Zach’s phone rang the instant he climbed into his car. He knew it was the captain without even looking at the display. He could swear that even the ring had a desperate, angry sound to it. He pressed the button to answer and the captain’s voice boomed out, making him wince.
“Damn it, Blanchard! What the hell is going on? You tell me this morning that you don’t have any leads to speak of, then the doctor you questioned about Melissa Franco turns up dead in the psychic woman’s shop. I guess you’ve got plenty of leads now. What I want from you are some answers.”
“I wish I had them, Captain. All I can tell you is that it looks like Spencer’s been stalking Ms. Bordeaux, but neither of us know why.”
“How do you know that the Bordeaux woman didn’t kill him herself? Maybe they were having an affair. Maybe she thought he’d kidnapped the kid, and she’s lost it from so many years of hiding out.”
“I’m sure that’s not the case, sir.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Because when Spencer was shot, I was sitting in a café with Ms. Bordeaux having lunch. And witnesses saw a black Cadillac, not an old tan sedan. It wasn’t her, but it has all the signs of a hired hit.”
“Which puts us right back to the fucking Heberts.”
“It looks that way.”
“So would you like to tell me why you called Morrow to take over for you on the hottest piece of evidence that we’ve got so far?”
“I’m tracking down some background information on Susannah Franco.”
“Please don’t tell me the mother has anything to do with the disappearance of her own child.”
“Okay, I won’t tell you that, but I have to wonder.”
“Wonder about what?”
“Why the Social Security number Susannah Franco’s been using belongs to a woman that died over thirty years ago.”
There was dead silence on the other end of the phone, and for a moment, Zach wondered if the captain had finally had that heart attack he kept threatening the department with. “Sir, are you still there?”
“Yeah, but I’m starting to wonder for how much longer. Jesus H. Christ, Blanchard. You call me as soon as you have any information on the Franco woman. I’ll make sure the detail watching her doesn’t let her out of their sight. Is there anything else that can pile onto this case?”
“As a matter of fact, remember that kidnapping you sent me on this morning?”
“Yeah, the adult male. So? Probably out on a bender.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Do I even want to know?”
“The guy was a friend of a friend of Ms. Bordeaux’s and an ex-associate of the Heberts. He warned Ms. Bordeaux earlier this week that one of the Heberts asked him to kill her.”
“Blanchard. I’ve changed my mind.”
“About what, sir?”
“Don’t call me again. When I can handle it, I’ll call you.”
Forty minutes later, Zach was perched on a hard chair covered in hideous fabric and sipping tea from china cups with Magdalena LeBlanc, Susannah Forrester’s old friend and neighbor. Zach took a sip of the tea and tried not to grimace. Why in the world did people actually like that crap? “So, Ms. LeBlanc, did Susannah have any children?”
“Oh, heavens, no. Susannah was an old maid, like me. That’s why we were such fabulous friends. Neither of us had others to answer to once our parents passed away. Why, we were fancy-free and living the life.”
Zach smiled. “Sounds like a good life.”
“Oh, it was the best, up until Susannah got sick. Breast cancer. Wasn’t testing then like there is today. Why, she just wasted away. It’s such a shame.”
“I’m very sorry to hear that. I’m sure you miss her.”
“Every single day. So tell me, what’s a New Orleans detective doing all the way out in the boonies asking about Susannah?”
“Her name came up in a case I’m working on as a possible relative to a suspect. I thought maybe if she had kids…But looks like I’m out of luck.”
“She never had her own kids, but she had a niece she was very fond of. Used to send her money from time to time.”
“Do you remember the niece’s name?”
“Annabelle was her name. Annabelle Forrester. Her father was Susannah’s brother, who died in the war.”
“Did Annabelle have any children?”
“Oh, I don’t know. After Susannah passed away, I never saw her again. She’d just recently married before Susannah’s death, but I don’t recall anyone telling me the young man’s name. I’m really sorry I can’t be more help.”
Zach rose from his chair and took her hands in his. “You’ve been a great help, Ms. LeBlanc. Thank you for your time and the tea.”
Zach left the house and hopped into his car. If Annabelle Forrester had married and had a child, she might have named that child after her favorite aunt. He’d passed the court house on the way into town. He’d try to find a marriage license and birth record there.