Page 42 of The Lady on Esplanade
“I did.But apparently it didn’t want to be there.”He tossed it onto the seat, unperturbed by its potential value.He leaned inside to look on the floor before sliding into the rear seat for a closer inspection.“I could have sworn I put the newspaper back here before we left the house.”
“Has anyone else been in your truck since then?Besides me.”
He thought for a moment before his face relaxed.“Sam,” he said.“After I dropped you off, Sam and I ran to Fresh Market in Metairie for some groceries.She must have picked it up when she grabbed the bags from the backseat.”
“Why would you go all the way to Metairie instead of going to the Fresh Market on St.Charles?”
Beau exited the backseat and closed the door.“Because that one used to be Bultman Funeral Home.I prefer my grocery shopping without lost spirits who want to ask me why there are bananas in the viewing room.”
We both climbed into the front seat, and he started the engine before backing out of the parking space.“Crap,” he said, noticing the clock on the dash.“I’m supposed to meet Thibaut at another job site to get his take on things.He’s doing me a favor working on a Saturday.”
“That’s fine,” I said.“Do you have time to drop me off at Sam’s apartment?I can get the newspaper and let you know if I find anything.I’ll take an Uber back home or call Jolene.She’s always looking for a reason to take Mardi for a car ride—he really loves it.She even bought him a pair of red Doggles to protect his eyes when he sticks his head out of the window.”I buckled my seat belt casually, notwanting Beau to jump to conclusions about any ulterior motives I’d have to talk to Sam.
“Are you sure?”
I shrugged nonchalantly.“Cooper’s in London, and I’ve got nothing planned today except for some catch-up on paperwork.I’m not allowed near the cottage until the roof is intact and the water damage is fixed.They’ve got huge fans blowing twenty-four seven to dry it out completely so I don’t have any mold issues.Would I be wrong to think that Jolene is behind all of this so that I have no choice but to go with her to Mississippi for Thanksgiving?”
He grinned as he pulled out of the parking garage and onto the street.“No.Not at all.But I’m glad you’re going.Someone needs to act as chaperone.”
“Are you afraid Jolene will throw herself at Jaxson?”
“Actually, I’m thinking it’s the other way around.”
“You see it, too?”I asked.“Even though Jaxson and Carly are engaged?”
“You don’t have to be psychic to see the obvious, Nola.There’s a weird dynamic between those three, and I’m not even going to try to understand it.”
“Funny, because…” I stopped, realizing that I’d been about to say that Jolene had said the same thing about Beau, Sam, and me.Not in so many words, and with a much thicker Southern accent, but the meaning was the same.
“What’s funny?”he asked, turning to drive through the gated entrance to an apartment complex parking lot on Annunciation Street in the Lower Garden District.The guard at the gate waved us through despite the sign clearly saying that IDs were required for entry.Apparently Beau was enough of a frequent visitor to make him exempt.
“Nothing.Just something that Jolene said, but I can’t repeat it, because it wouldn’t be as funny without her saying it.”
He pulled into a brick courtyard with a fountain that had two spitting fish in the middle.“Nice touch,” I said.As he drew closer, Inoted the mid-1980s style of the three squat buildings in front of me, each with pedimented gables and columns to give at least a nod to actual architectural thought.Iron balconies lined the three stories of each building, clashing with the Greek Revival style of the rest of the buildings, so I could give them only two points out of ten for trying.
Beau stopped the truck and turned to me.“I know what you’re thinking.”
“Yeah?And what would that be?”
“That you wouldn’t live in this kind of building if your life depended on it.You’d prefer mold on your rafters to a roof without a history.”
“You know me too well.”I’d meant it as a joke, but he didn’t smile.
“And in that I think you’d be right.”
I opened my door and slid out of the seat to the ground.“Make sure to text Sam to let her know I’m coming.I don’t want her answering the door dressed only in Saran wrap.”
His fingers were already flying on his phone screen.“Got it.”When he was finished, he looked up at me where I stood, lingering with my hand on the open door.“Is there anything else?”
“So, last night…the ring box.Did she…?”
“Say yes?No.”
I hoped he couldn’t see the relief on my face.“I’m sorry,” I said, wondering how much of me he really knew.
“I didn’t ask her.Yet.We did a lot of talking, and then…” He stopped, shrugged.“And then we made up.”
“Got it,” I said, smiling to cover the rising nausea in the back of my throat.“I won’t say anything, then.Don’t want to ruin the surprise.”
