Logan pulled back in and got out of his unit. “Something wrong?”

  “There may be,” Josh told him. “The door is ajar.”

  “Stay here both of you,” he said, removing his gun from its holster. Pushing the door open with the toe of his shoe, he slowly stepped inside. “Alarm’s not set.”

  “I know I set it before we left,” I said, confused. “Josh, you saw me, didn’t you?”

  “Yeah, I did. You definitely set the alarm.”

  I held my breath as Logan walked in and out of each room down the hall. From what I could see, the house had been ransacked. What in the world happened? Why was the alarm off?

  “Oh no, where’s my cat? Katy must have been terrified.” I surveyed the area to see if maybe she’d escaped and was hiding outside.

  “She was inside when we left?” Josh asked.

  “Katy is inside all the time.”

  Minutes later, Logan returned. “The place is clear now, but it’s a mess.”

  “Did you see my cat?”

  “Yeah, she was hiding under the bed in the master.”

  I felt relief, but my reprieve from anxiety didn’t last long.

  “Looks like your power is out,” Logan said.

  “What? Someone cut the power?” This suddenly got even crazier.

  He examined the lock and then surveyed the area for a moment. “Where’s your breaker box?”

  I pointed to the rear of the house. “It’s on the back wall close to the a/c unit.”

  He strode around the corner. Josh and I followed him. A muted metal clank sounded as Logan carefully lifted the cover of the breaker box with a pen he had taken from his pocket.

  “Breakers are tripped,” he said.

  My cell phone buzzed in my pocket. I frowned as I looked at the display. “It’s my alarm company.”

  The woman on the phone announced, “We received a signal your power was out. Tri-Parish Electric reported no power outages in your area.”

  “Why didn’t you notify me earlier?” I asked. She probably noticed how annoyed I was by the tone of my voice.

  “We did,” she huffed. “Our calls kept going to voice mail. Do you want us to notify the police?”

  “You should have called the police when you couldn’t get in touch with me. No thanks to you, they’re already here.” I disconnected the call and checked my phone. Several missed calls were listed. “I guess I didn’t hear or feel the phone vibrating. I must be losing it.”

  “With everything going on, that’s easy to understand,” Logan said. “Since this is their jurisdiction, I’ll put in a call to CLPD and tell them what I found. They’ll want to do a walk through and dust for fingerprints. Then you need to see if anything is missing. Whoever broke in was obviously looking for something.”

  He walked down the driveway back to his unit.

  I felt sick. “Who could have done this?” Then I remembered the earlier conversation about Keith Parker’s interest in me. “Danny suggested Keith Parker might think I have the emeralds, although I can’t imagine why he would have such an outrageous idea.”

  “In my opinion, Parker is a likely suspect for this break-in,” Josh said. “As to why he would think you had the emeralds, your guess is as good as mine. Maybe he was grasping at straws. He probably knows by now the feds are on his tail.”

  “I should know better than to say this, but…This day couldn’t get any worse.”

  Josh frowned. “You’re right. You shouldn’t have said that.”

  Logan rejoined us under the carport. “CLPD is sending a unit over to examine the scene. I know it’s hot out here, but I suggest you don’t disturb anything inside until after they do a once over, including the breaker box.” He started back to his unit.

  “Thanks, Logan,” I called to him.

  “Sure thing.” Before he even approached his vehicle, two CLPD units turned onto my street, lights flashing.

  I gave a mirthless chuckle. “Boy that was fast.”

  Logan greeted the other officers with a handshake. They conversed for a few minutes, and then the two CLPD officers walked up to us.

  I recognized Ike Pierre, a corporal with the city police, but not the other officer, an Asian woman.

  “Mrs. Foret,” Ike greeted me. “This is not the best of circumstances, but it’s good to see you again.” Dozens of brown freckles dotted his mocha-colored skin.

  “Good to see you too, Ike.” I nodded toward Josh. “This is Josh Broussard.”

