Baby Love (Baby #2)(90)

"Tylar I don't have time to explain everything just do it. Tell them not to look for man-made toxins but for bayou poisons. This infection is not what they think it is. Don’t have me cremated. I want to be buried next to my baby in Indiana. There's the rest of your money in my purse that they checked in over at the jail. It will pay for my burial arrangements. Don't let them know you are not my daughter Tylar. You have to be my official next of kin. Your husband will confirm that if you ask him."

Her voice was getting raspy and she took a break breathing in her oxygen.

"What about my mother? What about Marla?"

"He poisoned her too," she whispered weakly.

"Who - who poisoned her?"

"Matthew did. He poisoned her and now he has poisoned me. Your mama is buried at the cemetery south of Jackson, Mississippi where our parents are buried. The Renaud family crypt is there."

She was rasping again and stopped to breathe in more oxygen.

"You have them get you her death record. There wasn't no autopsy done on her. There should have been to prove what Matthew had done to her. Miss Trinity LaFleur must have evidence or something. I know she prepared Marla for burial. Your mama was buried with your caul. You find Miss Trinity you hear? I promised Marla I would give Trinity those jewelry boxes your daddy gave her after she died. She said it was the only way that I would be safe. I wanted to keep that jewelry for myself so I never did what I promised Marla. Miss Trinity is a midwife living in Concordia Parish. She delivered you Tylar. She can fill you in. Anyone in Vidalia will know her."

I was confused by all that she was telling me. It sounded like crazy talk. What the hell was a 'caul'? Was this one final way that Maggie was going to f*ck with me before she died? Why would I believe or trust her at this point? Why should I even care? It sounded bizarre. Her story had a hint of voo-doo or witchcraft flavor to it. I hadn't seen that about her growing up. It was if she could read my mind on her death bed.

"You do as I ask Tylar and you will put your mama's killer away. You find your daddy. Judge Tylar will help you if need be. You let him know it was his wife and her friend that paid Matthew all of that money. When she died the money stopped. Your mama loved you and that is the God's honest truth. I never did. I'm sorry I wish that I had but by the time you were born I was just too f*cked up. Please tell Daniel that I loved him."

She breathed her last breath as her eyes closed. The screen that had been beeping suddenly flat-lined into one constant audio tone. A nurse came in right away and ushered me out.

"Aren't you going to call a 'Code Blue' or something?" I asked.

"Your mother had a DNR order. It's what she wanted. She's at peace now. I'm sorry for your loss."

I wasn't about to mention that my loss had occurred twenty-one years ago. It made sense to continue playing the daughter role for now.

"I don't want her body moved until my husband get's here," I said.

"My mother left explicit instructions with me. Let me remind you that I am her next-of-kin. She has no one else."

I called Trey at home immediately. My hands were shaking.

"Tylar," he said as soon as he picked up.

"Trey I need you here now. Maggie is gone. Please drop Preston at Gina's and get to the hospital. There is something that you need to see immediately. I need a lawyer."

Trey was at my side in less than an hour. I had managed to have my way with the nursing staff. Sandy had returned to the jail to start the process of releasing Maggie's personal effects to her next-of-kin which to her belief was me. I wasn't sure what the protocol was which is what I needed to ask Trey. Did a niece trump a half-brother as far as next-of-kin?

Trey and I went into the chapel located on the same floor as the ICU. Thankfully no one else was in there. I played the video for him of Maggie's deathbed conversation.

"Tylar I don't see any problem in requesting the autopsy. It is customary for the hospital to do that in cases where the patient has been hospitalized at that particular hospital. Given her young age I don't believe that they will be reluctant to accommodate. We can assure them that there is no concern about malpractice where they are concerned that our suspicion lies in a totally different direction."

"Good," I said relieved that we would get past the first request Maggie had made.

"Here's the thing though Tylar. I'm not sure how to define a post mortem request to look for bayou poisons as Maggie mentioned. It seems a bit eccentric I guess for lack of a better word."

"I know," I replied. "Can you somehow talk to the medical examiner Trey and simply find out if there is a way to preserve something for later testing maybe? I think that this Miss Trinity LaFleur may fill in some of the gaps where this bayou stuff is concerned."

"I'll do the best I can sweetie," he said, hugging me.

"Trey am I legally the next of kin or is Matthew?"

"That's a tough one even for me," he replied.

He thought for a moment, raking his hand through his sleep-tousled hair.

"As long as Maggie's contact information listed you as next-of-kin with no mention of Matthew; and provided that Matthew hasn't been keeping tabs on her and doesn't suddenly surface here to lay claim as next of kin I really don't think you have any concerns. If he truly poisoned her as she alleged, I doubt very much if he wants to show his face now. He probably doesn't think under the circumstances that you would even be in touch with her after she took Preston and headed down to Mississippi."