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  Hedy nodded. “I turned in my ingredient list and they’ll have everything there, except for specialty items, which must be brought into the school sealed.” She waved at supplies on the bed. “I’m going over at two and start cooking. I want the cake to cool and chill in the refrigerator. It’s better that way.”

  She slumped down on the bed. “Actually, I just want this to be over. I don’t even care about winning anymore. The title won’t make a difference. Marcus will never allow me to see Vivian, much less gain partial custody of her. Maybe he’s right. Maybe I should walk away and let her have the privileged life he can give her.”

  I almost gave her the “buck up” speech, but instead I sat down beside her. Tinkie was the gentle, nurturing partner; I was the kick-ass and complain side of the equation. But Hedy didn’t need anyone to fuss at her. I suspected she did a better than average job of doing that to herself.

  “You can’t give up on Vivian,” I said. “Samuel told me a little about your background, Hedy. You can’t see this as a repetition of what your mother went through.”

  She didn’t bother to deny it. “Maybe we are cursed. Maybe there’s something to the Marie Laveau thing that Marcus accuses me of. He would do anything to keep me away from my baby girl.”

  “It may not be Marcus. At least not totally.” Now was the moment to tell her the hard news. “Hedy, this is going to upset you, but you need to know. Anna Lock, the nanny taking care of Vivian, is really Anna Blackledge, your aunt.”

  Her head tilted slightly as if the words were rolling around in her head. “My aunt? That’s crazy.”

  “Perhaps, but it’s true nonetheless.”

  “My father’s sister is a nanny for the Wellingtons? Why? The Blackledge family has tons of money.”

  I swallowed. “To keep Vivian away from you.” I felt like I’d punched her a few times with a nail gun. I doubt it would have hurt her worse. I gave her the last of it. “It’s possible she’s influencing Marcus to keep Vivian from you.”

  “Why would she do such a thing? I’ve never done anything to her.” Instead of getting angry, she was hurt. “I don’t even know her.”

  “I don’t have answers, Hedy, but I intend to find them. Vivian is with her grandparents in Memphis. Anna isn’t with them. Someone Tinkie knows is watching over Vivian to be sure she’s safe. I’ll find Anna and see what she has to say.”

  “My aunt wants to take the thing I love most away from me. For what? For revenge? To get even with me because my father died?”

  I could only shake my head.

  “This is sick.” She staggered as if her legs were failing. “I don’t understand a person who would do such a thing.”

  “The question is, is she vengeful enough to poison three young women just to frame you?”

  “I can grasp Marcus doing something to have his own way. I know him, and I know how ruthless his family can be. But Anna Blackledge is my blood. She’s Vivian’s great-aunt. I can’t . . .” She wiped away her tears. “If this is true, Anna is evil.”

  “I agree.” I spoke calmly, hoping to settle her down.

  “The Saulnier family is cursed. My mother warned me. She told me if I pursued custody of Vivian, terrible things would happen. Those girls are dead because of me.”

  This had to stop. “You don’t truly believe your mother serves Marie Laveau or that she’d sacrifice you to that kind of life.” I was stern.

  She thought about it. “The mother I have now isn’t the woman who gave birth to me.”

  “What do you mean?” The confession creeped me out, just a little.

  “When my father was alive, Mom was always laughing. She planned picnics and adventures. She and Dad loved those swamps. They knew the dangers with the snakes and alligators, but there was a wealth of healing plants and herbs there. My mother was highly regarded in the community as a healer. People came from as far away as Baton Rouge. And my dad, well, his designs were so different, so earth-friendly. Several movie stars hired him to design their homes. They had a wonderful life, and I can remember feeling wrapped in their love. That’s what I want for Vivian. To feel that love.”

  Her voice faded and she stared down at her hands. The energy seeped from her leaving dismay.

  “And then your father went into the swamp one day and . . .”

  “And never came back,” she whispered. “My mother was wild with worry. I was very young. She put me in our second boat, and we went looking for him. We hunted for a long time until she went back and called for help to search. Of course, delaying while we hunted for him alone went against my mother. Folks said she wanted Dad to die, that she’d killed him and put his body in the swamp for the alligators to eat.”

