For some reason he suspected she was nearby or she had been recently. The Feds were attempting to uncover all the participants in the drug operation, including several public officials. Those public officials were either the mayor, the parish president, some appointed officials or all of the above. His money was on the mayor.

  Bill Kaufman had changed recently. He didn’t have as much professional contact with the mayor as CLPD did. The few times he’d been around Bill on a personal basis, like the cook-out Jim and Susan had for Memorial Day, Bill kept using allergies as an excuse for his runny nose.

  At the time he didn’t think much about it. Lots of people have seasonal allergies. He’d be willing to bet even more money on the possibility Kaufman had an addiction to cocaine as well as being involved in the drug operation.

  Briskly walking around the side of the building, he checked out the visitor parking lot in front of the Annex. He spotted Susan’s car parked there. Her car was locked, purse and cell phone lying on the front seat.

  Danny headed inside the Annex and went directly to the mayor’s office. The place was deserted. Kaufman should be at the meeting. He needed to get over there and catch up with him.

  The location of Susan’s car strongly suggested she came to visit Kaufman. What happened to her after her visit?

  He phoned Fred again. “Is Kaufman over there?”

  “He is, but he looks anxious to get away.”

  “Keep him occupied if you can until I get to EPC. I’ll be there in a few.”

  He hurried around the front of City Hall, got in his unit, and sped out of the parking lot.

  The Emergency Preparedness Center was located a half block away from City Hall. Danny entered the building’s foyer and pushed open the meeting room door part way. He stood for a moment watching Fred trying to make conversation with Kaufman.

  Kaufman kept looking around as if searching for an escape route. Danny stepped into view. Fred looked relieved to see him.

  Danny casually walked up to the pair. “Sorry I’m late. Something came up right as I was leaving my office.”

  Kaufman’s expression remained neutral. “I’ve been briefed already by State Police and OEP officials. I have to leave right now to take care of some business.” He took a few steps away.

  Danny put his hand on Kaufman’s shoulder. “Before you go, Bill, I need to ask you a question.”

  “What is it?” he asked, clearly annoyed.

  “Have you seen Susan today?”

  Kaufman frowned. “Susan? No, why do you ask?”

  “Her family’s trying to locate her. She’s not answering her phone. I saw her car parked outside the Annex and thought maybe she’d come to see you for some reason.”

  Kaufman blinked. “I don’t know why she would come to see me. Now, if you’ll excuse me I need to leave.” He turned and strode out of the room.

  Danny surveyed the room. “I don’t see LeBlanc around. Was he here at all?”

  Fred shook his head. “I haven’t seen him. You’d think he’d show up at least.

  “You’d think so.” Danny’s cell phone rang. He glanced at the number on the display—Wallace. “What’s up?”

  “LeBlanc and Hernandez can’t be located. Ike Pierre was headed out to grab some lunch when he observed them in the old Bronco. They were parked behind the Annex. A short time later Kaufman exits the building with Susan and puts her in the back seat.”

  “Son of a bitch,” Danny mumbled. He signaled to Fred he was going outside to finish the call. He continued his conversation in a more private spot. “I just spoke to Kaufman. He told me he hadn’t seen Susan. He was in a hell of a hurry to leave the briefing. How long ago did Ike see them?”

  “It’s been at least twenty minutes ago. He didn’t say anything sooner because she wasn’t struggling and didn’t realize LeBlanc and Hernandez weren’t where they should have been.”

  “Kaufman left here within the last five minutes.” Images raced through Danny’s mind. This doesn’t bode well at all. “I thought your department had gotten rid of the Bronco.”

  “No, it’s been sitting in the back lot for years. It’s kept in running condition and gets used whenever we need an unmarked vehicle. You have any idea where they might have taken Susan?”

  “I have a gut feeling, but I’m not sure of the exact location of this place. Are you at headquarters?”

  Wallace affirmed his location.

  “Is Angie in the office? Tell her to give me a call ASAP.”

