Rue Toulouse (12 page)

“Drive.” When the wide-eyed cabbie only stared, she repeated herself. “Did you hear me? I said
drive.
”
 

“Ah, miss, do you need a doctor?”

“No, I don’t need a doctor.”

“How about the police? Do you want to go to a police station?”

Caterine hesitated, replaying the attack in her mind. The man didn’t try to steal her purse; he was after her. The Doucettes were wealthy, so there was always the threat of kidnapping. One by one the faces of her family and their reactions to her ownership of Ma Chérie swam before her eyes. As suspicion of their betrayal struck her, she began to shake uncontrollably. Was the timing too coincidental? But what could they gain from abducting her? Caterine swallowed back the nausea that churned in her stomach. The only way they’d gain anything from her is if she were dead.
Oh, God, I’m going to be sick.

“Miss, do you want the police?” the driver asked again.

Caterine gulped the stale air of the cab. If it was her family, did she want the police involved? She had to have time to think it through. She tried to keep her teeth from chattering as she replied, “No, I don’t want the police. I just want to leave the Quarter.”

“Is there someone I can call to come get you?”

Caterine thought she’d scream in frustration. “Please just drive. I don’t care where we go.”

“Miss, I can’t leave until this fog lifts, and when it does, I have a fare to pick up at the airport.”

Caterine gritted her teeth. “Then take me to the airport.”

“That will cost you thirty dollars.”

She dug her wallet out of her oversized bag that somehow was still hanging on her shoulder, pulled out a fifty-dollar bill, and handed it to him. “Here, keep the change.”

The driver looked at her, then at the bill. With a resigned shrug, he took the money and faced front. “The fog is beginning to lift. We can probably leave shortly.”

“Thank you.”

As police sirens filled the night, the cab slowly made its way through the streets. Another fear entered Caterine’s mind—Grandmère. Would they go after her as well? She began franticly searching in her handbag for her cell phone. For the first time in her life, she felt on the verge of hysteria.

The cabbie glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “You okay back there, miss?”

She stifled a sob. “Yes, I’m fine.”

“We’re almost at the airport. Where do you want me to drop you off?”

“What?”

“At which airline do you wish to be left?”

“It doesn’t matter.” Caterine had finally dug her phone from the bottom of her bag. With trembling fingers, she tried to scroll down to her grandmother’s private number, but she was shaking too badly.

“Here we are, miss.”

She glanced up to see they were parked in front of the terminal entrance.

“Are you going to be okay, miss?” the cabby asked as she stumbled from the car.

“What? Yes, I’m fine. Thank you.”

Caterine hurried into the terminal and headed for the ladies’ room. When she saw her reflection in the mirror, she understood the cab driver’s concern. Her hair was a tangled mess. Her clothes were disheveled. Her stockings were torn, and her hands and knees were scraped and bloody.

She splashed cold water on her face, then cleaned herself the best she could with soap and paper towels. Thankfully, she found a brush, another hair clip, and some makeup in her bag. One more glance in the mirror told her she was as presentable as she could be. She left the ladies’ room and headed for an area of empty chairs.

Grateful there weren’t many people around, she took a seat and again tried to call her grandmother.
Thank God
, she thought with relief when the phone was answered. Hoping she could keep her voice steady, she asked, “Grandmère, are you all right?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Why?”

Caterine hesitated. How could she tell her grandmother she was convinced someone in their family had just tried to have her abducted?

“Caterine, what’s going on?”

She took a deep breath. ”Grandmère, I’m at the airport and before I say anything else, I want you to know I’m okay.”

“What?”

“I don’t know any other way to say this, but someone just tried to abduct me at gunpoint.”

“What in the world are you talking about, Caterine?”

“I was just leaving Ma Chérie, and I was attacked from behind. I was able to get away and find a cab, and now I’m at the airport and I’m afraid now they’ll come after you. So you have to get out of there.”

“For heaven’s sake, slow down. I can’t make sense out of anything you’re saying.”

Caterine wiped the tears from her cheeks and took a few calming breaths, then repeated the chain of events. “So you see, your life could also be in danger. You have to get out of that house. Thomas can take you somewhere safe.”

With a quiver in her voice, Miss Dauphine asked, “What makes you think your attack had to do with Ma Chérie?”

“I can’t know for sure, but to me it’s a bit coincidental this happens two days after you transfer ownership.”

“Oh, sweet Jesus, do you realize what you’re saying?”
 

“Yes, that someone in our family is behind it. Grandmère, I don’t want to think that any more than you do, but until we know for sure, we have to be careful.”

“I don’t understand. What would they achieve by abducting you?”

Caterine hesitated. Her grandmother was upset enough; she didn’t need to hear that she thought killing her was their goal. “I don’t know Grandmère, but we can’t worry about that right now. It’s your safety I’m concerned about.”

“This is all my fault.”

“Don’t even say such a thing.”

“If you’re right, how can I not? I thought I was doing what was best. I never imagined there could be such evil in my own family.”

“Grandmère, we’ll figure this out later. What you need to do now is leave that house. I’ll meet you at a hotel.”

“Caterine, I will not be run out of my own home. It’s you we have to worry about. Do you have identification and a credit card on you?”

“Yes, I have both. Why?”

