Between Dusk and Dawn (36 page)

“
My life is an open book.
The world knows me right down to my DNA.” Manny let out a low
chuckle.

LaShaun turned her back to
the observation window and leaned forward. “I did some checking.
After her second mental breakdown at age thirteen, Diane was
admitted to a group home. What no one knows, not even Verlena, is
she had a baby. Orin Young is your father. Diane is your sister,
and your
mother
.”

Manny put a fist into his mouth and
bit down on it for a few seconds, breathing hard. For the first
time he looked shocked. “Don’t. I’m a devil spawned from a filthy
union. Ethan got drunk and threatened to tell everyone, so me and
Orin took care of him.”

“
He didn’t run off.”
LaShaun worked hard not to let the revolted shock she felt show on
her face.

“
How could you
know?”

“
Don’t try to manipulate
me, and don’t threaten me,” LaShaun whispered in a tone as sharp as
the edge of her silver weapon. She faced the observation window and
spoke in a normal volume so they could hear. “Good luck with your
court hearing. I’ll tell your grandfather you said,
‘Hello’.”

Manny’s expression darkened into a
predatory scowl. He twisted in the chair until it wobbled.
Roosevelt and the guards came through the door in seconds. Manny
fought against his restraints and made rasping sounds like several
snarling animals.

“
Come out right now,” Dr.
Norris said sharply. She pulled LaShaun out into the hallway just
as the male nurse injected medicine in Manny’s left arm.

“
Give
daddy
a special warm hello for me.
Tell him I wish I was there to give it to him in person,” Manny
screamed.

Chapter 20

That night LaShaun combed through old
books from the museum library that Pete loaned her. Most had wild
legends that came more from the imagination of the authors than
based on facts. Yet the stories her ancestors had written were no
less fantastic. The rougarou legends held that the beasts were in
league with imps of Satan. In return for physical power, eternal
youth and earthly wealth the rougarou had to find more victims. One
tale said Catholics who didn’t observe lent would be devoured by a
rougarou. But according to the Rousselle-LeGrange journals, anyone
already prone to lusts of the flesh in any form was particularly
vulnerable.

After reading for hours LaShaun stood
up and stretched, stiff from sitting so long. She went to the
informal parlor and put the books on the shelf made of acid free
board. When she turned around the portrait of Monmon Odette gazed
down at her.

“
I wish Schaffer was right
about talking to ghosts. Then you could tell me what to do
next.”

LaShaun jumped when a solid three
knocks seemed to answer her. Looking out of the window she saw the
rear fender of Miss Clo’s car in her driveway. She was still
laughing when she opened the door.

“
Evenin’. Glad somebody’s
in a good mood.” Miss Clo raised an eyebrow at her.

“
Good evening to you. Come
on in.” LaShaun waved her in and closed the door. They settled in
the informal parlor with Miss Clo refusing any refreshments. “So
from that frown I take it you’re not here bringing news full of
sunshine and daisies.”

“
Joyelle would have come,
but one of her daughters had to work late so she’s babysitting the
grand babies.” Miss Clo folded her arms on top of the dark brown
purse in her lap that matched her sensible shoes. “I came over to
say we’re sorry for dragging you into this mess.”

“
Now you don’t have
to...”

“
Let me finish, girl,” Miss
Clo said in a “Mind your elder’s” tone of voice.

“
Sorry, go on.”

“
Me and Joyelle shouldn’t
have brought more trouble your way. And Patsy ain’t exactly the
‘poor lil thing’ we thought either.” Miss Clo’s lips pursed in
disapproval.

“
What’s she done now?”
LaShaun said. So they finally accepted the general opinion about
Patsy.

“
She’s slippin’ around with
that married high school coach again. His wife caught ‘em in Coach
Taylor’s van. Then Patsy had the nerve to attack the woman. Fought
Mrs. Taylor like the alley cat she is.” Miss Clo huffed out a sigh.
“I hate to sound like that Reverend Fletcher, but either folks have
lost their minds or the devil is extra busy in Beau Chene. Now
there are whispers that even I had trouble believing until he
bailed her out.”