  That was an image no child should have in her head. “But you knew it wasn’t true.”

  “And Mom did, too. My parents loved each other. When the search and rescue found his boat and declared Dad dead, it was the end of my mom. She started to believe those crazy things she heard—that she’d killed him. She’d taken him from a safe, cultured environment and pulled him deep into the dangerous swamp. Folks believed she served the darkness and said Dad was some kind of sacrifice. From the first grade at school, the other kids were afraid of me. I was that Saulnier girl, daughter of a hoodoo woman, daughter of a murderess. The other kids wouldn’t play with me, except for Samuel.”

  “He’s a good friend.”

  “Yes, he is. Daddy’s family, the Blackledges, tried to get custody of me, but somehow Mom managed to hold them off. Fighting for me kept her from killing herself. She said Dad had been unhappy as a child and he wouldn’t want the same fate for me. So she fought. She fought hard. And ultimately we stayed in the swamps by ourselves. I went to school, but almost no one talked to me. I made good grades, did the work, and dreamed about getting out of that place and going somewhere built on solid ground with people who laughed and had fun.”

  She took a deep breath, her blue eyes wide and honest. “I grew ashamed of my mother and the way she behaved. I only wanted to be normal.”

  The fantasy of normalcy wasn’t such a huge dream. By most standards it was modest. “You were working on your college degree. You were finding those things.”

  “I made some friends who didn’t know or care about my childhood. My professors said I was smart and talented. I had scholarships. I was about to climb out of that place.”

  “And then you got pregnant.” The story was as old as humanity.

  “I never realized how lonely I’d been until I found out I was pregnant. I was consumed with love for my child. My entire world shifted focus, just in that instant. And when Vivian was born, Sarah Booth, there is nothing like that feeling. Nothing in the world.”

  Now it was my turn to pull back from the conversation. I’d never held my child, but I felt the loss nonetheless. I went to the window while I sought composure. “You have every right to share custody of your daughter.”

  “I’ve begun to question what’s right for Vivian,” she admitted. “I don’t want her growing up ashamed of me or my family, suffering the whispers and innuendos.”

  “You don’t have to stay in the swamps, Hedy, but if you want to earn a living for your child, you need a better plan than vying for a pageant title.”

  “I know that. But why should I worry about any of this when I’m likely going to prison for murder.”

  She sounded so hopeless. “You haven’t even been charged and I don’t think you will be. Jansen is smart. He’ll follow the evidence, and it doesn’t lead to you.” I was surprised that she was ready to throw in the towel.

  “I’m not a fool, Sarah Booth. Chief Jansen has delayed doing anything because he’s under pressure from the mayor and town not to destroy the pageant. When it’s over, Karrie will be crowned, and I’ll be taken away in cuffs.”

  “It won’t play out that way. Have some faith in me and Tinkie.” She’d raised an interesting point. “So you think Karrie is the top dog?”

  “I hear she aced the ‘
Taste and Copy.’ ” Hedy joined me at the window. Her room also gave a view of the cooking school across the street. “She got every component exactly right. Almost as if—”

  “Almost as if someone fed her the ingredients?” I finished.

  “Exactly.” Hedy shrugged. “But what does it matter? Maybe the true test of any competition is who is willing to do whatever is necessary. Based on business models these days, Karrie has exactly what it takes to be a winner. She’s ruthless, greedy, willing to stomp anyone in her path. Maybe those are the qualities necessary to be the best.”

  “Not true. Integrity, honesty, and fairness matter. Even when it seems they don’t.”

  “That hasn’t been my experience.” She gathered up her recipe purchases and put them in a reusable shopping bag. “I should start baking.”

  “I don’t think the cooking school is open until two.”

  “Then why is Karrie Kompton going inside?”

  I glanced back out the window and caught Karrie’s backside disappearing into the building. “That’s not right,” I said.

  “And you were just giving me the speech on honesty and integrity. Life isn’t fair, Sarah Booth. No matter how much we wish it were.”

