Chapter 42
The drive to Lake Charles was exactly three hours. Rachel followed the directions to Adam Donnelly’s lake house that Red had pulled up on their GPS unit.
“What are we going to do when we get there?” Rachel asked.
“We’ll do a drive-by and check out the place. If anything looks promising, then we’ll call in the troops. But it’s totally possible that we’ll just find an empty lake house. Adam won’t be there, I don’t think. Since his job and life are three hours away in New Orleans.”
Rachel nodded. “At this point, anything is possible.” She turned off the interstate onto a two-lane highway. Checking the GPS system, she said, “Looks like we are about ten minutes from our destination.”
“Look for a road called Terre Belle. Should be coming up on our right.”
The sun was just setting, which made it hard for Rachel to make out the street signs. Even through sunglasses, she squinted to see.
“Here it is,” Red called out.
Rachel made the right. Within a couple of minutes, the lake came into view. “Wow, the lake is beautiful.”
“Slow down. There’s the house; Terre Belle.”
Rachel pulled up just short of the driveway. The large A-frame house sat on a heavily wooded lot that gave way to views of the sparkling lake in the distance. However, Rachel observed, “The house is a dump. Looks like no one has taken care of the place. I wonder whose white sedan is in the driveway.”
Red got out the binoculars he kept in his backpack and took a look. “Copy down the plate numbers and send them to my e-mail.” He read the numbers slowly to her. “It’s a Mercedes. Doesn’t Melinda drive a Mercedes?”
Rachel nodded as she e-mailed the plate numbers. “I remember seeing her and Alanna getting into Melinda’s car when I left Madame Verdene’s.”
“I’ll see if I can get someone to run them to verify that it’s her car.” Red shifted in his seat and scanned the area. “Wonder what Melinda is doing at her brother’s lake house?”
“Not sure, but I don’t like where this is going. I can call Chris and ask him if he knows Melinda’s whereabouts.”
“Let’s wait and see what we can get off the plates. I’ll forward this to my buddy at the department. Hopefully, we’ll hear something soon.” Red shifted around in the car, scanning the area. “I don’t see any activity from here. Looks like a couple lights are on. Hard to tell from this angle. Drive a little farther down the road and let’s turn around.”
Rachel shifted the car back in gear and headed down the dead-end street. No other vehicles or people in sight. She parked on the other side of the street and killed the motor.
“Well, since no one else is around, let’s get out and take a look.”
Red grabbed Rachel before she could open the door. “This isn’t some quiet little beach town. People have loaded guns in places like this, and they aren’t afraid to shoot.”
“What else are we going to do?”
“Welcome to your first official stakeout.” Red offered her some of the boiled peanuts he’d picked up at the last gas station. “We sit and wait.”
“I don’t think Cajun boiled peanuts are on your diet, Red.”
“Peanuts are actually very good for you.”
“Yeah, regular peanuts. Not the ones boiled in a Crock-Pot with salt and Cajun seasonings and who knows what else.”
Rachel took out her bottle of water and a granola bar.
“Assuming that is Melinda’s car, what in the world is she doing here? Think Adam will show up?”
Red looked at his cell phone. “I got more info on Adam.” He scrolled down the screen. “He works in a restaurant. Broussard’s. It’s in the Quarter. He’s a sous-chef.”
“Call him. See if he’s at work,” Rachel suggested.
Rachel watched the house as she waited for Red to make the call. She wondered how Adam fit into all this. He was at the gas station at the same time as Matt—just before the entire O’Malley family had been attacked. Coincidence? She thought not. Surely he was involved somehow—but as a murderer? It seemed like a stretch for a guy who had a small-time rap sheet. The guy was finally out of jail and had a decent job. Why would he put it all on the line for some plot of his sister’s?
Red finished talking and hung up the call. “Adam doesn’t work there anymore, according to the hostess,” he said. “The manager is busy with the dinner rush, but she said he would call me back tomorrow afternoon.”
“Here comes someone now.” Rachel pointed to the house. The sun was fading fast, but the figure coming out the house was very recognizable.
“Melinda O’Malley,” she said. “I guess there is no need to run the plate now.” Rachel watched as Melinda casually got in her car. “Why am I not surprised? Stay or follow?”
“Let’s follow her,” said Red. “There may be someone else inside the house, and I don’t want to be caught trespassing and take the chance of getting our heads blown off.”
Rachel waited until the car got to the end of the road before turning over the engine. She kept her headlights off until she turned on the highway.
Within a couple of miles, they arrived back in town. The Mercedes turned into a Cane’s fast-food restaurant parking lot and headed for the drive-through.
“I guess she’s picking up dinner.” Rachel went around the side of the fast-food joint and then backed into a parking space.
“So.” Rachel picked at her fingernail, her mind racing. “Why is she staying at the lake house? The place hardly looks like somewhere Melinda would stay. Her style is more a five-star hotel.”
“A little rendezvous? Perhaps she’s having an affair as well?”
They watched as Melinda took several bags of takeout food at the window. The blond driver was oblivious to anyone watching her as she popped a french fry in her mouth, then blazed out of the parking lot. Rachel waited until the Mercedes was a good way down the highway before following Melinda back to the house. They cruised past the address just in time to see Melinda walking inside with the bulging sacks of fast food.
“That’s a lot of food for just one anorexic woman,” Rachel commented. “She’s obviously got company.”
“You’re probably right, but I don’t think we’ll find out who it is tonight,” said Red. “Let’s grab a hotel. In the morning, we can head over to that marina I saw just off the highway. We can rent a boat and see if we can get a good look from the lake.”
“Good idea.”