Casting the Dice Page 14

  “I don’t think so. But I’m not talking about the parents.” Jack drained his coffee and set the travel mug in the console. “I’m talking about you. Don’t count yourself out automatically.”

  Jack had two years more living experience on him, and his brother called things like he saw them. He wouldn’t be encouraging unless he saw a chance for success. Hal’s pulse revved. Dare he hope he could be the man Annie wanted?

  “Are we almost there?” Hal studied the neighborhood. Empty porches fronted the bungalows lining this street. The leaves of shrubs fluttered beneath window air conditioners. Their noise would mask street traffic and outside sounds from the residents inside. “I have someplace I have to be later.”

  “So do I.” Jack pulled to the curb and indicated the address two houses away where three men lounged on the porch.

  “Any of those three your skip?” Hal took Jack’s phone and stared at the fugitive’s booking photo.

  “The one in the rocker. Leroy.” His brother patted his vest and readied his authorization to arrest papers. “Ready?”

  The men had abandoned the porch by the time he and Jack hit the sidewalk. They would have to work for this one. Hal rattled the locked screen and a skinny, shirtless man—not their skip—opened the inside door. “Whatcha want?”

  “We need help.” Jack gave the man a fake account of how his car got stuck in some mud and needed a push. A laugh since their vehicles all had enough power to maneuver out of a bog. Hal would never have the nerve to invent a story like this, but his brother had been an undercover cop where he’d lived a lie.

  “Get the brick, Leroy.” The dude at the door called over his shoulder and unlatched the screen. He stepped onto the porch. “That’s for traction. Where’s your ride?”

  The man they had come for and the third man came around the rear of the house. Leroy carried two broken cinder blocks—blocks that could serve as weapons. Hal tensed, sweat trickling down his spine. He and Jack were officially outnumbered, but neither wanted to resort to violence.

  His brother displayed the arrest warrant. “Leroy Wallace?”

  The skip jerked a look over his shoulder, but he dropped the blocks, resigned. “Ah, man, you said you needed help.”

  “We do,” Jack said. “We need you to help us make this easy.”

  Leroy knew the drill and didn’t put up a struggle.

  “Sorry about the ’cuffs.” Jack slapped on handcuffs and hustled him into the back of the Cherokee. “I’ll let the judge know how cooperative you were. That should ease your way some.”

  At the jail, they ran into a sleepy deputy. By the time he finished processing Leroy and they left, Jack had checked his watch fifty times. “We need to grab some shrimp for Auntie and hustle.”

  16

  “I’ve got first dibs on the shower.” Jack handed over the wrapped seafood as soon as they returned to the Big Easy Bounty Hunters house. “Put that away, will you?”

  Hal followed him into the empty kitchen. His brother disappeared, and seconds later his footsteps pounded up the hall stairs. He shifted a pitcher of iced tea and put the bags of boiled shrimp on the top refrigerator shelf. He and Annie had to get out of here ASAP, too.

  Aunt Edi waved a hand from the depths of her television chair. “She went to talk to Kurt.”

  A burst of sound came from the set, and his aunt turned back to her morning soap opera. “I have to watch this. Veronica is about to tell Teddy about the baby.”

  Annie should be napping like he suggested, but Hal had found out early on in their arrangement that she didn’t always take advice. He stopped in the half-open door to the library.

  She and his oldest brother huddled at the desk. The light from the laptop screen outlined the curve of her cheek and something melted inside him. Then he noticed their hand gestures. They practiced sign language?

  As if she sensed him in the doorway, Annie jumped to her feet and strode over. Hal braced for his body’s instantaneous reaction. Her gaze caught his, but she dropped her hand before making contact and smiled.

  “You know how Mattie said Randy didn’t live in the family home?” She grabbed her notebook from the desk and showed him the open page. “Take a look. I did some research and found another address. The family company also keeps a plane at Lakefront Airport.”

  “Good going.” Would she never cease to amaze him? “We can check them out after we meet the police artist.”

