Chapter Four
It had been a fruitless slog through dusty paper, microfiche and on-line databases. There'd been endless phone conversations with historians, genealogists and librarians. Billie Jo had spent one whole day on the phone motivating diocesan archivists and parish secretaries to search the sacramental records for her. Alec had told Desiree and Josephe he was the younger son of a well-to-do father from the Loire valley. He had an older brother who was a major in the French army and had fought in the Peninsular campaign against Wellington's forces in Spain. He also said he had a sister who was married to another French army officer who had died during Napoleon's ill-fated Russian campaign. In fact, they found no record of any Vinton anywhere near Loire valley at anytime during the twenty-five years before or after 1815, which was the year he'd been in New Orleans.
Leroy hung up the phone and rolled his head around on his neck. He'd spent the last four hours with the phone tucked between his ear and his shoulder and it felt like it. Then he looked at the next number on his list and picked up the phone. Another small French genealogical society that wouldn't have anyone there who spoke much English and he sure didn't speak French.
"Oh no," Billie Jo said from the doorway. "Put the phone down. We're done for the day. It's five o'clock in New Orleans and I have a date tonight."
Leroy looked around at her. She glowed. He had to admit it. She looked happier and sexier than she had in awhile. Being in lust suited her. He hoped to hell she wasn't in love. Because... well, because Joe Klein set off alarm bells in his head. No alarm bells in Billie Jo's obviously. He spent time at night, laying with his hands behind his head trying to decide if he should say something. But, well, he already had once. Did he have any right to say anything again?
Instead he smiled at her and said, "Sorry. Forgot the time. Where you two going tonight?"
She grinned back. "He's cooking dinner."
"Wow, good looking and he cooks. At his place?"
"Yep," she said. "To all three."
"And you gotta make yourself more beautiful, I guess. I kinda like you as you are right now, myself, but what do I know." He stood up, grabbed her hand and zapped them back to Mama La Tourneau's. "Go for it sweetheart," he said, motioning her toward the stairs and their rooms.
"Thanks honey," she said and kissed his cheek as she went by. "You're a good guy."
He sighed as she ran up the stairs. Bella, coming into the living room from the shop in front of the house,watched him with her head cocked to one side.
"What?" he asked her.
"Cher'... " her voice died away.
"What?" he repeated. He really hated it when she and Angelique got all goofy on him.
Bella shrugged. "You'll figure it out. Hopefully before you're gray."
He shook his head at her and climbed the stairs himself. A shower and ... dinner with Bella. Well, whatever...
Billie Jo surveyed her self in the mirror and decided she liked what she saw. More importantly, she was fairly sure Joe would too. She ignored nagging thought that she was getting in over her head with a principal in an ongoing investigation. She also ignored the thought that this wasn't like her and instead focused on getting her lipstick on straight. She really liked Joe Klein. There was not the slightest doubt in her mind she was attracted to him. She had thought, a time or two, in the last few days that she might be more than just attracted to him, that she might even be falling in love with him. She shook her head at herself in the mirror and capped her lipstick, sliding it into her bag and then daubed some cologne behind her ears. Take it as it comes, she told herself. Don't anticipate and don't write a script.
She ran the comb through her hair one last time as she heard the bell downstairs. Right on time. She liked that about him, just like she liked that he could make her stomach do flips by looking at her and that he was one of the few men she'd ever met who knew how to kiss and who loved to kiss as much as she did.
Billie Jo smiled at him as she came down the stairs. "Hi."
Joe's slow grin told her he thought she looked perfect. "Hi yourself. You sure your ready to put yourself at my mercy? Us locals tend to go heavy on the spices."
"I like it hot." she said. "And I have reason to trust your taste."
Joe grinned then held out his arm for her to take. They swept out the door, leaving Bella standing in the kitchen doorway watching them. She was still shaking her head when Leroy came down the stairs rather less ebulliently than had Billie Jo.
"So cher', you could go hit the clubs. Find yourself some nice young woman."
Leroy made a face. "Nah. I got all the woman I can handle right here." Bella laughed at him.
Outside Joe held the car door for Billie Jo so she could slide in. He walked around to the drivers side door and got in. Before he started up the car he held out his hand and she put hers in it. He lifted it to his lips and kissed her palm. Then he met her eyes. "I've been rather selfish the last few days. Taking up your evenings and all."