LaShaun had a sharp stab like
electricity up her arms. She knew the answer but asked anyway.
“Who?”

“
Orin Young. More than a
few say Patsy and him are way too cozy. Not to mention rumors about
him and a nurse at Shady Grove. I mean really! Carryin’ on with
Miss Flora Lee steps away.” Miss Clo shook her head.

“
Doing what comes natural
to a canine,” LaShaun murmured.

“
S’cuse me?” Miss Clo
blinked at her.

“
Never mind, go on.
“

“
Anyway, I just want to say
we should never have dragged you and your young man into this mess;
especially with him running for sheriff. Dave Godchaux is a sly
one, dropping hints about family values and old fashion morals.
Everybody knows he’s talking about you and Chase,” Miss Clo said
with a grimace.

“
Don’t worry, Miss Clo. I
would become an issue for Chase no matter what,” LaShaun said. Once
again she wondered if Chase would consider distancing himself from
her, at least until the election. She covered the ring on her
finger as though already thinking of ways to shield him.

“
Forget about helping
Patsy. That girl deserves anything that happens to her from now on.
Her husband came to his senses. Him and the kids have moved in with
his parents, and Savannah Honoré is handling the divorce. The
little boy Joyelle was treating is getting better. The storm has
passed.”

“
What?” LaShaun looked up
at her in confusion.

“
M.J. says Willie Dupuis
was the killer they been chasing. Nothing to do with Patsy, and
obviously she’s in good health, the little minx. But the good news
is the trouble is over, well the killing at least.”

“
They just found two more
bodies, Miss Clo,” LaShaun said.

“
According to the news
those poor souls been dead several months.” Miss Clo nodded with a
solemn expression and made the sign of the Cross. “Willie Dupuis
got punished in this life. They say he suffered something terrible
in his last hours. No doubt he’s facing eternal judgment in the
next life right now.”

“
Yes, no doubt.” LaShaun
couldn’t help but feel sympathy for the man, and silently said a
prayer for his soul.

“
Thank the Lord it’s over.
I don’t know if Patsy was connected to Tommy’s murder. More than
likely their crazy idea of fun got them in with a dangerous crowd.
She’s going to get hers soon enough. As for Orin Young...” Miss Clo
shook her head. “How he got tempted can be explained in one word:
lust.”

LaShaun considered the older woman’s
assessment and nodded slowly. When and why Orin became what he was
didn’t matter at this point. She guessed he’d turned bad early in
his life, maybe even before he married poor Flora Lee. Orin had
lust for sure, for sensual pleasure, power, money and eternal
youth.

Miss Clo stood. “Maybe life will get
back to normal in Beau Chene, if that Reverend Fletcher doesn’t
keep stirrin’ the pot. Oh well, at least we’ve got enough folks
with common sense to ignore his ranting and raving.”

“
Yes.” LaShaun did not
share Miss Clo’s sense of closure at all. Her expression must have
shown it.

“
You okay, baby?” Miss Clo
said quietly, a slight frown wiping away her smile.

LaShaun snapped out of her reverie and
smiled as she stood. “Sure, I’m fine. Thanks for coming. By the way
how is Miss Joyelle?”

“
She’s much happier, child.
The little boy that she was seeing seems to be okay. It took a lot
of prayer, but the good Lord smote whatever had him.” Miss Clo
laughed out loud. “Listen at me. I’m sounding like Reverend
Fletcher, heaven forbid. You take care now.”

“
Bye,” LaShaun said,
forcing a light tone into her voice.

She walked out with Miss Clo and waved
goodbye to her one last time as her little car backed out of the
driveway. LaShaun stood on the wide porch gazing at the horizon.
Nightfall seemed to spread ink blue paint on the sky as the sun
slipped out of view. A chilly breeze caused the hanging potted
plants to sway. Her woods looked dusty gray as light faded. A faint
glow caught her eye, something flickering in shadows of leaves and
branches. Could it be? LaShaun stood still and prayed what she’d
seen was merely a trick of the fading light and wind. But there it
was again, the unmistakable sign that her demon had come back. When
she recited the prayer her grandmother had taught her years ago the
glow faded. But for how long? She went to the small parlor.
Concealed in the one hundred fifty year old desk handed down in her
family were the items she’d turned to more than once.

