Showdown in Mudbug (Ghost-in-Law, #3)(31)

Helena rose from her chair and nodded. “I guess not,” she said, and walked through the exterior wall of the hotel.

“That went well,” Maryse said. “This sucks.”

Mildred nodded. “It’s a very odd and hurtful situation, but you were right to tell her. She’ll come around in a bit. I imagine this is a shocking blow, on top of everything else.”

“What else is there?” Raissa asked. “I mean, besides being murdered and roaming the earth, then finding out your child isn’t yours?”

“Helena was dying,” Maryse said. “The autopsy showed cancer all over her lungs and a rare form of leukemia.

Raissa frowned. “Why didn’t she tell anyone?”

“She didn’t know. Apparently, her symptoms were very mild and confused with her asthma. No one thought anything of it, including Helena. It’s weird, but not impossible, according to the scientists I talked to.”

“That is a lot to absorb, especially on top of being dead and still here.”

“I know you’ve probably got things to do today,” Maryse said to Raissa, “but do you mind meeting me for breakfast tomorrow morning? I’ve asked Dr. Breaux for coffee. I thought maybe he’d be able to shed some light on some of this…or not. But he was Helena’s doctor and he did deliver Hank. I figure if anyone’s going to be perturbed enough by all this to dig into it, Dr. Breaux will.”

Raissa nodded. Whatever happened to their normal lives?

“There’s something else,” Maryse said, and bit her bottom lip. “Hank called me yesterday and again this morning in a panic. I didn’t get a chance to tell you this last night, because I didn’t hear you come in, and afterward…well, I figured you had your hands full, or I hoped you did…”

“No such luck,” Raissa said. “Electrocution tends to lower the libido.”

Mildred started chuckling and Maryse flushed red. “Oh, shit. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin your night.”

Raissa waved a hand in dismissal. “You didn’t. It was going to be ruined anyway as soon as he found out the truth. That’s not exactly an erotic teaser. So what did Hank have to say?”

“He said one of Sonny’s guys was at the construction site hassling him. Sonny knows you’re gone, and the guy was pushing Hank to see if he warned you off.”

“Shit. I hope my leaving doesn’t put Hank in a bad position.”

“Hank said he can handle himself, but he wanted to make sure you knew they were looking for you. I guess I’m hoping they’ll think the FBI got to you, but that’s probably too much to ask, right?”

Raissa sighed. “Since the FBI agent assigned to bring me in was parked outside my shop all last night and thinks banging on my door is the way to locate me, then yeah, it’s too much to ask. Sonny’s men only need a glance at Fields to know he’s a fed. They probably already know Fields doesn’t have me. I’m sure they were watching my shop if they know I didn’t go home last night.”

“Sonny knows you’re friends with Sabine and me. They’re going to look here next.” Maryse looked over at Mildred, who nodded. “Mildred and I don’t think you should open Sabine’s store. You’ll be on the other side of a plate-glass window. Might as well be a sitting duck. They’ll know you’re here, and it wouldn’t take a genius to figure out where you’re staying once they find Sabine’s apartment empty.”

Raissa nodded. “Or just sit at the end of the street and watch me walk to the hotel. I know they’ll find me, but I can’t back out on Sabine.”

“Sabine wouldn’t want you to do this,” Mildred said. “I promise you that. If Sabine knew how this was going, she’d be on the first plane back.”

Raissa shook her head. “It’s really something, you know? Here I thought all these years I was hiding from life and people, trying to keep my distance, and I end up with the best friends a person could ever ask for. You guys are truly amazing.”

A flush crept up Mildred’s neck and onto her face. Maryse nodded. “I agree. We are amazing.”

Mildred tapped Maryse’s leg with her hand. “Stop bragging. I’m the only one who can brag about my girls.” She looked over at Raissa. “Think about it, please. Maryse can sit in that store, same as you, although I shudder to think what she’d make of reading tea leaves or whatever else you do. The appointments can wait. Sabine is only gone a few days and her regulars already know that.”

“Okay,” Raissa agreed. “Maryse can store-sit, but that doesn’t mean I’m hiding out here like a thief.”

“I was afraid you were going to say that,” Maryse said. “I suppose you’re going to do some snooping?”

“This may be my last chance to catch a kidnapper, and time is running out. In five days, Melissa Franco will likely be returned to her parents with no memory of what happened. I can’t let him get away with it again.”

“Have you heard anything from Sonny’s house that can help?”

“I wish. He was only in his office for ten minutes or so this morning, and I could only hear typing. I’ll keep checking, though. He’s bound to talk to someone sooner or later.”

“Do me a favor,” Maryse said. “I know she’s sorta a pain, but take Helena with you. There’s a lot of advantage to having a lookout that no one else can see. And even though things don’t always turn out so great when Helena’s involved, they could have been worse if she hadn’t been there.” Maryse looked around and lowered her voice. “But don’t you dare tell her I said that.”