1 Mardi Gras Madness

by Alison Golden

  “Sure,” Roxy said. She noticed that he had blushed a little, and he was rambling. Perhaps he was a little shy, too.

  “Thanks,” he said. He dashed out into the rain to get tools from his van and quickly returned. “Great. If you could…just here would be amazing.”

  Roxy stood and held her hands out. Sam placed a tray from the inside of his toolbox over her hands and laid various tools and fuses and electrical parts on it like he was performing surgery.

  “Right. Perfect,” he said. He ducked his head into the electrical box and began to work.

  Roxy waited for a moment, before saying, “You’ve offered to buy this place so many times. Why won’t Evangeline take you up on it? Is it really just because she thinks it’s charity?”

  Sam sighed. “I don’t know. I think she thinks I’m, um, humoring her.”

  “Well, are you?”

  “No,” he said. Sam looked into her eyes as he leaned over to take a fuse. “I just like things the way they are. Why not keep them the same? I can afford it. And I’d like to help. I’ve offered to pay for a full rewire in the past. Offered to fix the roof. Take care of the dry rot. But nada. Evangeline won’t take any money to keep the place open. She won’t take any money to move on. That woman is like a mule. Stubborn as anything. Won’t go forward, won’t go back.” He peered deeply into the fuse box.

  “Not to pry, but all these offers you’re making sound real expensive. I didn’t know the laundry business was quite so lucrative,” Roxy said.

  Sam’s laugh was hollow. “Well, you know…life is full of surprises.”

  Just then, a horrible idea struck Roxy like a lightning bolt. She didn’t even know where it came from. It wasn’t a result of reasoning or deduction. It was something that flashed through her mind. Was it intuition?

  Maybe Sam was getting bankrolled from somewhere. Maybe he used his laundry business as a front to get into all sorts of other “businesses.” Perhaps he was a money launderer, buying up failing enterprises to funnel money on from who knows where. Perhaps that’s why he was so keen to “help” Evangeline. Maybe that was how he got to own a fancy car. Perhaps he’d done this before. Perhaps that’s what he’d been hiding all this time!

  Roxy didn’t know if her imagination was running away with her, or if she was really onto something. But she didn’t want the warmth between them to skew her judgment, so she squinted and tried to look at Sam with a cold, objective eye.

  He turned to pick another tool from the tray and gave her a lovely smile that drew up one corner of his mouth and showed off a dimple. “That’s a real serious face,” he said, his eyes dancing with mischief.

  Roxy tried to view this, not as charming, but as suspicious and inappropriately irreverent, considering there had just been a murder.

  “It appears to me that Detective Johnson will chase Evangeline down as the main suspect,” said Roxy. “People say there’s a history between them. Do you know what kind of history?”

  “Sure, everyone knows,” Sam said breezily. “There was a police corruption incident down here about 20 years ago. I was still a little kid back then, but I remember it. It was all over the news. Evangeline organized some major activism around it. You know, sit-ins, protests, that kind of stuff. Johnson was the accused guy’s partner. They’d been best friends since childhood. Evangeline’s efforts got the guy locked up for a good many years. Well, I should say his crimes are what got him locked up, but he might have gotten away with them if it weren’t for her. Johnson has hated her ever since, by all accounts.”

  “Wow,” Roxy said.

  “Plus, she’s made a lot of fuss over historic buildings getting torn down in the past. She turns up at city hall a lot, speaks at the meetings. She’s well-known down there. She makes herself a thorn in certain people’s sides, and that doesn’t always go down so well. She won’t back down and doesn’t hesitate to demand what she thinks is right. So Johnson thinks she’s somewhere between a menace and a pain in the ass, depending on what mood he’s in. They don’t see eye to eye at all.”

  “Do you think he’ll try to pin the murder on her?”

  Sam paused and looked at her. “I don’t know. If he’s as corrupt as his former partner, maybe.” He laughed. “Though the way Evangeline’s going on right now, I wouldn’t be so sorry to see the back of her myself.”

  “Ouch!” Roxy said.

  “Bit close to the bone? Yeah, you’re probably right, I shouldn’t have said it. We all love Evangeline. The place wouldn’t be the same without her.” He fiddled with the electrical box one more time, and the hall lit up.

