Chapter Nine #2
That wall would keep dim-witted Jowls busy. Luc aimed for Davy, and the stove the man was examining. The fellow went down on his knees, bracing one hand on the floor and opened the firebox door with the other.
The cat erupted from its nesting place, claws extended, and launched itself at the intruder’s face.
“What the…? Ow, damn, get off me.”
He must’ve somehow pulled the feline’s tail because the cat yowled louder.
Davy and cat rolled on the floor. He managed to grab the feline’s body and tugged repeatedly. The cat dug in, determined to punish the man for disturbing its peace.
Billy rushed over and swatted at the cat, which bit his hand before releasing Davy’s bloodied face and racing off into the dark.
Weeping over his bitten hand, Billy tumbled to the kitchen floor, landing beside his cohort.
His friend scowled beside him. “Quit caterwauling, Billy. That animal made enough noise to raise the dead. We should skedaddle.”
Indeed, it has. Grace was waking.
Luc sensed her moving around.
“I have to bind up this wound on my hand first. Ain’t leaving blood all over the place for that woman to worry about.”
“Okay, if she woke up, she’ll be here real soon, but I think I got time to finish checking this firebox.”
“If it was in there, it would be burnt to cinders by now.”
“Boss’ll ask, and he’ll know if I lie. Besides, this one’s cold. Ain’t been used in a while.
“Fine.” Billy removed a grimy rag from a pocket and tried to wrap his hand.
Davy took to his knees again and peered into the oven’s firebox.
With both men occupied, Luc moved at spectral speed, lifted one of the burner covers and huffed a strong breath into the stove. Ash and soot exploded through the door.
Davy howled, fell back to lay kicking on the floor. “Godamnitall. Help!” he screeched. “I’m blind. Help me. Arrgh! It hurts.”
As he screamed, he made the grand mistake of rubbing his eyes. The misguided attempt to clear his vision ground particles of soot and ash into his eyes. He’d probably never see clearly again.
Dropping the rag, Billy leapt to his feet. “I saw a pail of water near the back door.”
“Don’t move!” Grace stood at the bottom of the old servants’ stairs, rifle at her shoulder aimed at the heavyset man’s forehead. Beside her, Mercury growled, and Mars bared his teeth.
Billy raised his hands and froze, but his gaze flitted from Grace to Filthy to the rear door.
“Help me.” One of Davy’s hands left off rubbing his eyes and flailed the area beside him. “Where are you? Why ain’t you helping me? I’m in pain.”
Evidently, the blinded man hadn’t realized Grace was there. His cry distracted her for a moment. Unfortunately, it was long enough for Billy to dash for the door.
Luc was faster. He shoved the heap of trash that’d been swept to the side of the door into the man’s path. Billy tripped. Momentum sent him flying, and he landed on his back beside the pail he’d earlier intended to find. He gasped for air like a beached fish.
Mars sprang, landing full length atop him, and growled in the man’s face.
Grace strolled over to the fallen man, placing the muzzle of the rifle against his forehead. “Mars, heel.”
The dog obeyed. Her target hauled in air. The rifle kept him on the floor.
“Quit your bitching, Davy. We got bigger problems,” The heavy-set man said when he was able to speak.
Davy was beyond reason. He fumbled his hand into a pocket and withdrew a large handkerchief. He began rubbing the cloth over his eyes.
“Stop that,” Grace ordered. “You’re making it worse.”
“Miz Thibodaux?” Davy squeaked, but he ceased rubbing his eyes.
“Glad you remember whose house you’re trespassing in.” Her attention never left Billy. “You,” she said to the larger man. “I’m going to step back and let you help your friend. Then you’re going to tell me exactly what you are doing here.”
When the rifle moved, Billy levered himself to his feet, retrieved the water pail, and returned to sit at Davy’s side.
“Gimme that.” He grabbed the cloth from his cohort.
“You ain’t the only one in pain.” Billy cast a resentful glare at Grace.
“My whole body aches. Think I broke something.” He dunked the kerchief into the pail then turned to his partner.
“I need you to sit up,” he told the man.
