Alicia erupted with a renewed struggle, crying out against the gag and managing to push it from her mouth with her tongue. Her scream rang out like a power surge. Ray whipped around to her side and slapped her face before stuffing the gag back in.
He put his face in hers. “I don’t need you alive for this, my dear.”
Ray stood straight then rounded to her backside, gently petting her hair. He faced me, putting his gun against the back of my daughter’s head. He chuckled and pulled the gun up as if tormenting was foreplay. My muscles locked as the scene played out like a dream sequence.
It seemed Ray sensed my presence as he stopped to glare down the hall. His expression of surprise woke me as his gun rose from Alicia’s head and fired a shot that embedded in the wall just inches from me. A rush of blood pumped from my heart and I squeezed, hitting Ray in the shoulder, exactly where I aimed. As he fell backwards, I sprinted to his side, kicking the gun from his hand. After another swift kick to the bullet hole, I put a slug into both of his legs, ensuring he wouldn’t go anywhere.
I untied my wife and daughter who hysterically embraced me. Eventually they let go and expected me to call the police, but they were already on their way.
“Why don’t you two go wait in the bedroom?” I pointed.
“Why?” Heather asked. “You need to get the police here.”
“Actually, a squad’s on their way now.” I looked at Ray who was holding his wounds in agony, but still conscious. Malice filled my being for the man who just threatened to kill my wife and daughter. I felt myself standing in Cozy’s shoes. I calmly said, “He has information about who’s behind the whole operation. I want to see if I can get it out of him before the cops come and he shuts up for good. Go on, I don’t want you to see this.”
With a lingering kiss, she complied with concern in her eyes, taking a dazed Alicia with her. When the bedroom door closed, I turned to Ray, who eyed me like a man who knew his fate.
“Oh, Ray, there is no one on this blessed Earth that would want to be you right now.”
“Fuck you and that bitch Cozy.”
“There’s one difference between her and me. She left you alive.”
Ray’s accent instantly switched from New Orleans Y’at to Russian. “I’m prepared to die, Peyroux. I expected it every day in Russia, working for the mob.”
I kneeled by his head, hiding my surprise. “Russian mob? I didn’t even ask you anything about that.”
He winced. “Just wanted you to know what you can expect in your future.”
“Me?”
“You want to know who is behind this? A brutal, ruthless Russian family. My boss will replace me. He will replace everyone you arrested and you’ll never know who it is until it’s too late. And he won’t stop until your entire family is dead.” He yelled towards the hall. “Dead, Peyroux!”
“Or maybe you’re full of shit.”
“Why lie to you now? You might even arrest the man that will kill your wife and daughter, leaving you alive so you can witness the death of anyone else you are close to – or will become close to. Because that is what we do. My boss is not even in this country. How’s that for a start to this little interrogation?”
My mouth went dry. “Actually, it’s a good start.”
Chapter 42
Cold handcuffs hung loose on the hospital bed railing as Cozy slid them back and forth. Haley, still loopy from being drugged, slept in the next bed. No matter what happened, jail or no jail, she would be happy forever, knowing her sister was safe.
A black man with a bright smile and pin-striped suit bypassed the cop at the door and took command of the room, carrying a satchel at his side. His fade was well trimmed and his glasses made him look more attractive than he might’ve been. He took a quick glance around, and then zeroed in on the handcuffs.
“Ms. Cozy Robicheaux?”
“That’s me.”
“I’m District Attorney Lionel Theriot.” He stepped up to the bed, holding the satchel with both hands. “Mind if I ask you a few questions?”
“Do I need a lawyer?”
“That’s up to you, but before you decide that, maybe you should hear me out.”
“I don’t have to answer any of your questions.”
“From what I hear, you’re a very smart lady. I think you can figure out what questions you might want to answer.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Actually, Ms. Robicheaux, this could go very quickly and to your benefit if you give me the right answers.”
“I’ll do my best.” She focused on sliding her handcuffs.
