Chapter 4
Red picked Rachel up from the airport in Baton Rouge, and they headed toward Louisiana State University. Rachel didn’t follow college football but nodded as Red talked about the LSU Tigers, who were currently in first place in the SEC.
“I’ll take your word for it,” she said. “But that’s enough about sports. Where should we eat?” Rachel had gotten lucky and was able to hop on the last flight out of Miami to Baton Rouge. She always kept a bag packed for times like this when she needed to get out of town fast. With Janine taking care of Maggie, she’d been free to leave right after the meeting with Scotty’s drinking buddy. The guy hadn’t given her any good information. It had seemed like just another dead end.
Red pulled into the parking lot of The Chimes, a popular restaurant located just off the LSU campus, which was crowded with a mix of students and young professionals enjoying drink specials and dinner. They grabbed a booth away from the bar area and the noise of the crowd. The waitress brought over some water and suggested they try the blackened alligator bites for an appetizer. They took her suggestion on the alligator, and both ordered a beer.
“How was the flight?” Red asked.
“Good, but I’m famished. Peanuts and a Coke is the only thing I’ve had since lunch. Even the alligator sounds appetizing.”
“I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. I’ve eaten here twice and the alligator is always good.”
Rachel took a quick look around the place. “The alligator isn’t the only reason you’ve eaten here.” Her eyes set on a group of college girls laughing loudly in the corner. “I think the scenery may have something to do with it.”
Red followed her gaze and laughed. “I ain’t dead yet!”
“Speaking of, are you watching your diet?” Rachel had been concerned for him since his heart attack a couple of months ago. Red was a like a father figure to her and even resembled Rachel’s own father a bit. Red was short, beefy, and bald, had been divorced three times, had no kids, and was an avid collector of Harley-Davidson motorcycles. And just like her, he never gave up looking for Mallory. Because of that, Red had a special place in her heart.
“Yes, ma’am,” Red answered. “Cross my heart.”
The waitress brought over the plate of steaming alligator bites. Rachel plucked one off the plate and ate it. “Hmmm, that is good.” She washed it down with a swig of her Abita Purple Haze beer. “So bring me up to speed on Matt O’Malley.”
“The police questioned Matt with his attorney present, but Matt claims he doesn’t remember anything. Matt was released into the custody of his brother and attorney. They took him straight to the hospital. Chris is supposed to call me after Matt is examined. He’s pretty pissed that the cops didn’t take his brother straight to the ER when they found him behind the Dumpster. He had a pretty big knot on his head.”
“Has he lost all his memory?”
“Matt claims he doesn’t have any knowledge of what happened to his wife or kids. He told Chris and the police that he doesn’t remember anything that happened the last few months prior to the incident. He doesn’t know how he got to Baton Rouge. Matt said he woke up behind the Dumpster three nights ago with a bad headache. That was the night he befriended Keith, the trucker.”
Rachel drained the rest of her beer. “Okay. So he was declared missing on Wednesday in New Orleans. On Thursday, he woke up behind a Dumpster at a truck stop in Baton Rouge. Ate dinner with a trucker and borrowed money from him. I’m assuming he didn’t have a wallet or cell phone on him?”
“Right,” Red answered. “He was confused and disoriented when the police got to him.”
“It wasn’t until Friday that Keith called us and the police. So where was Matt until that time? Where did Matt spend Thursday night, and why didn’t he call his brother?”
Red shrugged. “The police asked the same question. They think he was just sleeping or unconscious most of the time. But who knows. The only thing we know for sure is that Matt is having trouble with his memory.”
“Sounds like he has some form of amnesia.”
“That’s my guess. His brother took him to the emergency room at Our Lady of the Lake to get evaluated.”
“Retrograde amnesia. I remember that from my psychology classes at FSU. It usually results from head trauma.”
“Well, he does have a big ole goose egg on the back side of his head. Spots of dried blood on the back of his shirt and pants. The police took his clothes and shoes for evidence. They told his brother and lawyer to make sure Matt made no travel plans. All three of them are staying at the same hotel we are.”
The waitress came by and took their dinner order.
“I saw you eyeing the shrimp and grits at the next table,” said Red. “Why didn’t you get that instead of a salad?”
Rachel patted her stomach. “I can’t afford the calories.”
Red grunted and ran his hand over his shiny bald head. “You’ve lost weight since you’ve been in Mexico. You could stand to put on some pounds. You don’t have to order salad because of me. I don’t mind eating the rabbit food if that’s what keeps the ticker ticking.”
Rachel called the waitress back over and ordered the shrimp and grits. Red was right, she realized. She had lost a good bit of weight. She was five six and normally weighed around 127 pounds. But the last month had taken a toll on her, and none of her clothes fit properly anymore.
“Let’s go back to the beginning so I make sure I’m not missing anything.” Rachel dug into her purse for the small notebook she always kept with her. “Matt and his family were returning from soccer practice when they went missing. Right?” When she didn’t get a response, Rachel looked up from her notebook. Red’s attention was focused elsewhere. She followed his gaze to the hostess stand.
“Red? What is it?”
“I think you’d get a better sense of what happened if you ask him.” Red nodded to the guy waiting in front of the hostess stand. He was tall and dark haired, wearing jeans and a dark green shirt. “That’s Chris O’Malley. Matt’s brother.”