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BRIDGETTE CROSSED ANOTHER name off the guest list and picked up the ringing phone.
"Marquette Plantation. This is Bridgette speaking. How may I help you?"
"Bridgette, this is Victoria Jackson. Some weeks ago, I made a reservation for Friday night. But after seeing the news, my husband and I have decided to postpone our trip. I hope that's okay."
"I completely understand, Mrs. Jackson."
"Thank you so much."
Before the customer could continue, Bridgette informed her, "I will refund your deposit, in light of everything that has happened. You are more than welcome to reschedule when you feel comfortable. Is that okay?"
"Oh, thank you so much. Are things really as bad as the media makes it sound?"
"It's not as bad as the media is making it out. But, they have no suspects. So, I can understand someone's wariness about staying here."
"When I researched the town, and your plantation, it just seemed such a peaceful place."
"It is very peaceful here, and it is a tragedy that something like that had to happen here. But I am confident that the police will find who did this."
"I sure hope so, more for your safety than anything else. I can't imagine something like that happening in my own backyard."
"It has been a trying past few days, but we will persevere."
"Well, good luck with business. We look forward to staying there eventually."
"Thank you, Mrs. Jackson. We look forward to having you stay with us."
Bridgette hung up the phone, and let out a deep sigh. She hoped guests did not continue to cancel.
The phone rang again. Bridgette took a deep breath and answered. "Marquette Bed-and-Breakfast. This is Bridgette. How may I help you?"
"This is Jessica Landry. My husband and I have been watching the news and noticed what has been happening there. We would like to cancel our reservation for now. Wait until things settle down there."
Bridgette groaned inwardly, "I will refund your deposit. Please know that you can renew your reservation whenever you feel more comfortable. I do understand your worries, and completely understand."
"Thank you so much, I was worried that we may lose the deposit."
“No, I completely understand. I can't fault a customer for not wanting to stay where a tragedy occurred."
"Do they have any suspects yet as to who may have caused the destruction there?"
"The police are only releasing what information they feel is necessary to keep the public safe. It is an ongoing investigation, so, unfortunately, they cannot divulge too much. However, this is a peaceful community, and once the suspect is caught, it will be a great place to visit again."
After Bridgette hung up the landline, her cell phone rang. While she dreaded speaking to another person, perhaps talking to Barbara would help lift her mood. "Hey, Barbie girl, how are you doing today?"
With a high-pitched voice, "How am I doing? How am I doing? Girl, I would be freaking out right now. I had to call as soon as I heard the news, and see how you were doing."
"Oh, I am definitely shaken. But also furious. I cannot believe this is happening here of all places."
"I am scared to death. And, of course, Hal had to leave early. Something about one of his captains needing to take off a week early. I don't know how you can stay out there by yourself, when I am beyond scared to stay here. I don't want the children going outside to play right now."
"Oh, that bites that Hal had to leave early. I can understand you wanting someone there with you at night. It's just so unsettling after all this happened."
Before Bridgette could continue the conversation a blustery wind rushed through the room and started spinning all the papers and items she had on the front desk. It reminded her of a mini tornado, except inside. "Barbara, something came up, I need to go."
"If you need anything, anything at all, give me a call. You are more than welcome to spend the night here. Besides, there is safety in numbers."
"Thank you for the offer, I appreciate it. I'll talk to you later."
Once Bridgette hung up with Barbara, the items spinning in the air came crashing down with a loud clatter. Bridgette was puzzled. What caused the ghosts to get so upset? It was almost as if the mention of Hal’s name infuriated them. Which was crazy, wasn't it?
After cleaning up the mess that the ghosts caused, Bridgette went into her bathroom to grab an aspirin. She hoped that the ghosts calmed down and that guests did not continue to cancel their reservations.
From her bedroom window, Bridgette peered outside and took in the peacefulness of the area. She could not let what happened recently defile her feelings for this place.
BRIDGETTE COULD NOT sleep once again. She still had not heard from Greg Dawson or even Marcus and she desperately needed Marcus right now. She tried calling him the other night when she found out about the spa he planned to open, but he did not answer nor bother to return her call. Could he be involved? She shook her head. No, she could not picture him doing something this horrible.
She sat on the settee in her room and watched as the stars danced across the night sky. Sleep eluded her once again. She could only imagine what the poor girl must be going through.
She opened her laptop and looked at the monitor. Maybe work would help ease her mind, it would give her something else to think about. As she worked, her eyelids became heavy. She tried to fight the sleep, but her eyelids closed and she drifted off to sleep. In her mind, she was back down by the bayou. All around, there was a heavy mist. Screams mixed with cries of pain. In the darkness of the night, someone called her name. She turned in circles, searching for whoever was calling out to her. A gust of wind blew, sending a chill through her. The warm air around her turned ice cold. The cries and moans became more anguished. All around her were young women, their pale skin almost translucent in the moonlight. They all were pleading and begging for help. She did not know what to do.
The whispers grew quiet and the mist began to dissolve. What were they trying to tell her? Was there still danger lurking about? A dark, menacing face appeared before her. Red eyes glowed through the darkness.
A scream woke her up. She was surprised when she realized that it was her own screaming that pierced the night air. She clamped a hand over her mouth, praying she did not wake any of the other guests. Her eyes darted around the room to make sure there was no one lurking in the shadows.
It was just another nightmare. She stared out into the night. How could something so peaceful hide such evil? Suddenly, the hair rose on the back of her neck as a slight creak was outside the French doors. Her breath caught in her throat. Was someone really out there? She stepped closer to the door to peer outside. She heard another creak, almost as if it was a footstep on the deck. Someone was definitely out there. She shook her head. It was more than likely the wind blowing one of the rockers.