  Fifty-six

  I know how a handcuffed suspect feels, especially one cuffed behind his back. My shoulders ached and the metal chafed my wrists. Mind you, I don’t feel sorry for bad guys in this situation, but I’m not a criminal.

  Darkness inside this abandoned camp only made the situation more uncomfortable. I felt claustrophobic. The only light came from the windows. With the stormy weather outside, the light was exceedingly weak. After a while, my eyes became accustomed to the dark.

  From my position on the floor, I watched Jack pace up and down and peer out the windows, all the while grumbling about being stuck out here in the swamp in a storm.

  “Quit griping. Kaufman ought to be here anytime now,” Joe told him. “I don’t exactly relish being out here myself.”

  I decided to stick my two cents into the mix. “I’m sure neither of you complained about the money you received from those illegal activities out here in the swamp.”

  Jack’s lips twisted in an angry grimace. He strode across the room to me, shaking his hefty fist in my face.

  I jerked my head back in anticipation of a punch. The hit never came.

  Joe grabbed him by the forearm. “Leave her alone. Kaufman will be pissed off if you mess her up. I’m pretty sure he wants to take care of her himself.”

  His words made my heart ache. Not only because of the meaning, but to hear those words come from a man I’d been acquainted with for eight years. What happened to the Joe Hernandez I had met back then?

  Jack turned and stomped over to the door. He yanked it open and looked outside. Searching for Bill to come and relieve him of this distasteful part of his job, I imagined.

  Rain poured down so hard I couldn’t see much of anything. The wind roared and whipped sheets of water against the wooden structure. Loud creaks came from the aging building, protesting against the wind.

  “Shut the damn door,” Joe snapped.

  Jack complied and passed his hand over his arm and down the front of his clothes to wipe away the moisture blown in by the wind. “Kaufman ain’t coming. I knew he would leave us holding the bag. I say we get rid of her and get the hell out of here.”

  Joe looked at him with disgust. “Like where are we going to go? By now the sheriff, the rest of CLPD and maybe even the Feds are looking for us. I’m staying until I figure out what to do. You can head out if you want.”

  From the sound of his voice, I suspected a feeling of hopelessness was mixed in with his disgust of Jack.

  “Well, I’m not staying. Give me the keys to the Bronco.”

  Joe handed over the keys and walked over to the window on the opposite side of the room. He didn’t watch Jack leave or make an attempt to join him.

  “What are you going to do?” I asked.

  “Hell if I know,” he said, still gazing out the window.

  “You could let me go.” I didn’t believe he would, but you never know until you ask.

  “I can’t let you go. At least not right now.” He turned to face me. “Not until I decide whether to turn myself in or go on the run.”

  “Did you have anything to do with Jim’s murder?”

  He shook his head. “I was privy to the deal after the fact.”

  Keep him talking. Sympathize with him. “So who actually shot Jim?”

  He came closer and sat on the floor. “Kaufman shot him, so I was told, but LeBlanc helped him subdue the chief so they could make the scene look like a suicide.” He paused for a moment and looked deep in thought. “LeBlanc told me Jim was looking into something about his father’s death which also happened to take place at the spot we were accepting the drug shipments.”

  His version resembled Bill’s story with a few more details.

  “Bill admitted Jim suspected him of being involved with the drug operation. He lured Jim out there and killed him. Maybe Kaufman was just paranoid. Cocaine does crazy things to your brain.” He shrugged. “You know Kaufman’s a cocaine addict.”

  “Yes, I discovered his addiction earlier. I suppose he’s skipped town by now.”

  “I reckon he has.”

  “You never struck me as the type of man to be mixed up in criminal activity. If you had nothing to do with Jim’s murder or T-Boy’s, how are you involved?”

  “Gambling debts. I was in over my head and about to lose my home and my family. Loan sharks, bookies, casinos, you name it, were all after me. A few of them threatened to kill my wife and kids if I didn’t pay up. Kaufman convinced me to go in with him and LeBlanc in the drug trafficking operation.”

