CHAPTER 41
Trey and I both awakened to the sound of Preston babbling, "num-num, num-num Maamaa."
"I think that means you honey," Trey said rolling over and nudging me.
I was extremely groggy from our restless night due to the goings-on down the hall. Preston had managed to sleep right through it. Trey had said it was because she was used to those sounds. I had elbowed him in the ribs on that one.
"I do not sound like that," I had snapped at him.
"And you better never either," he had replied laughing, "Or I will put a pillow over your head."
Trey nudged me again.
"Look at her Tylar, isn't she cute?"
I rose up and saw Preston standing up in her crib. She was bouncing up and down grinning from ear to ear. Her eye teeth were all the way through now. Her sleep tousled hair was standing up in places making it look like she had a couple of horns.
"I think little 'Vampira' vould like to suck your teat," Trey said trying to sound like Bella Lugosi's Dracula.
"Shut up Trey," I laughed scooting out of bed.
"I hope that is not your latest nickname for her. She will be in therapy with Karla before you know it."
I picked her up and smoothed her hair down before climbing back into bed with her. She nestled down against me finding my nipple and I fell back asleep.
Trey must have gotten up and got dressed while I slept. I woke up again when he lifted Preston from me.
"Hey Tristan and Gina are up. Do you want me to give Preston her bath and get her dressed?"
"Thank you baby. I love you."
"Right back at you Mrs. Sinclair."
I got up and dressed in jeans and a sweater. I put my make-up on and brushed my hair up into a ponytail. I didn't feel like flat-ironing it this morning.
When I got out to the living room I could smell all kinds of breakfast aromas. Both Gina and Tristan were in the kitchen talking and laughing as they cooked.
"Good morning Ty," Gina greeted me cheerily as she brought a platter of warm biscuits and cooked sausage patties out and placed it on the dining room table.
"Are you hungry for one of my special Sunday breakfasts?"
I wasn't aware that Gina had 'special Sunday breakfasts,' but I was famished at any rate.
"It looks and smells great Gina."
"Take a seat then; Tristan is finishing up the omelets."
Trey came out just then with the baby all bathed and dressed and got her settled into her playpen with her toys.
"Look at this," I said nodding toward the dining room.
"Tristan and Gina have been busy."
Trey and I took our seats at the dining room table which had been set with glasses of orange juice and ice water.
Tristan appeared then with a platter of omelets, Gina followed behind with the coffee carafe filling everyone's coffee cups.
We all dug in ravenous from doing without dinner the night before.
"So," I said finally breaking the silence, "Is everything okay with you two now?"
I felt Trey's foot bump mine underneath the table.
(So? I wanted to know.)
Gina and Tristan looked at each other warmly and smiled.
"Tristan came up with a great compromise on the name of the club and I love it," she said beaming.
"So are you going to share that with us?" I asked.
"Well it's a combination of what he wanted and what I wanted. He wanted it to be called 'Tristan's' because it sounds more refined and more conducive to appealing to the restaurant crowd we want to have Monday's through Thursday. I of course wanted to call it 'The Shady Lady' for more of a party crowd appeal which we like for weekends. So we agreed to name it 'Tristan's Shady Lady Saloon and Restaurant.' What do you think?"
They were both looking at Trey and I for our reaction.
"Truthfully I really like it," I said. "It does have dual appeal."
"It works for me," Trey replied buttering a biscuit.
"Good we're glad you approve," Tristan said, taking Gina's hand into his and squeezing it.
(Oh yeah - they were in love or very close to it!)
"So Tristan how long will you be staying in town this time?" Trey asked, taking a sip of his coffee.
"I'll be here until the weekend. I've got to meet with the health inspector; interview some chef's and meet with a contractor about putting in the wine cellar."
"Do you think perhaps that you could help me rearrange some stuff here at the apartment?"
(Okay what is all of this about?)
"Sure no problem. What do you need done?"
"Well first off, we need to move that bed in Preston's room that you two are using away from the wall."
"Trey," I said giving him a dirty look.
Gina blushed and Tristan got a hint of a grin on his face.
"Not a problem bro," he replied. "Anything else?"
