~ * ~

  Call me paranoid, but I had the distinct feeling someone had been snooping around my house while we were out shopping. Obviously this person didn’t enter the house. Upon our return home, the doors were still locked and alarm set. Believe me, after what happened last year, I double check every time before I leave the house.

  I dismissed my suspicions, only to have them return. Several more attempts later, I decided to inspect the exterior. I opened the sliding glass door and went outside.

  I immediately noticed the dumped flower pot and started to put it upright again. No, there might be fingerprints or other evidence.

  Our house sat on a corner lot. The side street led out of the subdivision past a wooded area on the edge of our property.

  Tall pines and several varieties of oak trees formed a perfect hiding spot for people with criminal intent. In fact, last year a killer had stalked me and hid there while watching me and the kids. At least we have neighbors.

  I used to love the privacy those thick woods provided, but now I’m not so sure about a need for seclusion.

  A feeling of awareness, like someone watching me, raised the hairs on the back of my neck. That was silly. I had reminded myself about the Mardi Gras killer only moments ago. The power of suggestion?

  A shiny object at the edge of the patio caught my eye. I walked over to check it out. A key, perhaps to a locker, attached to a key chain had been dropped in the grass. I reached down to retrieve it and noted the initial H dangling from the chain.

  A sharp pain radiated through my head. My vision dimmed. I felt myself falling. Then nothing…

  Twenty-nine

  “Mom? What happened?” Matthew’s voice came through my hazy mind. My head ached. I tried to speak but no words emerged from my mouth. My vision went dark again.

  I must have dozed in and out of consciousness. Sounds and images came and dissolved into blankness. At one time I heard a man’s voice. He sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place him.

  The next time I awoke, I was lying in a hospital bed. Talk about having déjà vu moments. This makes the second one in twenty-four hours.

  I turned to see Rachel sitting in a nearby chair. Pain spread across the top of my head.

  She rose from her seat and came to the bedside. “Well, I’m glad to see you awake. This may be a stupid question, but how do you feel?”

  “Like someone has been beating me over the head with a baseball bat.” I groaned. “And they’re still at it.”

  A slight smile moved her lips. “At least you haven’t lost your sense of humor.”

  I grabbed her hand. “The twins? Are they okay?”

  “Don’t worry. Tina is at the house with them. Once they know you’re okay, they’ll be fine.”

  “How did I get here?”

  “I called nine-one-one and EMS transported you to the hospital.”

  “Matthew and Caroline must be traumatized. I imagine they were hysterical when I was taken away on a stretcher.”

  She appeared hesitant to answer. Guess she didn’t want to worry me. “Yes, they were upset. I had scarcely gotten back home from a visit in Baton Rouge…in fact, I’d just pulled up in the driveway when Matthew came tearing over yelling that you were hurt. Then he…”

  I sighed and averted my gaze. “They must be afraid they’re going to lose their mother too.”

  “Would you like to call the house and talk to them?”

  “Definitely.” I looked around for a phone, but saw none except for the standard issue hospital phone on the bedside table. I felt more comfortable using my own. “Where’s my cell?”

  “You were in the back yard when we found you. Did you have it with you?”

  I thought a moment. “Most likely not.”

  She reached in her purse and retrieved her phone. “Here, use mine.”

  “Thanks.” I punched my number in on the keypad with a shaky hand.

  Tina answered after several rings. “Foret residence.”

  I identified myself. “How are the kids?”

  “They’re okay,” she said. “It took a while to get them calmed down. Ms. Susan, we were all so worried. Are you going to be all right?”

  “Thanks for your concern. I’ll be fine. I’m glad you’re with them.”

  “Are they keeping you overnight at the hospital?”

  “More than likely,” I said. “Matthew and Caroline won’t be happy, I’m sure.”

  Tina agreed. “They’ve already figured out I’m on the phone with you.”

  “Let me speak to them.”

  A few seconds later, I heard their voices, both speaking at the same time. “Mom, Mom, when will you come home?”

  “The doctor might make me stay overnight at the hospital, just to make sure I’m okay.”

  “We want you home now,” Matthew said.

  “I know you do. So do I, but I can’t leave until the doctor says it’s safe for me to go home.”

  “Do you have a broken bone?” Caroline asked.

  “No, just a bad bump on the head. Doctors always want to watch people closely if they’ve had a head injury. It’s just a precaution,” I explained. “I just called to let y’all know I’m okay, so be good for Tina. I love you both.”

  A terrible sadness came over me after I ended the call. An overnight stay seemed inevitable, but I wanted to go home and hold my children and the cat, too. Rachel’s voice interrupted my longings.

  “Do you remember what happened?”

  My recollection of the event was cloudy, but slowly started to come back. “I had the feeling someone had been snooping around the house. Everything inside seemed fine, but I couldn’t shake my suspicions, so I went outside. I saw something on the ground close to the patio and went to investigate. Things got a bit fuzzy after that.”

  “What was the object?”

  “A key, which might be to a locker like maybe a gym locker.” I concentrated on the image. “It was on a key ring with the initial H hanging from it. After I picked the key up to examine it, someone hit me over the head.”