  “Couldn’t you have turned them in after you paid off your debt?”

  Joe laughed, but his eyes didn’t reflect mirth. “Doesn’t work that way. Money is like a drug. You get addicted to it.”

  I eyed him with curiosity. “Who else was involved?”

  “Two other people played major parts in the operation.”

  “One being Doctor Breaux,” I said.

  “Right. The other person is Curtis Tullier. I honestly don’t know how he came to be involved. Looking to make a fast buck, I guess. He’s the one who shot T-Boy LaBauve and fired those rounds at you the day y’all went out to the crime scene.”

  “And the one who hit me over the head?”

  Joe turned his gaze to the floor. “I’m the one who hit you.”

  I widened my eyes. That was unexpected. “Why? The key ring belonged to Ronnie Hart.”

  He rose from his seated position and walked back to the window. “Tullier dropped it there on purpose to put the blame on him. Hart was on the verge of figuring out about the drug operation. He would have turned everyone in.”

  For a long time he didn’t speak. “I hate to admit it, but I got cold feet about blaming Hart. He didn’t deserve to go down. His wife and three young kids…they didn’t deserve it either. I went back to get the key ring, but you had already found the piece.”

  “Let me go and turn yourself in. The court will go easier on you if you do. If it will help, I’ll put in a good word for you.”

  Joe turned around to face me. “Even after I hit you and everything I just told you?”

  “I believe you’re basically a good person who made a lot of bad decisions.” My statement came from the heart and wasn’t simply a ploy to escape. Although leaving here would be more than nice.

  “Do you have any idea what life behind bars would be like for me as a former cop?”

  “Rough, so I hear, but what’s the alternative?”

  He walked back across the room and knelt beside me. With his handcuff key he reached behind me and started to unlock the cuffs.

  A loud crash made my heart jump. Joe dropped the key and whirled around.

  Wind blew sheets of rain through the open door. Two men were silhouetted in the pale light.

  Fifty-seven

  Bill strode into the room like Napoleon entering his court, followed by a man I recognized as Curtis Tullier. Water dripped from both men’s clothing, forming small puddles on the wood floor.

  Tullier carried a handgun with a small light attached. He moved the gun around using it as a flashlight. I squinted when he blasted the light into my darkness-accustomed eyes.

  From what I could tell, Bill had an animated expression despite his soggy appearance. His hair hung down like bangs plastered to his forehead. He swiped his hand over his head and pushed the wet hair to one side.

  “Didn’t expect to see you,” Joe said. “I thought you’d be long gone by now.”

  “Likewise. Obviously LeBlanc believed he wouldn’t see me either. Otherwise he wouldn’t have taken off. You should have gone with him. Both of you would be in jail.”

  Joe looked confused. I admit I felt the same.

  Tullier spoke up in an almost gleeful tone. “When we came out of Reynaud Road onto Pitre, we spotted a bunch of flashing lights to our left surrounding the old Bronco.”

  “So you came back here to make sure there was no one else left to talk?” I said.

  Bill shook his head. “Really, Susan, must you always accuse everyone of murder?”

  “Why did you return, if not to kill me?”

  “If you must know, someone is coming in a boat to meet us and take us away from here. From here we can make it to Mexico, South America, some place where we can disappear.” Bill smiled.

  “Someone is coming in a boat to pick you up in a storm like this?” I couldn’t believe any sane person would attempt such a dangerous feat.

  “People will do anything for a price.” Bill turned to his partner in crime. “Curt, take care of these two.”

  Joe reached for his weapon, but Tullier’s gun had already been drawn. With a flash of light, the gunshot echoed inside the dark building. Joe fell back against the wall and slid down to the floor.

  I knew I was next. My heart was in my throat. I squeezed my eyes shut. All the tales people tell about your life flashing before your eyes were not true. I didn’t see events, only my children, Jim, and Steven.

  “The boat’s here,” Bill shouted. “Come on. Let’s go.” He let out a loud curse. “Somebody’s coming down the road. Get a move on.”

