Missing in Mudbug (Ghost-in-Law #5)(64)

“Besides,” Maryse said, “how would you explain your acquisition of the video? You can’t exactly parade Helena in front of a jury.

“What about Luc? Won’t he be mad?” Jadyn asked, afraid she was losing the argument.

“He asked me to stay out of the swamps and I am. He asked me to stay at the hotel while he’s working out of town for the next few days and I am. He might not approve of it, but this situation is not what he’s worried about. Besides, I’ll be way out of sight and both you and Colt will be there and armed. It’s only one man. I’m sure you guys won’t have any trouble taking him down.”

“I don’t like it either,” Mildred said, “but I can’t climb the ladder to the loft with these bad knees of mine, and anyone else we could trust is out of town and couldn’t make it back in time. I want those bastards nailed to the wall.”

The hotel owner’s expression left Jadyn no doubt what Mildred would do to those men if she could get her hands on them, and Jadyn would be lying if she said she didn’t want them to go down as badly as Mildred did. Zach was still in a coma, fighting for his life, and somewhere out there, the men who ran him over were walking scot-free. That made her angrier than she could ever remember being.

“I’ll have to talk to Colt,” Jadyn said finally.

Maryse bounced in her chair and clapped her hands.

“But,” Jadyn said, “if he says no, it’s no. I’m backing him up. I don’t have any jurisdiction on this.”

Maryse kept grinning. “He won’t say no.”

Jadyn smiled. “Just promise me you’ll wear something besides your bathrobe.”

Maryse drew a cross over her chest with her finger. “I promise I’ll wear jeans, but as long as I’ve got to hang out in the hotel all day, I’m only wearing items with sashes or elastic waists.”

Well, that explained the robe thing. “Has Ross been back to the hotel?” Jadyn asked.

“No,” Maryse said. “But he was at the café at lunch with Stepford. We sent Helena over to check on them, but he’s not up to much but grousing about his boss and bitching because he can’t find Bart to question him.”

“What do you mean, he can’t find Bart?” Jadyn asked.

“Apparently, he hasn’t been back to his house all day,” Maryse said. “But then, if he’s gone to New Orleans for a job, he might not be back for a couple of days.”

“Ross is wasting his time,” Mildred said. “Bart is a dead end.”

“Ross was all pissy about him not being home,” Helena said. “Put out an APB on his vehicle with orders to hold him for questioning.”

Mildred shook her head. “The man is grasping at straws. It will be a wonder if someone doesn’t sue the FBI before he’s done making a mess.”

Jadyn nodded, not about to get into a conversation about Bart. Granted, from the looks of it he had nothing to do with the diamond smuggling or kidnapping Raissa, but he was hardly an innocent. When the business with the diamonds was over, Colt still had to arrest Bart, and that was going to be a blow to these women who’d known him his entire life.

“There is one problem that I haven’t quite worked out yet,” Jadyn said. “Assuming Colt is okay with the video plan, that means we have to get three of us and equipment into the garage without being seen. For all we know Pickett could be watching the place already, or he could have a partner watching it for him.”

“I have an idea!” Mildred popped upright in her chair. “I need to take my car in for repairs since someone flopped on top of it like a dying whale.”

“Hey.” Helena shot Mildred a dirty look.

Mildred put her hand up. “Try to defend yourself and you’ll be digging in my Dumpster for your next meal.”

Helena slumped back in her seat and stabbed another bite of cobbler.

“Anyway,” Mildred said. “You, Colt, and Maryse can hide in my car. I’ll drive it to the garage to leave for repair close to closing and once Marty has closed up for the night, you get out.”

“What about me?” Helena asked.

“You will walk,” Mildred said. “You can’t ride in my car with Colt. He can’t see you and you have zero capacity for keeping quiet or transparent when those without the curse are around.”

“That’s actually pretty brilliant.” Jadyn pulled out her cell phone and headed out of the room. “Let me run all this by Colt.”

She started down the hall and had just reached the lobby when Maryse stopped her. “Hey,” Maryse said. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Sure. Is something wrong? Are you and Luc okay?”

“We’re fine,” Maryse reassured her. “I am blessed to have a husband with never-ending patience.”

“And he loves you.”

Maryse grinned. “In spite of all the challenges I present, yes, he does.”

“So what’s up?”

“Actually, I wanted to ask about you and Colt.”

“What about us?”

“I, uh…well, you already know I’m not exactly girlie, and God knows most things tied to emotions tend to fly right over my head—it’s the scientist thing, you know? But I’ve noticed the tension between you two, and my limited-capacity lady parts are telling me it’s nothing to do with this case.”