While I didn’t expect to see her—I’d even told Ambrose to send her back to the studio—part of me hoped it was true. Beatrice could help me out here. She could tell the neighbors about Ruby’s death, since she knew everyone up and down the river, and she could help me console the boy.
My heart quickened at the thought. That’s it. Together, Beatrice and I will tell people what happened, and then we’ll try to make Hollis feel better. “C’mon, Hollis. Let’s go find her.”
I hurried around the corner, fully expecting to see Beatrice waiting for me in the pirogue, with an exuberant dog slobbering on the seat next to her.
But my heart sank when I finally reached the dock. An old man—not Beatrice—leaned over the weathered planks, one leg thrust forward as he reached for something he’d dropped there. He wore boat shoes, judging by the thick rubber soles, and a bright orange camp shirt, which played up a sunburn on his arms and neck.
Apparently, he was trying to reach a flashlight, which lolled on the edge of the dock. Thick and shiny, the cylinder looked like a contractor’s flashlight, with a heavy handle and a lens as big as a salad plate. The flashlight rolled tantalizingly close to the edge of the dock before it stopped.
“Excuse me,” I called as I moved forward. “Can I help you?”
The stranger didn’t turn. Instead, he grabbed the flashlight and plucked it up in the nick of time.
He probably didn’t hear me.
I glanced back at Hollis. “Were you expecting someone?”
“Son of a bitch—”
“Hollis!” He’d never sworn around me before and, quite frankly, I didn’t like it. “What’s wrong with you?”
“He’s…he’s not supposed to be here.”
“What do you mean? Who’s ‘he’?”
Hollis didn’t answer. Instead, he glared at the stranger’s back as if he wanted to push the man right into the river.
“Who is it?” I repeated.
Still no answer. Since Hollis couldn’t—or wouldn’t—answer me, I had no choice. Today was not the day for someone to traipse onto Ruby’s property all willy-nilly and upset her one and only grandson.
So, I sprinted across the dock, prepared to run interference between Hollis and this unwelcome guest.
“Pardon me.” I quickly tapped the man’s shoulder when I reached him. “Can I help you?”
That did the trick. The stranger whirled around, as if he’d been confronted with a ghost. “What’n the blazes…?”
“Whoa.” I automatically reared back. The man loomed over me—he stood at least six-foot-five—and he brandished the flashlight like a weapon.
“Gah-lee,” he said. “Don’tcha know ya can’t go sneakin’ up on folks like that?”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“What’re you doing here?” Hollis’s voice boomed behind me.
“Hey there, Hollis.” The man finally lowered the flashlight. “Didn’t see ya standing there. Let me turn ma ears up.” With that, he reached for something behind his left ear and fiddled with it until he was satisfied. “There. That’s better. Had to turn up the ol’ hearing aids. Now, who’s yer friend?”
“None of your business,” Hollis said.
I threw Hollis a look as I extended my hand. No need to be rude. “Hello…I’m Melissa DuBois. But everyone calls me Missy.”
“Nice to meet ya. I’m Cap’n Gaudet,” The visitor placed a weathered palm in mine, his skin rough and raw. “I run swamp boat tours around here.”
“Nice to meet you too.” I glanced at a pocket on the man’s shirt, where a grinning alligator lounged beneath the words BLEW-BY-YOU BOAT TOURS. The alligator wore a jaunty sailor’s cap and a wide smile.
“Yep,” the boat captain said, “ah’ve been running tours around this here swamp before either of you was born.” His eyes disappeared into a patchwork of wrinkles when he chuckled.
Hollis didn’t seem amused, though. “Whatcha doing here, Cap’n? You must’ve heard about what happened this morning.”
“I did. I did, indeed.” The captain’s smile faltered. “It’s a terrible shame, son. A downright, terrible shame.”
“Really?” Hollis said. “I would’ve thought you’d be dancing in the streets right about now.”
