Big Easy (Cowboy Craze) Read online

  As she held the Izze-Kloth, Jewel spoke aloud, “I know this item belonged to a powerful Apache shaman, Yuma Blackhawk. A respecter of power, I will treat this talisman with the utmost regard. For three days, I will charge it in pure sunlight and moonlight, in hopes I can use this Izze-Kloth to connect with the spirit of its true owner.” After pouring her energy into the medicine cord, she placed it in a velvet lined glass display box, replacing the lid with care. “All right, now we’ll take you to an east facing window where you’ll be bathed in the morning sun and evening moonlight.”

  Once this was taken care of, Jewel began to work on the rest of her to-do list. First, she put a chicken in the crock pot. If Easy stayed for supper, she wanted him to have a good hot meal. Chicken and dumplings sounded like a winner to her. Next, she phoned Irma to ask how she was feeling. To her relief, the woman sounded improved.

  “I’m taking the meds, haven’t had much nausea. That’s good.”

  “Yes, it is. When do you go for your next checkup?”

  “Wednesday. Uh…Ms. Jewel…can I tell you something?”

  “Of course.”

  “There’s this man, he works on the elevators at the hospital where I go for the chemo treatments.”

  “Okay.”

  “He…uh…asked me out.”

  “Wow. That’s marvelous, Irma! Did you accept?”

  “Yea, but I just have to ask. Is it the ruby doing that? Making him want to ask me out?”

  “The ruby? Oh, you mean the necklace. Oh, no, Irma. I don’t think so. That was to give you self-confidence. It wouldn’t make anyone fall for you.” At least she didn’t think so.

  “How can I know for sure?”

  “Will you see him before your date?”

  “Yes, he said he’d be at the hospital on Wednesday. We don’t go out till Friday.”

  “Okay, well, it’s simple then. Just don’t wear the necklace on Wednesday.” Jewel crossed her fingers that she was right. If that man breaks the date with Irma, I’ll turn him into a toad, Jewel swore in her heart.

  “Or…I could just never take it off – ever.”

  Jewel had to laugh. “Yes, that’s an option. But you’d like to know the truth for sure, wouldn’t you?”

  “Yea.” A long pause. “I guess so.” Irma cleared her throat. “You’re so powerful, Ms. Jewel. I bet if you just want something bad enough, it happens. Right?”

  “No.” No. “I’m not that powerful.” At all. Am I? Nah. God, she hoped not. “If that were true, Irma, we’d only have sunny days and there’d be no war, poverty, or rhubarb pie.”

  Still…she knew the idea would stick with her and make her question – everything.

  After talking to Irma, she diced the celery, onion, and one nice size carrot for the dumplings. Standing over the boiling pot of chicken, she added the vegetables and decided to settle her brain by drinking a nice cup of coffee and reading the paper. Jewel planned to enjoy this tiny wedge of downtime she allowed herself.

  Heading to the porch for the paper, she had to admit having Easy in her life made the day seem brighter. With him to look forward to, the day didn’t seem as long. Upon releasing the lock, she found the newspaper just outside the screen door. With a song on her lips, she took time to admire the morning glory crawling up the banister. The blooms were two-tone cobalt blue and purple. There were two yellow butterflies fluttering among the flowers. She inhaled a big breath of air, happy to be alive. For just a moment she lingered, leaning over the rail, checking out the fairy garden below. As she stared, Jewel recalled a dream she’d had a few months ago about a child playing in the garden. Her child. A little girl with dark hair and a sunny smile. She still remembered how she’d awoken with a tender heart, wishing the dream were true.

  Before returning indoors, she moved to the other side of the porch to gaze at the bayou. Oh, how she loved this little bit of paradise. The boardwalks meandering through the property were her father’s doing, as was their private dock that reached out a few dozen feet into the bayou. She’d paid to have them refurbished and maintained, unwilling to part with the reminder of Frank Baptiste. With a few tears misting her eyes, she returned inside.

  Once she poured herself a cup of coffee, Jewel sat down at the table to catch up on the news. As she opened the paper and laid it flat, her fingers burned. Even before she laid eyes on the headlines, she knew they would be explosive.