"I don't feel like you've been selfish. I feel like I'm being spoiled, getting all of your attention."
He turned on the ignition and drove them carefully through the French Quarter and then onto St Charles, heading westward toward his family's house. "I confess I'm delighted to have you to myself tonight. I'd like to learn more about you. How you got to be a fed. Where you went to school. What you majored in to become a Fed. I'm awfully ignorant of your field. And, being locked in academia I don't know much about, you know, the language you and Leroy tend to speak. It's like listening to Urdu or something," he said with a grin. "Only heavy on the acronyms."
"Well, I went to the University of South Carolina, majored in philosophy, went to law school and got hired by the FBI. As for why, well you'd have to know my mama. She didn't want us leaving home, and she was afraid we'd never meet any nice men. So my sisters and I promised we'd find jobs where we'd be real safe and we'd meet a lot of men. So Betty went to DEA, Bobbie went to the US Marshall's and I went to the Bureau. Turned out we liked it and we stayed in law enforcement."
"There are three of you!" he laughed. "That's ... frightening. And all in Law Enforcement. Man."
"Now you sound like my daddy. He says we're terrifying and pity's the men who end up with us. But that's just 'cause he thinks we take after mama. And we might, but we're really pretty harmless."
"And here I was hoping you might show me a lip-lock." He'd pulled into the driveway of the big Victorian. "I'm alone here now, so I've got the house to myself. Which means I can use the big kitchen."
He walked around the car and opened the door for her, not stepping back when she stood to get out. They were only inches apart and he bent down to find her lips.
Her mouth met his and clung. When he pulled her close, molding her against him, she went willingly, all pliant softness, her arms finding their way around his neck, her fingers tangling in his hair.
When they finally came up for air, he was chuckling. "We're giving the neighbors a show. We haven't even made it through the front door."
The both laughed and he wrapped an arm around her waist and led her to the front door. He unlocked it and opened it for her. "It's sort of New Orleans decaying. My father spends most of his time in Baton Rouge so he's a lot more interested in the house there. My brother, God knows where he is now. On some international jaunt no doubt. This way."
He led her through a rather old fashioned living room that looked lived in and a bit neglected, and back into a more modern kitchen. It was large and well it. He pulled out a bottle of wine, undid the cork while she looked around and poured for them both. He held out a glass to her.
"What shall we drink to?" she asked, clinking her glass against his. "Hot and spicy Cajun cooking?"
"Hmmm. How about just hot and spicy Charleston women," he replied as he grabbed her and pulled her into him. "You have no idea what you do to me," he whispered as he dropped his mouth to hers.
She was just as willing as before to follow where he led, a low moan escaping as he slid his hands down her back and cupped her buttocks, fitting her against him. He spent long moments exploring her mouth before trailing kisses down her jaw to where the pulse throbbed at her throat, laving it with his tongue. The scent of her, an intoxicating mix of her cologne and something else that was uniquely her rose from her skin as it heated under his kisses, going to his head, luring him onward.
His hands went to the buttons of her blouse and when they were through there, he found the clasp on her bra undoing it and then grasping her breasts in his hands. His mouth worked downward toward her breasts where he took each nipple in his mouth arousing them with his tongue. Her hands were busy with his belt and his zipper, grasping at both of them, pulling them off as if she couldn't wait.
As his mouth played with her nipples his hands headed south to her own pants, undoing them and helping her step out of them. Then their mouths met again and he picked her up in his arms and carried her out of the kitchen, up the stairs and into a bedroom where he fell onto the bed, her under him.
"You sure?" he asked.
Her eyes, darkened to midnight with passion, met his as a smile, feminine and seductive, shaped her lips. She reached up and put her arms around his neck, drawing him down to her. "Oh yes," she whispered, her breath feathering his lips like a kiss. "Very sure," she said and traced his mouth with her tongue. "The perfect dinner. We can decide on dessert later," she said and kissed him.
He saw the same feminine smile curving her mouth afterwards as she lay slumped over him, her hair spread over his chest and glinting in the half light of the room.
He reached out to run a hand through her hair, too tired or perhaps too content to move more than that. When she shifted a little he whispered. "No. Don't move. Please." After a minute he added, with a little laugh. "That was... great."
