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“You must be Sandy-Sue Morrow.” Celebrity-like in his appearance, the fellow stuck out his large hand. The first thing I noticed was the shimmering gold Rolex wrapped around his wrist. “I’m Baylor Madison, your new neighbor.”
After shaking my hand, he introduced himself to Gertie. Apparently, he’d already charmed Ida Belle at the door. Since he’d made it to the kitchen, the assumption seemed justified.
Why couldn’t he have been draped in weapons, clenching grenades in both fists? Then I wouldn’t have stood there stammering and stuttering, thinking I’d never seen a more beautiful man. Not that men were beautiful and not that I would know what to do with a per-se ‘beautiful’ man. But I might want to learn.
“I have a new neighbor?” Instead of looking at Baylor, I searched two very amused faces and wanted to clock both of them.
Gertie laughed. “You’ll have to excuse Fortune. It’s rare when she sees a good looking beast of a fellow.”
Beast of a fellow? I wanted to die.
“Carter would love that,” Ida Belle whispered, turning to Baylor. “You said you just moved to the neighborhood?”
“That’s right.”
“Two houses down?” Ida Belle clarified for my benefit.
“What does it matter?” I sounded snappy but couldn’t soften the choppy blow.
“It matters, Fortune,” Gertie said, grinning.
“Yes, I live in the blue house.”
Most everyone around there lived in ‘the blue’ house. “We typically differentiate by the number of windows, shutter colors, or by describing the plants that line our porches.”
“Don’t be rude to your guest,” Gertie said. “You already have something in common. You both have blue houses.”
“Eighteen houses within a two-mile radius are blue,” I said, nervously adding, “I’ve counted them.” That’s why I typically explained which blue house was mine—or rather Sandy-Sue’s—and specified the huge Victorian without a bunch of potted plants and plastic yard ornaments.
“Mine is the one with pale pink shutters.” He scoffed. “That’ll soon change. I’m not much for pastels.”
“Another common factor you share with your new neighbor,” Gertie said. “Since you’re neighbors, maybe Fortune can help you pick out a new color. Together, you’ll—”
“Stop,” Ida Belle grated out, giving me one of those “You owe me” looks.
“Technically, we’re not close neighbors,” I said, putting that out there and wondering what point I was trying to make. I came up empty.
“Close enough. Only one house separates us.” He gave me a heated gaze that made my spine tingle.
I was sure of two things then. One, Mr. Baylor Madison knew how to make a woman blush and he apparently took great pleasure in that particular skill. And two, I wasn’t sold on the close neighbors concept. Oh and there was a third point, too.
A couple of old maids were trying to play matchmaker and soon, very soon, I would return the favor. After this morning, they should’ve been more loyal to Carter. Then again, I couldn’t really blame them. Carter often pointed an accusing finger in their direction. Sometimes it was warranted.
Okay so maybe most of the time it was warranted.
“Would you like to join us for a cup of coffee?” Gertie asked, waving her hand at my kitchen table in an attempt to invite the newcomer to pull up a chair.
“That sounds like a gre—”
I hurriedly snapped my fingers. “Shucks. I almost forgot. Time’s getting away from us and we have things to do.” Feeling transparent, I turned to Mr. Madison. “We were right in the middle of finalizing our girl’s day out plans.”
“We were?” Gertie asked.
“Yes, right when he knocked.”
“I see.” Baylor wasn’t buying it.
And I didn’t care.
“Oh don’t be silly, Fortune,” Gertie said. “You didn’t have plans.”
Ida Belle dramatically sighed. She wasn’t any help now.
“Like I said...” I grated out. “We’re in the middle of making them. Plans, that is. Remember?”
Gertie smirked. “Ida Belle and I are big girls. We can always reschedule.”
“She’s right.”
“And I can always call Walter and let him know you did just that,” I threatened and used a deliberately harsh tone.
My new neighbor watched like an outsider might, his gaze shifting as we spoke. For a minute, I was dumbfounded by the absurdity of this day.
I discovered a body in my backyard. As luck would have it, I could use the afternoon and start my own investigation. With Carter spending his afternoon in court, we would have the jump on him. Why Ida Belle and Gertie weren’t with me on this was anyone’s guess.
Mr. New Guy would not get in the way of investigative progress. And I wasn’t about to stand by and let Ida Belle and Gertie force my hand here. I wasn’t interested in cozying up to new neighbors, even those handsome men who’d somehow managed to keep all their teeth, considered a plus in these parts.
