Rue Toulouse (21 page)

“No, I don’t like your new clothes. They sure as hell don’t leave a lot to the imagination.”

Caterine stifled a laugh. “Remi, that’s not nice. You’ll hurt Elaine’s feelings.”

“I wouldn’t want Elaine wearing something that skimpy either,” Paul said.

Caterine put her hands on her hips, which emphasized her breasts and the low-cut capri pants. “The point was for Caterine Doucette not to be recognized.” She smiled. “And Elaine achieved that rather well.”

“I’d say so,” Paul murmured.

“I think it’s a cute outfit, and I’m not going to change.”

“Damn it, Caterine, you look like you’re on your way to work on Bourbon.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Remi, it’s not that bad.”

“You know, Caterine, perhaps I should take it back to the store. It really did look different on the rack,” Elaine said.

“We can’t take it back, we took the tags off. Besides, this is kind of fun. I’ve never dressed like this before. Come on, let’s go hit the Quarter.”

Scowling, Remi took her arm and led her out the door.

“Do you realize you’re being ogled by every man in here?”

“The only man I’m being ogled by is you, Remi,” Caterine said as they sat at a corner table in the courtyard of the Gumbo Shop. “Will you please lighten up and try to have a good time.”

“Here’s our waitress with our drinks,” Elaine said. “Are we ready to order? Is everyone having gumbo? What about you, Paul? Do you feel like gumbo?” Not getting a response, she turned to see what had Paul so enthralled. “Oh no.”

“
Oh no
is right. God, what should I do?” Caterine asked, staring in horror at the couple coming toward them.

Remi shifted his attention from Caterine’s cleavage. “Who are they?”

“It’s Charlotte, and I don’t know the man she’s with,” Caterine whispered anxiously. “Maybe they won’t see us. I can’t imagine what she’s doing here. This isn’t her usual kind of restaurant. Remi, what if she sees through my disguise?”

Remi took her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Stay calm, Princess. Just act natural.”

Paul turned to Remi and murmured, “Take a good look at the guy.”

Remi let out a silent whistle.

“Interesting company for Charlotte to be keeping, isn’t it?” Paul said.

Caterine’s voice cracked. “Who is he?”

Remi gave his head a quick shake. “Later, here they come.”

Charlotte halted a few steps from the table as she recognized Paul and Elaine. A cloud of uncertainty crossed her face as her eyes met Caterine’s.

Heart pounding, Caterine willed her hands to be steady as she nonchalantly picked up her menu and began to read. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Charlotte plaster on a fake smile as she halted next to Paul and Elaine.

“Well, hello. Fancy running into you two.”

“Well, hello to you, too,” Elaine said, smiling with as much phony warmth. “This is certainly a surprise.”

Charlotte gave a nervous-sounding laugh. “I know. Isn’t this something? During Carnival, you never know where you might end up.” Her eyes flicked around the table, pausing again for a second directly on Caterine.

Paul chuckled. “People do act out of the ordinary during Carnival, don’t they?”

Charlotte turned her attention back to Paul. “Isn’t that the truth?”

Remi discreetly took this opportunity to study Charlotte’s companion who was impatiently checking his watch.

“Well, it was nice seeing both of you,” Charlotte said. “Y’all enjoy your dinner. Oh, by the way, Elaine, have you heard from Caterine? I understand she’s out of town.”

Elaine shook her head. “Actually I’ve been so busy with the boys I haven’t talked to her in a couple of days.”

Charlotte’s smile brightened. “Oh well, no one ever knows what Caterine is up to. Y’all enjoy your dinner.”

“Whew,” Elaine said when Charlotte walked away. “I can’t believe we pulled that off. When she asked about Caterine, did my answer sound convincing?”

“I think you did fine,” Caterine replied. “Although I thought my heart was going to stop.”

“Tell me about it. I thought I’d pass out when she looked directly at you.”

“I know. I had to dig my nails into my palms to keep my hands from trembling. I guess that proves my disguise works. But I hope I don’t have to go through that again.”

“Did you notice Charlotte’s behavior?”

“No. I tried not to make eye contact,” Caterine said. “Besides, I was more interested in her creepy friend. Was there something wrong?”

“I thought she acted nervous and fidgety. I wonder if she’s on something? You know my cousin Will acted like that, and we found out he had a coke habit.”

“Charlotte putting drugs into her perfect body?” Caterine shook her head. “I can’t imagine that. Remi, what do you think?”

Remi halted Caterine with a wave and spoke to Paul. “Can you watch without being obvious?”

Paul nodded. “Dominic Rivette’s back is to me, and Charlotte is in profile.”

“Think he made us?”

“I doubt it. It was his watchdog we got, not him.”

Remi drained his beer and rose. “I’ll be back.”

As Caterine opened her mouth to ask where he was going, Paul lifted one finger silencing her.

“Here’s the food, and doesn’t that gumbo smell good.” Paul smiled at the waitress. “I’ll have another beer when you get a chance. Ladies, anything for you while she’s here?”

Elaine and Caterine both said no as Remi retook his seat.

“How about you, darlin’, can I get you another beer?” the smiling waitress asked.

“
Oui
.” Remi waited until the waitress had left and turned to Paul, lowering his voice. “Rivette’s muscle is standing at the far end of the bar.”

