She smiled at him. Even when he spoke telepathically to her, he could sound bossy. She inclined her head and stepped up to his side, walking with him to meet Drake Donovan and Remy Boudreaux. Both stood waiting at the other end of the pier. Meiling resisted smiling, knowing she was correct and the sniper hadn’t been able to cover them where Gedeon was tying up his boat. Had he been able to see them, Donovan would have used his good manners and come to greet them.
“Gedeon, it’s been a long time,” Drake said, extending his hand. “Meiling. Finally in person. Seeing you in passing has been frustrating. We’re always too busy to visit.”
“Midnight rendezvous in the middle of the swamp are always so intriguing,” Meiling replied. She couldn’t resist laughing at Remy’s expression. “You have to admit, it gotyou both out here. Thank you for coming. I imagine your wives weren’t so happy giving you up this late. It isn’t midnight but it is the dinner hour.”
Gedeon put a proprietorial hand on Meiling’s lower back as they followed Drake to a picnic table. Drake waved them to the bench, just as Meiling knew he would. Instead of sitting down, she went over to the very edge of the field of wildflowers. The wind was blowing gently, causing a ripple effect much like the wave of an ocean among the flowers. She knelt to tighten the cord on her high boot while still looking out over the fluttering petals and long stems with their various shades of green leaves.
It was easy enough to transfer her gun from her boot to her inside jacket pocket. She could shoot the wings off a butterfly with this gun at the required distance. It wasn’t a rifle, but it didn’t need to be. It just needed to be that accurate and have the range.
“These flowers not only are gorgeous, but they smell unbelievable,” she said as she rose. She looked around her again. “Gedeon, have you been out here before?”
He took her arm and led her back to the picnic table. She subtly pressed toward his left so she could take the seat she needed to cover them. She was incredibly fast. She knew she could leap over the table and be in the field while getting off several shots at the sniper. At the same time, Gedeon could kill both Drake and Remy before Meiling needed to provide him with covering fire.
“Came out here a few years ago. Charisse asked me to do a little work for her.”
“What can I help you with?” Drake asked.
“And why all the cloak and dagger?” Remy demanded.
Meiling couldn’t help laughing again. Remy sounded a little disgruntled. “I should have brought snacks. You sound like you could have low blood sugar.”
“He’s always like that, Meiling,” Drake said. “Ignorehis bad temper. Why is it we had to meet here rather than at the inn or the club?”
“Or the police station,” Remy added.
“I would much have preferred the Café Du Monde,” Meiling said. “I do love that place.”
“You assured me that anything I say to you will be held in confidence,” Gedeon said. “I need to know Boudreaux agrees to the same or we’ll have to pass on the meet.”
“I wouldn’t have come if I couldn’t keep my mouth shut, Gedeon,” Remy said. “I’m giving you a bad time, but I know you wouldn’t have dragged us out here if it wasn’t important.”
Meiling kept her gaze fixed on both men, although she did her best to sweep the area around them often. She wanted to take in as many of their gestures as possible or catch any subtle signs between them. She was very good at picking up small, nearly imperceptible signals others might miss.
“Guy Hawkins asked us to find his wife, Laverne, he claims has gone missing. He had hired a bodyguard to watch over her. She’s bipolar, and when she goes off her medication, she apparently does all kinds of out-of-character things. He’s worried about what she might do.”
Gedeon relayed the information in a noncommittal tone.
“You don’t believe him,” Drake said.
Gedeon shook his head. “No, I think he’s full of shit. Laverne is bipolar, that much is true, but she’s careful to keep it under control. Hawkins hired a bodyguard. That man’s name is Edge Wilson. He’s been in the business over twenty-five years and has a stellar reputation. He isn’t the kind of man to run off with a client on a whim believing he’d never get caught—especially when she’s the famous wife of an even more famous music producer. Wilson is intelligent. Doesn’t do drugs and I doubt he suddenly started. I could be wrong, but this feels more like a planned escape than a sudden bipolar episode. Oh, andincidentally, just in case you don’t recognize the name, Wilson works for your security company.”
Remy sank down on the tabletop. Meiling allowed her gaze to sweep along the swamp and the line of cedar and gum trees. The sniper was easing back at Remy’s signal. That didn’t make her less watchful, but it did give her an opportunity to take a closer look at the field of wildflowers that seemed to stretch for miles behind the picnic area. She’d never seen so many brightly colored flowers in various shades of red, yellow and orange giving way to blues, purples, pinks and greens in one place.
Gedeon continued with his explanation. “Hawkins was adamant that Laverne be found immediately. It was his bad luck to hire us. We dig deep and we don’t stop until we complete the case we take on. In this instance, the moment we became concerned that Laverne had a reason for leaving and that she was afraid of her husband, we took a good look at Hawkins.”
Drake sat down as well, absorbed in the conversation. “Guy has approached me on several occasions requesting security for his wife and himself around town and when they attend specific events, such as fundraisers. He’s always appeared to be very much concerned over his wife’s safety. He speaks with great pride about her accomplishments.”
Remy nodded in agreement. “He approached Bijou and asked if she would highlight a new band he’s backing. Bijou listened to them and agreed they’re very good. They’ve opened in the club and have been a big hit. Most of the bands or singers Hawkins collaborates with or backs are amazing. Bijou thinks this band is going to go far.”
“There’s no doubt Hawkins has a good mind for business, and it’s served him well. On the other hand, he isn’t quite as astute in his relationships,” Gedeon said. “He’s had a string of lovers, most didn’t last long and few lived with him.”
“Until Laverne,” Drake pointed out. “When he foundher, even though there was an age gap, everyone was very happy for him.”
“No one kept track of his lovers,” Gedeon said. “They weren’t famous and newsworthy. He didn’t take them to the openings of shows or push them into the spotlight. Once in a while the paparazzi would catch him coming out of a club with a woman on his arm. I believe that photograph appearing in a magazine saved her life.”
Remy leaned into Gedeon’s space. “What are you talking about? Do you think Hawkins is some kind of serial killer?”
“I think he might be, yes. Not your average hack-the-woman-to-pieces. I don’t think he does the killing himself. I think he has someone who does it for him. But he orders it. It must give him some kind of smug satisfaction to know he can order these women killed and no one has a clue.”
