Big Easy Escapade

by Joan Rylen

  Wendy got out of the limo, then turned back to Adrienne. “Get the scoop from Antonio in the morning and give us a shout. We’d like to help all we can.”

  Adrienne pointed her blinged-out finger at her. “I’m on it.”

  “ ’Night!” the girls called as Tony shut the door, then they went up to their room.

  “I can’t believe this happened,” Vivian said, sitting on the bed.

  Lucy poked her head from around the corner of the bathroom, rubbing makeup remover on her eyes. “I think it was that Trikki bitch. Did you see the way she looked at us?”

  Wendy pulled off her shoes. “She could just be a really big bitch.”

  “I don’t know. There’s a lot riding on winning,” Kate said.

  “I’m too tired to think about it anymore,” Vivian said, lying back on her pillow. “And yet, I’m wired. I hate this feeling.”

  Lucy emerged from the bathroom. “Next.”

  Vivian got up and grabbed her jammies. “I don’t care if y’all come in. I’m running a hot bath.” She went in and started the water. Kate and Wendy came in together and did their nighttime things. Vivian watched as Wendy removed her contacts. “I don’t know how you do that. I could never stick my finger in my eyeball like that.”

  “Eh, it’s no biggie. I’d rather stick my finger in my eye to take out a contact than wear glasses all day.”

  Vivian shuddered. “Twenty-twenty, baby. At least for now.”

  “Just you wait. I hear at 40 you’ll wake up and need bifocals.” Wendy said and shut the door behind her. Then she opened it again. “Enjoy your soak.”

  Vivian undressed and stepped into the hot, bubbly water. It took her a second to sink down into it, but she eventually acclimated. She squeezed out a washcloth, leaned back and placed it over her face.

  I wonder what the kids did today? I hope Rick remembered to give Audrey her allergy medicine. He always forgets shit like that. And it’s not like that bitch is going to help with anything like that. She took a deep breath, enjoying the warm humidity of the washcloth. Thank goodness I know where they are at least and that they’re safe. But poor Daisy. I can’t even imagine what she’s going through. Or Jason, or her family. It’s unbelievable.

  Vivian dipped the washcloth back into the steaming water, squeezed and reapplied it to her face. She sunk a little lower in the tub, her blonde curls falling into the water. We’ve got to help.

  After a cry and a 20-minute soak, she got out and finished getting ready for sleep. The room was dark as she made her way to the bed where Lucy was snuggly tucked away. Vivian tried to get in without disturbing her. Lucy didn’t move.

  As she lay there, thoughts of Daisy popped in and out of her mind. She finally reached for her phone and texted Jason.

  Any updates? Any news? We’re here for you.

  She put her phone on vibrate and placed it on the nightstand, feeling a little better. She heard Kate mumbling and then say, “I’ve missed you.”

  Vivian couldn’t help but smile as she drifted off.

  Chapter 16

  Day 3

  Vivian stirred at the noise of her phone buzzing, indicating a text message. She started to roll over and ignore it but then thought it might be Jason responding to her message from the night before. Her eyes still closed, she fumbled on the nightstand for the phone. Jason.

  no ransom, no calls. no word. this is BULLSHIT.

  they r moving n slow motion. pissing me off.

  Vivian:

  We’ll work to get updates from Adrienne. Hang in there!

  Jason:

  called n da troops. family, friends, fans

  who will get shit done. have to find her.

  Vivian placed the phone on the nightstand and kicked back the covers as Kate emerged from the bathroom holding a coffee cup. “Wasn’t expecting to see you up so early.”

  “I wasn’t expecting to be, but I just got a text from Jason. He’s ticked off and calling everyone he knows to help.”

  Wendy removed her sleep mask and sat up. “Maybe we should Google those other two missing girls?”

  “Great idea,” Kate said as she set her coffee down. “Let me run downstairs and get a paper.”

  Lucy plumped her pillow behind her, pulled her phone from underneath it and started searching. Wendy got out her laptop and connected to Wi-Fi.

