Sweet Mystery (30 page)

“Actually, he has been like a second
grandfather since I was a kid. My mother’s father died before I was
born. Mr. Henry and Papa Joe took me fishing and camping; stuff my
dad isn’t too crazy about.” Simon smiled. “Dad and I love to visit
libraries and museums – something that mystifies Papa Joe Henry to
this day.”

“Which is how you and Toya ended up
together…”

Rae did not like the direction this
discussion was taking at all. She could not compete with the strong
ties and memories between the Jove and St. Cyr families. No doubt,
Toya would remind him of that fact.

Simon nodded. “We’ve known each other all our
lives. But we didn’t start dating until after I was a senior in
high school. Then I left the state for college. We started seeing
each other again when I came home after graduation.”

“And sugar daddy Henry helped put you in
business after Toya reeled you in. Nice.” Rae wore a sour
expression.

Simon frowned. “What does that mean?”

“Toya has her hooks ready to sink into you.
All you have to do is keep hanging around old Mr. Henry enough.”
Rae snorted. “Men are so gullible.”

Simon waved a hand with a crooked smile.
“Don’t be silly.”

Rae bristled at his easy dismissal. “Mr.
Henry might even be in on it.”

“Sure. That stroke was just a ploy to get me
and Toya back together.” Simon shook his head slowly.

“Or is it that you wouldn’t mind another go
with her?”

“Cut it out, Rae,” Simon said in a tight
voice.

“It’s all real cozy, I’ll bet. Just like old
times.” Rae felt that old, familiar lump of resentment at being an
outsider.

“Don’t do this to us, Rae,” Simon warned. “I
had enough of suspicion and temper tantrums when I was married to
Toya.”

A tense silence stretched between them as Rae
fought her natural urge to unleash another verbal barrage about
Toya. When she was younger, she would have done just that. Now she
knew that relationships can be easily damaged forever with words
that are not easily taken back. Simon was right. This conversation
was leading to one of those deadly arguments that escalate and
leaves scars. Rae bit back the anger.

“Forget what I said. I’m just worn out from
work.” She inhaled deeply.

“Honey, I’m not stupid. I know Toya takes
every chance to bait you.” Simon’s tone softened and he took her
hand. “Mr. Henry is still bitter against your family. But look at
all you’ve accomplished. You came home a successful musician and
started a dance hall that’s taken off.”

“But I’m not just another business person in
this town. I’m a Dalcour. Truth is, I do feel like I’ve got
something to prove to the Joves and everybody else.”

“You’ve got too much on your shoulders right
now. Let’s relax and let go of troubles for a few hours.”

Rae liked the way his large fingers laced
through hers. She was relieved that they had avoided an argument
about Toya. “I’d like that,” she said softly.

Simon massaged her shoulders with strong
hands, causing her to squirm with pleasure. “I love the scent of
jasmine in your hair.”

“That feels so good.” Rae bent forward to let
him rub her back also. The tension drained from her body.

“This would be better if you were lying
down,” Simon murmured.

Without another word passing between them, he
led her into her bedroom. Rae undressed, leaving on only her
dark-red lace bra and matching satin panties, while Simon stripped
down to his briefs. He took control, directing her to lie across
the bed on her stomach. Straddling her, his hard fingers kneaded
her flesh. Starting at her neck, with a slow, tender touch, Simon
moved down her body. She was breathing rapidly by the time he
reached her calves.

Rae turned on her back and pulled him on top
of her. “Massage over,” she said. The need to have him inside her
was like a hot iron stabbing through her hips.

Their lovemaking was fast and frenzied. Rae
raked his back with her fingernails, urging him not to be gentle
this time. His body crashed against hers with each solid thrust of
his hips. Rae needed him with a fierceness that was frightening,
and she clung to his body, drinking up the rush of pleasure and
security he gave. Both lay gasping for air afterwards, stunned by
the force that had seized them.

“It will be all right, darlin’. I’ll make it
so,” Simon whispered in a raspy voice, his face buried in her
hair.

Rae maneuvered her body to fit against his,
spoon fashion. “Thank you, baby,” she murmured.

All trace of the storm that had threatened to
overtake them was now gone. Yet a small part of Rae still worried
that more was to come. No, I won’t let Toya get drive a wall
between us. I’ll learn to keep my mouth shut, no matter what she
does.

