something.”
“Smart man,” the detective said. “Isn’t it unusual to have an Episcopal priest in this area?”
“Yes,” Adele said. “There are more Catholics in this region, but we have a fondness for sweet Father Albion.”
“He’s a genuinely good person,” Mercedes said. “That’s rare even among priests—regardless of their faiths.”
“We have just enough time to use the toilet before we need to leave,” Pierre said.
“Something just hit me,” Mercedes said. “Hugo and his cousin wouldn’t know the detective. He’s new in town.”
“You haven’t met, Hugo?” Pierre said to the detective, then turned to his son. “Why didn’t you tell me this important fact?”
“I didn’t know till Mama mentioned it just now,” Robertito said.
“Men,” Mercedes said to Adele. “They would forget to breathe if we weren’t here to remind them.”
“And I, for one, am grateful that you are here, my love,” Pierre said. “Detective, would you mind taking the lead in this action today?”
“Not at all,” the detective said. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
Chapter 18
Go!
THE DETECTIVE WAS in the backseat of Ranvir’s taxi on the way to the train station. He would arrive there before Pierre and Robertito as planned.
“Sir, Detective,” Ranvir said. “Marianne said that you’ll know she’s delivered the suitcase to the right guy when she kisses his cheek.”
“Thanks.”
“I’ve got instructions to stay in front of the station, in case there’s a chase or I need to block someone in.”
“Don’t count on either happening.”
“How is the little girl Louise?”
“Better, thanks.”
Ranvir stopped the taxi in front of the steps leading to the entrance of the train station. The detective grabbed big brother’s suitcase that the sisters had lent him, so he’d look like a passenger waiting to get on the train. Once he got out, he took his time walking up the steps and surveying his surroundings. Nothing looked suspicious. He walked through one of multiple entry doors. These numerous exits could be a problem if the guy with the suitcase made a r
un for it. He made a beeline for the tracks. But before he got there, he spotted a man sitting on a bench with Louise’s suitcase beside him. However, it wasn’t Hugo or Jean. He’d seen both their pictures and this young, preppy-looking guy didn’t look a thing like them. Must be one of their crew, the detective thought.
As the detective made his way to the man on the bench, he spotted Marianne standing next to a nearby pole. The platinum bob wig, and especially the red stiletto pumps made her easy to spot—surprisingly so. He purposely made eye contact with her, and she subtly nodded and headed his way.
“Hey, man, is this seat taken?” the detective meekly said to the man with the suitcase.
The man shook his head no. After unlocking the top of big brother’s suitcase so that it would open, the detective pretended to trip. He purposely fell against the man and dumped the suitcase, clothes, and paraphernalia on top of him.
“So sorry, man—massive hangover this morning,” the detective said, then reached for the top of the suitcase next to the man and slid it hard toward a waiting Marianne.
“Hey,” the man said, then looked to his side for the suitcase. “Hey!” He pushed the detective off him, but the detective head butted him.
The man threw a punch, but the detective caught it and hit him in the face. From the corner of his eye he could see Marianne, and a guy running toward her—Hugo. He gave the man beneath him a hard punch in the jaw then tried to break free but the man grabbed his leg.
The whistle of the oncoming train could be heard, and Hugo frantically ran, then tackled Marianne, who screamed as she fell to the floor. After furiously kicking at Hugo, Marianne managed to stand, and she ran toward the tracks. The detective kicked his assailant in the face, broke free and headed toward Marianne and Hugo, but there was a crowd of people between them heading to the train.
From a distance the detective could see Hugo trying to grab the suitcase from Marianne, who fought him. They struggled back and forth before Hugo got hold of the suitcase and whacked Marianne hard with it, causing her to fall again. But she was a quick thinker and tripped him with her foot. As he fell, the suitcase did also then it went sliding across the floor. The detective pushed the people in front of him out of the way, then rushed forward. That was when he saw Jean running for the suitcase. Robertito appeared near the far end of the crowd. He ran, hopped on a bench and used it to jump from onto Jean, knocking him to the ground.
The detective didn’t stop to help, instead he grabbed Hugo who had pinned Marianne down. When Marianne was free she retrieved the suitcase and walked onward. After punching Hugo’s face several times, leaving him dazed the detective looked for Marianne. She had walked up to a nondescript group of men. When she kissed one man’s cheek the detective let out a sigh.
The majority of the crowd had boarded the train, and Hugo and Jean were now clear and visible targets. They knew it and tried to make a hasty exit across the train tracks as the train was moving.
Pierre walked by him and spoke quickly. “A couple of Jean’s boys are missing, stick close to Marianne.”
While doing as he was told, the detective heard the sound of people screaming but he ignored it and caught up to Marianne and the men. When they had just exited the station, the detective spotted one of Jean’s men as he was about to attack Marianne with a knife. He ran and grabbed the man’s hand from behind, causing him to drop the blade. As they struggled, the man tripped and fell down the stairs with the detective on top of him. Another guy was quickly making his way toward Marianne and her escorts, but Robertito tackled him.
“Good girl,” the detective said when he saw Marianne hurrying down the stairs with the men to a waiting car.
“Are you alright, Detective?” Pierre said, as he offered him a hand up.