“Hollis!” I shot him another look. Although he had every right to be upset about his grandmother’s death, he didn’t have the right to take it out on the people around him. Especially since the boat captain seemed harmless enough. “That’s not a very nice thing to say.”
“Not very nice?” he answered. “You don’t know who this is, Miss DuBois.”
Again, I’d never heard Hollis use that tone before. “Yes, I do. He said he runs swamp tours around here. Seems to me he just wanted to pay you a visit.”
“A visit?” Hollis scoffed. “Ppppfffttt. Is that why you’re here, Cap’n? Did you bring me a casserole? You came to comfort me in my time of need?”
“Now, son,” the man answered. “There’s no reason for you to get all hot under the collar. I had sum business downstream, so I thought I’d come by and pay my respects. Dat’s all there is to it. Nothin’ more.”
“Captain, with you there’s always more.” Hollis cut his gaze to the industrial-strength flashlight. “Do you usually bring your toolbox along when you come out for a visit? Looks to me like you were checking under Granny’s dock. I betcha have a tape measure in your other pocket, don’t you?”
The captain didn’t respond, but he didn’t deny it, either.
“You’ve always wanted this land, haven’t you?” Hollis continued. “My guess is you’re here to measure the property and check out the pilings. Tell her, Cap’n.”
Finally, Captain Gaudet dropped the phony smile. “Maybe there’s a little bit of truth to that. A tiny bit. But I mostly wanted to see how yer gettin’ on.”
“Don’t lie,” Hollis said. “You only have one thing on your mind. It’s no secret you want to dock one of your boats out here.”
“That’s enough, Hollis.” I said. Whether or not it was true, this argument wasn’t doing anyone a lick of good. “Let’s go back to the house. I promised I’d make you that meal, remember?”
I reached for Hollis’s arm, but he stepped away.
“Why, I oughta…”
“You oughta what, son?” Slowly, the captain raised the heavy flashlight again. “You gonna take me on?”
“I might just do that,” Hollis replied.
Although the teenager was a good fifty years younger than his opponent, there was no telling what could happen, and I wasn’t in the mood to find out.
“Okay, gentlemen. That’s enough. Let’s take this down a notch. We’re all friends here.”
When neither of them moved, I spoke again. “I mean it. It’s time to go back to your neutral corners. We’ll start with you, Captain. Why don’t you take whatever boat you used to get here, and leave. There’s nothing for you to see.”
The flashlight wobbled a bit in the captain’s hands, but he didn’t lower it.
“Hollis, please.” I turned to the teenager, since I was running out of options. “Come into the house with me. We need to get something to eat. Let it go for now.”
After what felt like an eternity, Hollis finally exhaled. “Okay, fine, but this guy better keep away from Granny’s property. I see him come back, and I’m gonna call the police.”
“Will ya, now?” the old man jeered. “You jus’ do that, son. I doubt they’ll come runnin’ for sum punk like you.”
“I said that’s enough.” I took Hollis by the arm and pulled him away from the boat captain. Although he glanced back a time or two, Hollis didn’t try to escape my grasp.
By the time we reached the house, something loud roared to life behind us. Given the deafening noise, it sounded like an airboat. The captain must�
�ve ridden an airboat to Ruby’s property and docked it downstream, even though he had a perfectly good dock available nearby.
I snuck a quick glance behind me. Sure enough, a black airboat churned through the water, about five hundred yards away. On its end sat a giant propeller that whirled around like an oversized fan blade.
“No wonder he’s so hard of hearing!” I yelled to Hollis.
The teen nodded. “He’s been like that forever. Deaf as anything without his hearing aid.”
We watched the spectacle churn through the water, until the boat disappeared behind a stand of tupelos.
“Why didn’t he just use your dock?” I lowered my voice, although the noise still rumbled around us.
“Why do you think? He didn’t want anyone to know he was here.”
“That settles it. There’s no way I’m going to let you stay here by yourself tonight. You’re coming back to my rent house. You can stay in Ambrose’s room. And I won’t take no for an answer…so don’t even try it.”
