I started to argue, but decided against doing so. I nodded in agreement.

  “First of all, a shoe print like the one you saw was found at Jim’s crime scene.”

  I felt a certain sense of satisfaction with my discovery.

  “But we had no suspect to match the prints to,” Danny continued. “A while back, I received an anonymous tip about a drug smuggling operation in the vicinity. I sent a few of my deputies over to speak to residents and check out the area. They filed a report saying no one had seen any activity and they couldn’t find any evidence indicating the tip was on the level.

  “The LaBauves reportedly informed the deputies they never spotted or heard any vessels that might be connected to drug smuggling,” he continued. “Just to be on the safe side, I started ordering sweeps of the area about once or twice a week. We’d change the night every week. Every time we came up empty. I called off the operations. The last patrol went out the week before Jim was shot. After hearing this, I might decide to start up the sweeps again.”

  “Someone in the know must be giving them a heads up,” Rachel said.

  “I believe so, too.” He flipped his hands up in a gesture of frustration. “Our mole is damn good. We haven’t been able to blow his cover. There might be more than one bad apple in the bunch.”

  I recalled the elder LaBauve’s insistence there was no drug smuggling going on. “Could he be Andre LaBauve?”

  Danny gave a humorless chuckle. “He wouldn’t know what night we would do a sweep. It’s possible he and his family are being threatened by someone involved. He’s a good man and so is T-Boy. All his boys are, for that matter.”

  “I got the impression T-Boy wanted me to know about the smuggling, although I can’t figure out why he would.”

  “I can’t either…unless he hoped you’d pass the information along to me.” Danny leaned forward. “Something else happened out there, didn’t it?”

  How do they do it? Jim always knew immediately if I had hidden an incident from him.

  “There were a couple of shots fired at me or us. Missed my feet by a few inches.”

  Rachel gasped softly.

  Danny appeared to be struggling to keep his temper with me. He spoke with restrained anger. “Dammit, when I provided you with their names, I asked you not to do anything stupid. One of these days…” He didn’t need to finish his statement. I knew what he intended to say.

  I exhaled loudly and completed his sentence. “One of these days, I’m going to be killed. How could I know there would be any danger out there?”

  “Well, you know now. Don’t go out there again.”

  “I won’t.” I studied his face for a moment. “One more question. Did Jim know about the drug smuggling and the patrols your office carried out?” I steeled myself for Danny’s answer.

  “He did know about the patrols, but he wasn’t involved in any of the action.”

  “You mean no one else in his office knew?” I questioned.

  “I mean his officers weren’t taking part in the patrols.”

  “So you don’t believe any of Jim’s officers were revealing the dates of your patrols. Or do you?”

  “I have to consider the possibility because of the close proximity of our offices and friendships among both departments.” He gave me a stern look. “I understand you have a need to find out who killed Jim, but you can’t be involved in police work. Have you forgotten what happened to you in the past?”

  “Indeed not.” I narrowed my eyes and stared at him. His quick change of emphasis from CLPD officers to my own investigation made me believe he more than considered the possibility of the mole being a city police officer. “Please tell me your honest feelings. Do you believe Jim committed suicide?”

  Danny hesitated again for what seemed like forever before speaking. “No, I don’t believe his wound was self-inflicted.”

  I jumped up from my seat, bumping the table as I rose. A small amount of coffee sloshed out of my cup. “Then why have you tried your best to play down this scenario to me?”

  “Sit down, woman. Two reasons. One, I didn’t want you to get involved. Two, I didn’t want to give you false hope.” His voice went up a notch in volume. “I should have known better than to try to keep you out of any investigation. You were going to get involved anyway. I was looking out for your best interests and those of your kids. This is what Jim would have wanted me to do.”

  I returned to my seat feeling chastened. Without warning tears began to flow. My sniffles collapsed into sobs. I felt Rachel’s arms around me. A feeling of complete emptiness overwhelmed me as though I finally realized Jim was gone and never coming back. I couldn’t seem to stop crying.

