Chapter Three #2
Had Mystique put the book someplace where nobody would find it, or had it been stolen on the night of the murder? And if it had been stolen, had it simply been a case of opportunity after the murder had occurred, or had somebody specifically killed Mystique to get the book?
He had a feeling he’d be seeing a lot of Angelique, because this case wasn’t going to be solved easily.
AFTER DANIEL LEFT, Angelique sank back down on the sofa and continued the cry she’d stopped short.
She’d been so embarrassed to shed the tears in front of Daniel.
However, she would admit that it had felt good to be held in his big, strong arms. It had felt very good to just give in and melt against his body as she’d wept.
She only cried for a little while longer, and then she got up and took the coffee cups into the kitchen.
She washed them with the bottle of water she kept for that purpose and then put them back into the cabinet.
Once that was done, she dumped the last of the coffee and washed the pot.
Finally, she went out the back door and turned off her generator.
For several long moments she stood at the deck’s railing. The moon was bright overhead and reflected beautifully on the dark waters below.
The thought that her mother had been murdered for the book where she kept her client’s names and why they were seeing her mother not only devasted her, but also confused her.
Why on earth would anyone want such a book? And want it badly enough to kill for it? Or did the book have nothing to do with the murder? Had Angelique just not found the book yet and it was tucked away someplace in the shanty? So many questions and so far, there were no answers to any of them.
She looked around the area and a chill suddenly walked up her spine. She had the distinct feeling that somebody was watching her. This wasn’t the first time in the past week that she’d felt this way.
She turned and went back into the shanty, locking the door after her. She assumed the crazy, paranoid feeling was simply a by-product of the murder.
Even though it was still relatively early, she got ready for bed. Once she was in her nightgown, she went around and turned off all the lanterns and carried one of them with her into her bedroom.
She placed the lantern on her nightstand and then turned it off. She slid into the sheets and the last thought she had was of how nice it had felt to be held in Daniel’s arms.
She awakened early the next morning. She started the generator and then grabbed a towel and her bath gel and went out onto the back deck to take a shower. The shower was basically a wooden box with a large bottle of rainwater that was hooked to a hose and a spray nozzle.
The water was nice and warm from the sun. She washed with the shower gel and then shampooed her hair with a bottle that she kept in the bottom of the shower.
There was no time to linger as the water supply was very limited. Once she was finished, she dressed in a pair of jeans and a short-sleeved turquoise blouse. Today was Dominique’s day off from the café, so the three sisters were meeting to have breakfast together.
Angelique made her money by medical transcription and making phone calls urging patients to pay their bills for several of the doctors in town. It was something she could do from the comfort of home and the pay was terrific.
She was saving her money to eventually open a store in town that would sell the lotions and salves her mother had made for a variety of ailments among other things.
She almost had the money she needed and was excited at the prospect of being a shopkeeper. It had been her dream for a long time and she was getting so close to realizing it.
At nine fifteen she left the shanty and headed out. Her car was parked outside the swamp’s entrance in a spot where other cars were parked that belonged to the people in the swamp.
Dominique was already there waiting for her, looking beautiful in a pair of jeans and a bright red blouse. Her long hair was pulled back at the nape of her neck and tied with a red ribbon.
“Hey, sis.” She greeted Angelique with a wide smile. “Are you ready for breakfast?”
“I am, in fact I’m starving this morning.” She gave Dominique a quick hug. “How are you doing?”
Dominique’s smile faltered. “I’m doing okay. To be honest, I still can’t believe she’s gone.”
“I know, but I also know that Daniel… I mean Chief LeCroix is working hard to solve the crime and find the killer for us.”
Dominique raised a dark brow. “Daniel?”
“That was just a little slip of the tongue,” Angelique replied with a small laugh. “I’m getting nightly reports from him on where the investigation is going. But enough about that, we’re going to go and enjoy our breakfast together.”
“If Monique ever gets here. I swear that girl is always late,” Dominique said.
“Hey, I heard that,” Monique said as she stepped out of the green vegetation and approached where the other two stood.