Hollis started to protest, but then he relented. Either he knew it was no use to argue with me, or he was spooked by the confrontation on the dock. “You sure you won’t mind?”
“Not at all. I insist. Go grab your things, and I’ll meet you here when you’re done.”
I scrambled up the steps and unlocked the door, since I still had the house key in my pocket, and then I retreated down the stairs again.
“Now, get your stuff.” I spoke quickly, before either of us could change our minds. “Ambrose won’t mind. I bring home surprises all the time.”
Although I hadn’t asked my fiancé, I wasn’t worried about Ambrose. He trusted me. Besides…what could possibly go wrong if we opened our home to a teenager in need?
Chapter 5
Once Hollis left to get his things inside the mobile home, I fished my cell from the pocket of my khakis again.
To be honest, I’d had enough drama for one day, and I longed to hear a friendly voice. Even if that meant putting up with iffy cell phone service or static on the line.
I punched a number on my speed dial, and sure enough, the call finally connected, after a false start or two. The line hissed and crackled, but at least it connected me with Ambrose’s cell phone after a bit.
He answered on the second ring. “Hey, darlin’. Whatcha doing?”
I could picture him sitting at his drafting table at work, his broad hands hovering over some complicated design for a custom ball gown. Somehow, those masculine hands could conjure a work of art from everyday sewing materials like lace, sequins, and silk jacquard. It was one of the many reasons I loved him so much.
“Mostly, I’m missing you, and I’m still at Ruby’s place.”
No need for me to explain what’d happened. By now, half of Bleu Bayou knew all about Ruby’s drowning and the way police retrieved her body, and the other half would find out about it by nightfall. That was the thing about living in a small town. News traveled at the speed of light. Or, as we liked to say, it traveled at the speed of boredom.
“Stay right there. I’m coming to get you. It’ll take me about ten minutes if I leave right now.”
“Do you mind? I told Hollis I’d make him something to eat, but this place is starting to give me the creeps. I’m sure you’re probably working—”
“Missy.” His tone silenced my protests. “Not another word. I’ll lock up the studio and head over to Ruby’s.”
With that, he clicked off the line, prepared to drop everything else to help me out.
I’m the luckiest girl in the world—
“Are you okay?” Hollis stood in the doorway of the mobile home, and his voice brought me back to reality.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I shook my head to clear it. “Why do you ask?”
“Because you just sighed. Are you sure everything’s okay?”
“I’m sure. Ambrose’s coming to pick us up. He’ll be here in about ten minutes.”
That gave me plenty of time to put the property to rights again. Once I helped Hollis drag his duffel bag out of the house, I locked the front door, and then I headed for the statue of the Blessed Virgin, where I said a prayer for Ruby. By the time Ambrose’s car pulled onto the property, twilight had settled over the clouds, and it silvered the black paint on the Audi’s hood.
I hurried over to the driver’s side as soon as he parked, and then I waited for him to lower the window.
“It’s so good to see you!” I leaned over and gave him a quick kiss.
“You too, sweetheart. By the way, the news is all over town about Ruby.”
“I’m sure it is. We already had someone come out here today. It was a riverboat captain who wanted to check out the property. Hollis was livid. I’ll tell you the story on the way back.”
After another quick kiss, I moved around the hood of the car and signaled for Hollis to jump into the back seat. He tossed his duffel in first, then he dove in after it, while I settled in next to Ambrose.
I waited until we reached the end of the surface road before I leaned toward him.
“You sure you’re okay with all this?” I whispered. “It’ll only be for a few days. Promise. Just until we figure out what’s going on with Ruby and the police investigation.”
“Of course.” Ambrose cut his gaze to the rearview mirror, just like Lance had done. “I’m happy to have you stay with us, Hollis. Take as long as you want.”
I sighed again. “I knew you’d say that.” Even though Ambrose didn’t know why I’d first invited Hollis to come stay with us, he never questioned me. “You wouldn’t believe what happened after we came back from the police station today.”
