Mischief in Mudbug (Ghost-in-Law, #2)(59)

“You’re going to be fine,” he promised her.

Maryse placed a hand on Sabine’s shoulder. “Of course she is,” Maryse said, then grinned at Beau.

Beau gave his new ally a wave and headed out of the hospital. Mudbug didn’t have a shop large enough for the kind of damage he imagined was done to Sabine’s car, so he figured it had been towed to New Orleans. A quick phone call verified his hunch and provided him with the location of the shop and the technician who was looking at her car.

He made the drive in just under an hour and hurried into the service garage. Sabine’s car was in the first stall and what he saw brought him up short. The entire front of the car was scorched black, the remnants of the fire almost glowing against the pale silver of her car. The black extended past the front seat and halfway into the back.

Beau said a silent prayer of thanks that Mildred had made it out of this wreck with as few injuries as she had, then gave a second thanks that Maryse and Sabine hadn’t seen the car. They would probably have had heart attacks. He was just about to step inside and ask the receptionist to locate the manager when he saw a stocky, middle-aged man walking his way.

“You must be Mr. Villeneuve,” the man said and extended his hand. “I’m Russell Benoit, the manager here.”

Beau shook the man’s hand. “Please, call me Beau.”

The manager nodded and pointed to the car. “Ms. LeVeche said you were a friend and I should tell you everything I knew about her car.” He blew out a breath. “I gotta be honest with you…this is a matter for the police, not a friend. I called them about twenty minutes ago.”

Beau nodded. “I figured as much. I’m also a private investigator, former FBI. Go ahead and tell me what you’ve found. You’re not going to surprise me.”

The manager’s eyes widened. “Well, that makes this a bit easier, that’s for sure.” He motioned Beau over to the car and wrenched open the hood. Some of the engine had already been removed, probably as they looked for the cause of the fire, and the manager pointed to a hole on the right side. “Look down through there. You see that little piece of metal on the bottom that’s a bit shinier than the rest, right there next to what’s left of the fuel line?”

Beau peered through the hole and located the shiny piece of metal. “Yeah. It doesn’t belong there, right?”

“Not even close.”

Beau straightened. “So, what, someone shoved it in the fuel line?”

The manager shook his head, a concerned look on his face. “I don’t think you understand. A cut fuel line can’t cause a fire, not by itself.”

Beau stared at the manager. “Okay, so then what caused the fire?”

The manager ran a hand through his hair. “A bomb.”



It was a little over an hour before Sabine and Maryse were allowed to see Mildred. Sabine teared up at the sight of her “mother,” hands and forearms bandaged and her foot in a cast. She felt Maryse’s hand on hers and gave it a squeeze. Together they stepped close to the bed and looked down at the woman who had raised them. “She’s going to be okay, right?” Maryse asked the nurse, even though they’d just spoken to the doctor in the waiting room.

“Yes,” the nurse said, reassuring them. “It looks much worse than it is. She’s a strong woman and I imagine she’ll be up and around in no time.”

Mildred opened her eyes and looked around the room. “Damned hospitals. I hate hospitals.”

The nurse gave them a sympathetic nod. “She’s receiving a bit of painkiller through her IV. You can visit for a few minutes, but I wouldn’t expect her to make much sense.”

Sabine thanked the nurse and she left the room. “Mildred,” Sabine said and leaned over the bed. “Can you hear me?”

“Of course I can hear you, Mom,” Mildred said. “I’m hurt, not deaf.”

Sabine looked over at Maryse, who raised her eyebrows. Apparently there were some really good drugs in that IV. “Mildred, it’s Sabine and Maryse.”

Mildred blinked once and stared at them. “Well, of course it is. Who did you think you were?”

Maryse placed her hand over her mouth, but Sabine still heard the giggle. Not that she could blame her. It was kinda funny, in a someone-tried-to-kill-you-be-cause-they-thought-you-were-me kind of way. Mildred closed her eyes and let out a snore. Sabine was just about to suggest they leave and let Mildred rest when Helena Henry walked through the outside wall and into the room.

The ghost scrunched her brow in confusion. “What are you doing back here, Sabine? I’ve been looking for you everywhere. I was sure they released you hours ago.”

“I was released hours ago,” Sabine said and gestured to the bed. “Mildred had a car wreck.”

Helena stepped between Sabine and Maryse and peered over at Mildred. “Oh, man, that looks bad. Is she going to be all right?”

“The doctor says she will be. She’s got some burns and a broken foot, but otherwise, she’s okay.”

Helena shook her head. “Damn woman is too cheap. Don’t tell me she doesn’t make enough money at that hotel to buy a decent car.”

“She wasn’t driving her car,” Sabine said. “She was driving mine.”

Helena jerked around and looked directly at Sabine. “You don’t think…”