"Well, I'm sure you're aware some idiots use ketamine as a recreational drug. Carson might have bought the drug from the Rousseau brothers," LeBrun said.
"I thought of that. Robert said that Bob Carson was a longtime customer of the Rousseau brothers and he liked a variety of drugs, including ketamine. But he wouldn't have injected it into his neck."
"That would be dangerous," LeBrun agreed. "Injecting ketamine would be extremely dangerous. It's fast acting. The person would be under before he could remove the needle from his arm."
"So someone else probably used the drug to render Carson unconscious so they could get him out to the swamp. Was there ketamine in Morgan's or Cooper's body?"
LeBrun scowled. "If there had been, even slight trace amounts, I would have included it in the report."
Remy had known that. "I'm sorry. I wasn't callin' your professionalism into question. I'm just back to square one. I'm squeezing Durang. I want him to give up Butterfield, but the surgical instruments weren't the ones used to carve bones out of our victims. Even the type of plastic sheeting doesn't match. So where does that leave us?"
"Back to the Rousseau brothers?"
"Maybe, but if I'm wrong, if I accept that because it's easy . . ."
LeBrun shook his head, hitting the top of Remy's desk with a flat palm. "Not because it's easy, because it fits. Everythin' points straight back to Jean and Juste Rousseau. The victims, the swamp, the drugs. You're too close to this, Remy. You think there must be more because it seems too wrapped up and tied in a bow for you. Sometimes, it really does happen like that."
Remy wanted the case to be solved. Everyone else thought it was solved--but it didn't feel right to him. "You said yourself, Doc, you didn't think there were two of them."
"No, I said one definitely carved the bones and, in my opinion, made the altar. In fact," LeBrun added, "you were very firm that the harvester and the man who made the altar were one and the same, yet the killin' itself didn't fit."
Remy couldn't deny he'd considered many times that there were two men doing the killings. "There was only one set of footprints goin' from the road to the swamp, carryin' Carson's body," he reminded. "Carson was tall and slender, but he weighed a significant amount. If there were two of them, why didn't they both carry him into the swamp where they were goin' to kill him?"
"I don't know, Remy, but I'm tired and I'm going to believe the Rousseau brothers did it and we'll get them eventually. They can't live in the swamp forever. As for me, I haven't seen my family forever and I'm goin' home. I suggest you do the same."
"Maybe you're right." Remy had no intentions of going home. He rubbed at the tension in the back of his neck. He knew the Rousseaus were dead, but his gut hadn't stopped churning and that was a very bad sign.
"Just give it a day or two, Remy," LeBrun encouraged. "Step back and think about other things. You've been goin' at this night and day for a couple of weeks and you've had to contend with other things as well. Go see your girl and don' think about murder."
Remy gave him a little salute and watched him leave. It was late. Most everyone had gone home already. He'd promised Bijou he'd meet her for dinner. He glanced at his watch. He still had a little time left to try to work things out. He wandered over to the murder board and studied the pictures of each suspect. Jean and Juste Rousseau were at the top of the list.
"If only it was that easy," he murmured aloud. "You two were building your own little kingdom. You liked gangster movies and thought you'd be the lords of New Orleans."
In their home, he'd found hundreds of DVDs, mostly mafia and gang movies. Jean and Juste definitely had aspired to build a large criminal network. They had murdered at least three women. They had forced women to have sex with them and their friends. They'd robbed and beaten the elderly. They sold drugs. There really wasn't much the brothers wouldn't do--so why didn't he think they were capable of carrying out the bone harvester's murders?
"He's ice," Remy said aloud. "Total ice. He doesn't ever flinch. There's no hesitation." He stared at the board. "You're one scary man. Who are you? You don' even break a sweat when you're carvin' them up."
"Remy?" Angelina came up behind him.
He could smell the cup of coffee she had in her hand for him. He turned toward her with a faint smile. She was in her late forties, married to another cop and had three children. He often considered her his secret weapon. She could find anything on anyone given time. She worked a computer with lightning speed and nothing ever stood between her and information.