  “Ike Pierre.” The two men shook hands.

  The other officer introduced herself as Amy Nguyen. “Please wait outside while we go through the house,” she said, business-like.

  Ike raised his eyebrows, but didn’t comment.

  The pair entered the house to begin their search. A few minutes later a couple of crime scene techs arrived.

  “The neighbors must be having a field day.” I glanced at the Marchands’ house. “I wonder where Rachel is.”

  As if on cue, Rachel drove up in her driveway and practically sprinted over to us. “What happened?”

  “Someone broke in and trashed the place,” I explained.

  “It appears he was looking for something in particular,” Josh said. “He flipped the breakers to disable the alarm.

  “My goodness,” Rachel said. “Sounds like a professional burglar.”

  A few minutes later, Renee joined us, a concerned look on her face. “Did you have a break-in?”

  I nodded. “Unfortunately.”

  She peered inside the open door. “Oh, wow. What a mess.” She paused for a short moment. “This is going to take hours to straighten out. Why don’t you let the twins stay over at our house for the night?”

  “Renee, that’s such an imposition. You’ve got three kids of your own.”

  She shrugged and laughed. “What’s two more?”

  “But what about Ronnie?” I argued. “He may want peace and quiet after the…earlier event.”

  “It’s doubtful he’ll be home at all,” she said, her expression solemn. “He is Brad’s second in command so he’s in charge now.”

  “Okay, I’ll bring some pj’s and another set of clothes for them over to your house once I can get back inside.”

  “That’ll be fine.” She turned and started across the yard toward her house.

  “Thank you,” I called to her. “I owe you.”

  “I’ll be sure to collect,” she said with a wave.

  “Why don’t you two come next door to my house?” Rachel asked. “It’s a lot better than standing outside in the heat. I’ll fix something cold to drink.”

  I gratefully agreed. My clothes felt damp. I could tell Josh was feeling the heat as much as I was. Sweat beaded up on his forehead.

  I poked my head inside the door and got the attention of the crime scene tech snapping photos. “I’ll be next door at the Marchands’ house if anybody needs me.”

  Could this day get any worse? Yikes, I said it again. Now I had the feeling the worst was yet to come.

  Forty-seven

  An hour later, Ike came over to Rachel’s to tell me I could enter the house as their examination of the scene was complete.

  “There were a lot of prints,” he said. “Most of them were children’s by the size. We’ll have to put the rest through AFIS and see if we come up with a match.”

  “Thanks, Ike,” I said. “I’ll let you know if I discover something missing. I hate to think about trying to straighten all that mess.”

  “Yes, I can imagine. Let us know as soon as you can about any items that might have been stolen so we can start searching the pawn shops.”

  Ike joined Amy Nguyen and the pair walked back to their respective units.

  “If you need help sorting things out, I can help you,” Rachel offered.

  “No, I can probably get the majority of it back together by myself.”

  “You’re not going to be by yourself,” Josh said, his expression serious. “It’s not a good idea, considering everything that’s already occurred.”

  Rachel nodded in agreement. “What if the person who broke in comes back?”

  “Exactly,” he said. “Deputy Hahn may not have known or suspected who shot Brad, but my guess is Keith Parker and he’s probably the one who broke in your house. He might decide to come back.”

  “That’s a scary thought.” I felt a shiver run up my spine.

  “How about if I stay with you and help?” Josh said. “For a while, at least. I’m not sure if Megan has a job for me later. I’ll check in with her in a little bit.” He turned to Rachel. “If I have to leave, we’ll let you know.”

  “Sounds like a good idea,” she said. A faint smile moved her lips.

  I knew what she was thinking. Here’s a ready-made match for Susan. She didn’t even have to plan. That’s okay. I didn’t mind this time.

  Glancing at Josh, I said, “Well, I guess we’d better get to work.”