  When I finally stopped crying, I felt as limp as a balloon whose air had all leaked out, completely drained. Rachel handed me several tissues.

  I dabbed my eyes before I asked, “Is it possible the LaBauves witnessed Jim’s murder?”

  “Very possible,” he said. “They claim not to remember what time they arrived at the spot.”

  “I asked them what time. T-Boy told me between five-thirty and six.”

  Danny drummed his fingers on the table several times. “I’ll take a ride out to their compound in the morning and see what’s going on.

  “Send that shoeprint photo to my cell phone now while we’re thinking about it. In the meantime, Susan, don’t go back out to the crime scene alone or with anyone else. Understand?”

  “I understand.” I keyed in his number on my cell and sent the picture to his phone.

  Danny pushed his chair back from the table and stood. “I think we’ve discussed enough for tonight. Go get some rest. I promise to let you know what I find out after I talk to the LaBauves.”

  I rose. “I’m sorry for my outburst. Guess I’m overly sensitive lately.”

  “Can’t blame you a bit,” Rachel said.

  “We’re all touchy since Jim’s death.” A brief frown crossed his face. “Just remember, both of you, say nothing about the drug smuggling to anyone.”

  “Steven and I are extremely close. Can’t he be told? What can letting him in on this hurt?”

  “Really, Danny,” Rachel said. “Surely he won’t say anything.”

  “Okay, just make sure he knows this information is confidential.” He grinned at me. “Maybe once he knows the drug smuggling is for real, he’ll be more inclined to keep you reined in.”

  “Don’t be too sure about that.” I laughed. I mean, really laughed for the first time since Jim died. Steven may have been correct with his theory about releasing all the pent-up emotions.

  Rachel and Danny seemed less tense about my adventure down the bayou. Danny’s expression soon sobered.

  “Can you at least promise me you won’t interfere with my investigation? If you get into more trouble, you’ll put me in a tough situation. I may not be able to get you out of it.”

  “I promise to do my best to stay out of the way.” But were my will power and patience strong enough to keep me from breaking that promise?

  I left the Marchands more uplifted than I’d been in a long time. Hearing Danny express his view about Jim’s death validated my belief. My husband’s death was a homicide, not suicide. Maybe I was being overly optimistic, but I felt the death certificate would soon be changed to reflect his true cause of death.

  The crying jag had interrupted my train of thought. I forgot to ask about participation by federal agents. Who knows? The whole mission could be a federal operation, and local law enforcement might simply be back-up or completely left out of the equation.

  More unanswered questions remained. I suspected Danny didn’t reveal many details about Jim’s connection to the sheriff’s office attempts to stop those smugglers. For Danny to believe he was murdered, Jim must have been heavily involved…especially if members of the Cypress Lake Police Department were implicated.

  I wondered if perhaps a few deputies might also be involved. Who better to know when a sweep of the bayou would be made? And what about the deputies Danny sent out to investigate? They could have threatened the LaBauves.

  Twenty-seven

  Thursday, August 8

  Danny left his house in his personal vehicle, an F150, instead of his sheriff’s unit to drive to North Bayou Pierre Road. All the way to Andre LaBauve’s house, he kept going over Susan’s statement concerning the odd exchange between her and the two men about the smuggling operation.

  He couldn’t help believing they had been threatened by someone connected to the people involved. The possibility they witnessed Jim’s murder grew stronger by the minute. From crime scene evidence and other information, he’d estimated the time Jim had been shot at between six and seven am.

  If Andre or any of his family had been pressured by someone to keep quiet, could they be persuaded to give up any names? I could always charge them with interfering with an investigation.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed activity on the water. In a reflex action, he made a quick glance toward the bayou just in time to see three white egrets take flight. Damn, I must be jumpier than I thought.

  He slowed his truck to a crawl and watched the graceful birds fly southward until they were tiny white specks against the distant trees.

