Page 72 of The Lady on Esplanade
Needing to cut the tension that seemed to bounce off the room’s walls and swing from the ceiling, I indicated her phone.“So, you’re an ABBA fan?”
“Isn’t everyone?”she asked.“I mean, they’re one of the most accomplished and talented musical groups ever.I get teased a lot, but whatever.It got me into a lot of trouble in boarding school, but it taught me how to throw a solid punch so that people would keep their stupid opinions to themselves.”
Felicity wasn’t much taller than five feet, and Jolene had described her as “a tiny slip of a girl.”I couldn’t imagine her getting into a fight, much less winning one.I decided to keep that to myself.
“ABBA’s incredible,” Beau said.“Even though she hates to admit it, Nola’s also a fan.”
“Cool,” said Felicity.“You would know about good music, Nola.I actually loved that jingle Beau told me you wrote for Apple—even before I knew it was yours.And that song you wrote for pop legend Jimmy Gordon is on my playlist.I keep waiting for another one.Please tell me you’re working on something?”
I looked down at the shredded denim of my once-favorite jeans.“I’ve started.”I didn’t mention that I couldn’t get beyond the first line.It was hard enough admitting my failure to myself, much less out loud.“It’s just…”
When I didn’t finish, Felicity said, “Believe me, I get it.Life throws us curveballs sometimes.You’ll get through it.You have too much talent not to.Beau was saying that a lot of the music venues on Frenchmen Street have open mic nights and that he thinks you should give it a try.We both agree that it’s the perfect way to get back into your music, to sort of test out the waters and find your voice again.”
I wanted to say thanks for her kind words, but I was too surprised that Beau had talked about me and had mentioned my curtailed music career.He studiously avoided my gaze, so our embarrassment was mutual.“I’ll think about it” was all I could manage.I looked at the clock on the mantel.“It’s after four in the morning.We should probably all go back to sleep.”
Beau shoved his hands into his pockets, then looked surprised as he pulled out something in a plastic bag.“I forgot I had these.”
I couldn’t see what was inside, but I knew what they were without asking.
“Adele’s rings?”Felicity asked.
Beau nodded.“I meant to put them in a safe-deposit box, but Mimi said she wants to hold them first.She just wasn’t ready.”
“Mimi told me about her gift,” Felicity said.“When she was asking me if I had any sort of psychic abilities.She almost seemed relieved when I told her I didn’t.I’m guessing her readings can be pretty traumatic.”
“Trust me,” Beau said.“Nobody sane asks to be psychic—and those delusional enough to ask probably don’t know how it will affect their entire lives.I know I won’t be able to stop Mimi from wanting to put her hands on these rings, but seeing what most likely were the final moments in the life of a woman she loved like a daughter…” Beau stopped.“I’m not even sure she should do it, but I don’t think I could stop her.Maybe you and I should sit this one out.”He looked at his sister.“Sometimes not knowing is better.”
Felicity lifted her pointed pixie chin.“I get it, and I won’t hold it against you if you don’t want to be there.But I will be.I think Mimi will want one of us next to her.”She stepped closer to Beau.“Can I see?I didn’t get a good look at the coroner’s office.”She cupped one hand under the other and held them up to Beau.I listened to the platinum bands clinking against each other as they slid out of the bag.Using her thumb and index finger, Felicity held the wedding band close to her face to read the inscription.“ ‘The past is never past; our love is eternal as time.’ ” She swiped at her eyes with a knuckle.“I’m not crying—I don’t cry.But that’s heartbreaking.I hope these weren’t the reason she was killed.Because that would make her death even more pointless.”
“I agree.”Beau held out his hand for the rings.“We’ll know for sure as soon as Mimi can get a reading on them.I think I’ll keep them at Sam’s until then.The bank’s closed tomorrow, and with so many people coming in and out of the house to pay their respects, I’d feel better leaving them at Sam’s.Her building has great security, and she’s got a safe in her closet.”He glanced at his watch.“And since it’s almost time to wake up, I might as well take these over there now.”
“What about Buddy?”Felicity asked, her voice barely audible.
“What do you mean?”Beau stared at his sister.
“Could he have done something…”
“No.”They both looked at me.“I’m sorry.It’s not my place to voice an opinion here.Camille suggested the same thing, but I can’t believe it.I won’t.Everything I’ve heard about your parents tells methat they loved each other and that your father would never have hurt your mother.I don’t have any evidence either way.It’s just…” I shrugged.“It’s a gut feeling.My dad’s always told me to trust my gut, and he’s always been right about that.And Madame Zoe believes that Buddy is in danger.Which means that we need to find him.Soon.There’s a reason why he hasn’t returned, but we won’t know until he’s found.”
Beau shook his head.“What if we find him and discover that he just didn’t want to come back?”
Felicity put her hand on Beau’s arm.“Then we’ll know.And we can go on from there.”
My ankle had begun to throb, distracting me from thinking about Beau and Sam and their missing father and their murdered mother.I was almost glad to feel a physical pain so that I could ignore all of it.“If it’s not too much trouble, I could use another pain pill.I already skipped a dose, and I’m beginning to see stars.”
“On it,” Felicity said.“I’ll go get you a fresh glass of water from the kitchen.Be right back.”
I said good night to Beau while faking a huge yawn before leaning back against the pillows to wait.My eyelids drooped with exhaustion, but the pain in my ankle kept me from drifting off.When I was on the brink of passing out, my eyes snapped open and my gaze met that of the baby doll perched on the desk chair.
“Beau?”I called out, just in case he hadn’t left yet.I mentally measured the distance to the desk and to the doorway of the library.With a soft groan, I pulled myself up using the wall and the side table, grabbed the creepy baby by her foot, and then hopped to the doorway.“Beau?”I called again, keeping my voice down so as not to wake everyone upstairs.
Except for the ticking of a multitude of clocks, and the faint noises from Felicity in the kitchen, the house remained quiet.I looked back at the side table where I’d left my phone, dismissing the thought of retrieving it as soon as it crossed my mind.My ankle felt as if it hadbeen lit on fire, and I knew it would take the last of my strength to propel myself back to bed.
I turned in the doorway, mentally preparing for the hop back, then stopped.A floorboard creaked somewhere in the dark hallway behind me, the sound as sharp and loud as the crack of a rifle.I held my breath, listening for the sound of a footstep.Or the soft expulsion of a breath.But only the gentle ticking of the clocks filled the void, the absence of any other sound making it somehow more unnerving.
Feeling unseen eyes on me, I dropped the doll in the hallway, hearing a satisfying thunk when it landed on the wooden floor, and continued on my way back to the bed.It didn’t matter where I put the doll.By morning it would have found its way to wherever it thought it needed to be.
CHAPTER 22