"Yeah I'll need your help rearranging my office so that it can accommodate Preston's crib and changing table and get those things moved in there."
Tristan looked over at me grinning; it was my turn to blush.
Gina and I cleared the table and cleaned up the kitchen while Trey and Tristan were rearranging the furniture.
"Were we really that loud last night Ty?"
"Uh, well yeah," I answered.
"Gina can I ask you something kind of personal?"
"Sure. We have no secrets."
"What is with the cat screech noises?"
"The what?" she asked clearly not understanding the question.
"You realize that when you are near orgasm you kind of screech like a cat don't you?"
"That wasn't me," she said laughing out loud.
(Oh dear God - I hoped she wasn't going to tell me that it was Tristan!)
"Tristan and I thought it was you!"
"What?"
She was laughing hysterically now.
"Yeah," she said trying to catch her breath.
"We'll cop to the bed banging against the wall; Tristan gets a bit vocal but I swear we heard that cat wailing and thought it was you being pleasured by the Hot Nazi."
"Oh my God," I laughed, feeling my face blush.
Tristan had sat across from me at breakfast thinking that I had done all of that wailing during the night.
"I guess it must have been a cat in heat somewhere in the building then."
"You make sure Tristan knows that it was not me," I said to her.
"I will as long as you let Trey think that it was me," she snickered.
"Gina - why do you like to get under his skin like that?" I chided.
"Because I can girlfriend."
My dad called Sunday evening to update me on the progress he had made.
"Tylar I am pleased to inform you that a federal warrant was served on Matthew Renaud yesterday. He has been taken into federal custody on conspiracy kidnapping charges; harboring a fugitive and obstructing justice for starters. This will keep him locked up while we dig up further proof of his criminal activities."
"So then evidence was found that he was involved with Maggie in kidnapping Preston?"
"Yes. There was direct evidence found in his home. Some infant clothing that was taken into evidence that you will need to identify, as well as information gleaned from his computer and phone records."
"What I don’t understand is why was he involved if there was no intention of asking for a ransom?"
"He may have had every intention of doing just that. Something may have gone wrong with their plans. Hopefully more light will be shed once the federal agents have thoroughly interrogated him."
"You know Dad, we've never discussed your late wife's involvement in all of this. Are we going to?"
"Tylar I am still trying to sort all of that out here in looking through her papers and bank records. So far, nothing. She hid her tracks pretty well."
"But are you shocked to think that she would have participated in hiding the fact that I existed from you?"
"No - quite frankly that does not shock me. She very much wanted us to be married. She was devastated that she couldn't have children. She likely felt threatened knowing that I had sired a child out of wedlock. What would shock me quite frankly is to discover she had played any part in your mother's death."
We talked for a few minutes longer. He told me that he would have a limo for me when my flight arrived Tuesday in Baton Rouge. He had taken several days off from the bench in order to spend time with Preston and me.
That night after my shower I re-read my mother's notes again. I somehow felt closer to her when I read them. I got my Blackberry and replayed Maggie's last conversation with me the morning she died. She said that my mother had instructed her to give the jewelry boxes to Trinity LaFleur; that it was the only way that she would be safe. Maggie had said she had wanted to keep the jewelry for herself.
None of that made much sense. How would giving some mid-wife the jewelry keep Maggie safe? But she hadn't told Maggie to give her the jewelry - she had said the jewelry boxes. I scrambled up from the bed and went to my closet. I pulled the other blue velvet jewelry box from the dresser. It was square and smaller. I didn't know why I hadn't thought of this before now. If the larger one had a false bottom perhaps this one did as well.
I pulled out the pillow that had the earrings on them and examined the bottom of the box. There was the same small satin ribbon hoop at the back corner of the bottom. I pulled the ribbon upward and the false bottom lifted up. There was a small plastic bag in there. I pulled it out and there was a key inside of it. There was a post-it note inside the baggie with my mother's writing on it. It read:
Trinity - Please give Maggie the envelope.
I put the plastic bag back into the box and put the false bottom over it. I put both of the blue velvet jewelry boxes into my carry-on bag. These items were going to Baton Rouge with me. I was determined to get to the bottom of what all of this meant come hell or high bayou water!