  Bayou Pierre didn’t remind him of Vietnam like Bayou Jean Baptiste did. The latter bayou must be cursed—a suicide, a possible murder…no, make that a definite murder, and many years ago the gang rape of a local woman. Trees and thick foliage hung over the banks there, shrouding the locale with an eerie darkness.

  Sunlight peeped through the cypress trees here. At seven-thirty in the morning, the chirping of birds mingled with soft human voices from the occupants of the LaBauve compound. Only in the distance could the sounds of civilization be heard—the whirr of traffic on Highway 90, an outboard motor starting up. He didn’t mind coming out to Bayou Pierre at all.

  Andre walked out onto his porch as Danny exited his vehicle. “Morning, Sheriff.”

  Danny smiled. “How’s the world treating you this morning?”

  “Not bad.” Andre beckoned him to come up the stairs.

  “I was thinking as I drove up the road, it’s so peaceful out here, it would be real easy to avoid going to my office.”

  Andre laughed. “The reason why I stay out here.” A flicker of apprehension flitted across his face. “What can I do for you, Sheriff?”

  “Can we sit for a while? I have a few questions for you.”

  Andre fingered his white beard. “If it’s about drug smuggling, I can’t answer any questions. I don’t know anything ‘bout it.”

  “I heard someone took a few shots at you and T-Boy yesterday when you brought Mrs. Foret out to Bayou Jean Baptiste.”

  “Aw, he was just some couyon who didn’t care where he was shootin’.” His tone held a note of forced nonchalance, in Danny’s opinion.

  Couyon. A crazy person indeed. “If you and your family have been threatened by anyone, I want to know. I can protect you, but only if you tell me about the situation.”

  LaBauve placed his hand on the handle of the screen door. “Sheriff, there is no situation.”

  “I believe you and T-Boy arrived at the same time Chief Foret was wounded. Am I correct?”

  “No, we walked up and found him already shot. Nobody else was there.”

  “Is T-Boy here?”

  “No he ain’t and if he was, he…”

  Danny shook his head in disgust. “I know. Your son couldn’t tell me anything either.

  Andre’s expression softened. “Sheriff, you know me and my family. We’re not trying to keep you from catching them bad guys, but we don’t know anything about no drug smuggling. T-Boy heard somebody talking when he went to town one day.”

  “Oh yeah?” Danny perked up. “What did he hear? And more importantly, who said it?”

  “Just some guys shootin’ the bull. He didn’t know them. They talked about how so much drug smuggling was going on around the country. So T-Boy got it in his head, they meant somebody was doing it around here.” Andre shook his head. “We ain’t seen nothing like that out here.”

  Danny narrowed his eyes. “An anonymous caller tipped my office and informed me there was drug trafficking going on around Bayou Jean Baptiste. But you’re saying there isn’t anything like that you can tell me about.”

  “There’s nothin’ to tell.” His expression didn’t give any indication he felt threatened by Danny’s gaze.

  “The day you and T-Boy found Chief Foret out there, did you see anybody else?”

  “We done answered your question before. The answer is still no.”

  “So you didn’t witness the shooting or hear any shots fired as y’all were walking up.”

  “That’s what I tole you,” Andre said, emphatically.

  Danny’s many years of experience in law enforcement told him Andre wasn’t telling the truth. But he couldn’t force him to talk. “If you change your mind about giving me some information, you know where to find me. Have a nice day, Andre.” He turned and started down the stairs.

  One of the most frustrating parts of investigating a crime could be blamed on witnesses who won’t give law enforcement information, either because they’ve been intimidated by criminals or they simply don’t want to get involved.

  Danny figured the first reason was why Andre wouldn’t talk. If he could just get T-Boy alone somewhere away from the family compound, he might get results. Hell, T-Boy could’ve been the one who called in the original tip.

  He wondered if Jim had gotten a word in his ear and gone out to investigate on his own. No, he wouldn’t have gone out there without giving me a heads up, much less without backup.