  Tinkie was at the cooking school, and I needed to back her should Karrie break bad. “Don’t give up, Hedy. You aren’t a quitter,” I reminded her as I opened the door.

  Eddie was back at his post, a half-finished coffee in one hand and a newspaper in the other. “Keep her safe,” I told him.

  “Yes, ma’am.” He was so eager to fulfill his job I felt a twinge of pity for him. Hedy was a sweet and basically kind woman, but with her plate overflowing, she might not notice what an admirer she had in the young cop.

  As soon as I cleared Eddie’s sight, I took off at a run. Karrie’s presence at the cooking school could be innocent. Or not. But Tinkie was there, and Tammy’s haunting vision motivated me to keep an eye on my partner.

  The day had grown hot and humid when I crossed the street and hurried to the cooking school. Mrs. Phelps was in the lobby and unlocked the door. “Sarah Booth, what can I do for you?”

  “I saw Karrie Kompton come in.” I glanced behind her. “Where’s Tinkie?”

  “That’s what I’d like to know. Where is Mrs. Richmond?” Evangeline Phelps was a tad hostile. “She promised to help me but she hasn’t shown up. Karrie was gracious enough to run an errand for me because I can’t leave my post here. Since Mrs. Richmond didn’t show up, there was no one else to help me.”

  “Tinkie didn’t show up here? She left half an hour ago to come over.”

  My panic finally touched Evangeline. “Where could she be?”

  “That’s what I need to find out.” I sprinted back to the Alluvian. When I entered our room, I knew Tinkie wasn’t there. The sizzle was gone. A pale sheet of hotel stationery centered my bed.

  “Gone to Panther Holler to check for Anna. Tinkie.”

  I dialed her cell phone—which rang on the bedside table beside her camera. Tinkie had launched a frontal attack on Anna and didn’t even have a way to contact me or call for help.

  Something was very wrong. Tinkie was in trouble. I felt it. She’d never abandon her obligation to Evangeline Phelps, nor would she take off on a dangerous assignment without telling me—and without her phone.

  She’d also taken the Caddy, which left me with no wheels. Never again would I ride with someone else. Not even for cooking lessons.

  I went downstairs, wondering if I could talk police officer Eddie out of his patrol car. Not likely. Samuel was my best bet. I found him getting ready to leave for the day, but he turned over the key to his pickup truck without question.

  “Drop it off at Buster’s Bluetop when you finish. You can leave the key with the bartender,” Samuel said.

  “Thanks.”

  “Make sure Hedy doesn’t go to jail for something she didn’t do.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  The old Ford had seen better years, but it started with a roar. As I circled the hotel, I saw the Caddy parked where we’d left it. I felt like someone had whacked me in the stomach with a sledgehammer.

  I killed the engine, jumped out of the truck, and ran back into the hotel. Samuel was chatting with Betty, the concierge, and a couple of clerks.

  “Did you see Tinkie leave?” I asked. Everyone in the hotel knew her by now.

  Samuel shook his head, but Betty spoke up. “She left about an hour ago.”

  “Was she alone?”

  Betty thought about it. “She walked out the door by herself, but there was a woman close behind her.”

  “Can you describe the woman?” I wanted to tear my hair and scream.

  “Petite, good figure, a bit older than you, and short, black hair. Oh, and she was wearing dark sunglasses.”

  “Did Tinkie say anything?” Surely she’d tried to leave a clue. Even a small one.

  Betty frowned. “She’s always so friendly, but she walked out like the Queen of Sheba. I thought she was rude, which wasn’t like her.”

  “Betty, call Chief Jansen,” I said. “I think Tinkie’s been abducted. She left a note in our room, which may have fingerprints on it.”

  Betty whipped into action.

  I retrieved my cell phone from my pocket and dialed Coleman. When I heard his voice, my control crumbled. “Can you come to Greenwood now?”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Tinkie has been taken by someone.”

  “I’m on the way,” Coleman said.

  As I closed the phone, it rang. Hoping it was Tinkie, I answered quickly.