"I found the insurance policy. It was taken out with Forbes and Regency. It's a big payoff if Bijou dies. Thirty million dollars, Remy." She sounded worried. "Definitely the kind of money someone kills for."
"You're an angel, Angelina," he said. "That gives me everything I need to break Durang. He'll give up Butterfield."
Angelina turned away from him, hesitated, and then turned back. "Remy, I've worked with you a long time. You have good instincts. If you aren't satisfied, don't listen to anyone else's conclusions." She looked up at the murder board, at the photographs of Juste and Jean Rousseau. "If your gut says it isn't them, then I'm putting my money on you. You'll find out who really did this one way or another."
"Thanks, Angelina. I appreciate the vote of confidence. Leave the report on my desk. I think I have just enough time to run over to the gallery and talk with Lefevre before I have to meet Bijou. She's comin' here. Would you mind stayin' and waiting for her? I'll only be a few minutes."
"Do you think he may have seen something that night?" Angelina asked. "He doesn't seem interested in anything but his art--which by the way is beautiful but so far above my pay grade I can only wish."
"He's actually quite observant. He pays close attention to details. Both Carson and the Rousseau brothers were poking around his studio the night Carson was murdered. It's a long shot that he saw something that could shed light on the murderer, but you never know. At this point, I'll take anything, long shot or not," Remy said. He pressed his fingertips to his temples, trying to clear the pounding headache.
He couldn't imagine that the famed--and very obsessive--sculptor had seen anything of use, not after seeing the frantic sketches of Remy's facial features he'd been up all night drawing, but maybe he'd get lucky. Sometimes it was only luck solving a case.
"Sure, I don' mind waiting for Bijou Breaux," Angelina agreed. "I have every record she ever made. I know every song by heart. I never talk to her because I don't want to seem like one of her pushy, crazed fans, but every time I see her, I secretly scream."
He swung around, amused by Angelina, the consummate professional's confession. His eyebrow shot up and he found himself smiling. "Really? You? Scream? I don' believe you."
"In my head, Remy." She held up her hand when he looked smug, tossing her head like a schoolgirl. "But at her concerts I screamed with the best of them. Once I couldn't talk for two days afterward."
Remy burst out laughing. "You're priceless, Angelina. When she comes in, talk to her. She's actually quite shy. You'd never know it when she sings, but she really is. I'll just be a few minutes, I promise."
Remy caught up his jacket, shrugging into it as he hurried out. There was something driving him now, and that usually meant he was close to breaking a case. He should have considered talking to Lefevre right away. The artist was good with details and few people had his observation skills. He might have even noticed something earlier, when they were in the gallery itself.
He walked the short distance to the gallery where Lefevre had his showing. He wasn't surprised to see it had already closed, but the lights were on and he could see the artist inside, hunched over a large sketchbook. Several drafts of whatever he was working on were scattered at his feet. He looked as if he hadn't slept since the showing. In fact, Remy thought he might have been wearing the same suit.
He wasn't surprised to find the door unlocked. He knew the gallery owner would come by later to double-check that Lefevre had remembered to lo
ck it. In the meantime, he had offered his place to the artist to work, knowing it would only make his gallery more prestigious with clients.
Remy stepped inside. Arnaud didn't even glance up. He worked furiously, concentration creating deep furrows between his eyebrows.
"Mr. Lefevre?" Remy said, hoping not to startle him.
The frowned deepened and impatience flickered across the Frenchman's face. He waved his hand toward the door without looking up. "Go away. I'm busy."
"I'm sorry to disturb you, but I was hoping you could help me with an ongoing investigation. I just need a few minutes of your time."
Arnaud's breath hissed out between his teeth. He looked up slowly, his expression exasperated. "What is it?" Even as he snapped the question, the aggravation disappeared.
Remy stepped closer. "Do you remember me? I'm Bijou's friend, Remy Boudreaux." He showed his badge just in case he'd spooked the artist. "I'm a homicide detective and we had a murder last night. Would you mind if I asked you a few questions?"