  Vivian clicked on the TV, found local news and put it on mute. A sports guy was talking Saints, so she clicked around. Nothing. “Y’all found anything yet?”

  “Here’s a story from a week ago, but it doesn’t say much,” Lucy said. “Looks like the other two worked at different clubs, one out by the airport and another in the Lower Ninth. The first girl, Lisa Miller, was white, 26, disappeared almost four weeks ago. The other, Simone Hitchens, was black, 31, and went missing a week and a half ago after her shift.” Lucy showed the pictures of the girls.

  “Any description of a suspect?” Vivian asked.

  “Not yet. Says no witnesses.”

  Kate came back through the door carrying the Times-Picayune. They caught her up on the story as she flipped through the paper. “I can’t believe this. Daisy’s disappearance is buried on page six. Whatever happened to ‘if it bleeds it leads’?”

  “What’s it say?” Vivian asked. “Read it out loud.”

  “The headline is ‘Third dancer missing,’ ” Kate read, then continued. “Daisy Easley is the third exotic dancer to go missing in less than a month. Easley, in town for a competition, was taken from the French House early this morning. Police believe the kidnapping could be related to the disappearances of two local dancers and are looking for links in the cases.”

  Groans.

  Wendy pulled up a video clip of the early-morning local news. The girls hovered around her computer as it played.

  The reporter stood outside the French House giving a brief statement about this being the third dancer missing within a month, but this time from the warehouse district. His white teeth were a stark contrast to the predawn darkness behind him.

  “Police are giving out few details at this point, but the tip line is open. Police hope someone knows something that will lead to the perpetrator.”

  The screen flashed with the phone number.

  “We’ll share more details as they become available. Back to you, Becky.”

  “Really? That’s it?” Vivian said when the video stopped. “That was 30 seconds.”

  “And we didn’t find much on the other two girls at all,” Wendy said and closed her laptop.

  Kate said, “I don’t want to freak y’all out any more than you’re already freaked out, but I had one of my dreams last night.”

  Lucy got up and stretched. “Which dead relative visited you?”

  “Aunt Mimi. She was always an eccentric one.”

  “Did she tell you where Daisy is?” Wendy asked.

  Kate reached for the notepad on the nightstand. “Not exactly, but I wrote it down. Aunt Mimi held my hand and looked me in the eye, then said, ‘Don’t be tricked. Flower petals will float and fly. You must look through the dense forest to see into the mirrors.’ ”

  “What the hell does that mean?” Wendy asked. “I appreciate your relatives’ help and all, but couldn’t they be more specific? This ain’t a Nancy Drew novel.”

  Kate shrugged. “I know. They just don’t work that way.”

  Vivian reached for Kate’s note and ripped it off the pad. “Let’s think about this.”

  Kate pointed to the paper. “Obviously the tricked is Trikki Vikki. But does it mean that she’s tricking us, or to forget her as a suspect?”

  “I don’t know, but at this point I don’t think we can rule her out,” Vivian said. “What about the float and fly?”

  Wendy cleared her throat. “I hate to be negative, but it sounds like Daisy’s going to die. Like maybe her soul flies away?”

  “Or she’s floating down the river or in the lake,” Kate said.

  “Let’s not think that way,”
Vivian said, then scratched out the “die” she had just written on the notepad.

  Lucy stood up. “I think the dense forest is that freak-show Hairy Harry. I mean, come on. I’ve never seen that much hair on any mammal, and I used to work at a vet’s office!”

  “I can’t figure out the mirror thing,” Kate said. “I’ve been thinking about it since I got up, and I got nothin’.”

  They all pondered that for a minute. Lucy spoke up. “Is there a place here that has a lot of mirrors? I haven’t noticed anything out of the ordinary, and I pay attention because it’s kinda what I do.” Lucy was an interior designer in Boulder, Co., where the renovation market was booming.

  Everyone was quiet. Vivian slammed the pen down. “We aren’t going to figure it out sitting around here. I’m getting dressed. Let’s go grab some breakfast and we’ll call Adrienne. See if she has any updates from her brother.”

  “We need to find out more about the other cases, too,” Wendy said.

