“I have a general idea,” Daniel replied. Over the past week of the investigation, he had become more familiar with who lived where in the swamp.
The swamp was a close-knit community where everyone seemed to know everyone’s business. Daniel was hoping to connect with somebody who knew something about the murder of one of their own.
He followed the narrow trail into the dense vegetation. Small animals scurried out of his way and overhead birds squawked from the treetops. Fish jumped in a large pool of water they passed on the right.
They walked by several shanties and finally came to the one where George Trahan resided. George was a gator hunter and fisherman. The shanty was relatively small, and when Daniel knocked, the door was opened by Desiree Augustin.
Desiree was tall and lean and quite attractive. Her dark eyes widened at the sight of them. “Chief LeCroix,” she greeted.
“Hi, Desiree. We need to speak with George. Is he here?” Daniel asked.
“Yeah, he’s in the kitchen. Come on in.” She opened the door wider to allow them entry.
They entered into a small living room with a cot shoved against one wall, obviously acting as a sofa, and a wooden rocking chair. The space was neat and clean, and as Desiree gestured them to sit on the cot, George entered the room.
George greeted them all and then sat in the rocking chair facing them, his dark brows raised in obvious curiosity. Desiree stood by his side, a hand on his shoulder.
George was a big man, with broad shoulders and a thick chest. Unlike most of the gator hunters who wore their hair long, George’s dark hair was short and neatly trimmed. However, his brows were heavy, giving him a slightly menacing look even when he smiled. So, this was the man Angelique had dated, Daniel thought.
“Gentlemen, what can I do for you this morning?” he asked in obvious curiosity.
“We’d like to ask you a few questions,” Daniel said. “Perhaps there’s someplace we could go to speak to you in private?”
“This is fine. I don’t have any secrets from Desiree.” He smiled up at the woman, and she patted his shoulder with a smile of her own.
“I understand you were dating Angelique Santori for a while,” Daniel said.
“I was,” George replied. “She’s a beautiful woman. She’s very bright, and it was a real pleasure to spend time with her. I dated her for about a month before she broke things off with me.”
“I also understand that Mystique wasn’t a big fan of yours,” Daniel continued.
George laughed. “Yeah, she made it very clear from the get-go that she didn’t think I was good enough for her daughter.”
“Did that make you angry?” Daniel asked.
“Not angry enough to kill her,” George replied, his dark eyes slightly narrowed. “I had nothing to do with Mystique’s death. I had absolutely no reason to kill her.”
“Maybe you believed that she got Angelique not to see you anymore,” Daniel replied.
George laughed once again. “Have you met Angelique Santori? Nobody tells that woman what to do.”
“Where were you on the night Mystique was killed?” Luke asked.
“I was right here with Desiree,” George replied without hesitation.
“I can tell you he was here with me all night,” Desiree said.
“I’m telling you I had absolutely no reason to kill Mystique,” George said. “I’ve moved on. I started seeing Desiree again, and I’m very happy in my relationship with her.”
“Do you know who might have wanted her dead?” Daniel asked.
George shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have a clue.”
“So, what do you think?” Luke asked a few minutes later as they left George’s shanty.
“I don’t think he’s our man,” Daniel replied. “He’s right in that he had no reason to kill Mystique. We’ll head on to Pierre Guidry’s place and see what he has to tell us.”
“He’s the guy who had a personal relationship with Mystique?” Luke asked as they headed deeper into the swamp.