Arnaud's mood changed instantly. His gaze was riveted to Remy's face. He tossed his sketchpad aside and leapt up, a smile on his face. "Of course I remember you. Your eyes are extraordinary. I've been trying to capture that look, but it isn't right." He gestured to the many discarded drawings scattered around the floor. "I thought if I came here instead of the studio, I'd remember better and get the actual piercing intelligence and focused danger in your eyes." He sighed in frustration. "Maybe I could draw your face while we talk?" he said hopefully.
Lefevre was still wearing the same suit he'd had on the night before. Remy thought it should have been a little more rumpled since he'd worn it all night. Clearly he hadn't slept, but he still looked elegant. Even his hair seemed to fall naturally into place.
Remy sighed, grateful Bijou wasn't interested in Lefevre romantically. There was no competing with the wealthy, talented artist. Remy's leopard despised him on sight. If only he could get his leopard to understand Bijou wasn't at all interested in the man, maybe it would be easier to be around him.
"Sure." He glanced at his watch. "I don' have a lot of time, but I'll come back if you don' get whatever it is you're lookin' for."
Arnaud indicated a chair where the light spilled directly into Remy's face. "Sit there. Can you just look at me the way you did last night, when you first walked in?"
"I'll try," Remy said. "I'm not certain how I was lookin' at you."
"Like I was your prey. Very focused. What were you thinking about? Maybe that would help," Arnaud suggested as he collected his drawing pad and pencils. He sat across from Remy.
Remy had been thinking he was going to tear the artist limb from limb because Bijou was smiling up at him. He couldn't very well say that. "Last night there was a murder. A photographer by the name of Bob Carson. He's the same man who had been stalkin' Bijou."
"Yes, yes of course. He pushed my rented car into the bayou. I've got my lawyers dealing with that," Arnaud said dismissively. "Turn your head a little to the right."
Remy complied. "He was here at the gallery last night for your showing. He was taking a lot of photographs of the event as well as everyone who was here."
"Yes, I remember," Arnaud agreed, his voice almost dreamy, as if already Remy was losing him to his art. His attention seemed to be drifting away.
Remy grit his teeth. His brothers would be howling over him sitting there like an idiot while Arnaud Lefevre drew his portrait, or more specifically--his eyes.
"Did you see anything unusual in the gallery that night? Anyone who might have been watchin' Bob Carson? Did he talk to anyone?"
Arnaud scowled darkly, tore off the sheet of paper he'd been working on and flung it on the floor. He began again. "I noticed him talking to Bijou's manager. Butterfield slipped him something. But, that wasn't necessarily out of the ordinary."
Arnaud continued to draw, glancing up at Remy to look at his face and eyes, his mind on his work, rather than Remy's questions.
"Not out of the ordinary?" Remy prompted, his teeth snapping together. He detested sitting there like an idiot. His leopard snarled and raged, making it difficult to stay even-tempered. He'd known Arnaud would be difficult if he was working. He'd seen Bijou practically have to babysit him.
"Yes, they often had clandestine meetings no one was supposed to see and Butterfield always gave something to Carson. Really, it was quite childish the way they acted."
Butterfield probably had been paying Bob Carson to keep feeding the tabloids. He had no way of knowing Carson would have done it anyway.
"After you went back to the studio to work, were you aware Carson followed you?"
That got the Frenchman's attention for all of two seconds. Or maybe he just scowled and looked up because Remy wasn't giving him the focused stare he wanted to draw so badly.
"No. Why would he do that? All I did was work last night. All night. A complete waste of time." Arnaud sighed in frustration.
"He was writing an article about Bijou's love triangle."
"She doesn't have a love triangle," Arnaud said. "Turn your head a little more. Stop. Hold it right there. I think that's it." He tore off another piece of paper and began again.
"He meant you, Bijou and me," Remy said. "You didn't see him lurking around? Or anyone following him, maybe across the street?"
For the first time Arnaud lowered his pencil and really looked at Remy. Remy was struck by the fact that he seemed to notice Remy as more than a pair of cat's eyes he was trying to draw.
"That's completely absurd."
"Of course it is, but Carson specialized in seedy headlines. He took photographs of your work with a zoom lens and was going to publish it in a tabloid, stating you were in love with me and Bijou was in love with both of us."