"It was indeed," she said.
He grinned and wrapped her in his arms. "I'm way too worn out to cook. We could order pizza. Or, we could..."
"We could?" she asked, her hand idly stroking his arm.
"Stay right here," he finished, with a smile, making circles on the small of her back, then his hand drifting further to caress her buttocks.
"The perfect choice."
This time it was slower and both of them worked at pleasuring their partner and drawing things out as long as they could. The result was her curled up against him on the bed, him breathing softly in her ear. She could still feel his heart pounding from his orgasm. Her own wasn't any too calm either. "See, I knew trusting myself to your cooking was the right thing to do," she said.
"Hmmm. I seem to have discovered a whole new kind of spice. I don't suppose you could spend the night? That partner of yours might send out the cops looking for you."
"No, it's better if I don't I think," she said snuggling closer.
"Damn," he muttered, stretching like a cat. "Hungry?"
"Hmmm, starving actually," she said. "How about you?"
"Tell you what. You shower and I'll go start dinner. There's a robe behind the door."
She joined him in the kitchen, still dressed the robe. He'd hung her clothes over the back of chair in the breakfast nook. She took a seat on one of the kitchen stools, sipping the wine she'd abandoned earlier. "Anything I can do to help?"
"I'm good. Just gotta throw the shrimp in the hot pan, turn 'em over a bit, and we're ready," he said, putting a salad on the table along side the fresh French bread and leaning down to kiss her. "Hmm. You smell good enough to eat."
"You already have; a few times."
He laughed and she saw passion light up his eyes. Again. "Hmmm. I better keep my mind on cooking. So," he added as he began heating up a frying pan adding butter and olive oil and garlic, "any news on Gayle? I still can't believe she took off."
"None so far. The local police are following up a few possibilities, but they aren't promising." She helped herself to a piece of cucumber from the salad while she thought about it. "She's very effectively disappeared."
"Well, I always thought her a smart young woman," he replied, as he added the shrimp and began sauteeing them. He stopped long enough to hand her the bottle of wine which she used to refill both their glasses. "I hope you don't mind eating here in the kitchen. It's more... well, intimate than the dining room." The shrimp was done and he poured it over angel hair pasta and brought it to the table in a bowl, the scent mouthwatering. "Hopefully not too spicy for you."
She waited while he served her and then himself before tasting it, taking her time. She raised her glass to him. "It's wonderful."
He grinned.
They ate in companionable silence, only a few words needed. When they were done, and he'd cracked open a second bottle of wine and served her, he left his glass empty. "I'm going to have to drive you home," he said by way of explanation. "Which I should do soon or else I'm going to throw you over my shoulder and cart you back up to the bedroom."
"I'm sorry, I'd prefer the you to cart me to the bedroom." She grimaced. "I'll get dressed," she said, setting her glass down. "It's not my preference, you understand."
He nodded, resigned. He watched her as she dressed, which made it harder for her to stick to her plan of going home. But finally they were walking out to the car, arm in arm. He drove her home slowly, seeming to want to put off their separation as long as he could. But finally he was pulling up to the curb in front of Mama's.
She sighed and turned towards him. "Saying 'thanks I had a wonderful evening' doesn't seem to fit."
His eyes moved over her lovely face and he smiled. "Saying we can do it again tomorrow night, might fit," he suggested.
She leaned forward and kissed him. "We can do it again tomorrow night."
He watched her exit the car and waved as she turned at the door, and watched her walk into the house, then finally drove away.
Inside, Leroy was curled up in a chair with a book in his lap watching her as she came in. "Hi," she said. "Good book?"
"Uhm," he replied, looking down at it as if it was the first time he'd ever seen it. "So so. Have a good time?"
She smiled, remembering it. "Wonderful."
"Oh," he replied. "You better get some rest. Busy day tomorrow."
"You too honey," she said, heading up the stairs. "Sweet dreams."
He watched her almost floating up the stairs. When he heard her door close he got up, got his jacket, pulled it on and headed outside. He needed to walk. Or something. What the hell was wrong with him?
As he walked, Bourbon Street provided musical accompaniment, not to mention a few drunks he had to step around. He didn't trust Joe Klein. Couldn't understand why Billie Jo was so taken with him. There was something about him that raised every alarm in his body. He couldn't talk to Billie Jo, that was for sure. And if he did, what would he say anyway? He'd already said it. He stopped in a bar and plopped down on a bar stool.