“Then get on the next plane and leave New Orleans.”

“Grandmère, I can’t do that. What about you?”

“I’m of no importance. It’s you who’s in danger. Until we know what we’re up against, I want you out of this city.”

“I can go to a hotel. Nobody will think to look for me there.”

“For all we know, we’re both being watched. We can’t take any chances.” Miss Dauphine’s voice cracked. “Caterine, I couldn’t stand it if something happened to you. Please do as I ask and leave.”

“All right, I’ll go, but I want you to join me. Once we’re settled, we’ll call Paul and tell him what’s happened, and he can advise us on what we should do next.”

“I plan on calling Paul as soon as I hang up from you. I want him to send someone to be with you and keep you safe. So as soon as you get where you’re going, call me and let me know where you are.”

Caterine opened her mouth to protest but, knowing her words would fall on deaf ears, gave up. “Fine, I’ll call you. But please ask Paul to send someone to look after you as well.”

Caterine dropped the phone back in her bag and looked around for a monitor listing departures. Spotting one, she started to rise, then abruptly sat back down.
No, if Grandmère isn’t going to allow them to run her out of her home, then by God I’m not going to let them chase me out of New Orleans.

An anger she didn’t know she possessed burned through her veins.
Damn them to hell. I’ve had a lifetime of their abuse. No more. I’m going to find out who’s behind this, and God help them when I do.

She rose from her seat and, with a determined stride, headed for the exit.

Remi paced back and forth, smoking a cigarette he knew he shouldn’t be smoking, while waiting for Paul to arrive. After he’d found the hair clip and the blood, he’d called Paul only to have the phone answered by a nearly incoherent Elaine. All Remi was able to understand was that her friend Caterine was in trouble and Paul was on his way.

“We got samples of both blood smears, along with the smaller drops we found,” Vince said, stopping beside Remi. “And we found this in the gutter.” He held out an evidence bag. “It may have traces of blood.”

Remi tossed his cigarette into the street and reached for the bag. His eyes narrowed when he realized what he held. “It’s the remote alarm for the store.”

“Since the damn fog has lifted, we can get some lights out here and see if we find anything else.”

Remi nodded and reached for another cigarette.

“Remi, man, you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He let out a long stream of smoke. “I may know whose blood that is.”

“Whose?”

“It belongs to a princess.”

“A what?”

Before Remi could explain, a black Mercury Mountaineer stopped at the curb and Paul jumped out.

“Hey, Vince, where y’at?” Paul asked, stopping in front of the two men.

“All right, Paul. I hope you can make more sense than this one.” Vince pointed at Remi. “He’s telling me the blood on the sidewalk might belong to a princess.”

Paul glanced at Remi, then back at Vince. “He’s right. It does.”

Vince sighed. “Okay, I’m listening.”

“Her name is Caterine Doucette, and she’s in trouble.”

“Doucette, as in Doucette Shipping?” Vince asked.

“That’s the one.”

Remi lit another cigarette.

“Hey, I thought you quit?” Paul asked.

He received an icy stare in reply.

With a shrug, Paul continued. “Caterine’s grandmother just called me. It seems Caterine was attacked earlier when she left work. They aren’t sure if it was an attempted kidnapping or family related. She managed to get away and make it to the airport. Her grandmother told her to get on the next plane out of here. I stopped here on my way to talk with Miss Dauphine.”

“Did Miss Doucette say whether she got a look at her attacker?” Vince asked.

Paul shook his head. “That’s all I know. I’ll call you when I learn more.”

“I take it this business . . .” Vince indicated Ma Chérie, “belongs to the Doucettes.”

Again Paul nodded. “That would be Miss Dauphine Doucette. Vince, I need to get going. Do what you need to do here then lock up. I’ll be in touch after I speak with Miss Dauphine.”

“Will do.”

Paul and Remi headed for the SUV, Remi climbing into the passenger seat.

“Elaine told me what happened between you and Caterine at the party,” Paul said after he pulled from the curb.

Remi narrowed his eyes. “Everything?”

“As much as Elaine thought I needed to know. It wasn’t hard to figure out the rest.”

Remi turned and stared out the side window. “How long have you known her?”

“Caterine, Elaine, and I have been friends since we were kids. Why?”

Remi shrugged. “Just curious. Until tonight I didn’t even know her name.”

Paul’s brows rose. “You two didn’t introduce yourselves?”

“Sure. I was Jean Lafitte and she was a princess.”

“I can’t believe this is Caterine we’re talking about. She’s always been pretty straight-laced. In fact, I’ve heard her called a frigid princess. And now you’re telling me that you and she, ahhh . . .” Paul hesitated. “Got close and she didn’t even ask you your name.”

Remi snorted. “We weren’t real interested in talkin’,
cher
.”

“I told her I wanted to introduce her to a friend of mine, and she didn’t say a word about already knowing you.”

“She didn’t know the man she’d met at the party was the friend you were talking about?”

“Actually she did. She found out from Elaine that night who you were.”

“Is that right?” Remi scoffed. “I guess when the uptown lady realized who’d she’d just done the dirty with, she didn’t want anyone to know.”

“Remi, Caterine isn’t a snob. She’s always been kind and giving. She’s never let a person’s background or social standing influence her. She cares more about them than about their bank accounts.”