"He can't do a thing like that. Publishing a sketch of mine that isn't right, that I haven't finished, would be unthinkable," Arnaud protested. "I have a reputation, but more than that, I only show my best work--work I'm proud of. Those sketches last night were all wrong."
"He's dead, Arnaud," Remy said as gently as he could through gritted teeth. "He won't be publishing photographs anymore. I'm looking for the man or men who may have abducted him, took him out to the swamp and then murdered him."
"At least he's giving back to the planet and doing something constructive rather than hurting people like Bijou," Arnaud said pragmatically. "He wasn't a very good man, was he?"
Remy sighed. "I suppose not. But even men who aren't worth much need someone to stand for them."
"This isn't working. Let's try something else," Arnaud said, ignoring, or not hearing Remy's comment. "Will you allow me to put your head in the position I need you to be in?"
"I don't have very much more time," Remy said, glancing at his watch again.
"Just give me a couple more minutes," Arnaud pleaded. "I know I can do this." He jumped up, but it wasn't jumping so much as gliding. He was very graceful, a man who under any circumstances, even when he was at his most frustrated, still seemed elegant.
He hurried around Remy and caught his chin, his touch almost gentle as he turned his head. The moment Arnaud put his fingers against Remy's skin, Remy's leopard raked and snarled, forcing Remy to breathe deep to keep control. He glanced down at the floor, at Arnaud's beautifully polished immaculate dress shoes. Bits of grass and mud stuck, not to the shoes, but to one hem of his trousers. He registered the information and alarm spread. As he started to turn to face the threat, Remy felt a sting in his neck.
His leopard tried to protect him, leaping for the surface, a wave of fur moving under his skin, but the ketamine was fast acting on both of them.
*
BIJOU stood outside the Inn with Saria, admiring the full moon. "It sure is beautiful here, Saria. What a wonderful weddin' gift Miss Pauline gave you. The location couldn't be more perfect."
"Especially for a leopard," Saria agreed. "Miss Pauline was always in love with Amos Jeanmard. When his wife died, he married Miss Pauline, and she g
ave me the Inn."
"I remember him. We used to have to hide from him when we were sneakin' into the swamp at night."
"He's leopard. He was leader of the lair, but he claimed he got old and tired. Miss Pauline's leopard never emerged and he didn't marry her when they were young because he thought it would be best for the lair if only leopards mated. I think the real reason he gave up leadership was so he felt he was free to marry Miss Pauline."
Bijou leaned against Saria's car. Hers was going to need a lot of work before she could drive it--if she could make herself get into it after the things Carson had done to it. "If my leopard hadn't emerged, do you think Remy would have walked away?"
Saria frowned at her. "I always forget you lack self-confidence, which is insane when it comes to my brother. He's head over heels for you. Believe me, I've never seen him act like such a goofball."
"Remy is never a goofball," Bijou said. She looked up at the sky again, at the stars. "I'd forgotten how to be happy until I came back here. Which is rather awful to say when all these murders are going on. I don' know how Remy does it every day."
"He's good at his job and he's passionate about it. Remy lives life to the fullest. Now that he has you, I won't worry so much about him," Saria said. "He can be so serious, and that leopard of his is so difficult."
"Are you afraid of your leopard?" Bijou asked, crossing her arms across her chest. "Because I'll admit, I find the entire idea of being a shifter very scary. What if I can't control her when she's out?"
"I felt that way at first as well," Saria admitted. "You have Remy, and he'll guide you through it. There are seven main families that live in the swamps and bayous that date back to the first settlers. They did intermarry with others who weren't leopard, but if they have one of the seven last names, you can pretty much bet, they're one of us. The thing is, Bijou, we're a small community so we're intensely loyal to one another. We have to be."
"Like Robert?"
"I don' know what happened to Robert. He was such a sweet boy when he was younger. Drake is goin' to send him to Borneo to some friends of his. It's that, or he has to follow up with his challenge for leadership and he won't survive. Drake is givin' him a chance, but if Robert refuses to take it, our world can be quite violent, but it has to be." Saria studied Bijou's face.