It was Sabrina’s fourth trip in twenty-four hours to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, greeting and shuttling newly arrived wedding guests to the Windsor Court Hotel just outside the French Quarter.
The baggage claim area was already busy as the bride waited anxiously for her mother to arrive. The early-morning flight from Washington, D.C., had landed on time. Sabrina craned her neck to catch a glimpse of her mother coming into view.
Mother and daughter embraced in a long, firm hug. When they pulled back from each other, Sabrina’s mother immediately noticed her daughter’s red-rimmed eyes.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” she asked. “You’ve been crying.”
“Oh, Mama, I’m so glad you’re here. But let’s not go into it all now. We’ll get your bag, and we can talk later. I thought we could go to Court of Two Sisters for the Jazz Brunch Buffet.”
“Sounds perfect.”
Forty-five minutes later, mother and daughter sat in the wisteria-covered brick courtyard of the historic French Quarter restaurant as a jazz trio serenaded them and the other customers. After ordering mimosas they went to the extensive buffet, where they helped themselves to made-to-order seafood omelets, sausage, grits, and grillades.
As errant wisteria petals floated gracefully down onto their table, Sabrina barely touched her food, but she quickly ordered another mimosa.
“Okay, Sabrina. Now. Tell me what’s wrong.”
“Well,” Sabrina began. “I guess you’ve seen the stories on the news about the recent murders here, right?”
“As a matter of fact, I haven’t, honey. Taking care of Grandma is a full-time job. I hardly know what’s going on in the world anymore.”
Sabrina reached over and patted her mother’s hand. “I’m sorry, Mama. I know you have your hands full up there. I wish I lived closer and could help you.”
“Don’t worry about that now, Sabrina. Your life is here with Leo, and that’s the way it should be. I should have been down here helping you with everything, but I just couldn’t leave Grandma alone. As it was, I don’t feel all that comfortable with the caretaker I found to look after her for these next few days.”
“That’s all right, Mama. Leo and I have had fun planning it ourselves. Until this last week, and then all sorts of horrible things began to happen. Now I wonder if we should have postponed the whole thing.”
Sabrina described the gruesome events of the past week.
Her mother’s eyes widened. “The murders were all right here on Royal Street?” she asked. “And they are all tied to voodoo? Dear Lord!”
After taking another sip of her mimosa, Sabrina continued. “The worst part, for me at least, Mama, is that the third victim was my boss. She was killed yesterday.”
“Ellinore? The woman who’s been so nice to you? The one who gave you that chandelier you love as a wedding gift?”
Sabrina nodded.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, sweetheart! Why didn’t you call me?”
“I didn’t want to worry you right before you left. I knew you’d be here this morning. That seemed time enough to share the bad news.” A tear seeped from the corner of Sabrina’s eye, and she dabbed at it with her napkin. “Oh, Mama. I never thought that this was the way my wedding was going to turn out.”
The older woman comforted the younger one throughout the rest of the meal. After they had finished eating and paid the check, Sabrina’s mother took a handful of change from her wallet. She gave half the coins to her daughter.
“What are these for?” asked Sabrina.
Her mother pointed. “There’s a fountain over there and a wishing well over there. Take your pick. Throw in the coins and make your wish. I will, too. Everything is going to work out, Sabrina. You’ll see.”
Sabrina smiled weakly. “You always make me feel better, Mama. Thank you.”
As she tossed the pennies, nickels, and dimes into the wishing well, Sabrina prayed that her mother was right.