Heartless (2 page)

She sounds as if she's been crying.
"Hey, Pumpkin. It's
Daddy. Why are you still up? What's wrong?"
"We were waiting to give you and Momma a surprise."
"I'm sorry, baby. I won't be home until very late. Can you
give it to us tomorrow?"
"I suppose. It was just a cake that Christopher and I made,
so it won't spoil."
"But you made it, and that makes it extra special. I promise
I'll eat it tomorrow. Thank you. Now, please, put Momma on
and go to bed. I love you."
"I love you, too, Daddy. I guess Uncle Raif can tuck me in.
Aunt Chris had to leave on a case."
Yeah, a doozy.
"Is he still there?"
"Yes, sir. He stayed because…" The little girl started to cry
again.
Ray had thought his brother who was babysitting might
have gone home once he dropped Larkin off. "Yes, I know
about Aunt Chris. I was with her. What's wrong, Court?"
"We have some bad news, Daddy."
"What?"
I've had enough bad news for one night.
"Cyclops died. Uncle Raif stayed to make him a coffin."
"Oh, sweetheart. I'm sorry." Ray had a catch in his voice as
well. He had loved that old one-eyed black cat his wife had
rescued before he ever met her. "Put Uncle Raif on for a
minute before Momma."
"Yes, sir. Good night."
Warily, Raif came to the phone. "Ray, what's up?"
"Robert is dead."
"What?"
"Don't say anything to Larkin. Cyclops is all she needs
right now. I'm on my way to Baton Rouge to inform Deanna.
I'll tell Larkin when I get back, but,
please
, help me keep my
family away from the media until I do. Chris and Baker might
be really late getting home. Why don't you and the kids stay
there tonight?"
"You know Larkin will be suspicious."
"Yeah, I know. Just say I want you there and this is
something I need to tell her in person; but if she does see a
news report, please, help me out. She'll understand. Now, let
me talk to her. Okay? Raif? Raif, are you there?"
"Not Raif." Larkin took the phone. "Ray, what's happened?
Don't lie to me. Who died?"
She knows me too well.
"Angel, I don't want to tell you
about this on the phone. You've got enough on you tonight.
Just keep the kids away from the media."
"Ray, you know better than to try and protect me. Yes, I'm
heartbroken over Cyclops, but he had a good, long life with us.
Something has you seriously upset. Where are you?"
He sighed. "On my way to Baton Rouge. I have to do this.
It wouldn't be right for anyone else to do it."
"Do what, Ray? Please, talk to me. I know you told Raif. If
you don't tell me, I'll wheedle it out of him while he glues
boards together for Cyclops's coffin."
"Oh, Larkin, can't you trust me on this?"
"It's not a matter of trust, Ray. Just tell me who died. You
can save the details until you get home. You
need
to tell me."
He sighed deeply over the phone. "Do I always
underestimate you?"
"No, but you always overprotect me. You will never realize
that I'm strong, and you need me as much as I need you."
"I know that, Angel. I would be lost without you." He took
a deep, steadying breath. "You win. Robert is dead. He was
murdered, and I'm going to tell Deanna."
"Robert?" She snorted. "Was he with another woman?"
"Yes, and she's dead also. Larkin, it was extremely brutal.
I'll talk to you about that later. I don't want the kids to see this
on the news though. They know Kyle and Kimberly. All the
kids need to be protected, ours and Robert's, even if he chose
not to do so."
"I understand."
"I've asked Raif to stay tonight. I'm sure Chris will be back
before I am. We need to be a family right now. Tell Raif to call
Lindsay. I know with the time difference between Louisiana
and California they won't be in bed, and I don't want them to
see this on the national news either."
"Of course. I'll be here when you get home. Be careful. I
love you."
"I love you, too, Angel. I'll be home for breakfast." He
ended the call
Ray continued toward Baton Rouge as a migraine began to
creep up on him. With a healthy diet and herbal remedies his
wife brewed, his migraines had become rare, but occasionally,
one still hit. Ray reached into his glove box and retrieved his
prescription of rizatriptan. He had finally found a medication
that did not knock him out, and with three hours looming
ahead, he did not need to get sleepy. He popped a capsule into
his mouth and washed it down with a bottle of water. He
concentrated on his dreaded task with a heavy heart made even
heavier by the loss of his furry family member. He brushed
unwanted tears from his cheeks.
I'm pretty sure I'm mourning
Cyclops more than you, Rob. Maybe.