  She wore one of his Go Navy T-shirts and familiar-looking sweatpants, rolled at the cuffs. “I see you made yourself at home in my dresser.”

  “You don’t mind, do you? I needed something to wear until my clothes finish drying.” She tugged on the hem of the tee. “I’ll go see if they’re finished.”

  He followed her into the kitchen. Aunt Edi must have found out about Teddy and Veronica because she sat at the table peeling boiled shrimp. After Annie disappeared to check on the dryer, his aunt cocked an eyebrow at him. “Did you know she’s a rock climber?”

  “Yes, I did.” He snitched one of the peeled shrimps, and Aunt Edi swatted his hand. “How do you know? Did she tell you about last night?”

  “She showed me photos on her cell phone.”

  “What photos are those?” He reached for another boiled shrimp.

  “Watch out, young man.” She poked the air with her deveining tool. “She showed me photos of trips she did. It’s wonderful she’s so adventurous.”

  “You married Uncle Clyde and went lots of places. Even Panama and Costa Rica. Those count as adventures.”

  “Are you going to tell me what happened last night?”

  “I got a chance to try some climbing myself.” He washed his hands at the sink.

  Annie returned empty-handed. “My clothes need a few more minutes. When do we need to leave?”

  He switched off the water. “As soon as they’re dry.”

  Footsteps thundered down the stairs, and Jack burst into the room.

  “Don’t you look lovely.” Aunt Edi sat back and studied his brother in his dress suit and white shirt. “What’s the occasion?”

  “Funeral.”

  “Oh, dear. I’m so sorry.” She wiped her hands on a towel.

  “Anyone I know?” Hal asked.

  “My first patrol partner on the force. Dropped dead all of a sudden.” Jack grasped the ends of his striped tie and bent, studying his reflection in the stainless-steel fridge. As soon as he finished, he grabbed his jacket and went out the door.

  “His ex-patrol buddy’s the same age as Jack.” Hal crossed his arms. “If he doesn’t slow down, he’ll drop dead soon, too.”

  “Don’t say that.” Aunt Edi wagged her finger at him.

  “It’s the truth.”

  “If something happens to one of your brothers, I hope you’ll pay your respects.” His aunt looked at him with exasperation. “I’ll never understand why you didn’t go to your parents’ funeral.”

  The service had been for both his mother and his father, and his father hadn’t deserved to be mourned—at least not by him. Hal slipped into the chair beside his aunt. “You remember I was sick.”

  Her eyebrows rose in a doubtful expression, and his gut gave a sickening lurch. “What I remember is that you weren’t even running a fever. You wouldn’t let me take you to the doctor either.”

  “I didn’t want you to worry about me.” Hal patted his aunt’s hand.

  “I’m so sorry, Hal.” Annie started toward him.

  A vise clenched his chest. He rose and backed away, shaking his head at her. She didn’t know the whole story, and her sympathy was way out of place. What respect he’d had for the man had died long before his death.

  But Annie being Annie kept coming toward him. She laid a hand on his arm and gave him a sad smile.

  He ignored her hand. “It happened a long time ago.”

  Rehashing old feelings of failure would only distract him from protecting Annie. He plucked his windbreaker off the back of a chair. “I need a shower. Be
ready in ten, if you can. We’ll stop by Kurt’s audiologist on the way.”

  Annie was dressed and waiting when he came downstairs. He plucked a dryer sheet off the sleeve of her big overshirt and tossed it before holding the door for her. When he settled in the driver’s seat, he draped a wrist over the wheel. “Whose idea was it to teach Kurt signs?”

  “He asked.” Annie clicked her seat belt. “He wanted to learn.”

  He asked? Hal executed a three-point turn on the parking apron behind his aunt’s big house. Could this mean Kurt’s hearing had worsened?

  “Why?” She crossed her arms. “Did you think I forced him? Come on, don’t you know me better?”

  Ah, hell. Hal ran a hand over his damp hair. “Don’t mind me. I’m just the guy who skipped his mom’s funeral.”

  Gravel crunched under the tires as they drove to the gate.