  “An H hung from the key ring,” Rachel mused. “To give you a head’s up, the police will be coming to question you about the incident.”

  I frowned. “The Cypress Lake Police?”

  “Yes, since I called nine-one-one, they were notified. Our subdivision is within the city limits.” She eyed me sternly. “Before we got off on the subject of the kids and what happened, I was about to ask about the man who drove up about the same time. He said his name was Josh Broussard.”

  “What?” Then I remembered the male voice I heard through the fog of semi-consciousness. “Never mind. He’s a private investigator who works for Megan Whitehall’s law office.” I tried not to make him sound like someone I had hired. She didn’t appear to have bought that idea.

  “A private investigator?”

  “I seemed to recall hearing his voice at one time. Did he say why he came by my house?”

  She shrugged. “Not really. He mentioned something about Megan asking him to stop by with some information. At the time, I didn’t know who Megan was, but now I know her identity.”

  He must have some info on the Hansons. “Where is he now?”

  “He was down the hall with Danny. Do you feel up to talking to both of them?”

  “Yes, I’m curious about this information Megan asked Josh to deliver. I wish Danny was investigating my attack instead of Cypress Lake PD.”

  Rachel turned and started to leave. Just as she reached the door, someone knocked and slowly opened it.

  Thirty

  Ken Wallace, a Cypress Lake officer, appeared in the doorway. “Can we come in?”

  I greeted him and Toby Hahn, who walked in behind him.

  Ken, better known as Bulldog because of his stocky physique and prominent lower jaw, had been promoted to sergeant a few weeks before Jim died. “Good to see you awake.”

  “I’m glad to be awake.”

  He laughed. “I don’t blame you. Are you feeling up to talking about what happened?”

  “Sure, I hope I can remember everything.”

  “No matter,” he said in a kindly voice. “It’ll all come back to you in time. Then you can fill us in.”

  In my opinion, Ken would have been a more logical choice for interim chief instead of Jack LeBlanc. I hoped he planned on applying for the permanent position.

  “When I first walked outside, I noticed a flower pot had been knocked over.”

  “Officer Poche wrote that in his report. What else can you tell me?”

  I relayed the sequence of events to him as I remembered them. He jotted down everything in a small notebook.

  “Where is the key now?”

  “As far as I know, whoever hit me took it with him. You can ask Rachel or the EMTs if anyone found it. I’m not aware of who was on the scene after the kids found me. I was kind of out of it.”

  He nodded. “Mrs. Marchand called nine-one-one, right?”

  “Correct.”

  “Okay, I’ll talk to her and get her statement.” He smiled broadly. “Take care.”

  “Thanks, Ken.” I glanced at Toby Hahn, who had not uttered a word since he entered the room. “You too, Toby. I hope y’all catch the person responsible.”

  He grinned. “We’re gonna try our best.”

  The two officers met Danny and Rachel in the hallway and began conversing with them. The group moved down a short distance and out of my view. Josh Broussard appeared in their place.

  “That was quite a hit you took,” he said, walking closer to my bed. “Are you feeling any better?”

  “My head still hurts.” I forced a smile. Then I got straight to the point. “What information do you have for me?”

  “I watched the motel where the Hansons were staying. They never left except to go eat, but most of the time they ordered out.” He shook his head. “I couldn’t figure out why they stayed. Then, yesterday morning about ten, they got into their van and drove off. I followed them to the New Orleans airport.”

  “How curious.”

  “Scott Hanson jumped out of the van with his suitcase and went inside the terminal. Rick drove back to the motel alone.”

  “So what’s your opinion about their intentions?”

  “Your guess is as good as mine.” He chuckled. “I know that’s a very unprofessional statement, but their actions have me stumped.”

  “Their movements do seem strange.”

  “I’d keep my eyes open if I were you.” He made a quick glance out the door. “I overheard something about a key and the initial H. Did the cops find it?”

  “I don’t think so. Ken asked me if I still had it. I said the guy who hit me probably took it with him.”

  “They might go over the scene again to see if it’s still there.” He rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger. “I’ll run by there and see what I can find before they show up.” His smile looked a bit sly to me. “If I should happen to locate the key, do you want me to turn it over to you or to the investigating officers?”

  I hated to admit he’d read my mind. I widened my eyes, pretending to be surprised. “I’m shocked you would ask such a thing.”

  He seemed momentarily taken aback, then realized I wasn’t serious. “I thought maybe you would prefer to look into the evidence on your own or turn it over to the sheriff…since you don’t trust Cypress Lake PD.”

  “You’re right. I don’t trust them. If you locate the key or other evidence, bring it to me. I’ll discuss it with Danny and he can deal with it as he sees fit.”

  “Fine with me. I found more info on Rick Hanson’s military records, but it’s nothing earth shaking. I need to get moving if I hope to arrive before the city guys get there.”

  “Good, we can talk later.” I felt guilty about agreeing to conceal any evidence he might find. Concealing evidence was a crime. I never expected Josh to do anything more or less underhanded. Perhaps underhanded was too strong a word.