“Did he see you?”

“Nope. He’s watching their table.”

“Just him?”

“He’s all I saw.”

Caterine’s gaze went from one serious male face to the other. “All right, dynamic duo, enough with the cloak and dagger bit. What’s going on? Who’s Charlotte’s date?”

Remi leaned forward reaching for the hot sauce. His voice was barely above a whisper. “Your cousin is in very bad company. That’s all I can say. Now relax.” Then in a normal voice he said, “How’s your gumbo,
cher
? You want some hot sauce?”

Caterine gave him a frustrated scowl and snatched the bottle of Crystal from his outstretched hand.

“Where do we want to go after we’re done eating?” Elaine asked. “It’s not that often one of our parents offers to keep the boys overnight, so for a change Paul and I don’t have to hurry home. We can stay out all night and party if we wish.”

Paul frowned. “That’s exactly what I thought we’d do—go home to an
empty
house. Besides, I have to work tomorrow.”

Disappointment filled Elaine’s voice. “We don’t have to leave right away, do we?”

“Actually none of us will be leaving until Charlotte and her friend do,” Paul replied.

Caterine turned to Remi. “Why not?”

“Because we want to see where they go.”

“How are we going to do that? Won’t they see us?”

“They won’t see Paul and me. You two are to wait right here until we get back.”

“When did you decide all this without telling us?”

“We decided to follow them as soon as we saw who Charlotte was with. And I didn’t tell you because it doesn’t involve you,” Remi said. “Caterine, I’m not kidding about this. You and Elaine are to stay put. Do you understand me?”

As their eyes met, Caterine opened her mouth to reply, but before she could speak, Paul spoke.

“They’ve got company.”

“Male or female?” Remi asked.

“Younger male and I don’t recognize him.”

“You take one and I take the other?”

Paul nodded. “I’ll take the young guy since I know what he looks like.”

“Change of plans?”

Again Paul nodded.

“Then I’ll meet you outside.” Remi slipped into his lightweight jacket and leaned toward Caterine. He placed bills on the table and cupped her chin bringing his mouth close to hers. “Caterine, listen to me and do not argue. Do exactly as I tell you. Pay the check. Wait here until Charlotte leaves. Then get a cab back to the apartment and wait there for us. Under no circumstance do you walk home.” He slipped her a key, kissed her, and was gone.

Irritated at Remi’s terseness and abrupt departure, Caterine turned to Paul and found his chair as empty as Remi’s. “So the dynamic duo have left the building,” she said. “I assume Paul gave you your instructions?”

“Straight and to the point. I am to go to Remi’s and wait.”

“What those two handsome bad boys do to you girls? Leave you stuck with the check?” the waitress asked.

Caterine thought quickly and smiled. “No, they were nice enough to leave us the money to pay the check. They saw someone they knew, so they went to see if they could catch up with him.”

“Glad to hear that,” the waitress replied. “I had a man once say he was goin’ to the bathroom, and he never come back. The bum stuck me with an eighty-dollar dinner bill. So you ready for the check, then?”

Caterine turned to Elaine. “Do you want to stay and have a coffee and dessert?”

“Sure, why not? They’ve got great bread pudding here.”

“I understand Remi is trying to keep me safe, but I’m not used to someone ordering me around like he does,” Caterine said after the waitress had left. “He’s beginning to make me crazy.”

“It’s the cop in him. He can’t help himself.”

“I suppose.”

Elaine leaned in closer and whispered, “If that man is as bad as Remi and Paul say, I wonder what kind of trouble Charlotte has gotten herself into.”

Caterine blew out a breath and lowered her own voice. “I heard she had a new boyfriend. Charlotte always has a man with her, so I didn’t think anything about it, but hanging around with scumbags and possibly getting into drugs just isn’t like her.”

“He seems to be her type, attractive with money. Perhaps by the time she realized what kind of guy he really was, it was too late.”

“Can you tell what’s happening at their table?” Caterine asked after they’d finished their coffee and dessert. “I’m getting tired of sitting here.”

Elaine peered over Caterine’s shoulder. “It looks like a pretty heated conversation between the two men. Charlotte doesn’t seem to be saying much. In fact, she looks upset.”

“I wonder what Remi and Paul are doing.”

Again Elaine shrugged. “Hiding outside someplace, I guess. Oh, Charlotte and the men are getting up.”

“Are they coming this way?”

“No, they turned in the other direction.”

Caterine sighed in relief. “Thank God. Let’s pay the check then see if we can get a cab.” A few minutes later, looking irritated, Caterine dropped her cell back into her bag.

“What’s wrong?” Elaine asked.

“They said it would be at least a half hour to forty-five minutes before they could get here. We could be at Remi’s apartment in ten minutes. I’d rather not wait. How about you?”

“No, but the boys will be mad as hell if we walk.”

Caterine gnawed on her bottom lip in thought. “The streets are full of people. And if Charlotte didn’t recognize me, nobody will.”

Elaine nodded. “That’s true. And there’s two of us. It’s not like you’d be out on your own.”

“And we have our cells. We could call for help if we needed to.”

Again Elaine nodded.

“Then let’s go. Remi and Paul will never know the difference.”