  The girls got ready quickly, dressing in capris and skirts, short-sleeve blouses and tank tops, then headed over to Stanley’s on Jackson Square for brain food.

  They each hopped on a stool at the counter and ordered after perusing the menu. Lucy got the Breaux Bridge Breakfast with boudin, ham, eggs, cheese and Creole hollandaise. Wendy ordered the Bananas Foster French Toast complete with ice cream on top. Vivian played it safe with the Stanley Classic — scrambled eggs, bacon, Creole potatoes and toast. Kate went out on a limb, rather leg, Eggs Stella — cornmeal-crusted soft-shelled crab with eggs, Canadian bacon and Creole Hollandaise on an English Muffin.

  “I’m covering lots of culture with this breakfast.”

  Vivian couldn’t help herself. “Stelllllllaaaaaaaa!!!”

  The girls cracked up laughing. A few minutes later, breakfast was served, and everyone was quiet. Vivian finally threw in her napkin and reached for her phone. “Time to call Adrienne.”

  Adrienne picked up on the first ring. “Hey, V.”

  “Hey, A. Anything from Antonio? I heard from Jason this morning and he’s pissed. Thinks the cops aren’t working hard enough.”

  “I know it’s tough for him, but believe me, they’re working. Antonio only slept two hours last night. I’m sure they’re not able to tell Jason all the details of the investigation.” She paused for a moment, then said, “I do have some news, though. Remember the fight at the club? While Bruno was dragging their asses outside, two guys slipped backstage. Antonio thinks it’s the same two who took her out the back but he can’t be 100 percent sure.”

  A chill ran down Vivian’s spine. “Do the police know who they are or how to find them?”

  “Antonio said they reviewed the video from the front door and haven’t been able to put anything together.”

  “Shit,” Vivian said. “I hope there’s something on the video that connects.”

  Adrienne sighed. “I know, honey. And you can bet if there’s something to find, Antonio will find it. They’re doing a recreation of the crime scene today with the club’s video system. They use stand-ins, then compare to the original video so they can get a better idea of the height and weight of the kidnappers.”

  “That’s smart.” Vivian could hear Al in the background.

  “Al wants you to know that he’s got his feelers out, too. He’s meeting some associates later at Mosca’s to get the lowdown. Gino’s pretty pissed and these guys are good at getting information.”

  “Sounds good. I don’t know what we’re doing today, but we’re going to do something to help. We watched a news story this morning about the two kidnappings. Got any news there?”

  “Not much, Antonio’s being pretty tight-lipped. He did say that the bouncer saw the second girl leaving the club voluntarily in a newer, gray Mustang. They’re not even convinced she has been kidnapped, but her family is pushing for an investigation. Unfortunately, there are thousands of gray Mustangs in New Orleans and not much else to go on.”

  “At least it’s something, and good for her family for pushing.”

  “Okay, listen, you girls be safe and try to have some fun while you’re at it.”

  “Always.” Click. Vivian turned on her stool to face her friends and relayed the conversation. “So other than keeping our eyes peeled for gray Mustangs, what are we going to do today to help?”

  Wendy stood up and rubbed her belly. “I basically had dessert for breakfast, so whatever we’re doing, I need to walk. Where are the notes from Kate’s dream?”

  Vivian pulled them out of her blue-jean-skirt pocket. “Since we don’t know whether the cryptic dream told us to trust Vikki or not, I guess we go with not and look into her.”

  “We need to see if she’s dancing at Gino’s again or anywhere else,” Wendy said.

  Kate whipped out her phone. “I bet she has a Facebook page. I’ll look her up.”

  While Kate worked on that, Vivian asked, “Y’all have any thoughts on the float and fly thing?”

  Wendy and Lucy looked at each other. Lucy answered, “I’m afraid nothing that doesn’t involve Daisy floating down the Mississippi.”

  “Eeew. Okay, moving on. What about flower petals?”

  “Well, her name is Daisy. And she did get flowers,” Kate said. “I think we find out who delivered them.”

  Lucy snapped her fingers. “I saw on the envelope it said ‘Louie’s’ and there was a flower that looked like a trumpet. I thought it was pretty clever.”