Davy flailed with his hands. Billy captured one and hauled the man upward. “Ow! You’re hurting me,” Davy hollered.
“Too bad. I can’t help you lying down.” Billy folded the wet handkerchief into a triangle and moved around behind the other man. He lifted the cloth over the man’s head. “I’m gonna put this over your eyes.”
“It stings.”
“I don’t care. Soon as we get out of here, I’ll take you to the doc,” Billy grumbled.
“Not so fast,” Grace said. “You have some questions to answer.”
Davy sobbed but didn’t move.
“You planning to get the sheriff?” Billy asked.
“Depends on your answers.” Grace growled.
“We can’t tell you nothin’,” he said, whining resentment.
“You’ll tell me who sent you. Then I’ll think about the sheriff.”
“No, please. The boss’ll kill us if we tell. Then he’ll come for you.” Billy’s voice shook and terror filled his eyes. Luc frowned. Knowing for certain who “the boss” was would be good. Hopefully Grace could get them to tell her.
“That’s a shame. See that door over there?” She tilted her head toward the open keeping room.
“Yes ma’am,”
“Help your friend up then both of you go inside.”
Dogs at her side, she waited while the men obeyed. “C’mon.” Billy grabbed his partner’s arm and led him away, navigating around the piles of dirt and rubble that littered the floor.
“Now close the door,” she commanded.
“M…my friend needs a doctor,”
“He’ll get one when you’re in custody. Now close that door.”
“There ain’t no window. It’s dark in here.”
“You afraid of the dark?” Something akin to amusement wrapped Grace’s words.
Luc smiled.
“N…uh… yes, ma’am.”
“Too bad.” She centered the rifle on Billy’s head. “Back up as far as you can go.”
When they were about ten feet from the door, Grace kicked it shut with her foot, leaned against it, turned the key sitting in the lock, and pocketed the key.
“Mercury, Mars, guard!”
The dogs settled in front of the door.
Luc was bent nearly double with laughter. His Grace was more than a match for the two trespassers. She’d be gone several hours getting DeLille, but Luc believed she’d encounter no trouble at four in the morning. His best course was to wait and keep watch over the captives.
He had no regrets about his actions, so he shouldn’t feel bad about what happened to Davy. The man had gotten no more than he deserved for trespassing and attempted thievery. His pain and ruined vision were his own stupid fault. Weren’t they?
Luc sighed. Sometime in the past ninety-eight years he’d grown a conscience. Later, he’d have to expend some energy to contact Mambo Ayezan. He’d ask her to help Davy. Had the ritual Mambo Ayezan performed at the front gates played a part in alerting him?
Good thing the mambo had given the dogs to Grace. They’d more than proven their worth tonight. Even the cat had helped. After DeLille had come and gone with his prisoners, Grace went back to her room and crawled into her bed.
Luc didn’t blame her for wanting some more sleep. Her awakening to an invasion was rude and no doubt as disturbing to Grace as waking to find her house afire.
The nearly full moon rode low in the western sky. Too soon for him to vanish completely. What to do?
He could return to watching Grace sleep. But really, wasn’t that kind of creepy?
I’m fairly certain I wouldn’t want any unknown specter invading my dreams.
Fine then, no more night time forays into Grace’s privacy.
However, that left him at loose ends. Luc hated being idle.
Surveying the large room, he noted the paint supplies stacked neatly in a corner of the room opposite the stoves.
That called attention to the difference between the walls, about one third of them whitewashed, the other two thirds still dull and aged.
I can paint just as well as I can dig post holes, and probably much faster. He’d deal with her questions later.
First, since the next night was a full moon, he’d get her a plant. She’d remember the moon-gifts from her childhood. Very little time was required to obtain a wild honeysuckle sprig, pot it, and place it just outside the kitchen front door.
As he worked, Luc planned his future dealings with Grace.
When the time was right, and she could handle the truth, he’d tell her everything—his curse, his past, his present.
How he’d ended up in the shallows of Bayou Mal Chance near Sweet Dreams. He might even let her know the eternity of his future.