  “Yay!” Roxy said. “Well done.”

  Sam put on a silly voice and took a bow. “Thank you. I could not have done it without my assistant, the curious, resourceful, and beautiful Roxanne.” He resumed his regular voice. “It is Roxanne, right?”

  Roxy wrinkled her nose. “Only to my mom.”

  “Sorry, Roxy it is then.”

  They shared a smile.

  There was a rustle behind them. Evangeline came rushing in. She squeezed Sam in a hug and kissed him on the cheek. “You’re a genius, cher. Don’t mind old Evangeline being grouchy. I’m feeling as lost as a polar bear in the Sahara, but that’s no excuse. I’m sorry. To you too, Roxy.”

  “You’re not lost,” Sam said, smiling at her and squeezing her shoulder. “You’re here with us, and you’re in exactly the right place.”

  Roxy watched Sam looking down from his tall height at the diminutive figure of Evangeline and dreaded the idea that he could be faking for his own nefarious reasons. It felt unsettling, viewing someone she liked with suspicion. But years of feeling unsafe had prepared her—she was well-versed in not trusting people!

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  IT FELT STRANGE to step out onto the bustling streets that afternoon. People were going about their business as though nothing untoward had happened. Roxy felt she was living in a parallel universe, one that was dark and confusing.

  Thankfully, the weather had cleared up. The streets still glistened with the rain of the morning. The sidewalks were covered in watery patches where the blue sky was reflected. But the dark clouds had been chased away by the wind, leaving a cold, clear sky.

  Everyone had decided to come along to the Endymion parade in the end. Evangeline had taken some persuading; she’d seen a thousand carnivals she said, but Elijah hadn’t taken no for an answer. Quite uncharacteristically, she had let herself be swayed. Roxy sidled up to Evangeline as they walked. She was desperate to talk about what Sam had disclosed to her about Evangeline’s relationship with Detective Johnson.

  “Can I ask you something?” Roxy said, trying to work out how she could phrase it diplomatically.

  “Sure.”

  “Are you worried about Johnson holding a grudge, and trying to pin the murder on you? You know, after what happened.” Diplomacy wasn’t a skill Roxy possessed it would appear.

  But Evangeline wasn’t offended. She shook her head. “No. He can try if he likes, the truth will out. I’m innocent, cher. I don’t have a motive, and that’s that…No court would find me guilty.” Evangeline peered at her. “How do you know what happened? You’re quite the little detective, aren’t ’cha?”

  “Sam told me,” Roxy said. “I think you’re brave. I could never do the things he says that you’ve done.”

  Evangeline smiled at her. “Of course you could, cher. You may not see it in yourself yet, but there’s a whole lot of moxie in there.” She tapped the top of Roxy’s chest and then laughed. “Moxie Roxy.”

  Roxy laughed, too.

  “He won’t try to pin it on me,” Evangeline said. “What happened was a long time ago. It’s in the past. And Johnson’s not corrupt, not like his partner. He might want me to be the murderer, but at the end of the day, he’s a good cop. We’ve come to…an understanding. He leaves me alone to run my guesthouse. I leave him alone to do his job. That’s all there is to it.”

  Roxy smiled. “Well, that sounds
positive.”

  “I’m sure it’ll be fine, cher. No need to worry yourself about me.”

  They settled into a comfortable silence.

  Slightly ahead of them, Nat clutched a large bottle of iced tea that she swigged from every so often. She looked determined to enjoy herself. Next to her, Sage, in sky-blue robes, sashayed along. Every time a child passed, she gave them a big, kind smile. The children would smile back as they gravitated toward her and away from Louise who was a few steps behind. Louise walked with her head down, her hands thrust into the pockets of her pants, her lips in a flat line. She looked very unhappy. Bringing up the rear, Sam was light on his feet. He listened intently to Elijah. His friend was engrossed in telling a story, jabbing his finger to make his points.

  Elijah clutched a huge basket of beignets and had brought another with him that Sam was carrying. “There’ll be loads of families out enjoying themselves on St. Charles Avenue,” he had explained. “We can sweeten up the occasion!”

