by Jana DeLeon
She shook her head. “No. I’m not going to think that. Carter will do his investigation and maybe whatever was wrong will come out. Maybe Ralph had an aneurysm and didn’t know what he was doing. I saw something like that on the news once.”
“Did Carter say when it might have happened?” I asked.
Lucinda shook her head. “I called him yesterday morning asking if he’d take a look at the outlet in my bathroom. Ralph is—was—handy with that sort of thing. I thought it strange that he never called me back, but sometimes he gets busy with client work. But when he didn’t answer again this morning, I decided to check on him. Past a certain age, you never know…heart and all.”
Gertie patted her hand. “You did everything you could. Chances are, he was already gone before you called the first time.”
Lucinda nodded and wiped her nose with a tissue. “I know you’re probably right, but I just keep thinking if I’d gone over sooner, I could have done something.”
“That’s a natural thing to think,” Ida Belle said. “But I don’t think there’s anything you could have done. Please don’t stress over it.”
“You’re all too kind,” Lucinda said. “I really appreciate the clear thinking. It makes me feel a little better.”
“Well,” Ida Belle said, “if you don’t need us for anything, we’re going to get out of here and let you get some rest. You look exhausted.”
Lucinda nodded. “I don’t feel so great.”
“If we can do anything to help with the arrangements,” Gertie said, “please let us know. I’ll bake that chicken casserole you like and bring it over.”
“Thank you,” Lucinda said. “Thank you so much.”
We headed out of the house and climbed in my Jeep. As I pulled away from the curb, I looked over at Ida Belle. “Well?” I asked.
“I was about to ask you the same thing,” she said.
“This is what I think,” I said. “I think Ralph was already dead yesterday morning when Lucinda called because he doesn’t strike me as the type of guy who would ignore a call from his cousin for an entire day, especially an older female cousin living alone.”
“I think you’re right on that,” Ida Belle said.
“If he was already dead yesterday morning,” Gertie said, “that means the Seal brothers could have done it.”
“No sign of forced entry,” Ida Belle reminded her.
“He would have let them in the house,” Gertie said. “It would have never occurred to Ralph that he’d be in any physical danger from the brothers. He just didn’t think that way.”
“That’s probably true enough,” Ida Belle said. “So where does that leave us?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. I have a feeling it would be a waste of time to ask the brothers if they popped their uncle, but I’d also like to see their reaction. Let’s keep this under our hat for now and we’ll address it when we get back from the cemetery.”
Ida Belle nodded. “I hope we find that crypt and this all ends today. The body count is rising too fast for my taste.”
“Mine too,” I agreed.
I wanted to believe that the logical line of thought was the way things had gone down, but there was an unsettling feeling I had that I couldn’t get rid of. Finally, I pulled the Jeep over to the curb and yanked my cell phone out of my pocket. Before I could change my mind, I sent a text.
Ida Belle and Gertie were both staring at me with somewhat surprised expressions.
I handed Ida Belle my phone, and she read out loud the text I’d sent to Little Hebert to Gertie.
Can you do an asset check on Ralph Lynch?
Their eyes widened.
“You don’t think?” Ida Belle asked.
“I think there’s more to it than we can see,” I said. “Maybe Ralph is only some boring accountant caught up in a shitstorm with his troubled nephews. That’s probably the case, but I’d like to be sure.”
“Or maybe there’s more to that audit rumor than Lucinda thinks,” Gertie said. “Only it wasn’t about a client.”
I nodded. “Exactly. Either way, I’d like to know if Ralph had a good reason to check out or if it’s more likely someone checked him out.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
It was almost eleven before we arrived at the cemetery, and the party was a bit bigger than I’d originally planned for. In addition to Mannie, Big and Little had both decided to join us, although Big was quick to say that he would be waiting in the Hummer, performing lookout duties. Ida Belle and I tried to convince Gertie to remain behind with him, but she was insistent that her knees were better and she wanted to be there when we found the goods.
I just hoped that if we located the crypt, there was something inside to find.
So many things could have happened in ten years. Gary could have changed his mind and removed the evidence. Someone else could have entered the crypt and found it. A storm could have taken out the crypt and the evidence along with it.
Mannie had printed a layout of the cemetery and mapped the most efficient route through the maze of crypts. We were just about to head out when Big received a phone call and signaled for us to hold up. When he hung up, he looked at me and smiled.
“One day,” he said, “you’re going to have to tell me your secret. Your friend Ralph had an interest in several real estate holding companies. Buried in a maze of ownership structure, of course, but my people were able to get through it. The properties were bought and sold over ten years ago, but the estimated value of them today is about ten million.”
“Holy crap!” Gertie said. “That’s some serious assets for a small-town accountant.”
Big nodded. “Apparently, the IRS thinks so as well, especially since he only reported a couple hundred thousand in profit from the sales.”
I didn’t even bother to wonder how Big had gotten information from the IRS. Clearly he had sources everywhere.
“So it looks like the audit story might have held some truth,” I said.
“Yes,” Ida Belle said, “but the bigger question is where he got the money to buy the properties to begin with.”
