Read Showdown in Mudbug Online
Authors: Jana DeLeon
Raissa managed to look confused and made a mental note to talk to Maryse later about her superb ability to lie on command. The woman was a pro.
“I think maybe you should call the doctor now.” Zach leaned in close. “Do you know who I am?”
Raissa laughed. “No, I let strange men kiss me all the time. Of course I know who you are.”
Zach nodded. “We met because you were trying to figure out why those girls were kidnapped, remember? You figured it all out by looking at girls’ records.”
“Kidnapped…Melissa Franco. She was kidnapped.” Raissa sat up straight. “Is she okay? Did they find her? She always made her mom buy blue candles.”
“Melissa’s mother confessed to her part in everything, and they found Melissa at a warehouse Dr. Breaux rented in New Orleans. All his notes are there—decades worth of testing. We’ll be able to fi gure out everything he did. Melissa’s on her way to the hospital but appears to be fine.”
“Thank God. I’m glad to hear that.”
“There were other girls…from years ago. Do you remember?”
Raissa frowned. “I don’t know any other girls. Only Melissa.”
“You investigated the cases when you were undercover in Sonny Hebert’s organization.” Zach nodded toward Sonny, who cocked his head to one side and studied her, a confused look on his face.
Raissa stared at Sonny for several seconds, then gave Zach a bewildered look. “I don’t know that man.”
“That’s Sonny Hebert,” Zach explained. “You were undercover in his organization when you were in the FBI.”
“The FBI?” Raissa widened her eyes and looked from Zach to Sonny to the cops.
Zach sucked in a breath. “You left protective custody over nine years ago and have been pretending to be a psychic in New Orleans.”
Raissa laughed. “Pretending? I’m not pretending. I have a lot of clients. You guys are kidding me, right? Really, what’s all this about, Zach?”
The room went instantly silent, and Raissa was fairly sure no one was breathing. The doctor walked into the room and immediately checked Raissa’s vitals. “Do you want me to remove your visitors, Ms. Bordeaux?”
“No,” Raissa said. “They’re trying to pull a prank on me.”
Zach looked over at the doctor, his face panicked. “She doesn’t remember things. Some recent events and anything from about ten years ago.” He pointed at Sonny. “She worked for this man for two years, but doesn’t know him. I don’t understand.”
The doctor shone a light in Raissa’s eyes and felt her scalp. “The injury was to the section of the brain that stores memory. Memory loss is always a possibility, and long-term memory is the most likely to go.”
“But it will come back, right?” Agent Fields asked.
“There’s no way to know,” the doctor said. “I think it’s better if you all let Ms. Bordeaux rest, and no more questioning until
I
say she’s ready. Is that clear?”
Agent Fields and the New Orleans cops didn’t look happy, but they couldn’t exactly argue with the doctor, so they trailed out of the office. Sonny, following behind them, looked the most confused of the lot. At the doorway, he paused and looked back at Raissa.
Raissa stared at him, held his gaze. Sonny’s eyes widened and he barely nodded, then left the room.
Maryse hopped up from her chair, pulling Mildred with her. “I think we ought to give you two some time,” Maryse said. “We’ll go get some coffee. Call if you need anything.”
Helena hopped off the end of the bed and trailed behind them, giving Raissa a wink and a thumbs-up on her way out the door.
“Thanks,” Raissa said. She lay back against the pillows and looked over at Zach, who was frowning at her.
“You’re faking,” he said. “Holy shit, Raissa! This is not a game. Why are you faking memory loss?”
“Between my undercover work and hiding because of my undercover work, I’ve lost eleven years of my life to Sonny Hebert. And the ironic thing is, if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have another eleven years to make things different. He saved my life, Zach. And probably Hank’s, too.”
“But the racketeering case—”
“I know Sonny’s done some bad things, but he did help us find out who was taking those girls, and he found Hank. If the FBI has to have me to make a case against him, then it wasn’t much of a case to begin with, was it?”
Zach nodded. “You know what? You’re right. You’ve given more than your share. Let someone else take up the slack. I’m sure Sonny’s not going legitimate anytime soon. They’ll get him, eventually.”
“Maybe, or maybe not. If they didn’t make a case in the nine years I was hiding, I can only guess that Sonny’s gotten a whole lot better at his job.”
“And what about you?” Zach asked.
“What do you mean?”
“What are you going to do, now that you’re free?”
Raissa smiled. “Well, I’m not going back to the FBI,
that’s for sure. Honestly, I don’t know what I’ll do. I haven’t had the freedom to choose anything in a long, long time.” She leaned toward Zach and whispered in his ear, “But I hear there’s this detective who needs someone to keep him in line.”