There was someone out there. A shadow fell across the light glowing outside. It was the silhouette of a man. She froze in fear when she saw there was something in his hand. She slowly backed away from the door. What should she do? Terror took over her body. She had trouble thinking. Her eyes never left the door as she waited for him to make his move. If she screamed, how long would it be before someone came running? Would they save her?
She hid deeper in the shadows of her room and watched in horror as he stared in. Sheer terror moved through her body. She tried to recognize the silhouette of the man. Who was he? She watched as he grabbed the doorknob and slowly turned it. She tried to move out of the room, but her legs were shaking too badly. She let out a shrill scream. Suddenly footsteps sounded overhead. The shadow by her door disappeared. Whoever had been there was now gone. She picked up the phone and called Detective Boutin to let him know what happened.
SHE WATCHED IN TREPIDATION as once again police walked the perimeter of her property. Damn it, this was her house. Rage coursed through her body. It was barely three o’clock in the morning and she had guests being woken up from their peaceful slumber once again.
As she did previously, she offered those staying at Marquette Plantation Bed & Breakfast a free night. If this kept up, she would have no choice but to close the bed and breakfast part of the plantation. People may want to stay at a haunted inn, but they sure in the hell did not want to stay at an inn that was being stalked by a killer.
Detective Boutin watched her actions closely. Right now, she was sitting on a couch in the parlor and from the way she rubbed her forehead, she probably had one doozy of a headache.
He informed her, “We are fingerprinting the deck out back. Did you get a good look at the intruder?”
She shook her head, “No. I just saw his outline.”
“Did you recognize the outline? Did it remind you of someone you may know?”
“No. It was too dark and I was too scared to think clearly.”
“The young woman who was abducted remembered seeing a tattoo on her abductor. She believed it was a fairly large tattoo. If she is correct, she believed it started at his shoulder and possibly wrapped down his arm some.”
He watched as the color drained from her face. It was a good thing she was sitting down or she would have fallen flat on her face. “I think I know who you are looking for. But it can’t be. He would not do anything like that. No, it just isn’t him.” She kept telling herself repeatedly in her mind that it was not him. The woman was mistaken. She had just dreamed that she saw a tattoo.
Detective Boutin took her hands in his and asked her softly, “Ms. Marquette, who do you believe is the killer?”
Tears streamed down her face. She answered in a barely audible whisper, “Marcus. Marcus DuPont. He has a tattoo of a dragon on his back that wraps around to his biceps. He keeps it covered up. He said that it was a mistake he had made in his youth, but instead of having it removed, he kept it to remind himself of his troubled past and what he has overcome. He said growing up in a family of privilege had its own share of problems. He had problems with drugs when he was younger and became involved with the wrong crowd.”
“Ms. Marquette, do you happen to know where Mr. DuPont is?”
She shook her head, “I’ve been trying to reach him since all this happened. He has not returned my calls. This whole time I suspected maybe Greg Dawson had something to do with this and now it looks like it could be Marcus.”
Bridgette felt as if her whole world was crumbling before her. She slept with the man and was falling in love with him. How could she be such a fool? Where was Greg Dawson? Why had he not come to collect his things? What if Marcus hurt him as well?
She could not stop the tears from flowing. How could this be happening? Would she ever be able to bounce back from this?
Detective Boutin asked her, “Maybe you should consider taking an impromptu vacation until we can arrest Mr. DuPont. Right now, all we have is circumstantial evidence. We just don’t have enough to bring him in. Since he has been here in the past, he can easily explain how his fingerprints were outside.”
“I refuse to be scared away. I will not run like a coward. What about setting a trap for him?”
Detective Boutin ran his hands through his hair, “That can be very dangerous for those involved.”
“Well, if he is after me, then what’s to say he won’t go after Justine Rachel as well?”
“We have nightly patrols watching over her house, but after tonight’s scare, I think it would be safe to say we need to place an officer at each of your houses.”
“What if I offer Justine a room and you post an officer here? I will even give up my room for whoever you assign to stay here. That way you can dangle both of us right in front of him.”
“I don’t know. This will be a very dangerous trap. Besides, how will you inform Mr. DuPont of your plans?”
“Right now, he doesn’t know that I suspect him as the abductor. I can call him all upset and tell him I felt guilty about what happened to Justine. I can let him know that I am going to help her overcome her fears by offering her a room here for a few nights.”
She watched as Detective Boutin stared at her intently, “That may work. We have a few female officers that are about your height. I can ask for one of them to volunteer to spend the night in your room and another in a room upstairs. However, if we do this, the two of you have to stay away from the windows. I would prefer if you stay out of sight.”
“I have guests to tend to. But, with all that has happened, there aren’t too many.” It broke Bridgette’s heart that Marcus might be the one guilty of the abduction of Justine and that he possibly burned down the cabin in the back. If it was him, she wanted him stopped. Either way, she needed to put this all behind her and move forward. She was sure that Justine wanted the same thing.
Detective Boutin asked her one more time, “Are you certain you want to do this? Would you like a few days to think this through?”
“No, I refuse to go into hiding because of this monster. I want him caught before he can do this to someone else. You already believe he may have killed in the past and what if he has? I could not live with the fact that a killer was running loose. Besides, you and I both know he will go after Justine. She is a loose end that he needs to take care of.”
Over the next couple of hours, they made plans. Detective Boutin called Justine to let her know about the trap they were laying for the suspect. She was ready to put this behind her and was more than cooperative.