Big nodded. “Indeed. It might also interest you to know that Ralph is the accountant of record for a man rumored to be running the drug trade for one of the families in New Orleans.”
“Do you think the brothers knew that?” Gertie asked.
“I’m going to guess that they didn’t,” I said. “Or they would have tried to get Ralph to use his connection to get them out of the country before they went to trial.”
Little nodded. “I can’t imagine that Ralph would offer up the names of his questionable clientele, especially to the brothers, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t have found out at some point. Prison is filled with all sorts of interesting information.”
I shook my head. It just kept getting messier. “All of this cannot be coincidence.”
“No,” Big agreed. “It’s all tied together somehow.”
“Maybe the simplest explanation is the correct one,” Little said. “That the Seal brothers are behind it all. Maybe the only thing hidden in that crypt is a pile of money and the rest is an elaborate story to throw us off track.”
“Time to find out,” I said.
“I will watch all incoming traffic and alert you to anyone entering the cemetery,” Big said. “But I wouldn’t count on the parties we seek strolling in through the front gate. It goes without saying that you should watch your back.”
Big headed for the Hummer and we separated into three groups. Ida Belle, Gertie, and I went first, scanning the crypts. I’d originally figured we would move at a deliberate but unrushed pace and maybe even take some pictures as we went so that we looked like tourists, but given the heat and humidity, the place was empty. Besides, if someone other than the Seal brothers was behind some of this mess, they probably already knew who Ida Belle was. And then there was the fact that Little, in his dress pants and button-up shirt, and Mannie, who resembled a cage fighter in both physique and
dress, didn’t exactly blend.
But ultimately, it didn’t matter. The bottom line was that if someone wanted to take us out, it was five against one or two. At least, I hoped it wasn’t more than two. I had no doubts about my ability or Mannie’s, but I didn’t want anyone else getting caught in the cross fire.
The slowest part of the process was the actual walking. Gertie was doing a decent job keeping up with Ida Belle and me. Quite frankly, better than I’d anticipated, but the cemetery was huge and the heat rose with every step we took. I glanced back occasionally and spotted Mannie some distance behind us, but within sight and definitely within firing range. Little had ventured onto the next row and was keeping pace with us there.
In the first two hours of walking, I tried the key in fifteen different Thibodeaux crypts, but so far, had come up empty. But we kept marching along, me clutching the key and Ida Belle a small can of WD-40 to grease up old locks. I had just suggested a water break when Little walked in between two crypts and approached us.
“We have a problem,” he said. “The vehicle transporting the brothers from the storage unit to the warehouse hit a deer. I’m afraid they’ve escaped.”
“Escaped?” Ida Belle said. “I’m surprised your guys didn’t just shoot them.”
“They were both knocked unconscious in the wreck,” Little said, looking aggravated. “I tell them to wear their seat belts but no one listens. Now it will be policy and I won’t get any argument.”
“Okay,” I said. “Let’s not panic. How long ago did it happen?”
“About an hour ago,” he said.
“And how far away were they from somewhere that they could boost a car?” I asked.
“A couple miles,” he said. “Their hands were still duct-taped, but the tape on their feet was removed in order to get them into the vehicle. I’m afraid they also lifted two pistols off of my drivers.”
“Jesus,” I said. “They know where we are, so we can bet they’re headed this way and they’re both armed.”
“It’s still two against five,” Gertie said.
“Which in an open battle would be great odds,” I said, “but given how easy it is to sneak around here unseen, it wouldn’t be hard for them to come up on us and pick a couple of people off to help level the playing field.”
Little nodded. “I’m really sorry about this. I feel we’ve failed you. How would you like to proceed? We can call the entire thing off until we’ve acquired the brothers again.”
I shook my head. “We’d be looking over our shoulders every second anyway since they’ve probably guessed we have the key. I’d rather get it over with now. But anyone who is not completely on board with that plan is free to leave now. Gertie? You’re an easy target with those bad knees.”
“Actually,” Gertie said, “I’m probably no target at all. They’ll see me as no threat and go for the bigger players.”
“She’s right,” Little said, “assuming the brothers use any forethought before they open fire, but that’s questionable.”
“I don’t care,” Gertie said. “I’m seeing this to the end.”
“Me too,” Ida Belle said.
Little nodded. “Mannie and I will maintain position as we have the past two hours. Big has arranged for more backup and it’s on the way. Everyone needs to keep a close watch, and if you see anything, yell. If Mannie or I yell, find cover.”
Little retreated back a row over and we continued our search of the crypts, the water break completely abandoned. The urgency we’d felt before was now multiplied by a thousand. I was certain the brothers were desperate and had no doubt about their ability to use the weapons they’d acquired. The slower, more deliberate walking was abandoned. I walked near one line of crypts and Ida Belle on the other side, scanning the names as we went. Gertie walked down the middle of the row, playing lookout. Fifteen minutes later, I spotted a crypt with “Thibodeaux” etched on the door. I signaled to Ida Belle, who came over to spray the ancient lock with WD-40, then I stuck the key in, expecting the same result as before.
But this time, it turned.
“This is it,” I said.