Clicking my tongue, I stuck my finger in the air and narrowed my eyes on my elderly friends. “We have things to do today. You’re not using my new neighbor in an effort to ditch me.” Nodding at Ida Belle, I said, “So you run on home, change out of that ridiculous robe, let your hair down, put on a pretty dress and...”
“Your grasping, Fortune,” Ida Belle said, closing and folding the newspaper.
“Okay so the dress was a bit much,” I said, turning my attention to Baylor.
He waited and I wondered why. Did he want praise, a promise to help with the new paint job or was he just plain desperate for friends?
Six-two. Nice cheekbones. Good smile. Straight teeth. Muscular build. Around two hundred and ten pounds. Threat level—minimal. His grin widened. Damn it. Threat level upgraded. Suspect is dangerous and he knows it.
“So should I call you Sandy-Sue or Fortune?” He stood taller and when he did, it was as if he looked down his nose at us, seemingly too observant. He was the kind of man who quickly formulated his own opinions and drew his own conclusions. Not a bad trait in a town that thrived on gossip.
“Her friends call her Fortune,” Ida Belle said, studying Baylor with an intense focus. “But only her friends.”
Ah. So now she doesn’t quite trust Mr. Madison.
Like a defiant child, I took Baylor’s arm and guided him to the door. “You know how girls are, Mr. Madison. The older we get, the more indecisive we are.” I leaned closer and dropped my voice, “I’m springing for lunch today and wanted to surprise my elderly friends. They don’t get out much. If I didn’t force them, they’d stay inside talking about the good ‘ole days and reminiscing about lost lovers.”
“Elderly?” Ida Belle balked at that.
“Lovers?” Gertie screeched. “As in plural?”
“Noted,” Ida Belle grumbled. “Don’t worry. Now her day is coming.”
Ignoring them, I said, “So you see, Mr. Madison. Today isn’t a good day. Not with these two already out and about. Why it could be another few weeks before we see them again.” I dropped my voice. “And at their age, we really don’t have the promise of tomorrow.”
“I see,” he said, tightening his biceps and making me too aware of my fingers curled around his arm.
Mortified that I had actually put my hands on a complete stranger—and a male at that—I immediately released him, certain my palm would go up in flames if I didn’t. “Thank you for understanding.” I stuffed my hands in my hip pockets, hoping he’d take the hint and leave.
“So do you ever make time for boy-girl outings, say an early lunch or late dinner?”
“Careful, Fortune,” Gertie said, following behind me. “That fellow is anything but a boy and he knows it.”
I smiled at her concern. Then, I ignored it. She and Ida Belle started this mess. I stepped closer to my guest. “As a matter of fact, I do.”
Somewhere between introductions and leading Mr. Handsome Neighbor to the door, Ida Belle and Gertie had decided they didn’t like him. I might as well take hold of opportunity and call it a valuable lesson.
“Super. I’d like to take you out,” he said.
“When and where?” Ugh. That sounded desperate. Cocking my head and smiling sweetly, I added, “I’m free most anytime.”
I immediately thought of a woman I’d spotted the last time I was in New Orleans. She was on a street corner waving a cardboard sign that read: Favors for a Meal. Tricks for a Fix.
Surely I hadn’t acted quite that desperate. I wasn’t hungry and wasn’t experiencing shooting range withdrawals. At least not yet.
“I’ll leave you to discuss your plans.” Gertie turned in a huff and walked back in the kitchen. Ida Belle slowly unrolled her newspaper once again and made an excessive show out of snapping the pages between her fingers.
“How about tonight then?”
“Sure. What time?”
“Say eight o’clock? There’s a fall festival at the edge of town. Interested?”
“Eight o’clock.” I tried to sound excited. “Festivals are my favorite.” The girly-girl act was overkill. If in doubt, I was assured of the overkill when Ida Belle dramatically released the newspaper and let it drift to the table. Gertie released a droning sigh and drummed her fingers against her coffee mug.
Mr. Neighbor squinted and for a minute, I thought he might rescind his offer. Apparently girly-girl antics were overrated. Besides, grown women with formal CIA training and numerous kills under her belt couldn’t pull them off.
“I’ll see you later tonight then.”
“Sure thing,” I crooned. Any moment now, Louis Armstrong’s version of A Wonderful World might play in the background. It was such a picture-perfect moment, snapshot-worthy thanks to the stunned expressions on the faces behind me.
“I don’t like it,” Ida Belle said as soon as I returned to the kitchen.
“There’s something off about him,” said Gertie.
“Ya think?” Realizing this was precisely what they wanted to hear, I placed my palm over my heart and whispered, “But he’s so cute, absolutely adorable.”
“Stop it,” Ida Belle said, rolling her eyes. “Swooning doesn’t work for you.”
