“You don’t know where he was looking. I’m not even sure I know. He told Steve, but he might have been lying.”
“I know he was looking underwater, but I’m sure there’s no ship there. Sweetie. This is the ship.” Faye spread out her arms, encompassing everything around them.
Amande was beginning to suspect that Steve had bonked Faye on the head. “This?” she asked, looking around at the dumpy shack.
“The island. I think the ship went down right here, in fairly shallow water, and that it was slowly buried by silt over the years. I think the wood remnants that Joe and I uncovered came from the old ship itself. And I don’t think it was a treasure ship.”
“That makes some sense,” Amande said, thinking fast. “Dane said he found a pile of ballast stones nearby that would have been dumped while the crew was trying not to run aground.”
“Exactly. But it didn’t work, probably because they waited until the ship was too far gone before they lightened her load.”
“Dane said that, too. But why do you say that it wasn’t a treasure ship? We both found silver coins. And Dane found a gold one.”
“Remember the little shackle. I think the ship beneath this island carried slaves, not treasure chests. A slaver’s crew would have had money of their own, and there might have been money aboard that was collected from the sale of the slaves, if that happened before the ship went down. But there would’ve been hardly any gold and silver aboard a slave ship, compared to what would have been loaded on one of the old treasure ships that were built to carry the spoils of the New World back to the old one. Just think. Your island is one big artifact. Lucky you.”
Amande looked at the floor under her feet. “Wow. I’m standing on a slave ship, hundreds of years old. Cool.”
Faye put a hand on Amande’s forearm. “Hey. Thanks for coming back for me, even if I did tell you to make tracks in the opposite direction.”
“Any time. Want to hold a drunken baby?”
Faye held out her arms. “Come to me. Both of you. I thought we might all be dead by now.”
“Now you tell me. You were talking real big right before you ran out and attacked a crazy man.”
“I was bluffing.”
Amande wrapped her arms around Faye for a moment, then she helped Faye get Michael draped comfortably over her shoulder. He never stirred as his mother took him. He just kept snoring.
Faye ruffled his hair. “Please do not tell my husband that I got our baby plastered.”
“He stinks like Jack Daniels. I think you’re busted.”
Amande felt Faye take her hand and squeeze it, then she stood dumbfounded when Joe burst in the door and the toughest woman on earth began to cry.
Chapter Thirty-three
“We have to go home.”
It was a simple statement, and everyone present knew that it was true, but it was the reason for calling them all together. When Joe spoke those five words, it was as if he’d called the meeting to order. In response, Didi’s temper tantrum began, as expected.
“Well, you can’t take my niece with you. She belongs with me.”
Faye sat at Amande’s favorite picnic table, because there were just too many people at this meeting to squeeze into the houseboat’s main room. Joe sat on her right and Amande sat on her left. Didi, Tebo, and Sally the Social Worker sat on the other side of the table. Faye’s cousin Bobby and his girlfriend Jodi had pulled up chairs. Benoit sat behind them, not because he had any business there, but because he was interested. Also, Reuss thought that Didi would behave better if the law showed its face, even informally.
Reuss himself sat at the head of the table, presiding over this potential zoo. “My client has an opinion on where she should live during the two years before she reaches her majority.”
“Well, like I said, she should live with me,” Didi said. “I’m her only blood kin. There’s no reason for her to live anyplace else. You can’t tell me that the state of Louisiana would take Amande away from a relative and give her to a stranger. It’s just not right.”
“There are a lot of things in this world that ain’t right,” Joe said, his cool and passionless hunter’s eyes fastened on Didi’s face. Faye was very glad he had never pointed that expression at her.
“I’ll fight it. She’s my niece. You can’t take what’s mine.”
“The department makes its own decisions,” Sally said. “You can appeal, but having a lawyer would help and they’re very expensive.”
