Chapter Thirteen
Monique was taken directly into the emergency room where Dr. Harmon treated her for her wounds.
She received eight stitches for a slice in her arm, although no stitches were required for the wound on her chest which had just been a glancing swipe of the knife.
Dr. Harmon was confident it would heal up nicely on its own.
What wouldn’t heal up for a very long time to come was the utter devastation of Nola’s betrayal and her killing Mystique. Monique couldn’t even begin to understand that kind of evil, and it made her sick to think about.
“I think that does it,” Dr. Harmon said as he finished bandaging the chest wound. “Keep antibiotic cream on it and keep it covered for the next couple of days. If it gets red or looks like it’s getting infected, come back in to see me immediately.”
“I will and thank you, Dr. Harmon,” she replied.
“I believe your sisters are out in the waiting room,” he said.
“What about Jacque? Jacque LeBlanc. Do you know if he is in the waiting room, too?” she asked.
“Actually, he’s being treated right now by Dr. Berman for a stab wound and a collapsed lung,” Dr. Harmon replied.
“What?” Horror swept through her. Jacque had been hurt? He’d been stabbed and now had a collapsed lung? A sob burst out of her, a sob followed by another and another as she thought of the man who had saved her life so many times before…the man she loved with all her heart.
“Here…here, dear.” Dr. Harmon awkwardly patted her on her back. “From everything I’ve heard, he’s going to be just fine. Although I imagine he’ll be staying here with us for a night or two.”
“Can I see him later?” she asked and swiped away her tears.
“I doubt if he’ll be allowed any visitors this evening. Monique, from what I’ve heard, you’ve just been through quite a traumatic time. What you need to do now is go home and get some rest. I’m sure you’ll be able to visit Mr. LeBlanc sometime tomorrow.”
She nodded, and minutes later she walked out of the emergency room and into the waiting, loving arms of her sisters. Both of them hugged her with tender care, and then Angelique led the way to her car in the parking lot. Dominique got into the back, and Monique got into the passenger seat.
Night had fallen, but the moon was a big round lighted ball in the sky that spilled down beautiful silvery light. Stars shone brilliantly from the dark canvas of the sky.
“Monique, why don’t you come spend the night with me and Daniel?” Angelique suggested as she started up her car. “You know we have a nice guest bedroom.”
“Thanks, sis, but I’d really rather go back to Jacque’s for the night,” Monique replied. “Most of my things are there, and I’ll be more comfortable there for the night.”
She hoped Jacque hadn’t locked up his house when he’d gone to Nola’s. If that was the case, then she’d just head back to her own shanty. She would be safe now to walk around without fear.
The conversation quickly moved on to Nola. “I hope she goes away until hell freezes over,” Dominique said after Monique told them about her final moments with the woman.
“She’ll probably be in jail for the rest of her life,” Angelique replied.
“Not only will she be facing murder charges, but she’ll also face attempted murder charges for trying to kill me,” Monique replied.
Even though the topic of conversation was the killer, Monique was nearly consumed with her worry for Jacque. However, there was nothing she could do about that for the night. At least he was at the hospital where he belonged.
“I never suspected her,” Dominique said. “I would have never believed Nola was the killer.”
“Nobody suspected her,” Angelique replied.
“I always believed it was a man who killed her,” Monique said.
“Yeah, me, too,” Dominique replied.
“I can’t believe how strong and brave you’ve been through all this,” Angelique said with a glance at Monique. “I guess this means the baby of the family has truly grown up.”
Monique released a small laugh. “I have, indeed.”
They continued to talk about the case and their utter sense of betrayal until they reached the swamp. “At least we have the closure that we all needed,” Dominique said as Angelique parked the car.
“While the outcome has been tragic for us, we now have the answers we all needed. We can finally move on with our lives without this shadow hanging over us,” Angelique said.
“And we have each other,” Dominique said.
“And that’s a great thing,” Monique replied, eternally grateful for her older sisters’ love and support.
“Monique, want us to walk you in?” Dominque asked once Angelique pulled up at the swamp entrance.
“No, I’ll be fine,” she assured them as she opened her car door. “The moon is full, the killer is in jail, and I don’t have to be afraid anymore. I’ll just talk to you both sometime tomorrow.”
