Rue Toulouse (34 page)

“Whatever it was, he’s definitely not over it,” Remi said before digging into his crawfish étouffée. “I do know you make the poor guy a nervous wreck.”

She frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“Didn’t you notice he could hardly look you in the eyes, and he kept stumbling over his words?”

“But that’s Travis. Every time I’ve been around him that’s the way he acts.”

“Did he act that way around Paulette?”

She knitted her brows. “Now that you mention it, I don’t think he did.”

“Face it, Princess. The guy has the serious hots for you.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, I hardly think so. He’s just shy around me for some reason. Perhaps it’s because he doesn’t know me that well.”

Remi snorted. “Yeah, well, whatever you say. Eat up. It’s getting late and I want to get over to Antoine’s and check out your car.”

“Hey, Remi, where y’at?” Antoine asked when Remi walked into the garage office.

“Awright, Toine, how about you? You keepin’ outta trouble?”

Antoine chuckled. “I’m trying,
cher
. I’m trying.”

Remi snorted. “That’s not what I’m hearing. I heard a pissed off Suzette caught your ass where it shouldn’t have been.”

“Yeah, well, the woman acts more like a wife than a girlfriend.” He gave Remi a conspiratorial grin. “But I used my considerable Michaud charm and
sweet
Suzette has forgiven me. Since we’re talking about girlfriends, how’d you manage to get a girl rich enough to live in Audubon Place to give your sorry ass a second glance?”

Remi smiled. “You ain’t the only Michaud who’s got the killer charm. Now, how about showing me where you’ve parked the lady’s car.”

“You said you wanted it out of sight, so I closed it up in the first bay.” He came out from around the counter. “So what’s the story with the lady and her car?”

As they walked, Remi filled him in on Caterine’s situation.

“No shit, someone in her family is after her over ownership of some dress shop?”

“It’s a little more than just a dress shop, but that’s what it seems her family is attempting to do. And now Paul and I have the job of not only keeping Caterine safe, but also finding out who hired her attacker.” Remi explained the plan to bring Caterine’s assassin out in the open at the Doucette Mardi Gras ball. “So I’m going to be needing some help.”

“You can count me in. I’d love the chance to catch the
salaud
. Besides, if she’s your girl, she’s now part of the family, and the Michauds take care of their own. Will you be at the boil on Saturday?”

He nodded. “I’m bringing Caterine.”

“Well then, I’m sure you’ll be able to recruit others to help.”

Remi smiled. “That’s what I’m counting on.”

Antoine cocked his head. “The lady must be something special for you to be going to all this trouble. I can’t wait to meet her.”

“Yeah, well, you can meet the lady and that better be all. Don’t make me have to kick the shit out of you for coming on to my girl.”

Antoine snorted. “I’m not worried about you kicking my ass. It’s a pissed off Suzette who scares the shit out of me.”

“That’s what you need, Toine, a woman who keeps your ass in line.”

“Yeah, well, look who’s talking. Does the lady who drives this Mercedes keep your ass in line?”

“She tries,
cher
, she tries.” Remi began to examine the car. “So tell me, in your professional opinion, what’s the quickest and easiest way to put a car out of commission?”

Antoine rubbed his chin. “On newer models like this, that isn’t as easily done as it used to be.”

“Really? Why?”

“Because the engine isn’t as easily accessible.”

“Well, someone got to it somehow.”

“Wait a minute. Let me finish. I said it was difficult, not impossible. But the engine isn’t what was tampered with. My guess is the car was tased.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“You were a cop. What do you think it means?”

Remi shook his head. “You telling me this car was hit with a Taser?”

Antoine nodded. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. I’ll have to take a closer look, but I’ll bet you a twelve-pack I’m right.”

“I’m not crazy enough to take that bet. You’re the car expert, not me. So, saying you’re right, how exactly does that work?”

“Easy, hit any metal part of the car and it will short circuit all of the electrical components.”

Remi let out a long whistle. “No shit. How common do you think this knowledge is?”

He shrugged. “Since I’m in the business of repairing cars, not destroying them, I have no idea. But I’ll bet one of your buddies on the NOPD could tell you.”
 

“How long before you’ll know for sure that’s what happened?”

Antoine smiled. “If you hadn’t threatened me with bodily harm for getting my prints on the car, I’d have already known.”

“It’s all yours. Let me see if I get some prints from around the door and hood and I’ll let you get to it.”

“I’ll let you know what I find out tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Toine. I owe you one.”

Antoine grinned. “Just make sure to remind Suzette what a great catch I am.”

Remi chuckled. “Yeah, right.”

When Remi arrived back at his apartment, he found Caterine sorting through a mound of clothes piled on the bed.

“You and Elaine didn’t waste any time. What’d she do, empty out her closet?”