"Hey mon, you look like you lost your last friend," the bartender offered.
"Uhm. Just tired," he replied. "How about a beer, whatever you have on tap."
He sat and sipped his beer, pondering the situation. She was his little sister, right? Yeah. And his colleague. No, only his colleague. He didn't have any damn right to lecture her, or to protect her, or to... He'd stepped over that line too. Every cop did some time or another. So why was it so damn painful to watch?" He sighed.
He commune was wall to wall people. Well, wall to wall beings, at any rate. Dragons played in the sky above it, kids toddled in and out of the madness, a few aliens wandered around holding glasses of scotch. Leroy stopped at the beer keg and poured himself a cold brewski.
Everyone was there. They'd all just gotten back from the christening of Stephen and Doni's twins. Leroy wondered if, or when, Marc and Dinah would do the same. Dinah stood smiling, looking gorgeous, holding one of her own twins. Marc was somewhere, no doubt holding his son. Leroy grinned when he saw Christopher heading unerringly toward Marc. The little shit had missed the big shit. What a pair.
Leroy turned as he heard familiar voices. The three Jo's were coming into the room, talking up a blue streak. Ian was rather silent, standing alone, looking out over the spring landscape, probably deep in thought. Leroy felt a tug on his jeans and looked down to see Drianna wanting to be picked up. He laughed and swung her up and into his arms, juggling her and his beer quite masterfully.
"Looks natural, you holding a baby," Stephen said, holding one himself.
"I'm an uncle. My sister has kids. I quite often got stuck stepping in once their dad took off," Leroy replied. "And can I say you and Doni look really happy. As do the twins."
Stephen looked down at his son, pride plain on his face. "We are," he said. "So how you holding up at the Zoo?"
"I'm outclassed and that makes it kinda tough. Hard to keep up with the Jo's," Leroy replied but he didn't look too bothered about it.
"Outclassed?"
"Yeah, well, I'm just, you know," Leroy replied, running out of words.
Stephen studied him. "A simple man?"
"Yeah, that's good. Not to mention just a country boy," he added with a grin.
"Yeah, and a fool, but I suspect it's part of your charm," Stephen said, grinning back.
"Charm? Me? In this crowd..." Leroy replied looking around. "Ever feel like, you know, you're a bug in the company of butterflies? That's sort of how I feel around here. Y'all are like all focused and capable and educated and all and me, I'm just a glorified cop who asks a lot of dumb questions."
"We're pretty egalitarian around here. Me, I've never been to school for instance."
"Yeah, but.. You know what I mean," he finally settled for.
"I do, which is why I'm telling you not to be an idiot," Stephen said, shifting the baby to his shoulder. "But then I'm the guy who wanted you to come to work for me so I find it annoying that you're selling yourself short."
Leroy opened his mouth and then shut it. "I'm real good at putting my foot in my mouth. Maybe that's my charm," he finally said. "It's just... you know. There's Betty Jo and she's dating a bloody lord. And before you say it, yeah, there's Melly dating Reno. I know, I know... So, other than that, it's good to see Dinah and Marc again."
Stephen shook his head. "Okay, I'll let it go. And yeah it's good to see them. Playing space cowboys seems to agree with them."
"Do you wish you could go off to space?" Leroy asked.
"Sometimes. Sometimes all this gets - old I guess you could say. And I'd like something with less time behind the desk and more excitement. Who knows, maybe I'll run away from home and see if I can find it one of these days."
"Hey, let me know. I'll go with you," Leroy replied with a grin as Betty Jo walked over to join them.
She kissed Leroy's cheek and coo'ed over Logan, asleep on Stephen's shoulder. "They're both beautiful," she said, stroking Logan's cheek. "Congratulations."
"Thanks. Fortunately they look like their mother."
Betty Jo laughed. "That's what fathers always say."
Stephen laughed. "Possibly. And this father's going to hand him off to someone who'll change him for me."
"Oh, all right," Leroy replied. "I'll trade you." And he held out Drianna and took Logan. "He is a cutie. Trust me, changing diapers is not the worst thing I've ever done."