Gertie waved at Little, who started toward us. I leaned against the stone door and gave it a shove. It barely moved, so I put some more back into it and tried again. This time the door pushed open. Little appeared behind me, gun drawn.
“Check it out,” he said. “I’ll stand guard.”
I stepped inside the crypt, followed by Ida Belle and Gertie. The sunlight from outside streamed in, illuminating part of the small structure, but the back of it was still too dim to see everything. I pulled a penlight out of my pocket and shone it on the back of the crypt.
“There,” Ida Belle said, pointing to the left rear corner.
I directed the light to the corner and saw a small duffel bag on a shelf in the corner. We hurried over, and I handed Ida Belle the penlight. I opened it and we peered down at the stacks of bundled hundreds.
“Holy crap,” Gertie said. “There must be twenty thousand dollars in there.”
“Anything else?” Ida Belle said.
I located a zippered pocket on the side and was just about to open it when I heard gunfire. The first shot sounded as though it was some distance from us, but it could have been muffled by the stone sides of the crypt. The second shot, however, ricocheted off the side of the crypt, sending Little scrambling inside.
He pulled out his phone, then cursed. It was the first time I’d ever seen the highly composed and polished Little lose his cool.
“The stone is blocking cell signal,” he said.
“Surely Mannie is on the way,” Gertie said.
“There are two shooters,” I said. “The first shot was probably fired at Mannie.”
Little nodded. “I think it hit him in the leg. I saw him go down and was trying to locate the shooter when the second shot came. No way the same person fired both shots. There’s no line of sight for both of them.”
“What do we do?” Ida Belle said.
I blew out a breath. With only one way out of the crypt, we were sitting ducks. The shooters could simply position themselves at the edge of a couple of nearby crypts and pick us off when we stepped outside. But on the flip side, no one could enter the crypt without us taking them out. It was officially a standoff.
“Get as close to the front wall as possible,” I said. “Two on each side, next to each other. If someone steps in, identify and open fire if it’s not one of our party. Do not shift your position to the side or you risk shooting the person next to you.”
If Little was surprised by my handing out orders like a military commando, he didn’t show it. I grabbed the bag and moved to the side next to Gertie and put the bag in front of her. “Give me your gun and check the inside pocket,” I said.
Gertie handed me her pistol and crouched down to unzip the pocket. She dug around for a bit, then pulled out a USB. “Pay dirt,” she said. “Maybe they were telling the truth.”
“Maybe,” I said.
I handed her gun back to her and took the USB, tucking it in my jeans pocket. Assuming it was the Seal brothers outside, maybe they would be happy to take the money and leave, thinking the evidence was still inside the bag. All we needed was a small window of opportunity to escape the crypt.
“We know you’re inside,” John Seal’s voice sounded outside the crypt. “If you come out, we’ll shoot. We’ve already shot one of your guys.”
Little’s jaw clenched and I knew he was worried about Mannie. So was I, but the quickest way to help him was to get out of here alive and get help.
I stepped to the edge of the crypt door. “What do you want?” I asked.
“Throw the money outside and to the left of crypt,” John said. “Lean just far enough out to toss it. If we see a gun, we open fire.”
“What if there hadn’t been any money?” Gertie asked.
“Then we’d have been in a world of hurt,” I said, and reached over to zip up the bag.
Gerti
e’s eyes widened. “You’re not going to give it to them, are you?”
“That’s exactly what I’m going to do,” I said. “The only way they’re leaving is with this bag. If they leave without engaging, we can get out of here and get help for Mannie. Otherwise it’s a shoot-out, and I don’t like our odds.”
I picked up the bag and stood at the edge of the doorway. Little moved up beside me, his pistol in the ready position.
“I’m about to step into the doorway to throw the bag,” I yelled as I shoved my pistol in my waistband.
“Just do what I said,” John said, “and no one else gets hurt.”
Praying he was telling the truth, I stepped into the doorway and swung the duffel bag back, then slung it out of the crypt as far as I could. The instant the bag left my hand, I ducked back inside the crypt and pulled my pistol out.
A couple seconds later, I heard footsteps outside the crypt, then they grew more faint. I counted to ten and listened again, but this time, it was silent.
“Do you think they’re gone?” Ida Belle asked.
“There’s only one way to find out,” I said.
Chapter Twenty-Three
I pulled my gun up to ready position and swung around the doorway, ready to fire. I scanned the aisle and the nearby crypts but didn’t see any sign of movement. The duffel bag was gone and not even so much as a leaf stirred in the heat.
I turned around and looked at them. “Go find Mannie and get him help.”
“Where are you going?” Gertie asked.
“After the Seal brothers,” I said.
“Why?” Gertie asked. “You have the USB.”
I nodded. “And when they don’t find any evidence in that bag, they might come looking for it. I really don’t want to play hide-and-seek with them any longer.”
“I’m coming with you,” Ida Belle said.
“Fine,” I said, “but Gertie, you go with Little. He might need help.”
I took off in the direction I’d heard the footsteps go, Ida Belle right behind. A couple crypts away from where I’d thrown the duffel bag, I spotted a shoe print in the dirt.