Caterine jumped at the sound of his voice. “For goodness sakes, Remi, you startled me. I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Sorry.” He came farther into the room. “Where are we going to put all this?”

“I’m not keeping them all. I’m just going to pick out something to wear on Saturday. I haven’t the slightest idea what one wears to a crawfish boil, so Elaine brought me a selection.”

“Princess, I told you most people will be in jeans and T-shirts. Will you please stop worrying? Now if you clear off the bed so we can get into it, I’ll tell you what I found out about your car.”

She smiled and stepped from his arms. “I think you had better tell me first. I’m afraid if you wait until we’re in the bed, I’m not going to learn anything that has to do with my car.”

He grinned. “How right you are. Okay, you clear and I’ll talk.”

“A Taser?” Caterine exclaimed in disbelief after Remi had explained what Antoine had told him. “Someone hit my car with a Taser?”

He nodded. “That’s what Antoine believes. We’ll know for sure tomorrow.”

“What kind of damage are we talking about?”

“A lot. If this is true, your car is toast. No pun intended.”

Her eyes filled with tears. “Damn them all to hell. First they come after me, and now my car.”

“Hey, Princess, I’m sorry. I didn’t know the car meant that much to you. Come here.” He took her into his arms. “Don’t cry. I don’t know that much about cars, but Antoine does. Perhaps I was wrong and it can be fixed.”

“I . . . want . . . that . . . bastard . . . caught, Remi. Do you hear me?” She gasped out each word. “I don’t care what you have to do. Find him.”

He lifted her tear-streaked face from his dampened shirt. “Okay, stop crying. I promise I’ll do as you ask.” He bent his head and kissed her until her tears stopped flowing.

Chapter Thirty-Three

“I’m still not comfortable with this,” Remi said as he parked in front of Ma Chérie early Friday morning.

“It will be fine. We’re here well before anyone else, so they won’t see you drop me off. I promise I won’t leave until you come back to pick me up. I want to be in my office when my aunts arrive so I can gauge their reaction to seeing me. Besides, I had to come in early to find something to wear.”

“And you couldn’t use anything from all that stuff Elaine brought over?”

“Elaine didn’t send over anything designed by Ma Chérie. I can’t work with clients and not be wearing one of our own creations.”

He scowled. “Well, excuse the hell out of me for being so ignorant.”

“You really aren’t a morning person, are you? Why don’t you go get some coffee and a couple of beignets? That should improve your mood.” She opened the car door and stepped out onto the sidewalk. An unexpected wave of fear washed over her as she stood once again on the spot where the attack had taken place.

When she grabbed for the open car door, Remi got out and came around to where she stood.

“Caterine, what’s wrong? You’re white as a sheet. Here let me help you.” He guided her away from the car.

“I’m okay. For a minute, I relived the night of the attack. I didn’t realize coming here would affect me this way.”

“It’s understandable that you’d be rattled. What happened to you that night isn’t something you’ll forget quickly. Come on, I’m going in with you.”

She shook her head. “You don’t have to do that. I’m fine now.” She knew by the stubborn set of his jaw that he wasn’t going to leave until he had her safe inside. Resigned, she led him to the front door. “Wouldn’t it be just my luck if my aunts changed the code on me?” Laughing lightly, she punched in the sequence of numbers and sighed as the lock clicked.

“Where is your office?” He followed her in, closing the door and resetting the alarm.

She pointed toward the back of the shop. “I’ll show you.”

“Wait a minute.” He placed a restraining hand on her arm. “Let me check around out here first.” Satisfied all seemed as it should, he motioned for her to follow behind him as he made his way to the rear of the store.

When it was clear no one else was there, he turned. “When do your aunts normally get here?”

“Not until nine o’clock. I have plenty of time to go through the auction clothes to find something to wear.”

“Auction clothes? What are those?”

“Clothes clients order and, for one reason or another, decide they no longer want. Each year Aunt Hyacinth gathers them and holds an exclusive fashion show and auction. All the proceeds go to charity.”

Remi lifted his brows. “That sounds like a very generous thing to do, not to mention a lot of hard work.”

She snorted. “Trust me, Hyacinth doesn’t do it because it’s a kind and generous thing to do. She does it because of the notoriety it brings her.” Caterine glanced at the clock on her desk. “And you’d better get going so I can get changed. Before the others get here, I want to go through the orders Grandmère received in my absence. I’ll call you when everyone has left and you can come back and get me.”

Remi moved to where she stood behind her desk. “You look awfully professional and sexy standing here in your office, Princess.”

“Remi, what are you doing?”

A wicked grin spread across his face as he lifted her onto the desk, positioning himself between her parted legs. “We’re about to do something I’m sure proper businesswoman Caterine Doucette never imagined would happen on her fancy antique desk.”