  And she was right.

  The first article that caught her eye read:

  Bayou Cane Woman Killed Near Laurel Plantation

  Jewel stiffened as she read the account of the accident. The woman’s name was Dana Norman. According to the report, there was an ongoing investigation. No conclusions could be drawn as to why she was unclothed or why she was running along the side of the highway when she was struck by the large truck.

  As she stared at the woman’s photograph, Jewel sought insight and answers. Despite rubbing her finger over the surface of the newsprint, she knew she’d receive nothing from the ink and paper but a stain on her finger. Still, she couldn’t shake the memory of the woman’s spirit staring down at her own lifeless, battered body.

  Allowing her eyes to move away from Dana Norman’s likeness, she spied another article – one that brought a gasp to her lips.

  Two Lafayette Women Still Missing

  Quickly, Jewel scanned the article, her heart beating faster as she learned the women worked at a massage parlor that was being investigated for human trafficking. What shocked her more than the idea that someone was kidnapping and selling girls into sexual slavery so close to home – was the fact that she recognized these women – they were two of the spirits who’d accompanied Willie Mae the last time she came for a reading.

  “Holy fuck,” Jewel whispered the curse as the ramifications of what she’d learned settled into the crevices of her brain. Human trafficking. Kidnapping. Murder. Was this all related? And was Everett Hill in the middle of it?

  Still reeling from that revelation, Jewel continued to peruse the front page, her coffee forgotten. Knowing she needed to process what she’d learned, the other headlines barely registered – until she saw one near the bottom of the page.

  Local Thibodaux Woman Missing

  “Oh, my God!” Jewel exclaimed softly as she read and re-read the first couple of sentences.

  Marion Cole, a resident of Thibodaux, was last seen on Friday night at the local club known as the Blue Goose. Anyone with information concerning Ms. Cole, please call the local Sheriff’s Department.

  Unable to sit still, Jewel rose and began to pace across the room. Could this be the same woman Easy was with on Friday? She racked her brain, trying to remember if he ever mentioned a last name. He hadn’t, she was sure of it. “Oh, my God!” she cried again, her mind racing. She was so upset; Jewel was tempted to call Easy on the phone or drive out to see him in person. “Not a good idea, he’s at work. You shouldn’t disturb him.” Trying to calm down, she walked to the sink to splash water on her face. “Okay, Baptiste, think.” She forced herself to go over what she knew and what was creating this feeling of panic within. “Could all of this be a coincidence? What did it mean?”

  Jewel wished she had answers for these questions – but she didn’t. All she knew was that she needed to talk to Easy. She felt desperate to share her concerns with him. She’d held back because she didn’t want to involve him, but now she knew she had no choice.

  * * *

  “I’ve never been fond of Mondays,” Jed confessed as he poured over the email Philip had sent them both. “Have you?”

  “Not really,” Easy murmured as he jotted down a few notes he wanted to take with him. “I guess like most guys, I’ve always lived for the weekends. At least this Monday is just about over.”

  “Yea, a helluva day. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong. A half dozen guys out with the flu. One of the tractors is on the fritz. And we lost two calves to a damn gator. I guess we’re going to have to call the game warden to get
some special tags to get rid of that big-ass bull.”

  “Things will get better once Philip comes back.”

  “Yea.” Jed opened the bottom drawer to his desk so he could prop his feet up. “But when will that be? Not until his sister and her husband are found.”

  “The good news is that they’ve got an idea where the plane went down. Now, it’s just a matter of finding them.”

  Jed shook his head. “Can you imagine? It’s still snowing in those mountains.”

  “Yea, it has to be scary as hell for the family. At least I can give him some good news about Wren. She dropped by this morning and told me she was headed back to her cabin.”

  “Right. Philip sent me an extra email,” Jed mused, staring blankly out the window. “Wants me to check on her before I go to bed tonight.”

  “She has Philip’s satellite phone,” Easy told him. “Use that if you don’t have time to drive over. We called her yesterday on it and she was fine.”

  Jed nodded. “The boss said that was an option, but I could tell he’d rather I checked in person.”