"I'll wait here," Stephen said. "And thanks." He watched Leroy head upstairs to the nursery and turned to Betty Jo. "He looks a bit lonely over there by himself."
Betty Jo looked over at Ian, still looking out the window. "True, he does. We could take him a drink."
Stephen laughed and followed her to the bar and then over to the windows, dropping Drianna off on the way. "The bartender said to bring this over to you," Stephen said handing him the drink.
Ian turned as they approached and smiled at both of them. "Hullo. I saw that cowardly act over there, Stephen. Poor Leroy."
"Hey, he volunteered," Stephen protested.
Both Ian and Betty Jo laughed. "He has the soul of a cop, doesn't he? Hasn't learned to say 'no' apparently," Ian commented. "I hope he's happy at the Zoo."
"He seems to be. From what Billie says things are going well in New Orleans too."
"He's a very humble man," Stephen said.
"A rarity in this crowd, with all these high testosterone types." Betty Jo observed.
"Surely you aren't including Stephen and me in that group," Ian replied with dignity.
"Oh, absolutely," she said.
Ian just shook his head. "Billie Jo is glowing. Obviously she's enjoying New Orleans," Ian commented as the crowd shifted and he got a glimpse of her.
Betty Jo followed his line of sight, her smile fading somewhat. "Yes, she is."
"You worried about her?" Ian asked.
"I might be, I'm not sure yet."
"Ah, well perhaps you and Bobby Jo can talk to her while she's here. Maybe Leroy can help you figure it out," Ian suggested. "Look, he survived changing a diaper."
Leroy had indeed survived. He was chatting with Lisandro and Reno.
"Let's go ask him how," Betty Jo said, taking Ian's arm. "And find out where to eat in New Orleans."
"Uhm," Ian managed to get out then shrugged and let her tow him off, ignoring Stephen who was laughing.
"Oh hey Betty Jo," Leroy said as they came up. "How y'all doin'?"
"We're fine. We were wondering how diaper duty went," she said.
He grinned. "I learned early on to stay out of the line of fire with little boys. You look sort of ... almost modern, Ian. Betty Jo seems to be having a good influence."
Ian frowned.
"Or maybe not," Leroy added with a smile.
Betty Jo giggled at the look on Ian's face. "He's firmly Victorian and likes it that way."
"Yeah, but I bet he's got modern plumbing," Leroy retorted.
"See if I invite you in again for kippers," Ian hrumphed. "Let's go outside. Betty Jo wants to talk to you."
"Uh oh." Leroy looked worried but walked along with them.
"Don't worry honey," Betty Jo said, patting his arm. "I'm not going to bite. I'm just wondering if I should be worried about Billie."
"Oh," Leroy replied and then shut up.
"Oh?" she said, turning to look at him.
"Uhm."
Ian looked at him and said, "I gather that is a definite yes."
Leroy made a face. "Well, I don't really like to talk out of school, you know? She's a big girl. And she's happy and... and I'm worried sick about her."
Betty Jo stared at him for a moment, then folded her arms across her chest. "You aren't leaving here until you tell me what's going on."
"Well, she's seeing this guy. He's ... well, not exactly a suspect. I mean, we don't have any evidence against him. But, well... He doesn't scan right," Leroy finished miserably.
"She's dating someone who's a part of the investigation?" she demanded. When Leroy nodded, still miserable, she said, "What's going in New Orleans?"
Leroy explained the whole thing. The missing student, the angry ghosts, the missing gold in the box. "I think he knows more than he's telling," he added at the end. "And.. well, it's like he's sorta got her totally, like, bewitched or something. Worse, I think she's fallen in love with him."
"She struck me that way too, only she's not talking. Is she sleeping with him?"
Leroy nodded.
"How close are you to winding this thing up?" Betty Jo asked.
"I don't know," he admitted. "The local cops are handling the missing girl thing, but we're trying to help settle the ghosts and not having any luck finding a guy named Alec Vinton who was a French citizen and who knows something, or knew something anyway. We've checked every lead you can imagine and aren't getting anywhere. No one's ever heard of this guy, nor can we find any records even where he claims to have been born."
Ian frowned. "This was what, when the British tried to invade and take New Orleans?"
"Yeah, around that time," Leroy replied. "This guy knew the two ghosts and the one, the witch one, got him to help her kill her lover Josephe."
