Only By Moonlight (28 page)

“Let’s just plan the wedding,” Katie said
with a smile. She seemed determined to bring sunshine back into the
room.”

“If there’s going to be one,” Elaine mumbled.
“Chase seems to be working non-stop, and now they’re arguing,
too.”

Adrianna raised a forefinger. “I’m not
kidding with you, Elaine. If you don’t cut it out...”

“Alright,” LaShaun broke in sharply before
Katie could play mediator again. “Elaine is right. With the
election we’ve gotten off track. But there is damn sure going to be
a wedding.” Even if I have to find a priest to perform an exorcism
on the groom, LaShaun thought grimly.

“Elaine, Chase has been miserable for a long
time. Right, that’s what I said. He couldn’t connect with most of
us, let alone a woman, when he came back from the Army. You don’t
want to spoil the joy he’s finally found,” Katie said dramatically.
She placed a hand on her sister’s forearm. “You really want him go
back to being that grim loner?”

Elaine fidgeted with her purse straps for a
few seconds. “I’m sorry for acting like mama. I shouldn’t have
channeled her negative energy. Besides, we got over Bruce, Jr.
marrying Adrianna. I think we can handle you now.” She gave her
sister-in-law a sly grin.

“Oh no, you didn’t!” Adrianna squealed, and
then they all burst into laughter.

Katie fanned her face with a napkin. “Lord
have mercy, we are going to have some fun at family get-togethers
from now on. Okay, y’all. Let’s get back to business. Even with all
these... distractions, there is some good news. The Sweet Olive Bed
and Breakfast has openings for y’all to have a wonderful reception
and honeymoon. We can still use the catering from the Savoie’s.
They don’t mind that and...”

“Wait a minute, they were booked solid,”
Adrianna said.

“Marion Saunders called me. They’ve had
cancellations. Seems our little parish crime wave spooked a few of
the out of town folks.” Katie frowned. “I didn’t think we made
national headlines.”

“You haven’t been watching Ghost Team USA.
That show is huge, plus James Schaffer was on CNN. He mentioned the
recent Beau Chene murders. Then one of his researchers looked up
the history of the bed and breakfast. There were at least two
murders in that house.” Elaine nodded as the other three women
stared at her.

Katie blinked hard. “Elaine, you watch Ghost
Team USA?”

“Yeah, you’re the one who only watches public
broadcasting or The History Channel and claims everything else on
television is ‘garbage’,” Adrianna added.

“James Schaffer is a history professor, and
his shows delve into a lot of fascinating facts from the past,”
Elaine protested. “It’s not just any reality show. It’s
educational.”

“Yeah, right,” Adrianna snorted.

“Hmm,” was all Katie said. Her twin raised
eyebrows spoke volumes.

Elaine lifted her nose in the air. “As I was
saying, Schaffer did research on the area. Naturally, the fact that
those teenagers were found on land that used to be part of the
plantation caught his interest.”

LaShaun leaned forward and ignored the
snickering of the other two women. “What?”

“He reported on those murders and about Manny
Young’s grandfather,” Elaine said. She cut a glance at her sister
and sister-in-law. “I won’t say more, but...”

“Yes, I was up to my neck in that case,”
LaShaun said.

“Ahem. Anyway, three guests complained of
strange noises or pictures falling off the walls. One lady said she
heard screaming one night.” Elaine cast a sideways look at LaShaun.
“Folks cut their stays short and word got out.”

“Nonsense. Just a bunch of folks who let
their imaginations run wild,” Katie waved a hand.

LaShaun tuned out the chatter from the others
as thoughts of the Metier house raced around her brain. The evening
she’d stumbled on Becky and Regan they were headed somewhere. Or
maybe they were on their way back. LaShaun left the table
suddenly.

“Wait a minute,” Katie objected. “We’ve got
decisions to make. Marion Saunders needs to know about the
reception.”

“Tell her I want Chase to tour the place,”
LaShaun called over her shoulder.

“It should be soon. The wedding is supposed
to be in a month you know,” Katie yelled back.

“Call her now. See if tonight around eight
o’clock is okay.”

LaShaun went to her grandmother’s parlor and
slid closed the old wooden door. She turned on her laptop. In
seconds she had an old map of Vermilion Parish on the screen. Then
she used a modern app that gave her an aerial view. The tingling
beneath her skin ramped up as she stared at visual confirmation of
what she’d suspected. Becky and Regan’s path could well have taken
them to or from the Sweet Olive B&B. LaShaun jumped at the
sound of a firm knock on the door.