  I opened my eyes in time to see Bill running out the door with Tullier right behind him.

  Tullier turned around and fired a shot in my direction and raced out the door. I cringed. The bullet hit the wall above my head. The sound was horrendous. Splinters flew and stung my cheek.

  I glanced at Joe. He still breathed. Good. Bracing myself against the wall, I got to my feet and tried to see where he was wounded. The bullet had hit him in the arm. He half opened his eyes.

  “Joe?”

  “Yeah, you okay?”

  I replied in the affirmative.

  Muted shouts and a few rounds of gunfire sounded outside. I cringed with every shot.

  Heavy footfalls sounded on the stairs outside. Danny and Ken Wallace approached the doorway, guns drawn. I heard other men behind them. My sense of relief was overwhelming. The cavalry had arrived.

  Danny freed me from my restraints. Before I was led outside, an EMT placed a blanket over my head and shoulders to keep me from getting too wet. I told Danny in no uncertain words—I was not going to the hospital. My nerves were shot, but otherwise I had no physical wounds.

  Joe had opted to walk down the stairs with the assistance of the EMT rather than have medical personnel attempt to carry him on a stretcher down those unstable stairs. He climbed inside the vehicle, followed by a deputy. Shortly thereafter, EMS drove away.

  Danny led me to his truck and helped me inside. “I’ll be back shortly to take you home.” He headed back to supervise the scene.

  Surreal was the only word to describe the scene outside. I watched the activity from a front row seat.

  Flashing red lights from the patrol cars seemed blurred through the pouring rain. At least five deputies including Ronnie Hart wrestled with Tullier, finally subdued and cuffed him. The boat driver put up a pretty good fight himself.

  Bill, Curtis Tullier, and the driver of the boat were then hustled off toward waiting patrol cars.

  A tall, broad-shouldered man I’d never seen before spoke briefly to Bill and to Curtis Tullier before they were shoved into a sheriff’s office patrol car. Who was he?

  Oddly, the driver of the boat had been placed in a CLPD car. The unidentified man walked over to the unit and opened the back door. He said something to the boat driver, closed the door, and walked away.

  It dawned on me then. The unidentified man was probably a Federal agent. Drug trafficking came under Federal law.

  I shook off my suspicious feelings about the boatman getting preferential treatment. They couldn’t very well stuff all three men into one back seat, especially when two were pretty buff. Bill would be squeezed in the middle. I laughed at the image. Wow, I must be getting hysterical.

  Most of CLPD officers were on the scene, including Angie. Apparently she had no connection to any of this. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed. I couldn’t imagine what kind of game she played. Had she tried to seduce Jim? After he was killed she obviously had better luck with Jack LeBlanc.

  Bill’s explanation about the note came to mind. The message had been a ploy. Maybe Angie was simply attracted to Jack. To each his own.

  Exhaustion overcame me and I drifted off to sleep. Sometime later I awoke when Danny got into the truck.

  “I’m taking you home,” he said.

  “Good. I could use a little peace and quiet.” I yawned. “And sleep in my own bed instead of your truck.”

  “You’re going to spend the night in our guest room where Rachel and I can keep an eye on you,” he said with authority.

  I started to object, but my resistance was weak. Besides, I really didn’t want to be alone in my house. Katy wouldn’t even be there to cuddle with.

  “I suppose you’ll be going back to the station to oversee custody of the prisoners,” I said. “What’s going to happen to Joe?”

  He turned the key in the ignition. “I’m not sure at this point in time. There’s going to be Federal charges as well as State. The Feds have priority so they will prosecute first. I’m not happy about this development. It might be years before we can prosecute these men for crimes they committed here.”

  “Joe’s predicament saddens me, but he freely made the choices that brought him there.” I changed the subject. “What’s the latest on the storm?”

  “Moving slowly past us toward Mobile,” Danny said. “By tomorrow afternoon all this rain and wind should be gone.”

  I silently stared ahead as the truck splashed through puddles forming on the gravel road.

  Fifty-eight