“Dandy,” the detective said, as uniformed police officers helped the man under him stand up then cuffed him.
Pierre spoke to the police officers in French.
“Papa told them there are a couple of bodies on the tracks to deal with,” Robertito said to the detective. “Hugo and Jean didn’t make it across the tracks.”
“That was a stupid risk for them to take with the train moving,” the detective said.
“It probably beat the alternative of Augustine’s men getting their hands on them,” Robertito said.
“There is that,” the detective said.
“After all this, let’s just hope the money was still in the suitcase,” Robertito said, then laughed.
As if on cue, Pierre’s phone rang and he started speaking in French. Robertito listened in and translated for the detective.
“It’s Marianne. Dad just said something along the lines of ‘thank God the money was all in there’. I would say you need a vacation after all this, Detective, but you still have a murder to solve before you retire, stud.”
WHEN PIERRE, ROBERTITO, Ranvir, and the detective arrived back at the sisters’ home everyone was awake and out back, including the kids. Gabriel ran to the detective and gave him a hug as did Galen.
“Naomi sends her thanks,” Queenie said, from where she sat by the table. “The money’s all been accounted for thank the Lord—Halleluia. The bad guys are dead and all is right with the world.”
“You’re forgetting the dancing man, and whoever committed the murder you know where,” Flan, who was in drag and had joined the group at some point, said.
“Are you still half asleep, bitch?” Queenie said. “You don’t talk all that shit in front of little kids like Louise and Galen.”
“I’m sorry, kids,” Flan said to Galen then Louise.
“Kiss my ass, bitch,” Louise said. “You ate my piece of cake.”
“There’s more cake, don’t worry, child,” Mercedes said.
“Now I can tell she’s Nina’s daughter with the mouth she’s got on her,” Adele said. “We have got our work cut out for us with her.”
“For sure we do,” Queenie said. “That child is wild through no fault of her own, though. So we need to remember our good Christian charity.”
“That fat ass Flan needs to get me a piece of cake is what needs to happen,” Louise said.
“Jesus, give us strength,” Adele said.
“So, you ladies are definitely taking Louise under your wing,” Walter said.
“Yes we are,” Adele said. “It is our duty as a community. And believe you me, it’s gonna take the whole community to set that child right.”
“I’d say be nice, Adele, but you’re right on the money this time,” Mercedes said. “Let’s fix the men something to eat before we have to get ready to go to the beauty salon.”
“You’re already all so beautiful,” Pierre said. “You don’t need the beauty salon.”
“You need to put your glasses on, baby,” Queenie said. “I broke a fingernail last night, and you don’t even want to see my feet after I ran barefoot through those wet streets getting here early this morning.”
“When the salon owner Frou-Frou heard we were bringing in Louise for her first salon experience, and that Lucie was having a makeover, she called in all the girls to work,” Flan said.
“You won’t recognize us when we go to the hotel for brunch tomorrow after church,” Lucie said, then chuckled.
“Is Louise staying here again?” Walter said.
“Of course,” Adele said. “She’s in no condition to go out with her hair and nails the way they look. You deal with your end of things, and we’ll deal with ours.”
While the others were chatting with Pierre and Robertito, the detective cornered Walter who was hiding something behind his back.
“The boys couldn’t wait to see you,” Walter said. “That was nice how they rushed up to hug you.”
“Your end of things?” the detective said.
“I’m following through on something you wanted to do. I called François at the clinic, and offered him a job and place to live. He’ll be out later today. They wanted to keep him a while because of the head injury he suffered.”
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“Place to live?”
“I’ll explain later,” Walter said. “Meanwhile, I have a surprise for you. He brought a plate forward that he’d been hiding behind his back. On the plate was a big piece of almond cake.
A huge grin formed on the detective’s face.
“You’re practically drooling,” Walter said. “Anyway, enjoy that while you can, because you still have a murder to solve.”
Chapter 19
Home Sweet Home
THE DETECTIVE, WALTER, Gabriel, and Galen were all in Ranvir’s taxi, along with a paper plate wrapped in plastic that held one remaining piece of almond cake.
“Are we gonna live with you now, Mr. Detective?” Galen said.
Both Gabriel and Galen looked at the detective, who turned to Walter.
“Y’up,” Walter said.
“Do you have a dog?” Galen said.
“No,” Walter said. “I’m so busy with work I don’t have time to take care of a dog.”
“I can take real good care of one,” Galen said. “Feed him, brush his hair.”
“Take him out to poo too?” Walter said.
“Ew,” Galen said.
Gabriel, and the detective chuckled.
“A dog would have to poo somewhere and somebody would have to take him outside to do his business,” Walter said. “You don’t want him pooping in your room, do you?”
“No,” Galen said. “What’s gonna happen to Louise? She was really hurting.”
“She’s gonna be our neighbor,” Walter said, earning himself a look from the detective.
“Wow,” the detective said. “Is there a whole neighborhood behind the hotel?”
“There are a few cottages for workers,” Walter said. “One is occupied by the man and his son who do our landscaping and grounds work. There’s a duplex consisting of two bedroom units where our head chef and his wife live on one side and our maintenance man and his wife on the other. Louise and her father will live in a two bedroom cottage close to our four bedroom owner’s residence.”