Larkin turned to Raif and handed him the phone. "Call
Lindsay. She doesn't need to hear this on the morning news."
"Ray told you. Good." Raif dialed Lindsay in Los Angeles.
His stepdaughter answered cheerfully, "Uncle Ray or Aunt
Larkin, happy anniversary. What's up?"
"It's Dad."
"Dad, has something happened to Uncle Ray?" Her voice
took on a hint of panic.
"No, nothing like that. Calm down. I do have some bizarre
news to give you though. Is Dupree home?"
"Yes, it's dinner time. Where else would he be? He's not on
tour right now, and you taught us to sit down as a family at
dinner."
"Yes, I did, although I only had a couple of years to teach
you anything, Rottenness. I'm glad you came to live with your
mother and me. I love you kiddo, even if you are an old
married lady who made me a grandfather."
"I love you, too, Dad. Now, what's up?"
"Tell Dupree to get on another extension. I only want to say
this once."
"Okay."
Raif heard two-year-old Roxanne giggle about something
as Lindsay said to her husband of seven years, "Dupree, it's
Dad. He wants to tell us something. Will you get on the other
phone?"
Dupree tweaked his daughter's nose and left the table.
"Hey, Dad. I'm here," he said a moment later.
"I'll say something positive first," Raif began. "I love the
new album cover. Love the short hair, Dupree. Glad you
decided to lose the braids. I'm so proud of you. After what I put
you through…"
"Dad," Dupree interrupted, "that was a lifetime ago. If I
hadn't met you, I wouldn't have met Larkin, and I wouldn't
have found my dream. I'd be either dead or in prison. As it is, I
have a wonderful wife and a beautiful daughter, not to mention
a successful recording career. Why are you so focused on the
past?"
Raif replied, "I hope you're both sitting down. Ray didn't
want y'all to hear this on the news. Robert LaFontaine has been
murdered."
"Oh, my God!" exclaimed Lindsay. "How? Who?"
"I don't know any details yet. Ray is on his way to Baton
Rouge to break the news to Robert's family."
"He was in Eau Boueuse?" asked Dupree.
"Yes, with another woman. They're both dead. That's all I
know right now."
"Wow!" Lindsay snorted. "Sounds as if somebody finally
got fed up with his cheating."
"Maybe. I don't know. Uncle Ray just didn't want y'all to
see it on the news first."
"Thanks, Dad. How is Aunt Larkin?"
"She's strong as always."
"Is Mom investigating this?"
"Of course, Chris is investigating this. Who else besides her
and Baker would be doing it?"
Dupree chimed in, "Colbert and Tynes."
"Not a chance. Uncle Ray will want the best. Mom's the
best."
"That's true," husband and wife said together.
Lindsay followed with, "Thanks for letting us know."
"There's one more thing you should know before you visit."
"More bad news?" Dupree asked.
"Yes. Cyclops passed away today of all days."
"No! Aunt Larkin must be bawling," Lindsay said with her
own sniffle. "That cat saved her life."
"She cried earlier. Now she's being practical." He caught
sight of the sign his brother had jokingly placed in one
window. It read, "Attack Cat on Duty. Beware." Raif
remembered how the creature had pounced on Latrice
Descartes, a serial killer who escaped on her way to prison and
had come to kill Larkin. His attack with claws to her face had
been brief, but long enough for Larkin to get free. Raif smiled
at the memory.
"Go have dinner. I'll call when I know anything else."
The call finished, he completed the simple wooden box on
his brother's front porch and gently laid the beloved pet into it.
He stroked the fur once more and put the lid in place.

"Are you okay, babe?" Dupree asked as he returned to the
dining room and saw Lindsay brush tears from her cheeks.
"Hey, I loved Cyclops too. He was one very cool cat."

You're the perfect mix of your mother and me, my little island
girl.
He kissed Lindsay's dark blonde hair and took his seat.
"Mommy's okay."

