Sugar Doll's Hurricane Blues

by Lauber, Kalua

  “Mama no, that’s crazy talk. They are going to kill you. Why did you have to come back to do that?”

  “I have to testify in open court. They have a few of his men but they really need me. I took all of the books after Tony died. There are notes and dates and even times of transactions. That’s what Marsalas has been looking for in the first place. He trusted Tony because they were kin. Ours was a small operation but he had others and Tony took care of a great deal of them.”

  “Why didn’t you come sooner?” Sugar Doll asked.

  “Too much going on wasn’t there? I would have tried to make a deal with Marsalas himself but he threatened me after Tony died so I just took everything and left. He couldn’t find me but the Feds did soon enough and my lawyers negotiated a deal with them.”

  “Then if they have the deal why have they been harassing us? Even Marsalas has threatened Remy and me.” Sugar Doll slammed down her coffee cup.

  “They want to make sure that there are no loose ends. The only way that they could get to me is through you. I didn’t mean to leave you with all of this trouble but I had no choice. That’s why I’m here now. I want to make sure that both of you are safe and sound before I do anything.” Mona stood to make her point.

  “They’ll be looking for you at my wedding. You must realize that. This is the worst time to come.” Sugar Doll stood shaking her head.

  “You both have to go away for awhile as things are going to get hot and I don’t want to take a chance on losing either one of you. After all you are the only family I have now.”

  “Go away? Where?” Sugar Doll shrieked.

  “Europe, somewhere obscure like Holland or Sweden. Places people wouldn’t even think of looking.” Mona said.

  “We can’t do that, there’s the club.” Remy spoke up finally.

  “The club will be there when you get back. It’s a time to run. I have money here and will get your tickets right away. Use it as your honeymoon present. No one will suspect. I have to go to court on Friday. After that it’s going to be dangerous for you both and I can’t stand that possibility.” Mona cried.

  “Why now?” Sugar Doll asked.

  “Because the Feds are close to cracking their case against Marsalas and I’m one of their key witnesses. They also have one of his hit men, Sid.” Mona said.

  “This can’t be happening.” Sugar Doll said.

  “It is happening and you need to deal with it. Now I’m not asking you, I am telling you that you must leave. The police won’t bother you anymore. There are Feds watching the house but they can’t be everywhere. Your safety is not their primary concern. I came personally because I knew that you wouldn’t believe some cop. Please take me seriously.” Mona begged.

  “At least we would get a real honeymoon Sugar.” Remy smiled.

  “It’s not funny Remy.” Sugar Doll said resigned to the idea.

  Michael sat down in the middle of the road and began to cry. He had done his best to get out of Marsala’s grip. Rudolfo pointed the gun to his head. Just then a warm spring rain began. He felt the rain fall in big droplets on his shoulder. It was surprisingly refreshing considering the fact that he was sweating from the run, the fear and the heat. He couldn’t believe that Rudolfo had caught him so easily.

  “You are going to die kid.” Rudolfo mumbled in his rough voice. Michael saw his mother’s face. He cried harder as the rain came down in full force and a gunshot rang out on the empty river road.

  “Sam Marsalas?” A policeman walked closely behind the well dressed man.

  “You know who I am. Don’t play cops and robbers.” Marsalas turned to face the officer in front of his business offices.

  The officer was joined by two FBI men.

  “You are under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder, money laundering and mail fraud.” The officer stated as though reading from a script.

  Two men stepped out of the office building. “We are Samuel Marsalas’s attorneys and we were expecting you.” They went to stand beside Marsalas.

  “Of course you were” said one of the FBI men. “Cuff him.” He instructed the policeman.

  “That won’t be necessary. Mr. Marsalas is an upstanding citizen of New Orleans and should be treated with the respect he deserves.” The older attorney stated standing in front of Marsalas.

  “He’s a low down killer.” Cuff him the FBI said.

  In the end Marsalas was led away in handcuffs with his attorneys following closely behind him. Marsalas didn’t say anything.