“Really, LaShaun,” Katie said through the
door. “I’m out here defending you to Elaine, but you’re not making
it easy.”

LaShaun got up and slid back the lovely
paneled door. She smiled at her future sister-in-law. “Sorry, I
just thought of some business my accountant asked me to take care
of.”

“Is your dress ready? Please tell me you’ve
got the dress,” Katie whispered.

“I’ll get it,” LaShaun said. “Meet you back
in the den.”

“Okay,” Katie blinked rapidly when LaShaun
quickly darted away.

Minutes later LaShaun returned with the dress
in a protective plastic bag. The three women were so intent on
talking that they didn’t notice her at first. The soft rustle of
the covering caught Adrianna’s attention first.

“Wow. Es un hermoso vestido, mi amiga,”
Adrianna said and got up as though hypnotized.

“I agree. That is stunning.” Katie stared at
the dress.

Elaine’s mouth hung open for ten seconds
before she recovered. “Very nice.”

“A New Orleans seamstress who specializes in
restorations of antique clothes did alterations and repairs.”

LaShaun’s grandmother and great-grandmother
had worn the dress. Sadly LaShaun’s troubled mother had died young
without having her own dream wedding. The seamstress had marveled
at how the lace was so well preserved. Only a few seed pearls on
the bodice were missing. Those had been easily replaced.

“Candlelight champagne. Our teal green
bridesmaids’ dresses will look fabulous alongside that color. It
has a golden glow to it,” Katie said, her voice hushed with
awe.

“Wow,” Adrianna repeated.

“Okay, now I’m really excited!” Katie clapped
her hands together. “I can tell Mrs. Savoie about the change of
plans. We can still cancel the tent rentals without forfeiting much
of the deposit.”

“Not just yet,” LaShaun broke in. “I mean, we
haven’t decided on Sweet Olive as the reception site.”

“We called Marion, and she sounded thrilled.
Tonight at 8 o’clock is fine. They only have one room and one of
the cottages rented out. She was curious why so late though,”
Adrianna said and lifted an eyebrow.

“I would think you two would want to appear
super normal. There’s enough talk going around about Sweet Olive.
Just wait until they hear where your reception will be.” Elaine
pursed her lips. “

“We should support our local businesses,
Elaine. That poor couple put a lot of money into making Sweet Olive
a tourist destination. Let’s show everyone those Ghost Town people
are phonies. LaShaun, you and Chase need to make a decision fast,”
Katie said crisply. She tapped her notebook computer.

“Ghost Team, Katie,” Elaine replied,
correcting her. “Besides, you really think LaShaun being there will
make talk die down?”

Adrianna looked up at her with a frown. “And
just what is that supposed to mean?”

“We’ll let Marion know something tomorrow
morning at the latest,” LaShaun said quickly to head off another
argument.

“Why at night?” Elaine gazed at LaShaun with
a question in her dark eyes.

“Chase is working long hours. He won’t be
able to get away before then,” LaShaun put in smoothly. She hadn’t
even spoken to Chase yet.

“Oh.” Elaine looked dubious but said no
more.

“Okay, it’s settled. We have the priest, the
food, and the landscape artist confirmed. Now all we need is to
nail down the reception and we’re set. Our small wedding of about
one hundred twenty people is going to be the event of the year.”
Katie beamed with satisfaction.

“June Bug Landry is now a landscape artist
instead of a plain ol’ yard man?” Elaine asked. “Humph.”

“He will be for this wedding,” Adrianna
quipped. “Besides, my brother in Houston gave him some tips.
Carlito owns one of the most successful landscaping companies in
Texas.”

“We didn’t leave anything to chance. Now
let’s go over everything one last time. LaShaun, call Chase to make
sure he can go tonight,” Katie ordered.

“On it.” LaShaun headed to the kitchen. She
shook her head as Katie started handing out assignments.

“If we live through the wedding, life should
be grand,” LaShaun muttered. She called Chase first and found out
he would be off work. Then she called Miss Rose.