  “Do you think there’s something going on between them?” Easy asked, considering the possibility. “He sure has taken a personal interest in her.”

  “He has, but Philip’s like that. He’s a soft touch.”

  “I don’t know, he asked her to go to the Goose, but she turned him down. Surely, that means something.”

  With a shrug, Jed dismissed the idea. “Maybe he just feels sorry for her. So, where’d you disappear to on Friday night?”

  “I went home to Jewel.” Easy used one booted foot to turn his rolling chair to face him. “Asking Marion out was a mistake.”

  “Ah…really.” Jed barked a laugh. “Wow. So, what happened to the king of one-night stands?”

  Easy grimaced. “I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Jewel is…different. The sex is unbelievable, but we share more than sex. We talk.”

  Jed raised his eyebrows and grinned. “You talk. What about?”

  “Everything.” Easy spun around to shut his laptop. “She makes me laugh. I feel…safe with her.” Wow. He felt safe with her. In spite of the bad timing, being in the middle of a conversation at work – he recognized this epiphany as monumental.

  “Huh.” Jed held up his hands and wiggled his fingers toward Easy. “Maybe she’s got you hoodooed.”

  “Right.” He rolled his eyes. “And what about you? What’s up with Kris?”

  Jed looked uncomfortable. “We’re just friends. I told you that.”

  “Is she gay?”

  Easy’s question made Jed’s jaw drop. “Hell, I don’t know. I’ve heard the rumors, but I’ve never seen any evidence to it. As far as I know, Kris just chooses to keep to herself.”

  “Except with you.”

  Jed frowned at Easy. “We’re friends. Good friends.”

  “But no benefits?”

  “No.” He glared at Easy, a lock of his dark hair falling down low over one eye. “She’s like my sister for God’s sake.”

  “Last night she looked more like a buffer zone between you and that singer, Chastity.”

  Jed huffed out a curse, then stood to his feet. “You’ve got a wild imagination, Big Chief.”

  “I don’t think so. Everybody saw it, that woman was singing for you. She never took her eyes off you. What’s up with that, Vincent?”

  Apparently having had enough of the conversation, Jed retrieved his hat from his desk, and jammed it down on his head. “None of your business, that’s what. I’m riding over to check on my crew, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Easy just laughed as the big man stalked out. “Touchy. Touchy.” Rising from his chair, he set out to take care of a few things, then he was headed home – to Jewel.

  …At home, Jewel put the finishing touches on the chicken and dumplings. If Easy was on time, he should be arriving any second. As she replaced the lid on the steaming pot, she noticed her hand was shaking. Oh well, she had a good excuse. After reading all the bad news in the paper, her day had gone from bad to worse.

  Bad came in the form of the client who wanted Jewel’s help with a court case. Turned out, there was child abuse involved – so, the stakes were monstrously high. The woman, Velma Duggan, was scared to death of her husband. It was taking every ounce of Velma’s courage and every penny she possessed to face him in court. Palmer Duggan was out for blood. From a moneyed background, he professed to want his son very much, but he was open about wanting to punish his wife even more. The prospect of a challenge didn’t deter her, she just needed to give her next step some thought.

  Worse was the call to Willie Mae to reschedule her appointment to be an evening one. Per Easy’s request. The reason for the unfavorable designation was the fact that Willie Mae didn’t answer her phone – her husband Everett did.

  His words were still ringing in Jewel’s ears.

  “Listen to me, bitch. Don’t ever call my wife again. Do you hear me? I won’t have your sharp witch-bitch nose up in my business. In fact, let me paint you a clear picture, Ms. Baptiste. Bad things happen to women like you. They go missing. They disappear off the face of the earth. Do you hear me?”

  Jewel had listened carefully. Visions of Julie Davis and the women from the newspaper – they all passed through her consciousness like an obscene parade. “Are you threatening me, Mr. Hill?” Dumb question. There was no doubt in her mind his rantings were more than a threat – they were a promise.

  “Count on it. I’m dead serious. Put down your tarot cards and get your evil eye off me – or I’ll shove your crystal ball up your ass. Are we clear?”