  By nine p.m. my house was pretty much back to normal except for Matthew’s bedroom. I wondered if the fact Matthew had hidden the murder weapon in his room several weeks ago had anything to do with his room being in worst shape than any other place in the house. But even that idea didn’t make sense.

  Josh and I sat in the kitchen taking a break and drinking iced tea. I stared into space, trying to come up with a reason Keith Parker would be searching for something in my house.

  “What are you thinking about so intently?” Josh asked.

  “I want to know why this happened.” I waved my arm in a silent indication of the previous chaos in the house.

  “You mean why did Parker target you from the beginning?”

  “Yes. How did I even get on his radar?”

  Josh looked thoughtful. “Maybe he was told you and Rachel discovered Celina’s body and you liked to investigate on your own. He wanted to make certain you didn’t find any clues leading to his true identity.”

  The realization hit me. “Of course. Brad told him because he believed him to be an ICE agent.” I leaned back in my chair. “And I’m sure he filled Keith in about my reputation for getting involved.”

  “Keith must have played a part in the attack on the Gallaghers’ boat. Danny found out from his mother that he was in Jamaica at that time working as a diver.”

  “Really? But if he and other men boarded the boat, killed Walt and Gary and wounded Claire, who ordered the hit?”

  “Who has the most to gain from the deaths of family members?”

  I shook my head in disgust. “The remaining family member.”

  Josh agreed. “However, in this case there are two.”

  “Originally I suspected Mike Doucet of betraying his family on that boat. He did come out of the ordeal without a scratch. But after the attack on him, I considered the possibility he might be cooperating with Immigration and Customs. I doubt my first instincts were correct about him.”

  “He is cooperating with ICE.”

  “How do you know that?

  He shrugged. “I have a few contacts who know these things. I called in some favors when I was checking out Parker.

  “There’s a great deal of money involved with the Gallaghers,” he continued. “And in a case like this, family members tend to turn on each other.”

  I couldn’t imagine Steven arranging to kill me or our parents or me committing such a terrible act. But murder has become all too common everywhere, family or not.

  “To me, murder, especially killing members of one’s own family, is the most grievous of sins.”

  The scene in the cemetery and the look of disdain on Rick Gallagher’s face came to mind. Could he be the person Lucie compared to a member of the Tonton Macoute?

  Forty-eight

  The house was dark and quiet except for the sound of Rick’s voice. Claire sat listening to him for a while before she flipped on the light switch in the living room.

  Through the arched doorway she saw him standing in the dining room talking on the phone. From his tone of voice, the person he spoke to had made him angry. Nothing unusual. Lately he became enraged for any little slight or what he considered to be a slight.

  “Can’t anyone around here do anything right?” he yelled into the phone. “Well, you’re on your own now. If you can’t do the job, I’ll do it myself.” He disconnected the call with a flourish.

  Claire glared at her son. “What job is that?”

  His angry scowl frightened her, but she tried not to show her fear.

  “We have more important business to discuss,” he said.

  “I don’t know of any business we need to discuss,” she huffed. “Right now, I need to go to the hospital to check on Mike. It’s time someone brought me up there.”

  “Visiting hours are over, so you’re not going anywhere,” he said. “Besides, I’m the only one here who can drive you, and I don’t plan on catering to you any longer.”

  “What is wrong with you?” She felt her face burn as anger coursed through her.

  Every muscle in Rick’s body seemed to tense. His cheeks came close to matching his red hair. “I’m tired of you indulging your bastard son Mike exactly like you did for Gary.” He narrowed his eyes and shook his fist at her. “At least Gary was legitimate. Or was he?”

  “How dare you?” Like her son’s, her face reddened with fury. “Gary is quite legitimate. Walt is his father. You know the story about Mike’s conception and birth. My father made me give him up for adoption because I was fifteen years old.”

  Rick moved closer to her, his every muscle tensed.

  She flinched, thinking he planned on striking her. He was famous for losing his temper, mostly about her alleged favoritism toward Gary. Then after the attack, he turned his anger on Mike. She’d never felt threatened by his outbursts…until now.

