Chapter Nine
The other boat was drifting, just off the center of the bayou and so close to the middle that Colt had to break hard to the left to avoid hitting it. He killed the power immediately, and the bow of their boat slammed down on top of the bayou.
Jadyn clutched the seat to avoid being thrown again and looked over at the other boat, holding in a groan. At first glance, it appeared that a person was in the boat, but with a closer look, Jadyn knew Colt was staring at an empty boat.
Helena Henry sat on the middle bench, her hands covering her eyes. As Colt inched Jadyn’s boat closer to the other, Helena removed her hands and Jadyn could see that her eyes were red, as if she’d been crying. Helena stared at them, blinking, then finally locked in on Jadyn. She jumped up from the bench, her eyes wide, and waved her hands above her head, as if she needed to flag them down when they were already headed straight toward her.
“Thank God you found me,” she said as they drew alongside her boat. “I’ve been out here for hours. I thought I knew the way back, but I got lost and every time I tried a new direction, I always ended up back here. Now I’m out of gas.”
Jadyn glanced over at Colt, who stepped into the other boat, then looked back at Helena and put her finger to her lips. Colt was one of the lucky people who couldn’t see or hear Helena, so no way could Jadyn respond. Helena looked over at Colt, then her eyes widened and she nodded. Jadyn rubbed the back of her neck, a million questions hovering at the edge of lips.
Colt reached into the steering column compartment and grabbed some documents from inside. He scanned them quickly, then shoved them back inside.
“This boat belongs to the FBI.”
Jadyn cringed. She’d already expected as much, given the source, but it was still slightly startling to have her worst fear confirmed.
“I could have told you that,” Helena said.
Jadyn stepped up to the side of the boat and glared at Helena.
Colt scanned the bank in both directions. “I don’t know how it got here.”
I do.
“Hmmm,” Jadyn said, trying not to look at Helena. “Maybe this is what Ross was looking for.”
“Maybe, but the tide’s coming in. If it was at the pond, it couldn’t have drifted here. Someone had to have taken it.” He shook his head. “Who the hell would steal a boat from the FBI?”
Jadyn shook her head. “I can’t imagine.”
Because I don’t have to.
“What are we going to do about it?” she asked.
“Nothing,” he said. “I figure it’s Ross’s problem.”
“So you’re just going to leave it here?”
“Sure. Why not?”
Helena’s eyes widened. “Oh hell no! You’re not leaving me here. I could starve. I could get eaten by an alligator. Do you know how big the mosquitoes are here at night?”
As Colt stepped back over, Helena dove for their boat. Unfortunately, Colt had pushed the boat away as he stepped inside, and Helena hit the side with a thunk, then dropped like a stone into the bayou, sending a splash of water a good three feet into the air. Jadyn closed her eyes and cringed.
Colt, who’d been about to start the engine, whirled around. “What the hell was that?”
Jadyn peered over the side of the boat as Helena surfaced, sputtering water like a leaky hose. She grabbed the side of the boat and glared at Jadyn.
“Don’t just stand there,” Helena said. “Get me out of here before something eats me.”
Jadyn blew out a breath. How in the world was she supposed to make that work with Colt staring right at her?
“It was something big,” she said. “It went under our boat toward the bank.”
Colt turned around and leaned over to peer into the water.
As soon as his back was turned, Jadyn reached down and hoisted Helena into the boat, wondering how in the world an incorporeal entity could weigh so much. Helena flopped into the bottom of the boat with a thud. Jadyn cringed, hoping the noise was for her ears only, but no chance.
Colt turned around. “Where did that come from?”
“I think something hit the bottom of the boat,” Jadyn said. At least it was the truth. “Maybe we should get back to the dock.”
“Probably a good idea,” Colt agreed. “I’d hate to get stranded in a leaky boat with something that made that kind of splash lurking around. Whatever it was, it was enormous.”
Helena pushed herself upright and glared at Colt. “I am not enormous.”
Jadyn coughed, trying to keep from laughing.
“And what do you mean leaky boat?” Helena asked. “What the hell is wrong with you people? Why can’t you get equipment that works?”
Jadyn reached into her backpack and pulled out a set of headphones. “My ears are bothering me a bit,” she said. “I’m going to put these on, if that’s okay.”
Colt nodded. “The humidity sometimes bothers people when they’re not used to it. Don’t let things go until you get an infection.”
“Oh no,” Helena griped. “You’re not going to ignore me. I’ve got things to tell you—”
Jadyn popped the earphones on as Colt started up the boat. Helena gave her the finger, then crawled onto the front bench and sat in a huff the entire way back to the dock.
When they reached the dock, Colt helped Jadyn get her boat onto the trailer so she could transport it to Marty Breaux’s garage and have him patch the tear. Jadyn told him she wanted to check in with Mildred, so he headed to the sheriff’s department to get his boat and would be back to pick her up.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Jadyn whirled around. “What the hell is going on? How did you get the FBI’s boat?”
“There was an alligator and then a snake and then people starting shooting, so I ran. It was a long walk to Maryse’s truck and I didn’t have the keys besides, so I jumped in the boat and left.”
Jadyn stared. She’s known Helena alone in an FBI boat couldn’t be a good thing, but this sounded much worse than she’d imagined. “Did Maryse take you to the pond?”
“Yes. We were going to spy on Ross.”
“Where is Maryse?”
Helena shrugged. “She was supposed to be watching from across the pond. I guess when all the fray broke out, she hightailed it out of there.”
“What fray?”
“I got solid.”
“That doesn’t necessarily account for a fray.”
Helena looked down at the ground and sighed. “In my haste to get away from the snake, I might have run over Ross, who might have fired his weapon as he fell.”
“And then you drove off in his boat. Good God Almighty.”
Helena rolled her eyes. “You say that like it’s the worst thing you ever heard.”
“Hold that thought.”
Jadyn pulled out her phone and dialed Mildred. The hotel owner must have had one hand on the phone because she answered before the first ring finished.
“Is Maryse there?” Jadyn asked.
“Nooooo,” Mildred said, and Jadyn knew she didn’t want to tattle on Maryse.
“I already know she went to spy on Ross.”
“Oh no. What happened?”
Jadyn relayed Helena’s fun-filled morning.
“What happened to Maryse?” Mildred asked, the panic clear in her voice.
“That’s a good question, and one that I and Dastardly the Panicky Ghost can’t answer.”
“They left here hours ago, and Helena said this happened right after they got there?”
“That’s what she says.”
“She would have made it back here by now. Even crawling she could have made it back by now. Do you think Ross has her?”
“I don’t know,” Jadyn replied, but it sounded more and more likely.
“What do I do if Luc comes looking for her? Should I try to find her myself? I’ve called her cell several times already and it goes straight to voice mail.”
Jadyn heard a boat approaching and looked up to see Colt pulling up to the dock. “Colt’s back so I have to get off the phone. I’m sending Helena to the hotel. Take her with you and see if you can find Maryse and her truck.”
“What if I run into Ross?”
“Tell him the truth—that you know Maryse was working in this area of the swamp this morning but she should have been back by lunch, and you’re looking for her because you’re worried. I’ve got to run.”
She disconnected and shoved the cell phone back in her jeans pocket. “Get to the hotel,” she said to Helena, then turned around and headed down the dock, her creative mind conjuring up all the things that might have happened to Maryse if Ross got his hands on her.
And all the things that might happen to Ross if Luc LeJeune decided his wife had been poorly treated.
The last thought made her smile.