LOUISIANA LIES
Alison Golden
Honey Broussard
Contents
FREE PREQUELS
PRAISE FOR THE ROXY REINHARDT MYSTERIES
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
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LOUISIANA LIES
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PRAISE FOR THE ROXY REINHARDT MYSTERIES
“Louisiana Lies was awesome!”
“The story was brilliantly plotted out and wonderfully written, you could barely wait to turn the pages to see where the tale would take you next.”
“Excellent story, very clever.”
“I read your book until the wee hours last night.... couldn't put it down!!”
“All the food made me very hungry and really wanting to visit New Orleans!”
“Absolutely loved it!!!”
“You've done a great job. Truly. This one shines.”
“I just want you to know how much I like Roxy. She makes me smile.”
“Loved the book, looking forward to the next installment. I think you've got a winner!”
“I like Roxy and her new friends and look forward to more books including them.”
“What a great book!”
“Loved it!”
“Excellent characterization.”
“I need to tell you that you have a winner here.”
“I’m enjoying this new series immensely. Congratulations on the start of another great series.”
“Loved your new series!”
“The story was fantastic!”
“Storyline and character development is easy flowing, interesting, and really holds the reader’s interest. Overall a great new series to look forward to!”
“Loved the book, looking forward to the next installment. I think you've got a winner!”
CHAPTER ONE
ROXY SLID HER body over the smooth silky, supple leather. It responded to her like a glove, molding itself to fit her form. In front, a length of polished walnut gleamed so brightly that Roxy’s face reflected back at her while under her feet was carpet so thick and soft, she felt as though her feet were suspended in midair. It was always a treat for Roxy to ride in Sam’s Rolls Royce. She wasn’t a very materialistic person, but even so, she couldn’t help but enjoy the experience of luxury.
Sam was apologetic every time they got in it. “Just my little extravagance,” he’d say, going a little red.
“Well, we certainly make a scene,” said Roxy. As they cruised along, people turned to look at them as they drove by. She looked out the windows at the mash-up of sleek modern buildings created from chrome and glass, and the traditional, colorful, ornate Louisiana architecture that comprised New Orleans.
Sam grinned. “That’s New Orleans for you. Scenes galore.”
“Yep,” said Roxy. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it. And the people! I can’t believe one of my best friends is an actual spiritualist, and we’re on our way to meet one of our guests who’s conducting a séance! How surreal is that?”
Sam laughed. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. Makes for unpredictable, exciting times. So, tell me more about your guest. The big cheese.”
“Her name is Meredith Romanoff,” said Roxy. “A spiritual medium and psychic. She’s very well respected and famous in her circles. At least that’s what Dr. Jack said.”
“So what is she doing here?”
“She’s holding a series of events. Tonight’s just a small one for private clients, but tomorrow she’s got a huge public workshop. Over a thousand people are going. It’s being held at one of the hotel conference centers, but she prefers to stay in smaller, more personable surroundings, which is why she’s made a reservation with us. They booked out the Funky Cat even though there’s only three of them. She’s visiting with her husband and her assistant.”
“But why are we meeting them at the botanica?”
“They were going to check in first, but traffic was bad coming into the city, and they ran out of time. So I said we’d pick up their luggage and take it back to their rooms so that it‘s all ready for them when they arrive.”
“Always going the extra mile, hey Roxy?”
She smiled. “That’s me, Nothing’s-Too-Much-Trouble Roxy.”
Sam smoothly pulled his maroon classic car right in front of the botanica. The magical supplies store was housed in an old, converted, shotgun-style building right in the middle of a commercial district. It wasn’t grand, and it looked out of place among the sleek, modern structures that surrounded it, but it was even more eye-catching thanks to its color. The wooden boards were deep indigo, and the intricate metal fretwork that decorated the frontage was painted gold. The storefront was separated from the sidewalk by a small porch and was dominated by a huge picture window that displayed a selection of the wares stocked inside.
Crystals, oracle card sets, skulls, candles and all kinds of herbs and powders in jars filled the window to bursting. Roxy often thought that Dr. Jack could hold a scavenger hunt based on the window display alone. Roxy and Sam went inside and found a cluster of people browsing the store. A pile of bags and cases was stacked by the door.
“Hi, there!” Roxy said brightly. “We’ve come to…"
“No,” Dr. Jack said firmly to the woman standing in front of him, his purple face matching his velour three-piece suit. Dr. Jack loved to dress flamboyantly, and sometimes even threaded beads into his graying beard, but now he was exhibiting something much more conventional—fury. “That is absolutely unethical, and I condemn it 100%!” he cried.
“How dare you?” the woman in front of him shouted back. She pointed a thin, bony finger at Dr. Jack. It reminded Roxy of a bird’s claw. Roxy knew immediately that the woman was Meredith Romanoff.
