by John Moore
Tears, tears, and more tears streamed down my face. “She’s fine. Hurry home. We all need to be together.”
I wanted to talk to Tom for hours, but he was still in the police station and he had to make certain he could get a flight out. He’d seen all he wanted of Mexico for a while. We agreed to tell each other everything that had happened when he returned. Real food and some sleep on a real bed were on his mind. I just needed to spend time with Piper sorting everything out. I really couldn’t make sense of how quickly the situation was changing or why. I was happy to have Piper, but I didn’t trust Victor. And what was happening with Jaeger? He seemed totally caught off guard by Victor’s and Clint’s moves.
“Piper, why did Jaeger bring you to Clint’s bar?” I asked.
“He came to my foster family’s home and flashed some official-looking papers that said ‘Warrant’ on them. My foster parents verified with their attorney that the warrant was legal. Her brother tried to stop Jaeger from taking me, but Jaeger pulled out his pistol and threatened to shoot the guy. When we got to the bar, Clint told Jaeger that Victor was coming to pick me up. I was as surprised as you to see what happened.”
I knew something had transpired to change the entire course of events that Victor had put in motion. For some reason, he had changed direction and put his gears in reverse. I wasn’t sure my troubles with Victor were over, and I didn’t know what to expect next.
Knock, knock, knock loudly rang out from my front door. I unbuckled the strap holding my .38 in the holster, sent Piper to the bedroom, and told Zach to open the door. He flung the door open and jumped back, expecting the worst. Clint and two of his monster men stood outside.
“May we come in?” Clint asked.
What was I going to say? No? I couldn’t shoot all three of them, though the thought did cross my mind. “Yes, come in,” I said.
My meager kitchen was getting crowded. I had never had this many people in my condo at one time. Clint asked me to keep Piper in the bedroom because what he had to say wasn’t for her ears to hear. I politely told him to go to hell and asked her to join us. She wasn’t leaving my sight with these guys around.
He laughed. “You can be a badass little bitch when you want to be, can’t you?”
I didn’t answer. I just kept my gaze steady, locking our eyes together. Even though I was peeing my pants with fear, I couldn’t show it. My stomach and heart knew I was afraid because they were both broadcasting it loudly. But scared or not, I was going to protect my family.
Clint sat at the kitchen table and rocked back in the chair, his fat belly too much for his feet to bear. “I’m here because there are things you need to know. You’ll figure out what just happened or at least some of it. Nothing I say can be repeated or there will be consequences.”
The room fell deathly silent. We all knew what consequences meant. I wasn’t sure why he was here to explain what had happened, but I was glad he was. I didn’t want to live with the fear of thinking either he or Victor would be coming for Piper or me.
Clint continued, “Victor and I have been in a bloody battle for control of the dark side of New Orleans. There have been casualties on both sides. I’ve lost some good men and working girls. I took down some of his best people too. You wouldn’t understand, but my people are my family just like this little girl is yours. We may live by a different set of rules, but we have each other, and that’s all we have. Our war stalemated, neither of us gaining the advantage. That all changed when you sent him the article you’d written. He knew you could get your friends at the Times to print the article or put it on your damn blog. Either way he would be exposed to law enforcement all over the world, so he approached me with a deal. He said if I gave him the girl, he’d get out of New Orleans.”
“That bastard!” I yelled.
Clint put his finger to his lips, shushing me. “I told him that deal wouldn’t fly, and I proposed to trade him the German cop instead of the girl. He needed to get Jaeger off his ass anyway, plus those two guys really hate each other. He agreed, so I convinced Jaeger that I had the goods on Victor, using your article, and told him we could use the girl to lure Victor to my bar. Then I’d help Jaeger nab him. You know what happened next.”
“What happened to Jaeger?” I asked.
“That’s not your business. He was a corrupt, child- molesting, extortionist cop. Whatever happens to him, he deserves. You see, missy, in my world the devil is always right around the corner to collect his due. What’s important is that Victor is out of New Orleans and off your ass. That means the DA will be dropping the charges against your friend, Susan McAllister. The bribed state worker, Ms. Butler, will drop her claims against your center and custody of the girl. And, of course, Victor has already seen to his bribed Mexican prosecutor dropping the charges against your boyfriend. There is still one problem. We sent word to the judge in your custody case that the state would be backing off, but she still insists that you find a bigger place to live before she can sign off on you getting custody of the girl.”
