And some women had more than one baby? If she ever wanted another, she’d adopt. She wasn’t going through this again. First she’d have to find a husband who understood. Yeah, like that was likely to happen. Who’d want her now?
She took the sheet off the bed and wrapped the thin cotton around her shoulders as she settled into the rocking chair. Her skin felt cold yet she was sweating.
This felt more like a hangover than the flu. She’d never been much of a drinker. In fact, she disliked the taste of beer. The only time she’d had much of it was her one date with Danny Cryer.
That boy made her skin crawl, but he took her to a party for college kids and she didn’t want to look like a dweeb so she’d accepted the Bud Light he offered.
She’d nursed the beer all evening, finally dumping the can into the trash when the brew got so warm and flat her stomach revolted. Had Danny brought her another? She couldn’t remember. She didn’t remember anything else about the evening except pushing him away on the ride home and jumping out of the car.
Sherri Lynn had told her she’d shown up at her door drunk and that she’d covered for her by texting her mother on her phone.
Had Danny slipped something into her drink? Had he . . . done something to her?
Was this his baby?
A sob racked her body. She wanted this thing out of her body. Now.
A misty rain coated Remy’s face as he rushed into Wal-Mart. His back ached from spending the night in a chair and the damp air wasn’t helping.
He grabbed the first basket he saw and didn’t notice the bum wheel until it tried to veer into a display of potato chips. He averted a potential catastrophe but he sure wasn’t going back to switch carts now. And what made him think the next one would be any better?
He scanned the signs hanging from the ceiling and spotted ‘Sporting Goods,’ in the far left corner. He wrestled the cart that direction.
A nine-volt flashlight caught his eyes and he dropped it into the basket. Next was a high quality compass in a waterproof case. The walkie-talkies gave him trouble until he decided to just go with the most expensive set.
He scooped up a can of bug spray on his way to the knife display case. Knives were personal. They had to fit your hand and be designed for the job you had in mind. And that was his problem.
He wasn’t sure exactly what he would need the weapon for.
The pimply-faced kid at the locked counter objected when he asked to look at six styles.
“We’re not supposed to take that many out of the case at once,” he whined.
Remy lifted the tail of his T-shirt to show the gold badge attached to his belt. “I think it will be okay this one time.”
The first three proved too lightweight and he shoved them aside. Let the kid put them away, then maybe he’d quite hovering over him.
After about 10 minutes of trying out different styles and sizes, Remy settled on a big-ass knife with a serrated edge. That ought to cover any eventuality. A display of plastic ponchos in a pocked-sized pouch sat by the counter. He wiped the moisture from his face and grabbed one.
He had a rain jacket in the trunk of his car, but had Adrienne taken one to school that last day? Or was she alone somewhere in the wilderness, trying to fend for herself without any protection from the elements?
He pushed that thought to the back of his mind and slapped the items on the counter in front of him, glad he could pay for everything in Sporting Goods. He needed to get back to Gabby fast, before she started fretting about him in addition to Adrienne.
Remy let out a pained sigh. When he’d left the office, headed for Louisiana, he’d expected to be gone only a few days. He knew the odds. Adrienne would come home or be found, dead.
This state of limbo was killing him, and had to be worse on Gabby. If there was any possible way, he planned to end this today. Even finding her body would be better than not knowing.
His gut twisted into a knot. No, it wouldn’t be better. He’d live forever with this pain if it kept hope alive.
The rain picked up and Remy sprinted for his car. Once seated inside, he pulled out his cell and thumbed Ruben’s number. The hour was early, but not that early.
The big guy should be up and dressing for work.
“Que pasa,” Remy started when Ruben answered. “How did the raid go yesterday?”
“It didn’t. Seems somebody told our friendly drug runners the omens were better for today. The moon is in the seventh house or something. I’m supposed to meet Adam at the staging area in an hour.”
“Adam? What’s he doing there? Isn’t Jillian supposed to have her baby today?” Remy tried to stretch out his back, but the steering wheel got in the way. When he got to Gabby’s, he’d have to do a few exercises without letting her notice. She had enough worries.
“The doc postponed her till tomorrow, something about a storm in the Gulf and the change in air pressure. Apparently all the pregnant women in Houston decided to go into labor at once. Jillian said if Adam didn’t get out of the house and stop hovering over her, she’d throw something at him. I think she was holding a frying pan at the time.”
Fuck. He’d counted on Ruben’s help today. “If you have time, and only if you have time, I want you to find out everything you can about that Sebastian Guidry character. Especially his address and the location of that cabin he owns. But taking care of Adam in more important until this raid is over.”
Looked like he was on his own, but that was his own fault. Ruben was Adam’s partner and should stay by his side, be the one to watch his back.
When Frank had retired, he’d told Hard Luck Luchak he didn’t need a new partner. He preferred to work alone and team up only when necessary.
His boss had raised one eyebrow. “Are you sure? Because once this budget is approved, it’s just your hard luck if you change your mind.”
Remy glanced in the mirror, noted the lines of tension around his eyes and mouth. Hell, he’d aged a year in the last week. Maybe it was time to quit pretending he didn’t need anyone’s help—at work or in life.