  Roxy noticed the vibrant shades of purple, green, and gold everywhere—on clothes and flags and decorations and strings of beads hanging around people’s necks. One little girl was dressed head to toe in gold. Her dress was gold, her puffy coat was gold, her shoes were gold, her hair bows were gold, and even the beads on her frilly white socks were gold! She wore strings of plastic golden beads around her neck, too. Roxy saw her give Sam a gap-toothed smile as she passed, and he handed her a beignet with a wink.

  As they walked along, the dazzling colors of the carnival passing by, Roxy’s thoughts took a familiar turn—first they went to her uncertain future, and then they stuck like glue to the unsolved murder. Though she tried to focus on all the fun, sights, and sounds of the carnival, she couldn’t help watching each of her party in turn. Were any of them the murderer? And if they were, what might their motivation be?

  First, she looked at Evangeline. Evangeline was desperate for a sale and killed Richard Lomas in a rage over the terms of a deal. Roxy wondered if it could possibly be true. It probably wasn’t, in all likelihood. She couldn’t see how Evangeline would benefit from Lomas’ death, let alone overpower a much bigger, younger man.

  They turned onto St. Charles Avenue and into a huge crowd. Kids were raised high, sitting on their fathers’ shoulders, waving to people on the parade floats, and squealing with excitement. Music pounded, colors flashed, everyone shouted with excitement. The smells of Creole spices and hot dogs and deep-fried donuts carried on the cold air.

  “Woohoo!” Nat said. She took a huge swig from her iced tea bottle.

  Nat. Nat killed Richard Lomas because…she knew if Evangeline’s closed down, she’d have nowhere to work or live and could be thrown out of the country. It was a plausible motive. The only thing was that to have killed him, Nat would need to be extremely dark and devious. Roxy hadn’t seen any sign of that in her. Hmm. Roxy sure hoped this theory wasn’t true, but she knew she had to keep her mind open.

  Next, she turned to Louise. Louise was very subdued and serious as she hung back. She was watching the parade without a smile, her expression flat. Roxy could deduce nothing from it.

  Louise killed Richard Lomas to…Roxy let her imagination click into gear…to get her paws on the guesthouse…? It seemed quite a flimsy reason. Would a middle-aged divorcee have such fire in her belly over a “new life” project that she’d be willing to murder? Unlikely, but maybe, Roxy concluded. People had killed for less.

  Roxy looked back at the parade. Folk on the carnival floats were dressed up as all kinds of crazy characters. They tossed sweets and beads and tiny toys into the audience. Little kids scrambled and clutched at them. Many had bags to stuff their trinkets into. One small boy was so adorned with beads that Roxy was surprised he didn’t keel over. She watched him as he stuffed his bag full of goodies, grabbing as many as his tiny hands could hold. Older kids hollered, “Throw me something, Mister!” Many adults joined in too, even those as old as Evangeline!

  Elijah had given away nearly all his beignets, passing them to any kid nearby who hollered. His grin stretched all over his face. He seemed to be in his element when he was feeding people. Roxy studied him.

  Elijah killed Richard Lomas because…he wanted to protect his own business? Perhaps…perhaps Elijah’s bakery wasn’t doing so well and it was Evangeline’s daily pastry order that was keeping him afloat. If Evangeline’s closed down perhaps Elijah’s business would, too. By murdering the property developer, Elijah could scupper Evangeline’s deal and his bakery business might survive.

  Roxy immediately knew this theory was flawed. Elijah made deliveries all over town to various restaurants, hotels, private homes. His business wasn’t struggling and in truth, she couldn’t see Elijah as a likely suspect. His loud, bright breeziness seemed genuine. But then she thought back to that hateful look Louise had given him earlier. Maybe Louise knew something that Roxy didn’t. Her mind began to spin.

  “Hey Roxy,” Sage said, bobbing up beside her with a grin. “Open your hand.”

  Roxy put out her palm with a smile, wondering what she was letting herself in for. Sage opened her fist over Roxy’s palm, and Roxy looked down to see a pile of glitter in her hand. It was a gorgeous mix of gold and deep purple.

  “Fairy dust,” Sage explained, opening her eyes wide and looking very serious. “It’s collected from special fairy folk in Ireland and contains magical powers.”

  Roxy looked up into Sage’s earnest eyes. “Oh, well, um, thank you.”