I finally felt like I could take my hand off of my gun. Clint wasn’t here to hurt me. It looked like Victor had given up on Piper, and New Orleans for that matter. “Was the judge on the take?” I asked.
“For God’s sakes, no,” Clint chuckled. “Let me tell you something about how things work in this city. We operate in the shadows. We don’t go into your world. There is an understanding between us and law enforcement. As long as we obey a certain set of rules, such as staying out of sight, we are allowed to exist. The cops and judges understand what we do is going to go on no matter what they do. It’s better for them to deal with the devils they know than the devils they don’t know. So we are all part of a large dysfunctional family of sorts. You need to stay in your world. You don’t belong in ours.”
After he said what he came to say, Clint stood and waddled out of the door, with his two thugs trailing behind. So Victor didn’t want to be exposed. I guess if I exposed him now I’d be inviting trouble for myself and my family. It was better to leave well enough alone, I concluded. Anyway, I was happy to hear that Piper and I were safe. It was icing on the cake to know that charges against Susan would be dropped and things at the center would return to normal.
As Clint stepped out of the door, he turned to say, “Victor is gone for the time being. I don’t know if he’ll try to come back to New Orleans, but you should watch out for that Alacran asshole. He didn’t seem too happy with the deal.”
I knew the Scorpion had it in for me. I offended his macho ego in Colombia. He tried to intimidate me, and it didn’t work. He couldn’t take it, so I knew he would try to get at me some way, but I couldn’t worry about him now. Nothing I could do to stop the crazy bastard except stay vigilant. When Clint left us, I wanted to spend time with Piper.
Zach sensed that we wanted to be alone, so he excused himself to go give Maddy the good news. He was finally free from the Dixie Mafia. He and Maddy could pursue their organic farming dream, and I was happy for both of them.
Piper had nerves of steel. None of this seemed to bother her. “Let’s go to Whole Foods. We can get some great food and have a celebration dinner. Victor is going to leave me alone. Maybe I shouldn’t be celebrating when I know he killed my mother. But I lost her long ago to heroin. Victor just finished her body off. She was hopelessly addicted and miserable. Her arms and legs were so riddled with needle marks that her veins were collapsing. I know she is in a better place now. Me . . . I have a family I can depend on to take care of me. You do love me, don’t you, Alexandra?” Piper said.
“I love you with all my heart and more than you will ever know,” I said.
I could tell Piper was not used to showing emotion. She had built her own great wall, just like the ancient Chinese, to keep people out. I understood why, knowing she was raised in such a volatile environment. Her mother took a wrong turn in life and Piper watched her gradually decay
. Other people came and went from her life. She couldn’t afford to get close to anyone. If she invested any emotion in anyone, she might lose them too. Nothing had been solid or permanent in her world.
I vowed to change that for her. I too had found a missing piece of myself. I had no idea I wanted to care for a child. My career ambitions seemed to drive me. Maybe Piper had brought to light a need deep inside me I didn’t know existed. Whatever had happened, I liked it. My priority was my family.
Piper and I readied ourselves for a popcorn and movie night after our Whole Foods dinner. We told stories, giggled, and watched two movies as we consumed our popcorn. I went to sleep anxious for the reunion with Tom in the morning.
I slept a little later than usual, and Piper fetched me a cup of coffee to help me rise and shine. We dressed and headed to the airport. We arrived more than an hour before Tom’s flight, so we spent time in the airport shops. I bought Piper a New Orleans Saints cap. She looked so cute with it on her small head adorned by rainbow-colored hair. I chuckled to myself about how Saints and Piper didn’t seem to go together.