I dropped my arm to my side. “What doesn’t work is having so-called friends who throw me under the bus whenever said bus is driven by a handsome man.”
“At least she noticed that much.”
Ida Belle seemed concerned. “Cancel your date.”
“Maybe you should. That house has been up for sale for nearly a year and suddenly you have a new neighbor? Do I need to point out that he showed up on the very day that Casey Williams turned up dead?”
“In your backyard,” Ida Belle added.
“And that’s reason enough to be suspicious?” I thought so too, but wouldn’t admit as much. “The whole purpose of listing houses is so they will eventually sell. The house was bound to have a new owner sooner or later.”
Gertie twisted her mouth, her indecision now apparent. “She’s right. Besides, what’s not to like?”
“He’s a stranger,” Ida Belle said. “And I can tell by looking at him. He’s a pro.”
“That’s a guess.”
“Probably a good one,” said Ida Belle. “I’m rarely wrong.”
“In that case, if he ends up on our list of suspects, Fortune will already be in place. She’ll be able to get close to the subject without making it obvious.”
“Unless it already is,” Ida Belle said. “He could have similar intentions.”
“He’s not a suspect,” I said, sitting at the table.
“Why because he has a dashing smile and good teeth?”
“Noticed that did you?” Gertie waggled her brows.
“He’s easy on the eyes. What say you, Fortune?”
I narrowed my gaze on the two old women staring back at me and started to reply. Then, it hit me. These two were always trying to set me up with Carter or someone. I didn’t want to be set up and couldn’t keep playing their dating game. I wasn’t geared up to be fixed up.
I didn’t want to go to a fair or festival with Baylor or anyone else. Carter came to mind. Okay, so maybe I’d go with Carter and have a good time. But Carter hadn’t mentioned it.
“Let me ask you something,” I said, changing the subject. “What’s wrong with your lives?”
“Not a thing. I’m content. Happy.”
“Ditto,” Gertie said.
“Then why are you hell bent on setting me up with a man, much less one you don’t know?”
“She has a point.”
Gertie shrugged. “We could set her up with a woman.”
“I don’t want to be set up with anyone!”
Gertie sighed. “Experience makes the lady. You want to try dating at least once or twice. Then, when you’re older? You’ll appreciate what you have.”
“Maybe,” I said, deciding once again that they deserved what I was about to say and do. “And Mr. Madison does have a beautiful smile.”
“Good dimples, too,” Gertie said.
“That’s because he’s up to something,” Ida Belle said. “Which leads us back to this morning. We need to find out how Casey ended up in Fortune’s backyard. It was probably a coincidence but it pays to be sure.”
Since finding a body in my yard, I hadn’t stopped thinking about the same. What if Casey hadn’t washed up by chance? What if someone had placed him there as a warning of sorts? When warnings were issued in my line of work, we typically paid attention.
About that time, my phone rang. Francine’s Café flashed on my caller ID, “Hey Ally. What’s up?” Ally and I had become good friends. She worked at Francine’s Café and often provided much-needed current information. Since Francine’s was sort of like the community hub, good and bad news often traveled through the café first.
“Are you busy?” Ally asked.
“Probably not hustling like you are. Is the lunch rush over?”
“No. I’m trying to push the late crowd out now,” she said. “Can you put me on speaker?”
“You got it,” I said, hitting the option and placing the phone on the table. Ally didn’t know the real me—the CIA assassin in hiding. The more time we spent together, the more I suspected that she’d begun to wonder about my past but she didn’t pry.
Only Gertie and Ida Belle knew the whole truth. Carter was suspicious and we tried to keep a close eye on him but lately it had become more difficult to do. Sheriff Lee had given him more responsibilities and we never knew when he might show up unannounced.
Gertie and Ida Belle chimed in with their hellos, dragging me back to the present. Ally said, “You need to get over to Sinful Sleep. Casey rented a room there.”
“What?” Ida Belle glowered at the phone. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Ally said. “I just saw his mom.”
“Why would he stay at that dump when his mother lives in town?” Ida Belle asked.
“Beats me,” Ally said. “Before his father passed away, he remodeled the garage. He added a nice two bedroom apartment. Supposedly, it’s a peach of a place.”
“Makes you wonder about the company Casey kept while he was away,” Ida Belle said. “Maybe he didn’t feel comfortable staying at home.”
“Think he stayed on the edge of town so he could protect his mom from the creepy company he keeps?” Gertie shrugged at her own question. “Sounds reasonable. Doesn’t it?”
“We don’t know that he’s been keeping creepy company,” Ida Belle said.