Within minutes, the three of them were in Angelique’s car and headed into town. She tried to keep the conversation light while she drove and thankfully her sisters followed her lead.
They had all grieved long and hard in the days following the murder, but life moved on and now it was time to move forward in the best way they possibly could. That’s what their mother would have wanted for the three of them.
It didn’t take too long before the three of them were seated in a booth in the café. The café was an attractive place with pink bougainvillea flowers painted on one wall, majestic tupelo trees rising out of sunlit waters on another wall and the colorful storefronts of Main Street on a third wall.
It was also the most popular place in town. It was where everyone came for good food at a reasonable price and, most important of all, the latest gossip.
“Good morning, ladies.” Sunny Herbert greeted them with a warm smile. Angelique knew the blonde waitress and Dominique were close friends. “You don’t get enough of this place working here?” she teased Dominique.
“Unfortunately, this is the only place in town to get a good breakfast,” Dominique replied.
“Good answer,” Sunny said with another one of her bright smiles. “So, what can I get for you all?”
The three placed their orders. Angelique got a cheese omelet, Dominique got the French toast and Monique ordered pancakes. They all got their coffees and then small-talked as they waited for their food to arrive.
Monique worked at a dress boutique in town, and she talked about who had been in and who had bought what in the past couple of days. It was always fun to hear who had shopped and who Monique had made sales to.
As they talked, Angelique was aware of the curious glances that came from the other diners in the place.
This was the first time the three of them had been out together in public since their mother’s funeral.
Of course, they had always garnered curious gazes since they were the voodoo queen’s daughters.
Their food arrived and for a couple of minutes they fell silent as they focused on eating. They were halfway through the meal when Lucinda Reese stopped by their table.
Lucinda was one of the wealthy in town. She was in her sixties and from the top of her perfectly coiffed hair to the bottom of her expensive shoes, she looked like money.
She was one of the clients who Mystique would meet at her house. There was no way a woman like Lucinda could make the trek through the swamp to see the voodoo queen.
“I just wanted to stop by and give you all my sympathies,” she said. “Unfortunately, I was out of town on the day of her funeral and didn’t get a chance to give my condolences.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Reece,” Angelique replied.
“Your mother not only helped me with some personal issues, but I also considered her my friend. Anyway, I’ll let you get back to your meal now.” She didn’t wait for a reply, but instead rejoined three other women who were seated at a four-top table nearby.
Angelique knew Daniel had spoken to Lucinda about the murder.
There was no way Angelique could believe that the older woman had murdered her mother.
But maybe she wanted Mystique’s book so nobody would ever know the reason for her visits.
Maybe she’d paid somebody to kill Mystique and steal the book.
Aware of her thoughts leading her down a dark road, she focused again on the conversation her sisters were having.
The rest of the meal went by with no more interruptions. They finished up and paid and left a nice tip for Sunny, then they got back in the car and headed home.
“We all agreed we’d let you be the voice for all of us as far as the investigation went. So, what have you heard from Chief LeCroix?” Monique asked from the back seat as Angelique was driving them home.
She filled them in on what Daniel and his team had been doing for the past week and then brought up the missing book. “Is it possible Mama carried it to one of your homes and she accidentally left it there?”
“I’ve seen the book in Mama’s bedroom before, but I don’t think I have it at my house,” Dominique said. “But I’ll look around to make sure it isn’t there.”
“I don’t think I have it, either,” Monique added.
“Is it possible whoever killed Mama took the book?” Dominique asked.
“I think it’s very possible,” Angelique replied. “Anyway, you’re all caught up now, and I’ll let you know what’s happens with the investigation as it goes on.”
By that time, they were back at the swamp entrance. Angelique parked and they got out of the car and headed into the thick vegetation they all called home.
When they reached Monique’s shanty, Angelique gave her youngest sister a big hug. Monique clung to her for a long moment and then the two released each other. “Call me tomorrow?” Angelique said.
“I will,” Monique replied. “I’ll see you both later.”