Showdown in Mudbug (Ghost-in-Law, #3)(74)

Hank nodded. “That’s true. The man has balls of steel.”

“Until now. We need to figure out what’s going on. Dr. Breaux said you couldn’t remember anything. Did you even see your attacker?”

Hank looked down at his lap, a blush creeping up his neck. “I remember one thing, but I didn’t want the doc to think I was crazy.”

Raissa felt her pulse quicken and would have bet money that she knew exactly what Hank was about to say. “Who was it, Hank?”

Hank looked up at her, his expression completely bewildered. “I was abducted by an alien.”





Chapter Twenty


Mildred, Maryse, Luc, and Helena were waiting for Raissa and Zach at the Mudbug Hotel. Zach was introduced to Luc, and with the pleasantries out of the way, they all crowded into the kitchen in the back. Mildred passed around coffee, water, and anything stronger if someone wanted it. Zach chose stronger. It wasn’t as if he was driving afterward, and the things he’d seen that day warranted a stiff drink.

“Somebody say something,” Helena complained. “I want to know what happened to my son.”

“Helena’s getting restless,” Maryse said. “Can someone please give her the four-one-one on Hank?”

Zach started for a moment before he realized Maryse was talking about the ghost. He looked around at the group of people, but no one else seemed fazed. “Can all of you see her?” he asked, unable to help himself.

“Everyone but me,” Luc said. “At least, not anymore. I was able to see her for a week. That was enough.”

“I don’t understand a bit of this,” Zach said, “but my mind’s too full to absorb it all. Raissa, why don’t you fill them in.”

“For starters, as I said to Maryse when I called, Hank is fine. He’s a little weak, but he wasn’t hurt. The New Orleans police are grilling him now, but you should be able to see him in an hour or so.” Then Raissa went on to tell the crowd about Sonny’s tip and how she found Hank, the conversation with Dr. Breaux, and lastly, their conversation with Hank.

“Aliens?” Luc stared at Raissa. “What the hell have you and my wife been up to? I swear I can’t leave for a couple of days.”

Everyone laughed except Zach, who sorta knew how he felt. He couldn’t even leave Raissa alone for a couple of hours or things went sideways.

Raissa and Maryse took turns filling everyone in on the investigation and the alien connection. There were many gasps and dropped jaws, and a fair amount of cussing.

“It’s so outrageous,” Mildred finally said. “I just hope it all ends soon. I pray for normal every night when I go to bed.”

Maryse tugged at Luc’s sleeve and said, “Helena wants to go to the hospital and see Hank. Let’s take her now, then go home. I’m exhausted.”

Zach and Raissa made their way upstairs to Raissa’s room. “I was thinking of picking up a couple of shrimp sandwiches from the restaurant, okay?” Raissa asked as they walked into the room.

“That’s great. I’m starving.” Zach pulled his cell phone from his pocket. “I need to call the captain and tell him about Susannah Franco.”

“You’re doing that to night?”

“Yeah. He’ll send someone into the office tonight to make the family tree add up first, but he’ll want to put the screws to her in the morning. He’ll just have to figure out an angle to use, as no one but you ever suspected Monk Marsella as the original kidnapper.”

“All he really has to say is that there were discrepancies in her background and they want answers.”

“True. I’ll suggest that. I told her they were all ‘persons of interest’ as far as the investigation went, and that it was standard protocol. She shouldn’t be surprised.”

“Probably not. I’m going to hop in the shower, then go get the sandwiches. I want to go over the girls’ files again after that. There’s something at the back of my mind, but it’s not clear.”

“Did Hank’s situation make you remember something?”

Raissa frowned. “No, but I just have this feeling that there’s something I should know, and it hasn’t clicked.”

Zach nodded. “Then we’ll go over the files until it does.”

“Two more days,” Raissa said, and sighed before heading into the bathroom.

Two more days to find Melissa Franco or the kidnapper would get away with it again.





Lila knocked softly on Hank’s hospital-room door, not wanting to disturb him if he was sleeping. There was no answer, but the door was ajar, so she pushed it open and peeked inside. The room was dim, with only a night-light shining at the side of the bed. She started to walk inside, then realized there was an older woman sitting at the side of the bed, her hand over Hank’s. Lila heard faint singing that sounded like a lullaby.

She stepped back, not wanting to interrupt, and almost collided with Maryse. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said.

“No problem. Are you here to see Hank?”

“Yes, but I didn’t want to disturb him. I peeked in, but he’s sleeping, and there’s another woman in there.”

Maryse frowned. “There’s no one else here that I know of.” Maryse stepped by her and pushed open the door. She looked back at Lila. “There’s no one here.”