Zach smiled. “And just what makes you think you can do the job?”
Raissa softly kissed his neck once, then again, then his earlobe. He groaned and turned to her, crushing her lips with his. He gathered her in his arms, and in an instant, Raissa knew she’d made the right decision.
She’d seen the future, and it was very bright, indeed.
One week later
The party started at five that evening. Maryse had worked her magic with the historical society, one of the recipient’s of Helena’s massive estate, and they all gathered in Helena Henry’s mansion, now a historical landmark. Maryse, Sabine, Mildred, and Raissa had done all the prepping and planning, baking, collecting premade trays from a caterer in New Orleans, and stocking the refrigerator with enough booze for New Year’s Eve at a fraternity house. Helena, of course, was there to sample everything before it was deemed worthy of the festivities.
They joked and laughed and swapped tasks, helping each other that entire afternoon. Helena spent a lot of time just watching. It was beautiful, those girls and Mildred. Like a mother and her daughters. They’d endured so much to be here today. More than any thousand people would likely endure in a lifetime, and they’d persevered through it all. There was so much strength, so much love, that Helena got misty just thinking about it.
The men started arriving around five. Luc, with his big smile and enormous charm. Beau, with his big heart and quiet strength. Zach, with his brashness and fierce loyalty. So very different, but all so perfectly suited for the women they’d chosen to make a life with.
When the doorbell rang thirty minutes later, Helena peeked around the kitchen wall to see whom Raissa was letting in. She almost dropped her plate of nachos when she saw Hank walk through the door, holding the hand
of that lovely girl Lila she’d seen at the hospital. She watched as Maryse crossed the room and gave the girl a hug. Then she said something to Hank, kissed him on the cheek, and gave him a hug.
Maryse pulled Hank and the girl into the huge, open living area and started introducing them to the people they hadn’t met. Hank looked shy at first, but finally relaxed with the warm greetings he received from everyone. Lila watched him every second, her smile radiant.
Luc handed Hank a beer and Lila a glass of wine and waved his hand at the buffet along the wall. They filled plates and joined the others laughing and chatting…like a family. Helena rubbed away a tear and smiled. Finally, she took her plate and her drink and went up the back staircase to the second floor. The big spiral staircase in the main living area had a huge landing with a great view of the room. She took a seat above the action and enjoyed the interplay.
After an hour or so of festivities, Maryse directed the others to help her light candles that she’d placed all around the room. Maryse walked over to Hank, took his hand, and spoke to him. Hank nodded, his expression anxious and hopeful. Helena wondered what was up, but before she could sneak down and ask, Maryse looked up at her and waved her down.
“Get the lights,” Maryse said, and Mildred turned off the lights to the room, leaving it doused in candlelight.
Helena rose from her seat and started down the spiral stairway. When she stepped into an area lit up by the candles, she heard a gasp. She looked over in the living room, and realized Hank was staring directly at her, as was Lila. “Oh, my God,” Hank said. “I can see her. Mother?”
Hank took a step toward the stairway, and Helena hurried down. She stood just inches in front of Hank, his amazement clear. “I can’t believe it,” he said. “I mean, I knew Maryse wouldn’t lie, but I never thought…Can you hear me?”
“Yes,” Helena said. “I can hear and see everyone. It just doesn’t always work the other way. Can you hear me?”
Hank nodded, his eyes filling with tears. “I am so sorry, Mom, about everything—being a lousy son, running off and leaving you to be murdered. I want you to know that it wasn’t your fault. You gave me the advantages I needed to be successful. I threw them all away.”
Tears formed in Helena’s eyes as she looked at the man that wasn’t her son, according to biology, but had been in every other way. “I wasn’t a great mother. I know that. I didn’t trust myself to show my love completely, not even with you. But I always loved you.”
“And I always loved you,” Hank said. He reached up with one hand to touch her face, and Helena was amazed when she could actually feel his fingertips gently brush her cheek.
“I feel your skin,” Hank said, his eyes wide. “I didn’t think…”
“I wondered,” Maryse said, and stepped forward. “When you were in the hospital, Lila saw a woman in your room, singing. I thought she’d seen Helena, but I didn’t understand why, as Lila wasn’t in any danger.” Maryse looked over at Luc and Zach, who nodded.
“Everyone can see you, Helena,” Maryse said. “Something’s changing, and I thought maybe tonight would be the height of whatever was happening.”
“Why tonight?” Helena asked.
Maryse laughed. “Do you mean to tell me you’ve
been so distracted that you forgot your birthday? Why do you think we bought six cheesecakes?”
Helena stared. “My birthday. My God. I had forgotten.”