  “Good memory,” Vivian said.

  “Let me look them up.”

  Kate hopped off her stool. “I found Trikki Vikki’s page. She’ll be swinging around a pole tonight at Kitty City on Bourbon. I think we go!”

  “Definitely!” Vivian said.

  Wendy looked up at the ceiling. “Oh my god, that sounds trashy.”

  “Come on, we gotta do it for Daisy!” Vivian said.

  Wendy picked up her coffee cup and offered a toast. “To Kitty City we’ll go. For Daisy!”

  Chapter 17

  Louie’s Flowers opened at 10, and since it was a quarter ’til, the girls decided to take the streetcar to Uptown. They caught the Riverfront car to Canal, then walked the few blocks to the St. Charles line.

  Kate snapped pictures as they passed the historic homes, most built in the mid-1800s and survivors of many a hurricane. The oak trees along the esplanade were draped with Mardi Gras beads, and the yards were immaculately landscaped.

  “Doesn’t Anne Rice live around here?” Lucy asked.

  Wendy shook her head. “She doesn’t anymore. I was here 10 years ago for Mardi Gras and passed her house on the way to a parade, though it was more like a mansion.”

  “I wonder if Harry Connick, Jr. lives close-by?” Kate said as she took another picture. “He is one very talented guy.”

  “Wouldn’t surprise me,” Wendy said. “He’s on my list of people I’d like to meet.”

  “Mine, too,” Lucy said. “He’s cute.”

  Vivian agreed and laughed and tagged them all on Facebook as they passed Tulane University. “Getting edumacated.”

  Wendy pulled the signal cord on the streetcar. The driver stopped and they hopped out on Hillary Street, then walked a few blocks to Maple and found Louie’s Flowers.

  Vivian opened the door and walked in and stopped, breathing in the fresh blossoms.

  A petite brunette met them near the front of the store. Her name tag read Sonya. “Can I help you with something in particular?”

  They looked back and forth at each other until Kate spoke up. “A friend of ours received a flower delivery from your shop last night, and we just wanted to inquire as to who sent it.”

  Sonya glanced at the balding man behind the counter perfecting an arrangement of tulips, calla lilies and baby blue hydrangeas.

  He looked up. “The delivery to the French House?”

  “That’s the one.”

  He walked out from behind the counter and put his arm around Sonya’s shoulders. “We’ve already talked to th
e cops about this.”

  “We just want to know who sent it,” Wendy said.

  Vivian put her hands together in front of her chest, begging. “We won’t share it with anyone. We’re just trying to find our friend.”

  “Please,” Lucy and Wendy pleaded simultaneously.

  Sonya shrugged and looked at her beau. “Aw, go ahead, Larry.”

  He sighed. “Oh, all right. The guy’s name was Harry Houghton. He had a very specific order, and he wanted it delivered at a very specific time. Kinda weird, but he paid in cash so I didn’t ask any questions.”

  “What was his request?” Kate asked.

  Larry went back behind the counter and got on the computer. He pulled up the order and read it to the girls. “Petite pink calla lilies, white Oriental lilies and 20-inch stem, lavender roses.” He looked up from the screen and shook his head. “He insisted on the 20-inch roses. It was weird.”

  “Is there anything else you can tell us about the order?” Vivian asked.

  Larry glanced back at the screen. “He wanted it delivered at 10:30 on the dot.”

  “He instructed us to double the driver’s tip if it was delivered within three minutes of that,” Sonya added, joining Larry behind the counter.

  “Our delivery guy is in high school and was downright excited to be delivering to the French House. He was on time,” Larry said and grinned.

  Sonya bumped him with her hip and tsked him.

  “What? He’s going to find out about these things one way or another.”

  “Not on our time. I’m friends with his mother, for god’s sake! If Pat found out she’d be madder ’n a mudbug in a pot.”

  “We appreciate you talking to us,” Vivian said and took a step toward the door. “We’re going to do our best to help find her.”

  Sonya handed her a card. “If y’all need anything, call us.”