Amande’s own lawyer said, “Even if you are in fact made Amande’s guardian, you’ll still have a fight on your hands. She has instructed me to pursue emancipation if she is placed with you. With her obvious capabilities, and with the support of the people around this table, I think she has a good chance of getting it. But why should she? Why should she have to throw herself out into the world, alone, when Mr. Mantooth and Dr. Longchamp-Mantooth are willing to take her and she wants to go with them?”
Tebo raised his hand, as if he were a child in school. “I got a question. I been spending a lot of time over at the marina in Manny’s office, looking at the Internet. Ain’t the state of Louisiana going to have something to say about these two people taking her off to Florida?”
So that’s where Tebo had been spending his time.
Reuss shot Tebo a glance that spoke of respect, but Sally answered his question.
“It will take time. Louisiana will have to be satisfied that Mr. Mantooth and Dr. Longchamp-Mantooth will be good parents and that they have an adequate place for Amande to live. Our sister agency in Florida will have to agree to take over this case. I’ve seen photos of their home, and I’ve spent time with the couple personally. I can’t see that there will be any problem with placing Amande in their care, but we’ll need to jump through some hoops—interviews and home studies and such. In the meantime, she’ll have to stay in-state. That’s where Mr. Longchamp and Ms. Bienvenu come in.”
All heads turned to Bobby and Jodi.
“I’ll eventually be the girl’s adoptive cousin,” Bobby said, “so I’d think the state should be okay with her living with Jodi and me temporarily. Sally’s getting it all worked out.”
He was too well-bred to mention that his family connections had gone a long way toward getting Amande’s placement with him fast-tracked. Faye was hanging onto the hope Bobby’s status as a man who knew people who knew people would make the adoption happen quickly, as well.
“We want kids pretty soon,” Bobby added, “so it seems like a good idea to practice with one who can already walk and talk and eat without drooling.”
“We’re in an excellent school district,” Jodi added. “And if the state’s unhappy that we’re living in sin, we could rush up the wedding.”
“But it might kill our mothers.” Bobby kept talking, despite Jodi’s visible kick under the table. “They’ve been harassing florists and caterers for six months, at least.”
Amande’s triumphant expression was too much for Didi, who reached across the table, grabbed her by the hair, and raised a hand to slap her. Benoit and Reuss bounded to their feet barking orders, but Amande just looked her coolly in the eyes and said, “You won’t do it. You’re not woman enough.”
Tebo was the one who yanked Didi off her feet and away from the girl. “Oh, she’ll do it. I saw her slap her own father in the face.”
“Yes, I did. And he deserved it, too. Let me go!”
Tebo gave his struggling half-sister a shake. “Funny thing. When I was looking at the Internet, I spent all kind of time ciphering through inheritance law. That ‘usufruct’ stuff that cheated our mother out of full-out inheriting our stepfather’s stuff…you know it’s a real old law, don’t ya? That’s why it’s so weird.”
“Oh, it’s weird. Like you. Let me go right now!”
“I read online that there’s ways children can lose their inheritance, automatic. And one way to do that is hitting their own father or mother? Am I right?”
Reuss nodded.
Reuss shook his head, but he looked like he was sorry about it. “You’ve done a beautiful job of Internet research, Tebo, and if life were completely just, then yes. Didi would be penniless right now. But the only way for her to be disinherited due to striking her father would have been for your stepfather to cut her off before he died, and he didn’t. Didi does still own half of the boat and stock. On my client’s behalf, I’d like to recommend to her eventual guardians that she liquidate as much of her stock as it will take to buy out her mother’s half-sister. After that, we’ll have to determine who Mr. Daigle’s heirs are, so we can buy them out, as well. Manny says that he’ll manage renting the boat out for Amande. It should yield her a nice income that she can save for college.”
Didi sensed money coming her way, so she perked up. Reuss looked her in the face and said, “I have no doubt that your money will be gone in six months. Stan has already filed for divorce, and I don’t think your kinfolks at this table ever want to see you again. If I were you, I’d start making a plan for being alone in the world.”
“I’ll use that money to fight for Amande. I can make some trouble with it.”