  He took a few steps back, his hands still fisted at his side. The scowl on his face remained ominous. “Both of them got what they deserved for getting involved with your obsession with that frickin’ shipwreck.”

  She straightened her back. “How dare you speak ill of your brother! Gary didn’t deserve being shot down. Neither did your father. Do you think he got what he deserved?”

  “Dad was an unfortunate casualty.”

  She narrowed her gaze. “Are you responsible for what happened on the boat?”

  “I didn’t pull the trigger if that’s what you mean.”

  A wave of nausea swept over her. “Are you saying you ordered the attack? You hired those men to kill us all?” Her son…her own son did this.

  “Too bad they didn’t complete the job.”

  “What kind of person murders his own family and feels no guilt? What about Mike? Are you also responsible for his present condition?”

  His answer was a smirk.

  She retrieved her cell phone from a pocket on the side of her wheelchair. “I’m calling the sheriff.”

  In a single stride he reached her and grabbed the phone away. “Do you want all your precious treasures taken away when the authorities discover they were illegally brought into the country?”

  Claire met his gaze. “I get the impression you plan to take them from me anyway. I’d rather lose the pieces than to see you go unpunished.”

  “Don’t worry, you may get a chance to tell your story. ICE is probably on their way with a special response team to take us into custody.” A smug expression showed on his face. “Your precious Mike was willing to give you up to the cops. He made an agreement with ICE to tell everything about the artifacts.”

  “You always blamed Mike for the attack on our boat. You’re lying.”

  “I’m not lying.” Rick pulled a small pistol from his pocket and pointed it at her. “And I don’t plan to be here when ICE arrives.”

  Her eyes widened. “Are you going to kill me too?”

  He held the pistol against her neck. “If you don’t do what I tell you.”

  Claire took a deep breath. “What do you want?”

  “First you’re going to open your collection room. Then you’re going to give me those emeralds you have in your possession.”

  “Not my emerald cross,” she gasped.

  “What are going to do to stop me?” At this moment he looked evil. “If you don’t open the door, I’ll shoot the lock off.”

  “Then that’s what you’ll have to do.” She motioned with her hand toward the collection room.

  He fired shot after shot into the lock. Kicking the door in, he raced inside.

  She squeezed her eyes shut. The sound of breaking glass continued for what seemed like hours. He’s destroying everything!

  Suddenly the room was quiet. She saw Rick leave with her most prized possession.

  ~ * ~

  “I need to go out to my truck for a minute,” Josh said.

  I started to ask for what, but changed my mind. He walked quickly out the door. A few minutes later I heard the truck door slam. He returned, looking nonchalant, and sat down in the same chair as before.

  “I hate to move from here,” I said. “But the mess still awaits me. If you don’t want to stay I can handle Matthew’s room by myself.”

  “Are you trying to get rid of me,” he asked playfully.

  “No, I don’t want to impose on you.”

  “You’re not, so let’s get to it.”

  His phone rang as we got up from the table to begin tackling Matthew’s room.

  “It’s Megan.” He quickly answered. After a short pause he asked her, “Can I put you on speaker phone?”

  She obviously asked his location.

  “At Susan’s. Her house was broken into while we were talking to Agent Gorman. After what happened to Brad, I thought I ought to keep an eye on her.” He laid the phone on the table, then he pressed the button to put the call on speaker. “Okay, go ahead.”

  “Alex told us where he buried the emeralds…sort of,” Megan said.

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “He was unfamiliar with the area so he wasn’t sure of the exact spot. He did mention an old shack nearby. Susan, do you have any idea where that might be?”

  “Let me think a moment.” I really didn’t want to remember about the night I ran for my life through a part of that swamp with Jason Bordelon, the Mardi Gras killer, chasing me. “I believe that shack is an old fishing camp that was close to your family’s camp. It used to belong to Tank Hebert.”