“Your fingerprints have been found at Raymond Corondelet’s residence. Seems like a lot of stuff went on there… Kidnapping, possible torture.”
“Who knows what kind of weird sex that guy liked?”
He smiled. “Seems his safe had been opened and some items retrieved from it.”
“Like money?”
“One item in particular being a hand written log of names and dates. Something that wouldn’t mean much at first glance.”
“How would you know of this mysterious hand-written journal if it’s missing?”
He took a second. “We have a source.”
“I’ll bet. Tell Senator Folsom hi for me.”
“Yes.” His eyes fell to the satchel, which he had yet to open. “Full immunity for the list.”
“What does that mean exactly?”
“The dead drug dealer, Titus Jones? Unsolved. Salvador Santiago shot Vincent Dean - a break-in. Senator Folsom said he fell onto his hand – won’t explain further.” Mr. Theriot approached and sat on the bed, putting the pouch to the side. “It means that no matter what you did, no matter what you say, no matter who accuses you of anything, you will not be charged.”
“Even the Feds?”
“Especially the Feds. They have even more reason to be embarrassed, but I won’t go into that. Rest assured, everyone is on board.”
“I guess the only reason you’re here is because no one found it yet.”
Theriot’s dark cheeks flushed. “No, they haven’t been able to locate it. Cozy, you don’t want to play games here. You know the high profile names on that list and they have everything to lose. But, for you to get the deal, you have to prove to me you have it.”
“The list of names are really of animals.”
They exchanged a knowing stare. “And the legend?”
“Cut through the shit, Mr. D.A. I would imagine a lot of people would be interested in that… a lot of people. And if I give you the list, those same people will allow this to happen again.”
His face grew solemn. “So, you know who’s on the list?”
“Yeah, Mr. Panther, I do.” She paused to let him gather himself. “They think disguising Senator Folsom with Rhino or Judge Jenner with Skunk is smart, but only if the legend is destroyed.”
“And the legend is where?”
“It’s with the list.”
“And where is the list?”
Cozy stared at him, momentarily spending time on his mouth, nose, chin and finally his eyes. She then turned her attention towards Haley covered up to her chest with a sheet. “I did it all for her, you know.”
“Once the story gets out, you two will stand to make a lot of money from interviews and book deals. We will have to impose a gag order pertaining to certain facts, but that doesn’t matter. The more mystery to the story, the more people will eat it up.”
“Of course.” Cozy slid the handcuffs back and forth a few more times.
“What about retaliation after I give you the list?”
“Trust.”
Cozy laughed. “I’ll trust that no one will kill me, if you trust that I don’t have a copy waiting to be released upon my death.”
“Touché. You are one smart bayou girl.”
“I want confirmation on that immunity deal. And before I agree to give you the list, I want Detective Lucas Peyroux to be the one who retrieves it and delivers it.”
Epilogue
Three weeks later.
Tara, Cozy, Haley and myself sat on a Bourbon Street restaurant balcony. Tara folded up the newspaper and threw it under the table. “Dobson still won’t fight for her job.”
“Even if she was to get reinstated,” I said, “she said she doesn’t want to come back and she won’t say what they have on her.”
“I don’t know,” Tara huffed, “she was a great cop.”
“What’s she going to do?” Cozy asked.
“She’s moving out of New Orleans, that much I know,” Tara said. “She can probably start over in a small town somewhere. She’s gained back thirty pounds.”
“I can’t believe everyone thought Jeannie from the club was me in the river,” Haley said, inhaling her French Fries.
I said, “You had the same body type with no tattoos and she had no family.”
“I snuck my phone past the guards and handed it to Jeannie after they rounded us up. When they discovered it on her, they – they – you know what they did. Then they killed her.”
“I’m confused about why they did it in the first place.” Cozy looked at everyone. “Why plant the hairbrush? Why did they have to?” Cozy asked.
Haley looked down. “When Ash started showing up, they realized people would ask questions if I went missing. All those girls have no one looking for them. I had no one to look for me until Ash showed.”