Tebo put a warning hand on her shoulder. “I’m the man of this family, and I say it’s time to settle this. Didi, the law ain’t gonna give you squat. I can’t make you stop fighting these people, but I can tell you that I think keeping it up would be a waste of money that you ain’t got. Get your stuff and go. I’m going to do the same. And I think you’d better go far, because if you put a foot down wrong in this parish, that man is going to make you pay.”
He nodded at Benoit, who gave Tebo a wolfish grin that scared Faye a little.
Tebo nodded at Joe and then at Faye, saying, “The little girl’s always been worth more than the rest of us put together. You people take good care of her.”
“We’ll bring her to see you,” Faye began, but he interrupted her.
“The reason for sending her off to live with you people is to give her a good influence, and I ain’t one. I imagine she’ll keep in touch with Manny, and he’ll let me know how she’s gettin’ along.” He turned a shy eye on Amande. “Ain’t that right, honey?”
***
After the meeting to decide Amande’s fate dispersed, Jodi and Bobby lingered long enough to show Faye the humongous Longchamp family diamond that Bobby had put on Jodi’s left ring finger.
“Do you people have any of those rocks lying around that a distant relative could wear now and then?”
“Maybe. I’ll ask my father.”
“She’d just get it all dirty, digging in the dirt,” Joe pointed out.
This was true, so Faye gave up her piratelike lust for gemstones and gold.
“I brought you something,” Bobby said, holding out a rolled-up piece of parchment.
“A map?” Faye asked, reaching for it and spreading it across the table.
“See for yourself.”
It was a detailed genealogy, hand-lettered in beautiful calligraphy and reaching back many generations.
“You made this?”
Bobby inclined his head with a little modesty, but not much.
Faye spotted her name in one corner. Amande’s name was lurking far across the page in the other corner. Unless she missed her guess, this piece of paper said that they were fifth cousins, once removed.
“Is this true?” she squeaked.
“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course it’s not true. When you told me that you were lying to the cops about being Amande’s distant relative, I just…made it so. I like it when you’re not in jail for perjury.”
“Me too,” Joe said, slipping an arm around her waist.
Bobby pointed to a name near the top of the page. “You and Amande both have ancestors named Taylor…here…and there are about a billion Taylors in the world, so I did some creative fact finding and…abracadabra! Your Taylors were magically related to her Taylors. If someone examines this document closely enough, and if they’re anal-retentive enough to check every last item on it, then that person will find the little seam where I sewed your two families together. But can you imagine anybody looking that hard? Anyway, it doesn’t look like you’re going to need to prove that you and Amande are blood relatives after all, but I thought you might want this as a souvenir.”
“You’re at your best when you’re not burdened by the truth, Bobby.”
“I like to think so.”
***
Amande knew that Faye had sent her alone to the marina to return the rental boat for a reason. She had wanted her to have a private moment to say good-bye to Manny.
Handing him the keys, Amande took the receipt, folding it neatly and putting it in her pocket so that Faye could file it with her taxes. “Thank you, Manny. For letting me follow you around ever since I was a stupid little girl and for teaching me to use a computer and for keeping the drunks from bothering me and for…oh, for everything.”
Oh, crap. She was going to cry.
“You were never stupid, not in your whole life.”
Now she thought he was going to cry. That was way worse.
She held her hand next to his, and their golden-brown skin tones weren’t so different. “I used to think maybe you were my father. Then I did the math, and I figured you weren’t old enough.”
“Well, I guess I could’ve been your father, but I’d have had to start really early and try really hard. It might’ve been fun.”
That made her laugh, which helped with the tears. Then he added, “But I wish I’d been your father. He’s not nearly good enough for you.”
That did it. The tears were rolling. Probably it was the stupid tears that kept her from realizing what Manny had said for a full five seconds.
“You know my father?”
“Yes, I do, and no. I’m not telling you who he is. He’s trouble, Amande.”