Finally Tom’s plane touched down, the excitement building in me from my toes to the top of my head. As he and Sophia walked from the gate, I ran to him. He threw his strong arms around me and drew me close. I felt his ribs as we hugged. He’d lost some weight while in the Mexican jail, but still was a strong, handsome man. When my inspection of Tom was over we walked hand in hand to Piper. She hopped in the middle of us smiling as we made our way to baggage claim. Sophia watched our reunion with loving approval. Family was important to her too, and she knew she was a member of our extended family.
Tom told me all about what he’d learned in Mexico. The industrial corn farmers had created a genetically modified version of corn. It grew very quickly and was programmed to react well to pesticides. These corporate conglomerates were pushing their Frankencorn on the Mexican government, forcing local farmers out of business, destroying a way of life that had existed for hundreds of years. Worse, the pollution that went with large farming operations would destroy the natural balance of the habitat of the wildlife in the region; the environmental consequences promised to be horrendous.
“I can see fighting these Goliath companies is nearly impossible,” Tom said. “They have the resources to lobby or outright buy politicians. I was placed in jail for no reason. They kept me there simply because they could. Sophia told me what happened in New Orleans while I was locked up, and I felt so guilty for abandoning you and Piper. My family was threatened and I was miles away, helpless. I can’t leave you and Piper again. We have to find another way to fight these devils. Alexandra, one of the big companies trying to push their Frankencorn was Aggrow. They are one of the worst offending industrial farm companies in the world. They are also the company that is leasing your land in Indiana. We may not be able to stop them in Mexico, but we sure as hell can stop them on your land in Indiana.”
We agreed to get them off the land in Indiana. I brought Tom up to date on everything that had happened since Sophia went to Mexico. “We have to find a place to live that the court approves,” Tom said. “And we have to find a contractor to clean up the well on the farm in Indiana.” He had that take-charge attitude that I loved. He’d rearranged his priorities and focused on Piper and me. I found it so sexy.
On our ride home from the airport, I received a text from Charlotte. “Call me,” it read. She and Mandy Morris wanted to come by the condo to talk to Tom and me. They must have mended their differences, I thought. I really didn’t want to deal with anything new, but Charlotte made it sound crucial we meet, so I agreed to see them. They arrived at the condo shortly after we’d stashed Tom’s luggage in my bedroom. Sophia excused herself and headed back to her hotel.
In true form, Mandy Morris took the floor. “Alexandra, Charlotte told me what you’ve been through in the last few weeks.” She turned to Piper. “You are such a treat for us all. I really like you, Piper. I know the judge wants you to get a larger place to live. So I’ve spoken to my dear friend Bob Broussard, and he’s agreed to sell Alexandra and Tom his father’s condo on Bourbon Street.”
“Oh boy, oh boy. That’s the best news I’ve ever heard!” Piper screamed. “When can we move, Alexandra? Can we start tomorrow?”
Tom sat back with a pensive look on his face, and I was more than a little shocked. I wasn’t sure I could live in a place where Bob Broussard had killed so many women. It would be too weird, but Piper was so excited. She wanted to live in the Quarter, and so did Tom. They both seemed to draw energy from that part of the city.
“Why does Bob want to sell the condo?” Tom asked.
Mandy took a moment to respond. “He knows he will never go back there. His doctors say the memories associated with the condo would jeopardize his recovery. He has always liked Alexandra. We both appreciate the work she has done to help build our fathers’ companies. Selling it to you two would keep it in the family, so to speak, and make the judge happy. She wouldn’t hesitate to give you and Alexandra permanent custody of Piper if you had a three-bedroom place to live in. Bob’s agreed to lower the price to make it work, and even finance the purchase. So, what do you say?”
Tom looked at me for approval. I had my reservations, but what could I say? Living in the Quarter was a dream come true for Tom and Piper, and me too, if I were to be completely honest. I just wasn’t sure about Bob Broussard, Mandy Morris, and this particular condo. But in the end, if this was what my family wanted, I wouldn’t say no.
“It is a gracious offer for sure. I have one requirement though. All of the bathtubs have to be replaced. Bob placed all of his victims in those tubs. No way I could get in them,” I said.
Tom’s smile stretched from ear to ear, and so did Piper’s. “OK, that won’t be a problem. I’ll take care of getting them replaced.” He turned to Mandy and Charlotte and said, “We’ll take it. First, we’ll have to make sure it’s OK with the judge. If it is, we’ll start the process right away.”