"And he's French?" Ian asked.
"Well, so he said," Leroy replied.
"What if he weren't?" Ian asked.
"What if he weren't? You mean he was posing as French? To spy for the Brits? Or the Americans?" Betty Jo said.
"Well, they've found no records of him. That says he lied. Why else would he lie about that kind of thing? They were friends of his, right? If he had a made up identity, you wouldn't find anything on him. But, you might, if you look hard enough, find something in British or American records."
Leroy's eyes lit up, "Dammit. Why didn't I think of that. I'll try it. Meanwhile, maybe you, Betty Jo, could talk to Billie?"
She looked into the great room where Billie Jo and Dinah were laughing together. "Can you move the investigation back here to Washington? Or are you stuck there?" she asked.
"Well, we've been doing most of the digging from DC. There isn't much we can do in New Orleans at the moment, but she's seeing Joe every night and wants to get back there, and, you know, I don't want her to be there alone, if you get me."
"Leroy ask yourself how she'd get back and forth to see him if you weren't going with her; taking her in fact." Betty Jo said.
"Well, yeah, but if I just say no... I mean, she's a big girl. Who am I to tell her no."
"Does the word "enabling" ring a bell, bro?" she snapped. "Or are you her taxi service these days?"
Leroy glared at her. "I'm her partner not her keeper."
She sighed. "I'm sorry, but this isn't good and the longer she's around him the worse it's going to be - even if it turns out he's one of the white hat boys."
Leroy looked away.
"So, just tell her you have to stay in town tonight. See how it goes," Ian suggested.
"Okay, I'll talk to Bobbie and we'll figure something out. Maybe you could tell her the investigation is moving to London or something, to track down Vinton and that "commuting" isn't going to work," she suggested, trying to read his face.
"I'll think of something, I guess. And you... Uhm, she's gonna be pissed at me. Just remember why when she comes yelling to you."
"No honey, she's gonna be mad at me and Bobbie. She's gonna know I had drag it out of you. That she's put you in the middle like this and that she's not talking to me or Bobbie tells me she's not entirely comfortable with what she's doing; at some level anyway." Betty smiled at him. "So she'll probably come to running to you for sympathy, and to apologize."
Leroy looked less than convinced but agreed in the end. He wandered off to chat with Marc and Carmine, leaving Ian and Betty Jo a moment of privacy.
"You were kind of hard on him. 'Enabling?'" Ian said to her.
"Maybe." She watched Leroy for a moment. "He's really hurting over her," she said.
"Hmmm. Well, she is very beautiful. Any man might be smitten."
"He's been, or seemed anyway, immune."
"I confess to wondering if he were .. well, not normal. Er, not.. you know. I can't imagine any man who loves women who could be immune to you three."
She smiled at him. "Thank you for that. In his case I think he worked at it in self defense. Some men think the greater the beauty the less chance they have if they aren't somehow extraordinary themselves, usually superficially. It's why we, my sisters and I, learned early on that if we were interested waiting to be asked was risky."
"Oh? Do go on."
"I sound horribly egotistical I'm sure," she said. "Though I suspect your reasons would have been different, if I hadn't asked you out would you have ever asked me?"
"Well, I'm not known for dating that much," Ian replied. "I don't find your looks intimidating however."
"I know you don't. It's part of the attraction. But the point's the same. If I'd waited for you to ask me out it never would have happened."
"So you think he's adopted the big brother persona because he doesn't believe any of you might be interested in a guy like he is? Have I got that right? And now, perhaps, he's ... fallen for Billie Jo? Poor sod."
She nodded. "The sad thing is that a guy like him is the sort we are interested in. He'd never believe it though. As I recall you had a little trouble with the concept yourself."'
Ian stared at her for a moment in disbelief. "I will never understand modern women."
"What is it you don't understand?"
"Everything," he replied with a crooked smile and shake of his head. "So it is a very good thing you are patient with me."
She dimpled up at him. "I just focus on the reward, honey. It makes it all worthwhile."
Ian laughed and put an arm round her shoulders. "Pressure, pressure. Now I'll obsess about not disappointing you later."
"Works for me," she said, snuggling against him. "I think it's important to provide incentive whenever possible."
He laughed as they went off to mingle.