Minutes later Monique followed the trail to Jacque’s place. It was all finally over. She didn’t have to look over her shoulder or clutch a knife or be afraid as she walked the path.
While she was happy Nola was in jail where she belonged, how could she happy with Jacque in the hospital?
How could she be thrilled that it would now be time for her to pack up her things and leave his shanty?
Yes, her mother’s murder had been solved, but there was still so much worry, so much heartache left.
She finally reached his shanty and was grateful to find the front door unlocked. She went inside and immediately lit several of the lanterns that were placed around the living room.
She sank down on the sofa and looked over at the empty recliner. A collapsed lung… Worry for him squeezed her chest tight. Hopefully the doctor would fix it with no complications, and Jacque would be back here where he belonged tomorrow.
Then it would be time for her to go back where he thought she belonged.
More than anything she’d wanted him to tell her he loved her.
She’d wanted to make her home here with him.
But that hadn’t happened. It wasn’t going to happen, so tomorrow it would be time to pack up her things and move back to her shanty.
Tears burned her eyes. There had been so much emotion in the day.
First had been the heartbreak of learning about the loss of his wife and child, followed by the anguish of him telling her he didn’t love her.
Then there had been the terror of believing that Nola was going to kill her and now the worry about Jacque.
The fight with Nola had felt like it had gone on forever. She’d had to dodge and weave to keep Nola’s knife from making a killing stab. She had thrown things at the woman and had jumped over furniture to keep Nola at bay.
It was no wonder she was suddenly completely exhausted. What she now needed more than anything was to go to bed. Besides, she wanted to be up and at the hospital early the next morning to check on Jacque.
With a weary sigh, she got up from the sofa and turned off all the lanterns except one. She started to carry it with her to her bedroom, but then paused in the open doorway of Jacque’s room.
She really wanted to be in his bed where his scent would surround her and sweet memories would send her off to sleep. Surely, he wouldn’t mind since he wasn’t here.
She went into her room and changed out of the jeans and green shirt she’d worn and into her pale pink nightshirt. Returning to his bedroom, she sat on the edge of his bed.
On impulse, even knowing she was snooping, she opened the top drawer of his nightstand. She released a small gasp as she saw the framed photo inside. With gentle care, she picked it up and stared at the two people Jacque had loved and lost.
Lauren had been a beautiful blonde with bright blue eyes and little Lily had looked just like her mother. They both were laughing, and even though Monique didn’t know the two, her heart squeezed tight with grief.
It was the sadness over two innocent people who had died needlessly and the sorrow that their deaths had brought that had forever changed the man who had loved them.
She put the photo back in the drawer and then got in beneath the sheets that smelled of Jacque. Even though he professed not to love Monique, would he ever seek love again? She doubted it.
She knew that once she left here, he would go back to being a loner, not inviting anyone to get close to him. He would once again shut himself off from laughter and any semblance of happiness. That broke her heart almost as much as him not loving her.
Bullfrogs croaked, creating a familiar lullaby that soothed her. She must have fallen asleep, for when she opened her eyes again, the sun was just breaking over the horizon. She got out of the bed and made it, then left his bedroom and went into her own.
She changed out of her nightgown and into her terry robe. More than anything she wanted a shower. She’d have to be careful to keep her bandages dry, but she felt the need to clean herself from yesterday’s trauma. And she wanted to wash away Nola’s touch.
It was still difficult to believe that Nola had killed her mother all for the love of money. She’d slashed Mystique’s throat. How did a woman do such a thing to another woman who had been her friend for years? Monique would never understand that kind of evil.
With these kinds of disturbing thoughts plaguing her mind, she started the shower and then got in. The shower made her feel a little better, but not much because once she was dressed again, she began the task of packing up her things.
Tears burned at her eyes with each item of clothing she folded and put in her bag. It was going to take more than a single trip to get everything back to her shanty. Maybe she’d call her sisters later and see if one of them could help her.
She wanted it all moved out while Jacque was gone. It would be easier that way. No emotional goodbyes, no tears shed on her part… Just a clean break with what might have been.