* * *

Cicadas and crickets sang out their insect
chorus in seeming honor of the onset of hot summer nights in the
bayou. Darkness, the inky blackness that appears only in the
country, away from the city street lights, hung like a curtain
along the highway. A late-model, blue truck puttered along. It
approached the dance hall and slowed. The glow from the end of a
lit cigarette flared as the driver took a pull. He blew out a long
stream of smoke.

“You sure there ain’t nobody there? It’s got
lights on inside,” the driver rumbled.

A thin, wiry man with a scruffy beard shot a
baleful glance at him. “Since you screwed up last time, she’s been
leavin’ on the lights.”

“Me? It was your idea to scare her. We were
just supposed to wait until she left, then trash the place.” The
driver flicked the cigarette away and lit another.

“You had to tromp around like Big Foot,
lettin’ ‘em know we was along the side of the place,” Scruffy beard
snapped back at him.

“Hey you was–”

“Just shut up. Let’s do this and get it over
with.” Scruffy beard looked around. “Somebody might drive by.”

The driver grinned. “Ain’t nobody comin’ out
here this late on a Wednesday night. Deputy is way over at Gator
Bend, on the other side of Grande River. Good idea I had for my
brothers to fake a fight at Ida Mae’s bar. We got plenty time to
have us a drink even.”

“You on a job with me, so we stick to
business. Got that?” Scruffy beard glared at him. The menace in his
eyes was unmistakable.

“Yeah, sure,” the driver answered quickly.
“Whatever.”

“You got all the tools?”

“Right here, man. Relax. I wasn’t an
electrician for nothin’. I’m gonna make it look good.”

Scruffy beard gave a snort. “You were Mr.
Ardoin’s assistant.”

“I was his apprentice,” the driver corrected
him. “He said I was the best, too.”

“Okay, master electrician. Let’s go.”

* * *

“Good morning everybody,” Rae called out her
kitchen window. The singing birds seemed to return her
greeting.

It had been a beautiful day so far. She
helped Simon get off to an early start by serving him some coffee.
He’d only just left for home, so he could shave and shower before
going to his office. Every muscle in her body felt relaxed after
the wonderful night they’d spent together. She decided to enjoy the
start of a new day outside. The jangle of the telephone jarred the
peaceful daydreams she was having, sitting on her back steps,
sipping hot tea.

“Who has the nerve to call my house this
early?” Rae went inside. “Hello and good morning,” she answered,
still in high spirits. The smile faded from her face. “Oh, no! My
God, how bad is he hurt?”

Chapter 15

“Marcelle, it’s just awful.” Rae met her at
the door to the waiting room of the small Grande River Hospital.
“Mr. Calvin went out early this morning to finish up some work at
the dance hall. He was overcome by smoke and...” She broke off when
a doctor appeared.

“Mrs. Johnson?” The tall, red-haired
physician looked around the room.

“Me, I’m his wife, Elda,” a plump woman
answered. She wore a yellow jacket with ‘Jay’s Supermarket’ in blue
letters above the chest pocket.

“He’s got some third-degree burns on his legs
and his lungs are damaged from the smoke. Come over here, so we can
talk.”

The doctor led the anxious woman away, to a
smaller waiting room, separated from the bigger one by a wall whose
upper half was made of glass.

Marcelle sat down next to Rae. “Girl, what
happened?”

“A fire started at the dance hall early this
morning while Mr. Calvin was working. He got there about six. He
liked to get started early, before it got too hot.” Rae stared at
Mrs. Johnson and the doctor.

Marcelle held her hand. “How did a fire
start?”

“I don’t know. The fire chief says it’ll take
a few days for them to find out.”

“This is terrible. Poor Mr. Calvin. I’m gonna
call Mama. Her and Miss Elda been friends for years.” Marcelle
searched in her large purse her self phone and headed off to make
the call.

Rae sat in misery. The sight of the
still-smoking wood kept playing in her head like a video tape. The
smell of burning was still on her clothes. She thought it was the
smell of a dream dying and a nightmare being born.