  Jewel didn’t give him the satisfaction of an answer. She just hung up the phone.

  And now, she waited. Anxious for Easy to come home from work.

  Not content to just bide her time, Jewel went out on the porch so she could watch down the road for his headlights.

  When she spied them, she hurried down the steps to meet him at the gate.

  No sooner had he parked and stepped from the truck, a wave of dread hit her like a physical blow. She could see a swirling darkness around him – not of his own making. No, this was a threat, a rising tide of turmoil.

  Powerless to stand still, Jewel launched herself into his arms. “Oh, Easy. Easy. Hold me.”

  “Hey. What’s wrong?” He cradled her in his arms. “I got you. Everything’s okay.”

  But it wasn’t okay. Something was very wrong. A storm was brewing. A storm so powerful, it threatened to sweep them both away. Tightening her grip around him, Jewel held him tight.

  Without a doubt, she knew she’d have to shield him. Shelter him.

  Protect this man from the onslaught to come.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  “I’m scared.”

  Jewel’s whispered admission almost brought Easy to his knees. “Scared of who?” What slew him was that he could sense how serious she was being. She was shaking in his arms. “Tell me.”

  “I’m not sure.” She bent her head, then buried her face in his chest, her fingers digging into his shoulders. “It’s a long story.”

  “I got all night.” He swept her up in his arms. “Let’s go inside.”

  Easy headed up the stairs, shifting her weight in his arms when he had to open the door. “Has anyone been here to upset you?”

  “No. Everett Hill threatened me over the phone.”

  This disturbed the hell out of Easy. “What the fuck?” He aimed toward the living room couch, but she nudged him in a different direction.

  “Let’s go to the kitchen. I need something to drink.”

  Easy followed her instructions, setting her gently in a dining room chair. “Water? Coke?”

  “Coke and something stronger.” She pointed at the cabinet over the refrigerator. “There’s a bottle of Jack Daniels up there. Pour us both one.” They were going to need it.

  “What did Everett say?” He gathered the ingredients necessary for the drink, then prepared one for each of the
m.

  Jewel folded her arms on the table, her eyes on the newspaper. “To mind my own business. Basically. There were some not so veiled threats mixed in.”

  “Threats. What kind of threats?” His face looked like a thundercloud.

  “He said women like me go missing. Disappear off the face of the earth.”

  “Son-of-a-bitch.” He squeezed her shoulder. “Not on my watch, baby. If I have to take you with me to work every day, I’ll protect you with my dying breath.”

  His adamance brought a lump to Jewel’s throat. “Maybe that won’t be necessary.”

  Easy sat down across from her, pushing the mixed drink close to her hand. “Is this about his affairs?”

  “No,” she answered quickly, taking a large sip of the Jack and Coke. The liquid burned going down, causing Jewel to cough. She cleared her throat and continued, “Not exactly. He probably did fuck them, but that’s not what this is about.”

  Hearing her use the F-word the way she did took him a little by surprise. “What do you mean?”

  “I’m pretty sure Everett was involved in the murder of Julie Davis.” After dropping that bomb, Jewel waited for her words to sink in.

  “The woman whose body we found at Belle Chasse?”

  “Yes.” She watched him carefully, noting how his jaw hardened and the muscles of his broad shoulders tensed.

  “How do you know?” He shook his head. “Dumb question.”

  “Yea. Willie brought me a piece of Everett’s clothing. She was worried about him being faithful. Instead, I saw Julie’s death. I didn’t get a good look at who killed her, my vision was more focused on…her.”

  “Christ Almighty.” He dry-scrubbed his face. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Jewel gave him an odd look. “I didn’t know you well enough to put your life in danger.”

  “And now you do?”

  The instant the phrase left his mouth, he looked contrite. Jewel could read his fear – and knew it wasn’t for his own safety. Instead of getting offended, she gave him a cheeky grin. “Yea, now I do.”

  Her response brought a grin to his face. “Damn straight.” Reaching across the table, he picked up Jewel’s hand. “So, Everett Hill’s not only a philanderer, he’s a murderer. But…why? Do you think she was blackmailing him?”