  Sage burst out laughing. “Oh, sugar, I’m having you on! It’s just some glittery carnival fun. Though I guess there’s no harm in making a wish with it if you want.” She winked. “Never any harm in making wishes.”

  Roxy grinned. “Why not?” Roxy didn’t know what to wish for. She’d never been one for wishing and dreaming. Worrying and procrastinating was more her style. Roxy closed her hand around the glitter and looked at Sage’s amused but kind face.

  Sage. Sage killed Richard Lomas because…

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  ROXY TRIED TO work out what Sage would have to lose if Evangeline’s was sold off. Not much, it seemed. She did some website work for Evangeline, but that hardly sounded lucrative compared with the corporate clients who were constantly hiring her. In fact, Roxy had a hunch that the work Sage did for the guesthouse was free of charge. Maybe she had another reason, but Roxy doubted it. Besides, Sage was a vegetarian. She didn’t even believe in killing animals. Roxy was hard-pressed to believe Sage would ever kill a human being. This whole spiritual thing couldn’t be an act…could it? She looked over to the last of their group.

  Sam. Sam killed Richard Lomas so that he could scoop up the guesthouse from Evangeline and turn it into a thriving business that laundered, not washing, but money, maybe both!

  Of all the motives she’d come up with, Roxy had to admit that this one seemed the most likely, except for the fact that Sam seemed as straight as an arrow. She forced herself to consider him though. She wondered how long Sam had been around. Was he really as much a part of the furniture as he looked? Or was he a relative stranger who had ingratiated himself for nefarious reasons?

  Roxy watched the parade go by, feeling a little spaced-out and confused. Despite thinking in-depth about everyone, the situation didn’t feel any clearer.

  Her head pounded with all the twists and turns. Her brain couldn’t hold all her thoughts, much like her clenched hand couldn’t hold all the glitter. She could see the beautiful mix of purple and gold spilling through her fingers. What would she wish for?

  She knew, of course, that glitter wouldn’t really make anything happen. But it posed an interesting question…What could she wish for? What did she really want? If only she knew!

  With a little jump, she shot her arm into the air and let go of the glitter. I wish I knew what I wanted for my life! I wish I knew where I was going next!

  It seemed something of a non-wish, but it was the best she could come up with. At the very least, it was since
re. Drifting away above the heads of the crowd, the glitter caught the breeze and the gold and purple flecks dipped and swirled before fading to nothingness. Roxy watched it as it floated away.

  As the group of friends ambled back to Evangeline’s a couple of hours later, Roxy wondered about the idea of staying in New Orleans long term. She loved the music that seemed to seep from every corner of the city. She loved the bright shotgun houses that were painted just about every color under the sun—one hot pink, the next canary yellow, the next a deep forest green. She loved the food and wondered hopefully if it might bulk out her slight, childlike figure a little.

  She loved…Well, it was hard to explain…But, she guessed, if she were being like Sage, she would have called it “the vibe.” The place had a warm, wraparound feeling to it, like stepping into your favorite grandmother’s kitchen, or at least what she imagined it would feel like if she had a favorite grandmother. Perhaps she did know what she wanted to do next after all…

  As soon as they got back to the guesthouse, Evangeline was all smiles. Roxy realized it was the first time she’d seen her smile like that. She seemed lighter, happier.

  “Everyone!” she said, clapping her hands at them in the hallway. “As y’all are here, I want to make an announcement. I’ve come to a big decision. First of all, I want to thank you for your offer to buy this old crumbling place, Sam. I’ve known you since you were a child, cher, and your generosity has always shined. This old lady is duly grateful.”

  Roxy immediately dismissed her earlier theory that Sam was a recent arrival and a fraud. If he was a cheat, he was deceiving people he had known for years. It seemed improbable.

  Evangeline held her hand out for Louise to take. “Louise and I have been talking, and I’ve decided she is going to be the new owner here.”

  Louise smiled a brave kind of smile and nodded like she was still trying to convince herself. “I know it’s a bold move, but you only get one chance at life,” she told the group. “I came here to start over, and that’s what I’m going to do. I’m not going to be put off by what happened to Richard Lomas. It’s a terrible tragedy, but I won’t fall apart. You can rely on me, and I’ll work like crazy to get Evangeline’s back on its feet.”