Lindsay gave a sarcastic laugh. "I'm crying over a cat when
a human was killed."
"Cycwops?" Roxanne squeaked.
"Yes, sweetie," Lindsay said. "He went to kitty heaven."
The little girl put on a serious pout and refused to eat
another bite. "I've got this," Dupree said. He picked up the
child, washed her face and hands, brushed her teeth, and tucked
her into bed.
When he returned to the table, Lindsay still toyed with her
wine. He sighed. "I feel more grief over Cyclops than
LaFontaine too. He would have had me
under
the jail if Larkin
hadn't forgiven me for my part in putting her in a life-and-death
struggle. She's the one who helped me get out of the ghetto."
"I sort of feel guilty about thinking the worst of the man."
She laughed lightly. "I remember flipping him the bird behind
his back when he was at Aunt Larkin's on a 'date.'" She did a
one-handed quote signal.
Dupree laughed louder. "I'm the one that ratted him out to
Larkin at the musical review. He was a horse's ass, but I
am
sorry his family has to suffer." He took her ivory hand in his
milk chocolate one and brought it to his lips. "No more sad
thoughts. Tomorrow we'll send Aunt Larkin a sympathy card
and I guess one to the LaFontaines."
"Okay. I love you."

As Raif talked to Lindsay, Larkin herded Christopher and
Courtney, along with Raif's children, Patrick and Trista, to bed.
The youngsters protested, but Larkin took a firm hand with her
own two children and her nephew and niece.

After the kids were tucked snuggly and safely into bed,
Larkin and Raif waited together as they had many times before
when Ray and Chris were partners. "Just like old times," she
said, but her brown eyes looked troubled. She sat on the sofa
and tucked her feet under her over-sized sweater. Tossing her
long auburn hair over her shoulder, she put her head back.

"Yeah," Raif agreed. "However, the news of the evening
makes the wait much more stressful. Mind if I have a beer?"
"No, but you must be stressed if you're drinking."
Raif popped open one of his brother's Bud Lights and
kicked back in Ray's recliner.
"Did he give you any details?" Larkin asked.
"No, only that Robert was with another woman, and that
both were dead. Larkin, how could he reject the love of a
woman as kind and lovely as Deanna? How could he reject the
love and forgiveness and mercy of Christ?"
"I don't know, Raif. I've wondered that many times since I
shared my faith with him years ago. You know, I never would
have married him even if Ray hadn't come to the musical
review and proposed. Robert never would have shared my
faith, and I loved Ray. He was the man of my dreams—
literally. And even though you look just like Ray, you aren't
Ray. I love you dearly, but Ray…I would die for him. I already
killed for him." Larkin shivered and her heart raced as she
remembered shooting Latrice Descartes, the serial killer who
had planned to sacrifice Larkin as the thirteenth victim in a
bizarre, satanic ritual. To save both Ray and herself, she had
taken a life.
It still haunts me that I killed someone, as evil as
she was.
Raif laughed lightly and patted his sister-in-law's hand. "I
know. Isn't it amazing how the worst experience of our lives
brought us the love of our lives? I would be broken without
Chris."
She looked toward the front of the house where she knew
her little hero lay after a life of devotion to his family. She
brushed a tear from her cheek.
"You know, I think all beloved pets go to Heaven," Raif
said. "Cyclops is romping with Sunbeam again."
Larkin sighed. She knew her friend was trying to lighten
the mood. "I wish Chris would hurry up and get here. It's bad
enough to have to wait for Ray."
He squeezed Larkin's hand. "She's doing her job. You
know she's thorough."
They did not have to wait much longer for Chris to get in,
but she looked tired when she walked through the door. Her
short dishwater-blonde hair looked damp as the humidity was
high, and her soft brown eyes drooped. She asked simply, "Did
Ray tell you?"
Larkin replied, "Only that Robert and his—companion—
are dead."
Chris nodded. "They were apparently engaging in a sex act.
That's all I can say except an FBI team will be here tomorrow
afternoon. Thank God!" She put a hand to her forehead. "At
least Lawrence Dantzler is heading the team. I'm sure that fact
will ease Ray's mind a bit. I know how much he hates working
with the feds, but at least he and Lawrence have become
friends since the Latrice Descartes case."
Chris finally sat down on Raif's lap. She sighed, "I'm so
tired," as she laid her head on her husband's shoulder.
Raif kissed her on the head. "Go to bed, baby. I'll sit with
Larkin until Ray gets home. And don't worry. I called Lindsay
and Dupree. Go rest. You'll be up early."
Chris stood and took Raif's hand. "Come tuck me in." Raif
escorted his wife upstairs to the room they always used at
Larkin and Ray's restored antebellum home, leaving Larkin
alone to pray.

Around one o'clock, Ray stopped at the guardhouse at the
entrance to the exclusive subdivision where the LaFontaines
maintained their home in Louisiana. He displayed his badge
and announced, "Police Chief Raiford Reynolds from Eau
Boueuse. I need to see Mrs. LaFontaine."