Page 70 of Landry

“Was there any one thing that meant a lot to Camille that she would never consider throwing away?” Hank asked. “A jewel box, painting or gift someone she loved gave her? Something big enough to hide a necklace in, but small enough to keep even when she had nowhere to go but a homeless shelter?”

Landry shook his head. He should know this. He felt as if the answer was on the edge of his mind, but not coming through.

Swede continued, “Good news is that Tony’s men haven’t divested Camille of her cell phone as of this moment. I was able to hack into her carrier and track the phone. Looks like they’re out in the bayou. I can send her location to your phone and the path she’s taken so far.”

“Thank God,” Landry said. “All we need now is a boat to get us there.”

As if on cue, a light appeared across the water, speeding toward them, followed by another light.

The Sheriff’s Department boat arrived first with Shelby at the helm.

As they waited for the boats to arrive, Remy sighed. “I can understand taking Camille, but why the kid?”

That question had been nagging Landry, as well.

Then it hit him.

“The bear,” he murmured. “Oh my God, it’s in the bear.”

“What bear?” Remy asked.

“Fuzzy Bear,” Landry said. “Ava’s stuffed bear. It belonged to Camille before Ava. Her mother had given it to her. It was the last thing her mother had given her that she still owned. Ava gave it to Billy Ray when he was sick. It’s big enough to hide a necklace in, and Camille would never have gotten rid of it. I think I know where they’re headed.”

Shelby slowed her boat, slid up against the dock and threw Remy a line. He caught it and secured the boat.

The craft that had followed Shelby’s was what looked like a charter airboat. As it came to a stop on the other side of the dock, Mitchell Marceau, the owner of Marceau’s Marina, sat at the helm. Beside him was J.D. LaDue.

Remy grinned. “If anyone can find Camille in the bayou, it’s J.D. and Marceau.”

“J.D. is the exact person we need,” Landry said. “I think Billy Ray is taking them out to the Later Gator Fishing Hut.”

“No kidding?” Remy shoved a hand through his hair. “That place has seen a lot of action.”

“Some of which you can keep to yourself,” Shelby said.

Remy chuckled. “Yes, ma’am.” His smile disappeared as he nodded toward the airboat. “Landry, go with J.D. and Marceau. Take Simon, Valentin and Rafael. Gerard and Lucas, come with me.”

While Remy, Gerard and Lucas boarded the sheriff’s craft, Landry leaped onto the deck of the fan boat, followed by Simon, Valentin and Rafael.

J.D. met Landry with his hand outstretched. “I was playing cards with Mitch when I heard our candy maker was in trouble.”

Landry shook the man’s hand. “Glad you came along. We need your bayou navigation skills.”

J.D. chuckled. “You got the right team for that job.”

Landry gave J.D. and Marceau a nod and said, “They’re headed for the Later Gator Fishing Hut.”

J.D.’s eyes widened. “My paradise in the bayou? Why the fool darn heck would they go there? Don’t they know it’s practically falling down? Should’ve salvaged it sooner, but I need a decent boat to do it with, not one with a hole in the bottom.”

“You need to fix that hole,” Marceau said. “Now, stop flapping your gums and let’s get to that hunk of junk shack. Take a seat and hold on.”

Landry, Simon, Valentin and Rafael settled on the bench seats usually reserved for customers who chartered the boat for a bayou experience.

Shelby had backed her boat away from the dock and turned, facing the expanse of bayou, and waited for the other boat to lead the way.

J.D. settled on the seat beside Marceau as the captain fired up the engine, spun the airboat around and shoved the throttle forward.

Landry sat forward, the fan numbing his ears, his pulse pounding. All he could think about was that they were approximately ten to fifteen minutes behind the other airboat. His internal clock ticked away the time Camille and Billy Ray might have left to live.

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