With that, I proceeded to tell him all about the scene with Captain Gaudet. By the time I reached the point where the old man threatened Hollis with a flashlight, the shadowy outline of Bleu Bayou’s business district appeared up ahead.
“Hmmm.” I stopped my story midsentence. The building that housed my studio, Crowning Glory, rose regally above the rest. A former spice factory, developers had converted it into a series of upscale bridal shops: everything from a photo studio and bakery to a justice of the peace and my millinery shop. We nicknamed the building “the Factory,” and brides came from near and far to visit it.
After all, who wouldn’t want to get married on the Great River Road? Several restored antebellum mansions lined the banks of the Mississippi River here. Brides had their choice of emerald-green lawns that stretched for days, grand Doric columns that soared to the sky, and wraparound porches that took full advantage of the views. If ever a place fulfilled someone’s wish for a fairy-tale wedding, it was one of the mansions on the Great River Road.
“You know…” My voice trailed off as we approached the Factory.
“Is something wrong?” Ambrose asked.
“No, not really. It’s just that I haven’t been inside my studio all day. I kinda miss it.”
“I get that. It’s hard to be gone all day. There’s no telling what could happen in the meantime.”
The closer we drew to the building, the stronger its pull became. Ambrose was right. Anything could’ve happened at Crowning Glory while I was on the bayou. Maybe a client waltzed in unannounced. Or a supplier ran out of material for an order. And what if someone cancelled an order at the last minute, which would leave me stuck with a custom creation and no one to give it to?
Although Beatrice had returned to the studio at some point, my assistant didn’t like to bother me with petty problems. Which I appreciated, until a “petty” problem blossomed into a full-scale disaster, which’d been known to happen.
“Do you think Hollis would mind if I dashed into Crowning Glory first? Just for a minute or two?”
“Not at all,” Ambrose said. “I can take him back to the house while you check in at your shop. Your car’s still there, right?”
�
��Yes. And I won’t be long. I just hate to leave Hollis right now.”
“You know I can hear you.” Hollis leaned over the front seat, a shy smile on his lips. “And I don’t mind. You’ve been so nice to me, Miss DuBois. Please don’t change your plans on my account.”
“Okay. As long as you’re sure you don’t mind.”
The Factory filled our windshield now, its rough red bricks softened by the setting sun.
“Sounds like we have a plan,” Ambrose said. “I’ll drop you off at the studio, and then I’ll take Hollis back to the house. Don’t hurry home on our account. We’ll be fine.”
I threw him a grateful smile. “To tell you the truth, I don’t think I could sleep a wink tonight if I didn’t find out what happened at the shop today.”
Ambrose pulled the car into the parking lot, and then he drove next to the French door that fronted my studio. The mahogany door shone in the twilight, the finish smooth as satin. I’d replaced the original door back in January, after a crazy person hacked the old one to smithereens. But that was another story for yet another day.
I hopped from the car after Ambrose put it in Park, and then I leaned through the driver’s-side window to kiss him again.
“Thanks, honey. I won’t be too long. Just long enough to make sure everything’s okay.” I glanced back at Hollis. “Make yourself at home when you get to our place. We want you to feel comfortable there, okay?”
But Hollis wouldn’t look at me. Instead, he studied the bare parking lot through the car’s window, as if the gritty pavement suddenly fascinated him.
“Hollis, is something wrong?” I asked.
“Well…” He still wouldn’t look at me. “It’s just that I never got anything to eat today. I’m kinda hungry.”
Oh, shine! “That’s right. You didn’t get any food, did you?”
“Don’t worry about it.” Ambrose had been watching our exchange in the rearview mirror. “There’s plenty of food at the house. I made a big potful of jambalaya last night, and Bettina brought me a dozen sweet rolls today.”
I squelched a smile. “Now there’s a surprise.”
All Hats on Deck Page 4