“Considering he was left for gator bait, it’s probably a safe bet he wasn’t running around with Baptists,” Gertie said.
“So you’re saying he’s been rubbing shoulders with Catholics?”
“I didn’t say that.” Gertie crossed her arms. “You did.”
“This isn’t the work of a Catholic or Baptist,” Ida Belle said. “Now let’s stay on point. Why would Casey come back home if he’s been living such a dangerous life?”
Good point.
“His mom broke down in the middle of Francine’s. She started crying in front of everyone. She was very defensive, too. Said folks ran him out of town and if they’d been nicer to him, maybe he never would’ve left Sinful. Celia was here. Believe it or not, she calmed Kathleen down, reminded her that she knew how it felt to lose a child.”
“Sometimes Celia can be kind,” I said, trying to remember that Celia Arceneaux was Ally’s aunt, even if she wasn’t exactly a favorite aunt.
“The only time Celia is kind is when it benefits Celia,” Ida Belle said.
“Or when she’s trying to use the power of manipulation so the Catholics can win the pudding wars,” Gertie said.
“True,” I muttered, wishing I hadn’t said anything positive about the woman. This could go on all day.
“And she doesn’t like Kathleen.”
“Never did,” Ida Belle quietly agreed.
“Whether she did or didn’t, doesn’t matter,” Ally said. “Kathleen was broken and Celia offered words of encouragement. Kathleen didn’t even know Casey was still in town. When she first received news of his death, she thought it was some kind of mistake.”
“Ah, poor thing,” Gertie said, sincerity oozed for about a second, maybe two. “Kathleen has always been a judgmental somebody, bless her heart.”
“And there you go and ruin it,” Ida Belle said. “For a minute there, I thought you were turning over a new leaf.”
“Hell no. I never liked Kathleen.”
“Then don’t act like it,” Ida Belle said.
“And we’re off,” I sang.
Ally laughed. “Ladies, you can bicker later. I have another customer. Can you meet me at Sinful Sleep after lunch?”
“Other than a bus ticket and dirty laundry, what could we possibly find?” Gertie asked.
“I don’t know, but his mom said the owner of the place called her right after Carter found Casey’s body in the bayou. Get this. Mr. Pickler only called to see if she wanted to pay the rent there for a few more days. He told her he would ask housekeeping to box up Casey’s stuff if she didn’t want to drive down and pay up. He runs a cash-only business.”
“Of course he does,” I said, wondering what kind of hole-in-the-wall we’d find at this Sinful Sleep.
“Pickler is a skirt-chasing old geezer,” Gertie said. “He probably wanted Kathleen to drop everything and run down there so he could console her.”
“How’d ya know?” Ally asked, her voice full of amusement.
“We know Pickler,” Ida Belle said. “Went to high school with him.”
“When was that? Way back in eighteen and forty-six?” I teased.
I caught a scowl from Gertie and Ida Belle.
Ida Belle said, “Kathleen is a grieving parent. I can’t believe he would ask her to stop by and pay for her deceased son’s room. What did he want her to do, count out cash in between tears?”
“Guess so,” said Ally.
“Man definitely had ulterior motives,” Gertie said. “He’s always prided himself on being a strong shoulder.”
“Anyway,” Ally drawled. “Mrs. Williams can’t go and collect Casey’s things. I offered to meet her out there and she agreed. Then some strange man walked in the café. She got all jittery and said she’d pay me if I’d go gather his things. I’m supposed to clean out his room and drop off his belongings later tonight.”
“She’s always been a strange one,” Gertie said.
“What man?” Ida Belle asked before I had a chance.
“Have no idea,” Ally said. “Must be a family member. I’ve never seen him in these parts. He was kind of cute. Had all his teeth and a lot of hair. Memorable in that department.”
Someone yelled, “Order up. Again Ally!”
“Gotta go,” she said. “We’ll discuss the new Sinful hottie when we meet. See you at two-thirty?”
“We’ll be there,” I said.
We said our goodbyes. Ida Belle turned to me and batted her eyelashes. “And that’s how a girls’ day out is planned.” She sipped her coffee with her pinky high in the air. “We’ll have such a fabulous time.”
“Don’t ever do that again,” I said, quite serious. “Now go ditch the robe, the attitude, and the high-pitched squeaky voice. I’ll pick you up at two.”
“What about me?” Gertie asked.
“You need to ditch the matchmaking ideas. I like my single life.”
“Which is why you accepted Mr. Madison’s date offer?”
“Which is exactly why I accepted his offer. Ever watched How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days?” I waggled my eyebrows. “I need ten minutes.”