  ~ * ~

  “I told you never to call me at this number,” he muttered into the receiver.

  “What I have to say is important,” the caller said. “I tried to get in touch yesterday, but you never picked up.”

  “I was busy. I am busy right now. This better be important.”

  “Susan got the LaBauves to bring her out to the scene yesterday. She snapped a picture of something with her cell so I took a few shots at them to scare them off.”

  “You freakin’ idiot.” He glanced around to see if anyone had overheard and lowered his voice. “She’s going to run right over and tell the sheriff.”

  “So what? I didn’t leave any evidence.”

  “There could be some you don’t know about. I’m certain he’s going to check the place out for himself. Don’t shoot at anyone else unless I tell you. Do you understand?”

  “Right, you’re the boss.”

  Twenty-eight

  I needed to take the twins into town for a school shopping day. The prospect didn’t appeal to me, but I might as well get it over with. Classes would start next Wednesday. The first week was always a short one to get the kids acclimated after having two and a half months of vacation.

  Matthew and Caroline had both outgrown their uniforms from last year, so those would be donated to an organization that collected clothes to be distributed to families with limited resources.

  The shopping trip would serve more than one purpose. For my sake and the kids’, I needed to return to a normal schedule. At least as normal as possible under present circumstances. School shopping day had been a regular event ever since the kids started kindergarten.

  Of course, Jim always joined us for lunch. Things wouldn’t be the same.

  “Do we really have to go?” Matthew whined.

  “I don’t want to go either,” Caroline said.

  “You used to enjoy this day. We’ll have lunch afterwards…with ice cream for dessert.” Bribery wasn’t beneath me.

  “This day is okay most of the time.” Matthew looked at the floor. “I don’t want to go back to school. Buying uniforms means I have to go.”

  Caroline didn’t repeat her brother’s desire to not attend school, but I felt certain her thoughts ran in the same circle.

  I cringed inwardly. “I understand why you feel unhappy, but school is required. Unfortunately I can’t allow you to stay home.” I gave them each a hug. “Things will get better. You’ll see.” I’m not so sure about achieving those results myself.

  After an intense cajoling session, I managed to get the kids into the car and on our way. I foresaw big problems during the upcoming year. Lots of pretend tummy aches and other assorted ailments.

  ~ * ~

  He moved slowly around the back of the house. There was bound to be an alarm set, unless Susan forgot to set it like she did one time before. Leaning his latex gloved hands against the door frame, he peered inside the sliding glass door.

  He muttered an obscenity. No such luck. Guess she learned her lesson. There didn’t seem to be a way for him to get inside to leave the boss’ message without a lot of trouble. Maybe it was just as well. He couldn’t afford to leave any trace of himself on this visit.

  There was another way to get the message across which killed two birds with one stone. The plan had been decided on ahead of time by him and an associate whether or not he got into the house. Lay the blame of a break-in, in this case, attempted break-in, on their chosen patsy.

  Hopefully this little piece of evidence would send the investigation in the right direction. He reached in his pocket and dropped an object on the ground. Then, he turned over a flower pot, spilling soil on the concrete.

  Firing a few shots at Susan and the LaBauves had served the purpose the last time. Regardless of his orders not to do any shooting, a new reminder to the LaBauves about the consequences of talking to the sheriff might not be a bad idea either.

  No doubt Miss Detective had already told Marchand about the shots fired. The boss wanted her to get a subtle, but obvious, reminder to keep her nose out. Subtle didn’t seem to work with that woman.

  This has to go off without a hitch. My job and my life are on the line. Unless our little scheme works, me and the ones who took all the chances and did all the work will pay the price. Not the head man.

  Even with his connections, the boss must be worried or else the possibility of me getting caught wouldn’t have set him off like it did. Using cocaine makes a person paranoid. Up until recently he’s been real good at hiding his problem. Regardless, I better keep my eyes and ears open or else I’ll be out of a job and in a coffin.