Helena walked with Maryse and Hank to the center of the living room. Helena stared down at her feet and hands. “It’s almost like I feel the floor beneath my feet.” She reached out with a hand to touch Hank’s shoulder and gasped. “I can feel him. Without concentrating, I mean. Just like when I was…alive.”
Helena looked around the room, all of them looking at her with love on their faces and tears in their eyes, and she felt her heart swell. No woman deserved this, especially her. “My family,” she said, and began to cry.
She hugged them all, one at a time, taking care to whisper to them her thoughts, her hopes for their futures. Something big was about to happen. She could feel it coursing through her body like an electrical charge. Finally, when she’d given her last hug, whispered her last thoughts, she stood in the center of the room and clutched Hank’s hand with one of her hands and Maryse’s with the other.
“Seems only fitting,” she said, and smiled at the two of them. “Since this is how it all started.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, a light began to form above them. It was small at first, like a candle on the ceiling of the room, but then it began to grow wider, and it dipped down, lower, lower, until it was past the second-floor landing and entering the first floor. Helena stared at the light, amazed by its beauty, by the warmth inside, and she squeezed Maryse’s and Hank’s hands as it began to pour over her body.
“I love you all. Be happy and well,” she said, then slowly faded away.
Thanks to my critique partners Cari Manderscheid, Cindy Taylor, and Colleen Gleason for your sound advice and for just listening to me complain. Thanks to my daily chat buddy, Leslie Langtry, who can make even the worst things funny. Thanks to Jimmie, Donna, and Katianne Morris, for your continued support and for pushing my books. Thanks to my unofficial assistant, Tracey Stanley, for making sure I eat breakfast and get to work on time and for talking about my books to anyone who will listen. Thanks to RWA and DARA for the education you provide and always looking out for a writer’s best interest. Thanks to the cover artist—this cover blows me away! Thanks to my editor, Leah Hultenschmidt, for always making my books better and working to get the perfect cover. And special thanks to my agent, Kristin Nelson, for always pushing me to extend myself and believing that I can.
“
Mischief in Mudbug
is full of fun, action, and enough twists and turns to keep the pages turning. All of the characters are well written and drive the story, but Helena’s ghost gets me every time. Ms. DeLeon does a great job keeping you wondering what’s going to happen next. If you’re looking for some giggles and surprises mixed with some romance this one’s for you.”
—Night Owl Romance
“…a delight to read. By combining realistic, rich characters with an attention-holding plotline, Jana DeLeon has created a book that will satisfy any palate.”
—Once Upon a Romance
“Lighthearted and very funny at times,
Mischief in Mudbug
moves along at a breakneck pace…A breezy mystery with romance overtones that will keep you turning the pages.”
—Fresh Fiction
“DeLeon brings her spunky style to a novel that’s plenty of fun to read. The characters are easy to indentify with and demonstrate their multifaceted personalities in their actions and words. DeLeon is excellent at weaving comedy, suspense, and spicy romance into one compelling story.”
—
RT Book Reviews
“Funny and exciting, DeLeon manages to keep you guessing and laughing from start to finish…I would recommend this to anyone.”
—Night Owl Romance
“Interesting characters and a fun and entertaining mystery make
Trouble in Mudbug
a novel I highly recommend.”
—Romance Reviews Today
“The quirky characters keep the action moving and I’m sure Mallory has been sitting next to me every time I go to the casino.”
—Barbara Vey,
Publishers Weekly
Beyond Her Book Blog
“With original, smart and comedic writing, DeLeon delivers a three-dimensional hero and heroine, a community of offbeat secondary characters, a complex and intriguing plot with a hint of paranormal and a fascinating peek into the world of casino poker.”
—
RT Book Reviews
“Ms. DeLeon provides a great plot and a lot of mystery. The heat that sizzles off Mallory and Jake keeps you turning the pages to see what will happen next. And right when you think you have it all figured out, you realize you don’t. Things are never as they seem on the bayou!”
—The Romance Reader’s Connection
“
Rumble on the Bayou
is a wonderful, poignant and fun mystery…Filled with likable and interesting individuals, this first-rate debut novel is a truly fantastic read.”
—
RT Book Reviews
; Reviewers Choice Nominee
“Jana DeLeon’s debut had me chuckling from the opening pages, and I never stopped laughing. It’s a fresh, fast-paced, fabulously funny mystery where sexy blondes have brains, small towns swarm with crazy characters, and everyone’s afraid of the gators!”
—Diana Peterfreund, author of
Secret Society Girl
“Debut author Jana DeLeon has created a whole passel of down-to-earth, wonderful characters, and a pageturning, interesting mystery.
Rumble on the Bayou
is a perfect blend of secrets, intrigue, romance and laughter.”
—
Affaire de Coeur