***

The bright moon hung in the indigo backdrop
that enhanced its luminosity. A few stars blinked against the night
sky, but the silver disc was the main attraction. Chase took a
catnap while LaShaun drove them to the B&B in his truck. The
intense pace of chasing down leads, keeping up a good face for the
voters and dealing with routine job duties had taken a toll. At
least LaShaun hoped those were the only reasons Chase had dark
circles under his eyes. She stole glances at him. With his eyes
closed he looked peaceful. She placed a hand on his muscular
thigh.

“Hey, gettin’ fresh with a sleeping man must
be against some law or other,” Chase mumbled. He opened one eye at
her and grinned.

“You were out cold within two minutes of us
leaving the house. Now you’re suddenly alert?” LaShaun squeezed his
thigh before putting her hand back on the steering wheel.

Chase yawned as he sat straight. “When a
good-lookin’ woman starts feeling me up, hell yeah I’m alert.”

“Silly,” LaShaun teased with a smile.
“Seriously, I’m sorry you have to do this instead of going to bed.
But I promise this is the only side trip you’ll have to take.”

“Hey, this is my wedding, too. Only right I
should be dragged into... I mean consulted on some of the details.”
Chase chuckled when LaShaun took a playful swipe at his head.

The next fifteen minutes of the journey
passed quickly as they traded jokes. LaShaun could almost believe
things were back to normal. Yet she knew not to be fooled. Abiku
may have gathered enough of a hold to mimic Chase’s personality
traits and even his gestures. After all, the demon could study
Chase from the inside. LaShaun whispered a short prayer that Abiku
hadn’t penetrated the deepest recesses of Chase’s psyche and soul
yet.

Chase started awake from another dozing
episode. “Did you say something?”

“Just that we’re almost there.” LaShaun’s
heart thumped at the prospect of what she intended to try.

Five minutes later they pulled into the
parking lot of the Sweet Olive Bed and Breakfast. A reproduction
nineteenth century street light gave the stately old home a
romantic look. Chase took LaShaun’s hand as they walked up the
brick path. As they got to the top of the wide steps onto the
porch, the door swung open. Marion Saunders smiled at them.

“I’m so glad you could make it,” she said
with enthusiasm.

“I know we’re almost thirty minutes early,
but Chase was able to break away from the station and...” LaShaun
stopped when Marion shook her head.

“Don’t you worry about it. Come on in.”
Marion moved aside and then closed the door once they stood in the
foyer. “We finished serving supper over an hour ago. So we can go
into the dining room. Now I was thinking we could set up the small
parlor on the west side of the foyer. That way your guests won’t
feel crowded in here.”

“We won’t have a huge crowd, so I think we’ll
be fine,” LaShaun said as they followed her.

“Oh, no extra charge dear. Spreading out will
make it more elegant.” Marion waved an arm out dramatically.
“Deputy Broussard, what do you think?”

“Looks okay to me.”

“Yes, it’s beautiful.” LaShaun discreetly
poked him in the side.

Chase cleared his throat. “Right. Mighty fine
room.”

Marion Saunders laughed. “Most men don’t look
at decor the same way women do, Deputy Broussard. If the room has
chairs and tables you’re satisfied. Am I right?”

“Pretty much,” Chase admitted with a sheepish
grin.

“I promise we’re going to charm your
guests.”

Marion Saunders chattered on for a few more
minutes. Her husband joined them. He stood silent, hands stuck in
both pockets of his corduroy slacks. Harry Saunders seemed content
to let his wife do the sales job.

“So why don’t you look around. We have
lighting on the grounds. Go out to the two gazebos we have near the
lake,” Marion said. “Harry installed a solar power fountain and
colored lights in the center of it.”

“Yeah, you’ll have the run of the place. We
got only two couples, and they don’t want to wander around here at
night. In fact the Thompsons are leaving tonight they’re so eager
to get out of here,” Harry said with a grim expression.

Marion shot him a look. “Now Harry, you know
they have a family emergency back in Ohio.”

“Yeah, sure they do,” Harry mumbled.

“LaShaun told me y’all were booked solid,”
Chase said and glanced at LaShaun.

“Things were fine until some idiot connected
the place with that kid getting murdered,” Harry replied. “Damn
fools.”

“What?” Chase frowned at him.

“Just a lot of wild talk that doesn’t mean a
thing. The property those kids were found on used to be part of the
original plantation, but that means nothing.” Marion twisted her
hands together for a moment. Then she smiled and forced her hands
to be still. “Nothing to it all. Go along and savor the atmosphere.
Think about if you want a room or a cottage. We’ll charge you the
same rate considering...”