  “Hal.” Her fingers touched his arm until he stopped the car to face her. “I understand.”

  “I doubt it.” He massaged the steering wheel.

  “You thought you had a good reason to be sick.”

  No thinking involved. “What do you think was my reason?”

  “You were a teenager.” She looked bewildered, finally shrugging. “Teenagers know everything.”

  “You’re right.” Hal laughed and squeezed her hand. “They do.”

  He drove out the side street and onto the avenue. He loved that she was so accepting and kind. Couldn’t he share part of the truth without getting into the deep end? “Annie—”

  “The light’s green. Go.”

  They caught another stoplight in three blocks. Hal tapped the edge of her seat to get her attention. “You probably realized this, but I’m dyslexic.”

  She leaned forward the way she did when she had trouble understanding. “What did you say? Dyslexic?”

  He nodded. “That’s the word.”

  A minute of silence ticked by. “I sort of wondered. You didn’t seem interested in the lien notice on the shop door.”

  He squeezed the wheel. She’d noticed. Before he realized he was speaking, words gushed out. “I barely graduated from high school and even had assigned tutors. Numbers and writing gave me fits. I’ll bet you couldn’t read the phone number I scrawled on my card.”

  “Not everyone has the best handwriting. I sure don’t.” She smiled—smiled. “But you have so many great qualities, I hardly paid any attention.”

  “I have great qualities?” He gaped at her. “Where do you get that?”

  “For one thing, you’re humble. You’re considerate, willing to listen, handsome—”

  “You’d better stop now before I get conceited.” He held up a hand to stop her, but his heart filled to the brim that Annie thought these things.

  “I doubt that’s possible.”

  The stoplight changed. He drove another few blocks before hitting another red light. “Why didn’t you say something when you started wondering?”

  The press of her fingers on his thigh telegraphed through his blood. “I figured if you wanted to tell me, you would.”

  He pressed her hand into the muscle. Some sort of burden—a weight he’d been carrying so long he hardly noticed it was there—lifted off his shoulders.

  Hal pocketed his cell and caught sight of Annie crossing the precinct station’s lobby.

  The hearing aid technician had run diagnostics on her aids as soon as they’d arrived. He’d discovered the microphone on one aid would need to be replaced at the factory. Because of the turnaround time, Annie would have to wait until she got home. The other aid worked fine, so she still had a way to hear.

  “I think the sketches look like Mr. Persistent and Red Cap.” She stopped in front of him now, looking more beautiful than any woman deserved. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to the way her silky hair captured the sunlight.

  She pulled her bag strap over her head. “You should go tell her what you think. You’ve seen them, too.”

  “I gave her some details, and I’m sure you did a great job helping her finish. You’re very observant.”

  Three patrol cops walked across the lobby toward the exit, and Hal steered her out of the way. She studied the wall of framed photographs of former precinct captains. “That one’s named Guidry. Is he any relation?”

  Hal glanced at the one she pointed out and grimaced. “That’s my father. He was a big shot on the force.”

  A furrow pulled her brows together. She settled a hand on his arm and gave him a sad smile. “I didn’t know.”

  He held his breath while she studied the inscription. She’d accepted his dyslexia but that was only half the story. Maybe he could tell her the real reason behind his refusal to go to his parents’ funeral?

  His chest tightened. He had to be careful. It was one thing to work together for a few days, another to share his darkest secrets with someone who wanted to leave town ASAP.

  “We need some lunch.” He glanced at his watch. “You should experience eating at a traditional New Orleans restaurant at least once.”

  “That sounds like tablecloths and napkins. I’m not dressed for a fancy meal.”

  “I’m not either, but Mattie wants to meet for lunch. That was her on the phone.”

  “Mattie? What did she want?”

  “She wouldn’t say over the phone, and I didn’t want to aggravate her by pressing the issue. She might have new information on the whereabouts of her brother. We can walk to the restaurant where she wants to meet. We parked in a garage, so we’re okay leaving the Blazer.”

