For the first time since he’d known her, she looked small and fragile. “I will be,” she replied. “I’ll see you tomorrow night?”
“Of course,” he confirmed. “Good night, Angelique.”
“Good night, Daniel,” she replied.
He stepped out into the darkness of the night as she closed the door behind him. He turned on his flashlight to help guide him out of the dark swamp as his brain whirled with a million thoughts and impressions.
Angelique Santori. She’d definitely surprised him tonight with her soft vulnerability, and it made him wonder how many other facets there were to the woman. Not that it mattered. Not that he was really interested in her. Although he could admit he was definitely intensely physically attracted to her.
By the time he returned to his car, his thoughts had turned back to the case. The missing book was a new kink in the investigation.
Had Mystique put the book someplace where nobody would find it, or had it been stolen on the night of the murder? And if it had been stolen, had it simply been a case of opportunity after the murder had occurred, or had somebody specifically killed Mystique to get the book?
He had a feeling he’d be seeing a lot of Angelique, because this case wasn’t going to be solved easily.
AFTERDANIEL LEFT, Angelique sank back down on the sofa and continued the cry she’d stopped short. She’d been so embarrassed to shed the tears in front of Daniel. However, she would admit that it had felt good to be held in his big, strong arms. It had felt very good to just give in and melt against his body as she’d wept.
She only cried for a little while longer, and then she got up and took the coffee cups into the kitchen. She washed them with the bottle of water she kept for that purpose and then put them back into the cabinet. Once that was done, she dumped the last of the coffee and washed the pot. Finally, she went out the back door and turned off her generator.
For several long moments she stood at the deck’s railing. The moon was bright overhead and reflected beautifully on the dark waters below.
The thought that her mother had been murdered for the book where she kept her client’s names and why they were seeing her mother not only devasted her, but also confused her.
Why on earth would anyone want such a book? And want it badly enough to kill for it? Or did the book have nothing to do with the murder? Had Angelique just not found the book yet and it was tucked away someplace in the shanty? So many questions and so far, there were no answers to any of them.
She looked around the area and a chill suddenly walked up her spine. She had the distinct feeling that somebody was watching her. This wasn’t the first time in the past week that she’d felt this way.
She turned and went back into the shanty, locking the door after her. She assumed the crazy, paranoid feeling was simply a by-product of the murder.
Even though it was still relatively early, she got ready for bed. Once she was in her nightgown, she went around and turned off all the lanterns and carried one of them with her into her bedroom.
She placed the lantern on her nightstand and then turned it off. She slid into the sheets and the last thought she had was of how nice it had felt to be held in Daniel’s arms.
She awakened early the next morning. She started the generator and then grabbed a towel and her bath gel and went out onto the back deck to take a shower. The shower was basically a wooden box with a large bottle of rainwater that was hooked to a hose and a spray nozzle.
The water was nice and warm from the sun. She washed with the shower gel and then shampooed her hair with a bottle that she kept in the bottom of the shower.
There was no time to linger as the water supply was very limited. Once she was finished, she dressed in a pair of jeans and a short-sleeved turquoise blouse. Today was Dominique’s day off from the café, so the three sisters were meeting to have breakfast together.
Angelique made her money by medical transcription and making phone calls urging patients to pay their bills for several of the doctors in town. It was something she could do from the comfort of home and the pay was terrific.
She was saving her money to eventually open a store in town that would sell the lotions and salves her mother had made for a variety of ailments among other things.
She almost had the money she needed and was excited at the prospect of being a shopkeeper. It had been her dream for a long time and she was getting so close to realizing it.
At nine fifteen she left the shanty and headed out. Her car was parked outside the swamp’s entrance in a spot where other cars were parked that belonged to the people in the swamp.
Dominique was already there waiting for her, looking beautiful in a pair of jeans and a bright red blouse. Her long hair was pulled back at the nape of her neck and tied with a red ribbon.
“Hey, sis.” She greeted Angelique with a wide smile. “Are you ready for breakfast?”
“I am, in fact I’m starving this morning.” She gave Dominique a quick hug. “How are you doing?”
Dominique’s smile faltered. “I’m doing okay. To be honest, I still can’t believe she’s gone.”
“I know, but I also know that Daniel… I mean Chief LeCroix is working hard to solve the crime and find the killer for us.”
Dominique raised a dark brow. “Daniel?”