LaShaun took out the figure of the
Virgin Mary, three white candles, a lace table runner and Monmon
Odette’s rosary. She created an altar and began to pray. The air
became oddly still in the room. A faint acrid scent of something
burnt wafted around her, and overpowered the calming fragrance from
the melting candle wax. She continued to pray. Wind blew stronger
around the house causing the wood to creak. Barely audible, she
heard it; the soft voice hovered just beyond the walls and pushed
through the closed windows.

“
I only want to help,” it
said.

***

After that evening LaShaun dared hope
Miss Clo’s confidence that the storm had passed was well founded.
There were no more murders. She’d gone into her woods, and to the
Rousselle family cemetery without encountering any hint of evil.
Even the howling seemed to have stopped. LaShaun hadn’t seen Orin
Young, and she preferred to keep it that way. Maybe she’d destroyed
the last few members of his evil entourage that night. Whatever the
reasons, LaShaun worked hard to be optimistic like Miss Clo. Even
so, she’d begun her own novena to Michael the Archangel. With two
evil forces at work LaShaun needed major protection for
sure.

Chase showed up at her back door at
three o’clock in the afternoon on Halloween day. Being a southern
gentleman, he rang the doorbell even though he had a key. LaShaun
laughed when she pushed aside the short curtain covering the window
of the door to see his grin. She unlocked that door and then the
screen door as well.

“
I’ve told you to just come
on in.” LaShaun kissed him lightly on the end of his nose and then
led the way into her kitchen.

“
I know we’ve kind of
broken the rule about kissing before the wedding, but I think it’s
only right. I don’t want to disrespect your grandmother’s memory.
This was her house after all.” Chase perched on one of the counter
stools.

“
Kissing?” LaShaun looked
at him with her head tilted to one side

“
Okay, okay. I know that
sounds a little nuts, but humor me on this one.” Chase walked over
where she stood packing up cupcakes and pulled LaShaun to him.
“Maybe we should start planning the wedding a little
sooner.”

“
Whoa, whoa, slow down,
Chief Detective Broussard. I just got the ring a minute ago,”
LaShaun said. She tried to make a joke despite the way her heart
hammered with anxiety.

“
I want us to start our
life together.” Chase brushed a tendril of hair from her
cheek.

“
I hope you don’t think we
can plan a wedding in the next three weeks. Sharon and Adrianna
would have fit. Not that your mother would care,” she
mumbled.

“
Do we want to have a
wedding with bridesmaids and flower girls?” Chase raised an eyebrow
then nodded when LaShaun’s eyes widen in alarm. “That’s what I
thought. Me neither. It’s not about the big show for me either.
It’s about the vows and making it official that we ain’t just
playing around here. C’mon, girl, you know what I’m
sayin’.”

The soft purr of his Cajun accent
became stronger as his voice became intimate, soothing away most of
her uneasiness. But not all. “I know exactly what you’re saying.
But let’s be practical. Concentrate on getting elected, and then
we’ll get married.”

“
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Practical.” Chase nuzzled her neck.

“
You know it makes sense,”
LaShaun insisted.

Chase sighed, gave her another peck on
the forehead and sat down again. “Yes, it does. At least Dave and
Reverend Fletcher don’t have any ammo to shoot at me. We pretty
much figure Willie killed those people. There’s evidence he knew at
least two of the victims, including the woman with him.”

“
That’s good,” LaShaun said
faintly.

“
And even better, there is
no ‘supernatural force luring victims to the misty Louisiana bayou
each night to meet a bloody end’. James Schaffer knows how to ham
it up.” Chase gave a snort of contempt. “Luckily he didn’t find a
source to make a connection to Manny. Matter of fact I think him
and the ghost busting crew of his packed it up and went home.
Goodbye and don’t come back.”