Marcelle sat down with a sigh. “I’m gonna
pick up the kids later, so Mama can come over to sit with Miss Elda
a while. Lord, Mr. Calvin is the sweetest man. Remember how he used
to give us pieces of his homemade pecan candy?”

Rae felt the start of tears at the corners of
her eyes. “This is my fault.”

“Don’t talk silliness.” Marcelle clucked and
patted her hand.

“I pushed the workers too hard. I’ve been
rushing to make the place profitable. Mr. Calvin wouldn’t have been
working if I hadn’t said how much I wanted it finished.” Rae
sniffed.

“The fire was an accident. You can’t beat
yourself up about that.”

“Maybe it was an accident, maybe not.” Rae
dried her eyes with a tissue that Marcelle handed her. She felt
anger growing inside.

“You mean... But who would want to do
something so low down?” Marcelle’s eyes were wide.

“There are still plenty of people around here
who don’t like that I’m doing well.” Rae thought of Toya Jove for
one. But she was not alone.

“Well, if it wasn’t an accident, Harold Frey
will find out,” Marcelle said with a sharp nod of her head. The
whole community was proud the first full-time fire was a black man.
????

“I hope so.” Rae stood up. “I’m going back
out there. Might as well see how bad it is.”

“I’m going with you.” Marcelle followed her
out.

* * *

Marcelle’s Chevy Cavalier rolled up beside
Rae’s Honda on the gravel lot next to the dance hall. Firemen were
still picking through the rubble, looking for hotspots. The water
used to douse the fire was all but dried up by the noon-day sun.
Rae and Marcelle walked around to the back. The firemen would not
let them enter the rest of the dance hall, even though the fire had
not reached the lounge.

“Ma’am, please. I know you want to check on
your business, but you gotta let us make sure it’s safe.” A tall,
blonde man wearing a tan T-shirt and cap with the Belle Rose Fire
Department’s logo waved them back.

“Here comes Harold.” Rae wiped her hands on
her Levi jeans and walked toward him.

Harold Frey, with his barrel chest, was built
like a weightlifter. He dipped his head at the two women. “Hi Rae.
Sorry about this.”

“Buildings can be replaced. I just want Mr.
Calvin to be okay.” Rae brushed her hair back. “Do you have any
idea what might have happened?”

“From the burn pattern, looks like it started
in a wall near the breaker box. Now this isn’t official, but it
might be from a short.” Harold wiped sweat from his dark brown
face. “Tim has got to do more investigating.” He gestured at the
blonde-haired man who’d spoken to them.

Rae looked at him with a frown. “But the
wiring was redone completely.”

“Who did the work? We’ll want to talk to him.
Routine,” Harold added, at the questioning look Rae wore. He left
after taking the business card that Mr. Ardoin had given her.

“What’s that about, I wonder?” Rae watched
him walk over to Tim.

The two men stood talking for a few moments,
and then stepped into the charred portion of the room where Mr.
Calvin had been working. Tim called out to another fireman wearing
the uniform of the arson squad.

“Routine, like he said. What else?” Marcelle
glanced at her watch. “I gotta go get my kids. Thank goodness I
don’t have work today. I’ll call you later.”

“Okay.” Rae stared at the building. A lump of
disquiet was heavy in the pit of her stomach. She decided to stay
until Harold said she could go in for at least a quick look
around.

Andrew pulled up in his truck, cut the engine
and got out. “Rae, ain’t this somethin’? I just come from over the
hospital.” He wore a somber expression.

Rae’s heart thumped. “Mr. Calvin?”

“He’s holding his own. Doctor says he’ll
recover, but it will take a while. He got burned bad after he
passed out from the smoke.” Andrew rubbed his jaw.

“Yeah, his legs…” Rae shuddered at the pain
he must be in.

“Miz Johnson says he’ll need some skin
grafts, they’re pretty sure. He doesn’t have medical insurance,
Rae.” Andrew said.

“Our policy ought to cover it, don’t you
think? I better have a talk with Tony.” Rae sat on the fender of
Andrew’s truck. “I don’t want them to have to worry about money,
along with everything else.”

“Yeah.” Andrew tugged on the front rim of his
cap and squinted at the dance hall. “What a mess.”

“Seems like folks around here are right –
nothing but bad luck follows me.” Rae stared at the ground. “I
should have gone back to Houston.”