“Of course he is. He’s related to me. Do I know him?”
“No. He went west before you were born. Last time I heard, he was—” He stopped. “No, I’m not even telling you what state he lives in. I taught you how to use the Internet, so I know what you can do. With that much information, you’d be on the man’s doorstep by dinnertime tomorrow.”
He was right. She absolutely would.
“I have a right to know who my father is.”
Manny studied her for a moment, then he said. “You’re right. You do. But not until you’re older. Then maybe you can deal with the shit he dishes out. Excuse my French.” He stuck his hands in his pockets and eyeballed her some more. “When you’re eighteen…no, that’s too soon. Come back here when you’re twenty-one. I’ll pour you your first drink, and I’ll tell you everything I know about your father.”
She stuck out her hand and he shook it. “It’s a deal.”
***
Amande’s clothes were packed in the new suitcase Joe had found at the Walmart down the road. Michael had decided that nothing in the world was more fun than pushing that suitcase around Amande’s tiny bedroom. Faye could feel three new bruises on her shins, so far.
It was time for the last task before they hit the road. Faye and Amande were carefully boxing her artifacts so that they would travel safely. As each box was packed, Joe took it to the car, even though they were so small that he could have waited and carried all of them at once. Nervously padding around the room in his moccasins, then disappearing to the car every time they packed one little box—these were his ways to hurry them along.
If he’d been the kind of man who wore a wristwatch, Joe would have been tapping it. They needed to go. Every day, even every hour, of delay gave the oil slick more time to reach Joyeuse and wreak havoc on their home.
Amande’s artifact collection was complete again. Her Spanish coins had returned home, left behind on the table by Dane when Steve had come to kidnap them. He’d left his own treasure coins, as well, which Faye had offer
ed to his parents. They hadn’t even wanted to look at them, and she couldn’t blame them. They were stored safely with Amande’s coins now.
As they finished, Amande stooped to pick up the broken pieces of the guardian doll that her grandmother had made for her. She stroked its raffia hair and said, “I guess she worked. I came through everything in one piece, even if she didn’t. Maybe I learned enough about weaving straw from Grandmère to fix her.”
The doll was too big to be easy to carry. Amande wrapped one arm around its body and hugged its head to her chest with the other. Looking down through the torn neck opening, she said, “Hey! There’s something in there.”
Faye helped her retrieve a folded piece of paper that had been placed in the doll’s head while it was being made. Written in an uneven cursive hand was this message:
To the spirits who guard young women and watch over children,
The spirits my mother knows so well,
I charge you this—
Take care of my little Amande.
And it was signed Justine Marie Landreneau.
Faye was fumbling for her phone. This was going to delay their departure yet again. Her dear husband was going to be oh-so-happy.
Joe was not over her brush with death yet, although even he’d had no answer when she asked him, “What would you have had me do? Leave the child alone in the hands of a killer because I was afraid to go after her?”
He had no answer, because he knew she was right. This didn’t mean that she didn’t wake up every night to find that he’d hauled Michael into bed with them. And it didn’t mean that she didn’t wake up dreaming about being crushed by an anaconda, because Joe had one long musclebound arm wrapped securely around her, with the other wrapped around their little boy. It would take them both a long time to get over the terror of that day. And now, today, he was going to have to get over his impatience with her inability to leave this place and go home, because she had a call to make and an errand to run.
Reuss really needed to see this note, because the handwriting on it did not in any way match the signature on the will that Steve had come to town brandishing. If Steve had forged that will, then Justine had died without one, meaning that all her worldly goods went straight to her only heir. Amande. Even more important to a girl who’d been far more wounded by her mother’s absence than she would ever confess…if the will was a fake, then Justine did not try to deprive Amande of her inheritance. She’d abandoned her, yes, and she hadn’t even come back to make amends when she learned she was dying, but the coldblooded act of cutting Amande out of her will had simply never happened.
Plunder: A Faye Longchamp Mystery #7 (Faye Longchamp Series) Page 28