  Paster Han and Father Woods presided over the wedding. Remy left the house once Tonya came to pick up Sugar Doll.

  “Girl you look beautiful!” Tonya cried as she looked at her gorgeous friend dressed in her lovely satin white gown. It was simple yet elegant and sleek. One strap crossed her shoulder clasped with a diamond heart shaped pin. The gift from Celeste had been her grandmother’s. Sugar Doll had her hair pulled back in a beautiful chignon with a simple gardenia clipped to the side in homage to her favorite singer Billie Holiday.

  The cathedral was bright and sunny for the mid-day ceremony. The stained glass windows shimmered color throughout the sanctuary. Sugar Doll stood at the doors of the cathedral awaiting the wedding hymn as it had been played during rehearsal. She sighed as she stood alone with no one to walk with her down the aisle. She looked toward heaven. “Big Ma and Betrand I wish you were here with me, but I know that you are in heaven. The doors opened and the church stood to watch the bride. Someone touched her gloved arm. She turned to look and Mona hooked her arm through her daughter’s arm. Paster Han came to her right side and held her other arm.

  “Now sister you didn’t think that we would let you walk down the aisle by yourself.” Paster Han smiled. A jazz quartet stood up and began to play “Here comes the bride” with a jazz riff.” Her heart soared. Remy stood there smiling as she approached.

  “And let the church say Amen!” Paster Han shouted as he walked up to the platform next to Father Wood. Mona took her seat toward the front of the church with tears in her eyes. She saw Celeste who nodded toward her and smiled as she held her young daughter.

  “Amen!” The church chorused and laughed as the priest just looked around.

  “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost” Father Woods intoned. The Catholics made the sign of the cross. The Baptist sat there intrigued but a bit uncomfortable. Remy winked at Sugar Doll. Mona cried. There was a man there dressed in a black suit sitting three seats behind Mona. He was to whisk her away before the reception.

  “Do you Remy Gaudeaux take Precious Bouvier to be your lawfully wedded wife?” Father Woods asked.

  “Do I get to kiss her then?” Remy smiled. The congregation laughed.

  “Yes son, you get to kiss her.” Father Woods said seriously.

  “Then I do.” He leaned in to kiss Sugar Doll.

  “Hold on a minute boy!” Paster Han intoned. “I’ve got to ask her what she wants.

  “Do you Precious, Sugar Doll Bouvier take Remy Gaudeaux to be your lawfully wedded husband forsaking all others?” He winked at Remy.

  “I…..” Sugar Doll was interrupted by Remy’s kiss.

  “Do.”

  “Let the church say Amen!” Everyone stood and clapped.

  As Sugar Doll exited the church with Remy and flowers seeming to float from the sky she saw Mona being escorted out of the side door. Mona turned to her daughter at that precise moment and mouthed, “I love you.” Sugar Doll cried deeply as Remy grabbed her for another kiss.

  “The following Friday, Sugar Doll and Remy packed their bags and planned their escape. Mona had gotten the tickets and disappeared just as quickly as she had come to them. Sugar Doll called Tonya to come in to run the bar. She had a business sense and would keep the place going for the weeks they would be gone.

  “Stop worrying girl, I’m going to hire a quartet to perform during dinner and maybe a singer in your absence. It will be fine. If anyone asks I’ll say that you are on your
honeymoon which is as true as it gets.” Tonya reassured her friend. The girls embraced.

  “Thank you girl, I wish I could tell you everything, but it is better that you are in the dark.” Sugar Doll reasoned.

  The trial was that morning and it had been decided if they left earlier it would alert Marsalas that something was wrong.

  “Are you alright?” Remy asked Sugar Doll as she looked out the tinted window of the black SUV. Tommy was in the driver’s seat. His identity had come as a revelation in itself.

  “I’m just wondering if we’ll ever get back to normal.” She cried.

  “What is normal honey? Just a setting on the washing machine.” Remy cracked smiling at his joke.

  “You always make me feel better.” Sugar Doll said.

  “New Orleans is not the only city in the world you know.” He replied.