  “We’re wrapping the shoot today.” Graf’s voice was filled with sunshine and glamour. “I can catch a late flight to Memphis or the first one in the morning. What’s your preference, my love?”

  “Tonight.” I managed to say it without crying

  “Sarah Booth, is something wrong?” Graf asked.

  There was no simple way to tell him how awfully wrong things were.

  24

  “Sarah Booth, what’s happened?” Graf asked for the third time.

  I wanted to answer him, but I was struggling to maintain control. “It’s Tinkie. I think she’s been abducted. By someone bad.” I moved from the front desk reception into the plushly carpeted lounge area. The sounds of the hotel were instantly muffled. I was alone with Graf. “Madame Tomeeka warned me, and I failed to protect her.”

  “I’ll catch the next flight to Memphis, rent a car, and be there as soon as I can.”

  Graf wasn’t angry, he was worried. I had an overwhelming desire to feel his arms around me. “I can’t call Oscar.” Coward that I was. No way in hell was I going to phone Tinkie’s husband and tell him I’d let Tinkie fall into danger.

  “Don’ worry about Oscar now. You’ll do what’s necessary,” Graf said. “Who has her?”

  “I’m not certain. Tinkie left a note saying she was headed to the Wellington home, but her car is in the parking lot. The hotel receptionist said a woman left right behind Tinkie.”

  “The killer?” Graf sounded as if he were feeling his way through a minefield.

  “Maybe.”

  “And maybe not. You don’t have enough evidence to jump to conclusions. Don’t call Oscar until you know something. There’s no point scaring him into a coronary if Tinkie caught a ride with someone and went off on a lead.”

  Bless Graf for his sensible approach. “Thank you. Please hurry home, okay?”

  “I’ll make them fly the plane as fast as it’ll go.”

  I hung up and found myself facing Franz Jansen. He stood in the doorway, eavesdropping without a smidgen of apology. Tension radiated from him. “Are you certain Mrs. Richmond is missing?” he asked. “This isn’t some ploy to distract me while your client takes a runner?”

  “Tinkie isn’t in the hotel, but her car is parked in the lot.” I kept it calm and factual. More than anything I wanted Jansen to laugh and call me a fool. “She left a note. In the room.”

/>   Jansen took my elbow and led me to the elevator. It wasn’t until the doors closed behind us that he loosened his grip. “Are you okay? You’re not going to faint or do something embarrassing, are you?”

  I shook my head. “I have to find her.”

  “We will,” he said. “I don’t want Oscar Richmond or worse, Avery Bellcase, riding my ass ’cause Mrs. Richmond got hurt in my town.” Beneath his gruffness was something else.

  As we exited the elevator I said, “You’ve got the good ole boy shuffle down pretty good, but I sense money isn’t the driving factor here.” I stopped at the door. He was the head lawman in charge of the search for my partner. His agenda had suddenly become vitally important. “What is?”

  “Let’s take a look at that room.” He edged me aside with his body and took the key card from my hand.

  We entered and Jansen scanned the interior, from the cell phone and camera on the table to the white stationery and the clothes scattered around. The room exuded emptiness, and he picked up on it, as I had.

  “Money and power control a lot,” he said. “Like it or not, the wealthy expect preferential treatment. I don’t mind going a little extra in some cases, as long as justice is served.” He twitched his mustache. “My motto is ‘whatever it takes.’ ”

  “My friend’s life may be in danger. I have to know you’ll run over anyone blocking the path. Even the Wellingtons.”

  “I should be insulted, Miss Delaney, but instead I admire your directness. I’ll return the favor. If Marcus is involved in these murders, or the abduction of Mrs. Richmond, or illegal means of gaining custody of his child, he’ll be arrested. I can’t guarantee he’ll be punished, because money has a way of tipping the scales of justice. But he will be arrested and charged.”

  “It’s possible Marcus is a dupe of Anna Lock.”

  “I’m having a hard time justifying why Anna Lock would poison three people to frame her own niece.”

  “Are the actions of any killer reasonable?”

  “Some more than others,” he said. “But I agree with your assessment that Miss Kompton is our next target.”