“You presume to tell me—ME—that you condemn such a huge aspect of my work? Well, that’s a fine welcome!” Meredith Romanov’s soft blonde hair shook as did the ruffles that decorated the front of her blouse. The blouse stretched over her ample chest while the tassels that hung from the hem of her long skirt and which spread over her stout hips trembled. Roxy was struck by how Meredith’s hands seemed at odds with her bod
y.
In the photograph Roxy had seen, Meredith had looked as though butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth, but the Meredith now in front of her offered a very different impression. Her face was red; her mouth twisted in an ugly, tortured line. She was spitting fire. Butter would be reduced to a runny puddle inside a second in the face of such an onslaught.
“Please, Meredith,” a man next to her said in a placating, soothing voice. It was like he was speaking to a young child. “Now, now.” The man’s bald head shone under the store lights, and his cheeks were bright pink. A pair of gold spectacles hung on a slim gold chain around his neck. He dabbed his brow with a folded, pristine white handkerchief. His pressed khaki slacks were perfect. The elegantly crumpled linen shirt he wore, the sleeves rolled up neatly, indicated that sometime earlier today he had anticipated some kind of heat, but perhaps not this kind.
“Please refrain from doing this now,” Roxy heard him say. “You must put yourself in the right frame of mind for your session.” The man enunciated all his words with glass-cut precision. His appearance and upper-crust demeanor made him the type of person that Roxy usually felt deeply intimidated by, but he was talking to Meredith so gently that Roxy found it impossible to be scared of him.
“I can get in the right frame of mind instantly,” Meredith spat. Her voice was hard. She took a deep breath, and her next words were far more measured. She delivered them with a silky veneer to her tone. “But I suppose you’re right, darling. Sometimes you do talk absolute trash, but on occasion you make sense. This is one of them.”
The man rolled his eyes and smiled. He chuckled. “Thank you for the high praise, darling.”
Meredith caught sight of Roxy staring at her, Sam behind her. She did a double-take and immediately assumed a warm, friendly expression. “Oh, hello,” she said with a smile. Roxy wasn’t sure it was genuine. “You must be…aren't you from the cute little hotel? Oh, I can’t remember your name, I’m ever so sorry.”
“It’s Roxy,” Roxy said brightly. “Roxy Reinhardt. This is…” She reached out to introduce Sam.
“I’m Sam,” the tall man interjected simply, nodding at the gathered group. His shirt stretched around his broad shoulders as he folded his arms. “We know you’re about to begin your meeting, so we won’t disturb you. We came to pick up your bags and take them back to the hotel.”
Meredith looked Sam up and down admiringly. She winked at Roxy. “What an attractive couple you make.”
“Oh, we’re not a couple,” Roxy said quickly, feeling heat rush to her cheeks.
Meredith laughed. “Not yet. But I guarantee you the universe is aligning and then, well, you’ll see. Now, yes, please take the bags. That would be wonderful. Thank you.”
“I’ll help,” a young man said as he walked over to the pile of bags by the door. He had a very soft young face, red hair, and freckles. Roxy hadn’t even noticed him until he spoke. He was very slight and short, and his presence was so unassuming that he was almost invisible. Roxy wondered if he was Meredith’s son. He looked about the right age. “Is that okay, Meredith?” the young man asked, immediately disabusing Roxy of her theory. Her son would have called her “Mom.”
“No, no, it isn’t, George,” Meredith snapped. “You need to be focusing on your responsibilities and getting things ready.”
“Actually, I have already…”
“Well, then, get your mind right and meditate,” said Meredith. She was terse and abrupt again. “I’ve told you before, you have a tendency to allow yourself to be overwhelmed by vast amounts of other people’s energies, and then you don’t come through as a clear channel. Anyone who needs something, you want to help. Stop being so soft and focus on what you have to do. You’re not here to save the world or to be a ‘nice guy,’ you’re here for a very specific purpose. And that is to help me.” Meredith caught sight of Roxy staring at her again, “And all those lovely people we are trying to help.”
Watching Meredith, Roxy felt humiliated on George’s behalf, but the pleasant young man smiled. “Yes, you’re right, Meredith,” he said. “I’ll go in the back room right away and cleanse the energies.” He disappeared.
“That’s more like it,” Meredith said, tight-lipped. “Sorry about that, Roxy. That was George, my assistant. And this is Charles, my husband. And this is Terah, my old school friend.” Meredith walked over to a woman browsing the racks of scented candles. She put her arm around the woman’s shoulders. “We are catching up for the first time in forty years! Can you believe that?” Terah stiffened at Meredith’s embrace. She wore a black eye patch over her left eye, the strap reaching over her ears and disappearing beneath her shoulder-length straight mousey hair. Terah nodded at Roxy. “We’re still waiting for one more person to arrive, a private client of mine. This is Dr. Jack, of course, but I believe you are already acquainted,” Meredith finished.