I swallowed quickly to add, “We found traces of blood that matches Jeanie’s blood type in Vincent Dean’s car. And his cell’s GPS places him at English Turn at the estimated time of death. Vince also had a five-thousand dollar deposit in his bank account. We think Ray put him up to it.”
Haley said, “Vince was kind of like a son to him. I think he may have been looking to get him into the business.”
“So much trouble just so they could sell you into slavery?”
Tara was already half-finished her sandwich, leaving crumbs all over the red and white checkerboard tablecloth. “You two were worth it to them. They have a rating system. You have the bottom of the barrel, like prostitutes and drug addicts, the girl-next-door average type, and you two… The crème de la crème. Big price tags on your heads.”
Cozy shook her head. “And Tabby was in on it the whole time. That’s why Ray was ready for me with the gun at his house. Tabby called him.”
“How’d you get out of that?” I asked.
Cozy snickered. “I accidently squeezed the trigger and shot the gun out of his hand like we were in the old west. You should have seen his face.” She made the sound effects and pretended a gun flew from her hand.
The table burst into laughter.
I said, “It’s a shame you had to hand over Ray’s list of clients, but at least it got you immunity.” I looked at Tara. “And Ray will never hurt anyone again.”
Cozy stared forward. “You still didn’t get the head guy. Pretty soon, their operation will be up and runnin’ again. Look, I was messed up in the head – am messed up in the head. I’m getting better, though. When the D.A. demanded mandatory counseling, deep down inside, I was glad. I want the help.”
Haley put her arm around her sister. “You’re not fucked up, dawlin’… just a little askew. We’ll work it out together here in NOLA. The whole city’s crazy.”
“By the way.” Cozy stood and pulled the alligator pendant from her pocket. “I’ve been saving this for you.”
Haley gasped and pulled her hair from the back of her neck, allowing Cozy to clasp the necklace. When Haley let her hair drop, she stood and the two sisters embraced. “Never thought I’d see this again.”
“I still think Mark Alexander had a hand in all this,” I said.
“Too late, now.” Tara shrugged.
“He came in the club one night. I went into the private room with him.” Cozy shuddered. “What if I run into him and accidently kill him?”
“You won’t.” Tara smiled.
“How’d he get off, anyway?” Haley asked.
“By not leaving a single shred of evidence.”
“Alexander’s dirty.” Tara added. “Damn Russian mobsters.”
“Add the best lawyers and friends on the client list and you have exoneration.”
“Go ahead.” Tara nudged me. “Tell them.”
I conjured a smile. “I quit the force.”
“What? Why?” Cozy nearly choked.
“When Ray nearly killed my family, I knew it was time. My work came home and threatened my family. I will never let that happen again. Before I killed Ray…”
“… In self-defense,” Tara added.
“… He warned me about the Russian mafia coming after Heather, Alicia and you Robicheaux girls. There’s too many of them and not enough of me. I couldn’t chance it.”
“What will you do?”
“Security work and consulting with the NOPD. I can still make a living.”
“You’re going to be bored.” Tara said.
“Heather says I need someone to save. This time, I like to think, I think I’ll be saving myself.”
Tara raised her drink and everyone followed suit. “To saving ourselves,” she said.
“To saving ourselves,” we all said as our glasses tapped together.
Acknowledgements
I’d like to thank Dan Shanahan for his valuable input, Alicia Franklin and Maxine Groves for their beta-reading skills, Andy Fitz for the many consultations over fine beers and thank you New Orleans.
E.J. Findorff was born and raised in New Orleans, but currently lives in Chicago. He graduated from the University of New Orleans and served six years in the Louisiana National Guard. He is a member of the International Thriller Writers Association.
Website – www.ejfindorff.com
Twitter - @ej_findorff
Blog – www.ejfindorff.blogspot.com
Also by E.J. Findorff
UNHINGED
KINGS OF DELUSION
Where The Devil Won't Go: A Lucas Peyroux Novel Page 25