  “Yes, but it’s our city.” She took his arm and leaned her head on his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head.

  They approached the airport. Tommy got their bags out of the truck and went with Remy to check in at the sky cap. They waited in line while Sugar Doll hung back looking nervously over her shoulder. The sky cap took the bag and began to tag it. He looked at Remy in recognition.

  “Hey, do you remember that weekend in Duluth?” He asked.

  Remy looked behind him to see who the man was talking to and then pointed to himself.

  “Me? I’ve never been to Georgia.” Remy replied.

  The man stared blankly for a moment. He nodded and then bent down to put the bag on the tram. A shot rang out as Remy stood strangely motionless. He then fell to one knee awkwardly as though he were being invisibly held up by angels. Tommy sprang into action dropping the bags and running toward Sugar Doll. He was hit in the right shoulder as he lurched his body forward to cover the distance between them. He landed on Sugar Doll and they both tumbled to the ground.

  “Keep still!” He shouted to her. Remy was still kneeling but he managed to turn toward Sugar Doll. She let out a horrific scream. People began to run into the airport entrance. Sugar Doll watched as Remy’s eyes clouded over and became glazed. She saw blood seep from his hairline. She tried to move but Tommy’s weight pinned her down. She could taste her lipstick first and then blood.

  “Let me go!” She screamed crying. Tommy wouldn’t budge.

  “It’s my job to protect you.” He gritted through his teeth. In moments squad cars flooded the upper floor departure portion of the airport. Shots rang out in the nearby garage but they were distant.

  “Put your hands over your head!” An officer commanded Tommy who was struggling to hold Sugar Doll down.

  “FBI!” He shouted reluctantly releasing Sugar Doll and reaching for his badge evident on his belt. Sugar Doll crawled toward Remy. He was unconscious.

  Mona’s testimony had damaged Marsalas but she learned during the trial that a simple gunman named Michael had signed sworn affidavits of his involvement in at least three murders and the extortion of at least six public officials. He was not at the trial but his mother had come and testified to her son’s signatures. She had even implicated Marsalas in her son’s disappearance.

  “He came to me in a dream. He told me to look for him down by the old river road.” Michael’s mother testified. On a lark the District Attorney’s office sent a few officers out there to investigate and they found his body next to a tree. He was holding a crucifix. Marsalas was indicted on twelve counts of money laundering, three murders and four counts of extortion. He sat wooden as the charges were brought against him.

  Mona left immediately after the trial. The Marsalas family was still powerful and she feared for her life. Sugar Doll was unafraid.

  “Hey dahling…you still want to go to Holland or France?” Remy smiled from his hospital bed. Sugar Doll leaned in to kiss him as he wrinkled his nose.

  “You look like a civil war victim” She laughed.

  “Yeah, getting shot in the head will do that to a person.” Remy cracked.

  “It’s a good thing that you have a hard head.” Sugar Doll smiled seriously kissing his cheek.

  “What’s the doctor say?” Remy asked.

  “You were lucky. One more inch and no more Remy. The angle of the shot was what saved you. You will sing again though.” Sugar Doll smiled.

  “I want to do more than sing sugar.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

  “Do you think it’s over now?” She asked her eyes reflecting concern.

  “Dahling, we’re public figures. They don’t want to mess with us. Besides we had nothing to do with Tony’s mess, Bertrand’s trouble or Mona’s testimony. We should just focus on our singing career.” Remy reassured her.

  “And our growing family.” Sugar Doll smiled down at Remy.

  Remy tried to sit up but grimaced in pain and lowered himself back to his pillow. “A baby?” He smiled.

  “I hope that he can sing.” Sugar Doll smiled as well.

  “Oh he’s going to be a drummer baby.” Remy reached for Sugar Doll’s hand.

  Kalua Lauber is a writer and teacher who currently lives in California with her husband Celso and young son Celsinho. This is her first novel. She has a Master’s Degree in English and Secondary Education. She grew up in rural Louisiana and the tragic events of Hurricane Katrina inspired this story. She hopes one day to return to her home state.