Jack was still hovering, his arms folded across his chest, two creases between his eyes indicating his mood. Roxy was very aware of him. He was not radiating his usual calm, accepting aura, and she felt a little anxious. Meredith’s husband Charles, the man with the glasses on the gold chain, gave Roxy a friendly nod and a small smile.
“Hello, Charles, Dr. Jack, Terah. I hope you’re looking forward to a good evening,” said Roxy nodding at them all. “We’ll take the bags now and see you later back at the Funky Cat Inn.” She turned to Sam, who, his face expressionless, picked up two heavy cases and took them outside to the car.
CHAPTER TWO
“THANK YOU SO much,” said Meredith. “Oh, and before I forget!” She went over to the counter and rummaged in her purse. “You must have a copy of my book, Roxy. You look like the type of person who would be very…” Meredith put on a pair of bright white plastic-framed glasses and looked at Roxy over the top of them, “receptive to its message.” From her bag, Meredith pulled out a dust-jacketed hardcover and brought it over to Roxy. The older woman carried it in both hands reverently as if it were a treasured holy text. She held it out, looking at Roxy intensely with her dark blue, almost violet eyes. “Do you have any spiritual gifts, dear?”
“Oh no. I…I don’t know. I don’t think so,” said Roxy. “I just…well, I don’t know much about it.”
“She’s quite intuitive, our Roxy,” said Dr. Jack, suddenly piping up. “She’s very intelligent, too. She’s solved two murders.”
Meredith looked Roxy up and down, appraising her. “Well, isn’t that interesting? Do read the book, Roxy, and let me know what you think. You have a certain…presence that attracts me.”
“Well, thank you, um, Ms. Romanoff. I will. Thank you for the book.” Roxy took it and tucked it into her purse. “I’ll make sure to begin it tonight.”
Meredith patted her on the shoulder. “There’s a whole new world waiting for you, young woman.”
Roxy, rather dumbfounded, simply smiled. “Thanks again. I’d better be off.”
“Yes, me too. I have to prepare to converse with the spirits of New Orleans. I’m sure they have a lot to say,” said Meredith. “Goodbye, now. See you later, Roxy.”
“And oh,” Roxy said turning back to her. “We’ll have a wonderful dinner ready for you on your arrival. Evangeline is preparing it for you as we speak. She cooks the best, most authentic New Orleans cuisine you could hope to find.”
“Sounds delicious!” said Charles. His features had relaxed now, and his cheek’s pink hue was fading.
“You’re so greedy, Charles,” Meredith said with a not altogether pleasant laugh. She flicked his chest with her hand. “It’s all he thinks about. Well, thanks, Roxy. We look forward to your hospitality. Perhaps we can talk about my book over dinner?”
“Yes,” said Roxy. “Let’s do that.” She smiled but was already experiencing a feeling of dread. There was something unnerving about Meredith. “Bye, then.” Meredith raised her hand in a small wave. “Bye.”
Roxy headed out to the Rolls where Sam was loading up the final bags. “Sorry,” she said. “I didn’t
help you with any of them!”
Sam laughed. “No worries. You were charming the clientele as per your job description of hotel owner. And you seemed to be doing a great job.”
Roxy smiled wryly as they got in the car. “Yes, but you got pegged as a lackey when you’re hardly that.”
Sam shrugged. He was unconcerned. “It’s okay by me.”
They climbed into the car and Roxy, once again, slipped down into her seat. “Seriously, though,” Sam said, “look at you. You’ve really grown into your role—so in command, in control, so impressive!”
“Really? That Meredith was giving me the heebie-jeebies. She made me feel very uncomfortable.”
“She was quite a character, wasn’t she? But you’ve had plenty of experience in managing characters now, haven’t you? Those Instagram influencers you had were hardly a piece of cake, and that novelist who stayed last month, she was a piece of work. All that method acting she insisted upon doing to ‘get inside her characters’ heads.’”
“Aw, she was alright. It was her Great Dane that was the problem. Nefertiti simply didn’t like him.’ Nefertiti was Roxy’s white Persian cat. “Once I’d shut Nef in my room and the dog had stopped howling, she was able to get on with her book.”
“I don’t know how you put up with all the guest's demands. You have the patience of a saint. Don’t you have The Magnificent Luxury Travel Show team coming to film you soon?” said Sam. He reached forward to turn the ignition on. The engine purred into life, but it was so quiet that Roxy could only tell it was running by the swinging needles on the dials in the dashboard.
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