  In crime novels, private investigators tend to run afoul of law enforcement. I didn’t have any experience with real life PIs. In their case, fiction might match reality. Maybe Josh was an okay guy after all. He appeared to believe my version of what had happened and didn’t dismiss my story.

  The idea of concealing evidence crossed my mind again. I shook it off. It was not like I wouldn’t be turning evidence over to the authorities. Just not the right ones.

  Danny and Rachel entered the room and interrupted my mind game of condoning actions.

  “You can’t stay out of trouble, can you?” he said, shaking his head.

  At least he smiled. “I guess not. Not even when I’m trying to.”

  “Have you spoken to a doctor yet?” Rachel asked.

  “No, I don’t know anything about my condition at all,” I lamented.

  “Here’s what we know,” Danny said. “You’ve got a mild concussion and three stitches in the wound to the back of your head. They’ll most likely keep you overnight.”

  “How do you know all this?”

  “Doc Hadley told us about the procedures he did on you.”

  I stared at Rachel in surprise. “Dr. Hadley? Did you think I was ready for the coroner?”

  They both laughed.

  Rachel explained her reason for the physician’s selection since I was unconscious at the time. “Dr. Hadley is a medical doctor who treats live patients. In fact, he happened to be here visiting one of them when EMS brought you in. He said he’d come back later to check on you.”

  I turned to Danny. “Were you here also?”

  “I came up a short time later after Rachel called me.” His expression clouded. “I know you’ve gone over this with Ken Wallace, but tell me briefly what happened.”

  I took a deep breath and repeated my story about the incident. “Do you believe the attack on me was connected to Jim’s murder?”

  Danny nodded. “I suspect it was.” He leaned closer and lowered his voice. “I’m not getting any assistance from CLPD on the investigation into his death.”

  The wrinkling of my forehead in a frown made my scalp feel like those stitches had tightened the skin beyond its limits. “None?”

  “A few officers seemed willing to talk at first, but when I tried to interview them, I got nowhere.”

  “Were Toby Hahn and Joe Hernandez among them?”

  “Toby was. And talking to Ken Wallace out there in the hall, I got the impression he wanted to meet with me in private.”

  Oh my God. That blasted note. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”

  He cocked his head to one side. “Why do I think I’m not going to like what you have to say?”

  “I can almost guarantee you won’t.”

  He motioned with his hand for me to continue.

  “I found a note stuck in the back of a book. It was undated, unsigned, and not addressed to anyone.” I studied his face for any sign of a reaction.

  His expression stayed neutral. “Go on.”

  “The note read something like this: meet me at the spot as soon as possible. No, wait, it read ‘tomorrow as early as possible’.”

  Danny didn’t respond at once. “I gather the handwriting wasn’t Jim’s.”

  I shook my head slowly, remembering how much pain would occur with more vigorous movement.

  “Did you keep the note?”

  “Of course,” I said indignantly.

  “I need to see it. Turn it over to me when you get out of here. You should have given it to me as soon as you found it.” He hesitated a short moment before he posed his question. “What was your reaction after reading it?”

  “I thought it was strange, but after I heard Bill’s remarks about Jim and Angie, I feared the note came from her.”

  “It’s hard for me to believe Jim was unfaithful to you, regardless of the mayor’s source.”

  “Thank you for saying so.”

  “I mean it. I shouldn’t tell you this, but…I’m willing to bet my life savings, Bill is spreading the story to cover up some kind of wrongdoings he was involved in. He might be the one who had an affair with Angie.”

  “Maybe Jim discovered the source of those wrongdoings.” It sickened me to think Bill could have caused Jim’s death. There had to be another explanation. “Or Jack LeBlanc started the rumor to cover his illegal activities.” Taylor Evans did mention the letter L...which could also stand for LaBauve.

  “My money is on LeBlanc as the one up to something. However, there’s also a connection to some of my deputies.” Danny’s somber expression clearly conveyed his feelings of betrayal.

  Rachel placed her hand on his arm. “So you don’t know who you can trust.”

  He reciprocated by clasping her hand. “That’s about it in a nutshell.”

  I felt guilty for envying their tender moment. No more of those for me. My life partner, my best friend, was gone.

  Danny smiled at me. “I’m going to clear up this mess once and for all and make the scumbag who murdered Jim pay big time.”

  I shook off my poor-pitiful-me feelings, determined to help find the party responsible for his death. Now that Danny had confided valuable information and was persevering under difficult circumstances to find Jim’s killer, I felt encouraged. Our mutual goal would be accomplished. Together we would bring the killer to justice.

  “By the way,” Danny added as he and Rachel were leaving. “I met your PI, Mr. Broussard.”

  “And?”

  “He seems like a pretty decent guy. I might need his help.”

  I felt a sense of relief knowing he wasn’t upset with me for hiring Josh—even though I really hadn’t hired him myself.

  For a long time after my visitors left, I mentally recounted the years since we moved to Cypress Lake.

  After leaving post-Katrina street crime and the murders committed by my former high society peers in New Orleans, along with their blatant expectations of entitlement, both Jim and I thought we had found Paradise. His job as chief of police in this tranquil setting took away the stress we had shared during his stint as a homicide detective for NOPD.