Chapter Thirty-One:
Death in the Dark
Tom and I spent our first night back together wrapped in each other’s arms, the moonlight sneaking through the bedroom blinds. It felt so right. I really didn’t fully comprehend how much I missed him till we were reunited. Piper tossed and turned thinking, about moving to the Quarter. The following morning we piled into my car and went to see Mr. Swartz and Joshua Clark.
Swartz was a bit more relaxed in this meeting. “I’ll call the judge right now. I’m sure she will not have any problems with the new living arrangements.” He and Mr. Clark left us in the conference room and retreated to his office to have one of those secret communications lawyers have. When they returned, both lawyers were smiling for the first time since we began the custody proceeding.
“What did she say?” I asked.
“She gave her preliminary approval to the move. We’ll still have to have an evidentiary hearing to formalize the custody arrangement, but there shouldn’t be any problem as long as nothing happens to upset the apple cart. I’ll be able to do the legal work for your purchase of the condo from Mr. Broussard as soon as you arrange the financing,” Mr. Swartz said, his formal demeanor returning.
“Woo-hoo!” Piper yelled. “We are going to live in the French Quarter.”
Mr. Swartz gave us a moment to celebrate, then brought up another more troublesome subject. “Now, what are we going to do about getting you a contractor to remediate the pollution on your farm in Indiana? The other side is pushing for answers.”
“Sorry for dropping the ball on that,” Tom said. “We’ll talk it over and get back to you a little later.”
We left Swartz and went straight to Tom’s bank. We filled out all of their paperwork and waited in the lobby for them to examine our finances. Soon they gave us the good news. We qualified for the loan if the appraisal supported the purchase price, and I had no doubt it would. We were purchasing
the condo at a 25 percent discount. The bankers knew the value of the condo too, since Tom’s bank was the same bank Mr. Broussard used.
We went back to my condo, and Tom left us to talk to his bosses about returning to work. Piper and I headed to the center. We were greeted by a thinner version of Susan McAllister. She smiled as we approached.
“Susan, you look great,” I said.
“Yes, I’ve been on the indictment diet. I wouldn’t recommend it, but it sure works,” she said as she laughed. “It feels so good to be home. I missed all of the girls and their children. Alexandra, we have a new resident who would like to speak with you.”
A new resident who knew me? Was this a new move by Victor? “What’s her name?”
“Her name is Adrian Guidry. Would you like to meet her?” Susan asked.
“OK, can we meet in your office?”
Susan nodded and left to get Adrian. I was on my guard, thinking the worst. Adrian walked into the office with a timid smile on her face. I’d seen her before but couldn’t figure out where. As soon as she started talking, I remembered. She was the stripper at Clint’s bar who’d winked at me the first time I went there. I remembered her auburn hair and her bright blue eyes.
“Hi, Alexandra, I am so happy to finally talk to you. You have changed my life,” Adrian said.
Susan stood to leave, but Adrian asked her to stay. “Susan, you have created such a wonderful place for women and children with no other place to go. Many of us would be on the street without Sarah’s House.”
Adrian was a pretty girl but couldn’t be more than nineteen years old. “Adrian—that’s a lovely name,” I said, watching her twirl her hair around her finger. “Where are you from and how did you end up dancing in a bar on Bourbon Street?”
“I was born and raised in Morgan City. My father was an oil field worker and a National Guardsman. He used to come in my room every morning before he went to work to tell me good morning. He would wipe the sleep from my eyes as he hummed his favorite song. When I asked him what he was wiping from my eyes, he’d say stardust. His National Guard unit was shipped to the Middle East, and he was killed in action when I was only ten years old. I had a hard time after that. My mother died when I was seventeen. I was doing drugs and getting into trouble most of the time. The police in Morgan City arrested me over and over. I decided to leave when I was eighteen and came to New Orleans. Clinton gave me a job dancing. I chose the stage name Stardust, and people started calling me Dusty. The name has stuck, and I like it because it reminds me of my dad.”