Chapter 27
Gabby’s hand automatically went to the far side of the bed.
Nothing.
Remy hadn’t returned. How quickly she’d gotten use to him being there. What would she do when he left for good?
And he would. Leave. He hadn’t made any promises and she hadn’t asked for any.
As soon as Adrienne was safe, he’d head back to Houston and his real life.
But what was his real life? She knew about Adam and Ruben and their wives. About the boss he called Hard Luck.
Remy had been married briefly, obscenely soon after their divorce was final, and later had a son with another woman. Were they still together? Adrienne didn’t tell her much, but she got the impression that relationship was strained.
Did he date often? Was he seeing anyone special? He hadn’t made any calls that she knew of. But he wouldn’t in front of her, would he?
Pale light seeped through the curtain and a soft rain fell on the tin roof. She snuggled deeper into the bed, lifting the old quilt up to her chin. Within five minutes the drizzle had changed into a downpour and rain beat a staccato rhythm against the window.
Her pulse quickened with the beat. Her breath grew labored and her head swirled. Memories of dancing around a fire under a quarter moon swept over her.
So what if Remy had another life waiting for him? She had made do without him before and would again. She’d played the martyr long enough.
She fingered the quilt. Grand-mère had made it for her and Remy as a wedding gift. Remy’s clothes and shoes were draped over a chair in the corner. Pictures of Adrienne and Grand-mère covered her dresser.
The old voodoo priestess and Remy had both told her to fight it if the feeling came again.
/>
All this worrying was a waste of time and energy. Energy she didn’t have. She felt better, physically, than she had since that night in New Orleans. But she’d thought she was over the spell when Remy placed the Holy Water on her yet she clearly wasn’t if the mere sound of raindrops could stir her soul. She had to be careful, guard against the evil that’d festered in her body.
And worrying about Adrienne was taking a toll on her. She couldn’t afford to borrow trouble by worrying about Remy and things she couldn’t change.
Gabby shifted as her stomach rumbled in time with the first clap of thunder.
Time to get up and start breakfast. Remy would be hungry when he got back.
For now, Adrienne had to be her main concern.
The coffee had finished brewing and the house filled with its strong chicory aroma when she heard the front door open and close. Remy’s footsteps—funny how she recognized them already—sounded on the old pine floor. He paused momentarily in the living room before reaching the kitchen.
“You’re the best thing I’ve seen all day,” he said, kissing her cheek.
Warmth flowed through her, melting that small, cold spot hiding in her chest. “Some compliment. It’s only seven-thirty.”
“But I’ve been up since this time yesterday. And every time I walk in and see you, it makes me smile.”
His hair glistened with rain and one drop hung on his earlobe. She grabbed a cup towel and wiped the moisture off.
“Did you learn anything about Adrienne?”
“I don’t know exactly where she is, but I know who does. Grab your coffee and come into the living room. I need to go over some things with you.”
Gabby followed him to the sofa, ignoring the pile of Wal-Mart bags. Did Remy have a slight limp again, or was that her imagination? “This isn’t going to be one of those ‘good news, bad news,’ things, is it?”
“No, it’s all the same news, good and bad mixed together and changing from one minute to the next. First, Adrienne is definitely pregnant.”
Gabby’s heart clutched. Was Adrienne doomed to follow in her own footsteps? To make all the same mistakes she had? “I had hoped that was some kind of mistake.”
“Me, too. She only just found out and wasn’t trying to hide the pregnancy from you. She wanted to go to a doctor to make certain and then check out adoption agencies. When she came to you, she wanted to have a plan.”
In all this terrible mess, that one piece of news somehow made her feel better.
“So who knows where she is?”
“Yvonne Dupre,” Remy growled.
“That bitch. Does she think because she’s the baby’s other grandmother she has any rights with Adrienne? Why aren’t we over there shaking the information out of her?”
Remy held up his hands. “This is where the good and bad are all mixed up together. Let me explain. Do you remember telling me about an old voodoo priest named Sebastian Guidry and the dark voodoo he practices? Well, he’s more than a self-styled priest. He controls his followers with a combination of hypnotism and homemade drug concoctions he passes off as vitamins, and Yvonne is tangled up with him. He’s probably tied in with the drug business our friendly sheriff runs. It’s too big a coincidence that half the people in this mess are named Guidry.”
Gabby tried to keep quiet while Remy told the complicated story, but she found herself making noises at the back of her throat. These people had dared to touch Adrienne?
“But she’s only a month along. Are they planning to keep her for eight months?”
“Adrienne may have just figured out she’s pregnant, but she’s more than a month along. And Jean-Paul’s not the father. He’s gay.”
Gabby sank back on the sofa. “I guess I kind of knew that. So who’s the father? She hasn’t been around anyone since last fall.”
Remy rubbed a hand across his chin. The bloodshot eyes she’d first taken for exhaustion she now realized were filled with despair. “Remember when we went to De Lyon? The girl that died and other girls that appeared drugged? Danny Cryer had a history of meeting a dealer from Houston, part of the Katrina gang Tenequa was after, so definitely a Louisiana tie-in. If he was on a drug run for GHB and other date-rape drugs, he must have kept a few for himself and used them on Adrienne. That’s why she didn’t know what happened.”