  “Will we be safe to walk?” Her hand gripped his arm. “The police haven’t shown the sketches yet and as far as we know the guys who shot at us last night are still running around out there.”

  “They’ll hold a press conference soon, but we’ll be careful. Let me look around outside first.”

  A bus trundled past the front of the station, and two or three other vehicles drove by. No pedestrians loitered in the noonday heat. He beckoned Annie to join him, and they hurried across to the edge of the Quarter.

  Galatoire’s featured a long, narrow dining room with black and white tiled floors. Mirrors along both walls doubled the size of the crowd and the volume of voices.

  “Mattie said she’d take a table. There she is in the back.” He steered Annie through the crowded tables, keeping his touch as neutral as possible.

  Matilda rose from her chair and kissed his cheek. A stout man lumbered to his feet beside her. “You said to call if I had any news.”

  Hal nodded. “I appreciate this.”

  “I know.” Mattie batted her eyelashes at him.

  “Marshall Wilson, attorney at law.” Mattie’s companion buttoned his suit jacket and extended his hand. After they shook, he gestured at the table. “Glad you could join us.”

  Of the two remaining chairs, Annie chose the one next to the lawyer. “You’re Matilda’s friend?”

  The man picked up his napkin. “I represent her company sometimes. Heritage Foods.”

  “Represent?” Annie smiled. “It’s really noisy in here, and I don’t hear well. Is that what you said?”

  The man nodded which set his fleshy chin wobbling. “At the moment, I’m Randolph’s lawyer.”

  “Oh, right.” Annie nodded.

  Hal studied Wilson. Kurt would likely know him, but he steered clear of lawyers and judges. Too much diplomacy involved.

  The waiter handed them menus, pointed out the daily lunch and gave a recitation on the specials. He filled their water goblets, took their orders, and left.

  Hal studied Matilda in her prim suit and perfect makeup. “Where is your brother?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know.” She straightened her silverware. “I told you that.”

  He spread his napkin in his lap. “Then why call me?”

  She glanced around and leaned forward as if to share a secret, but the lawyer cleared his throat.

  “Unfortunately, Randolph Lemoyne has fled.” Wilson reached for his water g
lass. “He’s left me to mop up his mess. Of course, you know that. Otherwise, your kind wouldn’t be involved.”

  His kind? His fugitive had assaulted a traffic officer with a deadly weapon and nearly killed him. In other words, he’d become a criminal, but not everyone appreciated that. Hal sipped his water. “You should have expected that. Fugitives don’t hang around unless they want to be caught.”

  “He’s not answering my calls.” Mattie jumped in.

  Hal clenched his jaw. “Why didn’t you call him when Annie and I were at your place Sunday?”

  “I was on my way out, remember?”

  And, like a numbskull, he hadn’t asked. “Doesn’t your brother realize he’s got a price on his head?”

  “You make this sound like some old Western movie.” Mattie laughed and pulled out her chiming cellphone. After glancing at the screen, she tapped her finger. “I need to take this.”

  Everyone at the table fell silent while Mattie listened to her call.

  “That was the office.” Her face flushed and her lips folded into a thin red line. She dropped her napkin on the table and pushed away, phone still in hand. “Sorry, but I have to go back now. I need you to come, too, Marshall.”

  Mattie laid a hand on Hal’s shoulder and air-kissed his cheek before weaving through the tables. Annie sipped her water, giving him the side eye. He was definitely a chick magnet. Except to her.

  Wait a minute. Hadn’t she been hanging on his arm at the police station? And waiting for his hand to touch her when they’d reached the restaurant? Not to mention last night? She’d certainly succumbed to his charms then.

  But he hadn’t tried to charm her. In fact, he seemed unaware of the attention women gave him. He’d been himself last night, the guy she was beginning to really like.

  His revelation about being dyslexic still amazed her. She’d noticed oddities about him like his giving her his phone to have her type in an address, but he seemed so in control all the time, so decisive and confident, she never seriously considered he had any issues.

  That he’d wanted to share this with her wrapped a warm, fuzzy blanket around her heart.