Pain stabbed Gabby in the heart. For a moment she couldn’t breathe. “My little girl was raped?” Pure fury swept over her. “I’ll kill them myself. Father and son.”
“I wouldn’t stop you, but I doubt you’ll get the chance. The Houston Police, the Texas Rangers, and the Louisiana State Police have a coordinated drug raid planned for today. Both the Cryers will be in jail before the day is over. We’ll testify at their trial, though.”
“That doesn’t get Adrienne back, and even if she’s six months along, they’ll still have to keep her prisoner for another three months. That can’t happen. We have to find Yvonne.”
“While I was interrogating Jean-Paul, Yvonne stepped into the kitchen. She heard Jean-Paul admit to being gay, and ran for her car, slamming the door behind her. I had parked two blocks away so she wouldn’t see my car. By the time I got to it, she was nowhere in sight and Jean-Paul, the little turd, claimed he had no idea where she went. But she has to come home sooner or later, and I plan to be there.”
“Let me go with you this time. I know you might hesitate to hit a woman, but I promise, it wouldn’t bother me one iota.”
“If it comes to that, I’ll turn you loose on her. Hell, I’ll even hold her still. But she won’t dare come home for a few hours and I think I scared Jean-Paul enough that he’ll let us know when she does. Till then, I have some other plans I need your help with. Have you ever worked a walkie-talkie?”
He dug through the Wal-Mart bags until he found a green and black box. As he worked to unfasten the packaging on the set of walkie-talkies, she studied the other items spread across her sofa: a knife, bug spray, flashlight, a rain poncho, a compass, extra ammo.
Her voice caught in her throat. “Oh, Remy, you can’t.” The swamp terrified him. Even if he forced himself to go in, he didn’t have the skills to find his way.
Remy reached across the pile of supplies and took her hand. “I have to. The first time I talked to Jean-Paul, he said the only place around here to hide someone was the swamp. I don’t know if he was on to something or just guessing, but he was right. The bayou is the only place they could keep her for any length of time.”
Of course. If Adrienne was close enough for Yvonne to check on her, but secluded enough to be keep prisoner for several months, she had to be hidden in the swamp.
Her poor baby girl. Alone, pregnant, scared. Could Remy find her in time? Would she ever be the same? Gabby sucked in a shaky breath and what was left of her heart broke.
Remy stuffed his purchases back into their bags. “For whatever’s going to happen next, I need to get a couple of hours sleep. I’ve got a call in to Ruben trying to find that Sebastian character’s exact address. All I know for now is that he has a house somewhere close to town and a cabin in Bayou Lafonte, northeast of Comeaux.”
He handed her his phone. “If he or Jean-Paul call while I’m asleep, wake me immediately. If neither calls, don’t let me sleep more than three hours.”
Gabby stuck the phone in her pocket and tried to ignore it. She then watched the morning shows on TV. Wind and rain were forecasted for the next two days, so she stepped outside.
The rain had stopped, but sky the color of wet cement hinted the downpour would return. The trashcan bumped and rattled as she rolled it into the garage. She stacked the lawn chairs and stuck them next to the trashcan, then took down the hanging plants. The potted plants, she pushed tight against the house, protected by the porch overhang.
If bad weather was headed their direction, t
he power might go out for a while. Maybe she should put on a pot of Jambalaya.
She put a whole chicken and some smoked sausage into the big pot to boil then spent the next half hour chopping vegetables and mixing spices.
As soon as the chicken was done, she pulled strips from the bone and shredded the meat. She took a sip of the broth, glanced toward the bedroom where Remy slept, and added more cayenne.
Soon the house filled with mouthwatering aromas as the mixture simmered, but she had nothing else to do until time to add the rice and wake Remy.
His phone, which had felt heavy in her pocket, now weighed more than one of Adrienne’s text books. What would it hurt to scroll through his contacts? Would he be able to tell what she’d done?
She wiped down the counter and tried to ignore the weight in her left-hand pocket.
Finally, she sat at the kitchen table and brought out his cell. She needed to make sure she hadn’t missed a call, didn’t she? Besides, she had to check that she knew how to answer if someone did ring.
The ‘contacts’ icon stared back at her, taunting. Her fingers moved of their own accord. She recognized Adam and Ruben. H L must be the boss he called Hard Luck. He’d spoken of the colleague named Tenequa.
His ex-wife, Cindy, wasn’t even listed. That gave her a little thrill. There were several women’s names, but none he had spoken too any time recently except someone named Sue-Ling.
Even she only had a total of three calls listed and all the last week he was in Houston. The last one five minutes after she’d called him about Adrienne—a broken date?—and none since.
There was one more name she forced herself to find. Karlin, Tim’s mother. She was listed, but the last call recorded was more than eight months ago. He hadn’t had any contact with his son’s mother since just after school started?
Voodoo on Bayou Lafonte Page 20